As a top model, South African based Tayo Faniran has graced the fashion pages of major fashion magazines and featured in runway shows in Africa and Europe. He talks about his career and personal life
Q: Who is Tayo Faniran?
A: I am a model based in South Africa but I grew up in Oyo town. I have been in South Africa since 2008.
Q: How old are you
A: I am 27 years old.
Q: You have featured in major runway shows aside gracing pages of popular fashion magazines, how did it all start?
A: I have always been a fashion freak right from my youthful days. People told me I would do very well as a model. When I turned 17, my older cousin, Lanre Akinyemi, who was a model, introduced me to modelling.
Q: What did you study in school?
A: I studied shipping management and logistics at the Maritime Academy, Lagos. I had my training in merchant navy. I did that to satisfy my parents and when I was through, I told them that I wanted to pursue what makes me happy. My dad had a dream of me becoming a veterinary doctor. I studied at the Federal College of Animal Health and Technology for about two years.
Q: How has the naval background helped in your current career?
A: It has helped me a lot. Military training includes coordination and parade. In addition to walking on the ramp, I was also a model coordinator of my last fashion show. It was a privilege for me to coordinate a lot of models from South Africa and Nigeria that have been all over the world. Everybody listened to me, including celebrity models from other parts of Africa. The paramilitary background has helped me a lot in knowing how to deal with people. I also have a high regard for time. If I know that I have one hour to be somewhere, I will leave my house thirty minutes before time.
Q: Tell us about your big break in the modelling industry
A: I did a few runway jobs but my big break came when I signed a three year modelling contract with Star modelling agency, Johannesburg in 2010. That was when I also took part in a huge commercial for a United Kingdom based energy firm.
Q: How do you cope as a Nigerian model in South Africa?
A: It is very competitive because we have all the nationalities of the world in South Africa. However, I am doing fine by the grace of God, coupled with hardwork.
Q: What is your unique selling point?
A: The greatest feature that everybody talks about is my eyes. I have hazel eyes and it is hard to come across a black boy with such eyes. My eyes and my carriage are my greatest score points. Then, I have always had carriage and confidence. The first time I opened a first fashion show in South Africa, all the top models that I met there felt I was too new to open a show. I was confident knowing that the cameras were not guns and the people were there to celebrate and not to mock me. I went on and my step unto the ramp elicited screams of excitement from the audience, at that point I felt I was king of the universe.
Q: How do you cope with attention from female fans?
A: I try as much as possible not to get carried away, but sometimes I get loose and I do love my African ladies!
Q: What goes into your preparation for a fashion show?
A: I start by making sure I am clean shaven and my nails are clean. There is also a lot of workout and exercises to sharpen my chiselled body. Lastly, I have to smell nice and look super sexy.
Q: Have you ever had any embarrassing moment on the job?
A: I would not say I have had any. I have had defeats. I have been confirmed for a lot of big international jobs and at the last minute, I would just get a call to say they have been cancelled. I have been heartbroken and disappointed a lot of times but I have never been embarrassed.
Q: Have you grown past the stage where people turn you down for modelling jobs?
A: No. I still get those. It happens. As a professional model, I can go for 20 auditions and not be successful in any. I don't get weighed down. The moment someone tells me 'no' or 'thanks for coming,' I have to just deal with it and then package myself for the next audition. Rejection is one thing every model should be ready to deal with.
Q: Are there times also when people give you jobs based on personal recognition without you having to attend auditions?
A: There have been times like that. I have done a couple of jobs for clients who always want me back. Some clients go directly to the modelling agency's website and book me for a job based on my pictures that they see on the website. Most times, rejection means that the model does not have what the clients are looking for. It has nothing to do with the model's personality.
Q: Aside modelling, what do you do?
A: I have skills in creative designing and I make some of my clothes. Apart from that, I consult for people on business ideas.
Q: What is the next level for you?
A: I am working on my clothing line which I intend to launch very soon. I will have two lines under the same company. I should be launching a line in November and December. I have a passion for making people look good.
Q: How do you keep yourself looking fit?
A: I jog. I don't pick iron too often because when I do, I become very big. I also try to watch I eat.
Q: Are you married or in a relationship?
A: No. I am single. I don't have a girlfriend. Whoever I start dating now will eventually turn out to be my wife.
Q: Have you ever been sexually harassed?
A: I have been. However, I do more of the harassment because I am a flirt.
Q: What would you never be caught wearing?
A: I cannot be caught wearing a woman's outfit. I have done swimsuit, men's briefs and African attire but what I would never want to wear is something that a woman should wear.
Q: What does style mean to you?
A: Style to me is a religion. I believe in my style. A lot of styles come out and people jump on them but I don't join the bandwagon. Before I call it my style, it has to be unique and different from everybody else's.
Q: What advice do you have for young men who want to be like you?
A: I would tell them to go for their passion. Modelling is not just about good looks. If they feel they have what it takes to be in the industry, they should go ahead. But nobody thrives in a vocation that they don't have passion for. They should also develop a culture of hardwork. Above all, they should believe in themselves.
