The CFDA remains deeply committed to our message of Health As Beauty and Diversity during Fashion Week and throughout the year. Fashion Week has become a powerful voice which reaches millions of people across the globe and we should not underestimate the consequences of the messages that we send.
In our continuing quest to protect the models that we work with, we have updated the CFDA Health Initiative guidelines to recommend that models be asked for i.d. to ensure that they are at least 16 years old on the day of a show. The casting agents for the Diane von Furstenberg show will be doing this and we encourage others to do the same.
We have received pledges from all the top modeling agencies – including DNA, Elite, Ford, IMG, Marilyn, New York, Next, One, Supreme, Trump, Wilhelmina, and Women – that they will not send out any models under the age of 16 for shows.
Our newly launched Ambassador Program will continue this season with veteran models from DNA, IMG, Marilyn, Next, and Women providing advice and support to up-and-coming models.
Enclosed here you will find the updated Guidelines, as well as information on labor laws and the signs of eating disorders.
We each have the power to impact the lives of women. Together, we can let the world know that diversity and Health Is Beauty are what we stand for.
Love,
Diane von Furstenberg and Steven Kolb
Council of Fashion Designers of America Health Initiative Guidelines
In January 2007, the CFDA formed a health initiative to address what has become a global fashion issue: the overwhelming concern about whether some models are unhealthily thin, and whether or not to impose restrictions in such cases. Designers share a responsibility to protect women, and very young girls in particular, within the business, sending the message that beauty is health. While some models are naturally tall and thin and their appearance is a result of many factors, including genetics, youth, nutritional food, and exercise, other models have or develop eating disorders. Although we cannot fully assume responsibility for an issue that is as complex as eating disorders and that occurs in many walks of life, the fashion industry can begin a campaign of awareness and create an atmosphere that supports the well-being of these young women. Working in partnership with the fashion industry, medical experts, nutritionists, and fitness trainers, the CFDA formed a committee to propose a series of positive steps designed to promote wellness and a healthier working environment. We recognize that change will take time and are committed to industry-specific educational efforts, awareness programs, support systems, and evaluation and treatment options that advance our recommendations.
Guidelines:
• Educate the industry to identify the early warning signs in an individual at risk of developing an eating disorder.
• Encourage models who may have an eating disorder to seek professional help in order to continue modeling. And models who are receiving professional help for an eating disorder should not continue modeling without that professional’s approval.
• Develop workshops for the industry (including models and their families) on the nature of eating disorders, how they arise, how we identify and treat them, and complications if they are untreated.
• Support the well-being of younger individuals by not hiring models under the age of sixteen for runway shows; not allowing models under the age of eighteen to work past midnight at fittings or shoots; checking IDs to ensure that models are the appropriate age; providing regular breaks and rest. Consult the applicable labor laws found at www.labor.state.ny.us when working with models under sixteen.
• Supply healthy meals, snacks, and water backstage and at shoots and provide nutrition and fitness education.
• Promote a healthy backstage environment by raising the awareness of the impact of smoking and tobacco-related disease among women, ensuring a smoke-free environment, and address underage drinking by prohibiting alcohol.
The CFDA Health Initiative is about awareness, education, and safety, not policing. Although we do not require a specific body mass index to work, we do recommend that models receive regular medical care to ensure their well-being.
The CFDA Health Initiative is committed to the notion of a healthy mind in a healthy body, and there cannot be one without the other. The industry is determined to foster a balanced approach to nutrition, recreation, exercise, work, and relationships.
For more information, contact info@cfda.com