Hard Work and Chasing Dreams Leena Shipwata’s Formula For Success

The fashion scene in Namibia may be growing steadily but making it as a model is definitely not easy.

Leena Shipwata, who won the best model award at the Lifestyle and Fashion Awards (SYMLAFA) last Saturday evening, can attest to this. She chats to The Weekender about her journey in the industry so far and offers some wisdom for those who dream of making it big.

When you first meet this astonishing young woman, you notice that she is not only beautiful and smart, but she knows what she wants and works hard to achieve her goals. In fact, this go-getter refers to herself as a woman who likes to open doors for herself.

“If you don’t do it, no one will do it for you. One day I will stand confidently and say that I have done it and no one will be able to say that I am where I am because of them.”

Besides modelling, Shipwata is also an MC and the face of 2019 Visible Talent Namibia, a talent show for individuals to showcase their skills.

The 24-year old asserts that she is not one for taking shortcuts. She believes in putting in the effort to be able to grow and learn.

“Oh, how nice it must be to just receive it all, but it does not work like that. Rarely does it come easy. If you take shortcuts, you won’t enjoy the process of getting to the top. If you build your own brand, then you personally know all of the challenges and this can be a beautiful inspiration for others.”

The Oupumako-born fashionista says her SYMLAFA trophy is recognition of her hard work.

“Now that I have an award, I must work even harder. I must impress. I want to show the people that I am indeed the best and that they did not make the wrong choice by selecting me from many others.”

The former People’s Primary School pupil says when she first started out in her career, nobody was there for her. It was a challenge to get noticed and prove herself.

“Back then, most of the models were selected by knowing people. People would host castings, but before the event, they had already called some other model to work with them. The general public also had a lot of negativity, saying things like ‘you will never make it, so just give up already’. They only start supporting you once they see that you are actually making it. This is very sad.”

Her modelling career kicked off in 2014 after she finished high school. Some of her relatives encouraged her to pursue modelling but at the time she was not sold on the idea.

“They said I had the perfect face and body to do the job, but I never thought that I could make it.”

However, she gave it a shot, almost in an effort to prove her relatives wrong. In the end, it was she who was proved wrong. She was hooked on the modelling high after just one gig.

“I was really surprised. I actually enjoyed it. After that day, I started dreaming of doing bigger things.”

Shipwata names Windhoek Fashion Week as her favourite event thus far.

“It’s from my home country and I want to see it grow. I am really proud of this event. I have graced the stage from 2016 to 2018 and I will always try my best to attend it.”

A highlight of her career was being invited to participate in the House of Saint Luke fashion show by South African designer Mxolisi Luke Mkhize.

Shipwata is a final-year student at the University of Namibia and plans to explore her horizons outside Namibia next year.

“I will certainly try my luck at big brands. I need to try, because if I don’t, I will always wonder for my rest of my life. I am up for the hard work. I am ready for it all.”

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