Who Is Flaviana Matata?

How Model and Activist Flaviana Matata's Wardrobe Sets Her Up For Success

It takes a lot to manage one role successfully — imagine balancing three! We've partnered with Kenneth Cole's Courageous Class to tell the empowering story of one model, entrepreneur, and activist and how she uses style to overcome challenges and succeed.

It's hard not to stare at Flaviana Matata. Between her striking features, closely cropped hair, and smooth, flawless skin, it's easy to see how a woman like her could succeed in the modeling industry. But get to know Flaviana and you'll quickly realize that she's way more than just a pretty face. Like the other individuals who make up Kenneth Cole's Courageous Class season after season, Flaviana may be a real model — but she's also a role model.

Flaviana was born, raised, and educated in Tanzania (she has a degree in electrical engineering!) before being scouted in New York in 2010. Since then, her modeling career has taken off and she's become an influential icon in Africa and the US. But perhaps even more impressive are her ventures outside of the industry, both charitable and entrepreneurial. In addition to modeling full-time, Flaviana is the founder of the Flaviana Matata Foundation, a nonprofit organization that empowers underprivileged Tanzanian girls through education, and the CEO of LAVY Products, a global line of affordable, nontoxic nail polishes.

Of course, managing three demanding roles at once (in three different time zones, no less) requires incredible balance. So, what's her secret? It turns out success has a lot to do with what you wear and how you present yourself. After all, the right outfit has the ability to help you feel confident and empowered — something we could all use in our daily grind. Keep reading to get to know Flaviana and the inspiring ways she uses style to help her rise to the occasion and overcome challenges.

ON BEING A MODEL

"One 'yes' can drastically change everything in your life." This is the sentiment Flaviana shared when asked how modeling has impacted her after being discovered eight years ago. Since then, it's been a whirlwind of runways and photo shoots all over the world and with the most prestigious designers. But as with any career, modeling comes with its obstacles. "In this industry, you are constantly judged — it's easy to get caught up in that," she shared. "One of the biggest challenges is not to lose myself." One way she addresses this is by arming herself with a practical outfit that projects confidence and helps her feel like her best self.

"When I'm on set, I like to be comfortable. I like that these wide-leg pants and slides are easy to move around in and that the shoes give a nice pop of color to the entire look. To me, bright color means power, which reminds me that I can do anything I set my mind to."

And she certainly has her sights set high. What we admire most about Flaviana is that her favorite part of modeling isn't necessarily the modeling itself. It's the fact that her career has afforded her the freedom to do other things. "It has given me the platform and opportunity to use my voice to bring awareness to my community."

"To me, bright color means power, which reminds me that I can do anything I set my mind to."

ON BEING A FOUNDER

With community awareness being such an important goal for Flaviana, she founded the Flaviana Matata Foundation in 2011 to address the education inequality in Tanzania. "Once I started modeling, I thought about the young girls back home who really want to be in school and get the education they deserve, but whose families can't afford that," she said. "I was lucky that I had the ability to go to school, and I wanted to provide that for those who have barriers in their way. I started the foundation as a way to give back to the community."

By paying for their school fees, supplies, uniforms, and anything else they require to receive a quality education from the start of secondary school through the end of university, the foundation empowers young girls to succeed. But it hasn't been an easy road. "We are dealing with communities that don't see the importance of educating girls," she shared. "They believe girls need to get married as soon as they start menstruating. It's been a journey to change their mindset, and as with any change, it takes time."

For Flaviana and her team, part of this journey includes mobilizing the government and community at large and spreading awareness about the importance of keeping these girls in school. Between meeting with government officials and visiting schools and communities, Flaviana spends a lot of time on her feet. She needs to look polished and professional, while still feeling comfortable. "Whenever I am in Tanzania, I usually wear sleeveless dresses because it's always so hot and humid there. I love the idea of wearing a dress with sneakers because I can be dressed up when meeting government officials but still go check up on projects in the field and then straight out with friends afterwards. This outfit is very functional and perfect for a modern, busy woman."

ON BEING A CEO

You'd think that Flaviana would have her hands full between modeling in New York and running her foundation in Tanzania, but in 2016, she started her own business, a line of cruelty-free and nontoxic nail polishes called LAVY Products that's now sold in six countries across the globe. "My inspiration came from the inability to find high-quality, clean, and affordable nail polish whenever I went home to Tanzania," she said. "Only a certain class of women could afford the great options that were in the market as they are expensive and everything else was full of toxic chemicals. I saw a gap and started doing research where I read horror stories of people packaging house paint into nail polish bottles to meet the growing demand of affordable polish." That's when Flaviana decided to create her line to step up to the challenge and offer a solution toward the harmful counterfeit products flooding the market.

"You never know who you'll run into. Always look prepared to have a last-minute meeting!"

As CEO, she's involved in every aspect of the business, from dealing with factories to distributions to sales to marketing, not to mention day-to-day operations. And while it can be stressful, especially considering she's in a different time zone for a majority of the year, there are two aspects she relies on to help her succeed. The first is a solid support system. "It's very important to have a strong team around you," she noted. The second is an outfit that gets the creative juices flowing. "I love working on color palettes for LAVY, and a yellow blouse inspires me and gives me the same excited feeling I get when I'm choosing colors for the polishes." Alongside cropped pants and a pair of flat mules, the look is playful but still polished. "Mules are great because they're easy to walk in. This whole outfit feels young, fresh, and fun, but it's still classy as you never know who you'll run into," she shared. "Always look prepared to have a last-minute meeting!"

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Credits: Photography: Felix Wong; Art Direction: Shanna Greenberg; Model: Flaviana Matata; Styling: Jasmine Snow; Hair & Makeup: Carrie LaMarca