Haute Of Africa: The Top African Models Taking Fashion’s Center Stage
The Boss: Oluchi Onweagba
Since winning the premiere 1998 “Face of Africa” competition sponsored by African cable giant M-NET, the Nigerian has gone on to hit pretty much every high a model aspires to. Cosmetics contract/ad campaign? Check. Onweagba was a CoverGirl — and has appeared in campaigns for L’Oreal, Gap, and Macy’s. Vogue cover? Check — she’s fronted Vogue Italia. Appearance in SI Swimsuit Issue/Victoria’s Secret Show? Check. Check. Now married to designer Luca Orlandi and mother to their son, Onweagba still works the runways, but her focus is on the next generation. Having launched O Model Management in South Africa, Onweagba told Modelinia.com: “I wanted to do more than the usual charity. I wanted to empower young adult women to make a living at an early age, so they can have a voice of their own even if they do not make it to the Western countries like I did.” Zandile Bay admires her for “being an advocate for the rise of the modeling and fashion industry in her native Nigeria.”