PARIS – In her first public statement since a controversy broke out over the treatment of models at Paris Fashion Week, casting director Maida Gregory Boina – one of the two people named in an Instagram post by fellow casting agent James Scully – has responded to the accusations against her.
In an exclusive statement to WWD on Thursday, Boina commended Scully for “raising awareness of the issues of ethnic diversity and the humane treatment of runway models,” but accused him of intentionally misrepresenting the facts surrounding a casting call for Balenciaga on Sunday “for personal career gain.”
“As a woman of color, I am a major advocate for ethnic diversity in the industry,” Boina said. “I care deeply about and am committed to the wellbeing of models. We do, however, condemn James for posting inaccurate and libelous remarks regarding Sunday’s casting for Balenciaga.”
Scully, an auto-proclaimed advocate for models’ rights, unleashed a firestorm on Tuesday after posting a lengthy statement on Instagram accusing “Madia & Ramy (serial abusers)” of leaving 150 models waiting in a stairwell in the dark for several hours. He was referring to Boina and her partner, Rami Fernandes.
Balenciaga swiftly cut ties with the pair, saying it had sent
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