Ford Models
Company typePrivate
IndustryFashion
Founded1946; 78 years ago (1946)
FounderEileen Ford
Gerard W. Ford
Headquarters11 E. 26th St., 14th Floor, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
OwnerPrivately Owned[1]
Websitewww.fordmodels.com

Ford Models, originally the Ford Modeling Agency, is an American international modeling agency based in New York City. It was established in 1946 by Eileen Ford and her husband Gerard W. Ford.[2][3]

History

20th century

Eileen and Jerry began the business in their Manhattan home in 1946. In the late 20th century, the company emerged as one of the preeminent New York City-based modeling agencies.

In the 1970s, like many of the original modeling agencies, Ford began facing competition from other leading agencies, including Women Management, IMG Models, and others.

In 1980, the company established Ford Models Supermodel of the World, which attracted more than 60,000 hopefuls annually from around the world. Today, the contest lives on in the form of the annual V/VMan Ford Model Search run in conjunction with the two Visionaire publications.

Ford's competition increased even further in the 1980s when John Casablancas opened Elite Model Management, leading to greatly intensified competition among the largest agencies.[4]

The agency has represented a diverse list of models and celebrities.

In 1995, the Fords' daughter, Katie Ford, was appointed as the chief executive officer of the agency, which she led for 12 years.

21st century

In the early 21st century, the company diversified through Ford Artists to represent talent in the hair, makeup and wardrobe industries. It has also promoted itself through its social media platform, which includes Ford Models Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Ford Models has also lent its name to an imprint of Random House books, which created a series of teen novels that served to try and glamorize working with the agency.[5]

In December 2000, Magnum Sports and Entertainment signed a letter of intent to acquire Ford Models, but the transaction fell through.[6]

In 2007, John Caplan was appointed Ford Models' chief executive officer.[7]

In December 2007, the Fords sold a stake of their to private equity firm Stone Tower Equity Partners.[8][9]

In 2009, the firm was renamed Altpoint Capital Partners in 2009.[10] Altpoint is operated by managing partner Gerald Banks, also known as Guerman Aliev,[11] and owned and funded by Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin through his holding company Interros.[12]

In January 2011, Altpoint increased its stake in Ford Models to 93%.[13] Also in 2011, the company diversified into the art gallery business under the leadership of chairman Guerman Aliev.[14][15]

In 2019, Ford Models sued a former executive, claiming she invented a story about her husband having a terminal illness in order to have the company agree to render null the non-compete clause of her employment contract. Ford Models charged that among other things the executive was liable to forfeiture of her compensation back to the company, inasmuch as she had been a "faithless servant."[16]

In September 2019, the executive filed a countersuit against Ford Models, claiming that the chairman Gerald Banks (Guerman Aliev) had been spending company funds inappropriately for years that had left the agency $8 million in debt by July 2019. She also claimed that she had quit when she realized Banks and Ford Models owner Vladimir Potanin had close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.[17]

In May 2020, Ford Models Brasil purchased Ford Models from Altpoint amidst uncertainty related to covid-accelerated industry digitalization and the lack of a CEO at Ford Models for a number of months.[18][19] [20][21]

Ford Artists

In addition to modeling, the agency diversified into other fields of representation related to the fashion industry through Ford Artists, including hair stylists, makeup artists, manicurists, stylists, set designers, prop stylists, art directors, and photographers. Ford Artists maintains locations in Chicago and Los Angeles.[22]

Headquarters and locations

In addition to its global headquarters on 26th Street in Manhattan, Ford Models has offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Paris, and Barcelona.[22]

Models

As of January 2022, Ford Models represents the following models:[23][24][25]

See also

References

  1. ^ Ford Models Acquired by Brazilian Outpost Archived May 29, 2020, at the Wayback Machine WWD.
  2. ^ "Biography for Katie Ford". Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2008.
  3. ^ "About « Ford Models Blog". fordmodelsblog.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2011.
  4. ^ "Living: Come with Me to Casablancas". Time. August 25, 1980. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  5. ^ Stephen Gundle (2008). Glamour: A History. Oxford University press. p. 369. ISBN 9780199210985. gabbana.
  6. ^ "Magnum tells SEC back's to the wall". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  7. ^ "Katie Ford announced that Stonetower, the prestigious private equity company has made an investment of the sale of the majority". Archived from the original on July 25, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  8. ^ "Stone Tower Equity Partners LLC - Company Profile and News - Bloomberg Markets". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  9. ^ "Ford Models Inc. Announces Strategic Investment". Bloomberg.com. December 5, 2007. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  10. ^ Wilson, Eric (July 10, 2014). "Eileen Ford, Grande Dame of the Modeling Industry, Dies at 92". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  11. ^ "Gerald Banks / Guerman Aliev". Gerald Banks / Guerman Aliev. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  12. ^ DePuyt, Bruce (July 14, 2018). "FBI, State Probe Russian Oligarch's Ties to Maryland Election Board Contractor". Maryland Matters. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  13. ^ Wachtel, Katya. "Meet The Russian Fund Manager And Former Merrill Banker Who Gets Paid To Manage Supermodels". Business Insider. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  14. ^ Orden, Erica (January 12, 2011). "Ford Models on Exhibit". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  15. ^ Wachtel, Katya. "Meet The Russian Fund Manager And Former Merrill Banker Who Gets Paid To Manage Supermodels". Business Insider. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  16. ^ Jensen, K Thor (August 21, 2019). "Ford Models Executive Lied About Husband Dying in Order to Get Out of Her Contract: Lawsuit". Newsweek. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  17. ^ Bowden, Ebony; Hauswirth, Heather (September 13, 2019). "Ford Models chairman accused of plunging company into debt with "reckless" spending". New York Post. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  18. ^ "Ford Models Brasil acquires Ford Models, Inc. to create global talent management platform". www.fordmodels.com. May 14, 2020. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  19. ^ Hays, Kali (May 14, 2020). "Ford Models Acquired by Brazilian Outpost". WWD. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  20. ^ Hays, Kali (May 14, 2020). "Ford Models Acquired by Brazilian Outpost". WWD. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  21. ^ "Ford Models Brasil acquires Ford Models, Inc. to create global talent management platform". www.fordmodels.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Ford Artists Website". Archived from the original on February 7, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  23. ^ "Ford Models". www.fordmodels.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  24. ^ "Ford Models – New York – Modeling Agency – Profile with contact details and their models on FMD – MVA verified agency". Fashionmodeldirectory.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  25. ^ Actors-Women, FORD/RBA (Scottsdale) Archived January 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine

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