Ivory Park fashion model sets sights on international runways
The aspiring fashion model aims to create a name for himself and one day walk the runway for Louis Vuitton.
Ivory Park’s Sandile Prince Yambane (25) is a fashion model who strives to walk international runways.
Yambane is also an influencer and has worked with big names in the fashion industry.
Fashion and modelling were not his initial passions because he dreamt of becoming a professional soccer player, but he fell in love with modelling in 2018.
He decided to stop doubting himself and risk it all to become a model when he was 19.
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Yambane attended Rebonwe Primary School in Ivory Park and moved to Thembisa when he attended high school at the Thuto ke Matlaa Engineering School of Specialisation.
He completed his matric in 2019 and attended Rosebank College, where he studied business administration.
“‘It’s never luck. It’s always God’ is my favourite quote because having faith and believing in God always makes you win.
“I see myself walking in one of the Louis Vuitton fashion shows one day and know that if I put in hard work and believe in God, it will come true. I will make it,” Yambane said.
Yambane found inspiration from the late fashion designer Virgil Abloh, who died aged 41 in 2021 after battling cardiac angiosarcoma (a tumour that blocks blood flow in and out of one of the heart’s chambers) for two years.
Abloh was an artistic director for Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection.
Like every upcoming fashion model, Yambane wishes to see himself become one of the biggest fashion brands in the country and aims to create a name for himself internationally.
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His role model is Malungesto, a fashion designer and the founder of Flair Supply Clothing.
“It was difficult when I started modelling. I was not recognised, and nobody knew my name, but I made sure I improved and kept pushing. I learnt a lot about fashion, things I did not know before.
“Though it was hard at the start, things have changed now, and everything is going way better than before.
“I did not know the dos and don’ts of being a model, but I know them now and know what to eat to be in shape.
“There is a lot of progress, and I am happy with how things turned out,” Yambane added.
He said that once his career takes off, he wants to give back to the community to thank them for their support and put a smile on someone’s face to give them hope.
“I would build a fashion school for my community once my career takes off and teach the young ones about fashion because I believe many people love fashion and want a career in the fashion industry.
“This will help kids pursue a career in the fashion industry and create job opportunities for my community members and me. That is killing two birds with one stone,” Yambane concluded.
