Two Fashion Giants Are Working Together To Ban Ultra-Thin Models
High fashion is becoming a less destructive, slightly healthier industry in which to work, thanks to two of its most powerful conglomerates.
Together,LVMHandKeringown nearly every high fashion brand you’ve ever heard of. They have teamed up tocreate a charter on, according to a release, “working relations with fashion models and their well-being.”
The charter, released Wednesday, demands models present a “valid medical certificate, attesting to their good health and ability to work” before a casting, bans models under the age of 16 and requires female models be at least a French size 34 (00 U.S., according toNet-a-Porter) and male models be at least a French size 42 (which appears to be an XXS, according toMr. Porter).
It also enforces the following guidelines be put in place for models between the ages of 16-18:
It applies to both brands’ extensive portfolio of brands, which include:
LVMH:Berluti, Céline, Christian Dior, Edun, Emilio Pucci, Fendi, Givenchy, Kenzo, Loewe, Loro Piana, Louis Vuitton, March Jacobs, Moynat, Nicholas Kirkwood, Rimowa and Thoma Pink.Kering: Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Brioni, Christopher Kane, McQ, Stella McCartney, Boucheron, Dodo, Girard-Perregaux, JeanRichard, Pomellato, Qeelin and Ulysse Nardin.
The news comes months after casting director James Scully detailed horrific working conditions at castings for Kering-owned Balenciaga, in which he said 150 girls were forcedto wait in a dark stairwell for three hours waiting to be seen. He also detailedracism at Lanvinand schemes to hire underage models from a brand he did not name.
At the time, back in March, both LVMH and Kering pledged to work with Scully toward change in response. “I have now gathered major support behind the scenes and both Kering and LVMH have pledged to fully support me in any way possible to reverse this behavior and return some of the joy and humanity back to this business,” Scully wrote on Instagram.
On Wednesday, Scully provided his followers with an update, outlining the charter and calling it just the beginning. “This is an amazing step forward by the two most important companies in the world and they are dedicated to keeping this permanent,”he wrote.
A post shared by james scully (@jamespscully)on Sep 6, 2017 at 11:03am PDT
LVMH and Kering follow in the footsteps of countries like France and Israel, whichhave bothbannedmodels with under an 18.5 BMI. While a size 0 is not what you would call a giant push toward inclusion on the runway, seeing these two fashion giants work together to ensure the health and safety of models on runways worldwide is great step in the right direction and, as Fashionista editor Tyler McCall wrote on Twitter, “very rare.”
“Keep pushing them, especially with your dollars,” she wrote.
Anyway, these two groups worked together (VERY RARE) on their own initiative (VERY RARE). Keep pushing them, especially with your dollars.
— Tyler McCall (@eiffeltyler)September 6, 2017
Keep pushing them, indeed.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
