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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]
