Vogue announces new age limits on models

Today, all 19 international issues of Vogue took a pledge to no longer feature underage models.

The announcement came from Condé Nast International chairman, Jonathan Newhouse. He told The New York Times, “Vogue editors around the world want the magazines to reflect their commitment to the health of the models who appear on the pages and the well-being of their readers.”

Making the modeling industry a bit more healthy for both models and readers has been growing trend in recent months. The New York Times notes several of Vogue's international editors including American editor, Anna Wintour, and Italian Vogue editor, Franca Sozzani, are both active members on the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

The CFDA has long been a proponent of banning underage models from walking in fashion shows, and appearing in adult-centric magazines. In January, the group updated their guidelines to include stern warnings of using underage models saying, "In our continuing quest to protect the models that we work with, we have updated the CFDA Health Initiative guidelines to recommend that models be asked for i.d. to ensure that they are at least 16 years old on the day of a show. The casting agents for the Diane von Furstenberg show will be doing this and we encourage others to do the same."

The guidelines went on to note how several agencies like Ford, and IMG, pledged to not send their younger models to castings. 

However, the fashion and modeling world sometimes has an issue with practicing what it preaches. 

It was revealed in February that Diane Von Furstenberg, who is acting president of the CFDA, used underage model Hailey Clauson in her Fall 2012 show. She later apologized, claiming it was an oversight. 

Vogue on the other hand, seems to be making an ironclad promise to bring a healthier and more adult image to their readers.

In today's announcement they outlined their commitment with a six-part promise:

“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.”