AT 21, fast-rising model Anipha Umufite is enjoying the best moments of her life in modeling, a career she almost quit during her early days in the game despite falling in love with it at a tender age.
“I decided to quit because my parents could not understand why I am pursuing something that doesn’t bring in money,” recalls the Paris-based top model.
It took her about seven years to bounce back and her return to the runway opened her doors to headline international fashion events.
It’s exactly one year since the model, commonly known on stage as Anipha Kay, went international. Ever since she smoothly passed the model casting organised in Kigali by the Hunt Management, a scouting and placement agency based in Africa.
After passing the casting, the mother agency placed her to renowned global model agency ‘Elite’ Model Management, a global modeling agency which refers to two independent chain modeling agencies that originated as one in Paris, France in 1972 with subsequent locations in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London and Toronto.
Since joining ‘Elite’, Umufite was able to headline big fashion events at the international scene, especially in Europe, including her debut runway show at Milan Fashion Week showcasing collections of Italian luxury fashion house Prada before she featured on the runway lineup of models who showcased collections of Fendi and Etro, two other Italian top fashion boutiques.
In total, Umufite has so far hit the runway at seven major fashion events in less than 10 months, a ride whose pace, she says, has been incredible.
“When I look at how difficult it is to survive as a model in Rwanda, I never imagined I would reach this far. But so far so good, the journey ahead looks pretty incredible,” she said.
Lining up with Naomi Campbell
The Rwandan model has made the best out of the platform that Elite Modeling Management handed, making sure that she never disappoints at any of the fashion events she headlined.
That helped her win the agency and partners’ confidence to give her even more prestigious gigs including her recent lucrative deal to not only do commercials for Kanye West’s latest collection ‘Yeezy Gap’ but also feature in the same magazine with renowned world’s top model Naomi Campbell.
With the deal, she has her photos in the American musician’s collection published in the upcoming edition of London-based popular fashion and culture magazine “Re-edition Magazine”, with Campbell being at the cover of the mag.
“Among all the magazines that I have featured in so far, I would rank “Re-Edition” as my second best experience given that I find myself in the same shooting alongside one of world’s best top models like Naomi, not forgetting that I was the collections of a top musician and popular fashion figure of Kanye West’s caliber,” she said.
To date, Umufite is increasingly becoming a go-to top model that different clothing agencies are queuing to work.
The future
It took Umufite years to realise that she was destined to become a top model many companies worldwide would like to work with, but ever since she discovered her potential, she doesn’t see herself looking back anyhow as she sets her eyes on even bigger things.
“By the grace of God, if things continue to go at this pace, I see myself on covers of the world’s top magazines, I see myself headlining more big fashion events worldwide,” she said.
