Today we’d like to introduce you to Wambui Watene.
Hi Wambui, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was always told at a young age that I should model and I justt thought it was due to being a tall skinny kid. Although I am sure that played a part in it, even from a young age my mom would tell me “we are going to [insert some random place] not a fashion show”. Personally, I believe every day is an opportunity to treat life like your runway and I must’ve intuitively known this at a young age. Believe it or not, I didn’t want to be a model because I thought they weren’t respected enough and I perceived them as shallow. Which is crazy to reflect on as I know for a fact I was being a hater and deep down wanted to model; I just didn’t have the confidence. The older I got the taller I became and the more I heard, “you should model”. My mom modeled when she was in her motherland and even a little in the United States so when I told her in high school I wanted to model she was supportive. She even took me to my first model call at John Casablancas in downtown Columbus even though we were new to the Columbus area. I remember walking home from track practice and getting the call the John Casablancas wanted me to move further with the process and that is of course when they tell you about the packages they offer to help develop talent. I excitedly told my mom expecting to receive the payment and that when she told me that if I wanted to pursue modeling then I would need to invest and pay for it myself. This was a harsh reality to learn as a 13 year old with $5 to her name but I now overstand the principle she was instilling in me. When I turned 18 I went and visited a local agency in Columbus. The visit was a huge confident boost as it seemed like they really saw my potential. To this day I can still hear the scout saying “look at her neck..so long and elegant”! They presented the packages they offer to develop models and I made a pact with myself to save for it. Consequently, I put aside modeling aspirations and poured my heart out into athletics where I would eventually become a division 1 athlete out of state. Due to being out of state and the rigorous life of a student athlete, it did not seem worth it to sign with an agency. I graduated collage in the spring of 2021, came back home and paid for model training from the agency I visited before leaving for college and by fall I was signed. I was extremely proud of myself for making the investment to pursue my passion.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I thought that once I was signed it would only take a matter of months before I was booking work. I also believed it would only take a year before Naomi Campbell herself called me and asked where I have been hiding all this time. I always felt like I had a unique look and just needed to be scouted to find success. I also thought my “unique” look would set me apart in the modeling industry in Central Ohio which would allow me to book more work. This was not the case. After months of making more financial investments on my portfolio (as I was unaware that TFP was a thing and I have always been big on paying artists) I was having no luck. I reached out to my agency and expressed that I had BIG goals of walking in Miami swim week and I wanted to book more work so I was open to all critiques. I was met with the suggestion to make my portfolio more lifestyle and to rewatch the online training I had already paid for just to get into the agency. Long story short, I re=evaluated my goals and felt they didn’t align with the agency or that they could get me where I wanted. Thus began my journey as an independent model. I wanted to curate the same images I would see on Vogue, Harper Baazar, Elle and more but that seemed almost impossible in Columbus at the time as Central Ohio is huge for e-commerce. I have easily invested nearly 10k in my modeling and have made back a third of that if even that. I spent a lot of time building my portfolio to mimic those of bigger agency models so when I finally got scouted I would be ready. I also did not believe I was an official model until I could book work which was extremely hard to do independently. Reflecting back on the perspective I had of models as a kid began to be my reality because by the time I felt I had established myself as a model worthy of being paid, I was already beginning to feel undervalued. Models are often the last to get paid in my experience which is really unfortunate because for me to be at the level I am now independently I had to learn a lot of lessons on my own when it comes to make up, styling, planning, executing, and time management. I am sure it would shock a lot of people to find out how many shoots I did “for free” which to me seemed way worth it then paying but nonetheless the work I have produced is definitely worth more than I may have felt I should be compensated. I am sure it would surprise people to find out the times I had to walk hours to a shoot because I didn’t have a car or money to pay for an uber. I have even had my electricity bill turned off due to late payments and had to scrub glitter off of my body in the dark with cold water. No one really sees this they only see the final edited images on instagram and either engage with it or don’t, not knowing the behind the scenes dedication it tool. I have even experienced sexual assault from a photographer I had built a strong rapport with and trusted they would help me build my portfolio. I always felt the investments would be worth it once I got signed to a bigger agency and make the journey thus far more than worth it. I have now been modeling for 4 years now and have applied to top agencies so many times just to not hear back.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
It wasn’t until the end of 2023 when my full time job let me go and then a week later my car died entering into a very dark time that things really shifted for me as an artist. Those dark nights of the soul journeys act as a catalyst to re-alignment. I sold everything and anything I could to avoid eviction which meant most of my fashion. Due to finances and my situation I suffered from malnutrition so the only place I had energy to go to was a local coffee shop. I began scouring through my closet creating outfits as a way of creative therapy and would dress up, put on make up, and go to the coffee shop. This saved me. It was during this time that I realized how much I did and offer as a model as well as artist. I began confidently saying that I was a model then started planning creative shoots. It is actually all I did in my free time. My style became way more unique and embodied me which in turn gave me a lot of pride during a time where I was rebuilding. I thrifted a lot of my outfits for photoshoots or restyled pieces I had already worn which was a huge contrast to before when I would buy a whole new outfit for each photoshoot. I began taking charge of photoshoots in terms of direction and planning. I did the interpersonal work so that I could show up present and as my best self to photoshoot regardless of my circumstance. I can confidently say I am a skilled stylist with the ability to restyle pieces creatively. I am known for showing up to a shoot with what looks like 1 outfit and creating 3 out of it (due to needing to pack light while walking distances). I can now confidently say I can execute a photoshoot from the concept ideation to photo editing and presentation. I now confidently say I am an artist not just a model.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I launched my website (www.builovesyou.com) this year where anyone wanting to support can reach me there for work. I am in the phase of my modeling career where quite frankly I am looking to get paid for the art I produce so I encourage those interested not to hesitate. Word of mouth goes a long way as well, I truly appreciate any person who had recommended me or brought my name up in conversation as a model. Thankfully, social media is free so anyone can freely support me by following my socials (all of my handles are builovesyou)! I also encourage those interested to dm me and not to be shy. I know starting out I was extremely shy to dm another creative about working with them so please don’t let fear get in the way of being artist. I built myself as a model partially off of collaboration so I am always open to collaborating with creatives in alignment to produce stunning work. I have stepped into more of a creative director role so I am looking for artist to style and even help models build their portfolio who are inspired by mine but don’t want to go through everything I have! Collaboration has brought me long lasting friendships, partnerships, and opportunities so more praise should go to mutually beneficial collaboration.
Pricing:
- $99 an hour is my model rate
- I offer packages for those who want creative direction
- I tailor my prices as a content creator to the needs of each client.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.builovesyou.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/builovesyou
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WDYNM/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/builovesyou
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BUILOVESYOU
