Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed a legislation stating that it is acceptable to use models under the age of 18, but only if designers or anyone who hires the model follows a series of specific stipulations that apply to other child performers (actors, dancers, musicians, etc.) under New York law.
The law applies to all forms of modeling, including both print and runway. The new law takes effect in 30 days and will greatly impact the casting of models for New York Fashion Week, in February.
The rules include:
-Requirements of filing paperwork with the state -Limiting the work hours of models who are minors and letting them leave before midnight on school nights or 12:30 a.m. on weekends -Making sure that 15% of the model’s fee is put in a trust account until he or she is 18 -Making sure that models do not miss 3 or more consecutive days of school without providing a tutor -For models under 16 (who would violate the CFDA Health Initiative rules for runway but might be used for junior or children’s lines, for example), must provide a chaperone -The CFDA Health Initiative took the first step by moving the industry’s standard minimum age to 16; this law still allows 16- and 17-year-olds to model, but with caution.
