New Zealand woman goes from unknown to New York Fashion Week in 2 weeks
Makeda Soper-Wirangi was browsing a Priceline pharmacy in Melbourne when her life changed forever.
The 22-year-old New Zealander, who arrived in Australia with her family in 2013, was wearing daggy clothes and shopping for perfume at the shopping centre where she worked when a man stopped her and asked if she had ever considered modelling. The man was model scout Phoenix Michael Darley. He was charmed by the unique features of the Kiwi beauty.
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"I saw this guy staring at me, he kept looking at me and then he just came up to me and asked if I had ever modelled before," Soper-Wirangi told Mashable Australia. "I thought he was joking at first, until I went the next day and there was a contract and everything. It was so unreal that he approached me."
She went home to talk to her mum and dad about the strange encounter. The next day she signed a contract with Darley's company, Iconique Management. Two weeks later, she was on a plane to New York going to castings and hanging with models.
The insane chain of events has sent Soper-Wirangi, known now by her model name "Keda," hurtling onto catwalks in the Big Apple.
It wasn't an easy few weeks, with Keda needing to learn how to walk, act and wear heels like a high-fashion model. "He taught me how to work the camera, to walk -- my walk was so terrible at the start, so bad," Keda said. "I never thought I would be walking in high heels and then he is teaching me how to walk like a model in stilettos."
Darley told Mashable Australia he put Keda through intensive training and she practiced at home religiously, including watching YouTube videos of model superstars such as Karlie Kloss. "We trained runway for an hour a day for the two weeks prior to her leaving also shot numerous tests. Her progression was astounding and her way in front of camera totally natural without pretence."
After the initial training and a haircut, Keda was ready. "Then one day I went to see [Darley], and he told me to walk, and he thought I had it. I was ready. I was ready to go to New York," Keda said, with excitement in her voice. Her new look caught the attention of New York agency STATE, which offered Keda a contract and invited her for development.
Keda's life was simple and far removed from the glamorous world she was thrown into. She left school at 16, before working at Burger King and then moving into retail. Her big dream was to one day open her own bar. In New York, Keda walked for Vfiles, Libertine, A Detacher and Gypsy Sport during New York Fashion Week. From here, anything is possible, with Europe on the cards.
"It is so exciting, overwhelming," she said. "I felt like a superstar with all eyes on me. I was so excited. It was like an adrenaline rush, I just wanted to get out there and run the runway."
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Jenni Ryall is Mashable's VP of Content Strategy. She spends her time launching cool, new things such as Mashable Deals and Mashable Reels. On the other days, she is developing strong partnerships with companies including Apple News, Flipboard, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and Reddit.
