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The Model Agency Mega Thread (January 2004 - March 2010)
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xmodel citizen
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I thought Supreme was part of the Women group but now Women has an NYC agency with some of the girls from Supreme. What's the deal?
style_star
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I always thought they were two different agencies which just happened to be associated together/sister agencies. 
xmodel citizen
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^^ Thanks. I just know it was always listed as Women/Supreme and Women just now has a NYC agency that took models like Johanna Stickland from Supreme.
Supreme is a sister agency to Women. It sort of functions like its new faces board as someone said, though some of the girls at Supreme are hardly new faces and more succesful than girls on Women's board. I'm not really sure how Rowland determines who should be on Women's board and who on Supreme's or when a girl is "good" enough to move to Women from Supreme. There must be some financial/business reason for the two separate agencies rather than just have Supreme as a division within Women.
Eileen Ford, Founder of the Ford Agency
Source Answers.com
Eileen Ford
Loretta Otte had been a model, and Ford also modeled during breaks from Barnard. Ford liked the allure of the industry. After graduation, she worked as a photographer's stylist at the Eliot Clarke studio for a year. Ford met Gerard "Jerry" W. Ford in August 1944 and eloped with him three months later, on November 20, 1944. Jerry Ford was a student and football player at Notre Dame University at the time of his marriage. The Fords eventually had four children: Jamie, Bill, Katie, and Lacey.
Began Modeling Agency
In 1945, Ford continued to work as a stylist at the William Becker Studio. Her husband worked for Ford's father in the family company, while attending business school. Ford held several jobs, working as a copywriter for Arnold Constable from 1945 to 1946, then a reporter for Tobe Coburn in 1946. In order to earn extra money, she began doing bookings for two of her friends, who were models. The Ford Agency grew out of this experience.
The modeling industry was rather loosely organized at the time. Agencies found work for their models, but the models were expected to set their own rates and collect their own wages. Against the grain, Ford put the interests of the models and their careers first. She bargained with advertising agencies and photographers so that her models would have better deals. From 1946 to 1948, Ford's clientele grew from 2 to 34, and the agency took in $250,000 in 1948 alone. The demands of the agency grew and Ford's husband quit school and joined his wife at the agency. Long days became the norm as Ford found new talent while her husband dealt with the financial end. She developed a savvy reputation. James Mills in Life described her as "a tough businesswoman: demanding, untiring and persistent as gravity."
Revolutionized Industry
Ford's business practices changed the industry, becoming standards of conduct. The Ford Agency would collect the models' fees and pay them on a weekly basis. They also set the standard of a 20% commission, 10% from the models' fee and the other 10% from the organization that hired the model. Ford was instrumental in setting fees for such things as cancellations, fittings, bad weather, and the type of modeling done. She was selective about what kind of advertisements her models would appear in. As Bachrach described in People Weekly, Ford, in the 1940s, said "no deodorant ads, no bra ads, no bathtub poses and no excessive display of bosom." This changed over time, though, reflecting changing social standards. By the 1990s, nudity and deodorant ads became acceptable.
The Ford Family
Ford treated her models differently than other agencies on another level. She was a second mother to many of them. Ford gave them counsel on what to wear and how to handle hair and skin problems. She taught them proper etiquette. Many young models lived with the Ford family when they were first working in New York City and were expected to do household chores like a member of the family. Ford believed models needed the mothering. She told Mills of Life, "They're all just little kids. The one thing that makes a model the way she is her parents. Not her beauty. Each child wants desperately to prove himself to his parents. But today there are more adults willing to give less, or afraid to ask more, than there once were. And when children have no direction, and nothing is demanded of them, they're lost." In the same article, Ford said, "Most models are emotionally abandoned. They need me. I'm their mother."
Ford expected a certain moral standard for her models, which included a nightly curfew and a limit on the number of nights a model could go out. If Ford's standards were not met, they were released from the agency. A former Ford model, Cheryl Tiegs, told Bacharach of People Weekly, "Eileen is hard where her standards of discipline are concerned. There are too many beauties around to put up with girls acting up."
Ford and her agency developed so-called "Ford models," many becoming the superstars of the industry. She had an eye for finding new models. She told James Mills in Life, "There's a cockiness to them and there's just a way about them. It's their I don't know, they're just going to be good and you can just tell it. It's a way they have of moving, and it's a way of talking to you. I see girls that I know I absolutely know-will be star models within just a matter of weeks, and they always are." As Bachrach in People Weekly wrote, "This preoccupation with what is proverbially only skin-deep is not second nature to Eileen Ford; it is her first and only nature." To discover new talent, she traveled four times each year in Europe, especially Paris and the Nordic countries, as well as other trips in the United States and Australia. Many also walked into her offices off the streets.
Ford favored a certain kind of female model. She preferred them to be blonde, with long necks, straight noses, and eyes that were wide-set, and a certain height and size cheekbones, hips, and breasts. Ford thought models with light-colored eyes photographed better. By favoring these characteristics, Ford determined the American standard of beauty for a generation, according to Bachrach in People Weekly. Ford told her, "There's no question I did that. I create a look and I create a style."
Ford did not take advantage of women who wanted to be models. Even those she did not take under wing, Ford tried to advise. Life,'s Mills quoted her as telling one such girl, "It's not the most important thing, you know, to be a model. It's just a job. And it's better to know the truth than because there are always people who want to take advantage, who will promise you things, and bad schools that will take your money." Ford told David Schonauer of American Photo that "It's the nicest thing I can do for a girl who isn't pretty enough to be a model. She has to get on with her life."
Ford's beliefs on this matter extended to her own family. She never let any of her three daughters model. She told Mills of Life, "I think that even if they could be I would rather they chose their own careers. Because when it's over, you have nothing. I don't mean financially, but inside. It's a temporary career and models are very young when it starts and their education suffers. And then in a few years you have nothing to do and you're just an old leftover model. And there's nothing in the world worse than that."
Ford's mentorship methods did not sit well with every model who worked for her. Some of her competitors do not think favorably of her either. John Casablancas had a positive working relationship with Ford when he worked exclusively in Paris representing models. But when he opened an agency, the Elite Agency, in New York City, Ford sued him. Casablancas told Bachrach in People Weekly, "Eileen is Mr. Hyde. And Jerry is Dr. Jeckyll. When I came to New York, my major problem wasn't lawsuits. It was personal attacks on how I directed my life as though I was some kind of fiend with Roman orgies. She's a sour, nasty old lady with a lot of enemies." Another rival told Bachrach in the same article, "Eileen is a very domineering lady. She is strong-willed and opinionated, and at Ford's there is fear and apprehension about anyone else making a decision. Eileen berates anyone who doesn't fall into line."
Despite what her detractors may have thought of her methods, by 1970, the Ford Agency was taking in $5 million per year, representing 180 models. Eventually the agency expanded to include divisions for male and children models (Brooke Shields was taken on as a client when she was eight). Jerry Ford took care of the male model division in the 1970s. Ford also formed a division that dealt with older models who still wanted to work in their 30s. By the 1990s, her female clientele numbered in the hundreds. Through all the years, Ford maintained a business-oriented perspective. She told David Schonauer of American Photo, "It's all about money. That might sound terrible in a magazine that's supposed to be about art and creativity, but it's the truth. Nobody gets in this business for the love of it. That's certainly true of models, and probably photographers as well."
Through the years, Ford put her experiences with models to use in a second career, as an author. She had a syndicated column about beauty for several years. She also wrote several nonfiction books such as Eileen Ford's Model Beauty, Secrets of the Model's World, A More Beautiful You in 21 Days, and Beauty, Now and Forever. In 1983, Ford received the Woman of the Year in Advertising Award.
Retired from Agency
By the 1990s, the Ford Agency lost some of its luster. Ford was seen as living in the past, her standards of beauty slightly outdated in a multicultural-embracing United States. Schonauer wrote in American Photo, "the world had changed: The era of the megamodel, in which financial stakes were higher and personal loyalties more fragile, had dawned." In 1995, Ford named her daughter Katie CEO of the Ford Modeling Agency, but she remained co-chair (with her husband) of its board. As Ford told Roberta Bernstein of Time, "We were getting old. What were we going to do, let her be like Prince Charles and wait for us to die? It was her moment. You have to give people a chance." Ford was honored for her contributions to the industry, especially in photography, at the 1996 Festival of Fashion Photography. Ford's legacy remains clear. Roberta Bernstein of Time wrote "Eileen Ford, part pit bull, part den mother, and all business, helped shape what women looked like and how they dressed for nearly a half a century."
Source Answers.com
Eileen Ford
Eileen Ford (born 1922) was the founder and co-owner of the Ford Modeling Agency, one of the world's biggest, most prestigious, and successful modeling agencies. She was responsible for launching the careers of many famous models such as Brooke Shields, Candice Bergen, and Christie Brinkley.
Eileen Ford was the daughter of Nathaniel and Loretta Marie (nee Laine) Otte, born on March 25, 1922, in New York City. Ford and her three brothers were raised in wealth in Great Neck, New York. The Ottes owned their own company, a firm that determined credit ratings of corporations. Ford told Judy Bachrach of People Weekly, "My family believed I could do no wrong. That's probably why I have utter confidence in myself-even when I shouldn't have. I got everything I wanted from my parents: Brooks Brothers sweaters, Spalding saddle shoes. None of the people I grew up with had identity problems. We all had perfectly marvelous lives." Ford was not motivated as a child to have a career or even attend a university. Loretta Otte eventually made her daughter attend Barnard College, from which she graduated in 1943 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Ford wanted to go to law school, but the fashion industry lured her in a different direction.Loretta Otte had been a model, and Ford also modeled during breaks from Barnard. Ford liked the allure of the industry. After graduation, she worked as a photographer's stylist at the Eliot Clarke studio for a year. Ford met Gerard "Jerry" W. Ford in August 1944 and eloped with him three months later, on November 20, 1944. Jerry Ford was a student and football player at Notre Dame University at the time of his marriage. The Fords eventually had four children: Jamie, Bill, Katie, and Lacey.
Began Modeling Agency
In 1945, Ford continued to work as a stylist at the William Becker Studio. Her husband worked for Ford's father in the family company, while attending business school. Ford held several jobs, working as a copywriter for Arnold Constable from 1945 to 1946, then a reporter for Tobe Coburn in 1946. In order to earn extra money, she began doing bookings for two of her friends, who were models. The Ford Agency grew out of this experience.
The modeling industry was rather loosely organized at the time. Agencies found work for their models, but the models were expected to set their own rates and collect their own wages. Against the grain, Ford put the interests of the models and their careers first. She bargained with advertising agencies and photographers so that her models would have better deals. From 1946 to 1948, Ford's clientele grew from 2 to 34, and the agency took in $250,000 in 1948 alone. The demands of the agency grew and Ford's husband quit school and joined his wife at the agency. Long days became the norm as Ford found new talent while her husband dealt with the financial end. She developed a savvy reputation. James Mills in Life described her as "a tough businesswoman: demanding, untiring and persistent as gravity."
Revolutionized Industry
Ford's business practices changed the industry, becoming standards of conduct. The Ford Agency would collect the models' fees and pay them on a weekly basis. They also set the standard of a 20% commission, 10% from the models' fee and the other 10% from the organization that hired the model. Ford was instrumental in setting fees for such things as cancellations, fittings, bad weather, and the type of modeling done. She was selective about what kind of advertisements her models would appear in. As Bachrach described in People Weekly, Ford, in the 1940s, said "no deodorant ads, no bra ads, no bathtub poses and no excessive display of bosom." This changed over time, though, reflecting changing social standards. By the 1990s, nudity and deodorant ads became acceptable.
The Ford Family
Ford treated her models differently than other agencies on another level. She was a second mother to many of them. Ford gave them counsel on what to wear and how to handle hair and skin problems. She taught them proper etiquette. Many young models lived with the Ford family when they were first working in New York City and were expected to do household chores like a member of the family. Ford believed models needed the mothering. She told Mills of Life, "They're all just little kids. The one thing that makes a model the way she is her parents. Not her beauty. Each child wants desperately to prove himself to his parents. But today there are more adults willing to give less, or afraid to ask more, than there once were. And when children have no direction, and nothing is demanded of them, they're lost." In the same article, Ford said, "Most models are emotionally abandoned. They need me. I'm their mother."
Ford expected a certain moral standard for her models, which included a nightly curfew and a limit on the number of nights a model could go out. If Ford's standards were not met, they were released from the agency. A former Ford model, Cheryl Tiegs, told Bacharach of People Weekly, "Eileen is hard where her standards of discipline are concerned. There are too many beauties around to put up with girls acting up."
Ford and her agency developed so-called "Ford models," many becoming the superstars of the industry. She had an eye for finding new models. She told James Mills in Life, "There's a cockiness to them and there's just a way about them. It's their I don't know, they're just going to be good and you can just tell it. It's a way they have of moving, and it's a way of talking to you. I see girls that I know I absolutely know-will be star models within just a matter of weeks, and they always are." As Bachrach in People Weekly wrote, "This preoccupation with what is proverbially only skin-deep is not second nature to Eileen Ford; it is her first and only nature." To discover new talent, she traveled four times each year in Europe, especially Paris and the Nordic countries, as well as other trips in the United States and Australia. Many also walked into her offices off the streets.
Ford favored a certain kind of female model. She preferred them to be blonde, with long necks, straight noses, and eyes that were wide-set, and a certain height and size cheekbones, hips, and breasts. Ford thought models with light-colored eyes photographed better. By favoring these characteristics, Ford determined the American standard of beauty for a generation, according to Bachrach in People Weekly. Ford told her, "There's no question I did that. I create a look and I create a style."
Ford did not take advantage of women who wanted to be models. Even those she did not take under wing, Ford tried to advise. Life,'s Mills quoted her as telling one such girl, "It's not the most important thing, you know, to be a model. It's just a job. And it's better to know the truth than because there are always people who want to take advantage, who will promise you things, and bad schools that will take your money." Ford told David Schonauer of American Photo that "It's the nicest thing I can do for a girl who isn't pretty enough to be a model. She has to get on with her life."
Ford's beliefs on this matter extended to her own family. She never let any of her three daughters model. She told Mills of Life, "I think that even if they could be I would rather they chose their own careers. Because when it's over, you have nothing. I don't mean financially, but inside. It's a temporary career and models are very young when it starts and their education suffers. And then in a few years you have nothing to do and you're just an old leftover model. And there's nothing in the world worse than that."
Ford's mentorship methods did not sit well with every model who worked for her. Some of her competitors do not think favorably of her either. John Casablancas had a positive working relationship with Ford when he worked exclusively in Paris representing models. But when he opened an agency, the Elite Agency, in New York City, Ford sued him. Casablancas told Bachrach in People Weekly, "Eileen is Mr. Hyde. And Jerry is Dr. Jeckyll. When I came to New York, my major problem wasn't lawsuits. It was personal attacks on how I directed my life as though I was some kind of fiend with Roman orgies. She's a sour, nasty old lady with a lot of enemies." Another rival told Bachrach in the same article, "Eileen is a very domineering lady. She is strong-willed and opinionated, and at Ford's there is fear and apprehension about anyone else making a decision. Eileen berates anyone who doesn't fall into line."
Despite what her detractors may have thought of her methods, by 1970, the Ford Agency was taking in $5 million per year, representing 180 models. Eventually the agency expanded to include divisions for male and children models (Brooke Shields was taken on as a client when she was eight). Jerry Ford took care of the male model division in the 1970s. Ford also formed a division that dealt with older models who still wanted to work in their 30s. By the 1990s, her female clientele numbered in the hundreds. Through all the years, Ford maintained a business-oriented perspective. She told David Schonauer of American Photo, "It's all about money. That might sound terrible in a magazine that's supposed to be about art and creativity, but it's the truth. Nobody gets in this business for the love of it. That's certainly true of models, and probably photographers as well."
Through the years, Ford put her experiences with models to use in a second career, as an author. She had a syndicated column about beauty for several years. She also wrote several nonfiction books such as Eileen Ford's Model Beauty, Secrets of the Model's World, A More Beautiful You in 21 Days, and Beauty, Now and Forever. In 1983, Ford received the Woman of the Year in Advertising Award.
Retired from Agency
By the 1990s, the Ford Agency lost some of its luster. Ford was seen as living in the past, her standards of beauty slightly outdated in a multicultural-embracing United States. Schonauer wrote in American Photo, "the world had changed: The era of the megamodel, in which financial stakes were higher and personal loyalties more fragile, had dawned." In 1995, Ford named her daughter Katie CEO of the Ford Modeling Agency, but she remained co-chair (with her husband) of its board. As Ford told Roberta Bernstein of Time, "We were getting old. What were we going to do, let her be like Prince Charles and wait for us to die? It was her moment. You have to give people a chance." Ford was honored for her contributions to the industry, especially in photography, at the 1996 Festival of Fashion Photography. Ford's legacy remains clear. Roberta Bernstein of Time wrote "Eileen Ford, part pit bull, part den mother, and all business, helped shape what women looked like and how they dressed for nearly a half a century."
Source modelsobserver.com
Interview with Neal Hamil - Director of North America, Elite Models
New York, USA
In the world of modeling, very few agencies have the recognition, respect and reputation of Elite Model Management. With over 30 years of experience processing over five million bookings, Elite remains at the forefront of the industry. Now owned by Eddie Trump of Creative World Management, the Elite team looks forward to continued success as the exclusive modeling industry powerhouse.
Some of the most recognizable names and faces to ever grace the fashion and entertainment industries began their careers in the Elite family. From current cover girls Alessandra Ambrosio, Marisa Miller, Monica Bellucci, Jessica White and new stars like Coco Rocha, to icons Stephanie Seymour, Cindy Crawford, Demi Moore, Cameron Diaz, Andie McDowell, Linda Evangelista, Heidi Klum, Gisele Bundchen, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Tyra Banks and a never-ending list of others.
The empire is overseen by Neal Hamil, and he shares his thoughts on modeling, success and beauty.
Author: Jonathan.L - Owner Models Observer
July 2007 * Neal, please tell us about your background. For how long have you been working in the industry and what was your position prior to being Elite’s president?
I have been in the model business for 26 years. I started in Houston and owned The Neal Hamil Agency there for 10 years. During that time I became close to Eileen and Jerry Ford and so when I sold the agency in Houston I joined Ford in NY. I was a booker in the Women's Division and then became the Director of the Women's Division and then Executive Vice President of Ford and then a shareholder in the agency.
I resigned on my birthday in November of 2005 and my last day was December 13, 2005. It was time. The agency was becoming something I was not interested in being a part of. I have always managed top fashion models and while I never lost the clients I managed at Ford, the rest of the agency was becoming so commercial and while we would find great new girls and develop them they would not stay once they got going. It was so depressing and demoralizing to see people I really liked who had worked so hard lose girl and girl after girl and so I left as well!
It was the best decision I ever made and I have not looked back for a single second.
I was so thrilled about the possibility of Elite. It was my background that prepared me perfectly for this job and Elite is today what I had longed for: a top fashion agency.
I know that Eileen Ford's vision was for me to play the role at Ford that I play at Elite. She told me so. She groomed me for it. But, fate dealt different cards. I love she and Jerry to this day and will always love them. I will leave it there.
* What is the vision of Elite Models?
My vision for Elite is to carry on the great traditions of the company in terms of the world's very best scouting network, the best development people in the entire business and a group of managers that individually and as a group are so experienced, professional and awesome it really is an honor to be here. We have had many opportunities come to us in the 5 months I have been here but we are staying the course and remain committed to representing a group of the world's top models in a professional and courteous way. Elite has respect and credibility and it is my job to maintain that while carefully expanding. We do NOT want to be the biggest we just want to cover our bases so our clients are well managed.
Elite is surprisingly small and I want to keep it that way. The agencies we are looking at buying or becoming partners with are small and tight and important and real model agencies. That is very exciting to me and to everyone in our agency! It's a very cool concept and one not in the least based on big commercial value and volume and all that nonsense.
* What have been some of your greatest successes as an agent so far?
I know how fortunate I have been in this business. I have had the pure pleasure of working with amazing people like Jerry Hall, Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour, Veronica Webb, Yasmin LeBon, Daniella Van Graas, Noemie Lenoir and of course the legendary; Kristen Mc Menamy. The girls I managed taught me a lot. I owe them. I honor them.
* How has the industry changed since you first entered it?
The model agency business is not at all what it was when I came into it. There were not so many agencies and they all wanted to be as big as they could !!!!! The reverse is now true, I suppose! The business was more elegant. The people were more ethical. I'll explain. Agents were working for their girls and not camped out backstage at fashion shows looking to see who they can poach for their agency. There was real loyalty and that applies to both sides of the business. The girls were loyal to the agencies and the agencies were loyal to the girls. We took pretty young girls from California and built them into mega-brands of their own. Christie Brinkley. I rest my case. The industry "processes" the girls at light speed now. Two or three years and the whole top tier of girls changes. It moves much more quickly and that is neither good nor bad, it is just a fact.
* Elite represents models from all around the world – Americans, Russians, Brazilians and so on. How does it bridge the gap/differences between cultures, and is it always easy?
Elite have girls coming from the world over. All races, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds and they arrive and join the rank and file and models in New York; which is a great leveler; and it all gets tossed around and blended and it is a great experience for most. The girls from Brazil see America. The Americans see Europe. The Russians see Canada. It's fantastic.
* What does it take to be the next Naomi Campbell?
I love this question. I love Naomi. As I said I managed her for a time and loved it and I love her. I do. We are friends to this day. I know her heart. She is a great person. Her own worst enemy at times but a great person. I think she has lived and learned and has moved on and I am proud of her and proud to call her "friend". I stand by her. Period.
Now, to be the "next" Naomi is impossible. There is only one. She is a physical perfection. To this minute one of the greatest beauties the world has ever known.
What does it take to be the next top model? Well, in this market it could be almost anyone! The business is no longer only about perfection. Thank God!
I will say that attitude has a lot to do with it. I think CoCo Rocha is the next big thing. She is beautiful, cool, stylish and a genuinely hard working individual with a big brain and a big heart.
* Describe a typical week of work for you.
I have my schedule for the day the night before so I am prepared. Up at 7:00 to watch my long time friend, Hannah Storm, co-anchor her show "The Early Show" on CBS and I talk to Paris, London, Milan on the phone. Then I take my dog, Greta, to day care and proceed to Elite where I get right into it. My first meeting is at 10. I meet with my staff and talk to the directors of Elite in North America and at 11, my life partner calls as he is arriving at his business in Houston for the day. Lunch is 1 and I always have a lunch date but lunch is an hour. Then back to the office and meetings all day with models, clients, managers, etc. I end the day at the office at 6:30 and go pick up Greta, get her home and fed and leave again or have people in. I have a great loft and entertain there as much as possible.
The blackberry is in CONSTANT use!!! That is my life line.
* So, what are the things that prove you are a native Houstonian?
Well, that I have known other Houstonians like Hannah for 30 years and that I can drive you anywhere you want to go without getting lost in a city so vast and complicated and I can recite the entire menu of Armando's Restaurant and I know the secret ingredient of Armando's famous refried beans!!!! How's that for proof??!!
* Do you have any favorite motto or quotation?
Love is all there is. I thank God every day for all the love in my life and for the most amazing person, Brad Hensler, to love and be loved by.
* Where do you see Elite in the future?
The sky is the limit!
Interview with Neal Hamil - Director of North America, Elite Models
New York, USA
In the world of modeling, very few agencies have the recognition, respect and reputation of Elite Model Management. With over 30 years of experience processing over five million bookings, Elite remains at the forefront of the industry. Now owned by Eddie Trump of Creative World Management, the Elite team looks forward to continued success as the exclusive modeling industry powerhouse.
Some of the most recognizable names and faces to ever grace the fashion and entertainment industries began their careers in the Elite family. From current cover girls Alessandra Ambrosio, Marisa Miller, Monica Bellucci, Jessica White and new stars like Coco Rocha, to icons Stephanie Seymour, Cindy Crawford, Demi Moore, Cameron Diaz, Andie McDowell, Linda Evangelista, Heidi Klum, Gisele Bundchen, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Tyra Banks and a never-ending list of others.
The empire is overseen by Neal Hamil, and he shares his thoughts on modeling, success and beauty.
Author: Jonathan.L - Owner Models Observer
July 2007 * Neal, please tell us about your background. For how long have you been working in the industry and what was your position prior to being Elite’s president?
I have been in the model business for 26 years. I started in Houston and owned The Neal Hamil Agency there for 10 years. During that time I became close to Eileen and Jerry Ford and so when I sold the agency in Houston I joined Ford in NY. I was a booker in the Women's Division and then became the Director of the Women's Division and then Executive Vice President of Ford and then a shareholder in the agency.
I resigned on my birthday in November of 2005 and my last day was December 13, 2005. It was time. The agency was becoming something I was not interested in being a part of. I have always managed top fashion models and while I never lost the clients I managed at Ford, the rest of the agency was becoming so commercial and while we would find great new girls and develop them they would not stay once they got going. It was so depressing and demoralizing to see people I really liked who had worked so hard lose girl and girl after girl and so I left as well!
It was the best decision I ever made and I have not looked back for a single second.
I was so thrilled about the possibility of Elite. It was my background that prepared me perfectly for this job and Elite is today what I had longed for: a top fashion agency.
I know that Eileen Ford's vision was for me to play the role at Ford that I play at Elite. She told me so. She groomed me for it. But, fate dealt different cards. I love she and Jerry to this day and will always love them. I will leave it there.
* What is the vision of Elite Models?
My vision for Elite is to carry on the great traditions of the company in terms of the world's very best scouting network, the best development people in the entire business and a group of managers that individually and as a group are so experienced, professional and awesome it really is an honor to be here. We have had many opportunities come to us in the 5 months I have been here but we are staying the course and remain committed to representing a group of the world's top models in a professional and courteous way. Elite has respect and credibility and it is my job to maintain that while carefully expanding. We do NOT want to be the biggest we just want to cover our bases so our clients are well managed.
Elite is surprisingly small and I want to keep it that way. The agencies we are looking at buying or becoming partners with are small and tight and important and real model agencies. That is very exciting to me and to everyone in our agency! It's a very cool concept and one not in the least based on big commercial value and volume and all that nonsense.
* What have been some of your greatest successes as an agent so far?
I know how fortunate I have been in this business. I have had the pure pleasure of working with amazing people like Jerry Hall, Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour, Veronica Webb, Yasmin LeBon, Daniella Van Graas, Noemie Lenoir and of course the legendary; Kristen Mc Menamy. The girls I managed taught me a lot. I owe them. I honor them.
* How has the industry changed since you first entered it?
The model agency business is not at all what it was when I came into it. There were not so many agencies and they all wanted to be as big as they could !!!!! The reverse is now true, I suppose! The business was more elegant. The people were more ethical. I'll explain. Agents were working for their girls and not camped out backstage at fashion shows looking to see who they can poach for their agency. There was real loyalty and that applies to both sides of the business. The girls were loyal to the agencies and the agencies were loyal to the girls. We took pretty young girls from California and built them into mega-brands of their own. Christie Brinkley. I rest my case. The industry "processes" the girls at light speed now. Two or three years and the whole top tier of girls changes. It moves much more quickly and that is neither good nor bad, it is just a fact.
* Elite represents models from all around the world – Americans, Russians, Brazilians and so on. How does it bridge the gap/differences between cultures, and is it always easy?
Elite have girls coming from the world over. All races, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds and they arrive and join the rank and file and models in New York; which is a great leveler; and it all gets tossed around and blended and it is a great experience for most. The girls from Brazil see America. The Americans see Europe. The Russians see Canada. It's fantastic.
* What does it take to be the next Naomi Campbell?
I love this question. I love Naomi. As I said I managed her for a time and loved it and I love her. I do. We are friends to this day. I know her heart. She is a great person. Her own worst enemy at times but a great person. I think she has lived and learned and has moved on and I am proud of her and proud to call her "friend". I stand by her. Period.
Now, to be the "next" Naomi is impossible. There is only one. She is a physical perfection. To this minute one of the greatest beauties the world has ever known.
What does it take to be the next top model? Well, in this market it could be almost anyone! The business is no longer only about perfection. Thank God!
I will say that attitude has a lot to do with it. I think CoCo Rocha is the next big thing. She is beautiful, cool, stylish and a genuinely hard working individual with a big brain and a big heart.
* Describe a typical week of work for you.
I have my schedule for the day the night before so I am prepared. Up at 7:00 to watch my long time friend, Hannah Storm, co-anchor her show "The Early Show" on CBS and I talk to Paris, London, Milan on the phone. Then I take my dog, Greta, to day care and proceed to Elite where I get right into it. My first meeting is at 10. I meet with my staff and talk to the directors of Elite in North America and at 11, my life partner calls as he is arriving at his business in Houston for the day. Lunch is 1 and I always have a lunch date but lunch is an hour. Then back to the office and meetings all day with models, clients, managers, etc. I end the day at the office at 6:30 and go pick up Greta, get her home and fed and leave again or have people in. I have a great loft and entertain there as much as possible.
The blackberry is in CONSTANT use!!! That is my life line.
* So, what are the things that prove you are a native Houstonian?
Well, that I have known other Houstonians like Hannah for 30 years and that I can drive you anywhere you want to go without getting lost in a city so vast and complicated and I can recite the entire menu of Armando's Restaurant and I know the secret ingredient of Armando's famous refried beans!!!! How's that for proof??!!
* Do you have any favorite motto or quotation?
Love is all there is. I thank God every day for all the love in my life and for the most amazing person, Brad Hensler, to love and be loved by.
* Where do you see Elite in the future?
The sky is the limit!
*DiamondQueen*
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Some very good agencies in Belgium are Dominique, IMM, New Models Agency, Vision and Office
For which city in Germany do you want to know the best agencies? It would be easier to tell you then because there are so many great agencies
*DiamondQueen*
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thanks for those two posts model_mom 
both of them are very interesting and informative!
both of them are very interesting and informative!
Interview with Faith Kates - founder and owner of Next Models
New York, USA
Next is one of the biggest model agencies in the world. The powerful network was founded in New York, and now it has offices in Miami, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Montreal and Toronto. This strong machine has built the careers of such names as Daniela Pestova, Petra Nemcova, Filippa Hamiliton and Molly Sims.
Faith Kates, Next's owner and one of the most successful agents in the industry, tells us about the company and what it takes to remain on top.
Author: Jonathan.L - Owner Models Observer
November 2006 * Faith, could you please tell us about your background and the beginning of Next?
Before starting Next in 1989 I worked for Wilhelmina it was at the time when Willy had passed away and all the agents and models had left. I was hired to begin a new division which was securing models for fashion shows. There were so many obstacles I had to maneuver around, as Wilhelmina didn't have very many models at the time and they were having problems with clients as well, so I went out and overhauled the agency. We found new girls made an alliance with a very "Cool" agency in France and the rest is history.
* Who are Next's leading models today? Which of their recent achievements/campaigns you are very proud of?
I am proud of all the models we represent. But we just signed Anja Rubik to be the New Face of Estee Lauder; Filippa is the Face of Ralph Lauren, Molly Sims and Joy Bryant both have Cover Girl contracts and Petra Nemcova with her recovery and continued success with her Happy Hearts Foundation, which helps children in countries with natural disasters.
* What are the key success factors of your firm that enable it to stay at the top for such a long time?
Being fair.
* What qualities should a successful agent possess?
Patience, patience and more patience. It takes time to be an agent you have to find a balance between the model and the client.
* Describe the relationship that should exist between a model and her agency.
A very strong one, one she can call upon 24/7.
* Let's say you have scouted an amazing girl in Texas. How do you decide which branch of your powerful network will start marketing her?
It really depends on what kind of girl we find in Texas. If she is a girl we find could be cutting edge and modern we might bring her to New York or Paris or London. If she is a bit more commercial, Los Angeles or Miami.
* How do marketing supermodels and managing their careers differ from marketing and managing careers of new faces?
Completely different, New Faces need to learn to be models it requires so much work it's not take a picture and tomorrow you are on the cover of Vogue, you teach them, how to dress, groom them, style them. As for Super Models or all models they need a lot of time as once we get them to a certain level it's the challenge of keeping them there.
* Last month a storm erupted in the fashion industry, after the organizers of Madrid Fashion Week have announced that extremely thin models will not take part in fashion shows. What is your opinion and what do you predict - is there a place for fuller models on runway?
I don't think that there will be plus size models on the runway.
* Next seems very innovative. For example, back then in 1995 you were the first agency to distribute interactive CD-ROM featuring full-motion video for model selection, supplementing the traditional promotional book. Would you say Next is still innovative today?
We are very innovative always on the cutting edge our first piece we ever did was art directed by Fabien Baron, and other things we have done have been done with Doug Lloyd, who is the genius behind all the New Gucci campaigns.
* What are the future challenges for Next?
You will have to wait and see.
* Special thanks to Laura Fischer and Nikolina Dosen for arranging the interview with Faith Kates.
The Neal Hamil interview was really interesting and provides some insight into the mess at Ford. The Faith Kates one was kind of insipid. Just an ad for Next without providing any information at all. And she comes across as being rather charmless.
*DiamondQueen*
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they're a good choice! they belong to the german association of respectable modeling agencies and have a good reputation. so you can do nothing wrong with choosing them
NicoleRenee
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I've heard good things about Modelwerk too!
Modelgirlie
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what's up with these new NYC agencies are they good do they get much work
Muse
http://musenyc.com/
B1
http://www.b1models.com/
red
http://rednyc.com/
Rocket Garage
http://www.rocketgarage.net/
XS
http://xsmodel.com/
Muse
http://musenyc.com/
B1
http://www.b1models.com/
red
http://rednyc.com/
Rocket Garage
http://www.rocketgarage.net/
XS
http://xsmodel.com/
they're a good choice! they belong to the german association of respectable modeling agencies and have a good reputation. so you can do nothing wrong with choosing them
Great great! So that's worth a visit... (a 3-hours visit haha)...
spiritedwildfire
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Has anyone heard anything about New View Management in Cincinnati? They expressed a lot of interest, but something feels off.
AlmostFamous
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The only way to draw conclusions from agency websites is if you recognize any of their girls and/or they look like they're working. I know almost nothing of the agencies you've posted. They're all new. They're all very small. Small new agencies are kind of unstable because the industry has so many established agencies as it is..
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