Photographs by Peter Palm

Tadias: Thank you, Brook, for taking your time to do this interview with us and congratulations for being our featured model on this issue. Please tell our readers when and how you started modeling?

Brook: Thank you, Tadias, for this interview and the opportunity to address your readers. It is a great honor to be this issue’s featured model in Tadias.

My modeling career started about five years ago following my brief involvement with a modeling contest search called “The Face of Africa”. I had been dreaming about modeling for a long time; but knew very little about the actual work and I certainly did not have any contacts to speak of. I entered the contest in Ethiopia just for fun, and to my delight, I was chosen as one of the two winners at the national level – from a talent pool of over 300 contestants!

In preparation for the regional contest in Uganda, we received very thorough training in all aspects of modeling: from makeup and hairdo to the catwalk and posing for the photo shoots. I learned so much in this short period during the photo shoot and had the most fun I ever had. I did not win in Uganda but I felt like a winner because by now I had fallen in love with modeling and discovered my passion.

Tadias: What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?

Brook: My interests have revolved around modeling; I love fashion magazines; I don’t just look at the pages, I study each page, how well the fashion item is presented, the models’ make-up, their poses, their smiles, and what makes them stand out.

Tadias: What is the best part of being a model?

Brook: It is so much fun! I love the hectic activities backstage, the friendship among the models, and wearing beautiful clothes that I used to admire in magazines. I love the exciting atmosphere and my professional role in it. And then I always end up making new friends.

Tadias: What is the hard part for you?

Brook: The hard part is the inability to get the kind of work that can get you noticed by the top international agencies. It is a very competitive business as you know, but it is very frustrating when you can’t even get the opportunity to compete because of work permit issues and the like. I have worked hard to capture the attention of some important modeling agencies, only to be ruled out due to my foreign status.

Tadias: People tend to think that models have high self esteem because they have put themselves in that glamorous field. Is that true for you?

Brook: I think people have high self esteem because they have been raised in a loving environment that nurtured and supported them. Authentic self esteem comes from within and is independent of glamour and glitter. I have been blessed with a network of family and friends that believes in me no matter what field I choose.

Tadias: What is your career ambition and where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Brook: My ambition is to achieve my highest potential in the career that I love and enjoy. Five years from now, I see myself as a top model on international runways. I am certain that I will achieve my dream because I believe in myself and I am prepared to work hard and do whatever it takes to succeed.

Tadias: Who is your role model and why?

Brook: That’s easy! My ultimate role model and inspiration is Liya Kebede, an Ethiopian success story, international supermodel for top designers, the “Face of Estee Lauder”, wife and mother of two, humanitarian who gives back to Ethiopia, and still humble. She is beautiful inside and out, and I am so proud of her. When it gets a little tough for me, I just remember Liya and I’m encouraged to keep going.

Tadias: Name three things that you can’t live without…ok make it four.

Brook: I can’t think of THINGS that I couldn’t live without. But clearly, my lifeline is my family and friends whom I love and who love me back unconditionally. Of course, my passion for fashion and modeling comes next. I love all kinds of fashion and I love to experiment with my own creations, combining different pieces and coming up with entirely different looks. Next on my list would be Ethiopian food; my soul-food. Last, but not least, I couldn’t live without laughter. I love to laugh and even when things get rough, I remember not to take myself too seriously and laugh at the circumstances.

Tadias: If people from the fashion industry want to get in touch with you for work, how can they reach you?

Brook: For now my primary means of contact remains my email address, bruktawitk@yahoo.com. God willing, I’ll join the ranks and have an agent to represent me in the future.

Tadias: Is there anything else that you would like our readers to know?

Brook: I want to express my gratitude to your readers for their show of interest in me and my career. I recognize the importance of your support in this business. It keeps me humble while at the same time it encourages me to succeed and honor your readers as well.