model thin

Yesterday’s NY Post had a really well balanced piece about how the Council of Fashion Designers of America is trying to create a healthier working environment for models (including providing healthy snacks, educating designers about eating disorders and not allowing models under 18–especially those without gaurdians– to work at night.) This of course, comes just before Fashion Week in February and on the heels of the deaths of two models from eating disordered related deaths. The article indicates that–of course–the designers and models are none to happy about these new guidelines.

But, what really struck me as fascinating about this article, was the under-18 year old model that Danica Lo profiled. She was particularly upset because, since she had moved to NY from Boston six months ago without a gaurdian, to work as a model, these new rules might result in her working much less than other models. As I read, I kept asking myself what an under-18 year old was doing working in this industry without a gaurdian. Don’t the adults in her life know what it’s like out there? Haven’t they been following the news? It almost seems that she’s doomed to become one of the fashion world’s eating disorder statistics if no-one is there to watch over her and keep her safe in that environment. How can she possibly have the judgment–even if she thinks she does–to keep herself safe. It’s time that the members of the fashion industry (not just the CFDA)–stepped out of denial and stepped up to take care of their own, because there’s no guarantee that anyone else is doing it.