Australian fashion industry forced to drop plan to use 14-year-old model

AUSTRALIA: Australia's fashion industry dropped plans to use a 14-year-old model as the face of its annual showcase yesterday after fashion magazines refused to publish the girl's photograph because she was too young.

Organisers of Australia's fashion week had planned to make Polish model Monika Jagaciak the star of its annual fashion shows from April 28th to May 2nd.

But editors from Vogue and Marie Claire magazines threatened to pull coverage of the fashion events and called for organisers to follow guidelines in place in London and Paris, which place restrictions on models under 16 years old.

"Fourteen is young and extreme," Australia's Vogue editor, Kirsty Clements, told Australian radio. "That is a big disconnect to what you are essentially supposed to be doing, selling clothes to women, and yet you are getting them so young that they haven't even developed a curve."

Marie Claire editor Jackie Frank said it was time publishers and fashion companies took a stand and increased the minimum age of models to 16.

After initially standing by their decision on Jagaciak, the event's organisers yesterday backed down following the industry pressure, saying that, "effective immediately", participating models must be at least 16. 

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times