Post by account_disabled on Mar 10, 2024 0:42:17 GMT -5
At just four years old they are already stars of fashion shows: Yuki and Yumi are causing controversy in Beijing. Physically they are impeccable; They always have neat hair, neat clothes and stunning poses.
Despite their young age, they are not France Mobile Number List beginners; they have been taking classes for two years to learn how to parade. They are always in rehearsals and work up to 12 hours to perform for one minute on stage.
It is an intense day that talks about labor exploitation of minors. An illegal fact that surrounds the fashion market in that country.
In 2018 alone, the modeling market represented more than 40.5 billion dollars worldwide, according to Euromonitor .
In China, for example, the child modeling sector has grown rapidly and there are even new competitions and even specialized schools.
Among the specializations is Show Stars, a course that can cost up to $115 an hour, and since it opened in Beijing the number of students has doubled, according to its owner, former modeling agent Lee Kun.
Exploitation of children
A video went viral and caused great outrage when it showed a woman kicking her three-year-old daughter (Niu Niu) at a children's fashion show, organized in Hangzhou.
As a result, Hangzhou Municipality limited the number of working hours for children and prohibited those under 10 years of age from advertising a brand.
The children are paid to wear designer clothes, but they are mostly involved in competitions.
Some are capable of posing a hundred different clothes in 12 hours on behalf of big brands, and receive a payment that can reach $1,450.
However, it is illegal for companies to recruit children under 16, so most young models are paid in secret.
The influencer phenomenon—receiving money from brands in exchange for promoting their products on social networks—also leads parents to pressure their children to be models.
"Children under six years old are in full mental growth, they need to explore the world, have a certain freedom," declared Gong Xueping, a child psychologist.
«Child models must show many different expressions that may be contrary to what they feel at the moment. "That can limit their emotional and psychological development."
Xiao and his wife Bai Yu know the risks, but they hope that through modeling their twins will gain self-confidence: "If they want to be models, we will support them 100%," he said.