Panama's Modeling World


Panama's Modeling World

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Written by Pascale Schwander

Wednesday, February 27 2008

I used to work as a booker in a modeling agency in Europe, so I've always been curious about the industry. A few weeks ago, while waiting at the hairdresser for my mom, I read in a magazine that Wilhelmina, the famous modeling agency, has a head office in Panama. What luck!

Back home I did some research and checked out their website. It was the real Wilhelmina, not just another fake "agency" where they take advantage of poor young girls. I got in touch with the director, Raul Cubilla. He called me the next day, and we set up an appointment for me to learn more how the modeling industry works in Panama.

The fashion industry is new here in Panama. Agencies are still educating their clients and changing their mentality. I know what you are thinking: Right, more skinny girls like everywhere else! But do you know why agencies focus on skinny girls? Because skinny girls are the easiest to dress. That's the sad truth. Try to dress a curvy woman like Jennifer Lopez or Salma Hayek. They are both beautiful women, but with their curves you need to adjust the clothing to fit them.

Recently I was watching TV in my living-room in NYC and I saw a report saying that skinny girls are less smart than fat woman. I would like someone to explain how fat can make you smarter. Of course, when I say skinny I do not mean anorexic. Do you know that most people have never seen a real anorexic ? Because this is a very rare and a very serious illness.

Back to my appointment with Raul. They started the agency in 2001. Currently they are 18 employees working full-time in Panama (8 bookers). The agency works with all the major magazines in the country. It not easy to find models in Panama - women here tend to be curvy. Raul scouts the whole country, from Chiriqui to Darien. Usually the youngest models are runway models, who range from 13 to 25 years old.

Then you have lifestyle models like you and me, beautiful people doing it for fun and/or extra money. After we talked, Raul asked me if I would consider being a model. The first thing I said was, "Raul, I am 31 years old! " But apparently I am still healthy and skinny enough; I am going back to have some photos done next week.

We'll see what happens, but it would be a pleasure to work for Wilhelmina. They are a serious agency in the modeling industry in Panama with good knowledge of the fashion industry around the world.

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