BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE: Move over Naomi Campbell; enter Snowee!
Born 30 years ago in Siteki in the Lubombo region, Nolwazi Snowee Simelane got her first big break with her first international shows in South Africa at Tshwane Fashion Week and Soweto Fashion Week back in 2016, and she has never looked back.
She relocated in 2018 to Johannesburg and joined Becky’s casting agency, which required her to be there 24/7. She has graced magazines covers and has strutted her stuff on many international ramps.
She has graced many ramps overseas and in SA; these include Cambodia and the USA. New York, Italy (Milan and Sicily), Ghana (Accra Fashion Week and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week), Kenya, Botswana, and the Seychelles Tanzania, Mozambique, and many more.
We caught up with our very own model legend, and this is what she had to say.
Where did you study?
I did my primary at St. Boniface Primary and High School at Siteki Nazarene High School. For tertiary, I attended the University of Eswatini and studied to be a Dietician (Nutritionist).
When did you venture into modelling?
I ventured into modelling in 2010, when I joined Elegant Modelling Agency, based in Siteki. I then moved to Icon Modelling Agency shortly after I started tertiary, then Top Models Eswatini.
Your most memorable ramp moment?
All my ramp moments are memorable, big or small, but my highlight moment has to be when I was recruited by an American agency back in Ghana in 2018. I felt like I was put on a test, and I passed it.
Which fashion houses have you worked with?
I have worked with hundreds of fashion houses over the years since 2010 all over the world, but I have rather created close partnerships with Clavon Wear in the United States of America (USA), which is also my agent.
Christonati Couture in Serbia and Italy, Precious Lulu Couture in KZN, Zamaswazi in Johannesburg, Zaida Mansa in the United Kingdom, Romeo Paul in Qatar, Dell Scott in America, and Hannah Marcell in the Seychelles.
In terms of international standards, where are we as a country?
I feel that since the time we started, it has greatly improved. There are quite a number of established models now and shows as well: Compared to SA, it’s quite complex. Models in SA take modelling as a career and can go to all heights to get their gigs, even if it means not making it on the first cut, second cut, or third cut. They eat, drink, and sleep while modelling.
Meanwhile, here in Eswatini, we want to be pushed by our agents. Once the agents go quiet, then our careers are dead as well. We do not research, we don’t go to sites that teach about modelling, and when we get the chance to go international, we become embarrassed because we lack knowledge. I’m talking through experience.
Can models sustain their lives by just modelling in Eswatini?
Yes, they can, if they work hard enough. Modelling is divided into over 10 categories, and most models fit into all of them. So there’s always work to do. There are runways, editorials, commercials, fitness, print, swimwear, and many more ventures. It’s a matter of packaging yourself well and knowing your story.
We have very good agencies. It’s up to the models to attend auditions, register, and go to meetings. I am their product, and there are many more models
Who is your favourite model?
Naomi Campbell is my all-time favourite. She was one of the earliest successful black models and is still doing it to this day. She is credited as a trailblazer for black models, and as a black model, I respect her for that.
What advice would you give an aspiring model?
I’ll encourage all aspiring models to start with a quick reality check. If they only want to do modelling because it sounds fun, they want to be famous, or people have always told them they should do it, I encourage them to do a little research before just jumping headfirst into the industry.
The harsh reality is that the modelling industry is one where you’ll always be judged on your looks to get booked for jobs. Sometimes they don’t even bother to ask your name before they dismiss you for someone else.
Under the large modelling industry umbrella, there are many different types of models. Become familiar with the industry and what different options are there because different types of modelling have different requirements. Do your research on the different categories and figure out which ones you’re best suited for.
Modelling is hard work. You won’t get jobs handed to you just because you’re pretty. Everyone in the modelling industry is pretty, so you will have to put in the hustle and work to set yourself apart from all the other pretty faces. And even after all that hard work, you will still hear the word “no” far more than you’ll hear the word “yes.” If you’re just expecting it to be all glitz and glam, then this is not the industry for you.
Other than modelling, what else are you passionate about?
It has to be selling beauty products. This has led me to start a beauty brand that manufactures pretty much everything that has to do with beauty.
