NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Supermodel Kathy Ireland was one of the first women to successfully transition from the runway to the boardroom.
She can now add author to her list of accomplishments.
With co-author Rachel Van Dyken, a best-selling New York Times writer, Ireland has penned "Fashion Jungle," which is not only a romance and suspense novel, but also a cautionary tale about the dangers of the fashion industry, and she says all of the stories in the book are based on true events from her storied modeling career.
Ireland never expected these stories to end up in print, but after meeting Van Dyken, she trusted her stories were in the right hands.
Following the struggles of four female characters who spent over 15 years in the modeling industry, the book isn't a kind portrayal of parts of the fashion industry, in particular how it treats young, up-and-coming models — whether it's the extremes they go through to try to stay thin or sexual abuse at the hands of a photographer.
"Sadly, that does exist and I experienced much of that in my early years in the modeling industry," Ireland said. "The most difficult times for me were early on because I would walk into situations really trusting, expecting that I was there to go to work and that's what I expected to do and I would quickly learn that people had other ideas in mind. I was fortunate; I got away, in every instance I was able to get away. In one instance it took punching a photographer and walking out, but I knew that other girls were not so fortunate to get away."
For Van Dyken, the most difficult part undertaking this project was knowing that the stories are real.
"When you write fiction you're making it up, it's in your head, when you're writing something based of off real events your heart breaks for these people who have gone through this," she said, calling the experience "eye opening."
The novel is not meant to discourage anyone from pursuing a modeling career or entering the fashion industry, but to spread awareness.
"I'm not saying, 'No, don't do it.' It can be great, but be alert and be aware," Ireland said. "You don't have to crompromise anything to succeed, do it on your own terms."
Ireland believes it's time for the fashion industry to have its #MeToo moment.
"When I worked in this industry I just dealt with each situation as it came up. What I would do differently today is, rather than report it to my agent, I would report it to police. I didnt realize people were breaking the law, I just thought they were being predators and being creepy and horribly inappropriate, but we're talking about manipulating and exploiting children, and that's not okay," Ireland said. "The #MeToo movement is powerful, it's needed. I believe it's giving people a voice."
Despite the dark underbelly of the industry, Ireland said she is grateful for the experience, and if she knew then, what she knows now, she would still go into modeling.
"I'd handle it so much better and I think if we run away from difficult situations we don't have the opportunity to initiate positive change so having that gift of knowing what I know, I would hope to teach more and to protect more," Ireland said.
Ireland, a mother of three, admits she has worried about her children possibly wanting to pursue a career in modeling.
"I didn't even tell our kids that I modeled," Ireland admits. "It wasn't until our son was older, someone in school said something to him, but our son and our two daughters they're striking and they've been approached and all three of them - they're strong people, they have their own identity, their own interests - they're just really not interested. They have other things that they want to do, so it hasn't been an issue."
While the novel is a cautionary tale, what you come away with is the power of friendship.
"For me, my experience was basically we had each other's backs, we looked out for each other and there were some solid frienships there and I appreciate that and also with these characters that Rachel has developed, something that I love is that we see that these women - they're failed humans like all of us and they've made some bad choices along the way and there's redemption," Ireland said. "No matter how much of a mess that we can make of our lives, there's always hope for tomorrow and we see that throughout this story as well."
And as the book focuses on the fashion industry, Ireland and Van Dyken hope the story reaches readers from all walks of life.