Editorial & sourcing policy
The Cast Index is an independent editorial ranking of fashion-model influence. These are the standards behind every profile, score and photograph.
Real people, sourced facts
Every model, creative, agency, event and product on this site is a real, public figure or entity. Biographical facts are summarised in our own words from public records — each subject’s Wikipedia article, industry press, agency portfolios and official brand pages — and the sources are linked on the page. We do not invent people, credits, quotes, dates or awards.
Photography
Portraits are either freely-licensed images (Wikimedia Commons and similar, credited on Image Credits under their licences) or press/editorial photographs used with attribution to the outlet. Each image is checked to confirm it depicts the correct named person before it is published. Where no verifiable image exists, a profile shows a typographic placeholder rather than a substituted or AI-generated photo.
How scores are set
The Index Rating weighs runway presence (40%), blue-chip campaigns (30%), editorial authority (20%) and cultural impact (10%), with time decay favouring recent work. Every profile shows its four pillar sub-scores, the evidence behind them, and a confidence label. Scores are editorial assessments, not statements about a person’s worth. See the full methodology.
Independence
Editorial rankings are never for sale. Paid directory listings and the community People’s Choice vote are kept separate from, and clearly distinguished from, the editorial index. Profiles are not endorsed by their subjects, agencies or the brands named.
Use of AI
We use AI tools to help research, draft and cross-check content. All published facts are grounded in the linked human-published sources, and material claims are verified against those sources before publication. AI is a drafting and checking aid, not a source of fact.
Corrections
If something is wrong or out of date, tell us at desk@thecastindex.com. Material corrections are applied at the next recalculation and noted on the affected profile. Rights-holders with a concern about an image can use the same address.
https://thecastindex.com