Model Alliance Welcomes Four New Members to Board of Directors

NEW YORK, NY (05/01/2024) (readMedia)-- Model Alliance, the leading worker and survivor-led organization advancing labor rights in the fashion industry, announced the election of four new members to its Board of Directors:

• Model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, who catalyzed the #MeToo movement in 2015 as the first person to report Harvey Weinstein for sexual misconduct;
• Model and L'Oreal global ambassador Nidhi Sunil, who broke barriers as the first Indian model to sign a beauty contract;
• Former New York State Senator Alessandra Biaggi, who identifies as a survivor and co-sponsored the Adult Survivors Act and Fashion Workers Act;
• Senior Labor Policy Advisor to U.S Senator Bernie Sanders, Caitlin Rooney, who develops progressive national policy aimed at supporting workers up and down the supply chain.

The Model Alliance Board also elected current board member Benjamin Skinner, Founder and President of human rights group Transparentem, to serve as the Board Chair. "I am humbled to serve an organization that has served thousands of workers who have been systematically deprived of basic labor protections," said Skinner. "Model Alliance is a meteor of justice."

"I am thrilled to welcome Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, Nidhi Sunil, Alessandra Biaggi and Caitlin Rooney to the Model Alliance's Board of Directors," said Sara Ziff, Founder and Executive Director of the Model Alliance. "Ambra and Nidhi are barrier-breaking worker leaders who use their platforms to speak truth to power, and Alessandra and Caitlin are policy powerhouses who bring extensive experience on the state and federal levels. I'm excited to work together to deepen our impact at the intersection of survivors' and workers' rights."

• Ambra Battilana Gutierrez is an Italian-born model who gained widespread recognition for her courageous role in exposing sexual misconduct within the entertainment industry. Her pivotal involvement in a high-profile case led to significant reforms and ignited a global conversation about harassment and abuse. Ambra's unwavering determination to seek justice and promote a safer environment for all has made her a symbol of resilience and empowerment.
• Nidhi Sunil previously worked as an environmental attorney, before becoming a model. In 2017, Nidhi was named Vogue India's Model of the Year, and recently she became the first Indian model to sign a beauty contract and work as a global ambassador for L'Oreal Paris. Nidhi uses her platform and experience to campaign on the issues of colorism and gendercide in India. She is an advisory board member and spokesperson for the Invisible Girl Project, an NGO working against gendercide and the neglect and violence disproportionately facing girls in India.
• Alessandra Biaggi is former two-term New York State Senator who served Westchester County and the Bronx, and served as chair of the Senate Ethics and Internal Governance Committee. In her first two months in office, Alessandra – herself a sexual abuse survivor – chaired the first public hearings in 27 years on sexual harassment in the workplace and led the charge in New York to pass some of the strongest legislation in the country to strengthen protections for survivors and hold employers accountable for addressing sexual misconduct.
• Caitlin Rooney is a DC-based public servant and political staffer currently serving as Senior Labor Policy Advisor to United States Senator Bernie Sanders, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Caitlin covers a broad portfolio including international and forced labor, paid sick leave, paid family leave and trade. Caitlin also served as Director of Economic Development for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, drafting the first federal fashion bill, the FABRIC Act, designed to address inequities in the domestic garment industry.

"Championing the Adult Survivors Act with the Model Alliance was one of the most meaningful and rewarding experiences of my life, but there is so much work left to be done to give every survivor a fair chance at justice," said Ambra Battilana Gutierrez. "I am honored to join the Board of Directors as we work to hold abusers accountable and prevent the abuse I experienced as a young model from ever happening again."

"As one of the world's fashion capitals, New York has a responsibility to guarantee basic workplace protections and safety for every person working in our thriving fashion industry," said Alessandra Biaggi. "I am thrilled to join the Model Alliance as they lead the way in transforming both the policy and culture of the fashion industry."

"As an immigrant model, I began my career in a precarious position relying on my modeling agency for my visa, my housing, and my finances in exchange for a small chance at success," said Nidhi Sunil. "As a board member at the Model Alliance, I am honored to help shed light on the unique challenges immigrant gig workers like me face, and inspire other models to take their power back and use their visibility to elevate the voices and concerns of those who are less visible."

"It's a privilege to contribute to the Model Alliance's critical work addressing labor inequities in an industry that has lacked significant oversight for far too long," said Caitlin Rooney. "For over a decade, the Model Alliance has been a powerful advocate and organizer for the dedicated workers who sustain the fashion industry, and I am thrilled to join them in their work to protect every member of this vibrant community."

About the Model Alliance

Founded in 2012, the Model Alliance has been at the forefront of advancing labor rights in the fashion industry for the last decade. Through strategic research, policy initiatives, and campaigns, the Model Alliance aims to promote fair treatment, equal opportunity, and more sustainable practices in the fashion industry, from the runway to the factory floor. The Model Alliance has championed multiple pieces of legislation, including the Child Model Act and the Adult Survivors Act in New York and the Talent Protections Act in California. The organization also runs the world's only industry-specific support line, MA Support. In 2021, the organization received the first Positive Social Influence Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America at the CFDA Awards.

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