From the burqa to the catwalk
By Farangis Najibullah
One young woman is sporting jeans, a long-sleeved woolen jacket and running
shoes. Another is clad in a colorful Afghan national costume - a loose-fitting
outfit with wide trousers and a long scarf. Both amble gracefully down a
carpeted catwalk before a panel of prickly judges.
Welcome to Afghan Model, a televised show that is part beauty pageant,
part fashion show. It is broadcast in 10 central provinces on the private
television station Emrooz (Today), and sponsored by private companies and
businessmen.
"We want our Afghan youth to get familiar with traditions and events that exist
in the rest of the world," said Emrooz program
director Fahim Kohdamani. "We also want to help promote and preserve Afghan
national costumes that have been part of our culture for centuries if even some
are now being forgotten. At the same time, we want to introduce new, modern
designs. Most of all, we want to give an opportunity to young Afghans to be
seen as good-looking and decent people in the world."
After Afghan Model's first round last month, 80 contestants advanced to
the next stage set for Norouz, the Afghan New Year, on March 22.
The show will conclude in the summer with finalists competing for two top
prizes, including trips to Asian and European countries.
An act of courage
When Emrooz first announced its plans for the program, the station hoped to
attract a couple hundred contestants. Instead, more than 2,000 aspiring models
between the ages of 18 and 32, many of them men, rushed to sign up.
Some of the young women come from Afghanistan's volatile and deeply
conservative southern provinces, including Kandahar. In such areas, merely
going to school wearing only a headscarf - rather than a body-length burqa -
takes enormous courage.
Even in comparatively modern Kabul, her hometown, it wasn't easy to persuade
relatives that "there is nothing wrong with being a model," said Wazhma, an
18-year-old student.
"Some people among my relatives and others are bothered by this," Wazhma said.
"They don't want an Afghan girl to participate in such events. But it is a
completely new initiative in Afghanistan, so my parents allowed me to take part
in it."
A fellow contestant, Hamed, said he wants to use the show as an opportunity to
launch his career as a professional model.
"After the Taliban were deposed in Kabul, we got a satellite dish," said Hamed,
a 19-year-old college graduate. "I frequently watch fashion programs on TV and
always wonder why there are not any Afghan models in international shows. Now I
have a chance to become one myself."
All music and entertainment were banned under the Taliban, who used to publicly
hang television sets confiscated from people's homes.
Overcoming prejudices Afghan Model isn't anything like regular fashion shows. No professional
fashion designer is involved, nor is there a particular design or concept
behind the show. Contestants wear whatever they think looks good, whether the
style is Western or Afghan.
And the judges are as inexperienced as the models. They select winners on the
basis of their looks and physique as well as their outfits.
Emrooz executives hope Afghan Model will boost their channel's
popularity, although many Afghans have harshly criticized the program as an
immoral competition that corrupts young people.
Aspiring model Hamed said most Afghans still do not accept the idea of young
men and women showing off their bodies and clothes.
"It involves a lot of hassles as many people are close-minded. And because it’s
the very first such show, it has naturally provoked a lot of reactions," said
Hamed.
But Hamed is not worried about what people think. He is just enjoys being a
model - and even getting recognized in the streets of Kabul.
From there to a Milan catwalk is a giant leap, but that's his dream.
Copyright (c) 2007, RFE/RL Inc. Reprinted with the permission of
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