For kids, life is play. And when they have to be dressed up, propped up and made to saunter and act in front of the cameras – whether still or motion, it gets even more exciting and they just let go. Welcome to the emerging world of kid models. Yetunde Oladeinde writes.
It was a colourful evening. A variety of male and female models thronged the runway, as they sashayed to the excitement of the crowd, wearing outfits that thrilled.
Just while the audience thougth this was the greatest thing they had seen in recent times, the young ones stepped out, looking radiant in apparels and accessories that simply wowed the audience.
Like the mature models, the kids on runway have mastered the art and you cannot but marvel at their presentation and dexterity.
Welcome to the world of kid models. It is indeed an amazing world and you find them on the runway, calendar jobs, TV commercials as well as billboards.
Chiamaka Eustace is a kid model rocking her world. “Modeling has been a very interesting experience for me and it brings out your creativity in a natural way”, she enthused.
Apart from modeling, she is also an actress and she won the 2018 edition of the little Queen of Miss Green and White Nigeria Peace Pageant. Her words; “Winning the competition was very interesting and I took my time preparing for it. I am also a musical artiste known with the name Chiamakadavoice. That is not all, I like to be creative and I am lively and fun to be with.”
Twelve-year-old Ivanna Chukwudumebi Ogaga has conquered the modeling scene as a kid. For her the experience has been, “very good and interesting. I admire models like Naomi Campbell who have made it to the top,” she says.
That dream and desire was made possible by her mum, Faith Ifeoma Ogaga, who is also a model and the 2017 winner of the Miss Nigeria Universe pageant.
Like Ivanna, Colberth Chukwuemeka Ogaga, who is her younger brother, has also been on the modeling scene and he loves the experience too. Happily, Faith takes you into their world, experience and how it all started: “I have used my kids for modeling and it has been a very interesting experience for us. The first experience was for a fashion advert for a friend’s boutique and it was awesome.”
Interestingly, she created the second opportunity for them and that became an eye-opener for them. “At this point, I started my fashion outfit called Omawura’s Creation and that opportunity opened other doors for us.”
One memorable experience was modeling with her son for a product depicting mother and son. “At that point, my son was about eight months old and we modeled for a mother and child company and the experience was really good. Since then, my children have cherished every moment spent posing and smiling for the cameras.”
The children, like their mum, have moments to cherish while modeling. However, she believes that the ultimate decision about the future rests with the children. “I cannot determine for them where they would be in the next few years. I can only direct their paths to a good choice that would in turn benefit them and the world around them. My prayer, especially, is for them to enjoy their chosen fields,” she said.
Asked about the challenges and she replies this way: “For them, there isn’t much challenges during the photo-shoot because they simply love the cameras. The main challenge is getting them jobs as models. I literarily went to most advertising agencies in Lagos, taking their picture portfolios and their soft copies on CD’s along but I was turned away.”
She continued: “Unfortunately, I noticed that one needed to know someone in the company to get your kids profiled despite the fact that the kids loved the cameras. It was so bad that I had to give up and started using them for my fashion line.”
Is the pay right to inspire the young ones to pursue a career and be successful? “No, definitely not! It was just the love for the art of modeling. I, personally as a model, did ‘pro bono’ for most fashion events. But the love and satisfaction from the shows and catwalk was enough. That is why even as a mother of two kids, I am still modeling. Unfortunately, the industry doesn’t recognise those with the love and passion for it. It is now a give and take situation.”
Earning extra income and exposure to limelight are some of the gains for these children. However there is the school of thought that also believes that it could be unnecessary exposure and distraction to them.
That perhaps explains why Hauwa Idris’ dreams of becoming a big time model were aborted by her parents. “I remember that at that point, I was in primary school and because I was very tall, my friends gave me the nickname ‘Model’. A company came to market some children’s products in my school and when they saw me, I was singled out. They wanted me to be the face of the product.”
Her parents were contacted and they gave their consent initially. “It was a very memorable part of my life and I did a couple of things for them. I found the experience very interesting but when I got into junior secondary school, my parents stopped me from modeling. They said that the exposure was going to distract me from my studies. That was how it ended, but I think that when I grow older and finished with my studies, I may go back to it.”
In Port Harcourt, Frank Obia, Young CEO of Kid Star Models rocks with his team. “We are the first kids modeling agency here and we are keen on giving the kids an early start, so that they can reach the peak of their career while still in their prime. This is why we teach them finesse, good morals, poise and the art of fashion and design, especially in the African sense of beauty. And the age range of the children we work with is five to eleven years.”
In addition, the outfit features competitive academic exercises, moral sensitisation as well as runway catwalk; showcasing a plethora of African fabrics, designs and hairstyles, which brings to bare the many opportunities available in the Nigerian economy.
Angela Chioma John known as Annjay, an actress and model, takes you into the wonderful world of trendy kid models from celebrity parents and grandparents. “There are a number of them and they are really going places. The daughter of Mercy Aigbe, Michelle Gentry, is one and she recently made the list as one of the most dressed celebrity teens. Michelle is a young fashionista with over 300,000 followers on Instagram and she was recently unveiled as the new face of eponymous fashion label, Abbyke Domina’s new teen line.”
That is not all! “On the list, we also have the grandsons of Charly Boy: Michael and Daniel Flora, who have become very popular on Instagram with over 127,000 followers. This four-year-olds, based in the UK, are premium models and they are managed by their mum. You also have the beautiful teenage daughter of Nollywood actress, Omotola Jolade Ekeinde, Meraiah, who dresses to kill just like her mum.”
Next, she informs you about Cameron Okoye, another fashionista kid that keeps up with his father’s pace on the fashion scene. “The adorable son of Peter Okoye is always spotted rocking similar outfits with his dad and he has become a big time fashion influencer amongst kids.”
Next, she goes on to talk about Chacha Eke Faani, who she dubs ‘a baby with an attitude.’
“She is a budding model to be. This little kiddo can rock anything and totally pull it off. There is also Emmanuella Odom, daughter of Egberi Papa of Bayelsa, who is seen in several designer outfits that cannot be resisted. Last on the list is mini Wizkid, Boluwatife Balogun, who stuns in dapper outfits like his dad.”
Good to catch them young – Babaeko
For Yetunde Ayeni Babaeko, CEO Camara Studios and Mara Models, set up to change the game in the Nigerian modeling space, it is good to catch them young and give them a better direction.
“However, I must say that there are a number of challenges working with children. Most times, they have to wait for their parents to drop them at the studio and we all know how busy parents are these days.”
She also thinks that to make the sector interesting and lucrative, it is important to give them proper training and grooming.
“Many models just jump into the modelling business without proper grooming or the slightest clue what they are doing, which is where Mara Models Agency comes in. Here, we have the facilities and skills to groom and shape our models into the professionals most advertising agencies need for a successful production.”
She adds: “The Mara Models team is young and dynamic, with many years of experience in the advertising and photography world. Because of our close affiliation to a professional photo studio, our models are constantly in front of the camera; be it for video production or photography.”
Also important is the legal advice when it comes to signing contract agreement, which a number of models do not handle with caution, she says.
”A lot of times, models just sign contracts without understanding what they are doing or even reading through it. It is very important to understand the terms and conditions before signing. This way, you would avoid being trapped, as well as know what you can do or cannot do during the contract period.”
