From albinism to Down syndrome, this UAE-based modelling agency is truly celebrating inclusivity

Despite being told she was born for the limelight since childhood, Mariam George faced countless modelling rejections. Why? Because she did not fit into the standard of a tall, fair, and skinny woman we hope to see as face of brands. So, the 21-year-old decided to start her own modelling agency with friends, Anuroop Ajit and Ashi Karun. Today, The Mariam George Models claims to be the first all-inclusive modelling agency in the UAE. To Mariam, however, it is a platform to help others find beauty in themselves and redefine what it truly means to be beautiful.

Getting behind the camera

After dropping out of college, Mariam began posting fun skits on TikTok, which acquired a following. Today, she is a social media influencer in her own right with a following of 127k on Instagram. Being effortlessly confident, she aspired to become a model. It only helped that she did her first shoot at the age of 10 and loved every bit of it.

Mariam experienced a spate of rejections herself. In fact, she was rejected in her first modelling gig before she joined Bareface, a modelling agency based in Dubai. The competition, however, was tough, and she realised that the industry hardly had a spot for a 5’5” curvy, South Indian model. She then got into commercial modelling, which only involved shots of her face.

Mariam, however, wasn’t alone in her struggle. She saw her own friends, who had stunning pictures on their Instagram profiles, get rejected by agencies for not fitting into their standards. She decided to take charge. The rationale for setting up The Mariam George Models has been simple: “When you see someone on a billboard or magazine, the first thing I want people to think is ‘Oh my God, she looks just like me’, and not, ‘Oh, I wish I looked like her’.”

The idea is, undoubtedly, powerful and appealing. But will it survive the jarring, deep-seated constructs we have of beauty? “It is not always easy getting clients since most brands are not looking for diverse models, and there is just one standard that they stick to. But I think slowly, the industry is changing and brands like Huda Beauty and Reebok are supporting more inclusivity in their shoots,” says Mariam.

Consistency and beauty have never gone hand in hand, as every era has established a different standard of beauty. Now, in the 21st century, ideals that were unacceptable back in the day are seen as assets in the modelling world. “Every single body type at one point was considered beautiful, but never all at once. So having them considered beautiful all at once is the goal, that not just our agency, but I think the entire world is trying to achieve,” says Mariam.

What goes into it

Breaking free from standards does not mean there are none. Effort and dedication still count. Mariam says while the agency does not have any criteria, “when we go through applications, the one thing I always look for is if they have put in an effort or if they are just sending applications for the heck of it”.

Mariam recalls the times when people have sent images with masks on or faces covered, which defeats the very purpose of a portfolio. It is then left to Mariam and her team to sift through and look for people who are ready to strike a pose and know how to make a picture look good. In fact, this is how Mariam understands modelling as well — to her, it is about making a picture look good rather than making oneself look good and, most importantly, being confident.

wknd@khaleejtimes.com