photography Agnes Lopez | makeup Kimtasha | accessories Momni & Emly Benham
designer Kathleen Balbona | model Danielle Oyewole
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As a first-generation American (both her parents came to the states from Nigeria), Danielle Oyewole struggled with her distinct looks. As she grew older, though, she grew confident and more and more people suggested she look into modeling. Eventually, she did, scheduling photoshoots, meeting with casting directors and sauntering down the runway of the Jacksonville Magazine Fashion Project last spring.
Her confident walk and fierce personality captivated the audience and judges alike and she was crowned winner, securing a spot on the cover of our November issue. When she’s not modeling, she entertains pups at Camp Bowow, but she hopes to pursue a full-time modeling career in the future. Still, she offers a few sage words of advice for those, like her, who struggle with what they might initially perceive as “different.”
“Don’t settle for less than your worth,” she says. “Don’t let things like makeup artists not having your shade of foundation or the right tools for your hair make you feel like you don’t belong. If it’s something you want to do, pursue it whole-heartedly. There’s no one like you.”
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If it isn’t already obvious, winning designer Kathleen Balbona loves hats. “They have a certain romance,” she says. “Growing up, I loved seeing photos of my mother wearing hats. Even today, I feel a hat completes an outfit. You’re not really dressed up, if it’s a festive occasion, without a hat.”
She first began making them for weddings, even outfitting each of the bridesmaids in her own wedding with a piece to top their head, when her husband suggested she turn it into a full-time business.
“So I did,” she laughs. “I bought every book I could, I read everything, and started experimenting with it. By word of mouth, my business spread.”
While Balbona shut down her shop due to hurricane damage last year, she still takes custom orders and indulges in crafting new toppers, though she’s skilled at designing dresses, blouses and the like, too. “I like to infuse my pieces with whimsy and maybe push the boundaries a little bit—making pieces that are beautiful but also avant garde. You don’t always have to appeal to the masses.”
