MARRIA® Fashion Blog

Afganistan's First Top Model?

Arzo TV, a local station in northern Afghanistan, aired their own take of the popular 'America's Next Top Model' show, a reality TV series where prospective models undergo various tasks, get appraised by a panel of judges and the last one standing is declared the winner. The low-budget show is extremely conservative and features the local fashion but the models on the catwalk are burqa-free. This is a big move for Afghanistan and the reason why many of the girls pulled out of the show. They apparently were concerned for their safety. The global attention that the show has gathered reveals an image that was foreign to the Western world until now. The beauty of the Afghan woman is seen for the first time by many. The local city of the station, Mazar-e-Sharif is quite liberal and has already embraced the show. Let's hope the same for other Afghan cities.