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NewsDay

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Society must not be judgmental on models: Kaisi

Life & Style
In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style, Kaisi said it was not easy to flourish in the modelling industry as there were so many stereotypes associated with the art.

BY KIMBERLY KARIATI

MALE model Omar Qassim Kaisi says society should not be judgmental on models, but value the arts as a profession just like any other career.

In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style, Kaisi said it was not easy to flourish in the modelling industry as there were so many stereotypes associated with the art.

“There are so many theories that people associate models with.

“Some think models are sex symbols, which is wrong. There are also many challenges that need models to be thick skinned to overcome them,” he said.

“Many times, you get rejected and denied opportunities and that is common even with household names. As a model one is expected to look like a model everyday and that brings a lot of pressure sometimes.”

Kaisi said commitment, hard work and courage had kept him going in the demanding industry.

“Modelling is not as easy as it appears, it takes creativity, confidence and imagination to bring artistic visions to life. It is very demanding such that the strength needed to keep going is too much,” he said.

“Hard work, believing in myself and commitment is power. I am fully committed to what I do, that is how I fully express myself.  I overcame challenges by being daring.

“It takes a lot of courage to claim that you are a model in a space that does not believe greatness can come out of it. I have not let difficult circumstances bring me down.”

Kaisi believes positive change in the sector should start with agencies for society to have a better understanding of modelling.

“I think agencies should be open to collaborations and helping talents. There should be more support not only from the big industry names, but models should also support each other through collaborative projects. Maybe that way the value of the arts might be understood,” he said.

“Public broadcasts have also failed to support and make young creators believe in themselves.

“Most creators and models give up and pursue careers they do not love just to survive and make their dreams come true.”

Kaisi, whose vision is to be the most influential Muslim model, is one of the brand ambassadors for Intricate Lifestyle.

“I have worked with brands like Juvenile Glide, Tribe and Push Athletics and the goal is to be one of the greatest creative directors for fashion and the end goal is giving back to the community,” he said.

“I am going to bridge the gap between me and my ideal self by creating the best content that is timeless and brings value to the modelling and creative industry.

“God willing my work will reach the right people and a lot of doors are going to open.”

  • Follow Kimberly on Twitter @lizellekimkari