Malaika Firth

At 30 years old, Malaika Firth has this physical status:

Malaika Firth (born 23 March 1994) is a Kenyan-born British model.

Firth attracted attention in 2013 when she was booked as the first black model to appear in a Prada advertising campaign in nearly 20 years.

Early life

Firth was born in Mombasa, Kenya, and grew up in Barking, a suburban town in East London, when she was seven years old. Her family in Kenya belongs to the Giriama ethnic group. Eric's father, who is of British, Seychellois, and Ugandan descent, and her mother, Jecinta, is half-Kenyan and half-Swiss. Malaika was born in Kenya and lived there until she was seven years old when the family moved to Barking. Eric was employed at the Four Seasons as a French polisher. When Malaika speaks to her families, you get a glimpse of her aspiration but also of a rootedness that may be able to save her from her industry's worst excesses. "I don't come from a posh or high-class background," she says. We lived in flats in the ghetto, our equivalent of 'the Bronx.' We weren't poor, but there wasn't a lot of money available. I shared a room with my sister and auntie. With £2 for my lunch, I had a tough time getting by in school. I was so excited when the EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) came out. £20 a month! I'm grateful for all that's happened. For me, it's life-changing for my family." Is it Kenya or New York – perhaps Los Angeles for a day. "Everywhere is home."

I am like a gypsy!"

She claims that she has a sense of humor. She hasn't been back to Barking since she "bombed up" – the family has all migrated to Kenya, so there are no ties to east London left. "I had just one or two people in sixth form." At school, I was mocked a lot. People were like – "She's so shy, she's so boring, I don't want to talk to her."

But – ha!

Now look where I am headed. People are posting on Instagram about how well I am doing. "Thank you, God" comes to mind as I think of stuff like that.

Personal life

Firth is now based in London. Firth would not have attempted acting out of modeling if it wasn't for modeling. She appeared in numerous amateur productions in Barking, the local theatre. Her grandmother owns a restaurant in Kenya.

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Career

After watching an episode of "The Model Agency" that featured a documentary about the Premier Model Management, Firth was encouraged by her mother to try out modeling. Her mother called up the department and arranged a meeting with them. Firth was signed on the spot after attending an open-call audition.

Firth's modeling career began at age 17, and she soon began modeling internationally: Odilon's SS2012 debut at the New York Fashion Week. Since walking in the SS2014 Prada menswear show and starring in the Prada-fall 2013 campaign, she attracted a lot of attention from the fashion industry, including Christy Turlington, Catherine McNeil, Cameron Russell, Freja Beha Erichsen, Fei Sun and Rachel Williams, and Steven Meisel. She was the first Black model to win a Prada campaign in 19 years with this achievement. Naomi Campbell, the last Black model to book a Prada campaign in the fall 1994 campaign, was the last Black model to book a Prada campaign.

Firth was on the runway for the Spring/Summer 2014 shows, including shows from Jean Paul Gaultier, Bottega Veneta, Marc Jacobs, Kenzo, Dolce & Gabbana, and others. She made her debut at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in November 2013.

Firth bookended campaigns from Valentino, Burberry, and Prada for the second time in a row.

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