Shanelle Nyasiase is a Model to Watch
Nairobi-based Nyasiase is the star of WSJ. Magazine’s May issue couture story
Modeling is an industry that inspires awe, wonder, envy, and insecurity. How do you know who is the next hot commodity? What makes a Tyra Banks? Kate Moss? Cindy Crawford? Naomi Campbell? Or Brooke Shields?Today Shanelle Nyasiase is gaining in popularity thanks to her appearances in more than 42 shows including Gucci, Lowe Balencaiga, and Alexander McQueen. She is a model of south Sudanese decent who dreamt of traveling the world as a stewardess on a plane but today is accomplishing that through her modeling endeavors; spending less time at her home in Kenya to make it to photo shoots around the world. While beauty is a must, accessibility physically and spiritually is an invaluable quality that is sought in models more and more. It is what separates the human being from the image; fans love Tyra Banks because she is relatable and kind in addition to being awestruck by her beauty.
If a model is asked to photograph that is one thing; but if she is asked to go within herself to help embody a concept through video or interview it goes beyond smiling and holding a pose. When Nyasiase was taken to a shoot in the deserts of southern California with Dario Catellani, she was asked to do just that. She took the couture photos that were expected of her but when the potential was staring at the photographer in the face, he asked her to create another work of art, and do a fluid video after the shoot.
Some would have been tired but she rose to the task. Catellani describes the occasion with zeal and recounts to the Wall Street Journal that, “Shanelle was so great during the shooting of the stills that we wanted to somehow make the moments last longer,” he said. “We asked her to record an improvised voiceover during lunch break.” For Nyasiase, the self proclaimed “Queen of the Butterflies” on Instagram, she certainly proved that she deserves this crown because of their capacity for growth and change. Her openness to new experiences, including flying a kite for the first time, for her, "was an incredible experience overall,” says Nyasiase. “Magical!”This article stands out to me because when people think of products, human qualities don't usually come to mind. What models and strong influencers must have beyond beauty, talent, or success is an elemental quality about them that allows them to make of themselves a work of art and in the process: be a stronger representation for the brand they are displaying. A lot of consideration must be made on the Firm's part when choosing the face of their brand beyond simple aesthetics to something deeper that consumers are heavily interested in: Does this face represent who I am inside? Do I relate to this person? Do I admire what they represent?
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