Ford Models

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.

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.

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.

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.