Farai Today » 2010 M-NET Face of Africa

FaraiToday hangs out with 2010 FACE of AFRICA, LUKUNDO at New York City Fashion Week

farai — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:38:47 +0000

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It is a wrap with the 2010 Fall Fashion Week in New York City! But we are still recapping some of the highlights!

I had the pleasure of hanging out with the 2010 winner of Face of Africa model, Lukundo of Zambia last week in New York City during Fashion Week! And what a doll she is! Fresh off the runway under the Bryant Park tents, Lukundo was still ecstatic and bubbling with energy…a true supermodel in the making!

I caught up with her backstage right after the ARISE African Collective Part III showing at the tent called “The Tent“, the largest space at Bryant Park (the previous showings have been at the tent called “The Promenade” which is the second largest. “The Salon” is the smallest tent.) There you have it, New York City Fashion Week’s inner sanctum: the Bryant Park tents!….

Ok, I digress! Since her win in Lagos, Nigeria, a week earlier, Lukundo jetted to New York City to participate in the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2010 Arise show. She walked for Tanzanian-born Loin Cloth & Ashes designer, Anisa Mpungwe…

That grey coat is straight BANANAS!

She told me that she was loving her experience as the new Face of Africa…who wouldn’t?!? And she said “it doesn’t get any better than this!” Check her out having lunch the supermodel Iman & friends!

Interview with Arise Magazine’s Editor Helen Jennings

We wish her the absolute best in her modeling career! Great gal, awesome energy, striking features & height for days! *just wished someone could have given her some Visine for the redness in her eyes. Hard work & long hours that industry!*…but nonetheless, Lukundo is still uber fab!

Do you think that Lukundo will make it big IMAN-esque style or….? Holla back & drop your comments below!

Muah & muchas gracias amigos!

UPDATED JUST IN: And the Winner of The 2010 M-NET Face of Africa is…

farai — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:38:27 +0000

Lukando Nalungwe

Lukundo is a 22-year-old student from Kabwe, Zambia.

The Top Five were

Ernania Manuel- Mozambique (Top3)

Rosanna Hall- Zimbabwe (Top3)

Thembi Kobeli- South Africa

Esperanca Vemba- Angola

& Lukando Nalungwe – Zambia (Winner),

Currently studying for a certificate in Business Administration, Lukundo is a movie aficionado who lists Van Helsing, The Matrix, Transformers, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean and 300 as her favorite films. She says the best thing about Africa is its “beautiful historic places and wildlife” and names Paris as her favorite place outside of the continent for its “beautiful ambience, food and perfumes”. Her sisters played a big role in her life because of their strength. If she weren’t a model, Lukundo would love to be a photographer or an explorer.

Congratulations to Lukundo! So geeked to see Zambia repping on the world stage! Next stop for Lukundo is the 2010 Spring/Summer NYC Fashion Week next week!

So guys & dolls, based on the pictures above, do you think that the judges did a good job at picking the new Face of Africa? Sound off people! Please leave us your comments below….

Love to hear what you gotta say on this!

Muah!

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW! 2010 M-NET FACE of AFRICA! MEET the HOTTEST AFRICAN MODELS REPPING…

farai — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:52:02 +0000

Check out these African girls repping at the 2010 M-NET Face of Africa TV series!

Supermodels Iman and Oluchi & fab South African designer, David Tlale will be judges in the Finale!

Other judges include Nduka Obaigbena (founder Arise Magazine & ThisDay Media Group), John Kaveke (one of Kenya’s leading designer), Helen Jennings (Arise Magazine Editor-in-Chief) and Josie Borain (South Africa’s first Supermodel).

The 2010 Face of Africa Finale is taking place this coming Saturday, February 6th. The face-off (pun-intended) will be broadcast live from the Eko Hotel Exhibition Centre in Lagos, Nigeria. We caught up with one of the judges Helen as she prepared to head to Lagos, Nigeria for the finale!

FaraiToday.Com: About ten or so girls are competing for the Face of Africa award, the award that launched the modelling career of Oluchi Onweagba-Orlandi. As one of the judges, what are you looking for in the next Face of Africa model?

Helen: We’ll be looking for runway and high fashion editorial appeal – do they have the height, figure, transmutable beauty and strong personality to cut in on international runway.

FaraiToday.Com: The contestants are from different parts of Africa, different African countries…is it possible to find a girl who would be a representative of the diversity that is Africa?

Helen: No one girl can represent the diversity of African beauty, that’s impossible. But one girl can do her part by making her own unique look work globally and representing her own country with pride.

FaraiToday.Com: Arise Magazine is really at the forefront of raising the standard in profiling African Fashion, African Designers…..I see that you & Mr. Nduka are judges, how did this come about?

Helen: M-NET approached ARISE as the perfect media partner for the event. We’ll both be judges, I cover the competition and interview the winner in the magazine and the winner will also model at the ARISE African Collective Part III show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York later this month. As ARISE is dedicated to promoting African fashion and culture around the world, we’re happy to be part of Face Of Africa.

FaraiToday.Com: You work out of the Arise offices in London, England and you have been involved in fashion & the arts for a long time and are very respected….how do African models/girls measure up with the rest of the world, in particular the West – where most of these girls have set their eyes on?

Helen: It’s true, the standard in modelling is set in Europe, where African/black models are under represented for various and complicated reasons. The ones that do make a name for themselves, such as Kinée Diouf (the latest ARISE cover girl) measure up in every way, as each issue of ARISE and Vogue’s Black Issue last year prove. The challenge now is to get more of them in magazines and on runways so that the debate of racism in fashion can finally be put to bed.

FaraiToday.Com: You will be judging with the legendary & iconic model, Iman, supermodel Oluchi, Arise Africa Fashion Designer of the Year, David Tlale, Mr. Nduka etc – should the girls be nervous, as in “be scared, be very, very scared?”

Helen: Of course not! They just need to be themselves and do their best. It will be a great night.

FaraiToday.Com: Yes, it will be an awesome night! Best wishes to you and to all the contestants! Thank you Helen & safe travels to Nigeria!

Here are the Top 12 Contestants for the 2010 M-Net Face of Africa competition.

19 year-old Benedicta Tweneboa-Kodua of Accra, Ghana

21 year-old Blessing Bassey of Lagos, Nigeria

22 year-old Diana Nekoye of Kakamega, Kenya

18 year-old Ernania Manuel of Maputo, Mozambique

21 year-old Esperanca Vemba (nicknamed Hope) of Luanda, Angola

21 year-old Lilian Mduda from Tanzania

22 year-old Lukando Nalungwe of Kabwe, Zambia

20 year-old Marvis Offor from Delta State, Nigeria

19 year-old Nardos Abebe of Ethiopia

Rozana Hall from Harare, Zimbabwe

22 year-old Thembi Kobedi from South Africa

23 year-old Tholakele Dlamini from Harare, Zimbabwe

The 2010 M-NET Face of Africa Finalists!

The winner will receive US$50 000 from M-Net plus a modeling contract with O Model Africa, which is helmed by the first Face of Africa winner Oluchi Onweagba-Orlandi.

Pick your favorite to win & let us know! Please leave your comments below!

Love ya for it!