MONROVIA, Montserrado – Dozens of models gathered at the Lila Brown restaurant last Saturday to participate in a casting call to select models for Monrovia Fashion Week. The event itself is expected to take place at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville December 17-20.

Founded by Marjean Sherman in 2013, Monrovia Fashion Week aims to discover and showcase fashion talent from Liberia. The annual event was recently nominated for the Fashion Event of the Year at the upcoming West African Fashion Awards.

Alicia Johnson, who organized the casting call and will train the models, said she was looking for “models with personality, elegance, good body shape, intelligence, outspoken [nature], nice skin and neck and also people that are interesting in what MFW is doing.”

Alicia Johnson, Monrovia Fashion Week’s model trainer. Photo: Zeze Ballah

She conceded that MFW’s ideal female model of 5 feet 9 inches or taller may be “a bit difficult to find” in Liberia. For males, MFW is seeking models who are six feet or taller.

A total of 55 models are needed for the show, 40 of whom would be females with the remaining 15 being males. For last Saturday’s casting call, only 28 models participated.

To make up the difference, Johnson said “MFW will probably have to do a one-on-one casting by walking through the streets of Liberia and looking out for people that have the height of models.”

While the number of models that attended the casting call was very small, Johnson said she was impressed with the outcome.

In addition to the models drawn from Liberia, MFW will also include an additional 10 international models.

For now, MFW will work with the current models until they can get others that meet international standards of modeling.

“MFW is not just looking out for beauty in the models but someone who can actually represent Liberia at the international [level] in modeling,” Johnson said. She emphasized her organization’s goal of “helping to put Liberia on the map of Africa in the fashion industry.”

Among the models trying out was Anastasia Azolibe, who started modeling when she was 16.

Azolibe said Liberia’s entertainment and fashion industry has been gradually improving and she is anticipating being a part of Monrovia Fashion Week.

“Whenever I wear fashion clothes on the runway, it does not only tell the audience how beautiful it is but I also feel the beauty because it brings out the beauty within a woman,” she said.

Anastasia Azolibe was one of the models attending the casting call. Photo: Zeze Ballah

Another model, Frances Adorowa, said Liberians are slowly starting to appreciate the fashion industry. But, she said, more awareness needs to be carried out to enable Liberians know exactly the importance of modeling.

“Liberians do not know the importance of modeling because the entertainment and fashion industries need a lot of exposure,” she said.

Adorowa encouraged her fellow models to dedicate more time to furthering their modeling careers.

Model Frances Adorowa poses. Photo: Zeze Ballah

One model, Clarence Cooper, has already been selected for another fashion event, the upcoming Mr. Universal Ambassador Fashion competition in Indonesia. He plans to use Monrovia Fashion Week as a platform to prepare himself.

The 26 years old model started modeling in 2007 in Cape Coast, Ghana. Cooper said as a male model in Liberia, he sometimes feels discouraged because of a negative perception of male models in Liberia. Liberians generally view modeling as a field for women.

Cooper said he and other male models “need to keep our heads up high to bring pride to Liberia.”

Model Clarence Cooper attended the casting call. Photo: Zeze Ballah

Model Sardieu Poker also agreed that many Liberians held a negative perception about male models. “People say a lot of negative things whenever they see male models on the runway,” he said.

Models participating in MFW have an opportunity to be appointed as the Face of Monrovia Fashion Week, a designation that allows them to represent Liberia in international events.

Rebezar D. Forte, the 2014 Face of Monrovia Fashion Week, said he was proud to be announced as winner.

Rebezar Forte, the 2014 Face of Monrovia Fashion Week. Photo: Zeze Ballah

Forte noted there were challenges during his tenure. “I could not do much during my tenure as Face of Monrovia Fashion Week because of the Ebola outbreak in Liberia,” he said. “But expect to see more from that person who is going to succeed me by helping to put the country on the map in the fashion industry in Africa.”

In addition to models, Monrovia Fashion Week is also looking for designers, makeup artists, and hair stylists. Interested parties can contact the Monrovia Fashion Week team by email at monroviafashionweeklib@yahoo.com, or through their Facebook page – Monrovia Fashion Week.