What is beauty? Since its inception in the mid-20th century, the modelling industry has conquered the world with unattainable views of aesthetic appeal and visual desires, leaving a glittering trail of manufactured glamour in its wake. With each passing decade, the evolution of the model launched a global infatuation towards the allure of unattainable beauty.
That is until rebellion came.
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Recent years brought forth a more woke society of people rejecting outdated beauty standards. Slowly but surely, the modelling industry followed suit. The once exclusive runways began displaying more versatile collections and body types, and models were no longer untouchable – but real.
In the UAE, Dubai-based Bareface Model and Talent Agency joined the movement in acknowledging the importance of diversity in the people they represented and the projects they supported — testament to its ethos of putting people first.
Although the global catalogue of beauty expanded its horizons to accommodate more colourful definitions and aesthetic ideals, an often-marginalized community faced a painful reminder of past patterns.
Modern waves of inclusion failed to acknowledge people with disabilities and distinctive features, despite them making up 16 per cent (or 1 in 6) of the world’s population, according to a report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in March of this year.
While some companies took on more progressive roles, most industries echoed allied vows of silence, and the movement lacked signs of industry-propelled motion. When inclusive campaigns made their rare appearance on the surface, a vast majority portrayed individuals with disabilities in a tokenistic manner, acting as objects of inspiration rather than individuals — a not-so-subtle reminder of the modelling world’s controversial past.
As the overdue discussion spread across the globe, the UAE introduced a dialect of its own. Labels highlighting physiological contrasts, such as “handicapped”, were replaced with an uplifting message and umbrella term – People of Determination – officially introduced by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2016.
This portrayed a revolutionary take on the cause, reflecting an admirable level of compassion the world had not seen before.
The message resonated heavily with the General Manager of Bareface Model and Talent Agency, Vera Nur, whose own experience of witnessing the lack of societal support and inclusion of family and friends triggered a desire to make a difference.
“Through both first-hand and second-hand experience, I understand how challenging it is for people of determination and their families to navigate a world that ostracises their communities. So, we created an opportunity to bridge that gap in the modelling world — a space I was immersed in through work”, she shared.
Hence, in 2021, the agency launched its own contribution to the inclusivity movement. Inspired by its hosting country’s stance and agencies abroad making steps of their own, Bareface introduced the Talent of Determination and Alternative Appearance (TODAA) division, opening the exclusive doors of the modelling world to people of determination.
“Essentially, we wanted people to be able to create positive memories through campaigns and shoots and to show the world that they are more than just a label.”
As the agency grew its TODAA database, major brands took notice of its bright-eyed models, eventually casting three models with Albinism and Down Syndrome to take centre stage in local beauty and lifestyle campaigns for the first time in the region.
However, the industry’s enthusiastic response was short-lived, and brands continued to cast models that aligned with more traditional beauty ideals.
As the UAE continues to implement more innovative ways to cater to people of determination, the current climate offers an ideal environment to harness momentum and eventual change.
More than ever, the present calls for more brands within the region to claim responsibility and adopt a more active role in promoting inclusivity – one that embraces all its forms – in their campaigns, to further inspire hope for growth in the industry.
By providing opportunities for people of determination, we will lead the way towards creating a more accepting and inclusive space — a description that positively contradicts the ones the modelling world was once associated with.
