Face of Africa – Training Rivals Prize

Much like a beauty pageant, a modelling talent search seeks to mould its contestants into the accepted precepts of a supermodel, but despite the many modelling game shows that are organised annually in Nigeria, the biggest by far is the Mnet Face of Africa (FOA) whose finale will for the first time be held in Nigeria in 2010.

The Face of Africa Boot Camp kicked off with 24 models from 16 countries – but after a tough week of challenges, tasks and no shortage of drama, only 12 made it through to participate in the prestigious Swahili Fashion Week.

The contestants are 19-year-old Benedicta from Ghana, Blessing a 21-year-old model from Lagos, Nigeria, 22-year-old Diana is a fourth year B.Comm student from Kakamega, Kenya, 18-year-old Mozambican Ernania, Esperanca- nicknamed Hope – hails from Luanda, Angola, Lilian,21-year-old Tanzanian student-cum-model’, Lukundo from Kabwe, Zambia, Marvis a 20-year-old model/student from Delta State, Nigeria, Nardos a 19-year-old student from Ethiopia, Zimbabwean Roseanna from Harare, 22-year-old South African finalist Thembi, and 23-year-old Tholakele from Harare, Zimbabwe who also happens to be the oldest Face of Africa 2010 finalist.

The show is based on preparing the girls for the rigours of a successful modelling career thus during its period of camping the contestants are trained in all aspects of the life of a model even the aspects that may seem inconceivable to them. One of the episodes of the current FOA Boot Camp focuses on the fact that a supermodel’s work is never done.

The episode explores the fact that the jet-setting lifestyle of models presents huge wardrobe challenges, because of course, a supermodel always needs to look fabulous! So it took a different tack as the Top 12 finalists prepared to jet off to Swahili Fashion Week in Dar Es Salaam as top stylists, makeup artists and with the help of fashion director Juanita Daniel, they learnt how to look like a star with only seven items of clothing in their suitcase.

The finalists had before then learnt everything from basic runway skills to tackling the challenges of cover-girl glamour but in this episode, presenter Kaone Kario teamed up with Juanita Daniel, Face of Africa stylist Oratile Seabela, Iman Cosmetics Ambassador Nthato Mashishi, Face of Africa hair expert Xoli Katsio and the Dark & Lovely team to show the girls how to look fabulous enough for a night in the town in New York with the minimum of fuss.

The girls were taught how to turn a business outfit into the ideal gear for a fabulously flashy night out, with just a few small changes and how to get six outfits from just seven items of clothing. They were shown a seeming never-ending array of tricks to keep their sleeve.

The lessons being taught the girls are also vital to the viewers as they had their sense of style tweaked and they learnt the supermodel secrets in the comfort of their homes without the hassles of competing against anyone else.

The uniqueness of the FOA is in intense training regimen which takes the contestants out of the straitlaced realm of modelling norms as they may have known them, especially for those who were part of the industry in their respective countries and set them straight within the tenets of international criteria while taking time to also show them how to survive in dire situations as in this episode.

This training makes the whole experience a utopia for both the participants and the viewers who follow the programme as they learn nuggets of fashion that were hitherto fashion secrets whispered only amongst industry stakeholders.

While the training experiences are priceless and may be likened to the experiences garnered by other reality show contestants in their various ways the interaction between the contestants and the appreciating public brings home the lessons they learn practically because it removes the illusion that their world is only made up of their fellow contestants and reminds them of the fact that the world is watching and that irrespective of the outcome of the show come January 2010, the world would also judge based on how they executed the various lessons they were taught and relate to them from such a standpoint.

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