Mutaleni ya Toivo on Breaking Boundaries

The 28-year-old is currently pursuing a master”;s degree in architecture at the Graduate School of Architecture of the University of Johannesburg. She has walked countless runways and was awarded Plus-Sized Model of the Year at the Katutura Fashion Awards in 2021.

After applying to about ten agencies, a few got back to her and expressed interest in her. She ultimately went with Rage Models and signed a one-year contract.

“I was excited and happy and could not believe this was happening. I went into the agency to meet the team and understand how their agency works and then immediately I signed, then I attended a modelling workshop,” she explains of her new venture.

“The possibilities are endless and the opportunities to try out in any space are welcome depending on my comfortability. I am extremely happy, excited and grateful to be signed to an agency that wants me and feels I fit into their brand.”

The news came earlier this month as she also celebrated her nomination for the Simply You Magazine Lifestyle and Fashion Awards for favourite female model, over which many supporters online were excited for her and expressed their congratulations.

Ya Toivo says she has always loved taking pictures but her career started to pick up about three years ago.

“This started happening in November 2019 where I was the only model of my size to walk the runway in Deon Angelo Mathias”; closing private fashion show for the MTC Windhoek Fashion Week,” she says. Pursuing modelling full-time is something she says she always wanted to do, though she initially felt pressured to lose weight and fit the socially accepted body shape and size that women on the runways have long embodied. Now, she has fully embraced who she is and her role in transforming perceptions.

This has not been easy as she says that being part of the Namibian industry has had its ups and downs, from a lack of career opportunities due to the country”;s small population to the low pay models receive for their work.

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