Ivana Pires began her journey in fashion on the AFD catwalk in 2022

At 20 years old, Bahian model Ivana Pires celebrates six years of a career in fashion, marked by persistence and achievements. Born in Salvador, Ivana began her career at the age of 14, when she was still a student and worked as a waitress to help her grandmother: “People saw me on the street, praised me and said that I had a great chance of becoming a model. From then on, I started to cling to that dream”, he recalls. In 2019, Ivana took her first steps in the Jovens Periféricos project, which took her to the Beleza Black contest and the One Models agency.

Participating in Afro Fashion Day has always been Ivana’s desire, who tried out for the selection process for three years, until she was approved to be part of the fashion show’s models. “I always reached the beam, but in 2022 I finally did it, I said ‘My God, now it’s mine’. And it also meant a lot to me, on the day seeing everyone supporting me, cheering for me, it was a contagious joy”, he recalls.

See the complete mini-doc about Ivana Pires:

For Ivana, Afro was fundamental in her international projection. “Afro opened big doors for me, gave me a lot of visibility. I became known to great scouts and, through my agency, One Models, I got my first international contract”, she says. In January 2023, the young woman had her first trip launching her international modeling career in Barcelona. Since then, the model has worked in Russia, Turkey, Georgia and South Korea, for clothing and cosmetics brands such as Bee Free, Pant and La Neige.

Each country brought new experiences and challenges, mainly related to language and adaptation. “I’m from Bahia, so enduring the cold was a big challenge. And the language barrier was also difficult because not all places speak English. But, with persistence, I managed to overcome it”, compared Ivana. When reflecting on her career, Ivana says she is proud of having achieved a dream she never imagined possible. “It was never in my plans to be an international model, but God planned much more than I imagined”, he reveals. The model also highlights the satisfaction of seeing people from her neighborhood being inspired by her story: “It’s very rewarding. One day I was inspired by other people, and today I am an inspiration to many.”

The young woman emphasizes the importance of the AFD event in the trajectory of black models who, like her, are looking for an opportunity to debut in fashion. “It’s an honor to walk through a catwalk that represents Bahia and our history. I’m sure everyone who tries has the dream of participating in Afro, as it’s the biggest black catwalk in Bahia. I hit the beam for three years, but I didn’t give up. At some point it really happens”, he concludes.

Mini docs Afro Fashion Day:

Media and Digital Strategy Editor: Jorge Gauthier

Reporting: Luiza Gonçalves

Media team: Eduardo Bastos, Arthur Leal and Gabriel Cerqueira

Afro Fashion Day is a project by the newspaper Correio with sponsorship from Avon and Bracell, support from CAIXA, Shopping Barra, Salvador Bahia Airport and Wilson Sons and institutional support from Sebrae