Thubelihle Masina, a rising star in the modelling scene, shares her journey from childhood fascination to becoming a confident face on the runway.
The model says her love for fashion and self-expression started at the age of eight when she became obsessed with her mother’s heels.
“I loved the way they sounded when I was walking in them, like I possessed power in every step,” she explained.
Her admiration for the glamour of fashion shows grew as she watched models sway down the catwalk on SABC 2, inspiring her to combine her own catwalk with her mother’s heels, a moment she says marked her beginning in the industry.
Worth mentioning, she is part of the local models who participated in this year’s Standard Bank Luju Food and Lifestyle Festival.
Thubelihle expressed her passion for the unconventional, saying she enjoys mixing textures and colours on monochromatic outfits and believes bold colours can be harmonious when styled correctly.
“Tracee Ellis Ross has mastered wearing a single colour and making it interesting,” she said.
She also admires Letitia Wright’s androgynous style, but her biggest inspiration is a young liSwati creative known as Pizza Colours, who expertly combines clothes, colours, textures and even scraps to create wearable art.
Luju was a milestone for her, marking her first runway outside a modelling gig for a friend’s brand.
“Luju is therefore the most memorable for me because I was in front of such a huge supportive crowd,” she said.
Despite the nerves leading up to the show, Thubelihle found that running up and down or just moving around helped calm her anxiety.
“You kind of forget the seriousness of what you are about to do,” she explained, adding that the key is to look straight ahead and avoid eye contact with the audience.
For her, the most important mantra is to be authentic.
“The coolest thing you can do is be yourself. Put crazy combos of clothes together.
“If it makes sense to you, it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else. Keep styling what you have and wear it so proudly,” she said.
Thubelihle loves working with creative minds who are expressive through their speech, dress and accessories.
“The power of creative minds coming together is thrilling and inspiring,” she said.
Juggling multiple commitments is challenging, but she embraces it wholeheartedly.
“I wish I had the answer to that,” she said. Currently undertaking a 12-week course, she finds it demanding yet rewarding.
“It’s really been the hardest thing ever. But I love it because the goal is to eat. There is no balance but nothing is impossible,” she said.
Travel is another passion of hers.
“I love to see different cultures and ways of living,” she said. She hopes modelling will open doors for her to explore the world, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
Her advice to aspiring models is simple yet powerful: “Put yourself out there.”
She recounted how a viral TikTok of a young Congolese girl’s runway walk opened many doors for her.
“I also had no idea what my plan was when I auditioned for the Luju fashion show. Three weeks later, I was on a newspaper article.
“There is so much power in believing you can do anything you put your mind to. Confidence and self-belief are everything,” she said.
FUNBOX QUESTIONS:
1. Favourite fashion trend?
Skirts over pants and ties in informal wear, personalised accessories and basically anything that has personal style.
2. Which is the ideal city you wish to model in?
Milan is a dream
3. Who is your best photographer?
Will Brown.
4. What’s your favourite colour?
Red lately.
5. What’s your favourite outfit?
Anything unconventional goes.
6. What motivates you the most?
Good marks.
7. One word to describe yourself?
Cluts
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