This Teenage Model Died After Working A 13-Hour Fashion Show

Vlada Dzyuba, a 14-year-old model from Russia passed away after falling into a coma after a 13-hour long fashion show.

The teenager was on a three-month modeling assignment in China. She was only supposed to work three hours a week, but was severely overworked. She collapsed right after attending a 13-hour jewelry modeling shoot. She was rushed to the hospital and died two days later still in a coma.

Reports are saying that she died of meningitis and exhaustion. Before she collapsed she called her mom to complain about how tired she was. According to the Mirror, Her mom said that she begged Dzyuba to go to the hospital, but she was afraid to go because she didn’t have health insurance.

Dzyuba was reportedly getting paid very little for her modeling contract and had to pay for her own hotel, airfare and food. On top of that, she didn’t have any health insurance. Her Russian modeling agency and the Chinese agency haven’t explained how she ended up working without medical care.

Mistreatment of models is very common, unfortunately. Balenciaga casting directors were fired earlier this year when how they mistreated models during Paris Fashion Week casting calls. The two casting directors, Maida Gregori Boina and Rami Fernandes, made 150 models wait in a dark stairwell for three hours while on their lunch break.

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Dzyuba’s family can’t afford to fly her body home. The Chinese government has agreed to halt the cremation of Dzyuba until her mother arrives. Hopefully, China and Russia will follow America’s footsteps and create laws against overworking minors who are models.