The Model Alliance is a New York-based advocacy group focused on research and policy for models and others employed in the

fashion industry Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashio ...

. Founded in February 2012 by model

Sara Ziff Sara Ziff is an American fashion model, filmmaker, and labor activist. She is the founder and executive director of the Model Alliance, a nonprofit organization in New York City. Early life and education Sara Ziff was born and raised in New Y ...

along with support from others models, the Model Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Advocacy

In addition to providing a discreet grievance reporting service, the Model Alliance advocates for the enforcement of existing child labor and contract laws, promotes equal opportunity and fosters a culture of accountability in the fashion industry. Models who have served on the Model Alliance's Advisory Board include

Coco Rocha Mikhaila "Coco" Rocha (born September 10, 1988) is a Canadian fashion model. She is known as one of the first "digital" supermodels, and is known for her advocacy for younger models. As an author, she collaborated on the 2014 book ''Study of Pos ...

, Milla Jovovich,

Shalom Harlow Shalom Harlow (born December 5, 1973) is a Canadian model and actress. She began working as a fashion model in the early 1990s, achieving supermodel status by the end of the decade. In 2007, she was listed by ''Forbes'' as thirteenth in the list ...

, and

Karen Elson Karen Jill Elson (born 15 January 1979) is an English model and singer-songwriter. Early life and education Elson was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, and attended North Chadderton School as a child. She has a fraternal twin sister, filmma ...

. In June 2013, the Model Alliance announced that New York State Senators Jeffrey Klein and

Diane Savino Diane J. Savino (born September 28, 1963) is an American Democratic politician who represented the 23rd Senate District in the New York State Senate, in northern Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn, including Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, ...

had proposed legislation that would afford child models the same protections as all other child performers working in New York. In October 2013, the Model Alliance announced that Governor

Andrew M. Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cu ...

signed the child model bill (A.7787/S.5486) into law in New York State. In November 2013, the child model law was enacted and affords child models the same protections as other child performers working in New York State. In February 2017, the Model Alliance released a study in which 81.5% of models reported having an underweight body mass index. In May 2018, the Model Alliance published an open letter launching the RESPECT Program to protect models and their colleagues from sexual abuses in the fashion industry. Signed and supported by many of the world’s top models.

Amy Lemons Amy Lemons is an American fashion model and model advocate. She rose to fame quickly by landing the cover of Italian Vogue at age 14. Her ascent in the modeling industry included shooting the covers of ''Vogue'', ''Harpers Bazaar'', ''Elle'' and ' ...

Doutzen Kroes Doutzen Kroes (, ; born 23 January 1985) is a Dutch fashion model. She began her modelling career in 2003, in the Netherlands and was quickly sent by her agency to New York where she was cast by lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret. She was a Vict ...

Edie Campbell

Frederique van der Wal Frederique Van Der Wal (also Frédérique van der Wal) is a former model from The Netherlands, known for having appeared in Victoria's Secret and on the covers of magazines such as ''Cosmopolitan'' and ''Vogue''. She grew up in The Hague. Caree ...

Gisele Bundchen Gisele or Gisèle may refer to: Persons * Gisele (given name) * Gisele, mononym of Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen See also * Giselle (disambiguation) {{Disambig ...

Milla Jovovich.

Founder

is a model-turned-activist who was inspired to begin the Alliance based on her experiences in the modeling industry as a youth. At age 14, she was invited to the house of a photographer and told to take all her clothes off; later, at age 15, she went to another fashion shoot where drugs were available freely.

External links

References

{{Reflist Non-profit organizations based in New York City Fashion organizations Workers' rights organizations based in the United States