At only 23 years, her name is making news in international fashion. Two decades ago, the little known girl embarked on a journey to the unknown following the death of her parents in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. It was a humble and unpredictable journey, which has ended on the global fashion red carpet for Liliane Kalima, a Rwandan-US based model.

A catwalk on the international platform is every model’s dream. And for Kalima this dream was realised recently at The New York Fashion Week- an annual event which attracts international fashion collections.

This week, the Rwandan model graced the runway of one of the four major fashion weeks in the world, collectively known as the "Big 4”, along with those in Paris, London and Milan.

The model stands at 6”00 ft and is one of the most promising and sought after models in the US.

During the casting in New York, she was among the models chosen to showcase several designs alongside models like Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, Hailey Baldwin, and Stella Maxwell, among others.

A journey that started in Nyamata

Kalima was born in Nyamata, a town in the Eastern Province, a few months before the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in which both her parents were killed.

The last of four children, Kalima grew up under the care of her older siblings who were sportsmen. One played volleyball and the other basketball. This influenced her to play the games. Her brother Jean Pierre Uwamahoro was the youngest volleyball player in the APR team before he relocated to the US.  

Given her towering height, Kalima excelled in the two games, and was given a scholarship to study in the US at the age of 15.

It is on the basketball court that she met her foster father, Kizito Kalima, an ardent basketball player from high school way up to college who shared the same passion.

Kalima developed a strong liking for volleyball and chose to ditch basketball to join her high school volleyball team. She played till college where she stopped to concentrate on her studies.

She enrolled at Indiana University -Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) where she is currently pursuing a degree in Business Supply Chain Management.

At 18, during the Indy International Festival, she met Lenny White, a professional photographer who was mesmerised by her height and encouraged her to try out modelling.

However, this did not go down well with her foster father who advised her to wait until she was at least 21.

"My father advised me to first complete my studies before joining modelling. When I turned 20, I felt like I was running out of time because the age limit for applying is 25 in the US and I needed extra time to train.

"I was so excited when he finally agreed and decided to support me. He later realised that I had the talent and seeing how far I have gone has made him the happiest man,” she says.

She began her modelling career in December 2015 at the age of 21, with LModelz Model Management in Indianapolis, where she is currently living.

"When I got to the agency, the founder was astonished by my height. I was immediately asked to sign the contract before I could even go for the interview,” she recalls.

"This experience encouraged me and gave me hope that my dreams of getting to New York Fashion shows and other fashion agencies worldwide would come true,” she adds.

After a year of working and intensive training with LModels, she was ready to try out other gigs with several other bigger fashion houses in larger cities.

She made her way to Chicago where she was enlisted by Factor Chosen, one of the biggest fashion agencies in the US, with branches in California and Atlanta.

"Within six months of working with Factor Chosen in Chicago, several fashion houses were asking me to apply. My mentor advised that it was time for me to join the New York modelling industry, the world’s leading fashion industry,” she says.

Joining the New York Fashion industry

On August 15, this year, Kalima left for New York where she had to choose between two modelling agencies that offered to hire her.

New York Fashion week began on September 6 to 15, and several castings will be carried out in search of the best models and fashion agencies.   

Fenton Model Management was one of the fashion agencies that was working on New York Fashion Week and was one of the ‘Big4’ among those from London, Paris and Milan.

Kalima reveals that being part of the New York Fashion Week was a dream come true.

"Every model wishes to be a part of the world’s top fashion show, and within a few months of joining the industry with the agency and within the short time there, about 18 designers wanted to use me. This is uncommon for someone with little experience in the fashion industry,” she says.

"Even though I am working with Fenton Model Management in New York, I will continue working with other modeling agencies that I worked with before,” she adds.

Within a few days in New York, Kalima was broadcast on the popular ‘E! Entertainment’, showcasing designs by fashion stylists who have participated in the New York Fashion Week.

She also participated in Project Runway, an American reality television series created by Eli Holzman which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum.

Kalima reveals that she is passionate about what she does and will help carry forward Rwanda’s image in the modelling industry, internationally.

"Modeling is not easy, but I do it with all my heart, and I try so hard to take my modelling career ahead as an exemplary model to those who look up to me and want to be models. I show them the path as well as encourage them to get to where I am and even go beyond.

"Also, I believe that my heart is in Rwanda, and I dream of helping young people who aspire to penetrate the bigger modelling markets worldwide, such as New York,” she says about her future plans.

The future of Rwandan models

The Rwanda Fashion Models Union has over 800 Rwandan models registered.

The union’s president, Franco Kabano, says that the Rwanda Art Council, through the Rwanda Academy of Languages and Culture, is currently in the process of setting standards to streamline modeling as valuable profession and sensitise the public that modelling is not just a hobby, but a profession.

"Models are more than what the public eye sees of them. They are role models and public figures. Modelling is not just a mere hobby but also a profession that can bring us money and our country’s image can be changed through modelling,” he says.

John Bunyeshuri, the founder of the Kigali Fashion Week (KFW), says that Rwandan models all have what it takes to be a part of the world’s largest modelling industries, just like Kalima.

"Kalima was lucky that her modelling profession started out with already established fashion agencies in the US. It is still possible, however, for Rwandan models to soar to greater heights. All it requires is for them to believe in themselves and be persistent in the career if it is their passion,” he says.

KFW started seven years ago and brought a new face to the fashion industry by bringing international designers to Rwanda and promoting budding fashion models.

The fashion and modelling brand was recently launched in London and Manchester under the theme ‘Rwanda Exposed’ with the aim of promoting Rwandan brands.

The new project that will begin in November will move to several places like Switzerland, New York, Los Angeles, Japan and then back to Africa, with Rwandan models and designers as part of the project.

"Even with the challenges faced in terms of resources to organise our fashion events, from my experience, if we export our brand and make it international it will become bigger than what we are here,” Bunyeshuri says.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw