Modeling
is a profession like any other profession and as such the society should not
have any misconception about models, models in The Gambia have said, adding
that people should give models the respect and appreciation they deserved.
They also said that fashion designers and event organisers should stop the habit of abusing models by using them and refusing to pay.
The models made this statement during a press conference they organised shortly after meeting the vice president of The Gambia, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, to brief her about the status quo of the country’s modeling industry.The press conference was held at Elite Modeling Agency recently.
Pa Modou Jah, a fashion designer and model, said there is need for a change in the way the country’s fashion industry is run.
He said fashion designers should treat models “the way they deserve to be treated” because designers and models cannot work without each other.
Maimuna Jawara, a model, said:“Models in The Gambia are being stereotyped, deceived, exploited, used and not paid the amount of money they deserve.”
She said there is need to form a national modeling agency and enactment of a modeling act in order to set the law straight about modeling and models.
She also noted that there is need for all models to be registered under agencies so the agencies would bargain on their behalf.
Louis Touray, a model, also raised eyebrows about some individuals and institutions who use pictures of models on billboards without paying or signing contract with the particular models.
“It is high time models were taken seriously and paid the right amount because they are doing a job like other workers,” he said.
Sally Jobe, a model, said most fashion designers and event organisers would call models to audition for them when they have programme “but at the end of the day, they will not give the models anything”.
She said some fashion designers shoot photos of models and use the photos in magazines “to make money but will not give the model a dime”.
“It is high time we did something about ourselves [models],” Sally said.“We should take the modeling industry to another level and believe that models are ambassadors who can go anywhere without bowing their heads hence people should not term them as prostitutes.”
Adam Job, a model, said all models are from homes and have parents, so the society should not see them as bad people.
Ms Jobe said models are doing a job like any other person, so they should not be abused.
She explained that young models have been abused in the industry in the past to the extent that they wanted to quit.
Maimuna Jobe, a model, urged fashion designers and event organisers to stop abusing models.
Yusuf Thullaha, a model and owner of Trace Thullah Fashion, said The Gambia is coming up in terms of modeling but the way the industry is going “is not the straight way”.
He said people should stop thinking negative about models and respect the job.
