SA’s rising fashion star: How a 14-year-old model is turning dreams into reality

“At five years old, I did not understand the industry, but I understood how fashion made me feel confident, joyful and free to be myself.”

Those early emotions continue to guide fourteen-year-old Sivalia Kuppen, a rising South African creative who has already made her mark on the international fashion stage.

The Malvern-based model recently represented SA at the prestigious 2026 Dubai Souk International Modelling Competition, where she was crowned Miss Fashionista and First Princess.

Competing against intern
ational talent, Kuppen stood out not only for her poise and elegance but for the authenticity she brings to every space that she enters.

By Lutho Pasiya

Full story at IOL