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! Jo No Fui. F/W 08, Milan.
Agency leaves models in the lurch — again
BIÉNNE HUISMANPublished:Feb 24, 2008
FED UP: Teenage beauty Charlbi Dean, billed as South Africa’s top modelling export, ditched Alfa Model Management last week
SOME of the country’s top models are caught in a catfight with a glamour agency boss, who they say has left them out of pocket.
Cape Town agent Archar Head and wife Michelle Mackintosh were forced to close their previous agency, Storm SA, two years ago amid allegations of tax evasion, dishonesty and greed. Head’s new company, Alfa Model Management, is now at the centre of a new storm over dodgy finances.
Teenage beauty Charlbi Dean ditched Alfa last week and threatened to sue Head for an alleged outstanding amount of R266 000.
This week, while the 18-year-old brunette strutted around catwalks at Milan Fashion Week, her father, Johan Kriek, blew his top.
“Charlbi’s boyfriend, Ashton Schnehage, is with Alfa as well. Well, he hasn’t been paid either. He couldn’t afford to buy her a Valentine’s present or a gift when she turned 18 on February 5,” Kriek said.
“It’s been such a mission to get money out of Archar — it’s drips and drabs here and there. He always makes promises he doesn’t keep.”
Head convinced models who were previously signed up with Storm SA to join his new agency and many, including Charlbi, followed him in good faith.
“In about September last year his models started becoming fed up ,” said Kriek.
Model Sean Gibson left Alfa in October last year. “The main reason was that I wasn’t getting my money,” said Gibson, who is suing Head for R50 000.
Head strongly denied the allegations this week, saying much of the allegedly owed money had been earned by the models while working for Storm SA, which was liquidated. As a result, some of the money they were owed had to be written off. He said the models should have made claims against the liquidator.
He insisted that operations at his company were above board and that Gibson in fact owed him money.
Top Billing presenter Janez Vermeiren also left Alfa in October. He declined to comment on his departure.
A source, who declined to be named, said: “Many models suffered heavy financial trouble because of Archar. I mean, some of them have families to feed. He tells them, ‘I’ll pay you next week,’ which he never does.”
After being contacted by the Sunday Times on Friday, Head contacted Kriek and asked him to retract his statements to the newspaper in exchange for a portion of the outstanding money. “We’ve reached an amicable settlement,” said Kriek later. Head promised to cough up the money owed to Charlbi within the next three months.
Charlbi has shot campaigns for, among others, United Colors of Benetton, and done runway shows for the likes of Gucci.
She was named the face of Gavin Rajah’s couture collection which debuted at Paris Fashion Week two years ago.
Looks REALLY promising, some of my favorite shots I've seen of her
Thank you so much!
Here are some more shots, it's not much but I still thought I'd post 'em
