Anna Wintour announced on Saturday, January 13, that Condé Nast is putting its working relationship with longtime contributors Mario Testino and Bruce Weber “on hold” amid sexual misconduct allegations made against them by several models.
In a statement shared on Vogue.com, the editor-in-chief addressed a New York Times story posted on Saturday in which several male models alleged that the photographers “exploited them” — claims that both men either challenged or denied. Wintour began by writing, “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.”
The Condé Nast artistic director, 68, then declared that the company will now be following a new Code of Conduct, which she describes as “a set of guidelines for outside contributors which has emerged after bracingly honest discussions.” The guideline states that all models appearing in Condé Nast fashion shoots must be 18 or older, and any exceptions are required to have a chaperone on set at all times. Alcohol will no longer be allowed on sets and recreational drugs are not permitted, and “any shoot involving nudity, sheer clothing, lingerie, swimwear, simulated drug or alcohol use, or sexually suggestive poses must be approved in advance by the subject.”
Wintour continued, “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 then addressed the allegations made against Testino and Weber, who she refers to as “personal friends of mine who have made extraordinary contributions to Vogue and many other titles at Condé Nast over the years.”
“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,” the statement concluded.
Earlier in the day, Wintour and Condé Nast CEO Bob Sauerberg released a statement in response to the allegations made against Testino and Weber, saying, “We are deeply disturbed by these accusations and take this very seriously — as previously noted in our statement regarding sexual harassment. In light of these allegations, we will not be commissioning any new work with them for the foreseeable future.”
