Model Ivy Prempeh on what she loves most about Perth

In this series, WAtoday reaches out to the Perth community to discover three things people love most about our coastal capital. Today we feature model and actor Ivy Prempeh. Represented by Everi-Body, she was recently selected as a WA State Finalist for Miss Universe Australia, has appeared at shows including Australian Fashion Week, Miss Africa Perth and the Africa Gala Ball, and worked with Taku Beats’ brand 823 as well as Universal Store, G-Star Raw, Footlocker, Culture Kings, Crop Shop Boutique and Puma. She holds photography, social media marketing and event management certifications and also works as a marketing and sponsorship coordinator, and as photographer for the Eastern Suns NBL1 teams and NBL1 West. She lives in Marangaroo.

I love Perth’s creative scene – it’s growing and giving locals bigger platforms, with greater appreciation for emerging talent putting Perth on the map. We have more and more international artists coming here, like Drake, Kaylani and Coldplay – and Coldplay chose a young Perth artist, Adrian Dzvuke, to be their opening act, which was really cool. There is also a strong sense of collaboration between artists here. For example, Mel Lubbe is a photographer I have shot with over many years, and she asked me to model for an exhibition she had coming up. We did a full-day shoot among the flowers at Araluen botanical garden, with a dress from local designer Steph Audino Couture – and the result was so beautiful, it really showcased Perth nature and creative work.

I love Perth’s laidback but ambitious lifestyle. It offers the best of both worlds here, a relaxed atmosphere, but still one that fosters ambition and growth. It’s an ideal place to pursue big things without the hustle and bustle of larger cities. My work is in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and my Dad lives in Sydney, so it’s a lot of flying – it’s like FIFO modelling – but the rest of my whole family is here, and Perth offers me so much opportunity – I work part-time here in marketing and sponsorships and photography in the sports field, which I will eventually focus on more. KX Pilates in Subiaco have been a huge help with my Miss Universe Australia push, with fundraising and other support. And on the “life” side of work-life balance, I’m always at The Little Bay at Watermans Bay, doing parts of the West Coast Highway walk from Hillarys to Trigg, or Mullalloo Beach – that’s one of my favourites.

I love Perth’s faith-centred community. Faith is deeply valued here. My church, Global Heart Church Joondalup, is such a fun and supportive community. I’m there as often as I can be, we have a bunch of events throughout the week we can go to, from young adults’ hangs with free food and drinks at the church where we can just be together and listen to some good music, to lunches and brunches, women’s days, indoor volleyball or we’ll head out to eat. For me, it’s a space people from all walks of life can be united.

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