EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH S.AFRICAN MODEL AND INTERNATIONAL FASHION CHOREOGRAPHER ANDISWA MANXIWA

Andiswa Manxiwa's  successful modeling career gained her the opportunity to meet and work with the best people in the fashion industry. Her very first big break was being chosen by Jan Malan as one of the very few South African models to do the “Afredesia” show in New York Fashion Week 2002.She has travelled over 10 countries in Africa, scouting for the Mnet Face of Africa model search in 2006 and 2008.   She is also a director and producer at KIU Productions and has produced many shows including Arise African Fashion Week 2009  for designers: Sylvia Owori of Uganda, Pambili of Namibia, Mustafa Hassanali of Tanzania,Mekdes and Helen Asrat of Ethiopia.  Andiswa also produced a show for Naomi Campbell’s Fashion for Relief in November 2009 held in Dar es Salaam ,Tanzania . She has choreographed many shows including Nokia Face of Africa in 2006 and 2008, Mozambique Fashion Week in 2006-2008, Swahili Fashion Week just to mention a few. We had the pleasure to interview  this ambitious queen about her career as she inspires many young girls who want to make it in the world of fashions. we hope you enjoy the interview.

SWP: Do you agree that Johannesburg is the center of African fashion? and which other African countries/cities are growing fast as the fashion capitals according to your experience?

ANDISWA: Yes I do agree, I think Botswana, Mozambique, Angola, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania are heading towards the right direction. 

SWP: You have been in the fashion industry almost a decade now playing various roles as a model, model scouting, judge, choreographer and more , what have been the challenges especially from the foreign countries you have visited?

ANDISWA:  I love what I do with passion. when I travel and work with models, Instilling what I know best, it is time consuming. It is something everyone should grab with both hands and run with, but it really hurts when I return to the same country a year later and find these girls exactly where I found them, no growth, no change. That is one of my biggest challenges.

SWP:  You have been a choreographer for many fashion weeks in various countries including  Swahili fashion week in Tanzania,  is there anything or things you would like to be there for Swahili fashion week which is/are not there currently?

ANDISWA: Swahili Fashion Week is growing beautifully and is definitely one of the great platforms in Africa . However as a choreographer working behind the scenes I struggle a lot in terms of organisation. The team just refuses to grow and learn, everybody wants to look fabulous and yet not deliver. Same as models, it is just like starting from scratch year in year out.

SWP: What it takes to be a good fashion choreographer ?  do you think Swahili fashion week and Tanzania in general should prepare fashion choreographers specially by learning from you and your team from S.Africa after years as a choreographer for the fashion week?

ANDISWA:  It takes a lot of dedication, hard work, a teachable spirit and creativity.  I learnt what I do from the best,Jan Malan . However I was never spoon fed, i learnt the hard way,  paid my dues and I was extremely patient.  Like I previously mentioned, The Tanzanian team lacks growth, there is no humility, everyone is important, you can not speak to them anyhow. Unfortunately it just doesn't work that way. It is a hard job, it needs tough personalities.

SWP:  Many girls tend to lose weight as they want to be models and even some have unhealthy diet, what do you have to say or your opinions on this as someone who knows the fashion industry inside out?

 ANDISWA: Modelling is not for everyone. The way I look is genetic, I do absolutely nothing to maintain my weight, I was born this way and am extremely healthy. You are either born with it or not. Girls need to stop putting so much pressure on themselves. Not everybody can do this job, the same way that we all can't be musicians.

SWP:  Do you think there should be African fashion Tv for broadcasting and marketing African fashion talents to the outside world? how about African media in the fashion industry well supporting the industry or still backward?

ANDISWA:  Yes, I definitely think there should be, it is the best way for us to be out there. I think our African media  are doing a fantastic job, I see a lot of our fashion events out there, example one of the shows from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Africa on BBC.

SWP: Is  it true that there is racism in the world of fashion especially to black models and even designers?

ANDISWA: Yes, it is entirely true and sad.

SWP: Which two Tanzanian models do you thing they have everything to be next international supermodels according to your experience being with them at Swahili fashion week ?

ANDISWA:  Daxx(Ali Hassan) is amazing, he recently moved to S.Africa and is taking over. Alexia(Alexia Williams) is also one of the models who really have potential but is doing nothing about it.

SWP:  Your dream fashion week to catwalk and choreograph and why?

 ANDISWA: New York, London and Paris fashion weeks because of their calibre.

SWP: Thank you very much Andiswa for being with us.

ANDISWA: Thank you too .

                                                        model Alexia Williams