Kelly Streit’s Mode Models has a reputation - locally, nationally and internationally - of discovering and launching top models, both male and female. From Kim Renneberg and Tricia Helfer in the 90s to Heather Marks, Meghan Collison, Chad White and Taylor Fuchs in recent years, Mode are famous for finding the quirky, the classic, and the cool.
Agency Name: Mode Models International
Year Opened: June 1987
Website:
www.modemodels.com
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How did you get into the agency business/what is your background?
Began taking pictures of people I thought were good looking in High School. I showed up at a conference with them and showed them to Karen Lee who was then at Giovanni. Was told immediately I should open an agency. I opened that agency in Red Deer, Alberta, a town of around 30,000 people back then.
How many models do you represent?
About 200 internationally.
What are the agency’s divisions?
Men, Women, New Faces, Development, Local Offices in Calgary, Edmonton and Portland.
First model signed?
Mike Miller. Mike went on to win the IMTA Male Model of the Year award. The next was Kim Renneberg who shot for Yves St Laurent.
Who are your top models at the moment?
Heather Marks, Johanna Stickland, Julia Dunstall, Meghan Collison, Taylor Fuchs, Simon Nessman, Terron Wood, Chad White and Hollywood stars like Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Gallactica), Kate Nauta (The Transporter) and Jason Thompson (General Hospital).
Who are your ones to watch, and why?
Kim McCullough - Elegance with an edge, just shot Numero.
Jessica Desbrisay - so pure and simple, yet so intriguing,
Julia Ohman - Like nothing ever seen before, unconventional beauty. Shot 12 pages in Wonderland.
Courtney Baker - So elegant and refined.
Dara Main - Those eyes!
Stuart Glaspey- Like a Gorgeous, quirky schoolboy.
Marie Cruttendon - Innocence and perfection.
Kelsey Sirucek - One in a million face, simply remarkable
Sam Ypma- Wonderfully angular and effortlessly cool.
Hannah Donker - A throwback to supermodels past.
What do you look for in a new prospect?
Body, it’s all about the body right now. I also look for perfect, symmetrical features and a killer personality.
What sets you apart from other agencies?
Our Local and International offices are separate, making us experts in both divisions.
Describe the ideal Mode model?
All of our models are ideal Mode Models, if they weren’t then we wouldn’t represent them.
What do you look for in bookers, agents, scouts, etc. before hiring them?
Integrity and intuition above all.
What are the most common ways of discovering a new face?
We run annual searches, that’s where we found Heather Marks and Meghan Collison and many of our new faces. Also we have scouts throughout all of our locations, finding faces in common places. It’s hard to pinpoint as we have so many faces coming in every day.
What’s been an unusual way?
I found Johanna Stickland by yelling at her out of my car when she was walking down the street. I’ve also pulled the car around and cornered a model in an alley. You gotta do what you gotta do.
Many thanks to Kelly, Michael and everyone at Mode Models.