Refugee Models- Black is the New Black 

Thank you for sharing your experience working in casting. I hope more casting directors would focus on the consequences of their actions rather than just counting their money.

Thank you for the words of encouragement, the subscribers will come eventually :)

True. I had suspicions this was going on a few years ago but reading the article highlighted how terrible the situation is.

When all you care about is money, ethics fly out the window.

One would hope, but unfortunately not.

Thank you for the kind words!

There are several reasons for this. One "benefit" of scouting at a refugee camp is food scarcity, so the models are already "thin enough," for the girls especially. Many of the successful dark skinned models came from easier to manage areas, like Adut Akech (australia), Anok Yai (USA), Fernando Cabral (Portugal), Malick Bodian (Italy), but successful models get paid more, so casting directors want brand new models that they can pay less and replace after a season. You also have to look at it from the different perspectives of the clients vs the agencies. The agencies would much prefer to have black models that were local so they wouldnt have to deal with visa issues, expensive flights, debts, etc, but the casting directors are the ones demanding the certain look, certain color. The agencies signing refugee models are doing so in the hopes that they find the next Adut that will make them a lot of money and offset the losses from the models who dont make it. As I mentioned with the options being cancelled at the last minute, agencies put out their showpack before fashion week and casting directors will option models from that. If there was a model they signed from the Kakuma camp that didnt get any options, they wouldn't even bring them over, but the casting directors will option them for all of the shows they do (since most casting directors are doing several shows and will option a model for all of them at once) but then release them for everything and the model goes home empty handed.

@@THEMODELGENE Wow, that’s really sad. Especially since it doesn’t have to be. It could be an exercise in compassion, generosity and humanitarianism. Such quaint notions.

@@timskinnercanada I’ve learned to expect the worst from these people.

I appreciate the support! I know my audience is out there, even if it is taking a while for the algorithm to reach them :)

There is an attitude of "oh they should just be lucky for the opportunity" but no, if they don't return home with lots of money, it can be even more emotionally devastating.Imagine the pressure they must feel if they see this as a way for their family to escape poverty.

Oh ESPECIALLY in the fashion industry because everyone wants to become friends with the more famous and powerful people. That’s why when someone like Bruce Weber or Mario Testino are revealed to have all kinds of alleged abuse of models, people still want to work with them.

Yes, although I believe what she is saying. When you have success, you are treated extremely well by the agents. She was one of the lucky ones.

It’s funny how models.com ignored such a big story…

Of course, and this has nothing to do with their beauty or potential as models, more that the way this practice is being carried out seems unethical.

​@@THEMODELGENEthey don't get enough compensation or what?

@@mr.guzwee7695did you not watch the video ? No they go home with debt

The exploitative contracts come from the mother agencies, the ones from the big agencies in Europe are standardized. The exploitation comes when these models are flown for a fashion week with expenses that make it nearly impossible to pay back the debt, and then they are replaced the next season because casting directors want brand new faces that they haven’t seen before.

The problem is that they could book jobs and still not go home with money to cover their expenses

I imagine she was "encouraged" to post something, but regardless, her great experience doesn't negate someone else's bad experience. I've seen how agents act to a model who isn't working well compared to someone like Rejoice who is booking a lot and making them rich.