Fatima Fay Jakite talks modeling and her life aspirations.
Could you please introduce yourself?
Hello everyone! My name is Fatima Fay Jakite. I'm from Tel Aviv, and I'm a fashion model and actress. My Congolese parents came to Israel in the late eighties, early nineties, they met, fell in love, and I'm "the date that stuck them together. "
Can you share a little bit of your story for those who aren't familiar with how you became a model?
Well, it all started in 2012 when I was around fifteen, sixteen years old. I was a shy, skinny, very tall, dark skin girl. At that time, I used to play basketball and do athletics. My father pushed me to excellent grades and a career in sports. I was good at it, but it wasn't my passion. One day after hanging out with my friend at the beach, she convinced me to post a photo of me on Facebook, then a photographer that was a mutual friend with her saw it, messaged, and offered to shoot me.
On the day of the shooting, my best friend bailed on me last minute, and I couldn't cancel. So I brought a pepper spray and the most suffocating deodorant I had with me, in case he would try something. I was shocked, skeptical, but curious, so I said yes and told him that my friend would join me so he wouldn't try to take advantage of me.
But he didn't. He was very respectful and made me feel comfortable. Later on, he posted the photos on Facebook, and I started getting job offers, and agencies were interested in signing me. I remember the moment I held my modeling contract in my hands.
I couldn't believe that I, the skinny dark skin girl, the girl that never felt or thought she was beautiful, was about to become a model. I kept the contract for three months inside my school backpack. I was so scared of the reaction of my African parents.
My fears became a reality the moment I told my father about the offer. He immediately refused and said to me that being a model is a profession for prostitutes. I begged for my life, and he didn't bench. He kept saying that he didn't give up so much for me, so I would start doing nonsense.
My mother saw my persistence and understood that there was nothing I wanted more in my life than this, so she agreed to go with me to the agent without my father's knowledge. She spoke with my agent, shared her concerns, and signed the contract, and the rest is history.
The moment my father found out, he was so mad, but today I know that he's proud of me even if he disagrees with my journey and life choices.
What's your first ever fashion memory?
A month after I signed with my first agency, there was a major fashion week event, and the iconic Thierry Mugler was the opening show. I remember sitting in the crowd staring in excitement at those beautiful models, wearing beautiful garments and looking like goddesses. It felt like a dream, and I wanted to be part of it, so I decided to devote myself to making my dream come true.
What do you value most in life?
What I do value most in life is life. Life in itself is a gift! Every time I wake up and breathe, open my eyes and see. Being in good health physically and mentally is what I value. The rest is a bonus. I value life because every moment counts, and it passes so fast. I appreciate life because it surrounds us everywhere we go, people, nature, animals, art, and even food! You need to live to create life. And in this crazy journey, as hard as it is to live through it, it gives you so many gifts that are just waiting for you to grab them by two hands. We only need to see it.
Where do you find your power? And your confidence.
My parents. They gave up so much for me to have a better future, and I want to give them the same back. It's a big responsibility. I know that I have a lot on my shoulders and can barely keep them straight. But every time I feel like I'm about to give up, I see their faces and push through. I didn't come to this world to suffer, so I will surpass that no matter what obstacle will come!
I will live my best life! So even when my parents didn't support me, I had myself, and I had my goal, and I won't rest until I achieve it. I speak now with tons of confidence, but I have my moments, especially now in this digital world, where it looks like the neighbors grass is greener.
I have moments where I feel that I'm not enough. Not beautiful enough, not talented enough. In these moments, I take out all my frustration, cry, and scream. I get depressed, but I wipe my tears and remind myself that a difficult road often leads to a beautiful destination.
Have you encountered push-back or resistance from any segment of the industry?
Of course, I did. Name me, one black person that hasn't encountered push-back or resistance in his life. When I started modeling in Tel Aviv, there weren't many black models working, I define myself as a pioneer, and the first ones always catch fire. Going through the hard way so the ones coming after me could cross easily, and that's how it was with me. So I got many rejections.
I've been told that I'm not beautiful enough, and if I had a lighter complexion, things could have been different for me. I'm a dark skin black woman in a country where the majority is white, and on top of that, I'm not Jewish. It made things more complicated for me. I don't have Israeli citizenship even though I was born here, so I couldn't just go elsewhere to follow my dreams and be in a place that would appreciate my gifts more. I felt like a bird in a cage, but it still didn't stop me.
What changes would you like to make to your respective industry?
It's a tricky question, I will be honest. I don't know yet. I only know that I need to keep doing what I'm doing: shatter stigmas and social conventions. I will touch people's hearts and change their perceptions and way of thinking by doing my art. People will understand, contain and accept the different.
What are your thoughts on the state of the fashion industry when it comes to diversity and representation?
The change is happening slowly but surely! We can always do better. I have seen more black, Asian, plus size, tattooed, people with disabilities appearing and making this industry more beautiful during the last years. There's beauty in everyone and what people are looking for in their brands is a beautiful soul, a unique personality that people could be inspired by and connect with.
What does it mean to you to be from Congo?
I am a proud Congolese who relates to its story. A beautiful country with so many gifts and blessings that still suffers and hasn't got the chance to show the world how great she is. Sometimes when I think about how Europe ruled in Africa, I get mad because they gave so little and took so much and left the continent bleeding and in chaos.
Till nowadays I see how much they took from our culture and made it their own. I feel as a Congolese that I have a duty to represent my people proudly, show its beauty and give back to it. I got the chance to live abroad and not suffer the way my people did, so I feel even more called to make my homeland better. Hopefully, when I succeed in life, I will have the power, abilities, and funds for it.
What are your "3 Things I wish someone told me before I became a model" and why?
Not all glitter is gold, the industry looks so glamorous, but when you're actually in it, you discover so much darkness in the industry that you will learn by time to grow a thick skin.
What's yours is yours, and what is not was never meant to be yours. During the last ten years, I faced many rejections. At one point, every rejection was added as a scar on my back. I started thinking that I was not getting jobs because I was not talented enough, friendly enough, and beautiful enough. I needed someone in my life that would remind me that it was not me. I'm perfect. They were just looking for something else.
Be your own boss. Don't believe in people that are just making promises. The career of your dreams won't be handed easily to you. If you want something make it happen, work hard and push for it. I got tons of promises from my agent, who told me that I would succeed abroad and did nothing to make it happen.
So I saved up money, booked a flight to New York and knocked on every agency's door, got kicked out and not replied to until some of them did, and eventually, I was called for a request casting for the Marc Jacobs fashion show.
I didn't get it, but I remember the moment I stood there along with all the major supermodels that I appreciate, like Imaan Hammam and Mayowa Nicholas, and realized that I could make it on my own. I just need to push enough and believe in myself.
What advice would you give someone starting out?
Don't do this journey alone. Always remember who you are and how good you are. Never do something that you don't feel comfortable with.
Be patient, and take everything that happens as a lesson. Don't put all your eggs in one basket because it doesn't last for long. At some point, we grow old, and we need to think about our next move.
What do you hope your career says to women around the world?
I hope that my career says to women worldwide to celebrate their femininity and their self-being, support each other cause it's a challenging world we live in, so we need to help each other make it better.
Editorial for One Magazine
Photographer Tal Brushel
Makeup Gitla Brushel
Styling Anna Karpunov