fashionologie

Maryna Linchuk, Ford Models Target of Lawsuit by DNA Model Management

fashionologie — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:44:13 PDT

>> In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, DNA is suing Maryna Linchuk for breach of contract and Ford Models for allegedly luring her away. According to papers filed, Linchuk signed an exclusive management agreement with DNA in 2006 and then signed on for another two years in 2008. But, on April 15, 2011, she sent an email to DNA saying she was thinking of leaving the agency, and a Ford rep followed up soon after with a request that all of Linchuk's bookings and options be passed on to him. DNA seeks at least $2 million in damages as restitution for the "significant sums of money [advanced] to Linchuk and on her behalf." The suit continues: "From February 2006 to the present, DNA has invested heavily in promoting, marketing and managing Linchuk's career and professional image, preparing her for and helping her choose modeling assignments, shoots, etc. As a direct result of DNA's efforts, Linchuk has become a successful and sought after model." [Reuters]

Anna Maria Jagodzinska and Karmen Pedaru's Lawsuit Against Former Agency Next Models Reveals How Much Vogue, Vogue Paris Pay

fashionologie — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:10:59 PST

>> Back in May, Next Management sued Ford Models for allegedly poaching Anna Maria Jagodzinska, Karmen Pedaru, and Ania Cywinska; then, last week it emerged that the three models in question are suing Next. They are claiming that they left Next for Ford because it was allegedly refusing them their bookings compensation: Pedaru says Next owes her at least $400,000; Jagodzinska says she's out $230,000; and Cywinska says she has yet to be paid $30,000. All three are each seeking $1 million in punitive damages in addition to their earnings in full, and they are also gunning for the right to look at Next's books to identify other victims.

Jezebel obtained a copy of the lawsuit, which includes Anna Jagodzinska's account statement at Next as of April 23, 2010 (the three models left Next that month). Regardless of the suit, it shows what organizations pay their models and how quickly they dispatch said payments. Vogue Paris, for example, owed Jagodzinska a day rate of $125 for a job done almost a year beforehand - in May 2009. And Vogue owed Jagodzinska two day rate payments of $250 each, one for a job done in December 2009, the other from October 2009.

It's well-known that magazine gigs don't pay much, but these are cold, hard numbers to prove it. If money is what you're after, go for a gig with J.Crew (which owed Jagodzinska $15,000 for catalogue work done in January 2010), H&M (which was still on the books for $60,000 worth of work with Jagodzinska in March 2010), or an agency like Laird + Partners (on the hook for $35,000 - Jagodzinska worked with them on Bottega Veneta and Donna Karan campaigns) or Grey Paris (which is listed as owing Jagodzinska $172,500 and works with beauty clients like Dolce & Gabbana, Lacoste, and Escada). Again, it's no secret, but now there's numeric illustration of the gaping disparity between magazine work and catalogue, beauty, or campaign work.

Paul Rowland's First Ford Show Package - For Spring 2011 - Highlights Tao Okamoto, Karmen Pedaru, and Dafne Cejas in Retro Style

fashionologie — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:15:16 PDT

>> Paul Rowland is heading into his first major show season as head of Ford's women's division. Though he recently said that as he aims to reinvigorate the 64-year-old agency, adding that his vision "is very different from [Ford co-founder] Eileen Ford’s," the first show package showcasing his stable of models - which gives a first visual idea of his brand presentation - does pay tribute to the Ford Model of yore. Teased wigs, retro twinsets, and pearls adorn the likes of Tao Okamoto, Karmen Pedaru, and Alana Zimmer. As Models.com points out, "Irony is the original Ford girls (sans the Rowland twist) looked something like this, all white gloved and be-hatted."

View Slideshow ›

Paul Rowland Speaks about His Move to Ford, How He Plans to Reinvigorate the Agency

fashionologie — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:56:53 PDT

>> Paul Rowland, who founded the Women and Supreme modeling agencies, created quite an uproar - and a number of agency switches - when he left both to head up the women's division at Ford in March.

Five months later, he finally speaks publically to T about the switch: “I’ve always had this obsession with Ford, this curiosity. I love the name, I love the brand. I’ve always had this thing in the back of my mind where I thought it would be cool to go and put my own touch on it. I thought it would be cool to do what [Marc Jacobs] did, [reinvigorating Louis Vuitton] but within a modeling agency. That was where I got the idea. I just thought it would be amazing if I could breathe some new life into the image of Ford.”

What type of model is he looking for? »

Andre Leon Talley on Crystal Renn's "Groundbreaking" Moment; Alyona Osmanova Joins Ford's "Plus Size" Division

fashionologie — Thu, 13 May 2010 13:52:57 PDT

>> After "plus size" model Crystal Renn walked thrice in the Chanel Cruise 2011 show, she told Fashion TV host Jeanne Beker, according to Beker's Twitter, that "she was glad Karl [Lagerfeld] used so many real women in the show and thinks it'll set a new direction in fashion..."

Andre Leon Talley seconded that emotion in a recent post on Vogue.com: "Lagerfeld had cast the show with a slightly more curvaceous model named Crystal Renn, not seen on any Chanel catwalk before. This in itself was groundbreaking for the house, but there was also the return of personality models encouraged to be themselves instead of robotic look-alikes. 'Each girl was cast because of her sense of individuality,' Lagerfeld said enthusiastically."

As for Alyona Osmanova, a former Prada and Miu Miu runway exclusive »

More Updates From Paul Rowland's Supreme-to-Ford Agency Switch

fashionologie — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:19:06 PDT

>> Last week, the New York modeling agency scene experienced a great shakeup when Women and Supreme founder Paul Rowland and Ford women's division head Caroline Poznanski essentially switched places. The fallout is expected to take weeks to settle, but in the meantime, some models have already started switching agencies to stay with their original management - Tao Okamoto and Hanne Gaby Odiele among those reported yesterday, and today, word comes of more movement: Lakshmi Menon has followed her agent Poznanski to Supreme, while Ranya Mordanova, Daiane Conterato, Karolin Wolter are all said to have moved from Supreme to Ford.

Fashionista cites a source saying that Chanel Iman, too, has left Ford to follow her booker to Supreme, while it appears that Jacquelyn Jablonski is staying put at Ford for the time being. But the source also notes: “No one is clear if models are moving back and forth - it’s all up in the air.” In the same vein, The Imagist reports: "A new wrinkle emerged this morning around the allegation that the former head of one of the world's most powerful agencies is set to join a certain Dream Team currently in formation."

Musical Chairs at Modeling Agencies As Supreme and Women Founder Paul Rowland Leaves for Ford

fashionologie — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:33:37 PDT

>> Last week, rumors of a major shift in the New York modeling agency setup floated around; eventually, it came out that Paul Rowland, the founder of Women Management and its Supreme offshoot, was leaving Supreme to head up the women's division at Ford.

According to Page Six's industry insider, Rowland, who sold the company which he founded in 1988 a few years ago, "had a huge salary there, but wasn't really getting along with management. So basically, he just left." Ford "cleaned house and canned everyone," says another source, to make way for Rowland and the agents he was bringing with him.

Caroline Poznanski, meanwhile, who ran Ford's women's division until Rowland's arrival, has been chosen by Supreme to take Rowland's old job. "It's one big game of musical chairs," reports the source. "There were rumors around that Supreme was just going to close, but instead they hired Poznanski and absorbed some other people who had been let go from Ford."

One booker notes: "The models at these places are in a tailspin. A lot, including [Ford girls] Chanel Iman and Jacquelyn Jablonski, don't know if they're staying or going. There will likely be a spate of lawsuits because both Paul and Caroline are trying to bring their girls over, but they have noncompetes in their contracts."

Some models have already switched »

Fashion In 50 Seconds 05/08/09 Ford Sues Model & More

coutorture — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:00:21 PDT

Ford Models filed a suit in Manhattan Supreme Court against model Kendra Spears.

Despite rumors, Oliver Theyskens will not be taking the creative director position at Halston.

Marc Jacobs will launch a new fragrance, called Lola, this August.

Anna Wintour was photographed walking home from work yesterday evening.

Kendra Spears Spurs Lawsuit, Feud Among Agencies

fashionologie — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:48:17 PDT

>> Kendra Spears, the promising 20-year-old Seattle-born model talent who is rumored to be one of the upcoming Fall 2009 Prada faces and has been called "one of the most supermodel-esque new faces to emerge in a long while" by Models.com - she has a mole above her lip, causing her to be billed "the next Cindy Crawford" - is now at the center of a lawsuit.

Kendra, who was discovered by Ford Models on MySpace last year and was then a finalist in the agency's Supermodel of the World competition, recently jumped ship to Next, spurring Ford to sue both Next and Spears (the former for poaching the model, the latter for breaching her contract - which was supposed to span three years).

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, reads:

Kendra Spears is one of the shining stars of the Ford development system. Signed as a prospect while still a teenager in braces, for more than a year, Ford has painstakingly cultivated Spears - literally, taught her how to be an international fashion model. She was not a high-fashion model. In fact, she was an unknown - a teenager with braces, with no modeling experience to speak of.

She is a beautiful, fresh, all-American 'face' who, having been discovered by Ford, trained by Ford, and professionally developed by Ford, is at the precipice of a breakthrough. She is about to become one of a handful of the world's most sought-after high fashion models.

A look at some of her recent work, below.

*image: source

View Slideshow ›

fashionologie — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:42:29 PDT

>> RIP — Gerard "Jerry" Ford, who with his wife Eileen Ford created Ford Models, passed away on Sunday at 83. He is credited with creating modeling contracts to promote brand exclusivity, and represented such big names as Lauren Hutton, Christie Brinkley, Veronica Webb and Kristen McMenamy over the years. [NY Times]

*image: source