COPENHAGEN — Further raising the bar to protect the wellbeing of models, Kering has increased the minimum age to 18 for models it hires to represent adults, effective in 2020, the company said Wednesday.
“As a global luxury group, we are conscious of the influence exerted on younger generations in particular by the images produced by our houses,” said François-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive officer of Kering.
In 2017, Kering and LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, in a rare coordinated move for the luxury rivals, drew up a charter setting out industry standards to protect models. They set out requirements for recent medical certificates proving models’ overall health, and banned the employment of models under 16.
The announcement expands on this agreement by preventing their brands from working with “models under 18 in shoots and walking in shows,” said Pinault.
“We believe that we have a responsibility to put forward the best possible practices in the luxury sector and we hope to create a movement that will encourage others to follow suit,” he added.
The company, which champions women’s causes through its foundation that fights violence against women, noted that the measure signalled “further progress in Kering’s continued commitment to women.”
“In our view, the physiological and psychological maturity of models aged over 18 seems more appropriate to the rhythm and demands involved in this profession,” noted Marie-Claire Daveu, Kering’s chief sustainability officer and head of international institutional affairs.