fashionologie

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."

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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? »

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 »

Hanne-Gaby Odiele, Iris Strubegger, Tao Okamoto Go Balletic for Supreme's New York Show Package

fashionologie — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:17:40 PST

>> Couture kicked off in Paris today, but back in New York plans are being laid for ready-to-wear fashion week - just two and a half weeks away. Supreme Management released their show package for New York Fashion Week today, with the likes of Alana Zimmer, Hanne-Gaby Odiele, and promising newcomer Reina Montero captured in darkly balletic portraits by agency founder and photography dabbler Paul Rowland. Missing from the lineup are Cecilia Mendez, Flo Gennaro (who just walked Dior couture runway today), and last seaons' Prada closer Kate Kosushkina, but perhaps they'll pop up anyway. Full show package at Models.com.

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Paul Rowland Snaps 19 Models for Witchy 96-Page V Supplement

fashionologie — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:09:35 PDT

>> The 96-page September issue insert The Imagist teased back in June turned out to be for V: Paul Rowland, founder of Women and Supreme agencies, photographed 19 of his models in studio back in April with help from stylist Nicholas Grasa. His inspirations were "Joel-Peter Witkin, paganism, mysticism, vampires, witches - all the things I love," and V has a video of the shoot in action, which required Hannelore Knuts to have raw meat draped over her chest and the rope holding it together lit on fire on both ends. The supplement will be available with V61 in select cities.

Maybe this whole project is the start of a move into a new arena for Rowland? As V puts it: "Rowland, whose lavish and intricate agency show packages are the talk of the industry each season, has a creative verve that extends beyond model agency moving and shaking, and into photography and fine art. After this outing, however, he might need his own magazine as well."

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