The next big thing
Former Miss SA Teen. Actress. Influencer. Friend of Cointreau. Celeste Khumalo is a star on the rise – and we’re here for it. She chats to Glamour about living her best life, building her brand and securing the bag.
Celeste Khumalo’s star is on the rise – and we’re here for it
It’s an emotional day for Celeste Khumalo, 26. The Joburgbased beauty landed in Cape Town just a few hours ago for her first-ever cover shoot, and she’s still having her hair and makeup done when I introduce myself. My first impression of her is that she’s reserved. Her assistant politely tells me she’d prefer to do our interview later, in private, away from the crew.
After she’s changed into her first outfit, there’s complete silence as she walks onto the set resembling a Greek goddess. A song by Adele plays soothingly in the background. Celeste, who is fast becoming a household name, appears comfortable and playful in front of the camera, when she’s suddenly overcome with emotions. When we finally have a moment to chat, she opens up, telling me she got emotional because posing for a Glamour cover was her childhood dream. She fondly recalls how a friend would bring a copy of Glamour to school. “We’d flip through the pages, imagining she was the editor and I was the cover star,” she says. A believer in the law of attraction, she knew the stars would align. “I was always gonna be that girl, but I just didn’t know when. When I saw other girls’ covers come out, I’d say to myself, ‘One day.’ Today is my day.”
Redefining beauty standards
“Only women who had a certain body type and skin colour used to be considered beautiful by society. And the standard was impossibly high,” she says. “These days, people of every shape, size and colour are considered beautiful. Everyone has a place.” Poised and softly spoken, she adds, “to hell with the traditional idea of beauty. It’s what you make of it, and it’s who you are.” She’s just offered me a glimpse of the feisty woman who describes herself as a “go-getter”.
My inspiration
Celeste is strong and independent, traits she attributes to having been raised by a single mother. “Few people know how hard it was for my mom, my sister and me,” she admits. “But we proved girls who lead a tough life grow up to be strong-willed queens. Even though I had a challenging upbringing, I don’t want that to be my narrative. I made it, regardless of what went down.” Her late grandmother also played a pivotal role in laying a solid foundation for her. Celeste has come a long way since she was crowned Miss SA Teen 2011. “I think the times we’re living in now allow for inclusivity.” She understands she’s not perfect,