How young is too young to walk the ramp?

Itrsquos not just concerns over underweight models that rock the fashion world every now and then underage models are also raising alarm bells With 14yearold Dutch model Roos Abels walking the ramp for Prada at the Milan Fashion Week the issue has reemerged as a talking pointThis photo taken in 2006 shows 16yearold Aboriginal model Samantha Harris wearing a creation from the label Zambesi during Australian Fashion Week in Sydney Harris whose mother is Aboriginal and father is German broke into the modelling world in 2003 and has been touted by agency insiders as the fashion worldrsquos first Aboriginal supermodelIn the past the Italian luxury fashion house Prada was in a spot for casting the 14yearold model Hailee Steinfeld and 15yearold model Lindsey Wixson for high fashion brand Miu Miursquos campaigns Even earlier British model Kate Moss was discovered at the age of 14 and went on to have a trailblazing career in the world of fashionWang Yang a 16yearold high school student from Zhejiang province walks the ramp at the Shanghai Ascend International Model Competition after she won the golden award in 2000 170 models from France Greece Italy Norway Israel Estonia and the United States had taken part in the contestRules for the rampHowever taking note of the rigours of modelling especially for younger ones the Council of Fashion Designers of America CFDA instituted guidelines in 2012 requiring models to be atleast 16 years old for appearing on the catwalk and brands were advised to check the ages of the modelsSixteen yearold Nombulelo Mazibuko of South Africa walks down the ramp prior to winning the Face of Africa model competition in Cape Town in 2000 She was selected from 16 finalists from the continent of Africa PicsAFPIn the same year fashion magazine Vogue adopted a rule to stop using models under 16 or those who appear to have an eating disorder Ironically according to reports the magazine was found to be flouting its own rules when in the same year it featured the 15yearold model Ondria Hardin in Vogue China 15yearold model Sarah Kees in Vogue Italia and 15yearold model Julie Borawska in their Mexico issueModels walk the runway at Teen Voguersquos BacktoSchool event in Los Angeles California PicAFPIn 2013 New York State passed legislation declaring under18 models to be lsquochild performersrsquo and hence entitled to breaks and limited working hoursUS model Lindsey Wixson presents a creation for Versace Atelier line in Paris The model appeared in a Prada ad for Miu Miu at 15 PicsAFPWhile some countries and states have legislation restricting under16 models others including Italy where the Milan Fashion Week controversy occurred have no such rule Globally younger models continue to walk the ramp as the issue remains a grey areaHailee Steinfeld was cast in a Prada campaign at 14 PicGettyThe India perspectiveFormer model Anna Bredmeyer who is currently a brand development consultant in the corporate worldentered the world of commercial modelling when she was 14 through press campaigns not on the runway She feels that younger models are entitled to make a choice for themselves ldquoIf it doesnrsquot interfere with the modelrsquos education and general wellbeing they are entitled to their own choices in life However itrsquos important that their parents closely monitor it all to ensure that a sensible balance is maintained between their health education and professional liferdquo15yearold Laura Holzhauer on the catwalk in Amsterdam in 2005Model Sucheta Sharma James who has been modelling from 2004 observes that while modelling has gruelling working hours 1516 hours a day the age to enter the profession is a personal choice ldquoIn the West people start working from a young age Itrsquos their culture By the time they reach 20 they are mature enough to walk into the world of competition They start their modelling career at 13 or 14 and are represented by an agency which signs them for 1015 yearsKate Moss was spotted at the age of 14 and posed for lsquotest shotsrsquoBut India has a different culture where the emphasis is on studies We start modelling mostly post our higher studies and are at least 17 by then However there is kidsrsquo modelling all the time through Kidsrsquo Fashion Weeks print ads or television and that needs to be looked intordquo She also mentions the talent hunts increasingly being held to rope in younger models that are considered ldquofresh facesrdquoIn 2012 the 15yearold Ondria Hardin was featured in Vogue ChinaDesigner Archana Kochhar seconds James stating that there is always a hunt for a fresh face and new talent regardless of age ldquoAs long as the child is doing one or two shows maximum per season and it doesnrsquot obstruct with their studies itrsquos not as big an issue provided parents are chaperoning them With Indian society being more conventional and conservative this trend will take time to seep into the Indian approachrdquoTHEN AND NOWIf the clothes that the younger models are showcasing are actually intended for adult appeal and consumption itrsquos a misfit ndash Anna Bredmeyer former modelJames states that elder models arenrsquot missing out either ldquoTo balance things where experience is needed you always opt for models who have been aroundrdquo she shares adding that younger models should be helped to achieve a balance of work travel and studies so that they donrsquot depend on modelling to earn money later in lifePutting young models in clothes meant for older women does not make sense itrsquos wanting to create a controversy mdash Lubna Adam choreographerFashion choreographer Lubna Adam feels that India has models entering the profession at a later age and is more interested in showstoppersAs long as the younger model is doing 12 shows per season and it doesnrsquot obstruct with their studies itrsquos not a big issuemdash Archana Kochhar fashion designerldquoIf the clothes are for young models there is nothing wrong in using them Putting young models in clothes meant for older women does not make sense itrsquos wanting to create a controversyrdquo she elaboratesThere must be a minimum age limit as well as a body size to avoid trauma There also must be a chaperone for young models Teenagers are merely kidsmdash Nachiket Barve fashion designerStart early but at what costBeauty is subjective and the norms of beauty change every few years be it for curvy models or youthful androgyny In the case of underage models however the losses are in terms of a youthful innocence that is lost foreverUnlike the West in India we start modelling mostly post our higher studies and are at least 17 by then mdash Sucheta Sharma James modelDesigner Nachiket Barve feels that 16 should be the minimum age for models ldquoMost Indians wouldnrsquot allow their children to model until 17 or older Also the atmosphere in India and internationally is different Modelling is a tough industry and one of the most precious things is childhood If for all other purposes 16 is the age considered itrsquos preposterous to let a 14yearold walk the runwayrdquo He stresses that girls or boys younger than 16 are still coming to terms with their lives ldquoPublic scrutiny and being lsquocommodifiedrsquo is unhealthy Remember the trauma suffered by Brooke Shields or many incognito faces who were celebrated consumed and spat out by the systemrdquoThere is bitching backstage catfights jealousy Children and teens shouldnrsquot be put through thismdash Rasna Behl former model choreographerBarve isnrsquot comfortable with a younger model modelling his clothes and also cautions against objectification of models ldquoWe live in times when child sexual abuse is rampant Anything that objectifies or sexualises young kids or teenagers is simply not okay I am against children walking the ramp or even taking part in reality shows In fact I have no issues with mature models as I feel experience and character add to a facerdquoFormer model choreographer Rasna Behl who is now involved in corporate grooming mentions that after gaining an outsiderrsquos perspective she realises that models are too selfobsessed ldquoThere is an early focus on physical attributes and earning money at an early age which can affect a person A 13 or 14yearold is discovering the world and having them obsess over their looks and fashion is cruel They have to be emotionally ready there is backstage bitching catfights jealousy Children and teens shouldnrsquot be put through all this With changing times today we see kidsrsquo fashion shows and even for birthday parties children opting for blowdried hair or getting their eyebrows shaped this doesnrsquot seem rightrdquo cautions BehlShe blames the parents for putting such pressure on them ldquoSuch models grow up fast but without the degree or intelligence that might help them through liferdquo she statesreiterating that overseas children take a sabbatical after school and not everyone goes to college so they can become models earlierShe cites the example of Indian model Lymaraina DrsquoSouza who was Miss India Universe 1998 DrsquoSouza visited Hawaii that year as part of the pageant duties She got a scholarship to study there stayed back to pursue it and later took up a corporate career ldquoShe used her contacts to take her education further Modelling does not last foreverrdquo advises BehlWhere have the children goneSumming up the scenario sociologist Dr Sarala Bijapurkar observes that thanks to an exposure to media there is an eroding of the notion of childhood or innocenceldquoThere are now schools for developing lsquoexecutive childrenrsquo or children equipped to handle executive careers The idea of what a child or teen should do is undergoing a change Parents are the ones who should draw a line and not push them there is parental pressure to excel that puts them in the limelight But itrsquos not a world suitable for their agerdquo she informsBijapurkar explains that while trying to understand themselves they are pushed into an adult world creating huge mental and emotional pressure with an emphasis on the superficial cosmetic way of looking good where they donrsquot end up looking their age