According to Condé Nast, Vogue is uniquely placed to engage with relevant issues in order to make a difference, and The Health Initiative will build on the successful work which the Council of Fashion Designers of America with the support of American Vogue in the US and the British Fashion Council with the help of British Vogue in the UK have already begun.
Jonathan Newhouse, Chairman of Condé Nast International comments “Vogue believes that good health is beautiful. Vogue Editors around the world want the magazines to reflect their commitment to the health of the models who appear on the pages and the wellbeing of their readers.”
The Health Initiative is a programme designed to ensure that fashion models, role models for many women, are well cared for and educated in ways that will encourage and help them to take care of themselves, addressing as many of the pressing issues relating to ill-health in the industry as can realistically be tackled.
The June issues of Vogue launch The Health Initiative globally featuring individually commissioned editorial, while the Editors of Vogue have agreed a six point pact as follows;
1. We will not knowingly work with models under the age of 16 or who appear to have an eating disorder. We will work with models who, in our view, are healthy and help to promote a healthy body image.
2. We will ask agents not to knowingly send us underage girls and casting directors to check IDs when casting shoots, shows and campaigns.
3. We will help to structure mentoring programmes where more mature models are able to give advice and guidance to younger girls, and we will help to raise industry-wide awareness through education, as has been integral to the Council of Fashion Designers of America Health Initiative.
4. We will encourage producers to create healthy backstage working conditions, including healthy food options and a respect for privacy. We will encourage casting agents not to keep models unreasonably late.
5. We encourage designers to consider the consequences of unrealistically small sample sizes of their clothing, which limits the range of women who can be photographed in their clothes, and encourages the use of extremely thin models.
6. We will be ambassadors for the message of healthy body image.
As an example of the achievements possible, the Council of Fashion Designers of America Health Initiative launched an ambassador programme in 2011, in which more mature models mentor those just starting out. Embraced by a number of key agencies, the programme proved to be successful and has provided a forum for models to express concerns and seek guidance. Also this initiative has instigated a pledge drive in the States, soliciting signatures from key members of the industry pledging to abide by the guidelines, while the Council of Fashion Designers of America President Diane von Furstenberg sends an industry-wide letter that includes signs of eating disorders and a reminder to follow the guidelines.
In Britain, the British Fashion Council’s Model Health Inquiry was a landmark report that looked at practical solutions to support model health. Since the 2007 report, the BFC has continued to promote model health through their on-going Model Programme. Recommendations from the report, that are now common practice, include contracts with designers participating in London Fashion Week to assure all models are 16+ years of age; the provision of healthy food and drink backstage; the introduction of a model relaxation zone; Equity becoming a representative body for models; and bi-annual meetings of the BFC’s Model Programme Committee to discuss any issues that may arise. Since its inception in 2011 the BFC’s Model Advisory Panel, which includes international stylists, casting directors and booking editors, meet at regular intervals to ensure that all recommendations are re-iterated and provide an international sounding board to discuss topics including model welfare.
The Editors of Vogue participating in The Health Initiative are Emmanuelle Alt, France; Christiane Arp, Germany; Angelica Cheung, China; Kirstie Clements, Australia; Victoria Davydova, Russia; Seda Domanic, Turkey; Daniela Falcao, Brazil; Myung Hee Lee, Korea; Elena Makri, Greece; Paula Mateus, Portugal; Yolanda Sacristan, Spain; Alexandra Shulman, United Kingdom; Franca Sozzani, Italy; Karin Swerink, The Netherlands; Kelly Talamas, Mexico; Priya Tanna, India; Mitsuko Watanabe, Japan; Anna Wintour, United States; and Sky Wu, Taiwan.
(Vogue Japan who include the editorial in their July issue.)
