John Moeng unleashes live Mannequin skills
JOHN MOENG: The story of a live mannequin
John Moeng is not an average 21-year-old. Hailing from a small village in Oodi, he has managed to blend two seemingly disparate worlds: water engineering and high fashion. A graduate in Water Engineering, John has also forged a career as a male model, and not just any model, he’s a live mannequin, a role that requires him to stand perfectly still for hours on end, a feat of discipline and endurance that has turned heads everywhere from private brand events to Forbes Under 30 summits.
John’s journey has been anything but smooth. As a child, he was the tallest kid in his village, a fact that made him a target for bullies. “I was laughed at and mocked for my height,” he says. “But I had dreams.” He credits those who made fun of him for lighting a fire within him.
“I’m where I am today because of them. They were a blessing in disguise.” He also credits his mother, a single parent who raised five children, for instilling in him a strong sense of responsibility and faith. “She introduced me to God and taught me accountability,” he says. “She is a God-sent.”
John’s foray into the fashion world was a case of serendipity. He was always interested in unique clothing, but it wasn’t until a mentor, David Ini Grace, saw his potential that he began to take it seriously. It was Grace who helped him understand the “interlocking connection between fashion and performance,” a connection that would eventually lead him to his unique niche.
The journey to becoming a live mannequin began with a five-minute crash course. At a Forbes Under 30 summit, Mboko Basiame, the founder of the Glotto brand, saw something in John and offered him the chance to be a live mannequin.
Despite his initial reluctance, John decided to bite the bullet. It was a baptism by fire. “I was not prepared, I wasn’t comfortable with that opportunity at the first meeting when I heard it,” John recalls. “But Mboko saw through me.” John’s debut was a memorable one.
He stood still for five and a half hours, even when presidents from Botswana and Zimbabwe prodded him to see if he was real. “They called my name, I didn’t answer because I was commanded not to speak nor move,” he remembers with a laugh.
Balancing a demanding academic career with a burgeoning modeling career was no small task, but John learned to put his nose to the grindstone. “I developed a time schedule and studied ahead so I could attend events and still pass my exams,” he explains.
He advises other young people to connect their passions with their studies and to seek out a mentor. “Use your university as a gateway to your dreams,” he says. John’s journey proves that with hard work, a little bit of faith, and a whole lot of gumption, you can go from being the tall kid in the village to a towering figure on the world stage.
