Photo: Rex USA.You might think models lead quite glamorous lives. And, in many ways they do. They get to work with the biggest names in fashion, beauty, and luxury, modeling gorgeous clothes in breathtaking locales around the world. But, there's also an ugly side to the industry — namely, a lack of protective laws or services for the women involved. Sara Ziff and Alise Shoemaker of Model Alliance appeared on HuffPost Live to highlight another major issue in the business: sexual harassment. More specifically, Shoemaker and Ziff discussed the alleged inappropriate actions of famed photographer Terry Richardson.
Shoemaker says the majority of models complain about their experiences working with Richardson, suggesting that the women must do something "compromising" to seemingly earn their way into a Richardson shoot. Because of this, Ziff said she won't work with him again. "[He'll] ask you to take your clothes off at the casting, and in some cases, give him sexual favors," she says. And, as Ziff points out, models aren't protected against sexual harassment because they're considered independent contractors.
Of course, Richardson isn't the only fashion professional accused of bad behavior. Ziff claims that many photographers put models in similar, uncomfortable positions, and there exists a "a code of silence" in the industry. But, if Richardson is continuously employed by media titans, how can a model establish an editorial career while avoiding working with the notorious man? And, if these allegations are true, is the responsibility then on fashion's tastemakers to no longer employ him? Check out the full HuffPost Live interview and sound off in the comments below. (HuffPost)