Fashion bible Vogue and its publisher Conde Nast will no longer feature underage models on its pages, the company announced on Thursday, calling on the wider industry to do the same.
It followed the release of a new Code of Conduct back in January after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
As CEO Bob Sauerberg stated earlier this year, it is our hope the industry ensures “the creative process does their part to help ensure a safe and respectful work environment.” https://t.co/KO1vW92NCE
— Condé Nast (@CondeNast) August 16, 2018
“In recognition of the unique vulnerability of minors thrown into a career where they have little control and where abuse has been all too commonplace, the vendor code of conduct stipulates that no model under the age of eighteen will be photographed for editorial,” Vogue’s Maya Singer wrote in the piece, explaining the new policy.
Singer acknowledged that Vogue had previously been part of the problem by dressing and marketing underage models “as glamorous adults”.
“No more: It’s not right for us, it’s not right for our readers, and it’s not right for the young models competing to appear in these pages,” she said. “While we can’t rewrite the past, we can commit to a better future.”
She added, however, that underage models may still feature if they are the subject of an article.
“In which case the model will be both chaperoned and styled in an age-appropriate manner,” Singer writes.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), which for the past decade has called on the industry not to use models under the age of 16, told designers on Tuesday that they “now encourage you to consider only working with models aged 18 and over”.
Young models are still developing. There can be a lack of the confidence, strength, experience, and maturity it takes to deal with the pressures of this work,” Steven Kolb, the CFDA’s CEO, told Vogue.
Additionally, DNA Models— which represents Naomi Campbell, Adwoa Aboah and Natalia Vodianova amongst others — and The Society Management — which counts Adriana Lima, Kendall Jenner and Willow Smith as clients — will no longer submit models under the age of eighteen for show consideration in North America.
But underage models who previously participated in Fashion Week would be put up for consideration by DNA Models, they confirmed.
Conde Nast also publishes Vanity Fair, Glamour, GQ, The New Yorker, Condé Nast Traveler and Allure.
