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Ugly business

SINGAPORE — If you caught last night’s episode of National Geographic Channel’s documentary series, Taboo 9, you would know that while the Giselle Bunchens of the world earn big bucks as models, ugly models, too, can make a fair living off their looks.

SINGAPORE — If you caught last night’s episode of National Geographic Channel’s documentary series, Taboo 9, you would know that while the Giselle Bunchens of the world earn big bucks as models, ugly models, too, can make a fair living off their looks.

Technically, they’re called “character models” but a plethora of them work at the British agency called Ugly Models.

Ugly was set up in 1969 to fill a gap in the modelling market for interesting faces. “We’ve never had any problems finding people,” said agency owner Mark French, adding that business has taken off in a bigger way in recent years.

“More heavily fashioned people are using character models now,” he said. “The media has gotten on board and the younger culture is realising you don’t have to be a certain way to be cool and be yourself.”

Ugly Models has about 1,000 models signed and counts Nokia and Italian Vogue as clients. And, yes, character models earn just as much as regular models.

One of them is Del, the “supermodel” of the agency. With a gap-toothed smile and stick-out ears, the asymmetrically skinny guy has posed for top fashion brands like Calvin Klein, Levi’s and Diesel. And he can command up to five figures in a day.

“I was a motorcycle courier delivering a package to Ugly. I walked in and Mark came up to me and asked if I wanted to be a model. I asked him if I needed to take my clothes off. He said ‘no’ and I said okay,” the 42-year-old said over the phone from Berlin.

So just what is the appeal of a character model? “I think personality is important but looks aren’t. Anyone can wear a suit. (Regular models) all look the same,” said Del. “Shock value, on the other hand, will catch someone’s eye faster than some ordinary good-looking person on an advertisement or commercial.”

And while looks may fade with time, in commercial character modelling you can model even when you’re an old person, said Del. “I could play Santa Claus!”

Catch the encore episode of Taboo 9 on Jan 20 at 1am on the National Geographic Channel.

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