‘Catwalk on The Beach’ was the title given to this years Kenyan finals. When people described it as a glittering event, they meant it literally. Thousands of white fairy lights encased the palm and casuarinas trees on the beachfront site at The Driftwood Club in the small but famous town of Malindi on Kenya’s North Coast. 

The simple canvas backdrop was Swahili Arabic style with minarets and around the stage were large ‘Makekas’ (straw carpets) with large colorful cushions in local ‘Kanga’ material where the more laid back guests sprawled comfortably. There was a canvas beach bar serving free Bellinghams wine, Acrobats kept the crowd entertained in the lead up to the show with their amazing feats including fire eating. The sponsors banners had been custom made to look like sails and the large area was surrounded by burning torches.

At six thirty pm, three parachutists jumped on to the beach just in front of the club to declare the function open. After delicious cocktail ‘bitings’ with a Swahili flavor were served to the 250 guests the show began. Alongside the 7 finalists were 5 professional models, all who had participated in earlier Ford Supermodel searches in Kenya.

Designs on the runway were from the Kenya Kanga Collection, The Marula Studios Eco-Collection, well known Kenyan designers Monica Kanari and Kiko Romeo, City Lights – a Malindi based company and famous international designer Anna Trzbinski whose clothes in suede, beads and feathers wowed the crowd.

After the show, most of the guests headed to pool area where they ate a sumptious dinner under the stars. A raffle with amazing prizes provided by the sponsors was held to raise funds for the Kibodo Trust and the Kuruwitu Welfare Association, two coastal environmental and self-help projects.

Kenya’s top international Supermodel, Ajuma, who was launched through the Ford Supermodel competition in 2004, both opened and closed the show. Ajuma was discovered by the license holder and organizer of this project, Lyndsey McIntyre who owns East Africa’s oldest and most established model agency, Surazuri. 

The lighting, sound and stage were provided by sponsors Bushstock Entertainment and Eyetech. Other sponsors who enabled this years event to happen were Fly540 who flew the entire crew to Malindi, ‘Elewana’ – a safari lodge company who covered most of the production costs, ‘Mimi’ – a soon to be launched retail outlet who covered all the printing and design costs of the superb posters and programmes, The Driftwood who provided much of the accommodation, The Colomer Group who did the hair and make-up and East African Canvas who contributed significantly. 

It was Ajuma who announced this years Kenyan winner, 15 year old Faridah Diba. At over 5’9” high, Faridah has great bone structure and the long lean body of a Supermodel. Hers is another Cinderella story to come out of Africa as she is one of 7 children whose mother single handedly raises them with a meager income from her business as a dealer in ‘Matumba’ – second hand clothing that comes from the west. The family share a one bedroom flat in the crime ridden slum of Kayole 17 kms from Nairobi’s city centre. Faridah is a top student at a school in the area.

By emerging as the winner of the ‘Catwalk Kenya’ competition Faridah also bagged a $5,000 cash prize which has gone a long way to helping her family and secured her further education.

The seven finalists had been scouted as part of the ‘Catwalk Kenya’ production, an MNet reality show that will take African viewers through the selection process. The ‘Catwalk Kenya’ team traveled to 5 Kenyan towns holding auditions. Lyndsey’s scouting representative was well known local personality, Gladys Sakaja, who previously worked for Surazuri for 7 years. 

Faridah is greatly looking forward to the opportunity to travel to New York in January 2008 to represent her country. She will be flown along with Lyndsey courtesy of Virgin Atlantic who also provided Ajuma with her business class ticket to Kenya to attend the event. Kenya holds its breath.