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 19 July 2008 08:14 BST

Call to ban U16 models

Wednesday, 11 Jul 2007 11:03
Catwalk models should be over 16, the report has concluded
Models under the age of 16 should be banned from the catwalks during London fashion week, a new report has concluded.

Concern has been raised of late about the way young women are presented in the modelling industry, as well as the prevalence of eating disorders and the so-called 'size zero' culture among models.

And following an interim industry report, the Model Health Inquiry, agencies have been told not to use pre-16 models.

"The British Fashion Council (BFC) has already issued advice to designers that models under 16 should not be used during London fashion week but the panel believes that this should go further and that models aged below 16 should be banned from the catwalks during London fashion week," the report states.

As well as concern about young models' health, the panel was also concerned about "the particular vulnerability of this age group and the risk of the sexual exploitation of children in requiring them to represent adult women".

"We would also like to see additional protection for models aged between 17 and 18, including chaperoning at shows and better support made available," the report added.

Models are often scouted in their early teens, with Lily Cole, Lily Donaldson, Gemma Ward and Kate Moss all given their first break at 16 or under.

"Working hours for children aged 15 and 16 are restricted by law," Baroness Denise Kingsmill, who chaired the inquiry, said.

"However, the hours that young models spend at casting sessions are not covered because these are not considered paid employment. In addition, rules surrounding the chaperoning of young models are in practice difficult to enforce and their effectiveness depends greatly on the level of parental interest," the panel heard.

"There was also strongly expressed concern that it is profoundly inappropriate that girls under 16 – under the age of consent – should be portrayed as adult women.

"The risk of sexualising these children was high and designers could risk charges of sexual exploitation."

The panel also heard recommendations from the medical profession that models should be weighed prior to going on the catwalk to ensure they are not underweight.

But other experts suggested that body mass index (BMI), which is often used as a measure of fat, is "not necessarily an accurate measure" and "not foolproof" in identifying whether models are suffering from eating disorders such as Bulimia Nervosa.

Commenting on the findings, Hilary Riva, the chief executive of the BFC, said the council will "now take the time to examine in more depth their recommendations in terms of the potential impact on the industry itself and the BFC specifically".

"There are several key recommendations within the interim report which are consistent with and support the BFC's already well-established policy on minimum model age, no smoking and no drug use at BFC run venues - issues which the designers showing in London have largely supported over the past years and I am sure will now work with us to enforce in a stronger and more transparent way," she added.End of story


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