Models Strike in Italy, Milan
On Wednesday, the 17th of May the leading model agencies stop their work for three hours to protest the lack of rules governing their industry. It was the first such strike in the history.
Guido Dolci, the president of Assem (an association that represents some of the largest fashion agencies operating in Milan) said:
“When you go to New York or Paris, there are rules you have to follow. You need a visa to work, or a license. But when people come to Milan, there are no rules. I have worked in the industry for 25 years and I see many agencies that come to Milan and do work without any permits.
In the 1980s, everyone was here, all of the most famous models and photographers.” said Guccione, whose photographs were placed in Vanity Fair and some other famous magazines. He made photos of Umberto Eco, Federico Fellini and Giorgio Armani collections. “Now the situation is different. Everyone shoots abroad and our economy has fallen.”
The strikers are pressing for a licensing system for agencies coming from abroad, and regulations that would require, for example, that an agency deposit money in an Italian bank before beginning work to ensure that people working on a project get paid.
