Child models live out their parents' dreams
Child models live out their parents' dreams
By Yenni Kwok
JAKARTA (JP): The voice of little French singer Jordy erupted
in the mirror-walled studio of OQ Modeling School, where aspiring
young models were learning to work the catwalk.
All of them, from slender teenage girls to bouncing toddlers,
were rehearsing for a Sunday fashion show held in one of
Jakarta's flashiest shopping malls.
"Pose in the center! Pose in the center!" said instructor
Yetti I. Abdullah, reminding them to stop and pose properly.
Child modeling is an awkward combination of youthful spirit
and mature elegance. Underage models need to walk straight, just
like their grown-up peers. However, they also need to retain
their innocent and their childish appeal.
Utami Munandar, a children's psychologist at the University of
Indonesia, said the demand for child models was understandable.
"Who can model children's clothing besides children?" she asked.
However, she warned: "Children are still children. They are
not miniature grown-ups." She considers instructing children to
walk like models or sway their hips as unnatural.
Nevertheless, the dividing line between a child and an adult
in this field is a bit sketchy. Often, letting a child be a child
in this commercial world can prove to be chaotic.
Take for example a fashion show recently held by well-known
children's apparel brand Osh Kosh B'Gosh. The company insisted on
using children from its customers' list on the catwalk instead of
using trained underage models.
During the fashion show, the children paraded without the
expected poses or steps. The result was a disaster. The models
simply walked about and turned as they liked, causing headaches
for photojournalists who were trying to capture the right
moments.
At OQ Modeling School, instructors teach students how to pose
for the camera and work the runway. They draw the line at
teaching makeup application or social etiquette in their classes.
"We teach them to walk to the beat of the music. We also teach
about basic catwalk performance. They do not have to sway their
hips, but they need to walk straight," said Yetti.
Parents are often told not to apply excessive makeup on their
children. "It is very important to present their child's
qualities," said Okky Asokawati, the school's director.
OQ Modeling School offers a two-month training session for
aspiring child models.
The fruit of their labor was reflected during the rehearsal.
The children, already in the know about basic catwalk movements,
moved to the beat. Four-year-old Lifia was the most enthusiastic.
She smiled and swayed her hips while walking down the catwalk.
"She never stops smiling. She never stops moving," said proud
mother Nana Azwar Umar.
Okky acknowledged that some child models mature quicker than
other children.
"Child models tend to have more confidence. They also have
better social skills because they are exposed to more people,"
Okky said. "Their role models can be their instructors or other
people, not only their mothers."
"Sometimes I worry that Lifia will miss out on her childhood,"
said Nana, who sometimes buys Lifia cartoon videos so that she
can catch up on some fun.
Generally, it is usually parents who introduce children to
modeling. Their reasons vary.
Nana, for example, enrolled Lifia to help her overcome her
shyness.
One teenage girl said she studied to be a model because her
mother wanted her to stop being so boyish.
At least for now, both are happy with their lives. Mira
Syafina, the teenage model, is now a towering 14 year old who has
lost her boyish mannerism after four years of studying at the
school.
And, Lifia? "Not all children dare to do what she does now,"
Nana said proudly.
For some children, modeling can ensure a bright future. Winny
Siregar hopes her five-year-old son, Nicholas, will learn to
become to be a good model.
Winny said modeling could be something for Nicholas to fall
back on in his adulthood. "Looking for a job is more difficult,
even for a college graduate," she added.
Beautiful
The children themselves do not think much about modeling,
beyond the fact that they like it.
"Because I like it," Lifia answered when asked why she models.
Ten-year-old Naboya, another student at the school, only
shrugged her shoulders and said, "I just like it."
Do they feel beautiful because they work on a runway? Lifia
shook her head, and said, "No." But, the more confident Naboya
admitted she felt more beautiful than her friends.
Parents can encourage or inspire, but they should not force
their children to model, said Yetti. "There is a definite
contrast between a child who does it voluntarily and someone who
is forced by a mother."
Nana agrees. She said she had never forced Lifia to
participate in an event. Once, Lifia suddenly became upset before
a photo session. After attempts to sooth and woo her failed, Nana
apologized to the organizer and took her home.
"It would be useless to take her photo if she had been
crying," Nana said.
Children's modeling skills can lead to places beyond the
catwalk. The demand for these children come from magazines
wanting family pictures to advertisements, TV commercials and
even to singing careers.
Lifia, for example, will soon record her first album, under
the label of Purnama Records.
The important thing is that children do it because they like
it, not because of the money their parents get, Utami said.
Indeed, one lingering issue is how is it that the children
work but the parents get the money.
"I always deposit the money Lifia earns into her own account.
I never spend even a cent of it.
"The important thing is not the money, but watching her enjoy
walking on the catwalk. I was a very shy young girl, and would
not have dared do what she does," Nana said.