You may remember the big controversy in NYC over Diane von Furstenberg’s show that featured 15-year-old model Hailey Clauson? This was huge news because it came just after DVF made very clear that she wanted to abide by a new set of rules when it came to modeling standards. The important rule to mention here is: no models under the age of 16.
She issued a full apology for the mistake made soon after it was discovered:
One of the guidelines, as you know, is not to hire models under 16 in addition to making sure that all of them are properly fed.
Well, it is to my horror, that I discovered last Friday that in spite of me repeating that to my production and casting people, one girl slipped through the cracks. One girl who will be 16 in March walked my show last week!
After the press called Diane von Fursternberg a hypocrite, they conveniently left out that Hailey, while still 15, also modeled in shows for Oscar de la Renta, Herve Leger, Badgley Mischka, Marc Jacobs, Preen, DKNY, Thakoon, Jil Stuart, Jason Wu and Philosophy.
Now, if we are really being nit picky, Hailey Clauson turned 16 this week on March 7th (which she celebrated by walking in the Yves Saint Laurent show in Paris). So she is, by DVF and other industry standards, an appropriate age to model on catwalks around the world as of this past Monday. And when she modeled for DVF she was in fact only weeks away from reaching the “appropriate age”.
Hailey went on to walk dozens of catwalks without even the blink of an eye from a journalist, in Europe as well as New York. She walked for the following while overseas: Dsquared2, Louis Vuitton, Elie Saab, Miu Miu, Yves Saint Laurent, Aguilano Rimondi, Dolce & Gabbana, Salvatore Ferragamo, Versus, Emilio Pucci, Sportmax, Etro, Gianfrano Ferre, Moschino, Versace, D&G, Prada and Gucci.
So that’s 28 shows for Hailey Clauson’s Autumn Winter 2011 schedule. All controversy aside, that is a hell of a lot to accomplish in your second full season on the catwalk! What does a sixteen year old buy themselves for that special birthday when they’ve just made, in one month’s time, more than most people make in two years?
