UAE: How an all-inclusive modelling agency is redefining what beauty looks and feels like

UAE: How an all-inclusive modelling agency is redefining what beauty looks and feels like

It is giving people a chance to come alive on billboards without having to shed their true skin

Amanda D’Silva, a model with Down Syndrome

By Laraib Anwer Published: Thu 1 Sep 2022, 9:20 PM

“Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” In the age of social media, however, the eye of the beholder has (almost) been templated. We routinely come across images of men and women who look a certain way, and eventually become a talking point themselves for the way they appear. Why are we so awed by the likes of Gigi Hadid or Kendal Jenner? Is it their success, power, charm, and exorbitant influence? Or is it because they fit perfectly into our notions of what beauty ought to be like — thin, picture-perfect, and flawless? ‘Oh, she has won the genetic lottery’ is a phrase we often hear in passing. Well, who defines this ‘genetic lottery’? Moreover, on what basis are its winners selected?

The world of modelling creates the beauty agenda. But underneath all that glitter is a stark reality that is rarely discussed. That of broken self-esteems, eating disorders, casting rejections, and self-loathing.

Mariam George is the co-founder of The Mariam George Models

This has also given rise to