Dear Members of the American Fashion Industry,
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By signing this statement, I express my support of the open letter released by members of the modeling community and the organizations the Model Alliance and the National Eating Disorders Association in advance of New York Fashion Week. Concerns about the fashion industry’s promotion of extreme thinness are nothing new but a recent research study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders confirms that unhealthy weight control practices are a serious problem in the industry. Too often, models are being pressured to jeopardize their health and safety as a prerequisite for employment. This season, we acknowledge your concerted efforts and challenge you to: |
- Make a serious commitment to promote health and diversity. During NYFW, we will be watching to see which designers feature the most diverse casts in terms of race, size, and gender.
- Uphold the understanding that models under age 16 do not belong on the runway. Most children have prepubescent bodies, which makes them unsuitable to market clothing to adults.
- Observe child labor laws in New York State, which require that models under 18-years-old have proper documents and schedules.
- Review the latest research on eating disorders and unhealthy weight control practices in the fashion industry and commit to working collaboratively with industry stakeholders and medical experts.
Thank you for hearing our message and helping to promote health and diversity.
Signed,
