Modeld, the app that wants to "uberise" the modelling industry
Modeld will be launched on March 1, during Paris Fashion Week. The innovative app aims to "revolutionise the modelling industry" by providing a modern, safe and inclusive environment that facilitates easy connections between fashion brands or projects and other industries with models of all kinds, especially emerging professionals entering the industry for the first time.
Founded by the Paris-based Lebanese entrepreneur Karim El Sabeh, the platform was born in January 2021 out of the need to solve difficulties in finding models for his own fashion projects. "When you're running a small company and you can't afford the fees charged by modelling agencies, it's very difficult to find models outside your family and friends," the entrepreneur, who studied at the Istituto Marangoni in Paris and has been running his own accessories brand, Caps From Heaven, since 2017, told FashionNetwork.com.
Through an accessible and minimalist interface, Modeld offers a simple "matchmaking" system to connect models and projects directly with each other: "We are kind of a LinkedIn for models, an external intermediary specialised in matching and legally verifying profiles and identities. Security is our number one priority," said the founder of the platform, which will initially only work with professionals of legal age who are based in Europe.
The way it works seems easy and follows the "uberisation" trend seen in recently launched apps to "open modelling to a wider audience". Models and brands register through simple steps and, once the application manually verifies that users and companies are real through a KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure, firms can register their next projects segmented by categories and sectors, while models can create their profiles, specifying not only their physical characteristics, but also their skills and preferences. Finally, the artificial intelligence developed for the project will be in charge of suggesting the most suitable recommendations for the professionals.
In order to provide transparency, similar to many other apps, all Modeld users and companies will have ratings that are publicly visible. In the event of a negative review, the app will be responsible for intervening and taking appropriate action. The platform will also offer a creative and photography service for its users.
"We are not a modelling agency and we don't want to replace them, as our audience is different. We want to create a community with our models, who are not already working with brands globally but are just starting out, and come up with perfect matches for them," continued El Sabeh.
Available to download on the App Store and Google Play, the application will be free of charge for the first six months of its launch. Progressively, once its community is well established, the founder's goal is to implement various subscriptions and paid services for businesses. The company plans to keep "matches" free of charge and with no mandatory fees.
Modeld, which so far has been entirely funded by its founder, is open to negotiate the entry of investors specialised in fashion and technology into its capital. Today, the Paris-based start-up is run by its founder and a product manager, as well as an external team in Lebanon, dedicated to technological development. The company is also considering the possibility of setting up offices in Los Angeles in the future.
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