Kering raises minimum model age to 18

French luxury conglomerate Kering is furthering its commitment to work responsibly with models by pledging to only work with talent that is 18 years of age and older.

On May 15, Kering announced that from 2020, it will only cast models who are 18 and up for its runway shows and fashion shoots. Previously, the company had joined with fellow group LVMH to set the minimum age for models at 16.

“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/CEO of Kering, in a statement. “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.”

Age requirement
Kering’s commitment begins with the fall/winter 2020 runway season next year.

Along with looking to protect models, the change is also focused on the consumer-facing impact of young campaign and catwalk personalities.

In 2017, French luxury conglomerates LVMH and Kering joined forces to create a common charter that determines how the groups will work with fashion models in the future.

The goal is ostensibly to ensure the well-being of the models and reflect the values of the luxury brands under their umbrellas. The statement came a day after The New York Times ran an article that spelled out several concerns expressed by models, including objectification, sexism, racism and loss of dignity (see story).

Kering is raising the age for its catwalk models. Image credit: Gucci

Among the commitments made in the charter were the banning of sizes 32 for women and 34 for men from casting requirements and setting working conditions such as availability of food and drink on jobs and establishing private changing areas.

“In our view, the physiological and psychological maturity of models aged over 18 seems more appropriate to the rhythm and demands that are involved in this profession,”said Marie-Claire Daveu, chief sustainability officer and head of international institutional affairs at Kering, in a statement. “We are also aware of the role-model element that images produced by our houses can represent for certain groups of people.”