"I chose modeling over my lover & family"

Irene Fafali Afokpa, a sexy 22-year old model at the Exopa Modelling Agency has told News-One that neither her lover, parents nor spiritual father can talk her out of modeling.

She said she is yet to enjoy the best part of her careers as a model and therefore would not allow herself to be distracted by critics.

Irene is the September 2013 winner of the Exopa New Face contest – a platform for wannabe models.

She told News-One in an exclusive interview that her passion for modeling started right from childhood.

“I am hoping to take modeling as far as life, destiny and time will allow me. I am ready to take it as far as these three things can take me. When I was a kid I thought of modeling as the only thing I wanted to do but most of my relatives were not into that. They disliked the idea of me becoming a model so I waited until I grew up...

“This time around if I say I want to do this, no one can stop me from doing it. No. Nobody can stop me from modeling. As at now I have been able to convince my mother to accept it so if my mother says ‘yeah go ahead,’ no one can ask me to stop.”

Fafali said even her lover cannot talk her out of her modeling career: “If you love me then you love me with everything I have including my modeling career. I will choose my modeling career over you if you don’t like my career.”

“I don’t listen to what people say about my career. There were a lot of people who tried to discourage me. Even my spiritual father spoke against it but I insisted I knew what I was doing. I know there are many who frown on modeling because they see it as a way of exposing your body and interpret that as immediately. But I am not that type,” she added.

Fafali hails from the Volta Region but grew up in Accra. She is the fifth of six children and had her secondary education at the Presbyterian Senior High School in Accra. She then worked with two companies before joining Exopa.

She was invited by a friend to one of the Exopa Fashion Café events and used that opportunity to pursue her dream. She loves singing and dancing as well as hanging out with friends.

Asked about the source of her inspiration, she said, "I think my inspiration is from the many strong, independent women who do things on their own.”