British supermodel Karen Elson has spoken out about the lack of protection for young models in the fashion industry, describing her own traumatic experiences as a teenager. In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live's Naga Munchetty, Elson said she was 'forced into being alone' with a scouting agent at age 16 and nearly pressured into having sex. When she told another model, the scout threatened to have her removed from the agency if she spoke about it again.
Elson, now 43, recalled her first nude photoshoot in Paris at 16, saying: 'Nobody asked me how I felt and checked if I was comfortable.' She highlighted the absence of a governing body or union for fashion, unlike the Screen Actors Guild for film actors. 'Why is a grown man allowed to be alone with a 16-year-old?' she asked.
The model, who has a 16-year-old daughter, said she would be 'ferociously protective' if her daughter chose to model. 'The level of protection she would have, should be the norm,' she added. Elson noted that young models often feel compelled to comply: 'You’ll do whatever is asked of you because you think it’s what you’re supposed to do.'
Elson, an activist and role model, said she receives messages from young models 'a few times a week' about incidents on set. She also highlighted the exploitation of vulnerable girls, including refugees and Eastern Europeans, who use fashion as a 'ticket out of difficult situations'. 'People prey on that vulnerability,' she said.
She called for clear regulation, arguing that young models often sign contracts in languages they don't understand. 'You can’t throw an 18-year-old, whose life experience hasn’t been the fashion industry, and make them sign contracts that isn’t in their language,' she said.
