“Desperation leads to doom.” These are the sobering words of Iwu Kasarachi, popularly known as Kassy, a Nigerian model, casting director and advocate who has turned her seven-year career into a platform for speaking out about exploitation in the modelling industry.
For Kassy, the warning signs appeared almost immediately. At her first-ever casting, she realised that securing a job could have little to do with simply meeting the brief. Later, after a young model confided in her about an alleged predatory experience with her agency owner, Kassy began speaking more openly about the problems she had witnessed.
Since then, she has used her platform to call out unpaid modelling jobs, poor treatment and alleged sexual exploitation.
In an industry where speaking openly can feel daunting for young models, Kassy is choosing to speak anyway. We sat down with the model and advocate to discuss the realities behind the glamour, the red flags aspiring models should know, and why speaking up may be one of the most important things a model can do.
Hi Kassy! Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m Kassy, a model, model agent and casting director. Truth be told, I am a multifaceted creator. I’m currently studying Sociology at the University of Lagos, where I’m in my fourth year.
I’ve been modelling professionally for almost seven years now, and during that time, I’ve had the opportunity to work on campaigns for brands including LAGRide, Kanekalon-Xpression, Mairachamp Dangly, infinix, BAJLUXE, FAEV and Pocket App, as well as BMoni. I’ve also worked as a models casting director for music projects including “FUN” by Rema and “Lalalala” by Rema and Young Jonn.
I’m very passionate about advocating for models, especially when it comes to issues of poor treatment and exploitation in the industry. It’s something I genuinely enjoy and derive a lot of fulfilment from because I don’t condone seeing models being treated badly.
I also have an upcoming visual podcast focused on fashion and modelling, although it hasn’t fully launched yet. I run an agency that manages models, and I also sing, looking to venture into it more seriously, so watch this space!
So, that’s pretty much a little bit about me.
Seven years is quite a while. What first drew you to the industry?
I’ve always been interested in taking pictures, being in front of the camera, and creating. I became more professionally involved in the industry in 2020, but even before then, I did some self-modelling in secondary school. To be very honest, though, I never really had a particular picture in my head of what the modelling industry would be like. It was just me, my vision, and a desire to create.
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When did you first realise there was a darker side to the industry?
I would say I discovered that side of the industry through my very first casting. I had gone for the casting and, as usual, I made sure to arrive on time. When I got there, though, I noticed that some of the casting directors already knew exactly who they wanted. It felt as though some people had been brought in almost for the sake of the media exposure or appearance of holding a casting.
It was very obvious that there were favourites as well as familiar faces. And I had just started modelling. Obviously, nobody knew who Kassy was. That was when it hit me: modelling wasn’t simply about whether you had the right look or met certain standards. You have to be ready, well networked and have a very thick skin. Honestly, I could have given up at that point realising it was much more complicated than beauty, photography, makeup and hair, but I am glad I kept pushing!
You’ve become increasingly vocal about exploitation and sexual abuse within modelling. What made you start speaking up?
I have a very strong community of models. Everywhere I go, I meet models who know me or recognise my work, and I think that creates a level of trust. One day, a younger model came to me and asked if she could talk to me. She was extremely agitated, and I wanted to know what had happened.
She told me that the owner of her agency, her mother agent, had asked to see her body. He was also asking her for money to join the agency. I was shocked. I told her, “No. That’s not how it works. You don’t pay an agency simply to get signed under them.”
She explained that he had asked to see her body under the guise of taking polaroids and had also been trying to touch her. She was very young and very naive, and thankfully, she came to me before she signed the contract. I told her not to join the agency. She eventually cut ties with them, and I was able to explain to her that what she had experienced was not normal. That was really the trigger I needed.
Even before that encounter, I had seen things online that made me uncomfortable whenever models were being treated badly. But I didn’t even know there was something called advocacy. I was just being myself and speaking whenever I saw something that I felt was wrong.
But hearing someone tell me about what she was actually experiencing in real life made everything different. I felt terrible for her. That was when I realised that I couldn’t just watch these things happen.
Was there a particular incident that turned your advocacy into something bigger?
Yes. There was a particular brand that wanted models to “volunteer” for them. This was a big brand, one that could afford to pay models, but they were taking advantage of the fact that models are often eager to get opportunities and to work with big brands.
They put out a post asking for volunteer models, and I was like, “No. This is not okay.” If a brand can afford to work with models, then it should pay them. Models need to eat. They need to survive. They have expenses. So I made a post about it on Instagram. It gained a lot of traction, and a lot of big influencers and reputable people stood behind what I was saying.
That was actually my first major advocacy post. Before then, I had mostly been posting on my Stories, but this time I made an actual post and created a whole carousel about standing up for models. Eventually, the brand reached out, apologised and explained their side. They also took down the original post, and the issue was resolved.
But I was very firm about one thing: if they wanted models, they needed to pay them. There was no reason for them to expect models to work for free, especially without even offering basic logistics. That was when a lot more people started paying attention to me. They were like, “Oh, this girl is brave enough to actually speak.”
It’s one thing to know that something is wrong. It’s another thing to have the courage to actually say something.
You recently spoke about the arrest of the owner of Golden City agency, who has been accused of predatory behaviour towards models. What can you tell us about the allegations?
The owner of Golden City agency allegedly targets very young models, including girls who are 15, 16 and 17. He allegedly tells them to take alcohol and drugs under the guise of taking polaroids. But you do not have to drink alcohol or take drugs to have your polaroids taken.
According to what has been reported and shared with me, he has also allegedly slept with more than five girls in the agency.
One of the biggest issues is the promise of international placement. He allegedly tells young models that he can help place them internationally and uses that promise to pressure them into giving him their bodies. There is also an alleged pattern of jobs being diverted. If a booker books a particular model and she has not succumbed to his advances, the job could allegedly be given to another model who has. That kind of power dynamic is extremely dangerous because these are young girls who are depending on the people managing their careers.
Thankfully, he was arrested and has also reportedly been charged to court.
What would you say to a young Nigerian model entering the industry today? How can they recognise the red flags?
My biggest advice is: being desperate only leads to doom. If you are desperate, you can find yourself in critical situations that can affect your mental health.
I advise aspiring models to go at their own pace. Things will align. Everyone wants to become big. Everyone wants to walk major runways. Everyone wants to go to Paris and London. But when you become too desperate for those opportunities, you can end up in bad situations.
You also have to understand that being physically attractive or having the body for modelling is not enough. You have to put in the work. You cannot just sit at home and say, “I want to be the next Naomi Campbell.” Develop yourself. Update your portfolio. Train your walk. Work on your poses and your expressions. Keep improving yourself physically and professionally.
And, personally, I also believe that having God is an important part of the journey. That’s my personal advice based on my experience so far.
Has there been a personal cost to speaking publicly? Have you faced backlash?
Honestly, I haven’t received any backlash, to be very fair. If anything, I’ve received a lot of accolades for the things that I do.
What conversation do you want the modelling industry — and the public — to have?
I would love the public to understand that it is okay to speak up. A lot of models are suffering in silence because they are afraid of being blacklisted. They’re scared that if they speak about what happened to them, people will say, “Oh, this girl talks too much,” or that they’ll be branded as someone who is difficult to work with.
But it is your story. You have every right to speak about what you have experienced. Speaking up is not a crime. In fact, I think speaking up makes you braver.
What do you ultimately hope your advocacy achieves?
I want models to understand that they have a voice. You don’t have to tolerate exploitation simply because you want an opportunity. You don’t have to compromise your dignity or your safety to become successful.
I want models to know that they can take things at their own pace and still get where they want to go. And ultimately, I want the modelling industry to become a place where young people can pursue their careers without being taken advantage of simply because they are ambitious, inexperienced or desperate for an opportunity.
