Nanie Dau took her final chance to make it ...................
Toowoomba’s Nanie Dou listened to the strangers, followed a thought, which became a passion and is now walking on runways across Australia.
Nyanyuob (Nanie) Dau started life in war-torn South Sudan, her family fleeing to Egypt before eventually receiving visas and arriving in Toowoomba to begin a safe and certain life. Today, Nanie is a model, having worked Melbourne Fashion Week, Melbourne Cup and even a segment for Studio 10, but it wasn’t as smooth sailing as you might think. Throughout high school, Nanie found herself drawn to sports. “High school was all about playing sports and getting knocked around.
“Basketball, soccer, futsal, I’d play anything,” Nanie said.
It was in her late teens when Nanie started receiving compliments most people would take as a joke if told them.
The 21-year-old started being told by friends, retail assistants and even strangers that she should start modelling.
“Growing up I was really into sport and so I didn’t really care about a lot of the other stuff, girly stuff.
“So, when I got compliments like ‘You should model,’ ‘You should consider modelling,’ I would laugh and say, ‘Nah, get out of here!’”
Eventually, Nanie decided to attempt to persue a career in the industry.
“At the start of last year, I decided to give it a go, I went into a lot of agencies here in Queensland, it really wasn’t a great experience,” Nanie said.
Visiting a multitude of agencies from Toowoomba, Brisbane to the Gold Coast, Nanie hit a wall when one agency had the audacity to tell her that she couldn’t model with them because she was black.
“I went into one agency and they said there’s too many of them,” Nanie said.
“They literally said it to my face ‘there’s too many of them,’ too many of my skin colour.”
NANIE DAU
“To some people it might seem like a blessing.
“But, they literally said it to my face ‘there’s too many of them,’ too many of my skin colour.”
Nanie returned to Toowoomba and continued at her current job as a beef-slicer at one of the region’s abattoirs as well as continuing a degree at university.
“I gave up, I gave up for a few months and I thought, yeah if there’s too many of my skin colour there’s no point.
“Until I saw a comp online … this would be my last attempt,” Nanie said.
An agency based in Melbourne was advertising for unsigned
models, so Nanie took the plunge.
There were hundreds of entries into the model search. Shortly after the competition had closed Nanie got the call most girls would only dream of. “They told me I got it. “One of six from all over Australia,” Nanie said. In early 2019, Nanie flew to Melbourne and signed a three-year contract with Bella Management, an agency with names such as Gabby Epstein, Hayley Hasselhoff and Robyn Lawley.
With such an opportunity, Nanie put her degree on hold, quit her position at the abattoir and focused herself on modelling.
Nanie sees herself as a role-model in some respects, being someone girls will see on runways and magazines and look up to as she strays from the typical skin and bones type model.
“I’m not skin and bones, I like having a bit of muscle,” she says. Asked what Nanie’s dream modelling gig would be, she promptly answered with Adidas.
“Adidas has always been my favourite, regardless, I’d like to be a fitness model,” Nanie says.
As for right now, Nanie has a tentative itinerary.
“I have it planned out; I want to suss out overseas and I want my portfolio built so when the big events like London and Paris fashion week come around, I’ll have a chance.”
With Bella Management having sister agencies overseas (and all things run smoothly) there are endless opportunities and possibilities for Nanie.
“I thought about it, modelling wouldn’t be bad, for the time being I’ve got three years, I’ll try my hardest and if it doesn’t work out I can always go back to uni.”