Nigerian fashion model Oluchi Onweagba, 28, started her modeling career winning the Face Of Africa (now called the Nokia Face of Africa) contest, the first-ever Africa-wide model competition, organized by the South African channel M-Net in collaboration with Elite Model Management in 1998, when she was just 17 years old. Following her win, Elite Model Management awarded Onweagba a three-year modeling contract, which kick-started her career as an international fashion model, for which she moved to New York City, where she still lives.
In her career as a model, the 185cm (6 ft 1 in) tall Onweagba has been featured on the covers of Italian Vogue, ELLE, i-D, Untold and Surface, and also was featured in Nylon, Marie Claire, Allure and other editions of Vogue around the world. Also she became the face of Gianfranco Ferré, Banana Republic, Gap, Express, and Ann Taylor, and has modeled for Victoria's Secret. Also she has walked the ramp for Christian Dior, John Galliano, Costume National, Chanel, Giorgio Armani and many others.
After her contract with Elite Model Management, Oluchi Onweagba joined DNA Model Management. Her best modeling achievement is being featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue four times from 2005 to 2008. In 2008 she launched her own modeling agency, OModel Africa, in South Africa.
In August 2005, Oluchi Onweagba married her longtime companion and Italian fashion designer Luca Orlandi.
