'The men have been forgotten about': sexual harassment allegations cast a shadow over Milan fashion week

Outside there maybe a cloudless sky, but a shadow has been cast over Milan men’s fashion week in the form of the alleged abuse of male models in the wake of the news about photographers Mario Testino and Bruce Weber.

After a stream of allegations emerged in the New York Times about  alleged systemic sexual misconduct with young models and assistants on shoots, talk on the front row has shifted from trouser lengths and suit cuts to far more disturbing matters; editors and stylists have been comparing notes on the latest fashion scandal. ‘There’s a huge movement to protect girls in our industry; the young men who make it as models have been completely forgotten about’, said one insider.  

So, far 13 models and assistants have claimed Testino acted inappropriately with them, and 15 models made claims about Bruce Weber. Vogue’s Anna Wintour, a personal friend of both, has issued a statement saying that Condé Nast will suspend working with them. Weber denies the claims, while lawyers for Testino said his accusers "cannot be considered reliable sources".

Mario Testino photographed Serena Williams for the most recent issue of American Vogue

The allegations couldn’t have come at a more impactful time. The bi-annual men’s fashion shows’ three week showcase is peak season for male models and all eyes are on the industry that employs them. Those in the front row, so used to focusing on the clothes, are now listening to and reading online the stories from the models in them. It makes for a sombre atmosphere.

"I don’t know about Weber or Testino, but I have heard stories about male models having their genitalia touched through their underwear on photo shoots", said one fashion editor, who chose to remain anonymous. Like the movie industry, rumours have swirled for years about well known figures allegedly abusing their power with the young models and assistants in their charge. When former model Cameron Russell began broadcasting stories told to her via her Instagram page at the end of last year, male models gradually began to share their experiences too.

One revealed a disturbing story about a photographer demanding one model to take part in sexually charged shots detailing how the anonymous photographer rubbed him in oil, touching his genitals on the pretense of ‘exciting’ him to make more provocative imagery and then masturbating. A former assistant of a top photographer revealed that the photographer pestered him to touch his penis.

"Male models go topless as part of the job"< says the fashion editor in question who asked not to be named. "They are used to their bodies being manipulated, and the line becomes blurred; you remove your top and then it’s your trousers, then the waistband is pulled lower. It’s been acceptable for less boundaries to exist in male modelling".

Asking around at the shows this weekend about the scale of the abuse, myriad stories abound; one describes how one fashion house’s designers routinely grope the models so they appear sexually excited when walking on the catwalk in swimwear or underwear. The idea is that it creates a certain "look" that’s apparently relevant to the brand’s sexually charged image. Put bluntly, they inform the models they must seem semi-erect.

"It’s the responsibility of the modelling agencies to look after their male models", says Adrian Clark,the style director of Shortlist magazine and veteran of the men’s fashion industry. "All too often they don’t because to confront a big photographer is to jeopardise them using their models and lose revenue."

A certain kind of "Chippendales" attitude prevails, says Clark, ‘‘Abusers dress it up as banter with things like ‘show us your abs’ it treats the badgering of male models like harmless fun." He adds.  "And this abuse of power isn’t just executed by men, but women too."

What’s clear is that, just as male rape victims are less likely to report their experiences, so the abuse of male models exist in relative silence, as many fear ridicule or perceived scrutiny on their masculinity. That  fear is amplified when you’re a 17 year old from nowheresville who suddenly finds himself alone in a foreign country at the bidding of the most powerful men in the industry. And when it’s a strapping male model being taken advantage of, there’s an myth that a man with bulging biceps can take care of himself.

As this latest chapter shows, that outdated attitude is finally being challenged. "While I’ve never suffered abuse of any kind," says the man dubbed the world’s first male supermodel, John Pearson, "I have heard many accounts over the years from other male models. I’m glad this has finally surfaced to hopefully bring about change".