Kaone still has it
Source : Kutlwano
Author : Calviniah Kgautlhe
Location : Gaborone
Event : Interview
Her “black-bone” complexion, kinky African hair, skinny figure and elegant looks helped her to win the Nokia Face of Africa title in 2015 at just 19 years old.
Her brains, beauty, determination, perseverance and a bit of luck took her to the Big Apple as New York is known to its millions of admirers.
Kaone Kario, the Mochudi-born supermodel, has done it all and is still going strong after over ten years in the dog eat dog international beauty and modeling industry.
She readily admits that it has not been easy to break into the top bracket and stay relevant for all this years, and that she has paid her dues on the way.
On her way to a film and television production class in Cape Town in 2010, she received an email that sent shivers down her spine.
“I became numb as my knees could not carry me. It was the saddest day of my life and I cried and cried,” said Kaone in a telephone interview from New York where she has been based for the past five years with one of America`s top modeling agencies, Wilhelmina International.
The email from her lawyer informed her that the agency that was being liquidated. “It was a terrible day of my life and I began to lose trust in people because I felt we were being swindled because we were owed thousands and we left empty handed.”
Kaone said she quit modeling and came back to Mochudi because she was emotionally broken down. She then decided to pursue her dream of going to New York.
“I have always dreamt of New York and I said to myself that if I was to start all over again, I will do it in New York and my agency Boss Models in South Africa linked me up with Wilhelmina International who are currently managing my portfolio in New York and I am happy,” said Kaone cheerfully over a telephone interview.
A trail blazer in her own right, Kaone has done it all in the modeling industry and has modeled for almost all big names in the industry ranging from clothing products, designer wears, top notch beauty products, beverages and many others where she appeared on the ramp, on set, billboards, magazines and online.
“Although I am based in New York I still do jobs in Cape Town and I move between the two cities depending on the demands of clients. As a model, my job is based on how I look,” emphasises Kaone.
She also acknowledges that modeling took her from a village to the Big Apple and that it afforded her the opportunity to make her dreams come true.
She notes that there is no job security in her work and that they work on contracts. “Right now I have a three-year contact with Wilhelmina, and for one to hold it together they must be upbeat about my looks as we work more like freelancers. And my job does not allow one to have a stable home because we are nomadic.”
The lanky beauty confesses that although she trots the globe, she leads a very private life. “I don`t publicise my life too much. I live in a busy city and I am often tired. I come to my mother in Mochudi, and I disappear into my farm and chill. I love my peace and I don`t seek drama.”
Kaone also reveals that she has other agencies in German and other countries who are partners with her parent agency. “We have multiple agencies in different countries because in every country the laws are different and we need these people to handle our work smoothly.”
Kaone admits that of all her capabilities she particularly enjoys modeling beauty products. “I love doing beauty products and I have been doing most of that in New York.” The black beauty, who still appears on the Nivea lotion in South African adverts, says products such as Iman, Ailing Fisher and Beauty Essentials are what she does in New York, adding that she loves the diversity of clients in America.
She also acknowledges that supermodels make a lot of money, but adds that not all the money goes to the models. “From the money you earn, you have to pay 20 per cent agency tax, and the other 20 per cent goes to tax, and by the time it gets to you it has been reduced significantly, adding that it is important for aspiring models to enquire on how much goes into their pocket.
“I have had cruel agents who cheated me and I have had honest ones. I have always dusted myself up and moved on,” said Kaone.
Botswana`s most successful model to date says she enjoys travelling the most about her job, but admits that it can be crazy sometimes.
She is aware of the fact that she has to make hay while the shine shines. “Modeling has an expiration date and it should be used as a stepping stone towards other things,” says Kaone. “Right now I`m working on my foundation, and I have started the Kaone Run recently back home. Another one of my works when I come back home is going to be tied to fashion because that is what I really understand.”
The supermodel who has graced prominent magazines, TV shows says when she makes her exit out of the modeling industry, she does not plan on opening a modeling agency in Botswana, but will go back to her farm to rear small stock and do fashion consulting.
She said she would not start a modeling industry because the local environment is not conducive for modeling. “I will never open a modeling store in Botswana because there are no clients. People do not take modeling seriously back home and they are not willing to pay models,” concludes Kaone, noting that advertising materials come already packaged from other countries.
