There is a “fever for modelling” in Tehran right now, says a photographer who
has been working in the field for 20 years, as the profession has become a
“status marker” in a vanity-driven culture. And the look that’s in vogue among
female models is far from what many would consider natural Iranian beauty.
What’s in is a highly doctored, surgically altered appearance that the
photographer – who asked to go by the initials “B.K.” – describes as the “porn
star” look.
In a society where physical beauty is highly prized, cosmetic surgery has
become commonplace among the middle and upper classes. Iran reportedly has the
world’s highest nose surgery rate, and those who work in front of the camera
often first go under the knife. Models with the sort of doctored appearances
that are in demand can be seen on the Instagram pages of Tehran bridal salons
and photo studios such asAroose Tehran (Tehran Brides), with 115,000 followers;
Aliss Studio; andAzadeh Fanaee. Design houses such as Dohe Couture and RK
Designalso maintain Instagram pages that feature scores of images of women not
in hijab, publicly acceptable Islamic dress. While Facebook and Twitter both
remain censored in Iran, the authorities evidently turn a blind eye to this sort
of taboo-skirting social media usage.
There are few modelling agencies in Iran, so most models must go through a
photographer like B.K., who runs a fashion studio from his home. His living room
overflows with photographs of couture-clad women; the wings are filled with
professional lighting equipment and a selection of backdrops. After
photographing a model, B.K. will usually present her portfolio to various
salons, boutiques, and “maisons”, retail operations often run of the
proprietor’s home that sell clothing by designers who specialize in everything
from wedding outfits to modern interpretations of Islamic dress. Most of B.K.’s
clients are located in north Tehran’s Fereshteh district – the capital’s
“Manhattan”, as he calls it.
Sonia models for one of B.K.’s beauty-salon cleints. Done up as a bride, her
image will appear in a poster and book that show off the salon’s hairstyling and
makeup techniques. With her long, luscious jet-black hair and dark features,
Sonia was recruited by B.K. at a party thrown by mutual friends. As a defender
of natural beauty, he has managed to convince four of his models not to undergo
nose surgery.
(Image:graduation dresses
2013)
“Everyone tells me I look so ‘Iranian,’” Sonia says. “The majority of other
models get surgery, and I think that with more natural looks I can be more
special – different from other models.”
For female models like Sonia who seek work outside the strictures of hijab,
beauty salons and other private businesses are the prime sources of employment.
Female models not in hijab are legally barred from appearing in magazines or TV
commercials or on catwalks. Even fashion shows that observe hijab must receive
an official permit from the ministry of culture and Islamic guidance, which is
difficult to attain. Female catwalks can be attended only by other women, while
male shows are not gender segregated. Male models encounter fewer restrictions
generally.
For any female fashion beyond the bounds of hijab, “everything has to be
underground”, as B.K. puts it. Working under the authorities’ radar is simply
“modelling Iranian style”, he says.
The public limits on modelling extend to billboards, on which women rarely
appear. Those promoting female clothing, like the ones for Hasti Fashion
currently on display around northern Tehran, show only mannequins. “In the
future, they may allow billboards to be more available to female models,” Sonia
suggests. “There may be more openness under Rouhani.”
Male models work with underground studios as well, but they can more freely
seek work for public platforms like billboards and TV advertisements. Billboards
with men in the latest designs of local brands like Hacoopian, Charme Mashad,
and Novin Leather are common on the streets of Tehran. Even in hijab, a female
model would not be permitted to appear in the same public advertisement.
“The only problem with male modeling is a person cannot become really
famous,” B.K. says. Referring to the conservative religious-political
establishment, he explains: “They say, ‘You are making a superstar’” – something
that’s frowned upon.
Nonetheless, a few male models have become celebrities. In Tehran, the name
of Hamid Fadaei often comes up. He has appeared in ads for such western brands
as Zara and Fila. A recent item on the Cairo-based website Scoop Empire
described him as “one of the sexiest men in the Middle East”. The first Iranian
male model to gain global attention was Cameron Alborzian, who starred in
Madonna’s “Express Yourself” videoand became the face of Guess Jeans in
1988.
Among the new generation, hazel-eyed Dana Mashalahpoor has modelled for the
last year and a half. He also works with designers to create original fashion
concepts at photo shoots. He says he aims to represent an “Iranian gentleman”
not only in his modeling style, but in his everyday demeanour as well. Earlier
this week, he emphasized the “gentleman” theme in the text accompanying a photo
he published on Instagram in which he models a stylishly retro plaid jacket.
“I am not just a face or a model for someone. It is more important to have a
special character” says Mashalahpoor. “In Tehran, the modelling community is
small. I haven’t seen anyone brand themselves as a gentleman.”
Mashalahpoor has worked at fashion shows mostly in Dubai, where he has made a
catwalk appearance for the luxury accessory brand Davidoff. He says he has been
offered a modelling contract through a New York agency, but has decided to stay
in Tehran.
“Even though modelling in Iran involves a lot of difficulties, I do it
because I can build the high-quality standard myself,” he says. “Modelling at a
high level allows you to be in a position where many people admire your
character and lifestyle. In Iran, there is a lot of potential for investment in
the fashion industry and that is why I will continue my career in Iran.” There’s
clear evidence of that potential in north Tehran, where western brands such as
Bulgari, Zara, Mango and United Colors of Benetton have opened stores.
As a child, Mashalahpoor was influenced by a fashion-conscious mother who
loved to design clothes. He is represented exclusively by an agent, unlike most
models – male and female – who are affiliated with photography studios.
As a part-time model, Sonia, who is pursuing a master’s degree in hotel
management, has worked with B.K. for three years. “He made it so that women
could make money from their beauty. Before this, if anyone wanted a model, they
would not pay them,” she says.
With competition running high between models, it is not uncommon for those
starting out to work for free. Models who represent themselves struggle to gain
the same traffic as those connected to a studio. Established models can make up
to one million tomans – about £220 – for a TV advertisement, or 400,000 tomans
per day for a fashion shoot. But flirting with “superstar” status is even
riskier for women than it is for men. Many thus prefer to work exclusively
underground, finding acclaim within the elite north Tehran fashion
community.
This is the case for Sonia, who finds it “fun” to be dolled up for photo
shoots. She is friends with the makeup artists, and she enjoys the attention
when her photos are admired by patrons of salons or others in the underground
fashion scene.
Others choose the hijab-only route, which allows them more public exposure.
Mahya models Islamic dress styles for a designer affiliated with Qatar Airways
and the brand La Neige, which produces manteaus – long, form-concealing coats –
that are brightly coloured rather than the traditional black. She is also a
part-time student, pursuing a master’s in environmental science. Though her
father disapproves of her modelling, Mahya loves it so much she will work for
free at times.
With her tall figure, Mahya once strutted the runway of on underground
catwalk, where she wore less modest Islamic clothing and most of her curly black
hair spilled out from beneath her headscarf. “If it had been public, the
government would have closed it,” she says. “We were going to do a
government-approved catwalk once, but they did not let us. That year it was
worse because there was an election.”
Since there are few catwalks in Iran and the fashion scene is much more about
photo shoots, Mahya explains that models do not necessarily have to be tall. “It
may be that the woman is short, but the brand may like the way she looks and
they will choose her,” she says. “They choose the women more often who have had
cosmetic surgery – women with lip and cheekbone enhancements or nose
surgery.”
Both Mahya and Sonia value their natural looks and say they have not had them
surgically altered, but they agree that female models with less traditionally
Iranian features are more popular.Also read here:
red carpet
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