Page 24 - The Katten Kattwalk - Summer 2025 - Issue 29

New York Passes Law to Protect

Models On and Off the Runway
(continued)

• inform models about any financial relationship
that might exist between the model
management company and the client. This
can include royalty payments, expenses that
must be paid by the model, etc. Management
companies are prohibited from deducting
money from a model’s paycheck for a fee or
expense that was not agreed to in the model’s
contract and paying for a model’s travel or visa-
related costs in advance with the expectation
that the model will reimburse the costs at a
later point without consent from the model.

• obtain clear written approval from the model
to create or use a model’s digital replica.
This approval must be separate from the
representation agreement and should detail the
scope, purpose, rate of pay and length of time
the replica will be used.

• prohibiting a deposit or collecting a fee from a
model for signing a contract or agreement with
the model management company or group.

• prohibiting a model to be required to sign a
representation agreement with the model
management company for a period of more
than three years or a contract that renews
without the model’s written approval.

These key provisions ensure that model
management companies are transparent about what clients. Some other key provisions are that such
is in a model’s contract, the work the model will be clients must:
doing and the compensation the model should be
receiving. Additionally, prohibiting alterations of a • pay models one and a half times their
model’s digital replica without consent gives models contracted hourly rate if a model works more
ownership of their own work, despite being under than eight hours in a 24-hour period, and
contract of a big agency or brand. provide at least one 30-minute meal break
during any work that lasts over eight hours in a
How Does This Affect the Industry? 24-hour period.

The Act also governs the clients and fashion brands • ensure that any employment, engagement,
who hire and manage models through a model entertainment, exhibition or performance
management company or group. Many of the that requires nudity or other sexually explicit
responsibilities established for model management material complies with New York State Civil
groups are also required to be implemented by Rights Law Section 52-c(3).

24 katten.com/fashionlaw