The issue of underage models seems pretty clear-cut from the outside — just like any other business, kids shouldn't be allowed to work crazy hours in less-than-ideal conditions, right? Yet, within the fashion industry, it's still a gray area, despite the strong positions taken by advocates like Coco Rocha, Sara Ziff, and even Vogue itself — though the magazine has since broken its promise. Now, a new law (likely to be passed by the New York State Senate, before this September's Fashion Week) would further regulate the working conditions of young upstarts.
Previous literature by the CFDA has made the cutoff 16, but this law will require special amenities on sets of photoshoots and other projects employing models under the age of 18. That includes chaperones and tutors on set, consent forms for nudity, regular access to food, and no workdays over 16 hours. If that stuff sounds like basic workers' rights to you, we don't have to tell you that the biz still has a long way to go.
The law would come with a fine of up to $1,000 per violation, and we sincerely hope the law, if passed, will be taken to heart by the industry's biggest players — and the agents who often lie about their models' ages. While it's true that many models get their start as early as 13, and that may not change any time soon, we consider regulation of this kind an unquestionable necessity — regardless of whether they succeed as models. Without it, we're paving the way for the wrong people to take advantage of innocent young women both financially and in worse, more scarring ways. (Business Insider)
Photo: Courtesy of i-D.