Apart from being an inspiration to women and girls alike, she is easily considered a superwoman of sorts. Balancing a killer career, plus doing humanitarian work to a multitude of charities and organizations from all over the world, would be tiring for anyone, but Millen handles it all with a smile on her face. No wonder her middle name is happiness, as it is the root and heart of every move she makes.
Apart from being a former Miss Tanzania, Millen has braced the covers and editorial features of major magazine such as, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Elle, Marie Claire, Oprah, plus much more. Currently, she is signed with two modeling agencies: Ford Models in New York, and Ice Model Management Johannesburg in South Africa. This has, over the years, given her the amazing opportunity to collaborate with the world’s top designers and brands. Some of these include Ralph Lauren, Karen Millenm, African Mosiaque, and the list goes on, and on, and on. This increased exposure also helped to land television commercials and spots for major companies such as Coke Light, Deal or No Deal, and CNN.
Recently, though, the spotlight has turned to her work as fulfilling aspiring models and designers dreams.
She admits to being amazed by all of the aspiring, young models. The lucky winners were female twins and a male—the twin’s excitement proved that they truly received their happy ending. Those selected may also get the amazing opportunity to be featured in her upcoming reality TV show, which Millen hopes to launch by the end of the year.
The success of the model search shifted the focus onto TIFEX. This event, which was first launched in March 2011, has fulfilled Millen’s main goal of opening the fashion world to Tanzania as a capable African country, where prospective International models can come from. It also allows designers who are at and around the event to showcase their fashion designs. This is sectioned off by two categories. Category A is for designers who are established or have presented their work in and outside of Tanzania. Category B is for the upcoming designers who have been involved in different fashion events and platforms, and who are looking for exposure.
The night also includes various fashion awards, plus the unique opportunity for the two-award winning models, who execute the full editorial and runway ‘package,’ to leave the event with a major international modeling agency contract, and the once-in-a-lifetime chance to accompany the designers on tour. The best part, though? All of the proceeds from this event will be donated to the charities that Millen supports. Millen Magese is one of the few African models who has successfully expanded to countries such as Milan, Hong Kong, Germany, New York, and Paris… just to name a few. Being the humanitarian that she is, this soft-spoken model uses her limelight to give back to those less-fortunate.
Dating from the past to present, a majority of her career has been spent involved with charities from all over the world: Ethiopian Children’s fund, Red Cross, UNICEF, and African Rainforest Conservancy, among many others, including establishing her own charity. It plans to help charitable organizations that focus on benefits for women, children, and education in Tanzania. Millen hopes to implement training programs for skills like designing, photography, sewing, etc, in the hopes of reducing the number of young street mothers. The long-term plan is to one day, in rural areas, build schools for kids. Her career as a model, humanitarian, and all-round good-hearted person has done Tanzania proud. But that’s not all—because of Millen Magese, it is now blatantly obvious that beauty, talent, and a true heart spirits from all depths of the world.She achieved her goals, but she had another: the motto of TIFEX is “expose local creativity to the world.” And she did just that. Big time.
SDR PHOTO
