“It’s about time we had this kind of a support group,” Coco Rocha said last night at the launch of Model Alliance at the Standard Hotel. Founded by model-turned-Columbia Grad, Sara Ziff, Model Alliance is a non-profit organization focused on establishing fair labor standards for models in the United States.
“No one really thinks about the fact that we need the same benefits that other people get in the workforce, so I was totally onboard when Sara told me about [Model Alliance],” Coco said. “It would be amazing to look back at the history of models twenty years from now and know I was a part of something like this.”
Coco is one of many supermodels to stand behind the new organization. Doutzen Kroes and Crystal Renn also attended last night, both emphasizing the importance of proper compensation for models in America. “There are way too many instances where models are paid next-to-nothing for the work that they do,” Sara Ziff shared. “And if they speak up they’re quickly replaced by another girl who doesn’t ask for any money.”
With Diane Von Furstenberg and the CFDA’s health requirements and age restrictions on runway shows, the launch of Model Alliance, and the continued support of model influencers like Coco and Doutzen, there is no doubt that models will finally get the rights and benefits they deserve in this hard-working and hard-earning industry.
