Darego’s family roots are in Abonnema, Rivers State. She was born in Lagos to a family of eight children. At age two, she relocated to Port Harcourt and was raised in D-line. Darego attended Bereton Montessori Nursery and Primary School. At ten, she was sent to a boarding school in a bid to shield her from her mother who had become very ill with breast cancer. Darego’s mother died two years later, and her daughter has spoken of how the loss prepared her for the future. As a teenager, Darego longed to be a model, and despite her conservative father’s wishes, she auditioned for the M-Net Face of Africa modelling competition, but was not chosen as a finalist. After finishing her secondary education, she attended University of Port Harcourt where she studied Computer Science and Mathematics.
In 2001, Darego was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria. Contrary to popular belief, Darego did not replace Valerie Peterside after the latter was dethroned, as she had won Miss Nigeria. A few months later she was a contestant at Miss Universe, and became the first Nigerian to place among the top 10 semi-finalists, finishing seventh overall. She was the only one to wear a maillot as opposed to a bikini during the swimsuit competition.
In November that year, she became the first native African to claim the Miss World title (Although past winners such as Penelope Coelen and Anneline Kriel are South African, they are of European descent, and Antigone Costanda, who represented Egypt in 1954 is of Greek heritage). Darego’s victory was widely welcomed in her home country, and her one-year tenure included goodwill trips and scheduled appearances on behalf of the pageant, and a national honour of MFR.
Prior to winning MBGN, Darego featured in print commercials for boutique chain Collectables, and following her stint at Miss Universe was invited by Naomi Campbell to participate in Frock ‘n’ Roll – a charity fashion show in Barcelona and soon negotiated a modelling deal with Donald Trump’s management to establish links with modelling agencies in America.
Shortly after her reign as Miss World she was represented by the London and Paris branches of Next Model Management and landed a three-year contract with L’Oréal, becoming only the second Black model to accomplish this feat after Vanessa Williams, and was photographed by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue. Other brands she has modelled for include Avon, Christian Dior, Sephora, Target, and Macy’s. Darego has also appeared in Elle, Marie Claire, Allure, Trace, Stitch, Cosmopolitan, and Essence magazines, working with numerous designers including Oscar de la Renta, Marc Bouwer, Tommy Hillfiger, Ralph Lauren, and Gianfranco Ferre.
In her homeland Darego has appeared in advertising campaigns for hair care brand Gentle Touch with model Oluchi, and is served as the face of Arik Air. She has also graced the covers of Complete Fashion, Mania, ThisDay Style, Genevieve, True Love, and TW Magazine.
Darego has judged numerous pageants, and fashion and modelling competitions including Miss World 2014, Miss England 2002, Mr. Scotland 2002, and Elite Model Look Nigeria 2012 and 2014 .
In 2010 she launched a style and fashion reality show Stylogenic on Nigerian television, and three years later announced her denim range, AD by Agbani Darego, which includes jeans, dresses, sunglasses and bags.
Due to her busy work schedule, Darego left the University of Port Harcourt, but after moving to New York where she was signed to Next Model Management and Ford Models she enrolled at New York University where she studied Psychology, graduating in May 2012. On the 8th of April, 2017, She married her longtime love Ishaya Danjuma, son of Billionaire General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma in Marrakesh, Morocco.
“Every so often, I’m fortunate enough to work with a team of people I admire, and create something magical, this shoot was one of those… a collaboration between one of my favourite makeup artists Bimpe Onakoya and photographer Akinwunmi, also known as “that throne guy”. “ she says.
As a model she gets to travel the world and experience several places, some of which often leaves her in awe. “Capri was definitely one of those destinations. Capri, a popular summer destination is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy.
From the point of arrival, off a ferry from Naples I was greeted by stunning views and the amazing Italian hospitality. And as I rode in a taxi to the Hotel Mamela where we stayed, I couldn’t help but take in the scenic views as we made our way through the brick streets of the island weaving through the thrones of tourist as they also made their way around the island.
“The small Italian island is particularly known for its Blue Grotto, ‘a dark cavern where the sea glows electric blue, the result of sunlight passing through an underwater cave’. There are several cruises or private tours to the blue grotto, but lucky me, I actually got to shoot at the grotto!!” Agbani reveals.
Whenever she is in Lagos, Agbani looks forward to weekends. According to her, “Whenever I’m home in Lagos, I find myself looking forward to the weekends, just so I could head out to the beaches at Ilashe for the perfect weekend getaway. My time at Ilashe always leaves me feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, ready to face whatever the week ahead might have in store for me.”
Her experience at Taormina says it all. “Taormina is the most charming picturesque town on the island of Sicily, Italy. I fell in love with the lovely cobblestone streets of the city centre to its amazing seaside views along the coast. And the food … heaven! Freshly made Pasta, fresh seafood cooked to perfection, and gelato mania!”
Kemi Ajumobi with wired report
