Beauty pageant laments poor approach to modeling

The 'Face of Africa 2008', Kate Tachie-Mensah, has expressed concern about the poor approach of modeling and fashion in Ghana.

She said unlike other European countries and even in some parts of the African continent, where modeling is far advanced and is taken very seriously, Ghanaians are not ready to invest in the fashion industry.

"In Ghana here, it seems people don"t value modeling and fashion as a major career; it is either one participates in a modeling competition or fashion show once in her life time and ends there or waits for several months and years till a company calls her', she stated.

Briefing the media in Accra about her crowning as "Face of Africa' in South Africa last month, and her invitation to participate in a fashion week in Mozambique this week, she disclosed that acquiring the title was a very difficult task to go through and so people should not belittle it.

She pointed out that the competition saw about nineteen ladies from some African countries.

Though this profession is more like a beauty pageant, she indicated that 'it is very difficult because one needs to exercise every day and eat little in order to maintain her weight.'

Kate is a 23-year old lady who attended Labone Senior High School in 2003, and proceeded to IPS.

 She then moved to Zenith College to study Human Resource Development, and is now studying Architecture at the Chartered Institute of Accountancy in South Africa.

In addition, she is running a modeling company called KK Models at Tesano, which became operational five months ago.

During the competition, Kate was not the only Ghanaian, but she represented Ghana with Hamamat Montia who was crowned 'Miss Malaika Ghana 2006.' She is twenty years of age and schooled at Achimota Senior High School, and currently studying Public Relations  at Georgia Perimeter-America.

 She also works with a modeling agency known as Kiki Ricky in new York.

Hamamat told this paper in an interview that being a model is an exciting experience which makes one feel very important in  society; but the challenges most of the ladies face are peer pressure and rejection.