CASTING FOR AFRICA FASHION SHOW

This weekend I participated, as a judge, at a casting for Africa Fashion Show Geneva. Alex went with me to take photos so that I can share them with you. It was a new and exciting experience. On one hand I was afraid I would not feel comfortable judging male and female models based on their physical appearance but in fact, more than physical part, it was the whole “package/ aura” that mattered. Some people are just made for catwalk and you can “feel” it from the way they stand, walk and present themselves. I admire everyone who puts himself/ herself out there knowing that they have less then a minute to make an impact. You must be really sure of yourself.

I used to work as a model in my teens and from what I remember, castings were not fun. I remember myself trembling and being so nervous that I spoke with a high-pitched voice. I was not very successful and my career was short lived not only because of my insecurity but also due to my looks. Black and mixed models were not in fashion in Czech Republic 20 years ago. From what I see, the situation did not change dramatically and black and mixed models are still more a rarity than norm. So it was nice to see last month’s edition of Spanish Vogue which was dedicated to black beauty and the model on the cover wore cornrows.

What is your take on this topic? Do you think that the perception of beauty is really changing or that the “black is beautiful” trend is just a trend that will not have lasting  influence on real life?