http://iconicitvfashion.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-model-alliance-and-coco-rocha.html
It's about time! The topic of underage models have been a huge topic of discussion for a long time now in the fashion industry. Finally Sara Ziff, founder and executive director of the Model Alliance, with the assistance of super model and icon Coco Rocha announced that under age models will now be under the same health and educational care as other child performers!
The Model Alliance is a a non profit organization that aims to protect the rights of models. With the support of many models and the Fashion Law Institute they began the motions for the Underage Model Bill back in June and as of November 20th the bill will be put in action!
The stipulation of the bill are:1. A responsible person will be designated to monitor the activity and safety for each child performer under the age of 16 in the workplace.
2. Employers must provide a nurse with pediatric experience as well as health and safety information.
3. An education requirement decrees that employers must provide teachers and a dedicated space for instruction.
4. A financial trust must be established by a child model's parent or guardian into which an employer must transfer at least 15 per cent of the child's gross earnings.
There have been attempts to get designers not to higher models under the age of 16, however, it hasn't worked for everyone. This bill will do nothing but protect those young adults from the controversy surrounding the issues! Below is a post that Coco Rocha posted on G+ while speaking at the press conference!
Coco Rocha Shared publicly
PRESS CONFERENCE CELEBRATING NEW LEGISLATION PROTECTING CHILD MODELS - "There are a few events that will forever stand out as mile stones in my career - today is one such occasion. When I signed on as an advisory board member of The Model Alliance in early 2012 I spoke with Sara about our hopes and goals. We knew we had a long hard road ahead of us and success was not promised, in fact, most highly doubted we'd make any lasting impression. Fashion is an industry that, on one hand embraces the new, but on the other hand viciously resists change.
In February of 2012 I hoped, but could not dare to assume, that we would be able to change the status quo as we are witnessing today.
Having once been a child model myself, I know all to well that, up until now, a large underage workforce has lived and worked under very little legal protection in 21st century New York. The fact is, the fashion industry's attempts at self regulation has not been enough to ensure a safe working environment for its large army of minor models.
For a long time these children have needed and deserved the same basic protections afforded other child performers working in New York and I could not be happier that this coming into place thanks in no small part to the passion and diligence of Sara Ziff, The Model Alliance and the senators present. Regardless of any anticipated extra burden of regulation, record keeping or expense, acting in the best interests of our children's health and well-being is, and always should be, a given.
I'm so excited to see us make a huge step in the right direction, and I'm thrilled that Ive been able to be apart of such a momentous moment which is sure to change the future of our industry for the better."
Hats off to Coco Rocha and the Model Alliance for such a great step in the right direction for the Fashion Industry!
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