Malaika Firth (born 23 March 1994)[2] is a Kenyan-born Britishmodel. Firth attracted attention when, in 2013, she was booked as the first black model in nearly 20 years to appear in a Prada advertising campaign.
Early life
Firth was born in Mombasa, Kenya and brought up in Barking, a suburban town in East London, when she was seven years old.[3] Her family in Kenya belongs to the ethnic group of the Giriama.[4] Her father, Eric, is of British, Seychellois and Ugandan descent,[citation needed] and mother, Jecinta, is half-Kenyan and half-Swiss. Malaika was born in Kenya and lived there until she was seven, when the family moved to Barking. Eric worked as a French polisher at the Four Seasons. When Malaika talks about her family you get a glimpse of her ambition, but also of a rootedness that might save her from her industry’s worst excesses. She says, "I don’t come from a posh or high-class background. We lived in flats in the ghetto, our version of 'the Bronx'. We weren’t poor, but there wasn't a lot of money. I shared a room with my sister and my auntie. I struggled getting by in school, with £2 for my lunch. When the EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) came out I was so excited – £20 a month! I appreciate everything that has happened. For me to have this career is life-changing for my family". Home is Kenya or New York – maybe Los Angeles, one day. "Everywhere is home. I am like a gypsy!" she says. She has not been back to Barking since she "blew up" – the family has all moved to Kenya, so there are no ties to east London left. "I only had one or two friends in sixth form anyway. I was bullied a lot at school. People were like – "she’s so shy, she’s so boring, I don’t want to talk to her. But – ha! – now look where I am. I see people's comments on Instagram, talking about how well I am doing. When I think about stuff like that I just think: "Thank you, God".[5]
Career
Firth was encouraged by her mother to try out modeling, after watching an episode of "The Model Agency", which featured a documentary about the Premier Model Management.[6][7] Her mother called up the agency and arranged a meeting with them.[6][7] After attending an open-call casting, Firth was signed on the spot.[8]
Beginning her modeling career at age 17, Firth soon began modeling internationally: She gave her runway-debut at the New York Fashion Week SS2012 for Odilon. She gained attention from the fashion industry after walking in the SS2014 Prada menswear show and starring in the Prada-fall 2013 campaign, which also featured Christy Turlington, Catherine McNeil, Cameron Russell, Freja Beha Erichsen, Fei Fei Sun and Rachel Williams and was shot by Steven Meisel.[7][9][10] With this feat, she became the first Black model in 19 years to score a Prada campaign.[4][11][7] The last Black model to book a Prada campaign was Naomi Campbell for the fall 1994 campaign.[4][11][7]
For the Spring/Summer 2014 campaign season, Firth booked campaigns from Valentino, Burberry and Prada for the second-consecutive time.[9][12]
Personal life
Firth is currently based in London.[8] If it was not for modeling, Firth would have tried out acting.[8] She acted in several amateur productions in Barking local theatre.[13] Her grandmother runs a restaurant in Kenya.[11]
