December 24 is the last day that Governor Kathy Hochul can sign the Fashion Workers Act which was previously passed by the state legislature.

Over 200 models and mainstay figures in the New York City fashion industry have written an open letter to push New York governor Kathy Hochul to sign a bill that would protect models from exploitation. Beverly Johnson, Amber Valletta, Christy Turlington, Betsey Johnson and many others are among the signees.

Earlier this year, The Fashion Workers Act was passed by the state legislature earlier this year. The Fashion Workers Act "would regulate management agencies and give models greater rights. Among other measures, it would restrict companies from implementing opaque charges for accommodation and expenses that can leave models in debt," reports Business of Fashion. Notably, it would also limit management fees and establish frameworks to govern digital rights. This points to growing use of AI spanning industries.

"From experiencing sexual exploitation at castings and photo shoots to beginning our careers in debt to our management companies and having our images manipulated with generative AI without our consent -- each one of us has a story that demonstrates how New York is failing the faces of one of its most culturally vibrant, economically significant industries in the world," the letter expresses. Hochul is being urged to sign the bill and "end decades of financial, sexual and physical abuse."