Few of us may have recognized Aamito Lagum as she walked Bottega Veneta, Giles, Paul Smith, J.Mendel, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Rag & Bone, Lacoste, The Row this Fashion Month. She is the winner of the first cycle of Africa’s Next Top Model, the limited viewership of which has been a boon to Aamito — unlike her American counterparts suffering from the «Top Model curse.»
As TBM wrote in 2013 as the show premiered,
Being cast on a Top Model show is almost always a death sentence to a modelling career. But with a limited audience outside of Africa, perhaps this won’t mean instant overexposure for the contestants. (Read more)
Coming off a great first show season, Aamito chatted with WWD about the show, moving to New York, and her family back home.
Here are our highlights:
In my country, it’s not a good look. Most of the girls who claim they’re models are actually “video vixens.” I did one runway show, but my mom said, “No, you cannot do this.” And the jobs do not pay at all. Every time I would have a modeling gig, I would have to ask my mom, “Can I have some money to go to the gig?” And she would be like, “What is the point of this? This is not going to take you anywhere. I need you to go to college, get your degree and become a lawyer or whatever you want to become, to be able to support yourself.” She wanted me to study, be a good lawyer, have a nice car. She was being a good mom.
She’s a single mom and she didn’t have that much to offer. So I finished high school, I studied, and then “Africa’s Next Top Model” came about right when I was beginning to look for a job. I was 20 at the time. I told my mom: “Look, let me just give this one last try. I really wanna do this. I want to be a model. I want to do this as a profession. I feel like I love it and it’s where I’m supposed to be. But I totally understand that you can’t do it in Uganda and survive.” So she was like, “Fine. I’m gonna give you transport fare to Nairobi.” That’s where the casting was. So I took a 16-hour bus from Uganda to Nairobi. I arrived there the morning of the casting and I took a bus back home that same night.
Honestly, when you’re on the bus all night, you look like sh-t. I reached Nairobi that morning — I was among the first people to arrive — but I wasn’t feeling confident at all. I looked horrible because I had only slept on the bus. My eyes were like…it was crazy. Anyway, so during the casting, there were different stages. I made it to the final stage — all in one day — but I had to leave to catch my bus home. I told the producers, “I have to catch my bus.” It was leaving at 7, and the time was 6:15. The producer went into a room, came out, and said, “Aamito, we will call you.”
After a few days, they called me and said, “You have made it to be among the 12 girls on ‘Africa’s Next Top Model.’” My mom was like, “Wow, finally!”
The filming was in Cape Town. I had never been there before. I made it to the top three girls, and the top three girls got to come to New York. DNA chose me and I signed a contract.
When I was 16, of course everybody would comment, “Oh, you should be a model.” But I didn’t think about it. I felt like a black swan. In my country, people who are tall and skinny are not celebrated that much. They usually like a lady to be curvy. I didn’t feel unique…I didn’t feel womanly or feminine. I didn’t feel beautiful when I was growing up. My mom always told me, “You’re unique, you’re beautiful” — things that your mom says. But since it’s coming from your mom, it’s like, “Well, you’re supposed to say that.” You kind of don’t believe her.
I love the runway so much. Every time I do it, it gives a nice thrill…but at the agency, I really look stupid every time somebody gets out of the elevator and watches me practicing my walk in my heels. It’s so awkward. But you gotta do what you gotta do.
Before I came here, I heard the worst stories about model apartments. I came mentally prepared for the worst. But it’s totally the opposite. The girls that I live with are amazing.
[My mom] misses me, but she’s like, “If you’re happy and you love what you do, then keep on doing it.” I love it, I love it. It’s new, I have to adjust to it, but I think I’m doing pretty well in terms of adjusting. When she sees my work, she’s like, “Oh my God, you look so beautiful!”
