Models are forever running back and forth between agencies. Elite stole - Beverly Peele. The minute she was back in shape (after her pregnancy), John stole her. I put a lot of time into her; I was with her every day. I financed her entire pregnancy. We gave her a baby shower. Then this girl ruthlessly up and left us. -Natasha Esch, 22, president and owner of Wilhelmina, which is suing Elite for $20 million over Peele and other models.
As the reign of the supermodels intensifies, the fight for today's stars has strained the already tense ranks of Manhattan's big agencies. (Elite's lawyer calls Wilhelmina's suit "inaccurate.") These days, Elite claims the biggest names (Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Karen Mulder, Kristen McMenamy, Kati Tastet, Tatjana Patitz), followed closely by Ford, which used to be the preeminent agency (Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Vendela, Rachel Hunter, Isabella Rossellini). Hot on their heels are smaller but growing agencies like Women, Boss, Company, and Next. A few small agencies ride on the success of one or two big names: Women has Macpherson and superwaif Kate Moss; Metropolitan has Claudia Schiffer. Wilhelmina, which rivaled Ford in the '70s, no longer has any real stars. "We're trying to groom the next crop of supermodels," says Natasha Esch. Esch has her work cut out for her. While the dozen or so top models are making more than ever (day rates range from $3,000 to $10,000), agency revenues are still surprisingly small. In contrast to the $100 billion fashion industry, modeling is a relatively puny, $500-million-per-year business. Insiders say that Elite made between $50 million and $100 million in bookings last year and that Ford made about $90 million. But if agency profits are relatively slim, models' egos have kept well ahead of inflation. "In order to keep models happy these days, you have to do so much more," says an exec. "You have to get their names and faces into social columns. You have to work the relationship all the time."
These girls have the same egos as Hollywood stars. They're like girl gangs, like roving bandits. The top clique is Christy, Naomi, and Kate. Kate kind of lucked out; she was taken in by Christy and Naomi. Linda's out of it; she's off in L.A., with Kyle (MacLachlan). Christy's with Jason Patric right now. She went through Christian Slater real fast. He was like this little novelty brought into that crowd. -A 26-year-old confidante of Christy and Naomi
Considering the money and power at stake, the world of supermodels can sound like a bad script from an old Dynasty episode, complete with tales of backbiting, jealousy, and feuds. Naomi Campbell is universally acknowledged as the model with the toughest rep. After several years of widely reported spats in nightclubs with various boyfriends, girlfriends, and even her mother, she topped herself last fall when she and her former champion, Elite's Casablancas, parted ways. He says he fired her; she says she quit. "She's totally impossible," says Casablancas. Crawford, Turlington, and Evangelista, he adds, "are true professionals, but they have their moments too. They'll throw their tantrums." Models say the catfighting peaks every year at the Paris shows. "Girls are always getting mad at each other and they'll tell their hairdresser to purposely mess up another girl's hair," says Tasha, 24. "Girls literally push in front of you to get onto the runway first," says Angie Everhart, 24. Excellent training for Hollywood.
