So many outsiders see models with their beauty, wealth, and popularity as some kind of Barbie dolls. Models have a reputation of being these extremely rich, spoiled women with no sense of dignity. This couldn't be further from the truth. Yes, they are beautiful. Yes, they get paid a lot. But there is so much more to it than that.
I recently watched the 2009 documentary, Picture Me. This video diary gave a very personal, no frills look into the life of former model, Sara Ziff. I don't want to give away all the details, but trust me, it's way worse than I expected. Models are so thankful to be in the business and feel so lucky, that they don't want to do anything to mess up their good fortunes. Some people take advantage of this and use their naivety to their own advantage. The movie starts at the beginning of Ziff's career and follows her through the heights and downfalls which eventually leads to her decision to leave the world of modeling and apply to college. So many models begin their careers as young teenagers and never get the chance to gain the skills needed for other careers so they get trapped into modeling for life. Sara Ziff broke this cycle.
Today, college graduate Sara Ziff, runs a non-profit organization called The Model Alliance that, "promotes fair treatment, equal opportunity, and sustainable practices in the fashion industry, from the runway to the factory floor," as stated in their mission statement. This is a monumental step in the right direction for the modeling world. Before The Model Alliance, models had no type of union or alliance to stand up for them. The modeling industry is still not entirely civil, but with more people standing up for what is right like Sara Ziff, the industry is forever improving.
