What is it like to be a Pakistani model? Is it glamorous? Does life revolve around wearing spectacular designer-wear, ruling the runway, traveling the world for high-end fashion shoots and attending the hottest parties in town? Yes, it does.

But there’s more.

Modelling in Pakistan is dominated by females. There are, simply, more female apparel brands and, while the realm of male models boasts its own famous names, the females are far more in number. Thanks to the influx of multiple lawn brands, they are usually also able to demand higher pay than their male counterparts. One would have expected them to be able to hold their own in the industry.

Unfortunately, far too many female models recall being told by the people they work with that they’re either too fat, too short or too dark. They have been told that they look like horses as well as other members from the animal kingdom. They have sat around in the heat for hours waiting for a fashion shoot to begin and then proceeded to work overtime, well into the late hours of the night. More often than not, they have spent weeks, months — even years — contacting designers, photographers or coordinators that they have worked with and who are now delaying payments inordinately. They may look like affluent high-fliers but, in reality, a lot of them are just scrimping and saving.

All that glitters isn’t gold and this age-old adage applies perfectly to the wily ways of local fashion. Pakistan’s fashion industry may have mushroomed into a big business, but lack of professionalism still runs rampant in many cases. In the modelling world, for instance, lucrative projects are often assigned merely through WhatsApp conversations. Contracts are usually non-existent. New entrants are often expected to work for free — and they happily comply. Sexual exploitation continues to raise its ugly head every now and then — a topic that has been discussed at large in the past.

All that glitters isn’t gold and this age-old adage applies perfectly to what goes on behind the scenes in modelling. Pakistan’s fashion industry may have mushroomed into a big business, but lack of professionalism still runs rampant in many cases

Zoning in on the professional abuse of models, its roots can particularly be traced down to the lack of a proper infrastructure. Last year, models Anum Malik and Farwa Kazmi took to social media to complain about how a major brand was delaying their payments, refusing to pick up their phones or replying to their text messages. Recently, Marvi Shabbir, a relatively new model, posted a video where she talked about harassment in the workplace. Marvi had been part of a fashion shoot where the designer had suddenly expected her to shoot a fashion video for free. When Marvi had asked for additional payment, the designer got angry and told Marvi that she was not needed on set anymore. She was told to leave the venue, located in a deserted area of Lahore, and was initially not offered any transport for returning back home.

A lack of contracts

Stylist Tabesh Khoja, who works frequently with models and major brands, observes, “So many of these problems just wouldn’t arise if models insisted on having contracts. If there were contracts that outlined the details of the project, the payment amount and the due date by which it had to be paid, it would simplify matters. Brands don’t want to enter contracts because it binds them. Models don’t want them either because then they would also be held accountable should they turn up late or misbehave at a shoot. Also, if they opted for officially having things on paper, it would mean that they would have to pay taxes. Many of them want to avoid this, and enter verbal agreements instead of doing things professionally and ethically.”

Similarly, Shani of photographer duo Guddu Shani stresses that as the industry evolves, formal contracts are becoming a necessity. “We are actually in the process of forming a democratic union whose primary objective will be to protect the rights of everyone working in the fashion industry. It’s important that every individual — from models to photographers, coordinators, stylists, clients and even the labour — is treated ethically. In the case of models, a standardised contract can outline the number of hours they can work at a stretch, how many breaks they are allowed and the date by which they should be paid.”

But matters aren’t quite as easy to resolve. Model Farwa Kazmi feels that brands will be more hesitant about working with her if she insists on a contract. “They will complain that I’m too disciplined,” she explains. “And there will be many other girls who will be very willing to step into my place, without a contractual agreement, working for little or no money.”

“It is necessary for a model to put her foot down and refuse to work with a brand that does not sign a contract with her,” says Fouzia Aman, a veteran in the field. “But it is easier for a senior model to do this. The newer girls worry that they will lose out on the job if they don’t agree to the brand’s terms and conditions. Ideally, all models should be united and stand by each other. Only then will we be able to bring some infrastructure into the business.”

Model Zara Peerzada also provides some insight: “Magazine shoots, catwalk modelling, outdoor shoots, TVCs, digital shoots, videos … there are so many variations. Every category is charged for differently, but when one model decides to offer freebies, the others suffer. Thankfully, a lot of us have realised the need to communicate openly so that we charge similar rates, and don’t end up getting swindled.”

Wheelers dealers

There are many more misdemeanors that can only come to an end if models put up a united front. According to Marvi Shabbir, many of her peers have refused to work with the designer who recently harassed her.

Similarly, cor­rupt photographers, coordinators and brands need to be dismissed by the modelling community as a whole. Model Mushk Kaleem describes how brands often get well-known photographers on board and pay them a lump-sum. The photographers are then expected to pay the models. “The payments come through after ages and, sometimes, not at all,” she reveals. “They even tell lies. There was this one time when a photographer told me that the brand had not paid an extra amount for the fashion video. I was on good terms with him and I agreed to shoot it pro bono. Later, a few of my peers who were also working on the campaign told me that they had all been paid separately for the video.

“I decided to stay quiet,” she continues. “The campaign was a major one. I knew that if I spoke up, the photographer would just tell the brand that he wasn’t comfortable working with me, and I would lose out on quite a few future projects.”

Many models similarly confess to feeling apprehensive when a prestigious label asks them to work for little or no money. “Working with major brands makes my portfolio look great and it usually draws other smaller brands to offer me campaigns,” says Mushk. “Unfortunately, the major brands know this. There have been times when I have been asked outright to work for free because the shoot will add value to my professional credibility. There are times when I have done so.

“But I’m not modelling just for the fun of it — this is my bread and butter. A certain brand — one of the best in the country — owes me a large sum of money. The designer has always been extremely friendly towards me. But when I reminded the brand’s marketing team about the hefty pending payments, they told me that, according to the designer’s instructions, any model that asks after payments will be ousted from their shoots permanently. I don’t want that to happen either, so I don’t have a choice but to stay quiet.

“This isn’t just a one-off case. Every model will recount similar experiences. There is literally so much that we have worked hard for and that people owe us. But we’re yet to receive it. I don’t know when we will.”

Sadaf Kanwal, having made her name in the business, says that she is finally in a position to say no. “A very big label asked me recently to work for them for free, stating that I would gain publicity through the campaign. I told them that to the contrary, they would gain publicity because of me. They relented and paid me.”

Sadly, this reluctance to pay models often has nothing to do with how well the brand is doing in the market. It’s shocking that some of the biggest names in the business are the most enthusiastic freeloaders. “The bigger the designer, the smaller the amount he or she is willing to pay,” observes Fouzia Aman. “They’ll also sometimes want to work out a barter, paying us in the form of clothes. But what if we don’t want those clothes? What if we want to earn money to support ourselves and our families?”

“It’s just sad because a lot of these people don’t have any problems showing off the lavish lifestyles that they lead,” points out Zara Peerzada. “A lot of times, they ask us to wear their diamond jewellery or carry their branded handbags in a shoot. Why is it so difficult for them to sign a model’s pay-cheque? We are accustomed to late payments but sometimes they just stop taking our calls or replying to our text messages. That’s when we panic.”

A need for respect

Beyond money matters, shaming is common in modelling the world over. Given Pakistan’s deep-rooted obsession for fair skin, derogatory comments particularly revolve round complexion. “There’s a lot of shaming going on,” says Zara, “about a girl’s skin, her weight, her features, her hair. It can have a very adverse mental and physical impact on a young girl.”

Anum Malik recalls, “I was very new to the business when I worked with this very well-known photographer. He cursed constantly, humiliating models in order to make them pose the way that he wanted to. I got so scared that for the longest time, I didn’t work with him again.”

But things could be worse, says Tapu Javeri. The veteran photographer has seen the industry grow from its early heydays into the behemoth that it is today, and he says that the inhuman treatment of models is rare. “I remember that I was in Paris for a show by Nilofer Shahid in the early 2000s. The models there weren’t allowed to sit. They just stood for hours and if any one of them sat, she was ousted from the show immediately. I was horrified. Pakistani fashion has its issues and things could be better for models, especially when it comes to payments. But many clients also treat them very well.”

And on the flipside, there are models who don’t behave well at all.

The flipside: models turned divas

“As a model, I’m supposed to defend my profession and yes, there are times when clients behave badly, but I have also observed models acting very unprofessionally,” confesses model Fahmeen Ansari. “There have been so many times when I have turned up at a shoot at the appointed time, which may be as early as five in the morning. I have sat, with my hair and make-up intact, for hours, waiting for the others to turn up. They behave like complete divas, turning off their phones or not receiving calls while everyone on set waits for them.

“When the models do turn up, they usually have a wishy-washy excuse like the fact that they overslept. And the designer and the photographer have to stay quiet because their money is on the line. Should the girls walk out, all the preparations that they have made for the shoot will go to waste! But this complete disregard for others and unprofessionalism is inexcusable.

“My clients take me seriously because they know that I behave professionally,” Fahmeen says. “I won’t turn up late or take long smoking breaks, or demand that a certain kind of food be served to me. If I know that I won’t be able to make it to an assignment, I tell the client two weeks beforehand so that a replacement can easily be found.”

Marvi Shabbir points out that even unprofessionalism amongst models can only be controlled via legalisation. “If there is a contract, the client will behave respectfully with the model and pay her on time. At the same time, the model will know that should she come late or abruptly cancel an appointment, she will be fined for it. Rules are important.”

Abiding by these rules together is also important. In an industry where competition is rife, corruption is common and well-paid campaigns are few and far between, local models can only last the long haul if they act united and start following professional guidelines.

“If they start taking themselves and their pro­fession seriously, people will take them seriously,” says Tabesh Khoja. Perhaps, finally, they have started doing so.

Published in Dawn, ICON, September 22nd, 2019