Modeling: Do we need a code of conduct?

Unprofessional behaviour from models seems to be on the rise.

LAHORE:

In any industry, unprofessional behaviour will get you sacked. The fashion and modeling world is no exception. Whether it’s Naomi Campbell’s protégé cuddling with Campbell’s ex-lover or something less scandalous (like models turning up late for shoots), the consequences are determined by industry forces.

“When there is competition, there will be professionalism,” says Andleeb Rana of Xpoze magazine. “I had to drop Sana Sarfraz because she wasn’t professional — she didn’t turn up [for a shoot] because she was busy the night before.” Rana feels that if modeling agencies were to bring in foreign models, they would serve as a benchmark and local girls would get some fierce competition and pull up their stockings.



Saad Ali of the Pakistan Fashion Design Council feels the problem is linked with the lack of modeling agencies in the country. It is their job to teach the girls etiquettes, he implies. “We have very strict rules regarding who we hire. There isn’t even a single professional modeling agency in the market to micromanage their [models] lifestyles,” he says. “Ideally, we want two sets of 23 models for a fashion week but we only get 23 in total since there aren’t any available.”

It’s time for them to grow up and stop fighting over who walks first and who walks last on the ramp, says fashion photographer Faisal Farooqui. “I usually work in fashion weeks and the atmosphere is very different now,” he admits. “The models come in on time and get their choreography done, but they still create issues about who walks [on the ramp] when.”

Then there are some who believe that unprofessional attitudes can be tied to educational backgrounds. “You cannot blame these models,” explains designer Deepak Perwani.  “Our culture uses fashion as entertainment and to these small-time girls, the entertainment world is like a drug; they get sucked into partying because they think that is the cool thing to do and will get them fame.”

“You are defined by the choices you make and the models don’t really know better — they are influenced,” he says. When asked if bringing in foreign models would help, he says, “We’ve had 12 girls come in from Dubai for Fashion Pakistan Week cycle 1 and 2 but they just sat there because designers refused to use them — they felt foreign girls couldn’t do justice to their clothes.”

Ramp queen Iraj Manzoor, who has been in the industry for years now, feels that models these days look for instant success and forget that they are humans before models. “Girls are not educated and do not stand up for their values — they want overnight success,” she admits. “I have always stood up for what I believed in because I knew I wanted a life outside this industry.”

A solution to this issue could easily lie in the selections we make. Photographer-stylist duo Nadir Feroz Khan and Maha Burney make smart choices. “We haven’t had any instances of sheer unprofessionalism because we are very selective about who we use,” says Burney. “Celebrities and TVC models are the hardest to work with because they do not follow guidelines. But as far as our fashion shoots go, we haven’t encountered any unprofessional behaviour.”

While some models and actors like Mahira Khan and Aaminah Sheikh — seen in TV advertisements primarily — are vouched for by the industry for being extremely professional, there are multiple factors which have a role to play when it comes to ramp and shoot models.

Perhaps a code of conduct would improve the situation, by which models that violate guidelines are penalised. This will also encourage aspiring models to shape up while they are starting their careers, so the ethics are ingrained within them.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2013.

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