LISWATI MAKING WAVES IN UKRAINE

MBABANE - Lutsandvo Vilane has certainly set her foot in the Ukraine modelling industry. The model has recently partnered with one of the biggest photographers in Ukraine for an expressive photo-shoot. Vilane was the only black model during the photo-shoot which has since garnered a score of applause from an overseas audience. The project, which sought to define hair between different generations, saw the liSwati born model partake in it.

Heartwarming

“This project was very close to my heart and being the only black girl during the shoot was not only heartwarming but surreal,” said Vilane during an interview. Lutsandvo is currently studying international Business Management. She said she found it interesting and also challenging because it increased her understanding of her global market and various regions of the world. The tall light-skinned model shared that she has never pictured so much growth in her life but has always known she is headed for big things. “I was born and raised at Ludzeludze, just a small community in the Kingdom of Eswatini. It can be difficult to think of modelling especially because a lot needs to be done in an impoverished area; one can only dare to dream of becoming something better,” explained the eloquent model.

She has done magazine covers and promotion photo-shoots for a couple of agencies in Ukraine. The current one is where she is headline model advertising fruits for one of the prestigious farms in the country. She has done a facial photo shoots and clothes advertising for a Ukraine company. “It is not easy to juggle the two but priorities have to be put in place. I am constantly reminding myself that I am not in the Ukraine to be a superstar but I am on foreign lands furthering my education. I have photo sessions based on my school timetable that just makes everything easier,’’ confirmed Vilane. The one thing that stood out about Vilane during photo-shoot is her ethnic natural hair.

Challenges

“Having natural hair as a black woman in the modelling industry can help you stand out, but it also comes with challenges. Many hair stylists for photo-shoots and runways are not trained to work with different hair textures,” said Vilane. She further said that she has, however, stood out and got cast mainly because of her textured black hair. “I do not feel defined by my hair, but it symbolises me embracing my full self,” Vilane said. Vilane spoke to this publication about how she embraced her natural hair, the struggles that arise in an industry that is not always welcoming or trained in natural beauty, and why she continues to celebrate her look despite these issues. She was asked if she embraces her natural hair now, and if that was always the case. “In the black community (more so back in the day), I got my hair chemically straightened from a very young age. When I was three or four years old, my mother decided to have my hair chemically straightened because my hair was extremely coarse and thick.

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