Walking down a runway. Posing for a photo shoot. The life of a model can seem glitzy and fun, but like any job, there’s more going on behind the scenes than what seems apparent at first glance. The modeling industry in particular can be a challenging place to try to establish and grow a career. The pressures faced by models can lead to a number of mental health issues, including eating disorders, anxiety, and depression, with little assistance available in the industry for addressing them.
According to a 2012 survey conducted by nonprofit the Model Alliance, about two-thirds of the models they spoke with said they’ve been pressured to lose weight, more than two-thirds of respondents said they suffered from anxiety or depression, and eating disorders were “not uncommon.” Backstage spoke to Sydney Giordano, associate director of the Model Alliance, about the mental health issues models currently face in the industry and what they can do to address them.
Tell me more about the Model Alliance and the work that you do.
The Model Alliance is a New York–based 501(c)(3) organization, and we advance fair treatment, equal opportunity, and sustainable practices in the fashion industry from the runway to the factory floor. We are led and guided by current and former industry workers, and we use a multipronged approach to create systemic change all across the global supply chain. We work to assist models and other stakeholders in understanding the laws applicable to them [and] their rights. We encourage them to have a voice in their work, and we identify common areas of concern in the fashion industry. We conduct strategic research with leading research institutions and use our findings to inform a variety of policy and legislative initiatives. We work to educate the industry and the public about our core issues, which, of course, include mental and emotional health and wellbeing in the fashion industry.
What are some of the common mental health issues you’ve seen impact models?
I would say one of the biggest mental health issues we see among models is eating disorders. We often think about the thinness pressures that consumers face, but we sort of fail often to acknowledge the thinness pressures that models face themselves. In 2017, we partnered with researchers at Harvard and Northeastern to conduct the largest study to date on eating disorders among models, and it really just confirmed how pervasive and dangerous the industry’s promotion of extreme thinness standards really are for models.
For example, more than half the models we surveyed, around 54%, were told they wouldn’t be able to find more jobs if they didn’t lose weight. So, not only are models being pressured to lose weight, but they’re being told that their livelihood depends on it. This immense pressure to lose weight in order to protect your ability to make a living is unacceptable. It’s incredibly damaging to models’ mental health and their overall safety and wellbeing.
Beyond eating disorders, we know that racism, homophobia, and xenophobia are incredibly pervasive in the modeling industry and the fashion industry in general, and that leaves models of color and those who identify as LGBTQ+ particularly vulnerable to the industry’s potentially negative impacts on mental health. Brands engage in racist practices such as blackface and cultural appropriation, and often models will face discrimination and physical violence if they identify as trans or nonbinary. That poses an incredible risk as well, and there’s an absence of safe channels to really file grievances and resolve complaints within the industry, which leaves models vulnerable to abuse and feeling overall very silenced by it.
How to Become a Model Over the years, have you seen changes in the industry regarding these issues or, especially with the pandemic, have new issues arisen?
The issues are still there, but people are becoming much more open to talking about them and coming forward with their stories, especially in light of the #MeToo movement, which is incredible to see. But we really need to make sure that we’re holding brands and agencies accountable to fair and equitable treatment and ensuring that the change is impacting people in their day-to-day lives. It’s one thing to talk about the issues and it’s another to really address them.
In terms of the pandemic, we did a study last April with the Worker Institute at Cornell University looking at the impact of the pandemic on the workers in fashion, and we found that these types of issues that models commonly face are kind of exacerbated by the pandemic. It’s this double impact where models are already subject to financial mistreatment, sexual harassment and abuse, late and non-payment, all these types of issues, and in the wake of the pandemic, when people are out of work and really struggling, it only brings these issues to light even more.
What can models do if they’re struggling with one of these issues? Where can they turn?
We operate Model Alliance Support, which is the nation’s only industry-specific support line, and we hear from models every single day about workplace issues they’re facing, some of which I just mentioned like late and non-payment, racial discrimination, online harassment and bullying, sexual harassment and abuse, and sometimes even trafficking. Unsurprisingly, these experiences, especially within the context of a largely unregulated industry with little opportunity for recourse and very real fear of retaliation, can have an enduring impact on models’ mental health.
We make sure we address complaints we receive through the support line in a secure and very timely manner. We can make referrals to a variety of resources depending on what feels right to that individual. Some of those can include victim services, resources, licensed mental health professionals, law enforcement, if they’d like to report an incident, or even a trusted media outlet that could amplify worker voices. All that is to say, if you’re a model and you’re struggling with your mental health, the Model Alliance can help. You can contact us by email at support@modelalliance.org; information that is provided to us remains completely confidential, unless you’re a minor, and then we have a legal duty to report on your behalf. But other than that, we want to be a trusted resource for people to come to with any sort of issues they’re having and we really take a tailored and knowledgeable approach to each person.
Have you seen any improvements or developments with agencies or companies themselves trying to address these issues by offering resources to models or is it still very much left to the models to find places for help and support?
Unfortunately, I would say it’s the latter. Models often have to seek resources and support outside of brands and agencies. Unlike more traditional workplaces, there is no real HR department for models. Even if there are within an agency or a brand, often, brands and agencies will kind of protect their reputations over the models they claim to represent. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen much progress there, but the Model Alliance has been working over the past several years to develop a program called the Respect Program. It’s the only real accountability program designed by and for models and creatives. Through this program, we ask companies and agencies to sign a binding commitment to an enforceable code of conduct that would protect everyone’s safety on the job and reduce vulnerability to mistreatment that can lead to a lot of mental health issues down the line. Many brands and agencies will put forth their own standards, but they’re often missing this enforceability piece that we’re really trying to bring forward in the industry. Often it falls short of real accountability and transparency and acts more as a PR pledge.
For models who are just starting out or those thinking about entering the modeling industry, what advice would you give them about taking care of their mental health and being aware of these issues?
I would say my biggest piece of advice for aspiring models is to really do your due diligence when considering opportunities in the modeling industry. Often, agencies can prey on aspirations and naivete that a lot of young models have. It’s very important to consult with an attorney before signing any contracts. If you feel unsafe, tell a trusted adult, bring a trusted adult with you to work, and really just make sure that you are putting yourself and your safety first. Modeling scams are all too common and especially impact models who are just starting out. I think the biggest way to protect yourself is to really do your due diligence.
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