CFDA declined to comment on this story. Victor de Souza did not reply to requests for comment. Mirror Palais did not reply to requests for comment.
The platform that put on this show, Runway 7, confirmed that designers do pay a fee “for the labor provided for their production,” but did not disclose the amount. They also said that payment or non-payment for models brought by designers was up to the designer. Art Hearts, for their part, says they do source models for the event (though designers can bring their own models, and then are responsible for payment for those models), and that models who come from agencies are paid. They also said that independent models signed waivers saying they would walk for exposure. Dalal, an independent model, says she was hired through Art Hearts’ casting call, but does not recall signing a waiver or any sort of paperwork. Art Hearts’ response to this was, “We provide what we promise. That is the only statement needed on our end.” For the record, Dalal says she was not promised payment. MusesKloset did not reply to Hayes’s claims.
