Ethical fashion has been around for decades, with designers from Stella McCartney to Katharine Hamnett invested in creating cruelty-free clothes from sustainable materials. It’s no longer unusual to see vegan leather, organic cotton or sustainable fibres like hemp and Tencel in stores – and in New Zealand, sustainable brands from Kowtow to Maggie Marilyn create highly coveted garments for an adoring audience.
Now, with the rise of ethical modelling, another facet of the fashion world has caught up. Unethical practices have long been recognised in the modelling universe – think models being forced to adhere to unrealistic physical requirements, tolerate sexual harassment and promote products they might not necessarily believe in. But ethical modelling sets out to change that.
Modelling with a conscience
The definition of an ethical model is still developing – it’s a new concept! But an ethical model is generally understood to be someone who wishes to make the world a better place through their public profile, work, activism, social media and other platforms. Ethical models model only in accordance with their own ethical principles – such as sustainability, animal rights, human rights, and diversity – working with clients whose brands they personally support from a values perspective.
Essentially, an ethical model is someone for whom modelling is not just a job and for whom looks aren’t everything. Ethical models can use their enormous influence to stand up against issues in the industry and beyond.
Kiko Hirakawa
Kiko Hirakawa is an ethical model
