Dorinex Mboumba L, international Gabonese model based in Marseille

Dorine Xavière Mboumba L - better known as Dorinex - is an international model, crowned Top Model Gabon in 2014 and Top Model Africa in 2016. A native of Gabon, she completed her primary and secondary education in Gamba, her hometown, before finishing her final school years at Lycée KHADAFI in Libreville. She then pursued university studies in Togo, where she graduated in International Business and Human Resource Management.

For 14 years now, she has been dedicating her talent to modeling. Her journey began in 2010 with the Shanghai World Expo. Since then, she has traveled to over ten African countries and several European countries through fashion, earning her the status of international model.

Mboumba has participated in numerous fashion events, including: the Shanghai World Expo in China; FIMA 2013 in Niger; Dakar Fashion Week in Senegal; Malabo Fashion Week in Equatorial Guinea; K WALK in Cameroon; ELIMA and VLISCO SHOW in Togo; FESPACO in Burkina Faso; the Francophonie Fashion Show in Ghana; Cape Town Fashion Week in South Africa; Amsterdam Fashion Week; the 170th anniversary of VLISCO in the Netherlands; Paris Fashion Week; the Salon du Chocolat; Labo Ethnik, Libreville Fashion Week, Gabon Fashion Week; FASHIONSHOWCHOU in Gabon; and the advertising campaign for Camaïeu.

Presenter and creator of the talk show PARLONSMODE241, she is deeply committed to promoting African, and especially Gabonese, fashion. Her concept store, TWENDY, which means “let’s go!”, aligns with the vision of inviting people to reconnect with African identity. The store aims to create and sell items such as Twendy stickers, Twendy x Rebelle Bantu T-shirts, and Twendy x Ipung jewelry, all celebrating Gabon and Africa.

In 2019, with the help of seven compatriots, she launched EMMA PLASTURGIE, a company that manufactures and sells tanks (for water and food liquids) in Libreville.

At 36, Dorinex is both a wife and a proud mother to little Yami, whom she even had the joy of featuring in an advertisement for Gallia. She is the author of the book Shanghai et moi, which recounts her beginnings in fashion, and the children’s book La petite Yami, highlighting the daily life of a mixed-race child growing up between two worlds and cultures.

How would you describe yourself in a few sentences?

I’m self-taught, passionate, cheerful, determined, very stubborn, and wholehearted. I’m a model, entrepreneur, writer, and mother. It’s a lot, I know, but I can’t do just one thing at a time. I thrive in sharing and celebrating our African identity.

How did you first get into modelling?

I started modelling in a rather unusual way. What was supposed to be just a simple visit to an agency turned into an unexpected opportunity. I found myself at a casting for the Shanghai World Expo. I went through the casting without much confidence because I didn’t know how to walk in heels, and two months later, I learned that I had been selected to go to China, where I walked a runway for the first time.

Did you choose your current niche(s) or did it choose you?

I don’t have a specific niche; I do as many commercials as runway shows. I’m very versatile. Today, I’ve created a talk show. I work in styling — in short, I’m diversifying out of a desire to explore behind the scenes.

What's the one achievement or moment in your modelling career that you're most proud of?

My greatest pride is having shared an advertising campaign for the brand Gallia with my daughter. Beyond being just a professional project, it was a true personal achievement for me — a unique and symbolic moment of connection, where I embraced both my roles as a mother and as a model.

What's been the biggest challenge you've faced as a model, and how did you overcome it? What did you learn from that experience?

My body doesn’t exactly fit the traditional standards of the fashion world. I have a full bust on a slim frame, and according to Paris, my skin is a bit too light to be considered Black. I know this industry well, and I fully accept that my profile falls outside its conventional norms.

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be and why?

I don’t have that kind of dream. However, I would like to see more Gabonese people make a name for themselves in the world of fashion.

What are your thoughts on the 54Ruum platform?

I really admire your editorial style and the quality of your work.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone considering a career in modelling, what would it be?

The decision to become a model means you need to be determined, patient, and confident in your abilities. If you have all three, then go for it!