Ganza creates own path in modeling

Success is about identifying the right opportunity. Jean Fidele Ihose, aka Ganza, has used this philosophy to climb up the ladder in the modeling industry. Ganza is a freelance model signed to Never Give UpModeling Agency and has featured in several fashion events including the Kigali Fashion Week and Rwanda Cultural Fashion Show. He hopes to penetrate the regional runways. Ganza Born in Bukavu, DR Congo in a family of five, the 23-year-old is making his second year in fashion. Motivated by fashion channels, he started modeling in 2011 mainly doing it for fun at school. His turning point came in 2013 when he made it to the Rwanda Cultural Fashion Show, after auditions that attracted over 200 applicants. At the auditions, he met fashion designer Mwicira Mitali, who thought he had what it takes and therefore started mentoring him. “He was at the casting, and he is influential in the fashion industry in Rwanda. When he approached me, I was so excited,” he says. Ganza has gone on to feature in three editions of Kigali Fashion Week and is set to feature in this month’s edition of Rwanda Cultural Fashion Show. Coming from a family of creative people, Ganza didn’t have much resistance when he took to fashion. “I am glad I have reached where I’m today; my father has been instrumental in shaping who I am in this industry,” Ganza says. He is now working towards creating a path for his younger sister who is interested in modeling. Ganza says that the modeling industry has challenges, especially for beginners. Apart from fashion show organisers not wanting to pay models, he says designers also contribute to the situation. “Sometimes you find a designer showing up on the same day of the show, when he didn’t do fitting with the models, so the clothes don’t fit the models,” he adds. He adds that with their peculiar outfits and hairdos, male models are prone to judgment from the public. “Putting on tight pants and treated hair can be someone’s style and it isn’t only in modeling, it’s the same for singers or soccer players. On the whole, models like clothes that are tight fitting, it’s just their style. Just like singers may love low hanging trousers,” Ganza says. He urges other youth interested in modeling to join and should be passionate about the profession; not to just do it for fun. He dreams to have a company that engages more models in improved photo-shoots and build strong profiles to make them more marketable.

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Ganza creates own path in modeling