'Sadistic' treatment of models casts new shadow over fashion

PARIS - The alleged "sadistic" mistreatment of scores of models who were forced to wait in a dark, cramped staircase at a Paris Fashion Week casting has sparked fresh criticism of how the industry functions.

With fashion already under intense scrutiny over underage and overly thin models, the case made headlines around the world after US casting director James Scully broke ranks to denounce two rivals who he claimed were "serial abusers".

The furor has also highlighted how vulnerable even relatively top-level models can be at "cattle call" castings for the elite catwalk shows in Paris, New York and Milan.