‘Me as I really am’: Italy’s first modelling agency for ‘imperfect’ models seeks change
- The L’Imperfetta modelling agency has models of all sizes and ages, some with disabilities or medical conditions, visible scarring, or who have lost limbs
- It counts more than 140 models both in Italy and abroad, but is focusing on Italy ‘because this is where we want to change things’, its founder says
A project on Instagram to highlight ordinary women and their imperfections has transformed into a modelling agency that aims to redefine notions of beauty in Italy.
The L’Imperfetta (Imperfect) modelling agency, started in 2020 by Carlotta Giancane, has a casting book full of models who defy the industry’s pre-established standards of beauty.
They are of all sizes and ages, spanning the gender spectrum, some with disabilities or medical conditions like alopecia or vitiligo, visible scarring, or who have lost limbs.
Such agencies have existed elsewhere in Europe and the United States. This is the first in Italy.
Sonia Spartá is one of the models. A 28-year-old from Sicily, she has heard adults whisper to children that she was from the circus when they saw the dark spots on her face and body, the result of a form of hyperpigmentation. While she once tried to conceal her condition, she now is conscious of her beauty.
