16 - Sunday, Nov. 1, 1992 - North Shore News From page 14 cal school when they’re working with her. She laughs that once they get there they never model again. The agency also has lawyers and gynecologists who have continued their studies after their modelling careers. Ford cites that the direction for the "90s is toward an older model. She says, ‘‘It is becoming a big trend to have models come back to the industry when they are older. We were the first agency to have an older division, and I ac- tually started it to accommodate the girls as they were getting older, not for clients. “Then we started getting calls for older models, and they all want former models from their mid 30s to 50, but not new girls of this age. We did an Italian Vogue cover recently featuring four models who just happened to be from 30 to 40. The reason for this is demographics, people are getting older.”’ Ford feels that older women can be beautiful if they do not alter nature.. “Of ail the heroines, Katherine Hepburn is my favorite, and I : . Photo Steve Clark MONIKA SCHNARRE from Scarborough, Ontario was Supermodel! of the Warid at age?4.: =... think she looks splendid. | don’t like the way ‘Audrey Hepburn looks any more, because she is too re-touched. Once they start nip- ping and tucking. they tend to lose something. FASHION Ford turns sugar, spice into cash “[ believe in reconstructive surgery to a point, but | think when your eyebrows are up around your hairline you're in trouble.”’ If an aspiring model is not in- terested in photography or fashion shows, Ford Models Inc. may still be able to use her. The agency has several other divisions which cater to clients with specific needs. The fitting models branch specializes in mannequins who are hired only by designers who prefer to use live models to create each garment by draping the fabric. The hands and feet civision features models with these par- ticular attributes, used for com- mercials or advertising. The agency also has a television models division, a children’s divi- sion, and a men’s branch, as welt as its fashion show and photography branches, and _ its older women's division. Though Ford states that she adores fashion and always has, this was not a factor in her deci- sion to form the company. She states, ‘‘I started the agency in 1944 because I needed money. I had just married my husband Gerry during the war, and he was in officers’ training for the navy. Following the war, Gerry was go- ing to attend university on a foot- ball scholarship; however, I got pregnant.”” _ She had been a copywriter and . a stylist prior to getting married, and also used to be a fashion writer who covered the New York sportswear market. She confesses, ‘‘l knew fashion inside out, but I was the worst reporter that they ever had. I’m a terrible reporter because facts don’t mean much to me. ! like to write, though, and have written and published five books.” During her brief career as a sty- list, she met models who were not content with their agents, so Eileen Ford agreed to become their secretary until she had her baby. But she was determined tc go to law school once the baby arrived. However, when her daughter was born in 1947, the * decision was made to start the agency with her husband. She admits, ‘‘It was just dumb luck. We were at the right place at the right time. The United States Government introduced the Excess Profits Tax, and that really made us. No manufacturers ever adver- CUSTOMER APPRECIATION NIGHT WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATRONAGE AND TO SHOW OUR APPRECIATION, WE'D LIKE TO EXTEND TC YOU THIS SPECIAL OFFER. PLEASE JOIN US ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD, BETWEEN 6:00 PM AND 9:00 PM AND ENJOY 20% OFF ALL REGULAR PRICED MERCHANDISE. YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO BRING YOUR FAMILY OR A SPECIAL FRIEND. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT OUR CUSTOMER APPRECIATION NIGHT. THE STAFF SatchelShops Photo Steven Kleln TOP MODEL Kim Renneberg hails from Calgary. tised before that, and therefore no models were needed. “But, suddenly these companies had the choice of paying the money they made in profits to taxes or to advertising. And, we were the only ones then with any kind of viable modelling agency.”’ Her agency grew from two models to a dozen within a year, the same year (1949) that Parisian designer Jacques Fath first showed his collections in New York. He offered Ford his house models, and they became the first foreign models tc ever work in America. Ford recalls, ‘‘These models were very glamorous to us, since we were all pretty unsophisticated then. None of us ever dreamed of travelling abroad. No one ever thought of going to the European collections, and it wasn't until ten years later, that Gerry and I first went to the collections. “We met Pierre Cardin, who gave us one of his models, which was the first model ever brought to America from abroad. Then, the agency just grew more inter- national by the minute.”’ At this stage in her life, Ford’s priorities for her agency have changed. ‘I look at what we do as being ‘goad wil! ambassadors.’ We went to Russia five times to produce a television show called “Super Mode?’ there every year. “We are now getting requests from all of its Unified Federation of States to have a show in cach one. We also produce the same show with the Chinese govern- ment.” She continues, ‘“‘] think that fashion is a great opener of doors. Everybody, | don’t care who it is, is interested in pretty girls, and what women are weuring. Ford concludes, ‘‘Perhaps more importantly, we can act as a catalyst for bettering communica- tions within the world because in our business it doesn't matter whether you are black, Chinese or white. Beauty is international. If you are pretty, you’re pretty and you get used in the agency. In MARIELLE we are so busy unpacking our winter and holiday merchandise. Come and join the excitement. Sweaters and holiday cops. Hats and caps. Bags and soft leather gloves (and mittens). Fashion watches and very exciting { jewelry. ‘ accessory boutique 6-6828 AC RAAT Nerth = CHRISTMAS FAIRS — CLASSIFIEDS Te Advertise Call Diana Geosting This Monday, through Sunday, Nov. 2nd to 8th FREE APPRAISALS For information cail 856-2131 986-6222, local 208. 935 MARINE DRIVE., (NEXT TO DAVE BUCK FORD) NORTH VANCOUVER. MON.-WED. 10-5:30, THURS. & FRI. 10-9, SAT. 9:30-5:30, SUN. NOON-5.