Supermodel Beverly Johnson Rallies for Black Models' Rights Ahead of Fashion Week

NEW YORK, NY (02/03/2024) (readMedia)-- Ahead of Fashion Week – and during Black History Month – the Model Alliance will hold a press conference featuring supermodel Beverly Johnson to push for the Fashion Workers Act: a pro-labor state bill that would regulate predatory management companies in New York that currently operate without oversight in the $2.5 trillion fashion industry.

Black models in particular face race-specific hurdles within the industry in getting jobs, compensation, and workplace protections. The rise of AI poses new threats to workers, especially Black models, who are already dealing with tokenism, whitewashing and colorism. When models experience harassment and discrimination, they risk retaliation for speaking out.

Famously, Johnson was the first Black model to appear on the cover of American Vogue.

The event will also be livestreamed on the Model Alliance Instagram account.

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 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.