Photo: Chris Nicholls/FLARE

WHO’S INVOLVED?
To that end, Ziff recruited Chris Gay, the president of her agency, Marilyn, to sit on their advisory board. He’s all for an agency that advocates for models to start working when they’re older because, he told Ziff, it’s not a good long term investment for him to “take on 14 and 15 year old girls whose bodies are going to morph drastically.” The CFDA is also on board. When CFDA heads Diane von Furstenberg and Steven Kolb sent out their CFDA Health Initiative Guidelines for this coming season, they asked the industry to “consider model privacy and to have the photographers cleared for first looks…on behalf of The Model Alliance.” Ziff also met with Vogue’s Valerie Boster and said she was “supportive.”

And that’s why Coco Rocha has signed on as an advisory board member, too. “It used to be so hush hush and we didn’t wanna talk about it [these issues] because it could mean ruining out career,” said Rocha. “But having the backing of the CFDA, I mean that means Anna and Diane von Furstenberg–our careers are safe.”

Even with her supermodel status, her media savvy, and her outspokenness, Rocha says she still feels pressured to do things she’s not comfortable with on set. “Even these days I’m pushed to do things,” she said. “And I’ve been in the industry for years, I’m known…What about the new girl on the block, she must have no hope.”

Until now. “I kind of love it,” says Rocha of the Model Alliance. “I want to be like the big sister.”

Watch this fancy vid to learn more about the Alliance.

The Model Alliance Video Campaign from The Model Alliance on Vimeo.