Shanizia Da Cunha

The making of a star

An award-winning model, rising fashion designer and a beauty queen with purpose, Shanizia Da Cunha is the definition of a triple-threat star.

The young star seemingly has it all going for her. After stepping onto the arts scene with her debut fashion collection as a College of the Arts student in 2023, Shanizia quickly began to carve a name for herself as one of Namibia’s young stars to watch. The collection, a solid debut that showcased her artistic flair and love for bold tailoring, introduced her brand, Nagraza, to the world.

Two years later, Shanizia is still pursuing her creative dreams at full speed. She recently walked the ramp at Milan Fashion Week and stepped back into pageantry as Miss Aura Namibia. I recently caught up with her to chat about where it all started, what it is like living out her dreams, pursuing multiple creative paths and where she sees herself in the future.

Early days

Shanizia’s official introduction to fashion came when she showcased her first collection at the MTC Windhoek Fashion Week and Katutura Fashion Week in 2023. Her brand, Nagraza, was initially influenced by her coming of age, a perfect nod to the phase she entered into as a newly qualified designer. “The more I matured, the more it became classy and feminine,” she says. The brand is also heavily influenced by Shanizia’s personal style, which she describes as “classy chic”.

Nagraza primarily caters to ready-to-wear pieces for women but makes the odd exception for special clients like her equally talented older brother, Adriano Visagie. Adriano has been a big cheerleader of hers and can often be spotted wearing tailormade Nagraza pieces. “I come from a close-knit family. They were the ones who spotted my gift early on during my childhood, and helped lay a foundation for me,” she says. This support started when she was a little girl, with her mother investing in her passion by buying her a toy sewing machine as a child – just one of many acts of support which inspired Shanizia to fearlessly follow her dreams.

Shanizia draws inspiration from a world-renowned fashion icon: “I am a Chanel girl! My graduate collection was inspired by the tweed suit created by Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, also known as Coco Chanel. The collection was more modern and fun, each piece was suitable for different events and personalities,” she says. As a designer, Shanizia is drawn to heavy structures and rough shapes, which she then juxtaposes by creating something soft and feminine.

“There’s nothing more satisfying and heartwarming than seeing my clients light up and glow when they come for their first fittings. Being part of helping women of all ages and body types feel good about themselves brings me great joy. It’s confirmation that I’m on the right path.”

When asked about what makes her approach unique, she answers: “As a designer, I always understood what emotion or look the model wearing the garment should have. When I create my sketches or a collection, I can assess the flow of movement on the garment when the model moves or picture the type of model suitable for each look. It definitely brings everything together and complements the collection itself.”

Taking the world stage

When she is not creating beautiful garments, Shanizia is a model and pageant queen representing Namibia with class. She recently did so in Italy, where she took a leap of faith that landed her at Milan Fashion Week. “As an unsigned model, I had to book castings by myself. I was strategic about it and took a leap of faith. I went for local designers, some well-known in Milan, and some only starting out, graduating from fashion design school. And I was cast successfully! I am hoping for the opportunity to return with even bigger brands next time,” she says, describing her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk the biggest fashion stage in the world.

Gushing about the experience, she adds: “Milan itself was absolutely breathtaking! I would love to visit again and explore the rest of the towns and villages, but during the summer, of course! The people, the food and the fashion are unreal. Milan truly is the fashion capital of the world. I admire their attention to detail in terms of fashion. The designers I walked with definitely respect and own their craft. They are unapologetic and go for looks and designs that are daring yet creative.”

Best of both worlds

Whether dressing models or being dressed by other designers, Shanizia is passionate about fashion in general, but describes the thrill of walking on the runway as “the most addictive part” of it all. “You feel nervous yet excited, powerful and confident. All these emotions at once. I’ve done this so many times, but the feeling never gets old.”

She notes that being a designer has given her the edge when modelling, as she understands what drives designers. “I do understand that a designer has a creative concept that they want to execute as precisely as possible, with that said, being rejected as a model for a certain look or collection shouldn’t be taken personally. It’s not about you as the model, but about what completes the look. As a designer, one already has a complete picture of what one wants to achieve and how the garment should be displayed to the audience,” she says.

Shanizia is no stranger to the modelling and pageant world. She participated in numerous pageants, including Miss Teen Namibia in 2019, Miss ACE Model International 2020, Miss Face of Namibia 2021 and is the current Miss Aura Namibia titleholder. Her modelling career came full circle when she was awarded Best Female Model of the Year at the Simply You Magazine Lifestyle and Fashion Awards in 2024.

Bigger dreams

Shanizia has been passionate about giving back to her community since her teens. Together with her family, she gives back to communities in southern Namibia through their local church and has no plans of slowing down on these initiatives.

As for her design work, Shanizia’s biggest dream right now is to own a retail store where Nagraza can be available for sale. “I’d like to contribute to our economy and create employment for Namibian youth. I enjoy travelling, so I hope that continues to be part of my life. Perhaps also to start a modelling school and share what I’ve learned during my modelling journey to aspiring models,” the always optimistic beauty says.

Rukee Kaakunga