Commenting on the publication of the final report of the Model Health Inquiry, led by Baroness Denise Kingsmill today, Will Hutton, chief executive of The Work Foundation, said:
‘Modelling may be some people’s idea of a fairytale career, but this inquiry should convince everyone that producing appearances for a living carries its risks, too. The report rightly demands that the industry as a whole makes the wellbeing of the young and vulnerable people who work in it a much higher priority than it has been.
‘Ensuring that models are treated as individuals to whom designers, labels, agencies, suppliers and the entire celebrity-industrial complex owe a profound duty of care is critical. Too often, it appears, people become nothing more than image fodder.
‘Designer fashion may be a relatively niche field, but it is growing and has a huge impact on our wider aesthetic culture. The recommendations set out here are an important first step towards propelling ideas of ‘good work’ and high quality aemployment practices into sectors that sorely need them.’
