Times Of Swaziland: EXUDING PASSION FOR THE RUNWAY WITH PHIWAYINKOSI D EXUDING PASSION FOR THE RUNWAY WITH PHIWAYINKOSI D ================================================================================ BY THEMBELANI NHLABATSI on 22/02/2020 23:54:00 Passion sets our attitude in life as well as our attitude to pursue our goals and dreams. It is this passionate drive that makes them work out. This helps us align ourselves with work, career goals, regardless of the challenges. A straight attitude would make us see the wins that lie beyond the challenges to be conquered. STYLE chats to Phiwayinkhosi Dlamini, who is a budding model in Eswatini and shares his dreams and aspirations to inspire those who are fascinated by him. He also shared with us how he was inspired to pursue this unique career from a young age. Who is Phiwayinkhosi? I am Phiwayinkosi Gift Dlamini, I am a goal driven young man in his 20s. I grew up in the dusty streets of Gundvwini with my mother, brother and two sisters. I am the youngest of all my siblings. I did my primary schooling at Gundvwini and later enrolled at its high school. Growing up wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows but it was challenging and character building in so many ways. Looking back can make one understand how unprivileged I was and how grateful I am for all I have and where I am today. What do you do for a living? I am just a hustler, as much as I am a model and a scholar at university. I am also an ambitious person so I am also an entrepreneur who focuses on selling smart wear including suits, shoes, neckties, lapel pins, happy socks and sneakers. I do all this to meet my own personal needs. What is the best thing about waking up in the morning? Personally I believe every day is a step closer to my dreams, nothing feels better than seeing progress in your life. Everyday in the morning I wake up, look myself in the mirror and I see a warrior in me. It is also an opportunity for me to dress well and wear a smile as I welcome the new day. I also get to appreciate another day closer to my dream. What inspired you to get into a modelling career? Modelling wasn’t really my dream while growing up, but it caught up with me along the way such that I developed some love and passion for it. Growing up I had relatives and friends telling me that I could be a good model because of my body structure and that is what lifted my spirit. It happened for some time until one day I boarded a bus from home with one man named Thabiso Dlamini, whom I knew to be a model and had been in the industry for a long time. I approached him and shared with him that I wanted to join the industry; he complemented my physique and took me to a modelling agencies. What drives your passion? All I can say is that I am a man who is motivated by the desire to acheive not to defeat others. I want to be the best version of myself and overall to be the best male model in Eswatini as well as to even go internationally and share the runaway with the world’s top models. Given the one opportunity to change the modelling industry in Eswatini what would you do? The thing I would like to change can be the way people view the whole modelling industry. Firstly, models should take themselves seriously, as brands and even role models to people aspiring to be models. People who are in need of models should be willing to pay the models reasonable money for their services. What do you love about being on the runway? I love seeing people react to what we models do. I like the way we walk, the confidence and attitude we exude while on the runway. I also love it when people show love and appreciation towards us because I know some may be aspiring to be like us who have the opportunity to be on the runway. How can you inspire other men that want to get into modelling? To those aspiring models, all I can say is that, there is no secret to the modelling game, however, before you join you also have to model your inner personality first. This is all about building yourself, moulding your character into an acceptable manner and be willing to learn in the process. Who is your favourite designer locally that you’ve rocked their apparel on the runway? Zassy Royale by Zama Sgudla is one of the best designers whom I wore during the Southern African Development Community (SADC) fashion show last year at the Happy Valley hotel. Which international models, runways and agencies inspire you? I could love to share the runway with one of the best male models from the United States of America, Luka Sabbath, and I would like to participate in one of the most followed pageants in the world which is Mr Universe. An agency I would love to be part of is the IMG modelling agency in London because it has got the best and successful models who can help me grow in the modelling field.