Ololade Ibrahim is a model who has participated in a number of shows locally and on the international scene. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she takes you into her journey into modelling, impressive moments, inspiration and more.
Tell us about your experience as a model
For me the journey into modelling has been very interesting with many interesting experiences. Looking back, I would say that my experience as a model started when I was scouted by a guy named Daniel in Yabatech for Rawmodels Nigeria. That, for me, has been a very memorable beginning and I must say that the experience so far has been amazingly beautiful.
How did this experience influence your life?
Modelling is a very interesting experience with new opportunities as you go through the different phases. The experience has influenced my life positively and it has also changed my thought about many things in life. In the process, I have been exposed to so many things and learnt other cultures. It is also very dynamic because I travel a lot, learn about interesting places, as well as met different people who have helped to shape who I have become.
What are some of the memorable moments in your life and your career?
There are quite a lot of such moments and the actually motivate me to do more. Some of the memorable moments in my life include 9th August 2019, around 12:07 pm. That was the day and time I lost my dad; may his soul rest in peace. Another memorable moment, this time around in my career, was the first fashion show that I did as an international model during the Milan Fashion Week in September 2017.
What was the first memorable job that you did?
My experience at Alberto Zambelli in Milan Fashion Week on 20th September 2017 was quite interesting and memorable for me.
What lessons did you learn from that experience?
I learnt of things and one of the best things that I took away as lessons learnt was that sometimes it is not about the money a job is offering. The most important things that inspire others are the opportunities that you get afterwards.
A job might pay less than you expect but the truth of the matter is that after doing the job, it would just give you a major break as well as open doors for other jobs to come in. From my personal experience, the referrals come in multiple folds.
Who or what inspires you to go into modelling?
I never planned to be a model because I had tried a few pageants when I was younger. The first one was a complete mess and the second was Miss Lagos Carnival where I then represented my constituency at Ifako Ijaye. During that competition, I won the best model and Miss Amity then and it spurred me to go on to be the best in my chosen field.
In spite of being passionate about modelling, I made up my mind not to toy with my education. It is the best form of empowerment and so I gave it total attention. It was after my last paper at Yabatech that Daniel scouted for me for Rawmodels. Interestingly, I didn’t actually take it serious initially because we all know the way modelling has been in Nigeria; the challenges and other issues around the profession at that point. So, I was about to start my IT – industrial training – at GTBank that month when a model agency, Urban Models, based in Milan, Italy, signed me on.
So, I travelled for the fashion week and the experience was awesome. I must say that it was a very powerful turning point in my life and career. Ever since then I have followed the path, and I am grateful to God for the opportunity, exposure and experience that have been awesome.
Tell us about other current or future projects you are working on at the moment A number of opportunities keep cropping up and I am currently working on some project which I don’t want to disclose to the public at the moment. However, I have great plans for the future. But I always pray to God to grant us more mercy to live in good health and wealth and more.
What challenges have you experienced so far, and how did you overcome them?
I have experienced a few challenges in the aspect of being a black model. You go to castings like the way every other model does, only to discover that it is only one black model that would be picked out of many. Or there are times when you get selected and you go for the job, most times you discover that you are the only black model there.
At such moments, I usually ask myself the question, ‘where are the other models of colours that I saw at the casting ground. Could it be that they weren’t good enough or what?’
Sometimes I also have issues backstage with either the makeup artist or the hairstylist. Some makeup artist will end up using another shade of foundation or powder over me and I will end up looking like a piece of shit.
I had been at a show and the makeup artist just didn’t have my shade. Finally, I had to give her the one I had in my bag. Before handing over my foundation I asked her ‘why don’t you have a darker shade?’ she answered stylishly saying black models don’t need foundation because we are black already. I was just like we are black means no touch-up! And for the hairstylist, it is a no-go area(Laughs). Aside all these, they want black models to see themselves like they aren’t worthy or they are not enough. But I usually don’t allow all that to get into me because before I leave my house in the morning to anywhere, I pray. So, whenever someone wants to give me a bad day I simply shrug them off.
When you are not working, how do you relax?
When I am not working I write; that is something else that I am passionate about. I have a book that I am working on. So I would tell my fans to watch out for my book soon. I love to be with my family too and sometimes I just enjoy my privacy.
Who are some of the people that you look up to?
I always look up to God. He is my everything. I also admire Naomi Campbell; she is my role model in the industry.
What advice would you give young people who aspire to be like you?
The advice I will give young people aspiring to be like me is to always work hard. Once you work hard and put in your best, you will carve a niche for yourself. In addition, it is very important to be versatile. They should never limit themselves to one thing. Once your client knows that you have what it takes, then you would get a variety of opportunities this way. For me, the most important part of it all is to pray, believe strongly in yourself. They would also go far when they surround themselves with positive and dedicated people.
Where do you hope to be in the next five years?
In the next five years, I am looking up to God for so many things and the first would be guidance that God should keep and protect us. The second desire would be to be more successful in my career, and my business should be world-recognised; also looking forward to being happily married.
How would you assess the performance of women in the sector you are operating in?
The performance of women in the sector that I operate in has been very high and I am so happy that the women are also in control, they push harder and better. They are all reaching for the peak which is a beautiful thing. I will just want us to be more supportive of each other and not be responsible for the downfall of one another. The sky is big enough for us all to fly and shine.
Tell us about three fascinating facts your fans may not know about you
For me, the first fascinating fact about me is that I am a great cook. I love good food and everything that has to do with cooking. I am also a nutritionist. The second fact about me that I would like to share with my fans is that I am a very disciplined person and I have things that you can hardly find me doing. Third fact is that I am a very interesting personality and I am fun to be with.
