Top Modeling Agencies

Ford Models
Started in 1946 by Eileen and Jerry Ford, Ford was one of the first big modeling agencies. Ford's head office is located in New York with branches in Toronto and other cities. Canadian singer Avril Lavigne signed with Ford in January 2006. The Ford agency represents Fabiana Tambosi and many older, established models including Christie Brinkley, Jerry Hall (Mick Jagger's ex) and Twiggy.

Elmer Olsen Model Management
Elmer Olsen is famous not only in Canada, but internationally as well, as a model agent and scout. He launched his own Toronto agency, Elmer Olsen Model Management, in 2003 after he left Elite Canada. You can read more about Elmer Olsen and his agency in this article at modelresource.ca Elmer Olsen Model Management represents Daria Werbowy (in Canada) and other top models.

Next Model Management-Canadian website
Next Model Management was founded in 1989 by Faith Kates in New York city. Next has offices in Paris (opened in 1996), Montreal (opened in 1999), Toronto (opened in 2000), Los Angeles, Miami, London, Sao Paolo and other cities. The agency has affiliates in Milan and Australia. Here is the main site for Next Models.

Sutherland Models
Sutherland Models, headquartered in Toronto, celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2005. This agency provides many of the models seen in Canadian magazines, newspapers, television and on the runway. Models signed with Sutherland are also promoted internationally through affiliated agencies. Here is an article about Sutherland from Model Resource.

B & M Models
A small Toronto agency that has been around since 1980.

Elite Models
Founded by John Casablancas in 1972, Elite has offices in most major cities including Toronto. They represent Claudia Schiffer and Yfke Sturm and many others. The agency apparently began going downhill a few years ago; see this article about Elite's problems by Michael Gross from New York Magazine. Elite came under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection during February 2004. In August 2004, Creative World Management LLC (owned by Eddie and Jules Trump, no relation to Donald Trump who has a model agency of his own, see next entry) purchased Elite. This purchase does not affect Elite's Switzerland-based parent company. The latest news (January 27, 2005) is that founder John Casablancas is returning to help guide Elite through some difficult times.

Trump Model Management
This agency is owned by Donald Trump (the real estate mogul) and represents many top models including Canadian Lisa Cant. Donald Trump is no stranger to the fashion and modeling world. He was the Executive Producer of the 1997 MISS USA® Pageant and he met his current wife, model Melania Knauss, at a fashion industry party in 1998. Trump Model Management offices are in New York city.

DNA Model Management
This site won a place in the Communication Arts Magazine Interactive Annual 2003 for web site design. Really nice presentation. DNA's line-up includes such names as Amber Valletta and Canadian Linda Evangelista.

IMG Models
This is the world's largest modeling agency, representing many of the top models including Canadian models Jessica Stam, Daria Werbowy and Shalom Harlow. Mark Hume McCormack (1930-2003) founded IMG in 1960 as a sports management company with golfer Arnold Palmer as its first client. Today it has 80 offices in 32 countries and represents not only sports celebrities but models as well; IMG signed its first model, Jean Shrimpton, in 1969. After a rough year in which it laid off 400 people and closed some money-losing branches including selling a townhouse (used by IMG Models) 22 East 71st Street for about $20 million, IMG's profits for 2004, on total sales of one billion dollars, are up. For more information about IMG see this article from Business Week online. Here is the IMG corporate website.

1 Model Management
Located in New York City, this relatively new agency (founded in 2002) has already developed some top models such as Liliana and represents several established models like Helena Christensen, Naomi Campbell and Devon Aoki (Devon played the character Miho in Frank Miller's Sin City). They have opened a Los Angeles branch. They now represent actors and musicians (Anthony Kiedis, Tommy Lee and others)

Select Model Management
A London (UK) based model agency founded about 25 years ago by sisters Clare and Chrissie Castagnetti and Tandy Anderson.

Metropolitan Models
Metropolitan Models has offices in Paris and New York and has affiliates around the world.

Marilyn Agency
Represents Nadja Auermann, Esther Canadas and many more. Founded in Paris, France in 1983. Also represents some celebrities such as Audrey Tautou (Ms. Tautou played the wide-eyed ingenue in the film "Amelie", also had a role, opposite Tom Hanks in "The Da Vinci Code").

Supreme Management
Founded in 2000 as a sister agency to Women (see next listing). Office in New York.

Women Management
Model agency representing women only with offices in New York, Milan and Paris