美国国家公共电台 NPR New York Fashion Week: For The 1st Time, Models Get Private Changing Areas

 

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

If you follow fashion, then I don't need to tell you New York Fashion Week kicked off last Thursday. Now it sounds awfully¹ glamorous², so it might surprise you to know that during these shows, models are expected to change in large, open areas with no privacy. And this practice has come into question in part because in the wake of the Me Too movement, both female and male models have raised complaints about sexual harassment³, especially by certain top photographers.

So this year, an advocacy group for models and the Council of Fashion Designers have agreed that models will finally have private changing areas. We wanted to hear more about this, so we called Sara Ziff. She is a model and the founding director of Model Alliance. That's the nonprofit advocacy group we just mentioned. She's with us now from New York. Sara Ziff, thank you so much for joining us.

SARA ZIFF: Thanks for having me.

MARTIN: So first, would you describe the scene backstage for those of us who've never been to a high-end fashion show, let alone we've never been backstage? So could you just describe it for us?

ZIFF: The backstage environment at Fashion Week is pretty frenetic. I started working when I was 14 years old every season. Sometimes the backstage photographers are a little pushy⁴ and are trying to get their shot and are not mindful of the fact that, you know, we're standing⁵ there basically naked in nothing more than a G-string trying to change. And then, you know, there are all kinds of people back there, especially when the show ends. The attendees tend to pour backstage to congratulate the designer, and we're left, you know, trying to put on our clothes.

MARTIN: Has anybody ever asked for privacy before? Has this issue surfaced?

ZIFF: It has come up before. You know, I formed The Model Alliance with the support of other models and various industry stakeholders six years ago in 2012. And one of the first issues we raised was this concern about lack of privacy in the backstage changing areas. There's a bit of a sense that, you know, oh, boo hoo, poor fashion models. You're being paid to look pretty. Now, you know, just be quiet and get on with it.

And, you know, the objectification of models' bodies has really led to models being treated more like props⁶ without any consideration for their very human and reasonable concerns for privacy and, you know, dignity back stage. You know, pursuing a modeling career shouldn't be taken as implicit⁷ consent for being sexually harassed⁸.

MARTIN: So if you've agreed to model a ball gown, for example, that doesn't give somebody the right to take a picture of you backstage in a thong⁹ as you're waiting to put that ball gown on. And that's what you're experiencing here.

ZIFF: Right. Yes. I mean, the model, if she's appearing in a show and is walking down the runway in clothing, has not implicitly¹⁰ given her consent to be photographed nude¹¹ when she is, you know, trying to change backstage.

MARTIN: How do you feel about - I mean, as you mentioned, you've been in this industry a long time. And you've been fighting for some of these changes for a long time. Do you feel like you're getting somewhere?

ZIFF: One would hope. I feel like for the first time in a long time, people are finally listening. You know, the media landscape has changed, which is a huge part of it. I made a documentary back in 2009 called "Picture Me" which chronicled my and other models' experiences in the industry. And some of us told stories of sexual abuse and assault. And when that film came out, it's kind of interesting to note that The New York Times at the time back in 2010 in their review called it worthless as social commentary, which was extremely upsetting at the time.

And now, of course, The New York Times has championed women, particularly actresses, who have come forward with these allegations against Harvey Weinstein and now male models speaking out about photographers like Mario Testino and Bruce Weber. So I definitely think that, you know, the media has a huge role to play in this. And I think that the industry, you know, people are concerned about reputational risk. And the industry, I think, feels that they need to take these issues more seriously than they have in the past.

MARTIN: That's Sara Ziff. She's the founding director of Model Alliance. And she was kind enough to allow us to call her at home in New York. Sara Ziff, thank you so much for speaking with us.

ZIFF: Thanks so much.

1 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

2 glamorous   

adj.富有魅力的；美丽动人的；令人向往的

参考例句：

• The south coast is less glamorous but full of clean and attractive hotels.南海岸魅力稍逊，但却有很多干净漂亮的宾馆。
• It is hard work and not a glamorous job as portrayed by the media.这是份苦差，并非像媒体描绘的那般令人向往。

3 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

4 pushy   

adj.固执己见的，一意孤行的

参考例句：

• But she insisted and was very pushy.但她一直坚持,而且很急于求成。
• He made himself unpopular by being so pushy.他特别喜欢出风头，所以人缘不好。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 props   

小道具； 支柱( prop的名词复数 )； 支持者； 道具； （橄榄球中的）支柱前锋

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The government props up the prices of farm products to support farmers' incomes. 政府保持农产品价格不变以保障农民们的收入。

7 implicit   

a.暗示的，含蓄的，不明晰的，绝对的

参考例句：

• A soldier must give implicit obedience to his officers. 士兵必须绝对服从他的长官。
• Her silence gave implicit consent. 她的沉默表示默许。

8 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

9 thong   

n.皮带；皮鞭；v.装皮带

参考例句：

• He fastened the dog to the post with a thong.他用一根皮带把狗拴到柱子上。
• If I switch with Harry,do I have to wear a thong?如果我和哈里调换，我应该穿皮带吗？

10 implicitly   

adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地

参考例句：

• Many verbs and many words of other kinds are implicitly causal. 许多动词和许多其他类词都蕴涵着因果关系。
• I can trust Mr. Somerville implicitly, I suppose? 我想，我可以毫无保留地信任萨莫维尔先生吧？

11 nude   

adj.裸体的；n.裸体者，裸体艺术品

参考例句：

• It's a painting of the Duchess of Alba in the nude.这是一幅阿尔巴公爵夫人的裸体肖像画。
• She doesn't like nude swimming.她不喜欢裸泳。