Malaika Firth

Malaika Firth

Firth at the Michael Kors Spring/Summer 2014 fashion show on September 11, 2013 at New York Fashion Week. Photo by Christopher Macsurak.
Born (1994-03-23) 23 March 1994[1]
Mombasa, Kenya
Nationality British Kenyan

Modeling information

Height 5 ft 8.5 in (1.74 m)
Hair color Black
Eye color Brown
Manager
  • Premier Model Management (mother agency)[2]

Malaika Firth (born 23 March 1994)[1] is a Kenyan-born British fashion model. She started modeling under Premier Model Management, after her mother saw a TV special about the model agency. Firth attracted attention when she was booked as the first black model in almost 20 years to appear in a Prada advertising.[3][4]

Early life

Firth was born in Mombasa, Kenya and moved to Barking, a suburban town in east London, when she was seven years old.[5] Her family in Kenya belongs to the ethnic group of the Giriama.[3]

Career

Firth was encouraged by her mother to try out modeling, after watching an episode of "The Model Agency", which featured a documentary about the Premier Model Management.[6][7] Her mother called up the agency and arranged a meeting with them.[6][7] After attending an open-call casting, Firth was signed on the spot.[8]

Beginning her modeling career at age 17, Firth soon began modeling internationally: She gave her runway-debut at the New York Fashion Week SS2012 for Odilon. She gained attention from the fashion industry after walking in the SS2014 Prada menswear show and starring in the Prada-fall 2013 campaign, which also featured Christy Turlington, Catherine McNeil, Cameron Russell, Freja Beha Erichsen, Fei Fei Sun and Rachel Williams and was shot by Steven Meisel.[7][9][10] With this feat, she became the first Black model in 19 years to score a Prada campaign.[3][4][7] The last Black model to book a Prada campaign was Naomi Campbell for the fall 1994 campaign.[3][4][7]

Meanwhile, Firth experienced her runway-breakthrough with the fashion week for the Spring/Summer 2014 collections, walking more than 40 shows, including shows from Jean Paul Gaultier, Bottega Veneta, Marc Jacobs, Kenzo, Dolce & Gabbana among others. In November 2013, she debuted at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.[10]

For the Spring/Summer 2014 campaign season, Firth booked campaigns from Valentino, Burberry and Prada for the second-consecutive time.[9][11]

Personal life

Firth is currently based in London.[8] If it was not for modeling, Firth would have tried out acting.[8] She acted in several amateur productions in Barking local theatre.[12] Her grandmother runs a restaurant in Kenya.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 "Malaika Firth". fashionmodeldirectory.com. FMD.
  2. ↑ "Malaika Firth". Premier Model Management.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "5 Things You Need to Know About Prada's New Face". Huffingtonpost. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Malaika Firth: Prada's new Naomi Campbell". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  5. ↑ http://www.wwd.com/eye/fashion/model-call-malaika-firth-7045407?module=hp-eye
  6. 1 2 Milligan, Lauren (10 August 2011). "Meet Malaika". Vogue.co.uk. Conde Nast Publications. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 McCathy, Lauren (9 July 2013). "Model Call: Malaika Firth". WWD.com. Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 "Exclusive interview: Malaika Firth". InoubliableModelArmy.com. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Malaika Firth - advertising résumé". Models.com.
  10. 1 2 "Malaika Firth - fashion show résumé". Models.com.
  11. ↑ Milligan, Lauren (17 December 2013). "Two Vogue Favourites Become Burberry Girls". Vogue.co.uk. Conde Nast Publications. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  12. ↑ Alexander, Ella (16 July 2013). "Even Prada Muses Get Star-Struck". vogue.co.uk. Conde Nast Publications. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
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