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Diane Von Furstenberg & CFDA Initiative
Diane Von Furstenberg, fashion designer and President of Council of Fashion Designers America (CFDA) recently released a new health initiative aimed at promoting and ensuring the safety and health of models. A large part of this initiative was aimed at increasing the awareness, prevention and treatment of eating disorders in the industry. The initiative has committed to changes including:
- Educate the industry to identify the early warning signs of eating disorders as well as precursors.
- Encourage models who may have an eating disorder to seek professional help in order to continue modeling. Models who are receiving treatment should receive clearance from their treatment team to resume/continue modeling.
- Develop workshops for the industry (including models and their families) on the nature of eating disorders, causes, symptoms and treatment options.
- Consult labor laws to ensure safety of underage models.
- Supply healthy meals, snacks, and water backstage and at shoots.
- Provide fitness and nutrition education.
- Ensure a smoke free environment, address underage alcohol use and provide alcohol/tobacco education.
Organizations such as the National Eating Disorder Association and Binge Eating Disorder Association played a large role in creating change reflected by this initiative by lobbying for awareness and working with models who have become advocates for the organizations.
These are huge steps for the fashion industry! Do you think these changes are enough? Will they really be implemented? Most importantly, we know these steps are huge but sadly only stepping stones in making the changes that are necessary in the fashion arena and society as a whole. What changes should be next?
To learn more, read the article at http://bit.ly/glmWkY
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