Vogue magazine is stepping up to do its part in the war on underage and underweight models in the fashion industry. The so-called fashion bible, which has 19 different editions, released a statement yesterday declaring:

From the June issues and going forward, no edition of Vogue will work with any model under the age of 16.

The statement is pretty ground-breaking and necessary as the frequent use of models as young as 13 not only sets these girls on a dangerous path of having unhealthy relationships with their bodies, but also gives women unrealistic physical ideals that, unfortunately, many attempt to conform to.

Every single Vogue editor has also agreed to this six-point manifesto in order to ensure underage models are not featured in their pages:

  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 programs 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.

Vogue taking the lead on this issue is a really positive sign for the industry and hopefully sets a precedent many other fashion mags will follow.

What do you think about this ban on underage models?

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3 Comments

  1. This is def a big deal and I hope that people get “mad” about it and reveal how unrealistic they expect this industry to stay so that the every day person buying these magazines will be able to understand that they are supporting unhealthy behaviors if they are not supporting magazines and designers who approach a good life for women OVER fashion for women

  2. i’m still iffy. what exactly does “in our view” mean? cause that could still include girls who are unhealthy, depending on who they define their “views.”

  3. I say a lot of girls lives have been ruined, up to today, when Vogue decides to care. And, altho’ I can still wear the same clothes as I did at 16, the majority of women can’t. Is using only models that are over 16 going to help them…? As adult women, when the girl was 13 or 14, we knew it and we didn’t feel the pressure to look like her. At 16 or 17, in todays hormone era, they’ll be mistaken for 24 or 25 and bam…!!! women will be right back into the need to conform. Perhaps Vogue would truely want to help by listing the models age in the photo, if they’re under 18, and perhaps a few stats like height and weight. This would give girls and women something tangible to look at in terms of the models’ statistics. If we knew the model depicted weighed 90 pounds and was 6’1, there would be a strong disconnect with our psyche. I imagine Vogue knows this and have been exploiting the very thing they are now claiming kudos for. Pardon me while I bulemic puke.

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