Clover: Cape Town Breakthrough & Career Reset
Foschini SA Autumn/Winter 2026 “Becoming Her” Campaign
In this conversation with Models of Canada, model Clover reflects on a defining chapter of her career following an intensive Cape Town contract that combined runway, campaign, and commercial work at scale, while also reshaping her perspective on discipline, confidence, and longevity in the industry.
Her recent credits include walking in over a dozen shows at South African Menswear Week for designers such as Ruald Rheeder, Mantsho, and ERRE, as well as the 100th anniversary show for Foschini. On the campaign side, she booked the Dr. Martens Summer 2026 campaign, a Rolls-Royce campaign, and the Foschini F/W 26-27 campaign, alongside work with African Fashion International.
Beyond the bookings, Clover unpacks the internal shifts behind the work. Navigating a fast-paced international market, strengthening mindset, and redefining what success and resilience look like in a global modelling career.
Models of Canada: You’ve just come off what sounds like a very full and successful contract in Cape Town: campaigns, commercials, lookbooks, and nearly 20 shows. Looking back, what moment made you pause and think, “This is exactly why I chose this path”?
Clover: One evening, after completing my first half-marathon, I got a call from my dear booker Amanda, telling me I had been confirmed for a Rolls-Royce TVC. I was over the moon.
In modelling, you get used to being put on hold for big opportunities and then released just as quickly. Most people learn to lower their expectations to avoid disappointment. But that was never my philosophy. I’ve always allowed myself to dream fully and trust that something meant for me would eventually arrive. So even during the quiet seasons, I kept telling myself: don’t quit when it gets hard, have faith and keep going.
That moment felt especially meaningful because it mirrored my journey with running. I had run in high school, then stopped for almost a decade. Starting again was difficult, and there were many days I struggled, but I kept showing up. Eventually, I completed my 21km half-marathon. Modelling felt very similar. Work was quiet for a long time, and there were moments of doubt, but I never seriously considered giving up.
When I received that call, everything seemed to align at once. It felt like proof that persistence, faith, and consistency really do matter.
I remember pausing and just letting the moment sink in. Even now, I can still remember the feeling in that room. It’s a moment I’ll always be proud of.
Models of Canada: Cape Town is known for its fast-paced, high-output environment. How did working there challenge or reshape your understanding of yourself; not just as a model, but as a person?
Clover: After working in Cape Town, I became much more disciplined, not only in my daily routine, but also mentally. That experience really reshaped me into a more confident version of myself, and that’s something I’ll always value about my Cape Town journey.
Cape Town is a very fast-paced and demanding market. Outside of the holiday season, something is happening almost every day: castings, self-tapes, callbacks, fittings. One of the biggest challenges was learning how to manage my time and energy while always being casting-ready. It wasn’t easy, but over time I found my rhythm. Of course it involved eating healthy, working out regularly, and taking care of my skin, but more than anything, it was about mindset and spirit.
I was never casual about modelling, I wanted it so bad. But for a long time, I think I was a little shy about showing how ambitious I really was. As I spent more time in the industry, and as I matured as a woman, I developed much more of a go-getter mentality.
Before, I would walk into castings hoping they would choose me. In Cape Town, that changed completely. I started entering rooms with the mindset that I was there to convince everyone and that I would. In those moments, I truly believed I was the best person for the job.
Of course, look plays a role, and there are many factors involved, but I genuinely believe that mindset became my biggest advantage. That confidence and belief in myself is what helped me book so many jobs.
Models of Canada: Many aspiring Canadian models see international contracts as their goal. From your experience, what are the realities of working abroad that people don’t talk about enough?
Clover: I think exploring international markets is great! It is essential for models who are trying to make a career in modelling! However, I wish to give my fellow models a full picture of what working abroad as a model really looks like.
On one hand, as we often see on social media, modelling offers the opportunity to travel to incredible places, experience different cultures, meet new people, and book exciting jobs. On the other hand, it is equally exhausting and highly demanding. You can be expected to step off a 16-hour international flight still looking and performing at your best, and go straight into castings or shoots…even while dealing with jet lag. And living out of a suitcase is far from glamorous; you’re limited to essentials, there’s never quite enough space, and comfort is often the first thing to go.
I am also a people person. I love making friends and developing relationships, but modelling contracts mean you are forced to say goodbye to people with whom you develop attachments with constantly. It makes me sad.
On top of that, you have to learn to make a dollar stretch, I would confidently say that half of the models I came across never had enough money. And there is a possibility that you don’t book much or even don’t book any job in certain markets. Even if you book jobs, you have to cover international flights, accommodation, visa fees…
But if you think my message is don’t model, it’s hard… You misunderstood. It is hard, but do it if you truly want it. It is going to be a hell of a rewarding journey. I promise!
Models of Canada: You’ve worked across runway, commercial, and campaign spaces. Do you feel like one of these allows you to express yourself more authentically, or do they each bring out different sides of you?
Clover: What a good question!
Expressing myself authentically? I think it is a process. When I first started modelling, I tended to think about what I should do. I thought there was a correct or standard way of doing every kind of job. I researched and I mimicked. But as I worked more I realized the pictures were the best when I forgot to think about what I should do. When I enjoy the presence of my own self, I see something unique.
And if I have to pick, it would say runway work allows me to explore and express myself more. It brings out the side of me that enjoys gaze and attention, which I rarely show in my everyday life.
Models of Canada: As a Canadian model working internationally, did you feel a sense of representing where you come from? How has being Canadian shaped the way you navigate this industry?
Clover: I am from China originally, but I lived in Canada for many years, and I started modelling in Toronto. I think having a Canadian background makes me more conscious about many things, such as being extra polite, timely, open-minded and tolerant to different cultures.
I do feel a sense of representation, as we’re seeing a growing presence of Asian models in international markets and more brands becoming open to casting Asian faces. However, there are still not enough Asian stories being told, and I look forward to seeing that continue to change and expand in the industry.
Models of Canada: The industry often highlights the overall outcome...the images, the bookings, the shows. What’s one internal shift or personal growth moment from this contract that people wouldn’t see on the outside?
There were definitely some internal changes after my contract. I became more confident, resilient and competitive.
Cape Town is a market that welcomes models from all over the world, so you really see every type of look represented. That inclusivity is something I genuinely love, but it also means the competition is incredibly strong. I think that environment reshaped me; I’ve learned to actually embrace competition rather than fear it. Earlier in my career, I found it quite difficult. In modelling you’re often competing with friends and placed in situations where you can feel replaceable.
After being put next to so many talented models, I had the opportunity to learn how competition is a great way to observe and learn from other amazing people. Their charm and unique personalities made me realize that everyone is truly different and none of us is ever replaceable. I have had moments where I felt replaceable, but I’ve come to understand that this is situational, especially in casting environments, and not a reflection of truth. As a smart woman, I’ve chosen to reject anything that doesn’t reflect who I really am and to fully embrace my own uniqueness. Instead of comparing myself to others, I focus on standing in my own light and owning what makes me different.
Models of Canada: There’s a growing conversation around transparency, safety, and empowerment in modelling. Based on your experience, what still needs to change and what gives you hope?
I think there needs to be a shift in how scouting is done. Ideally, agencies would move away from scouting children, and instead focus on older, more mature talent.
Payment. I wish models were paid sooner. A 3-6 months waiting period is very hard on the models.
Diversity. More diversity in age.
I can vividly feel there is more encouragement and respect in the fashion industry nowadays, which gives me hope. To be honest, there are places I worked in the past, where models were treated horribly. You were told you were too fat or too short. You would sometimes find yourself standing in the cold for hours in heels and a casting outfit, while the casting team carried on as usual. They would still take long breaks, including a two-hour lunch, and everyone else would simply have to wait!
But this time in Cape Town I felt different. I was treated with care and respect by my agency, designers and casting directors. I worked with designers who absolutely adored me and they are not afraid to show it. I feel recognized and more loved. I couldn’t be more grateful, and my heart can’t stop smiling.
Models of Canada: If you could speak directly to a young model in Canada dreaming of contracts like yours, what would you want them to understand not just about success, but about sustaining themselves in this industry?
Clover: As most of us know, modelling jobs have seasons. Sometimes everything is happening for you, and sometimes it’s quiet. It’s best to have a second job or passive income. Otherwise, the anxiety and self-doubt will kick in.
There are way more models than there are jobs. I feel like as a model, the smart thing for us to do is to grab every opportunity. To get that degree. have a backup plan, have an emergency fund. To have a Plan B is not about quitting modelling when it gets hard. It’s about meeting the profound need of safety, and lowering your anxiety. I believe we need to feel good (mentally and financially) to model well.
Written by: Models of Canada