A Christian Modeling Agency?

In the United Kingdom, a modeling agency has emerged to mix Christianity with fashion as it works to preach spiritual fulfillment to the fashion world.


Models of Life (MOL), according to its website, has been operating in the 1990s "when the founder sought to challenge and renew modeling culture." Said to be based on Christian values, the agency's philosophy is to raise awareness on modeling as leading of exemplary life and exuding inner beauty:

"Models of Life is an organization based on Christian faith as a foundation for young women to grow as models of beauty and of examples in life. The Models of Life organization was founded on the vision that beauty will not be defined by outer appearance alone but of inner soul and spirit. MOL believes that philosophy and faith defines character, and that character defines true beauty. To fulfill this vision, MOL models are taught to display exemplary beauty through posture, walking, posing, and etiquette training. To complete this vision, MOL models learn how to build character and about God through the Bible."

It's proclamation:

"To be a model is to set an example. Just at a time when the controversy over skinny models reflects how the perception of beauty is evolving, MOL aims to raise the standard of models to a new height: beauty achieved from the perfect balance and unity of spirit, mind, and physical body."

Scouting the streets of London and other cities in UK to look for model wannabees, the agency also claims to have affiliates in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the US, Canada, Australia and Europe. Its models have been featured on catwalks around the world including in the opening ceremony of South Korea's World Cup finals in 2002.

But despite all the years that the agency has worked in the modeling industry, less is documented about it in its website.

According to Jamie Doward, Home Affairs editor of UK's The Observer who recently published a write-up about the agency, the MOL international website has been set up by someone from a small flat in Battersea. It's European division, on the other hand, are founded by three women from Korea. Doward writes, "The organization appears to file no accounts and has no permanent UK headquarters... Repeated requests for an interview with the organization were also rejected."

Hannah Park, a woman who books venues for the agency, also declined to talk to The Observer and instead asked, "What is the problem with what we are doing? In any high street you will find modeling agencies approaching young girls, that is how they operate."

But Laurie Kuhrt, chairman of the Association of Model Agents which represents the UK's top agencies, doubted the idea of mixing religion with modeling:

"If they're genuinely trying to make contact with people with a view to turning them into good, honest Christians, I don't have a problem with that. But modeling is not about exuding inner beauty, it is about selling goods and services. When we recruit people it's solely because we think they can do big advertisement campaigns and appear on catwalks. If they can't do that, we lose a lot of money."