CHARLENA ISHIMWE is a commercial model with enormous dreams. As a child, she dreamed of initiating a modeling agency and her dreams are coming to pass, even though she still needs more financial support to expand it.

Last year she founded ‘Aquira Fashion Agency” to offer confidence to plus-size women.

After conducting research in Rwanda, she observed that most modeling agencies preferred working with the slim-sized women which limited the potential of the plus-sized ones.

She believes everyone is beautiful in their own bodies, hence her to give a platform to the plus-size women to feel content and embrace their beauty with the promise of offering all services to the models for free.

Her target is models who are 18 years and above and 80kgs and more. Through her agency, Ishimwe empowers the plus-sized models with catwalk skills, posing for photoshoots, feeling comfortable in front of the camera, and other tips on skin, hair, body, and health care.

Although her agency hasn’t picked up yet, she is looking forward to advertising officially on June 30 to enable well-wishers to apply for an opportunity to join her agency.  

Going forward, she has no doubt that her modeling agency will partner with consumer brands, fashion designers, photographers, and artists to advertise a wide range of products in and beyond Rwanda.

The commercial model’s wish is to work with Moshions Fashion house. Her inspiration to strictly consider plus-size women came from her plus-sized aunt who struggled to find clothes of her choice.

"Watching my aunt struggle to fit in clothes especially on special occasions was emotional for me. She wasn’t comfortable especially in tight clothes. I realised that there are probably many women like her that have to learn to embrace their bodies,” she says.

Journey into  modeling

Ishimwe’s journey to modeling started in 2017. After expressing her love for modeling to her grandmother, she connected her to a local modeling agency that boosted her skills in modeling, posing for photos, leadership, and so forth.

It’s through that agency that her self-assurance was enhanced. In about one year, unfortunately, the company collapsed, the same period that she lost her grandmother who pushed her to follow her dreams.

Ishimwe was puzzled on what to do next, but her mother advised her to pause the career until she the age of 18 when she was mature and she obliged.

She began saving up some money her mother helped her with more financial support that she was able to start her agency.

Regardless of the negative comments from people in her circles, she gave them a deaf ear because she was sure of what exactly she wanted to do, and wasn’t ready to give up yet.  

Her role models are American rapper and songwriter Cardi B, because of her confidence, and reality TV show star Kim Kardashian, whose sense of style inspires her.

Ishimwe is a senior five student at École Saint-Joseph, Kigali and is currently pursuing a three-month course in runway, online.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com