Danish fashion industry to launch debut health check for models

London - The Danish fashion industry is set to launch the world's first health check for models.

The private sector-financed pilot, set to launched later this year, aims to test all 16 year old models to ensure they are both mentally and physically healthy and fit to work. Together with 8 leading model agencies, including Elite Model Management, 2PM Management and Scoop Models, model unions, a patient organisation, as well as the Danish industry organisations Dansk Fashion & Textile, WEAR, Danish Fashion Institute and Copenhagen Fashion Week and the Danish Association against Eating Disorders and Self-harm, the pilot is set assess the health of 16 year old models, the age limit to model.

The pilot is part of the Danish Fashion Ethical Charter which focuses on three values, namely accountability, compassionate respect and health. In 2015 the Charter was updated to include number of permanent stipulations on age, salary and diet as well as the goal to introduce a nationwide health check for models. However the latter was more difficult to achieve that anticipated as the existing Danish healthcare system is unable to provide a uniform health check focusing on eating disorders.

The health check pilot project is set to cost approximately 200,000 DKK (22,980 pounds) per year. The cost of each check will be partly paid by the model's agency and partly by a contribution from the industry, which will charge customers a flat rate of 75 DKK (8.60 pounds) per invoice when booking a model. The pilot will revolve around the basic premise that models are not sick, but are a vulnerable group which are required to meet specific body measurements for their work, which is why the initiators of the pilot project believe a health check is essential.

If the pilot project is deemed a success, the Danish fashion industry aims to add more age groups to the project in the future.

Photo: Danish Fashion Institute, Facebook