Modeling is not for the faint hearted – Odemba

In 1998 a certain teenager shocked Tanzania and Africa when she emerged as runner-up at the M-Net Face of Africa modeling contest.

Miriam Odemba’s reception at the Julius Nyerere International Airport ( then Dar es Salaam International Airport) was one of a kind, she had taken over a patch that was once reserved for high profile dignitaries and heads of states.

At a tender age of 17, she had defied odds to become the first Tanzanian model to compete at the Elite Model Look in Nice France leading to a lucrative contract with Elite Model Management in New York.

A statement of intent had been made and others have remarked a silent revolution was in its infancy.

It signaled that times had changed, dark skinned models from this part of the world would now become a common feature on the runways.

Though that was almost 20 years ago, Miriam looks back at that particular moment with nostalgia as she admits that without that contest maybe she wouldn’t have made it to where she is.

“Face of Africa transformed my life. I was thrown into the spotlight almost instantly and became famous not only in my country but in Africa as a whole. Suddenly even what I was wearing became trendy with signature styles being named after me,” says Miriam.

She adds: This is something that I can never forget. I made friends and acquaintances throughout the world most of whom I am in touch with till today. What a wonderful, transformational experience.

Today she is a proud mother, a businesswoman and a brand ambassador for various companies within and outside of Tanzania.

Her journey towards the pursuit of a career in modeling was to suffer a sudden halt by the sudden death of her mentor Amina Mongi.

“At that point I must say that I did not know much about modeling and when my mentor and manager Amina Mongi passed away, I was really shaken up. I was only 17! I am thankful that I had the support of friends and family, Ruge Muhataba, Joseph Kusaga and most especially my fans.”

She had to pick up the pieces and rise again for she believed that it was meant to be and today she is based in Paris working with a modeling agency called Urban Talents Modeling Agency.

But even as glamorous as it may look there are still some hurdles that she has to deal with as a dark skinned model.

“Black models are quite limited in the fashion industry and they really struggle to be accepted by the fashion mainstream. Asian models have grown in prominence over the past decade to appeal to the Asian market but black models are still too often relegated to the token status even though there are some few successful black models,” says the mother of one.

She adds: I love fashion…I love modeling and I love beautiful things but there is much for which the fashion industry deserves to be criticized: the obsession with skinniness, the obsession with youth.

According to her it is time for black faces to grace the cover of big magazines because she doesn’t see anything wrong with.

But even then it hasn’t been all negative, she has since grown to appreciate some of the things that have come with the job as she admits that it has been a learning curve.

“Modeling has helped me develop my communication skills and has allowed me to travel to different countries. Because of my career, I meet new people almost every day. Photographers, agents, other models… I have to communicate with many of them,” says Miriam who was in Tanzania in August.

To her fashion is like an extension of her personality and a platform that showcases what kind of mood she is in.

“My fashion always flows with the feel and my mood of the day. I can invite people in and show the softer side of me… fashion gives a certain amount of freedom and allows me to be any person I want to be,” she says.

Despite the stereotype that is associated with models of her type there is an indication that the industry is finally changing.

“The industry has changed so much since then – as mentioned previously, we didn’t have social media. Models didn’t have easy access to their fans and vice versa. The world has become more accessible. Agencies are paying more attention to the power of social media and the power of the model as a celebrity,” she tells The beat.

She adds: Ethnic beauty is more acceptable and celebrated than it was several years ago. Black models with African features are now being included in castings rather than black models with European or ‘fine’ features.

The developing trends in the industry means in feature as opposed to now as the industry gets more accommodative on certain issues.

“Plus size models are working it on the same runways with the Zero size models for big brands such as Channel, Balmain, and Givenchy to mention a few.”

She adds: Ashley Graham changed the modeling industry when she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The world stood up and took notice. Tess Holiday and Philomena Kwao are other plus size models who are doing really well.

Beyond the glamorous lifestyles that their fans see on television, Miriam admits that modeling is a very tough industry that requires a tough skin for one to survive.

“Modeling is a tough industry… it can be quite depressing sometimes. For instance, you can have three big castings in a day. This therefore means you must be hardworking and competitive by nature. Sometimes your casting agent can tell you that they think you are very ugly!” Such challenges according to her are just some of the things that makes one grow as long as one stays positive and passionate about the job at hand.

Though not much has been achieved on the local frontier in comparison to other fields like music she sees a bright future especially with the strides that models such as Flaviana Matata and Harriet Paul have made.

Apart from her job on the runway she remains passionate about Tanzania and issues that affect women.

“I love showing off our Tanzanian heritage! I have worn the Maasai Shuka and Maasai jewellery in various fashion shows. I am very passionate about helping women and children and also enjoy my work as a brand ambassador for Schwari Tanzania and my fitness project Run with Odemba,” she says.