How to Book Models Sustainably for Your Fashion Campaign

59% of sustainability claims made by fashion brands in 2024 were either vague, misleading or unverifiable, according to the European Commission’s Green Claims Directive. At the same time, 73% of Gen Z consumers say they would pay more for genuinely sustainable goods. The gap between claiming and doing has never been more visible, or more consequential.

Your brand is working to reduce its environmental footprint. Your production process is changing. Your supply chain is under scrutiny. Your procurement policy is being updated to reflect your sustainability commitments; whether because you want to, or because legislation now requires it.

And then there is the campaign shoot. The model booking. The agency.

That part of the chain rarely comes up in sustainability conversations. It should.

The gap nobody talks about

Fashion brands investing seriously in sustainable production - circular materials, responsible sourcing, reduced volumes, fair labour practices - often work with model agencies that have no sustainability policy at all. No position on fast fashion clients. No welfare framework for the people they represent. No written terms on how models are paid and treated.

That is an inconsistency. And for brands that need to demonstrate responsible procurement across their entire operation - for CSRD reporting, ESG commitments, or government contracting requirements - it is increasingly a gap that needs closing.

Responsible procurement means paying attention to social aspects and the environment alongside price and quality. You are responsible for the entire chain - from raw material to end product. The campaign production is part of that chain.

What sustainable model casting actually looks like

Booking models sustainably does not mean booking models who look a certain way or who promote sustainability in their personal lives. It means working with an agency that operates responsibly; in how it selects clients, how it treats models and how it documents its working practices.

Concretely, that means:

• An agency that does not work with fast fashion brands. If the same agency that books models for your responsible campaign also books for brands built on disposability and overproduction, the sustainability signal is diluted at source.

• An agency with a documented welfare framework. Models - particularly young models - should know their rights, their rates and their limits before they arrive on set. That is a basic standard of responsible employment practice.

• An agency that takes into account the personal values of each model. If a model does not want to wear leather, promote alcohol or work for certain types of brands, that is part of career management; not an exception to negotiate around.

• An agency that provides written terms on usage rights, rates and working conditions for every booking. No informal arrangements, no loose ends, documentation that holds up to scrutiny.

• An agency that applies the same values to its own client selection that your brand applies to its supplier selection.
  

Download the UUMN Sustainability and Welfare Position Statement uumn.nl/sustainability-statement

Who is asking this question

This is relevant for several types of organisations:

• Fashion and beauty brands actively reducing volumes and transitioning toward more responsible production — who want their agency relationships to reflect the same direction.

• Marketing and procurement teams at companies with formal CSR or ESG commitments, where supplier selection is part of the sustainability reporting framework.

• Companies supplying to large businesses that must investigate their chain and produce a sustainability report under the CSRD — and need their own suppliers to meet the same standards.

• Government-contracted organisations and public sector bodies with mandatory responsible procurement policies. The Dutch government requires MVO standards in its procurement, and public sector organisations are expected to apply the same logic to their own supplier relationships.

• Casting directors working on behalf of brands with sustainability commitments, who need an agency that is straightforward to document and justify as a responsible supplier choice.

Why fast fashion is not part of this

The fashion industry is responsible for around 10% of global carbon emissions annually; more than international aviation and maritime shipping combined. It produces an estimated 92 million tonnes of textile waste every year.

Fast fashion - high volume, low price, short cycle, disposability by design - is the clearest expression of that problem. It drives overproduction, creates pressure across the supply chain, and uses models to sell it.

UUMN does not place models with fast fashion brands. Not because of a blanket rule, but because that business model is structurally incompatible with what UUMN is here to support. Brands whose business model depends on high volume and disposability are not clients of UUMN, regardless of budget.

If your brand is moving away from that model - even incrementally, even imperfectly - that is the conversation UUMN is interested in.

Responsible procurement and agency relationships

The OESO guidelines for responsible business conduct establish that you are responsible for the entire chain of the products and services you produce; including your marketing production. The agencies you hire. The models you book. The conditions on your sets.

UUMN makes this straightforward. Every booking comes with clear written terms on usage rights, rates and working conditions. Models know their rights and their rates before they arrive on set. There are no loose ends, no informal arrangements and no pressure on models to accept conditions that fall outside what was agreed.

For brands that need to demonstrate responsible procurement - for CSRD reporting, internal ESG commitments or government contracting requirements - working with UUMN is a clear and documentable choice.

People and planet are the same conversation

At UUMN, model welfare and sustainability are not separate priorities. They come from the same place.

An industry that treats the planet as an inexhaustible resource tends to treat people the same way. The pressure on models - particularly young models - to meet certain standards, accept certain conditions and not ask too many questions is part of the same logic as the pressure to produce more, faster, cheaper.

UUMN pushes back on both through the same set of daily choices: which clients to work with, which bookings to accept, and what the agency will not do regardless of the budget.

Read more about how UUMN works with models: uumn.nl/model-welfare

The roster

UUMN represents four segments: new faces (16-21), petite models (under 175cm), classic models (40+) and established professionals - available across Europe and word-wide for campaigns, e-commerce, editorial, runway and TV commercials.

Browse our women's department: uumn.nl/women

Is UUMN a fit for your brand?

If your company is working to align its procurement and production practices with genuine sustainability standards - and you want your agency relationships to reflect that - reach out.

UUMN is selective about who it works with. That selectivity goes both ways: the brands on the UUMN client list share a basic orientation toward the world that makes the work more honest and more worth doing.

Send your brief to booking@uumn.nl, or contact us at uumn.nl/contact

Frequently asked questions

My organisation has a responsible procurement policy. Does booking through UUMN qualify?

UUMN operates with a documented sustainability position, a model welfare framework and full written terms for every booking. For organisations that need to demonstrate responsible supplier relationships - for CSRD reporting, ESG commitments or government procurement requirements - booking through UUMN provides clear and documentable terms. Download the UUMN Sustainability and Welfare Position Statement at uumn.nl/sustainability-statement, or contact us for specific documentation.

We work with a casting director who books on our behalf. Can they book through UUMN?

Yes. Casting directors working on behalf of brands with sustainability commitments are exactly the kind of creative partner UUMN works with. The same terms and documentation apply regardless of whether the booking comes directly from the brand or via a casting director.

Does UUMN work with brands that are not yet fully sustainable?

Yes. UUMN does not require perfection. What matters is direction; brands that are visibly moving toward more responsible production, reducing volumes and being honest about where they are in the process. The one exception is fast fashion brands whose core business model depends on high volume and disposability. That is not a fit for UUMN regardless of where they are in a sustainability journey.

What does UUMN’s welfare framework mean in practice?

Models at UUMN know their rights, their rates and their limits before every booking. Young models have parental involvement and access to independent welfare support. Working conditions are agreed in writing before the shoot. Beyond that, UUMN takes into account the personal values of each model when accepting bookings. If a model does not want to wear leather, promote alcohol or work for specific types of brands, that is part of how their career is managed; not an exception to negotiate around. A model who works within her own values works better, and stays longer.

Can model images booked through UUMN be used for AI-generated content?

No. Booking a model through UUMN does not include the right to use their images for AI training, generating synthetic likenesses or creating digital replicas. Any such use requires a separate written agreement and the model’s explicit consent. This applies to every booking, without exception.