Publications
Disordered Eating Behaviors and Sexual Objectification During New York Fashion Week: Implementation of Industry Policies & Legislation
In November of 2020, the Model Alliance published a study in collaboration with researchers at Northeastern University, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Lapeyronie University in France. New policies in the United States and France, including providing private changing areas and requiring medical certificates, have been implemented to protect models from pressures to be extremely thin and sexual harassment. This study evaluated the implementation of the new policies during the week of New York Fashion Week, February 2018 (NYFW Fall'18).
A sample of 76 fashion models (87% female) aged over 18 years who had participated in NYFW Fall'18 completed an online survey, reporting on behaviors and experiences occurring during NYFW Fall'18.
Key findings
A large proportion of respondents reported unhealthy weight control behaviors, including skipping meals (54%), intravenous drips (39%), and self‐induced vomiting (25%).
Fewer than half of respondents reported being always or sometimes provided with a private changing area, with 45% reporting experiencing lack of privacy when changing.
Fifteen respondents had obtained a health certificate for events in Paris. Most health providers had assessed weight, but few assessed eating and exercise behaviors.
Fashioning a Response: Results from the COVID-19 Survey and a Call to Action
Between March 20 and April 1, 2020, the Model Alliance conducted a survey to better understand the needs and concerns of fashion models during the COVID-19 crisis.
A total of 212 working models responded to the survey, which was distributed over social media channels.
Researchers at the Worker Institute at Cornell provided input in developing the survey and analyzed the results.
Key findings
One in five respondents (20%) said they did not currently have enough money to cover basic needs, and just over half (51%) said they could not cover essential needs in the event they were unable to work during the next three months.
Respondents of color—and black respondents in particular—were substantially more likely to say that they would not cover basic needs both at the time of the survey and following three additional months without income.
Fewer than one-third of respondents (30%) said they had received guidance, assistance, or resources from their agency in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Over half of respondents (55%) said they were owed money by clients, and around half (49%) were owed money by their agencies. A little over a third (36%) were owed money by both. Nearly one-third (30%) said they had outstanding payments for which they had waited over ninety days.
Voices of Models
The Model Alliance and The Worker Institute at Cornell also collaborated to interview several models on their experiences in the industry and navigating the COVID-19 crisis. Hear what they had to say below.
Fitz
Elliott
Meisha
Eating Disorders in the Fashion Industry
In January 2017 , the International Journal of Eating Disorders published the largest study to date on eating disorders among professional models. This study was a joint effort between the Model Alliance and researchers at Northeastern University and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The landmark study aims to bridge a gap in data on the pressure to lose weight and the rates of unhealthy weight control behaviors among models — and to use this evidence to suggest policy changes in the industry.
2012 Industry Survey Report
We sent an anonymous, online survey to 241 working fashion models based in New York and Los Angeles. 85 responded. Their average age was 26, indicating that our sample skewed towards older, more experienced models. We are working to reach out to younger models at the beginnings of their careers. We chose to focus this survey on women models, because male modeling is a much smaller market, but in the future we would like to survey men. Our respondents have worked in over a dozen countries, and several high-profile supermodels completed the survey.
We found that the majority of models begin their careers very young — most start working before age 16.
Despite the fact that the modeling labor force skews so young, the most models under the age of 18 are not supervised by a parent or guardian while on the job.
For the overwhelming majority of models who are not born and raised in New York, starting a career means moving to a new city, or even a foreign country, where their families may not be financially able to accompany them.
The models we surveyed shared several common concerns about their health on the job. Perhaps unsurprisingly, nearly two-thirds of models have been pressured to lose weight by their agencies. Eating disorders are not uncommon. Models report that drug use in the workplace is rampant. And more than two-thirds of models say they suffer from anxiety or depression.
Given that agencies and clients consider models to be independent contractors, rather than employees, many of our survey subjects lack health insurance coverage. And given our survey sample skewed in favor of older, more established and financially stable models, it's safe to say that among younger models and foreign models, the rate of insurance coverage is even lower.
Sexual harassment and abuse at work is also of concern to many models. Backstage at fashion shows and at photo shoots, models are often expected to change in full view of photographers, stylists, assistants, and anyone else who may happen to be present. Nearly all models have experienced a "surprise" nude shoot or casting. A sizable minority of working models have experienced sexual harassment on the job. Few models told their agencies about it, perhaps because of the fact that of the models who did, two-thirds found that their agents didn't see the problem. Models even reported that their agents encouraged them to sleep with their harassers to help their careers.