Hadithi za KNOB Digital: “Beauty comes in all forms and there isn’t any that is superior to others,” Latoya Mutelwa.

Hadithi za KNOB Digital: “Beauty comes in all forms and there isn’t any that is superior to others,” Latoya Mutelwa.

The modeling industry has seen a shift towards inclusivity, but it still faces challenges in diversity and representation

Meet Latoya, a name inspired by the famous Spanish-Greek Latoya Jackson, which represents victory and specialness, reflecting the light that despite darkness, one blooms like a flower. Born in the Netherlands, she returned to Kenya in 2014, despite not speaking English or Kiswahili. She had a dream of becoming a model since childhood, but not just a model, a print model, not a runway model…

“That’s why I want to focus more on photography. I wanted to be on billboards and magazines,”

~latoya~

She started taking photos in the Netherlands, inspired by many black models. After focusing on her studies in Kenya, she joined Pwani University and began growing her career. She believes that a good model needs to learn the basics, like the runway, to achieve success. Latoya’s journey has been marked by growth and determination.

Starting as a runway model was challenging, especially for her when she was struggling with walking on heels. Despite facing criticism, she persevered and practiced until she was perfect. Then came the dream, a chance to win a title,  which she had awaited for the longest time. She spent a lot of time, resources, and practice on her walk, even hiring clothes…

“I was so disappointed. I lost the Miss Pwani competition. I was happy for her. I was happy for everyone. But as for me, I was like, oh, I spent a lot of money. Yeah. You had those… You know, you had the courage. You had the… Yes. The hope is that maybe after this, you’re going to be the one. Yes. Yes.”

~latoya~

Competition comes with winning and losing. She learned that Born into this world, people often dream of being winners and having a happy life, but in reality, not everyone can be a winner. People can lose, fail, or even tragically… Some people are lucky, while others are not. The world is not paradise, heaven, or utopia, and even a single mistake can turn a life upside down, her’s was just a question, she vividly remembers 

What’s the name of the deputy vice-chancellor? …

But we always have an opportunity or reason for improving our performance, that is enough motivation to keep pushing, what followed was more opportunities, more runways, one instance was the Miss Diva, where she came second, that’s the second runner’s up…

In a nutshell, Latoya is a model, businesswoman, and currently a third-year student at Pwani University pursuing a Bachelor’s in Environment and Community Development, well how she got there,

“Someone just told me you should go and do something to do with the environment because I have someone somewhere in the sector.” well, that became her…

She is passionate about fashion, interior design, and environmental studies. She makes bonnets, sleeping masks, scrunchies, and sleeping pajamas using her machine. Latoya wants to be successful in her career, branding her company, becoming a model, appearing in Vogue magazines, and pursuing environmental studies…#The big dream

“Success to me, it’s when I’m able to pay my bills when I’m able to get whatever I want. It’s all about self-inspiration and pursuing my passions”

Models of color often face discrimination, as they are expected to represent their race and are not given the autonomy their peers do. They are also forced to educate professionals when hairdressers or makeup artists fail to provide their shade or texture… Latoya was born in 2002, _it has always been a great experience growing up as a model and her desire to address racism in her community. Born on the border of the Netherlands and Germany, where she visited Germany frequently, even at a tender age she could spot the difference, Schools she could attend, being viewed as… There was this instance, where she says, in kindergarten, one of the kids cried, just seeing a sight of her, …

But in her perception, she still feels there is a difference between the two countries… “I feel like the Netherlands is a very good country. But Germany? There’s a lot of racism. Yes, Germany has a lot of racism. Compared to the Netherlands. I did face some racism, growing up… Yeah.” 

“omhels je zwartheid vandaag, morgen en voor altijd” in dutch, which means… “Embrace your blackness today tomorrow and forever”. Beauty comes in all forms and there isn’t any that is superior to others. Let’s learn to take pride in our differences and give Blackness a positive meaning and association with it. Love the skin you’re in, the hair you have, and the culture you come from.

But the biggest question we are yet to answer is, why KILIFI? …“I don’t understand why we’re facing racism and we’re all black. But now it’s not like we’re all black in Kilifi. Kilifi is multi-…” We are expected to live up to unrealistic standards, and possibly yes we might never get there, but despite these, we are hopeful for a future where designers, creative directors, and agencies will use their influence to improve everyone’s situation, that is a big dream, a chance to advocate for the likeness of loving our texture, it’s a bold step …

Latoya shares her love for vintage and high-fashion outfits, with her shop, She has also been involved with Pwani Models, an agency that grew up with Naomi, Emma, and Charity. They trained her well and helped her develop her skills. 

This is Hadithi za KNOB Digital, For millenniums, humans have told stories to connect, relate and weave imaginative truths that enable us to see one another more clearly with compassion and courage, that is why, through this initiative we target to tell stories from a different point of view, your point of view, learning and understanding the struggles we take to get to the top, that needs to be heard, talk to us and Dont Stop Being Bold!