Last summer the Model Alliance in New York launched the RESPECT programme, which is meant to safeguard models from sexual and financial exploitation. It is a most commendable initiative and I think a great number of people in the industry will go along with it, especially with regard to the sexual exploitation, in the wake of the #metoo movement. Who would disagree with the idea that models should not be sexually exploited?
Sexual exploitation aside, I am very concerned with the other bit, the financial exploitation of models. Unfortunately, it is rampant. Unfortunately, even progressive brands, purporting to be inclusive, are guilty of it.
What is definitely making things worse is the idea of using real women and real men, in an attempt to fight unattainable beauty standards. That's fine, I am all for it. Except that these real women and real men are actually models doing a job and therefore should be paid. It's not all right for brands to get away with periodic calls for real women, 'our real customers', as they put it, and arrange unpaid photoshoots, with no mention of buyouts for usage. 'We are all on the same side of the fence' they will tell you. 'You will get tremendous exposure bla bla bla'. Except that these brands are businesses, they are not charities. They make a profit and save money on models fees.
I too have modelled for free. I too fell, countless times, for the lure of 'beautiful images for your portfolio' and the chance to be seen. I was a newbie too, unaware of what actually happens when you agree to the use of your image with no time limit ie in perpetuity.
Not anymore. Many new models don't know any better and are so keen on having pictures of themselves put on websites or instagram they will forego payments altogether. 'We do it out of friendship'. Actually if you model for free you are being exploited. You are declassed to non-pro.
Newbies are so keen they sometimes will tell a casting director they love the job so much, they would do it for free. Never put such ideas into a casting director's head. It's already standard practice that editorials should go unpaid, I am not even sure how or when that happened, but it has, and most magazine editors will happily tell you they have so many people queuing up to be featured, who needs to pay them? Let's not do that for commercial jobs too.
Mature models are particularly vulnerable to financial exploitation. As Grey Model Agency managing director, Rebecca Valentine, says in an interview for the Sunday Post " My HUGE criticism so far is the inequality in fees for mature models which have no comparison AT ALL with their younger counterparts. Mature modelling is viewed as a hobby, models should be grateful for being given jobs and the surge in the current Instagram trend that anyone can be a model is having a great impact on this with ordinary people agreeing to do shoots for free for a quick minute of fame. Professional models work very hard across all ages. It is not a job for the faint hearted."
Let's end the culture of free shoots for brands, even though they may be ostensibly progressive. When you are asked to model please ask yourself 'What's in it for me' apart from the images being shared on social media. Modelling is a job, not a hobby. At all ages.
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