Explore the real lives of fashion models and young girls aspiring to be the next supermodel on the next episode of "This is Life with Lisa Ling" at 9 p.m. ET/PT Wednesday, October 28.
Imagine hearing this in your first job interview: "I'm here to make money, I want you to make money. ... So if I don't get you, and you don't get me, then go down the street and just keep trying. But just remember that it is a business, and we're not mean, but the best make the all-star team. 'Cause let's face it: You're all a car accident away from never looking like this again." Now, imagine you're a 15-year-old aspiring model hearing this message from a top agent who is credited with discovering Tyra Banks.
"Not all talent scouts offer such harsh words to their possible clients," says Sara Ziff, a model and director of Model Alliance, a nonprofit group that works to improve working conditions in the fashion industry.
But the message is clear, she says: The fashion industry is no place for children.
"It's a grown-up industry with grown-up pressures," says Ziff, who started her modeling career at 14. "While I don't think there's any harm in doing the odd modeling job for a Macy's catalog, too often we see child models who are being catapulted into working as adults. And they don't have the maturity to handle those situations."
With more and more young models appearing on fashion runways, we asked her to shed some light on how the fashion industry operates and why she thinks it's in dire need of major reform....
CNN.com
(I omitted Sara's interview because it talks about weight, and I know the topic is forbidden here. If anyone wants to read it just go to cnn.com)
