The Instagram account @ShitModelMgmt, which boasts 141,000 followers for its satirical memes poking fun at the fashion and modeling industries, has published a list of fashion industry workers (agents, photographers, models and more) who have been accused of misconduct ranging from unsolicited sexually explicit messages to assault.
The account’s anonymous founder, who is a former model herself, called on the public to submit the names of any photographers, agents, stylists, designers and anyone else involved in the fashion industry who has acted sexually inappropriate towards them. She received thousands of responses from both female and male models. Though the founder attempts to fact check to the best of her ability, she stresses that the names listed are simply allegations. She adds an asterisk next to the names of anyone who has at least three accusations from separate people. Some names, the founder says, have 30 or more accusers.
The @ShitModelMgmt blacklist follows in the steps of Moira Donegan’s “Shitty Media Men” Google doc, which compiled rumors and allegations of sexual misconduct in the magazine and publishing industries. @ShitModelMgmt’s list names a number of notable fashion industry figures such as Jeremy Scott, Jeremy Kost, Francesco Scognamiglio, and Olivier Zahm all of whom were sent in three or more times, as well as known abusers including Mario Testino, Greg Kadel and Bruce Weber, who have been outed in investigations by The New York Times and The Boston Globe.
Though it remains to be seen whether the list will have any major impact on the fashion industry and its deep-rooted sexual misconduct problem, it is certainly a useful resource for models and more to check before accepting a job.
