Sex Predator Gérald Marie: Former models expose the ugly

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Former Models for Donald Trump’s Agency Say They Violated Immigration Rules and Worked Illegally: “It’s like modern-day slavery.”
by James West
Mother Jones
August 30, 2016

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President Donald Trump marked the 20th anniversary Friday of federal legislation to help combat human trafficking by dedicating a new White House position to the issue.

Surrounded by survivors, administration officials and members of Congress, Trump signed an executive order creating the position at the conclusion of a White House summit on human trafficking.

He declared his administration “100 percent committed to eradicating human trafficking from the earth,” and called the practice a form of “modern-day slavery.”

-- Trump signs order creating position focused on combating human trafficking, by pbs.org, Jan 30, 2020

Pierre Roussel/ Zuma Press; Louis Lanzano/AP Photo

Republican nominee Donald Trump has placed immigration at the core of his presidential campaign. He has claimed that undocumented immigrants are “taking our jobs” and “taking our money,” pledged to deport them en masse, and vowed to build a wall on the Mexican border. At one point he demanded a ban on Muslims entering the country. Speaking to supporters in Iowa on Saturday, Trump said he would crack down on visitors to the United States who overstay their visas and declared that when any American citizen “loses their job to an illegal immigrant, the rights of that American citizen have been violated.” And he is scheduled to give a major address on immigration in Arizona on Wednesday night.

But the mogul’s New York modeling agency, Trump Model Management, has profited from using foreign models who came to the United States on tourist visas that did not permit them to work here, according to three former Trump models, all noncitizens, who shared their stories with Mother Jones. Financial and immigration records included in a recent lawsuit filed by a fourth former Trump model show that she, too, worked for Trump’s agency in the United States without a proper visa.

Foreigners who visit the United States as tourists are generally not permitted to engage in any sort of employment unless they obtain a special visa, a process that typically entails an employer applying for approval on behalf of a prospective employee. Employers risk fines and possible criminal charges for using undocumented labor.

Founded in 1999, Trump Model Management “has risen to the top of the fashion market,” boasts the Trump Organization’s website, and has a name “that symbolizes success.” According to a financial disclosure filed by his campaign in May, Donald Trump earned nearly $2 million from the company, in which he holds an 85 percent stake. Meanwhile, some former Trump models say they barely made any money working for the agency because of the high fees for rent and other expenses that were charged by the company.

Canadian-born Rachel Blais spent nearly three years working for Trump Model Management. After first signing with the agency in March 2004, she said, she performed a series of modeling gigs for Trump’s company in the United States without a work visa. At Mother Jones‘ request, Blais provided a detailed financial statement from Trump Model Management and a letter from an immigration lawyer who, in the fall of 2004, eventually secured a visa that would permit her to work legally in the United States. These records show a six-month gap between when she began working in the United States and when she was granted a work visa. During that time, Blais appeared on Trump’s hit reality TV show, The Apprentice, modeling outfits designed by his business protégés. As Blais walked the runway, Donald Trump looked on from the front row.


Former Trump model Rachel Blais appeared in a 2004 episode of Donald Trump’s hit NBC reality show, The Apprentice. Trump Model Management had yet to secure her work visa. NBC

Two other former Trump models—who requested anonymity to speak freely about their experiences, and who we are giving the pseudonyms Anna and Kate—said the agency never obtained work visas on their behalf, even as they performed modeling assignments in the United States. (They provided photographs from some of these jobs, and Mother Jones confirmed with the photographers or stylists that these shoots occurred in the United States.)

Each of the three former Trump models said she arrived in New York with dreams of making it big in one of the world’s most competitive fashion markets. But without work visas, they lived in constant fear of getting caught. “I was pretty on edge most of the time I was there,” Anna said of the three months in 2009 she spent in New York working for Trump’s agency.

“I was there illegally,” she said. “A sitting duck.”

According to three immigration lawyers consulted by Mother Jones, even unpaid employment is against the law for foreign nationals who do not have a work visa. “If the US company is benefiting from that person, that’s work,” explained Anastasia Tonello, global head of the US immigration team at Laura Devine Attorneys in New York. These rules for immigrants are in place to “protect them from being exploited,” she said. “That US company shouldn’t be making money off you.”

Two of the former Trump models said Trump’s agency encouraged them to deceive customs officials about why they were visiting the United States and told them to lie on customs forms about where they intended to live. Anna said she received a specific instruction from a Trump agency representative: “If they ask you any questions, you’re just here for meetings.”

Trump’s campaign spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, declined to answer questions about Trump Model Management’s use of foreign labor. “That has nothing to do with me or the campaign,” she said, adding that she had referred Mother Jones‘ queries to Trump’s modeling agency. Mother Jones also sent detailed questions to Trump Model Management. The company did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls requesting comment.

“Honestly, they are the most crooked agency I’ve ever worked for, and I’ve worked for quite a few,” said Rachel Blais.

Fashion industry sources say that skirting immigration law in the manner that the three former Trump models described was once commonplace in the modeling world. In fact, Politico recently raised questions about the immigration status of Donald Trump’s current wife, Melania, during her days as a young model in New York in the 1990s. (In response to the Politico story, Melania Trump said she has “at all times been in compliance with the immigration laws of this country.”)

Kate, who worked for Trump Model Management in 2004, marveled at how her former boss has recently branded himself as an anti-illegal-immigration crusader on the campaign trail. “He doesn’t want to let anyone into the US anymore,” she said. “Meanwhile, behind everyone’s back, he’s bringing in all of these girls from all over the world and they’re working illegally.”

Now 31 years old and out of the modeling business, Blais once appeared in various publications, including Vogue, Elle, and Harpers Bazaar, and she posed wearing the designs of such fashion luminaries as Gianfranco Ferré, Dolce & Gabbana, and Jean Paul Gaultier. Her modeling career began when she was 16 and spanned numerous top-name agencies across four continents. She became a vocal advocate for models and appeared in a 2011 documentary, Girl Model, that explored the darker side of the industry. In a recent interview, she said her experience with Trump’s firm stood out: “Honestly, they are the most crooked agency I’ve ever worked for, and I’ve worked for quite a few.”

Clip from Girl Model (2011)
May 27, 2013

Transcript

I have
Diaries probably more
videotapes this is the truest
evidence
all the girls just want to get out so
they try they can be athletes they can
be gymnasts they can be ballerinas they
can be models they can be
prostitutes most of the time they do a
combination of both or I mean often yeah
they
do there's certain agencies like a high
class agencies that will help facilitate
and especially once if you have the
experience of making money and you are a
model you only know how to make money as
a model if you're not making money as a
model you just know you're a beautiful
girl who uses her body so it's kind of
natural to think well I could I saw my
body for the camera and what's the
difference even did you see you know the
DVDs I gave you and you could see
sometimes the girl presented herself in
a certain way the cast in Russia
sometimes it was clearly like she was
presenting herself as a sex object
sometimes she was just a young girl I
mean those those tapes are widely
distributed and of course the goal is is
that they get placed in modeling
agencies
but the reality is is
that they get place other places
too and I I I don't have firsthand
experience of of these things I mean I'm
I'm not
obviously participating in this
so it's just it's just normal to be a
prostitute for them you
know maybe it's it's easier than being a
model I don't
know I mean a lot of countries
prostitution
is not considered
a terrible
thing
um I don't really acknowledge that that
it exists

***

Girl Model Trailer
NegativeCutters
Aug 30, 2012

This is the trailer for Girl Model

A documentary on the modeling industry's 'supply chain' between Siberia, Japan, and the U.S., told through the experiences of the scouts, agencies, and a 13-year-old model.

Directors: David Redmon, Ashley Sabin
Stars: Ashley Arbaugh, Rachel Blais and Nadya Vall



[Music]
she does maybe never have the body
though did more oh oh she really wow
there's some cute girls there's some
nice
ones
[Music]
wow how old is
she I'll
[Music]
try say hello n hello my name is Nadia
I'm
[Music]
for no this Engish
[Music]
15 hello my name is I'm 15 years
old when I work with
Japan they don't know what I do where I
go as long as I bring them to
[Music]
girls you don't mom
[Music]

Rachel Blais appeared in this Elle fashion spread, published in September 2004, while working for Trump’s agency without a proper visa. Elle

Freshly signed to Trump Model Management, the Montreal native traveled to New York City by bus in April 2004. Just like “the majority of models who are young, [have] never been to NYC, and don’t have papers, I was just put in Trump’s models’ apartment,” she said. Kate and Anna also said they had lived in this apartment.

“The apartment was like a sweatshop,” said a former Trump model.

Models’ apartments, as they’re known in the industry, are dormitory-style quarters where agencies pack their talent into bunks, in some cases charging the models sky-high rent and pocketing a profit. According to the three former models, Trump Model Management housed its models in a two-floor, three-bedroom apartment in the East Village, near Tompkins Square Park. Mother Jones is withholding the address of the building, which is known in the neighborhood for its model tenants, to protect the privacy of the current residents.

When Blais lived in the apartment, she recalled, a Trump agency representative who served as a chaperone had a bedroom to herself on the ground floor of the building. A narrow flight of stairs led down to the basement, where the models lived in two small bedrooms that were crammed with bunk beds—two in one room, three in the other. An additional mattress was located in a common area near the stairs. At times, the apartment could be occupied by 11 or more people.

“We’re herded into these small spaces,” Kate said. “The apartment was like a sweatshop.”

Trump Model Management recruited models as young as 14. “I was by far the oldest in the house at the ripe old age of 18,” Anna said. “The bathroom always smelled like burned hair. I will never forget the place!” She added, “I taught myself how to write, ‘Please clean up after yourself’ in Russian.”

A detailed financial statement provided by Blais shows that Trump’s agency charged her as much as $1,600 a month for a bunk in a room she shared with five others.

Living in the apartment during a sweltering New York summer, Kate picked a top bunk near a street-level window in the hopes of getting a little fresh air. She awoke one morning to something splashing her face. “Oh, maybe it’s raining today,” she recalled thinking. But when she peered out the window, “I saw the one-eyed monster pissing on me,” she said. “There was a bum pissing on my window, splashing me in my Trump Model bed.”

“Such a glamorous industry,” she said.

Blais, who previously discussed some of her experiences in an interview with Public Radio International, said the models weren’t in a position to complain about their living arrangements. “You’re young,” she remarked, “and you know that if you ask too many questions, you’re not going to get the work.”

A detailed financial statement provided by Blais shows that Trump’s agency charged her as much as $1,600 a month for a bunk in a room she shared with five others. Kate said she paid about $1,200 a month—”highway robbery,” she called it. For comparison, in the summer of 2004, an entire studio apartment nearby was advertised at $1,375 a month.

From April to October 2004, Blais traveled between the United States and Europe, picking up a string of high-profile fashion assignments for Trump Model Management and making a name for herself in the modeling world. During the months she spent living and working in New York, Blais said, she only had a tourist visa. “Most of the girls in the apartment that were not American didn’t have a work visa,” she recalled.

Anna and Kate also said they each worked for Trump’s agency while holding tourist visas. “I started out doing test-shoots but ended up doing a couple of lookbooks,” Anna said. (A lookbook is a modeling portfolio.) “Nothing huge, but definitely shoots that classified as ‘work.'”

Employers caught hiring noncitizens without proper visas can be fined up to $16,000 per employee and, in some cases, face up to six months in prison.

The three former Trump models said Trump’s agency was aware of the complications posed by their foreign status. Anna and Kate said the company coached them on how to circumvent immigration laws. Kate recalled being told, “When you’re stuck at immigration, say that you’re coming as a tourist. If they go through your luggage and they find your portfolio, tell them that you’re going there to look for an agent.”

Anna recalled that prior to her arrival, Trump agency staffers were “dodging around” her questions about her immigration status and how she could work legally in the United States. “Until finally,” she said, “it came to two days before I left, and they told me my only option was to get a tourist visa and we could work the rest out when I got there. We never sorted the rest out.”

Arriving in the United States, Anna grew terrified. “Going through customs for this trip was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my life,” she added. “It’s hard enough when you’re there perfectly innocently, but when you know you’ve lied on what is essentially a federal document, it’s a whole new world.”

“Am I sweaty? Am I red? Am I giving this away?” Anna remembered thinking as she finally faced a customs officer. After making it through immigration, she burst into tears.

Industry experts say that violating immigration rules has been the status quo in the fashion world for years. “It’s been common, almost standard, for modeling agencies to encourage girls to come into the country illegally,” said Sara Ziff, the founder of the Model Alliance, an advocacy group that claimed a major success in 2014 after lobbying the New York State legislature to pass a bill increasing protections for child models.

Bringing models into the United States on tourist visas was “very common,” said Susan Scafidi, the director of Fordham University’s Fashion Law Institute. “I’ve had tons of agencies tell me this, that this used to happen all the time, and that the cover story might be something like ‘I’m coming in for a friend’s birthday,’ or ‘I’m coming in to visit my aunt,’ that sort of thing.”


Read a letter from an immigration attorney confirming Rachel Blais’ eligibility to work in the US. Pierre Roussel/ZUMA

For their part, modeling agencies have complained about the time and resources required to bring a foreign model into the country and have insisted that US immigration laws are out of step with their fast-paced industry. “If there are girls that we can’t get into the United States, the client is going to take that business elsewhere,” Corinne Nicolas, the president of Trump Model Management, told the New York Daily News in 2008. “The market is calling for foreign girls.”

In 2007, a few years before his career imploded in a sexting scandal, former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) sponsored a bill that would give models the same kind of work visas that international entertainers and athletes receive. The tabloids had a field day­—”Give me your torrid, your pure, your totally smokin’ foreign babes,” screamed a Daily News headline—and the effort ultimately failed.

Trump Model Management sponsored only its most successful models for work visas, the three former models said. Those who didn’t cut it were sent home, as was the case, Blais noted, with many of her roommates.

“It was very much the case of you earn your visa,” Anna said. “Essentially, if you got enough work and they liked you enough, they’d pay for a visa, but you weren’t about to see a dime before you could prove your worth.”

The company eventually secured an H-1B visa for Blais. Such visas allow US companies to employ workers in specialized fields. According to financial records provided by Blais, the company deducted the costs of obtaining a work visa from her earnings. (The agency did not obtain work visas for Anna and Kate, who each left the United States after their stints with Trump Model Management.)

H-1B visas have been increasingly popular in the high-tech field, and Trump’s companies, including Trump Model Management, have used this program extensively in the past. But on the campaign trail, Trump has railed against the H-1B program and those who he says abuse it. “I will end forever the use of the H-1B as a cheap labor program and institute an absolute requirement to hire American workers first for every visa and immigration program,” Trump said in March. “No exceptions.”

Nearly three years after signing with Trump’s agency, Blais had little to show for it—and it wasn’t for lack of modeling jobs. Under the contracts that she and other Trump models had signed, the company advanced money for rent and various other expenses (such as trainers, beauty treatments, travel, and administrative costs), deducting these charges from its clients’ modeling fees. But these charges—including the pricey rent that Blais and her roommates paid—consumed nearly all her modeling earnings. “I only got one check from Trump Models, and that’s when I left them,” she said. “I got $8,000 at most after having worked there for three years and having made tens of thousands of dollars.” (The check Blais received was for $8,427.35.)

“This is a system where they actually end up making money on the back of these foreign workers,” Blais added. She noted that models can end up in debt to their agencies, once rent and numerous other fees are extracted.

This is known in the industry as “agency debt.” Kate said her bookings never covered the cost of living in New York. After two months, she returned home. “I left indebted to them,” she said, “and I never went back, and I never paid them back.”

The experiences the former Trump models related to Mother Jones echo allegations in an ongoing class-action lawsuit against six major modeling agencies by nine former models who have claimed their agencies charged them exorbitant fees for rent and other expenses. One plaintiff, Marcelle Almonte, has alleged that her agency charged her $1,850 per month to live in a two-bedroom Miami Beach apartment with eight other models. The market rate for apartments in the same building ran no more than $3,300 per month, according to the complaint. (Trump Model Management, which was initially named in an earlier version of this lawsuit, was dropped from the case in 2013, after the judge narrowed the number of defendants.) Models “were largely trapped by these circumstances if they wanted to continue to pursue a career in modeling,” the complaint alleges.

Read Alexia Palmer’s complaint against Trump Model Management. Wavebreakmedia/iStock

“It is like modern-day slavery” Blais said of working for Trump Model Management—and she is not alone in describing her time with Trump’s company in those terms. Former Trump model Alexia Palmer, who filed a lawsuit against Trump Model Management for fraud and wage theft in 2014, has said she “felt like a slave.”

Palmer has alleged that she was forced to pay hefty—sometimes mysterious—fees to Trump’s agency. These were fees on top of the 20 percent commission she paid for each job the company booked. Palmer charged that during three years of modeling for Trump’s company, she earned only $3,880.75. A New York judge dismissed Palmer’s claim in March because, among other reasons, she had not taken her case first to the Department of Labor. Lawyers for Trump Model Management called Palmer’s lawsuit “frivolous” and “without merit.”

Palmer filed a complaint with the Department of Labor this spring, and in August the agency dismissed the case. Palmer’s lawyer, Naresh Gehi, said he is appealing the decision. Since he began representing Palmer, he said, fashion models who worked for other agencies have approached him with similar stories. “These are people that are coming out of the closet and explaining to the world how they are being exploited,” he said. “They are the most vulnerable.”

Documents filed in Palmer’s case indicate that she worked in the United States without a work visa after being recruited by Trump’s agency from her native Jamaica. Gehi declined to discuss his client’s immigration status.


Former Trump model Alexia Palmer posed for this Teen Vogue shoot in January 2011. She secured a work visa in October 2011. Teen Vogue

A Caribbean model contest launched Palmer’s career in 2010, and at age 17 she signed an exclusive contract with Trump Model Management in January 2011. Department of Labor records show she received approval to work in the United States beginning in October 2011. Yet according to a financial statement filed as evidence in her case, Palmer started working in the United States nine months before this authorization was granted. Her financial records list a January 22, 2011, job for Condé Nast, when she posed for a Teen Vogue spread featuring the cast of Glee. (The shoot took place at Milk Studios in Los Angeles.)

“That whole period, from January to September, was not authorized,” said Pankaj Malik, a partner at New York-based Ballon, Stoll, Bader & Nadler who has worked on immigration issues for over two decades and who reviewed Palmer’s case for Mother Jones. “You can’t do any of that. It’s so not allowed.”

Trump has taken an active role at Trump Model Management from its founding. He has personally signed models who have participated in his Miss Universe and Miss USA competitions, where his agency staff appeared as judges. Melania Trump was a Trump model for a brief period after meeting her future husband in the late 1990s.

“I left with a bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t like the agency. I didn’t like where they had us living. Honestly, I felt ripped off.”

The agency is a particular point of pride for Trump, who has built his brand around glitz and glamour. “True Trumpologists know the model agency is only a tiny part of Trumpland financially,” the New York Sun wrote in 2004. “But his agency best evokes a big Trump theme—sex sells.” Trump has often cross-pollinated his other business ventures with fashion models and has used them as veritable set pieces when he rolls out new products. Trump models, including Blais, appeared on The Apprentice—and they flanked him at the 2004 launch of his Parker Brothers board game, TRUMP.

Part of Blais’ job, she said, was to serve as eye candy at Trump-branded events. Recalling the first time she met the mogul, she said, “I had to go to the Trump Vodka opening.” It was a glitzy 2006 gala at Trump Tower where Busta Rhymes performed, and Trump unveiled his (soon-to-be-defunct) line of vodka. “It was part of my duty to go and be seen and to be photographed and meet Donald Trump and shake his hand,” she remembered.

Trump made a strong impression on her that night. “I knew that I was a model and there was objectification in the job, but this was another level,” she said. Blais left Trump Model Management the year after the Trump Vodka gala, feeling that she had been exploited and shortchanged by the agency.

Kate, who went on to have a successful career with another agency, also parted ways with Trump’s company in disgust. “My overall experience was not a very good one,” she said. “I left with a bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t like the agency. I didn’t like where they had us living. Honestly, I felt ripped off.”

These days, Kate said, she believes that Trump has been fooling American voters with his anti-immigrant rhetoric, given that his own agency had engaged in the practices he has denounced. “He doesn’t like the face of a Mexican or a Muslim,” she said, “but because these [models] are beautiful girls, it’s okay? He’s such a hypocrite.”

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Teen Model Factory of Russia
by BBC
Nov 19, 2016

NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO READ THE COPYRIGHT NOTICE AT THIS LINK BEFORE YOU READ THE FOLLOWING WORK, THAT IS AVAILABLE SOLELY FOR PRIVATE STUDY, SCHOLARSHIP OR RESEARCH PURSUANT TO 17 U.S.C. SECTION 107 AND 108. IN THE EVENT THAT THE LIBRARY DETERMINES THAT UNLAWFUL COPYING OF THIS WORK HAS OCCURRED, THE LIBRARY HAS THE RIGHT TO BLOCK THE I.P. ADDRESS AT WHICH THE UNLAWFUL COPYING APPEARED TO HAVE OCCURRED. THANK YOU FOR RESPECTING THE RIGHTS OF COPYRIGHT OWNERS.

**************************

Russia's Extreme Teen Model Factory
Reggie Yates Extreme
Real Stories
May 27, 2021

Reggie Yates visits Siberia to meet the young girls who are going to extreme lengths to attract the international scouts and make it as fashion models in the west.

Russia is the largest country on earth and home to nearly 150 million people. Vladimir Putin is well into his third term as president and with the west imposing tough sanctions, relations are now the frostiest since the Cold War.

Reggie Yates gets up close and personal with three very different communities in contemporary Russia. By living with them for a week, he explores what it's like for young people living here, 24 years after the fall of the Soviet Union.

An army of Siberian models is invading the west. Siberia is known around the world for its frigid temperatures, but within the fashion world it is famous for being home to the world's most beautiful women. Reggie joins international scouts as they board the Trans-Siberian railway and cross Siberia looking for the freshest new faces.

At the open castings - the first one in Krasnoyarsk, 2,800km east of Moscow - Reggie meets girls as young as 13 as they parade in bikinis, hoping that their stunning looks will get them noticed. In Novosibirsk, Siberia's capital, he visits some of the city's 26 modelling agencies and schools, where children as young as five are learning how to walk, pose, apply make-up, and diet.

He meets Anya, who would love to be an artist but realistically knows that, here in Siberia, there's more chance of her making money as a model, Vika, who has been eating buckwheat for breakfast, lunch and dinner in a bid to lose those extra two centimetres for the casting, and Katia, whose parents are distraught when they have to make a decision about whether she goes to work in China - at the age of just 15.

But how likely is it that they will really succeed? What are the pitfalls of the modelling industry? And what is the life they are leaving behind like?



Transcript

The West has imposed tough sanctions against Russia. Russia is responsible
for the violence, and relations are the frostiest since the Cold War. But this hasn't stopped an army of
young Siberian models invading the West. And while the catwalk and magazine
demand for these girls grow, I'm here where it all starts, at the castings. My
name is Lisa. I'm 13 years old. I'm from Siberia. The dream starts young. Some of
these girls were as young as 13, very young,
with thousands of Russian children starting model training almost as soon as they can
walk. But there's a darker side to the
dream. If I were a parent, I don't know what I would do.
But the right and the wrong is just so blurred. So, I'm going to find out just what it takes to make it in the West and
leave Siberia behind. [Music]
[Music]
At over 9,000 kilometers long and crossing eight time zones, the Trans
Siberian Railway is the longest in the world.
[Music] And the coldest temperatures here can
drop as low as -60. That's how cold it is. Look, you feel that? Siberia is so huge
that if it were a country, it would be the biggest in the world. 50 times the size of the UK, but
with around half of the population. Most Siberians live along this [Music]
railroad. So, this is the train that model scouts from all over the world must take in search of fresh new
Siberian faces. Hey, how you doing? I'm Reggie. What's your name? Taco. Taco.
Taco. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. So, where where exactly are you from? Tokyo. Tokyo. And how many girls
are you expected to find in the time that you're here? Well, as much as possible. I mean, like if you cannot
find it, you cannot find it. If you find 10, you find 10. It's just like that. Yeah. Yeah. So, what is it you're
specifically looking for? The actually what we looking for somebody who has strong face and they still young like a
14 years old, 13 years old girls. Uh, they're still growing. So, I haven't introduced myself to you either. Sorry.
I'm Reggie. Hi, I'm K. Nice to meet you. Hello. K. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. So, why here? I mean, this is so
far away from from home for you. Girls? No. What specifically? What type of
girls? It's short age, like only teenagers, maybe over one age. If people
think you are getting old, then no chance anymore. But, so you're looking for someone who feels and looks younger.
Yeah. Our client love it. Our client like young girls. Yeah.
In Britain, children aren't allowed on the catwalk until they're 16. And although girls younger than that do
model for magazines, the Asian market specifically looks for the youngest faces.
[Music] The first stop on the model tour is the
industrial mining city of Kranas, 3,000 miles from Moscow and a world away from
the UK. In Soviet times, Siberia was where political prisoners were sent to die a
few decades later. And it's not how I imagined it. As a as a kid growing up in
in North London, when you think of somewhere like Siberia, you just imagine this huge vast sort of mass of land with
mountains and snow and nothingness. But the bit that I'm in right now, it could very easily be somewhere in the UK. You
know, there's literally tower blocks everywhere. We very easily could be in
Pekco. And this is where the glamorous life of a Siberian supermodel begins. at
a casting organized by local agencies for the visiting talent [Music]
scouts. And coming to a casting like this really can pay off. Natalia
Vodanova was discovered selling fruit by the side of the road in Russia. Now she's a millionaire
supermodel. But this is the first step. Standing next to naked in front of [Music]
strangers. I don't remember the last time I felt this this awkward. I think it might have been the time when um I
stayed at my mom's and I found my little sister who I'm convinced is still 9 years old even though she keeps telling
me she's 19. When I found her bra, it was the weirdest feeling I think I've
ever had. And that is now being sort of gazumped by what I'm feeling right now
because just over my right shoulder there's a whole heap of kids and they're
in pants and and bras. But then I see something that really
takes me back. Whoa.
[Music]
Whoa. They're all so young.
[Music]
I didn't expect there to be this many people and um I didn't expect there to be this young.
It looks like everyone here is about the age of be 15 16 tops.
Then the director of Noah Models arrives. Truahhatrian has been running casting sessions like this for 20 years.
Paris. Uh as if these girls weren't standing up straight enough already. Um
there's suddenly been a bit of an atmosphere change in here because there's a a guy that everybody is um
shaking hands with. Hello. Hello Reggie. I'm Tigin. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Tigin, could you explain um
your role uh today? Well, the role is to select girls uh primarily uh for
ourselves to send all across the world for them to work. There are many young
girls here. And what sort of numbers are you expecting today? Uh, I expect to find about 10 to 15
girls here. Out of how many this turning up? How many are you expecting to arrive? Probably 100. A lot of them have
great potential. The critical part is the character. Most Russian girls. Okay.
They're like Ferraris without engines. But when you when we start working with
them, we put those engines try to uh make it a awesome car.
I'm going to start calling you the mechanic for the rest of the mechanics for Tigran's right-hand woman, Anna
Yuzakova, is running today's event. She personally manages over 100 girls
working all over the world.
[Music] Bless them on their cards. They've got their name and their age.
My name is Lisa. I'm 13 years old. My height is 176. I'm from Siberia. I like
modeling, traveling, and swimming. Some of these girls are as
young as [Music]
13. If any of the scouts like a girl, a code letter is added to their card.
Some of them may have worked before and some will be newbies. And in the Asian market, they can start as young as 12.
Asia is like the kindergarten. Then uh that's the first market that you send them to. Usually
that's where they start. Yeah. Okay. Then they go to Europe. Europe you can consider as the high school. Yeah. Then
they go to the US and that's the university. Right. So what are you looking for? What can you tell already?
um the photogenic qualities uh certain geometry of the face and the proportions
uh of the body. If you take the distance between the eyes, you take the distance
between the nose and the eyes, right? You put this down to a science. Yeah, it is a science.
It feels like a really strange thing to say, but these young women trying to get a job, you know, and in any other
environment, they'll be holding up their CV. Whereas here, their CV is their body. It's the way they look, it's the
way they walk, it's how they smile, how confident they are. And um when you see the people who are the right way, quote
unquote, you can really tell the difference.
Hello. Are you mom? Hello. Pleasure to meet you. How you doing? I'm I'm Reggie.
What's your name? Ya. Hello. Lovely to meet you. She's um she's got every single agency on there.
So um did you did you ever come to something like this? Did you ever try it?
[Laughter]
Do you think that you would have coped as well being that young and wearing so little in
[Music] [Laughter]
public? Hello, my name is Quite a lot of the girls were getting
letters and this marks them out for the next step. Hello. All right. So, what have we got
on this piece of paper? There's two letters on here. What does that
mean? I see that you put your uh your jumper back on now. Is it um is it a bit weird being in a bra and and underwear
for so long? [Music]
If I was in my underwear, stood up there, I'd be crying. [Music]
So, have you officially made it or is this sort of a step towards finding out?
[Music] The journey from Siberia to supermodel is a long one and Tigran likes to start
them young. [Music]
I feel great when I help these young girls because over here they don't have uh big opportunities.
Is that why you got into this then to help young women? Yes. Yes, I
do. Uh I want to really help these young women and uh it gives me great joy
spiritually when somebody becomes very successful. I take great pride in it.
So we'll see. All right. Uh, I'm sure I'll catch up with you again in a little bit. Yeah.
Thank you. Thank you. Something tells me though, it's not just about spiritual reward. This is business. Each teenage
model that Tren signs could make him thousands in commission. But was he right about the lack of
opportunity? Anna's been trying to be a model for 3 years.
I'm going back to her village to see what life is like for her there.
[Music]
Now, this is what I imagined Siberia would be like. It's only an hour outside of
Crash, but it feels a million miles away. Anna's lived all of her life in a
village in the middle of a forest called Offsanka.
Anya, this couldn't be any more different to to where I grew up. I mean, what's it like living here?
Being a guy who who grew up in a big city like London, there are opportunities literally everywhere I look. I mean, what sort of opportunities
do you have growing up here?
[Music] The Russian education system is good. More than half of Russian girls go to
university. But in a country where even doctors make just over £400 a month, I
can see the temptation to work abroad. Hello. How you doing?
Hello. Nice to meet you. Anna lives in a one-bedroom flat with her mom, Tatiana.
Her father died when she was four. So Anna's mom brought her and her brother up on her own. And is that one of your
paintings? Yeah. That's beautiful. Oh wow. So this is your art as well.
Look at this. That's me. Very nice. Anna dreams of being an artist, but finding a
way of making money out of that feels like a pipe dream. How realistic is it
to to have a career as an artist here?
You know, being totally honest with you, it seems as though this is where your heart is and uh modeling is definitely
where the money is and where a career is.
But how soon will it be before you get that big break, do you think?
[Music] Anna has to rush off to rehearsals for
Siberia's Next Top Model, a reality show shooting in Kresnk. Want to see you
soon. Good luck. Okay. Which leaves time for a chat with her
mom. Yes, please. And my first taste of
Siberian [Music] hospitality. I was just looking at this
while you were in the kitchen making the tea. And I can't believe that it's the same girl cuz she looks like just a
normal teenager here with you and and your son and then here she just looks
like a completely different person in these model shop.
Wow. I'm going to have one of these. Do you think then that your um do you think that your daughter will actually make it? Can any become a professional model?
Okay. So, if if Anna actually makes it as a model and is successful, will she have to send money home? Will she have
to look after her family?
No. So, is the modeling career currently bringing any money into the house?
[Laughter]
Wow, that's that must be tough. Now, when I got here, Anna was uh really really welcoming and showed me her room
and showed me all of her pictures on her wall. But one thing she didn't show me was where you sleep. So, where's your
room and and where do you where do you lay your head in the flat?
Wow. So you sleep you sleep [Music]
here. When you um when you see just how humble home is, you can understand why
Anna is so focused. Um it sort of stirred up a lot of um a lot of stuff in
me cuz I remember growing up in not the nicest counselor state in the world uh
with not very much. And um I also grew up with a mom who made the best of what she had. And um when you've got someone
like that looking after you, all you want to do is look after them.
[Music] I'm back on the Trans Siberian Express
on the next leg of the model tour and it's another 800 kilome to
Siberia's capital, Nova Sabis. Not a lot of
room. So, uh I guess this is home for the next 12 hours.
Anna, the scout from Noah Models, is in the next carriage. She's been running these Siberian model tours for 6 years.
Hello, Anna. Hello. Hey. So, what is it about Siberian girls
that draws people from everywhere? What is really special about Siberians is
their roots? So, a lot of people were present during Soviet times. So, from
Ukraine, from Baltic republics also a lot of people are coming from Asian part to Siberia. It's a mixture of ethnics,
roots. So the faces are really interesting and also Siberian girls have
better skin and uh hair conditions because I think you noticed that there
are there were a lot of girls with hair up to the waist. So it's really it's
really unique. I had absolutely no idea until today that girls under the age of
16 were were going around the world on their own for for modeling trips. How do you look after them when they when they
leave here? It's not only me who look after them. It's we are making the big team all together. So it's the local
agency in Christ no where we going and also the agencies we are working with.
How does it get split whatever's earned tickets then uh transportation
accommodation uh allowances all advanced by the agency. If the girl doesn't cover this
expense by her jobs, she doesn't have to return the money. So a successful girl,
a girl who does well in maybe the Asian market or European market, how much is
she likely to earn in a year? Just round. So if we don't talk about like top top top model like Kate Mos or
Claudia Shifford, if we are talking about just normal models, successful
models, um it can be like 20,000 per month. US dollars 30. Yeah,
like that. US dollars. Yeah. USD 20 grand net a month for a 15year-old girl from Siberia. That's a hell of a That's
for for a 15year-old girl from London. That's a hell of a lot. But we we say about highest rate. I mean, so it can be
sometimes the girl come back home with zero because their expenses were more than their earnings. So next trip could
be more successful. Yeah. All right. Well, I'll let you get on. Um, good talking to you and I I'll see you in the
morning. Sure. Okay. And I hope you will enjoy my home city. You're hoping? Yes.
I'm looking forward to it. It's still 10 long hours till Nova
Sabers, but at least I'm in business class. It's been a very long first day
in Siberia and a bit of a culture shock. To begin with, I just felt really
um for one of a better word, and not to sound like a complete sap, I felt quite sad at the beginning of the day cuz I
just saw so many kids stood there in their underwear
desperately clutching at a chance for a better life, desperately clutching at a chance to do something to make it. But,
you know, the more the day went on, the more I understood that these teenagers aren't being forced to do anything. They
put themselves there because that's where they want to be and they see it as an opportunity to do something
else. It's a really strange day.
Novice is thousands of miles from the catwalks of London, Paris and New York.
But in this city alone, there are 24 different model agencies and schools.
So, I want to see what they're actually teaching them. Hello. Hello. Hey, how you doing? I'm
I'm Reggie. Nice to meet you. My name is Olga. Hello,
Olga. Global models.
Girls start these classes as young as four. [Music]
Learning to walk, pose, apply makeup and
diet. Today, there's a fashion shoot for their portfolios. It's like behind the scenes
at the Paris catwalks, but with young kids instead. [Music]
[Music]
She's a little pro. Look, she's hitting the poses straight away.
Excuse me. Hello. Hello. Hi. Is this Is this your daughter? Ah, nice to meet you. Hello, mom. Mom
and dad, right? Hello. Lovely to meet you. Lovely to meet you. Um, how how old is she?
Six old. Six years old. Wow. So, she's she's really young.
Just a generation ago, during Soviet times, there was virtually no modeling industry in Russia. How do you look at
models here in Russia? Cuz there are so many girls that want to do it.
[Music]
[Music]
Why do you think that there are so many negative connotations when it comes to modeling?
Hello. What's your name? L. How old are you, L? You're 12.
[Music] [Applause] [Music] Wow, she's amazing at modeling. And this
is what models are supposed to do. They're supposed to make love to the camera.
but she's a child and she's delivering quite mature and slightly sexual um
poses and that's the right thing to do in this context but for it to be a child
delivering that that's where I struggle.
The final girl of the day, Sophia, comes in and she's got her eyes firmly on the
prize. So, how old is your daughter? Right. She seems very practiced. Like,
she knows all of her poses and her angles already. I mean, did you did you used to model? You could have done if
not you did.
So, how successful were you? Were you able to get to the top two?
Really? It's amazing how quickly these kids have bought into the dream of riches and stardom. After all, only one
generation ago, Russia was a communist country.
How's it going, man? How are you? Tigran the model agency boss has seen huge change over the last 20 years.
During the Soviet Union, you know, when once you got your everything was planned. You get your degree, then you
do this job, you get this standard salary. So hardly anybody challenged that. It was a very stable, boring
lifestyle, right? But these younger girls, they don't want that. What sort of young women are being produced by
having these opportunities and by being alive and being young in this this time? They're far more creative. They want to
be someone in life unlike their mothers. You know what it takes? Uh I mean what
happens when you send a 14year-old girl from a poor or average family to Japan,
let's say, and she comes home with $20,000 that she earned in two months.
Now that's that's amazing. Their mothers didn't have that chance. Yeah. they do.
With so much money on offer and the girls being so young, I can't help but wonder if people ever take advantage of
them. You know, there are agencies all over, but most are not really doing uh
jobs to send girls to the west where they work professionally as models. So, these other agencies then, are they
essentially setting these girls up to be escorts? Uh, no, no, no. What they do is they find uh wealthy boyfriends for
these girls and that's a far more profitable business unfortunately. And many of the parents
knowingly give their girls to them. Why would any parent because because it's it's in the Russian culture. It's in the
Russian dream to have uh to to get married, to have a wealthy boyfriend, to
have a beautiful apartment, to have a beautiful car. And so that's what happens. That's mind-blowing to me that
a parent would want their daughter to live that sort of half life. That doesn't make That's the reality. That's
the reality. Tigran's holding the second model
casting tomorrow, and I'm starting to see how this could be a life-changing event for the girls who show up.
Elite Stars is one of the top agencies in town, and there's just time for one last practice before they meet the
international scouts.
Former model Arena has to teach her students everything she's learned.
Scouted at 15, she's lived in London and New York and worked for Vogue magazine
and brands like Chanel and Dior. She knows what these girls need to learn if
they're going to stand a chance.
[Music] Uh, Reggie, right? Yes. Reggie, I want you to help me with English class. Oh
wow. Yeah, because the girls they're going to go to work in a modeling agency
in Paris, London, Tokyo, everywhere. So they need practice. So let's play little
game like a casting like you a client and the girls they are coming to you
they looking for a job. Okay. I need a berry and a cigarette. Don't
Hello. Hello. Hey. Hey. My name is Aaria. I'm from Russia. I'm 15 years
old. Okay. It's a good walk. Hello. Hey. What's your name? My name is Dan. I'm 15
years old. 14? Yeah. Wow. And how old are you? I am 14 years old. 14. You're
very tall. How tall are you now? I'm 173. They have to learn English because
it's very important. Hello. Hello. My name is Vika. I'm 16 years old. I'm from
Siberia BK. Um my high um 73. Yeah. Um
what else? Okay. What's your favorite flavor ice cream? Um I love all. All of them. Yeah. It's a
good answer. Thank you very much. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. What makes a good model in your opinion
though? First, you have to be a businesswoman. You have to be uh energetic with good attitude because
without this you cannot make a great career because you can have a beautiful
face and great body but if you have nothing in in your head forget it
about they want to take picture with you.
My modeling days are over but it's amazing how quickly it all comes rushing back.
Everyone look at this camera. I've worked it, girl. I've worked it. I've worked it, girl. Thank
you very much. I've um admittedly regressed a little and I suddenly feel like I'm one of the girls
and pose. [Music] These girls are really investing in the
dream. 6 months of classes with all the expenses can cost more than 2 months
local wages. Not to be really sort of out of order
about it, but you can see that there are some girls that probably won't make it just based on their height and their
weight and their look. And the people that really have potential really do stand out. And of
the 5,000 models on Elite Stars books, only 70 are working abroad. You sure?
So realistically out of all of these girls here who all really want this, really want a career, how many of them
will be as fortunate as you to go abroad and have a career? To be honest, they
have all good [Music]
chance. The casting is being held later this afternoon. Hey, Vika. Hello. I met
Vika yesterday, but all I really know about her is that she likes ice cream. Hello, I'm Reggie. Nice to meet you. She
lives with her single mom, Natalia. God, you need so many layers. It's so cold. Okay. Cold? Really? Yes, this is cold.
You're telling me this isn't cold for me? It's not cold. It's okay. You have
no This is your place. This is really cute. Where we um where we headed in here? Yeah. Okay. So, you love a flower,
don't you? Yeah. It's a one-bedroom flat, so Vika sleeps in the living room.
It's my favorite flower. There's loads here. Look at all of these pictures. What's this? Elite Stars. Yeah, it's my
diploma. And I have a title, Miss Elite Stars. Miss Elite Stars. What's Oh, you
won the [Music] crown. Elite
Stars. Look at you. Nice. [Music]
It's my first photo shoot. Were you nervous? Uh, of course. Uh, when I see
camera, I'm
scared. first international casting, but she's never been picked. So, everything
is riding on this [Music]
one. How do you go about it
then? Buckwheat was a staple of Soviet cuisine, so I'm a little bit nervous.
So, this is where I can't say no, isn't it? Smells like hot wheat a
[Music] bit. You wouldn't have this with [Music]
anything. Of course, it is not tasty.
Was you happy for her to try and make modeling her thing?
I mean, hearing all of that come from your daughter, does that not scare you or worry you at all?
[Music]
How likely to succeed are you? What are your chances?
I like that attitude. That's the only attitude to have and that's good. Is failure even an option for you then?
The casting that could make or break Vikica's dream is being held on the 22nd floor of a shopping
mall. I ought to be getting used to this by now, but it's still surprising how young they are.
Anna's running the casting again. And there's a new foreign scout I haven't spoken to before.
I'm Reggie. Yes. Nice to meet you. What was your name? Sorry. And where you from, man? Paris. You're from Paris,
right? So, are you casting specifically for Paris today? Yes. The objective is more to find some model who have the
potential to appear uh in the shows like Chain Salon and So you're saying that
one of the girls or some of the girls in this room could walk a fashion week. Of course. So what is the um the ideal for you
today? I mean um the the Asian market was specifically looking for someone with a smaller frame and the height
didn't matter as much. What's uh your criteria? Yes. In our case, if you want to appear in the shows in New York, in
London, Mina or Paris, you need at least to be 177. Okay, that's a minimum height
because you do the you do first the dress and then you select the mar. In fact, Lionel's already found a girl
he's interested in.
Those pictures are incredible. They're really impressive, right? Don't know where she has been before.
Philippines. Yeah. Yeah. She started to work at 14. Now she's 15. You would
never know that from these images. And this is the model face. You can transform it to any age, any style.
[Music] Excuse me. What's your what's your name?
Hello. Nice to meet you. Do you speak English? A little bit. A little bit. So on your first trip abroad, did you work
much or did you not get much work when you were there?
So, you made good money there. Yeah. But with things going so well for
you in the east, um, are you trying to set your sights on the West now? Is that why you've come today to try and get
picked up by uh by our man from Paris? Yeah.
So, do you look at days like today as a competition or you're not even bothered about other people
being the competition's tough and I'm worried for Vika.
It's her big moment and she looks so nervous.
She's brand new. Yes. The other girls seem to be getting a positive reaction.
But what about Vika? [Music]
Vika's casting seems to be over in a matter of minutes and it's time for a new batch of girls to step
up and how did it go? Um
1 cm. They said yes. That's pretty harsh criticism about just the 1
cm. Why would you
[Music] Surely having a spinal problem isn't made easier by being in
[Music]
heels. Well, I'm not casting. You take them off. Get them off. Get them
off. You know, it's really funny. And the minute you take your heels off, suddenly you look like a a 16-year-old
girl again. Suddenly your hair falls in front of your face and you look younger.
Okay. All [Music]
right. Vika seems really upset and in a hurry to get home. I feel bad for her. I
know how hard she's tried. The truth is around 90% of these girls
won't get picked. But that doesn't stop them
trying. Reality shows Siberia's Next Top Model is just one of hundreds of
competitions held across Russia. It has a prize of $1,000. And Anna, the wannabe model I've
met a few days ago, is in the final.
[Applause] The finals being held in a restaurant at the back of yet another shopping center.
Antigan, the boss of Noah Models, has invited me to be a judge. How's it going, guys? How we doing? You all
right? Looking good.
Like the other 28 finalists, Anna's made it through 12 knockout rounds to get here.
[Music]
But this evening's about more than just winning this local contest. The international scouts are here as well.
Amazing. [Music]
Number 18 seems to be cleaning up. I picked her. I'm getting good at this model scouting
against her idol [Music]
model. Contracts are being handed out for work in Europe and Asia, but there's
nothing yet for Anna. It's really interesting seeing it from this perspective.
They really know what they're looking for and it's tough and they have to be because, you know, it's massive
competition in a worldwide market. They've saved the best for last. Tren is
looking for girls to go to America. [Music]
This could be Anna's big break. A better life for her and her mom.
[Applause] [Music]
Just seen the golden girl. Hey, well done. Congratulations. Oh,
thank you. So, you're you're going to Los Angeles. You're going to California. Oh, yeah.
Anna hasn't just won a contract in America. First, she's going to Asia. So,
it's not just California. It's India as well. You're going to be going to two corners of the world off the back of a an evenings of competition. I mean, how
are you feeling about all of this? Mom,
you've taken your shoes off. Is it that point of the night? Is it time to finally let your hair down?
Well done. Congratulations. Well done. And congratulations to you, too. Thank you. Thank you. Anna's not the
only winner. Excuse me. Sorry. Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt. Um I see you've got flowers. Did you Did you win this
evening? You have? I have. Congratulations. Um what's the contract for? Where are you going? China. China.
Wow. Have you ever been to China before? No. And And how old are you? 15. 15.
But there's a catch. Katya needs to persuade her mom and dad.
Does the decision have to be made now? Do you have to decide literally this evening if she's going to China or not?
How would you feel about her being out there without you there to look after her?
Are you Are you worried? I mean, what is it that's making you so so emotional?
being faced with this crossroad. I mean, how big a decision is it for you?
Do you think mom and dad are going to say yes? Maybe. Ah, one word in English. That's a good
English word to use. It's the perfect word for this moment.
The right and the wrong is just so blurred because both avenues are the right one. letting
your daughter start this career is the right thing to do. But also not letting your child, your 15year-old child go to
China on their own is also the right thing to do. I don't envy their
decision. And if it was my kid, I might say no as well.
[Music]
I want to talk to someone who's been there, done it, and modeled the t-shirt.
Valyria was scouted when she was just 14 and traveled the world modeling for 12
years. I was young, you know, I just wanted to be like every girl, trying new clothes,
wear all like, you know, the Cinderella story. You maybe you have this opportunity to be a princess. Do you
have pictures of you at that age? Can I see this person? This you? Yeah. This this is Vivian Westwood. Oh, yes. So, it
is. How old are you here? Yeah, 14. Wow. M God, you are so young.
Wow. And this was in Japan as well. And you're you're like 14 or 15 here.
Did you have anyone looking after you? No. That's the thing. You're alone in another mentality in another world with
no friends, no parents, and uh and you're a child. And you're a child. And if you go one cm more, then uh um your
contract is finished. Right. And I was paranoid that I'm fat, but I was not
fat. How much money were you making at that age? Um, from 20 to 50,000 US per
month. That's a lot of money. You said it so flippantly, but that's a lot. Yeah, but you have tickets then flat per
month. You don't understand what is the contracts. You don't have a lawyer. All you have is 10%. So, you're making lot
of money, but you never get them. Some girls they don't know what to do
and they put themselves in troubles. What sort of troubles? I mean they actually
selling the girls for guys, you know, just to hang out with these guys and
they pay to the bookers. So random men will pay money to have young models just
to hang out with them. Yeah, of course. A lot of girls they are they think that they are models but then they become a
prostitution. You know how often does that sort of thing happen? Walu some girls because they scared because people
say I will not give you passport. You will not go to your motherland. You have to make money and you have to find the
way to make money. And it's the reality reality of this fashion industry.
St. Petersburg, Russia's second biggest city and the home of lower models.
It's 6:00 a.m. and I'm at the airport to meet Anna. She's flying in to shoot the portfolio she'll need for her first
contract abroad. Hey, and surprise surprise, Katya's made
it, too. Good to see you. How you doing? Hello. Hello. Hello. Where's your bags? Is that
what you come with? Come on.
They've got a busy day in front of them, so we're heading straight to the studio.
Well, for both of you, this really could be the beginning of of a career. What do you expect to come from this?
[Music]
Up to 10 teenage models at a time can sleep here when they're starting their
[Music] careers. This is the biggest photo shoot
of their lives. And the work they get when they start abroad will depend on how good these shots are. And so it
[Music]
begins. Doesn't look excited. I've seen it for sure. Next up is Katia.
[Music] and she looks incredibly
nervous. I think reality has suddenly started to set in. [Music]
It's hard work for the girls. This is their first proper taste of the modeling business.
But I want to know if Tren honestly thinks either of these girls can make it big overseas. Based on how much you know
about these girls at this stage, how realistic is it for them to make it? They can make it to certain markets now.
No, not to every market. [Music] Just how fair do you think it is that
you know so many girls get taken on that don't necessarily have everything that it takes? We we're giving them u an
opportunity in life to become someone to do something more
important. So what you do I mean what what would the girl do in cross New York at best? I mean, think of it or or in
Nova Curus, you know, finish uh high school, go to college, have a diploma,
and then do what? Go get a job for $500 a month, marry someone at a very young
age, have a baby, most likely get divorced. This is this is what they're facing. This that's the reality what
they're facing. What do you think the parents think about the role that the agency plays in their daughter's career?
The parents of course they want their children to be more successful in life than they have been. So they allow the
girls to go to the west and you know become models. We have to understand one thing that for
a Russian to go abroad in general even as a tourist is a huge advantage because
they need visas literally to go anywhere. So, it's a great opportunity for their daughters
and a great basis for a business like Trens, but one thing's for sure, the
girls seem absolutely determined to grab this opportunity with both hands. Model
room. How we doing, girls? You okay? Okay. You all right? How did you find
today then?
Has a day like today made you more excited or made you realize just how much work you're about to get into?
[Music]
Good luck, girls. Best of luck. All right. Be good. Good luck. All the girls need now are their
visas. Be safe. So they can start their contracts and new lives
abroad. I can't say for certain whether they'll be one of the lucky ones who will actually make decent
money, but at least they will experience a life outside of Siberia that they might not have otherwise.
I come from a place where there are so many opportunities. I come from a place where I can be anything I want to be and
I'm told that every day. Whereas here, if you're a young girl, this is one
opportunity that takes you all over the world potentially and could make you very, very wealthy and very successful.
And yes, it doesn't happen for everyone. Anna and Katya might not end up getting careers.
But from what I've seen in my time in Siberia, I can see why so many girls
queue up to chase that modeling [Music] [Applause]
[Music]
dream. Heat. Heat. N. [Applause]
[Music]

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Laurie Marsden Accuses Gerald Marie of sexual misconduct
by 7NEWS
Mar 1, 2021

NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT

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He was one of the most powerful men in the fashion industry, but former French modelling agent Gerald Marie is accused, by at least a dozen women, of sexual misconduct and in some cases rape.

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'What he was doing was in plain sight': more ex-models accuse Gérald Marie of sexual assault
Exclusive: Another seven women come forward with allegations about the former Elite boss
by Lucy Osborne
The Guardian
Fri 20 Nov 2020 09.00 EST

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Gérald Marie in 2004. Lawyers representing the former model agency boss previously said he was ‘extremely affected’ by the original accusations, which he firmly contests. Photograph: Liu Jin/AFP/Getty Images

Seven more women have come forward to accuse the former model agency boss Gérald Marie of sexual misconduct, adding to mounting allegations that have drawn parallels with the disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Last month a Guardian investigation revealed that nine women had made sexual misconduct allegations against Marie, who for three decades was one of the most powerful men in the fashion industry.

All those allegations, which ranged from sexual harassment to rape, were firmly denied by Marie, who is now 70 and living in Spain.

Now seven more women have come forward to the Guardian to share new accounts of misconduct by Marie. One is Laurie Marsden, a former model who works as a psychotherapist in Brisbane, Australia. She said Marie sexually assaulted her in Paris when she was 19.

Marsden was working for Paris Planning, an agency Marie ran until 1986, when it merged with Elite. Marie then became the European president of Elite, one of the world’s premier model agencies, which in the 1990s represented several supermodels including Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford.

Marsden said she was at a house party in 1982 when Marie said he would make her a star. Later, he waited for her outside a bathroom and, when she came out, she alleges that he pushed her on to a bed in a neighbouring room.

“His full body weight was on me and he was holding me down,” she said. “He was touching me all over my body.”

As her skirt rode up, she said she told him to stop and said “no”, but he ignored her pleas. Marsden said she was only able to escape from what she describes as an attempted rape by twisting her body and using her feet to lever herself off the bed.


Laurie Marsden. Photograph: Image provided by Laurie Marsden

The following Monday, according to Marsden, Marie cancelled the three jobs she had lined up with Elle magazine. She believes she was punished for resisting the sexual assault the previous week.

Another former top model, Lesa Amoore, alleged that Marie sexually assaulted and harassed her several times over a three-year period when she was working for Elite in the early 90s. On one occasion outside a club or restaurant in Paris, Amoore alleged he pushed her against a wall and grabbed her by the wrists. She had to “knee him” in the groin to escape, she said.

On another occasion, at his apartment, Amoore said Marie tried to kiss her and put his hand down her pants but she was able to push him off. Despite repeatedly making it clear she was not interested in him, Amoore said Marie would show up at her apartment late at night and demand she let him in, which she refused.

“Anyone around for any length of time saw Gerald was chasing models. I mean, he’d do so in front of other people,” said Amoore. “Models shared warnings, while bookers like mine tried to help us steer clear.”


Lesa Amoore. Photograph: Allison Zaucha/For The Guardian

Emily Mott, a former model from New York, alleges she was sexually assaulted by Marie, in 1985 or 1986, after she was asked to help his then girlfriend, the supermodel Linda Evangelista, move into his apartment. Mott said when Evangelista was in another room, Marie “forced himself on me and tried to kiss me and tussle me on to a bed”. Mott, a varsity rower, said she was “thankful” she had “the strength to push him off”.



Emily Mott modelling in 1985. Photograph: supplied by Emily Mott

There is no suggestion that Evangelista, who was later married to Marie between 1987 and 1993, was aware of this incident or any other allegation against her former husband until they were made public recently.

Evangelista told the Guardian last month she believed the women accusing her ex-husband, adding: “It breaks my heart because these are wounds that may never heal, and I admire their courage and strength.”

Criminal case and denials

Marie did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the accusations from his new accusers. He has strongly denied the previous set of accusations, which were said to have taken place between 1980 and 1998, and included six allegations of rape, including of a model who was 15 at the time.

Marie’s lawyers previously said he was “extremely affected” by the accusations, which he firmly contests. They said he would fight a French criminal case that was opened in September after prosecutors received allegations from four women: “He intends to actively participate in the manifestation of the truth within the scope of the opened criminal investigation.”

However, there is a growing sense that Marie’s case is shining a disturbing light on an era in fashion when abuse was tolerated and even enabled by some in the industry. “Men like Gérald Marie do not exist in a vacuum,” said the British former model Catherine Donaldson. “What he was doing was in plain sight.”

Shh! Nobody cares.

Gérald Marie during the Elite Model Look 2006 ceremony at the Ritz in Paris. Photograph: Foc Kan/WireImage

Donaldson said her experience with Marie was the basis of Couch, a short film she made recently. She alleges Marie sexually assaulted her on a sofa at his apartment before an agency dinner in 1985, when she was 19. She also alleges Marie aggressively grabbed her and tried to force himself on her but she was able to push him off.

Afterwards, at the dinner, she said he told her she was fat and insisted she return to the office every day until she lost weight. For two weeks, Marie would weigh her at “any given opportunity”, she said. “It was public humiliation.”

Donaldson recalled telling her London agent, Ziggi Golding, at the time about what had occurred with Marie. Golding confirmed that conversation with the Guardian. She said she chose not to affiliate her agency, Z, with Paris Planning because Marie’s reputation as a predator was “well-known”.

Serene Cicora, 57, another agent from the 80s and 90s, also recalled “a definite pattern” in the stories she was told about Marie, adding “dozens of models told me about his predatory behaviour”.

Cicora said the sheer number of accusers, combined with what many of them say about how Marie abused his power to coerce victims, threatening their careers if they refused sex, suggests he may be “the Harvey Weinstein of the fashion industry”.

Mounting allegations

In addition to accusations of sexual assault and rape, three other models told the Guardian that Marie sexually harassed them while they were employed by him. The British former model Karen Howarth said Marie tried to get her to sleep with him at his apartment before an agency dinner in spring 1985. When she rejected him, she said he called her “frigid” in front of colleagues and, days later, she was told he would no longer directly represent her.

Another former model, Jennifer Curran Peres, who is American, recounted sharing a limousine with Marie and others after an industry party. When they reached his stop, she recalled that he demanded she go to his apartment with him, which she repeatedly refused to do. Peres alleged Marie tried to physically pull her out of the vehicle by holding on to her arm. She said he stopped only when another passenger removed Marie’s hand from her.

A third former model, who is Canadian and wishes to remain anonymous, said while in St Tropez in 1986 for a shoot with Elle magazine she was pressured into sleeping in the same hotel room as Marie. After she refused, the shoot was cancelled.

After Marie and the Elite founder, John Casablancas, were at the helm of the prestigious modelling agency, the company went bankrupt and split in two. Both new corporate entities, Creative World Management and Elite World Group, have sought to distance themselves from alleged past abuses.

More recently, Marie has been involved in Oui Management, a prestigious Paris agency whose models front Louis Vuitton campaigns and appear on Vogue magazine covers. The company said Marie was not currently an employee but documents suggest he remains an investor with “significant control”.

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The myth of ‘false accusations’ of sexual assault
by Margery Eagan
Boston Globe
October 15, 2018, 12:41 a.m.

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Women falsely accuse men of sex crimes. That’s why it’s a “very scary time for young men in America,” President Trump has said.

Women misidentify the men who attack them. So said Senators Joe Manchin, Lindsey Graham, and Susan Collins as they tried to have it both ways: claiming they believed Christine Blasey Ford was assaulted — but certainly not by Brett Kavanaugh, the man their votes put on the Supreme Court.

Before we normalize this confirmation, or move on to the next Trumpian crisis, or Trump gets another Supreme Court pick, it matters to understand: The above assertions are rarely true, despite politicians’ dishonest spin.

“I don’t think I ever had a case where I even suspected a woman was making a false accusation,” said former Suffolk County sheriff and prosecutor Andrea Cabral.

According to Suffolk County District Attorney John P. Pappas, the problem with sexual assaults is underreporting, “because victims fear they won’t be believed. The overwhelming majority of such allegations are grounded in truth.”

Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said, “There may be a variety of legal reasons our office cannot proceed with prosecution; that does not mean the allegation is false.”

False accusations do in fact happen, but again, rarely. Various studies estimate between 2 percent and 10 percent nationwide.

But since only rapes reported to police can be deemed false, some analysts put the number much lower and say that a “false” accusation may actually be a true one recanted because a survivor doesn’t want a trial.

As for the “mistaken identity” line? Trauma experts watched it “spread through the Senate this month with a sense of stunned dismay,” reported The Washington Post. You don’t mistake identity when you know the name and face of the man attacking you, Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Richard Huganir told the paper. He and his colleagues don’t even debate it.

When sexual assault victims do misidentify attackers, it almost always involves identifying strangers. And not only did Ford know Kavanaugh, so did his second accuser, Deborah Ramirez, who said a drunken Kavanaugh thrust his penis into her face.

Bottom line: There’s no epidemic of false charges or mistaken identities but, rather, of attacks on women. Just in the few days surrounding the Kavanaugh hearings, the Globe reported on a Harvard diving coach allegedly sending pictures of his penis to female athletes; a Salisbury man accused of raping and plotting to murder two teenage girls; an Acton man arrested for stabbing his girlfriend and killing his father when he tried to intervene; and an Allston man held for choking and attempting to rape a woman he dragged into a Brookline alley.

Yet somehow, Houdini-like, the president has turned all this on its head and made the victims here men like him: those accused by multiple women of sexual misdeeds. Nearly 90 percent of Republicans support Kavanaugh. Many conservative women do too.

And Donald Trump Jr., father of five, says he fears for his three sons.

Let’s hope his two daughters never know the reality millions of American women know too well.

Sometimes it begins when you’re still tiny, and a once-trusted adult touches where he shouldn’t. Sometimes it starts in middle school, when schoolyard boys snap your bra. Maybe in college some frat boy uses liquor as an excuse for grinding against you, or worse. Maybe your first boss stands over your computer and squeezes your shoulder, or worse. Coming home at night, you walk in the middle of the street, your jagged-edged keys between your fingers, a weapon, just in case. Maybe one night, you need one. But if you tell, will they turn it all on its head and accuse you for walking home alone after dark?

If all that sounds familiar to you, the story of Christine Blasey Ford probably sounded familiar as well. So too the raging, red-faced denials of Justice Brett Kavanaugh of the United States Supreme Court.

Margery Eagan is cohost of WGBH’s “Boston Public Radio.” Her column appears regularly in the Globe.

Correction: A previous version of this column misstated the number of Donald Trump Jr.’s sons and daughters.