Fashion Models Get Long-Sought Industry Protections

Thousands of models working in New York State’s fashion industry will gain basic protections from exploitation, harassment and abuse and the growing use of Artificial Intelligence as a result of legislation signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul Saturday.

The Fashion Workers Act, sponsored by Manhattan Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Bronx Assemblywoman Karines Reyes and passed by state legislators in June, will go into effect in June 2025 and will finally grant models access to deal memos and contracts with their own clients, increased transparency into expenses with limits on what can be charged to them, safeguards against harassment and abuse, and a formal channel to report violations without fear of retaliation, among other protections. For the first time, model management companies in New York will be registered with the state – which will protect aspiring models from fraudulent predators – and have a legal obligation to act in the best interests of the people they represent. Notably, models will also have first-ever protections against the misuse of artificial intelligence.

“This landmark victory, which affords labor rights to models in New York, sends a message to workers across the $2.5 trillion fashion industry that they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect just like everyone else who works for a living,” the founder and executive director of the Model Alliance, Sara Ziff, said in a statement following the governor’s signature. Read more in The Business of Fashion.