This story is from September 22, 2007

Models to face drug tests?

Raul Dias / TNN / Sep 22, 2007, 00:00 IST

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The British fashion industry’s move to carry out random drug tests of models evokes interesting reactions from our very own fashion fraternity.

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Models walking the ramp at the recent London Fashion Week (TOI Photo)Models will now face random drug tests before they are allowed on the catwalks.
All of a sudden it seems as though the ‘care-a-damn’ world of fashion has discovered its rather dormant voice of conscience... and with a vengeance may we add!
First it was the banning of seriously underweight models from the catwalks of London, Madrid and Milan, where any model with a body mass index (BMI) below 14.5 was shown the door.
Now in another valiant attempt to cancel out the dubious reputation it has earned of being callously indifferent to the health and welfare of its denizens, the British Fashion Council (BFC) has decided to ‘weed out’ (pun intended) all the crack heads and doped-out damsels from the modelling world.

Models will now face random drug tests before they are allowed on the catwalks, in a move the BFC hopes will curb the drug abuse so rampant in the fashion industry. Any model failing this test could face fines and bans from shows. This decision also comes in the light of the recent incident involving supermodel Jodie Kidd, where she was removed from the grand finale of the London Fashion Week after allegations about her involvement with cocaine became public.

So how ‘constitutional’ is this move? Will it be able to sustain itself in the long run? And more importantly, will it truly help the fashion world rid itself the shameful title of ‘the breeding ground of junkies’?
“Since when has it become the job of bodies like us to take the law into our own hands?” questions Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) chairperson Rathi Vinay Jha. “It is the business of the relevant authorities in every country who need to keep drug abuse in check — whether or not it occurs in the fashion industry.”
Seconding this is Anil Chopra, VP Lakme Lever, the organisers of the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) here in Mumbai. “We at Lakme, have always seen to it that we promote healthy models. But that’s just about it. Tomorrow we may have some new rules saying that we cannot hire foreign models. It is not upto us to make such rules,” says Chopra.
But this new diktat does have one staunch supporter. “I totally applaud this move and I wish it had come into force much earlier,” says former model-turned-fashion choreographer Achla Sachdev, who is sad to see the reputation the fashion industry has garnered in terms of drug abuse.
“We have to redeem ourselves in the eyes of those who think we are all about drugs, drugs and more drugs. Such tests will help sift out the undesirable elements from the true professionals we have out there. Why should anyone oppose such a move? Dope testing has always been employed in the sports world!” Fashion show director Marc Robinson feels that the ban is “totally bizarre”.
“Why is it in place only for models? It should apply to designers, choreographers, make-up artists and even to the audience coming to see the show,” says Marc, who admits that some models do opt for a little bit of ‘Dutch courage’ in the form of a glass of vodka every now and then before strutting their stuff on the ramp.
“But I always keep my models in check and it’s not like we have an open bar or anything back stage with models doing coke lines etc. At the end of the day, no one wants a reputation of being a junkie — especially not a model.”

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