Fashion Industry Told to Grow Up

The Model Health Inquiry has told the fashion industry that it needs to:

just grow up and accept that it is a real industry and to look after the health and safety of the people who work within it

From The Guardian

The committee, which includes designers (Betty Jackson and Giles Deacon), models (Erin O’Connor), managers (Sarah Doukas from Storm), psychologists (Adrienne Key, the Priory Hospital) and is chaired by Lady Kingsmill, was created last March and is focussing on six key areas

Number of hours worked by models – currently no limits as models sign opt-out of the European Working Time Directive. And their health and safety is also an issue:

“the panel has heard some terrible anecdotes from models, such as girls being taken out for late-night shoots in the middle of nowhere, and then left there, with no money for a taxi home.”

There are almost no regulations regarding models’ working conditions and Lady Kingsmill said the panel had heard “some terrible anecdotes from models, such as girls being taken out for late-night shoots in the middle of nowhere, and then left there, with no money for a taxi home.”

Diet and eating habits

Drug and alcohol habits

The age of models working

The industry’s preference for slim models – including examining the subconcious belief that there is a link between the slimness of the model and the prestige of the label or magazine.

Pastoral care and education available to the models when working