In this article we're going to look at the rights of fashion workers. This is an important topic, given that it is an industry that is often glamorized, which makes it difficult in some respects to perceive the extent to which work is being dignified both for models - a fundamental part that contributes to the industry's identity - and for workers throughout the fashion industry chain.
For those who research a little more about how day-to-day work in the fashion industry works, especially what models experience, it's not difficult to find reports of professionals who have suffered abuses such as debt bondage, sexual abuse and human trafficking.
With this in perspective, let's find out how our “fashion world” has advanced in building a fair and legally sustainable industry for fashion workers.
On June 19, 2025, the “Fashion Workers Act” comes into effect in New York. It is the first legislation in the US to directly regulate the work of model management agencies, establishing specific legal protection for professionals in the field.
The law was signed in December 2024 by the governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, the text being an initiative supported and led by the Model Alliance, which has worked tirelessly to achieve this important step in the city.
A Model Alliance é uma organização sem fins lucrativos que atua a favor dos direitos dos trabalhadores na indústria da moda.
Vamos, juntos, conhecer o Fashion Workers Act com destaques para alguns pontos da nova regulamentação em Nova York. A lei aborda como devem ser as ações das agências que são consideradas empresas de gestão de modelos/talentos.
NEW RULES FOR LICENSING AND REGISTERING THESE COMPANIES
1) Companies must submit commercial information, including all the names under which they operate, addresses, tax identification numbers and ownership details.
2) Deposit a deposit of $50,000 for companies with more than five employees.
3) Pay a registration fee based on the size of the company ($500-700). Registration must be renewed every two years. Out-of-state companies can apply for an exemption if they meet equivalent regulatory standards and do not maintain offices or solicit clients in New York.
In order for the registration regulations to be followed and to be transparent, the New York Department of Labor (New York State Department of Labor, or NY DOL) will provide a list of all model management companies and will issue registration certificates.
Companies must display this registration in their office and on their website. The registration number must also appear on all advertisements, profiles used to recruit models and contracts signed with models and clients.
LIABILITIES AND PROHIBITIONS
SANCTIONS AND PENALTIES
The New York Department of Labor will be responsible for enforcing the law. Modeling agencies or clients who fail to comply with the regulation will be subject to a fine of $3,000 for the first offense and $5,000 for repeat offenses. In addition, if the Department identifies involvement in fraudulent or illegal practices, those responsible may be prosecuted.
In order to protect models and guarantee their rights, the Fashion Workers Act gives the New York Department of Labor enforcement authority. The model can file a complaint with the institution up to six years after the fact.
