The Model Alliance Gives a Voice to the Faces of Fashion

5:30 PM, February 6 2012

By John Jannuzzi

With New York Fashion Week days away, the entire industry is gearing up to see the Fall 2012 collections. Countless looks will be shown on the runway from designers big and small. And they're being worn on those runways by the faces of the industry: the models.

From the outside, modeling looks like a glamorous, effortless and "cushy" job. But like anything in this business, it's not always that easy. A grueling schedule (from shoots to multiple fashion weeks), marginal labor rights (they're typically freelancers), mounting bills (yes, in many cases, models actually end up owing money to agencies) and countless cases of exploitation, suddenly the profession doesn't seem so easy as, "walking from one end of the platform to the other."

Enter the Model Alliance. Founded by Sara Ziff, co-director of Picture Me, the documentary about the modeling industry (avaialble on Netflix instant FYI), the group—which is kind of like a Freelancers Union designed specifically for the pretty ones—seeks to improve the conditions in which models work and live.

There's considerable weight behind this new org, including support from the CFDA and the Fashion Law Institute at Fordham Law School. Thus, we're certain we'll see great strides made.

For an introduction to their work, watch the video below and for more information, visit their website.