After several male models accused photographers Mario Testino and Bruce Weber of sexual misconduct, Anna Wintour announced Vogue’s work with the snappers would be put on hold.
“Today, allegations have been made against Bruce Weber and Mario Testino, stories that have been hard to hear and heartbreaking to confront. Both are personal friends of mine who have made extraordinary contributions to Vogue and many other titles at Condé Nast over the years, and both have issued objections or denials to what has emerged,” Wintour, 68, wrote in a statement on Vogue.com Saturday. “I believe strongly in the value of remorse and forgiveness, but I take the allegations very seriously, and we at Condé Nast have decided to put our working relationship with both photographers on hold for the foreseeable future.”
On Saturday, a New York Times report revealed that 13 models accused Testino, 63, of making unwanted passes at them and groping them without consent, while 15 models alleged that 71-year-old Weber demanded they engage in “energy exercises” involving sexual touching with him.
Wintour opened her statement by praising the bravery of accusers.
“The past several months have been an extraordinary time of reckoning and change, and I, like so many others, have been astonished by the courage of those who have come forward to tell stories of sexual misconduct. Abuse of power has gone on for too long in so many places — including in Washington, in Hollywood, in broadcasting, journalism, Silicon Valley, and last but not least, in fashion, where many young women and men have spoken up about manipulation and coercion on go-sees, on shoots, and in other working environments,” she wrote.
Wintour added that Condé Nast established a new code of conduct for photoshoots in light of the allegations.
The new rules include all models being 18 or over, or else accompanied by a chaperone on set, and a ban on alcohol and recreational drugs on sets, as well as advance approval by the subject of any shoots involving nudity or sexual situations.
“Even as we stand with victims of abuse and misconduct, we must also hold a mirror up to ourselves — and ask if we are doing our utmost to protect those we work with so that unacceptable conduct never happens on our watch. Sometimes that means addressing the fact that such behavior can occur close to home,” she concluded.