The
Ford Modeling Agency or as it is known today,
Ford Models, is a
modeling agency in New York City. It was
established in
1946 by
Eileen and the late
Gerard W. Ford.
Company
Ford Models was started in 1946 by Eileen and Jerry Ford. Ford was
the first company to advance their models money owed by jobs that
had been completed but not yet paid. Eileen Ford helped shape what
women looked like and how they dressed for nearly half a century.
Ford had the family tradition of allowing teenage models who live
far from New York City to stay in her home.
In
addition to the New York City headquarters, Ford has offices in
Los
Angeles
, San
Francisco
, Miami
, Chicago
, Scottsdale, Milwaukee
, Toronto
, Paris
, São Paulo
, Rio de
Janeiro
and Buenos
Aires
.
The
company was the pre-eminent New York
agency until
John Casablancas of Elite Model Management opened up in
the city, leading to the "model wars" of the 1980s. Ford,
like many of the original agencies of the 70's, now has to compete
with a broad field of contenders, such as
Women,
IMG and
DNA.
The agency has represented a diverse list of stars, including
Christie Brinkley,
Courteney Cox,
Rachel
Hunter,
Evangeline Lilly,
Stephanie Seymour,
Chanel Iman,
Carolyn
Murphy,
Carmen,
Carol Alt,
Elaine
Irwin,
Erin O'Connor,
Vendela,
Veronica Webb,
Raven-Symone,
Xuxa Meneghel,
Paris
Hilton,
Anderson Cooper,
Ali Larter,
Dorian Leigh,
Ashley
Tisdale,
Liliane Ferrarezi,
Ryan Lochte and
Lindsay Lohan. In 1980, the company
established the
Ford
Supermodel of the World Contest that attracts more than 60,000
hopefuls annually from around the world.
History
Eileen and Jerry began the business in their home.
Katie Ford took over in 1995 after working
in the agency for 16 years. In 2007, John Caplan became Ford
Models’ Chief Executive Officer.
In recent years the company has diversified into media (Ford Media)
and through
Ford Artists into other
professions related to the fashion industry. It has aggressively
promoted itself through
YouTube with a
string of fashion tips videos, and self-help videos detailing the
fashion industry.
Investment
In 2000, Magnum Sports and Entertainment bought 80% of the
agency.
In 2007, Stone Tower Equity Partners made an investment in the
company.
People represented by Ford (Past and Present)
Source:
Notes and references
- http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,949003,00.html
- http://www.fordmodels.com/misc/press_release.html
- http://www.fordmodels.com/misc/press_release.html
-
http://www.fordmodels.com/portfolios/28346/16de?division=263
-
http://www.fashionmodeldirectory.com/agencies/ford-models-new-york/
- Actors-Women, FORD/RBA (Scottsdale)
External links
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