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Two models, tired of sexual harassment, overwork and exploitation in the fashion industry, have persuaded the British actors' union to represent them.
A campaign led by Victoria Keon-Cohen and Dunja Knezevic for better treatment within their profession persuaded the union - Equity - to allow catwalk and photographic models to join its ranks for the first time.
The women told Equity leaders that many models are pressured into having sex with clients, doing nude photoshoots even if they are underage and staying dangerously thin.
The mistreatment, exploitation and illegality they cite includes sexual harassment by clients and photographers ranging from "lewd and suggestive comments" to groping and attempts to persuade models to sleep with them.
They say girls are often too intimidated or embarrassed to complain and that some agencies, not their own, ignore models' concerns in order to maintain good relationships with important clients.
Drug-taking is commonplace in the industry, with some models, including those under 16, using cocaine and amphetamines to stay as thin as possible.
"Models start in this industry at 14, 15, or even 13, and they definitely need protection from exploitation, harassment and bad attitudes," said Knezevic, 26, who has been a model for 10 years.
"We want to get to a situation where the parents of models will not be frightened of their child going into modelling because they know they have protection and support. But there's a lot of work to do to achieve that.
"For such a long time this industry has acted as if it's crazy, wild and glamorous, and as if commonplace laws don't apply to it. But I and a lot of other models do believe that the laws should apply to it. We've had enough and we're determined to change things for the general safety of the models, especially the young girls, who are vulnerable," said Knezevic, the Bosnian-born model who has appeared in various campaigns for top UK retailers. Knezevic and Keon-Cohen plan to use a new models' committee within Equity to advise models and work with the Association of Modelling Agencies, which represents employers, to raise standards.
Keon-Cohen, 21, said: "In our industry models lack even the simple right to a single break in a 12-hour day. If a model sprains her ankle jumping on a trampoline in high heels, her scalp bleeds from an allergic reaction, or she is photographed naked because the stylist spoke secretly with the photographer to undo her shirt at the exact moment the shot was taken, she has nowhere to go."
Keon-Cohen, who is Australian, said that because of the globalisation of the industry in recent years "the mass supply of models has increased so much that models have become disposable labour. Models know this and often don't complain about mistreatment by their agency, or even if a photographer sexually abuses them, because they fear they may be blacklisted in the industry."
In her five years as a model, she has worked for Armani, Versace and Replay and is with IMG, the agency that represents supermodels Gisele Bundchen and Naomi Campbell.
The women stressed the positive aspects of modelling: the opportunity to travel, meet interesting people and earn good money.
"We do not seek to damage the industry," said Keon-Cohen. "Dunja and I believe we can work with the fashion industry to create a healthier, more transparent and safer workplace no longer overshadowed by exploitation and lack of accountability."
Martin Brown, of Equity, said: "Dunja and Victoria are intelligent, vocal and determined people. They are committed to the fashion industry and belong in it, but they want models' voices to be heard so that the way they are treated can be improved.
"What we are hearing is that models' voices aren't being heard and that they aren't being treated as the skilled professionals they are."
The Model Health Inquiry, set up this year in the wake of the "size zero" furore by the British Fashion Council, which promotes UK fashion design and organises London Fashion Week, concluded that beauty professionals needed an independent organisation to represent them. Equity is in talks with the council about agreeing industry-wide standards for employing models.
- Observer
