Responsibilities of Fashion Management and Clients

Starting June 19, 2025, all model management companies or model management groups who do business in New York State must:

1. Act in the best interest of the models they represent. They must also act in good faith, and with honesty and integrity, in their dealings with the models they represent.
2. Use due diligence to ensure that any work secured through the model management company does not put models at an unreasonable risk of danger.
3. Establish a company policy that addresses abuse, harassment, and any other inappropriate behavior towards models. This policy must meet, or exceed, current protections under the law. This policy must be shared in writing with all models represented by the model management company. It can be shared electronically or in print form.
4. Use best efforts to secure paid work for represented models.
5. Ensure that modelling work that requires nudity or other sexually explicit material does not violate Section 52-c of NYS Civil Rights Law.
6. Obtain informed and voluntary consent from models through a signed agreement before any sexually explicit material with their likeness can be created, shared, or distributed.
7. Provide models with a written or digital copy of their deal memo before work begins. This deal memo must state the model’s total compensation and payment term, among other content, as agreed to by the model.
8. Provide models with the final booking agreement that the model management company negotiated with the client, in the language requested by the model. This must be provided within seven days of the end of the model’s booking. Model management companies must make best efforts to sign this agreement before work begins.
9. Clearly communicate the items models will be expected to pay for through a deduction in their paycheck, before any charges are made. Model management companies must also get written approval from represented models, after providing an itemized recitation as to how each item is to be computed, before making any upfront payments for charges that a model will be expected to pay back out of their final compensation.
10. Inform models about any financial relationship that might exist between the model management company and the client.
11. Continue to notify former models in writing about any royalties the company receives that are owed to the model after representation with a model management company ends.
12. 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. It must detail the scope, purpose, rate of pay, and length of time the replica will be used.

Starting June 19, 2025, under the New York State Fashion Workers Act, model management companies or model management groups that do business in New York State must NOT:

1. Require a deposit or collect a fee from a model for signing a contract or agreement with the model management company or group.
2. Secure accommodations for a model, such as a shared apartment or hotel room, without providing the model with the expected rent or accommodation rate they will be expected to pay, before the model begins their stay.
3. Deduct money from a model’s paycheck for a fee or expense, including interest, that was not agreed to in the model’s contract, or in writing through an itemized list of how each expense charge was determined.
4. Pay 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 prior written approval from the model.
5. Require a model to sign a representation agreement with the model management company for a period of more than three years.
6. Require a model to sign a model management company contract that renews without the model’s written approval.
7. Charge a commission fee greater than 20 percent of a model’s total pay.
8. Discriminate or harass a model based on their identity or protected status under NYS Human Rights Law.
9. Create, alter, or manipulate a model’s digital replica without clear written consent. This consent must be provided independently from any representation agreement.
10. Require a model to enter into a power of attorney agreement as a condition of being represented by the model management company. A power of attorney agreement may cover only modelling services and cannot cover a model’s digital replica.

Starting June 19, 2025, under the New York State Fashion Workers Act, clients must:

1. Pay models one and half times their contracted hourly rate, if a model works more than eight hours in a 24-hour period.
2. Provide at least one 30-minute meal break during any work that lasts over eight hours in a 24-hour period.
3. Not offer employment or engagement that has an unreasonable risk of danger to the model.
4. Establish a company policy that conforms with current New York State laws to address abuse, harassment, and any other inappropriate behavior towards models. This policy must be shared with models in writing.
5. Ensure that any employment, engagement, entertainment, exhibition, or performance which requires nudity or other sexually explicit material complies with New York State Civil Rights Law Section 52-c(3).
6. Allow models to bring their agent, manager, chaperone, or other representative to any employment, engagement, entertainment, exhibition, or performance.
7. Provide liability insurance to cover and ensure the health and safety of models.
8. Obtain clear written approval from a model before creating or using a model’s digital replica. Written approval must detail the scope, purpose, rate of pay, and length of time the replica will be used.   

Starting December 21, 2025, model management companies or model management groups who conduct business, represent models, or are based in New York State, must register their business with the New York State Department of Labor. Companies must register online. They will receive a registration number and a Certificate of Registration after successfully completing the registration process.

Additional details regarding registration are available on the Registration Information for Model Management Companies and Groups page

Once registered, model management companies must:

1. Post a physical copy of their Certificate of Registration in a clearly visible place in the office of the company.
2. Post a digital copy of their Certificate of Registration on their website.
3. Include the model management company’s registration number in any advertisement seeking models to represent, including on the company’s social media profiles.
4. Include the model management company’s registration number in any contract with a model or client.