Answers / Models & careers
Is there an age limit for modelling?
In brief
Agencies set their own minimum ages, usually between 14 and 18 on the pages we checked, and under-18s are expected to involve a parent or guardian. For adult shows and shoots, LVMH’s 2017 minimum was 16; LVMH and Kering are raising it to 18 from the next Paris Fashion Week in 2027. Some agencies run boards for older models.
Key points
- LVMH says the minimum age it set in its 2017 charter with Kering was 16 for models representing adults in shows and shoots.
- In 2026 LVMH and Kering set that minimum at 18, starting with the next Paris Fashion Week in 2027.
- Agency minimums vary: IMG Models does not accept applicants under 14, New Madison sets 16, and Jay Jay Models in Dubai asks for 18 on its main board.
- Older models have their own boards: MODELWERK’s Icons board starts at 35, and Basic Models in Singapore lists a mature category for ages 31 to 70.
What did the LVMH and Kering charter say about age?
In September 2017 LVMH and Kering drew up a joint charter on working relations with fashion models and their well-being, and in 2018 LVMH launched WeCareForModels.com to support it. LVMH says the minimum age it set in 2017 was 16 for models representing adults in fashion shows or photo shoots.
In 2026 the two groups strengthened the charter. The minimum age for models representing adults in shows or shoots is now 18, which LVMH describes ↗ as an extension of Kering’s commitment and an evolution of its own 2017 minimum of 16. The rules take effect starting with the next Paris Fashion Week in 2027, and add zero tolerance for harassment and abuse, stricter rules on nudity and unannounced workplace audits.
The charter is a commitment by the two groups, not a law, so other brands and other countries set their own rules.
What is the minimum age to join a modelling agency?
Each agency sets its own. On the application pages we checked, IMG Models does not accept applications from anyone under 14; MODELWERK in Hamburg takes women and curve models from 14 and men from 16; New Madison in Paris sets a minimum of 16; and Jay Jay Models in Dubai asks for applicants aged 18 or over for its main models board. Basic Models in Singapore lists 14 to 30 for women and 20 to 30 for men.
Under-18s should expect a parent or guardian to be involved. Basic Models says parental consent is required before it offers anyone under 18 a contract, and New Madison asks 16- and 17-year-olds to talk to a parent or legal guardian before getting in touch. Our modelling under 18 guide covers the safeguards, and the where-to-apply pages list each agency’s published age rules by country.
Is there a maximum age for modelling?
On the agency pages we checked, upper limits apply to particular boards rather than to modelling as a whole. Basic Models caps its main women’s and men’s boards at 30 but lists a mature category for ages 31 to 70. MODELWERK runs an Icons board that starts at 35, and Jay Jay Models says its commercial and bestager board has no age limit.
Requirements other than age change by board too. Jay Jay Models, for example, says height plays a lesser role for its commercial and bestager models. See model height requirements for what agencies publish about height.
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Quick answers
Related questions
Can you become a model at 30, 40 or older?
- Yes, through boards for older models. Basic Models in Singapore lists a mature category for ages 31 to 70, MODELWERK in Hamburg has an Icons board from age 35, and Jay Jay Models in Dubai says its commercial and bestager board has no age limit.
Can a 16-year-old model in a luxury fashion show?
- Not to represent adults for LVMH or Kering houses once their strengthened charter applies. The two groups have set 18 as the minimum age for models representing adults in shows or shoots, starting with the next Paris Fashion Week in 2027. LVMH’s minimum under the 2017 charter was 16.
Do under-18 models need a parent’s permission?
- Usually, yes. Basic Models in Singapore requires parental consent before offering a contract to anyone under 18, and New Madison in Paris asks 16- and 17-year-olds to speak to a parent or legal guardian before applying. Local child-employment rules apply as well.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- LVMH — LVMH and Kering strengthen the charter for the respect and protection of models (2026) checked 22 October 2026
- LVMH — We Care For Models (charter drawn up in September 2017) checked 22 October 2026
- IMG Models — Get Scouted checked 22 October 2026
- MODELWERK — application page checked 22 October 2026
- New Madison — become a model checked 22 October 2026
- Basic Models — be a model checked 22 October 2026
- Jay Jay Models — apply as a model checked 22 October 2026
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Models & careers