With September’s fashion week now in the past, designers and models move forward to begin thinking about the New York Fashion Week that will take place in February. However, will the models on the runways gradually begin to look slightly older?
This past week, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York signed a new state labor law legislation regulating child models. In the past, child models had not been given the same protection that other child performers were given under the child-labor laws. The average model starts their career at age 13. They often times risk their health and security to take on this job. Now these models have many new protections to limit the overworking of such young children.
This new piece of legislation includes limits on the hours child models can work on school nights and non-school nights. Additionally, the employer must set aside time for the models to do schoolwork. Parents or guardians of the models must receive a detailed work schedule for the models. This parent or guardian must also set up a trust fund for the models, where employers will directly contribute at least 15 percent of the model’s gross earnings. If the model is under 16, there must be an adult in the room at all times. Lastly, for medical reasons, there must always be a nurse with a background in pediatrics on hand.
While these new provisions protect the models, they propose the question: how will this change the number of child models that are hired for fashion week? With these new limits on work hours, young models may not be able to work as long of days as they once were. It may simply be easier for designers to hire a young looking 18-year-old rather than the 13-year-old with limited hours and extreme provisions.
These new laws could drastically change the face of modeling. As we anticipate the upcoming fashion week in February of 2014, designers must be mindful of these new laws. As we watch models strut down the runway, it will be especially interesting to see just what age designers hire now, and how this will continue into the future of fashion week.
