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eta: sorry about the margins. didn't realise the image was so big and i suck at html resizing

Gokoro – at the time of production (over a year ago) newly scouted Owen had arrived at the agency literally just hours from his canadian flight and was not yet part their tightly edited board. as with many 17-18 yro boys, he was awkward, wraithlike, hasn't quite grown into his features. they met with him and he took it under advisement to gain muscle weight. due to his slight build, development thought that the best marketing directive was to introduce him as an editorial boy hoping to transform him into a leading/campaign star who can eventually join the ranks of their successful high-end men's board. fortunately, he came to the scene at an opportune moment and commercial clients like GAP responded to his look+personality so favorably that he nabbed the matinee jobs regardless. fwiw, i was told that the focus won't be on their big name mods. Noah, Andres, Romulo, Johannes, Kelly, et al will make the odd appearances, but expect the drama to revolve around the rapier witted razor tongued agents+bookers. they're more interesting/enjoyable/horrifying to watch anyway :)
[addendum: just between you, me, and the rest of the fashion industry – many models suffer from some form of eating disorder+body dysmorphia, however, most don't develop full blown ana-mia. it's obvious to the agents/editors/designers who is healthy+genetically blessed or who is deeply afflicted with the psychological disorder. yes it's a terrible thing and despite what fat self-victimised Tyra and the media ruckus wants you to believe, the issue is not exclusive to models. in fact, the problem is just as prevalent in actresses, athletes, and dancers – why isn't there a mandate for their bmi screening? it's discriminatory against models who are naturally underweight and want to gain but can't. and as i look at your fab icon, i think of the reproachful unapologetic Karl Lagerfeld on fat people: "there is something distasteful about their inability to control themselves. to be thin takes control and rigour..." reminding me why i <3 the elitism+frivolity of fashion LOL!]


Peaches – Deiter+Natasha was waaaaaaaaaay before my time. Sean Patterson pretty much runs Wilhelmina and has done a remarkable job resuscitating its men's div and restructuring the moribund state that the Esch's left it in. no doubt he's looking to expand business opportunities with realitytv exposure. yup this is as REAL and as close as any plebian will get into the explicit inner workings of a NY model mgmt co and its place in such a cutthroat industry filled with cagey fickle ego-bloated personalities. the tension between Pink+Becky+models is going to be hilarious/shocking/sickening to watch.

btw, Photogenics is to LA as IMG is to NY – quite the monopoly they have going. we've used the one-stop culver city studio a couple of times for the sheer convenience though it's talent pool is kinda restrictive. Photogenics/LAM/Smashbox creative unit turn out good albeit banal concepts+products imo. i've always been averse to shopping at malls or giant wholesale outlets and that's what the experience felt like.

how can you NOT love an agency that slaps fake-ass greedy Beyotché with a breach of contract lawsuit and wins!

Vegazguy – it's a bit naïve to presume that reality shows are not scripted. writers have always worked with editors to create a coherent plot from hours worth of footage. and while staging or recreating particular scenes are done to maximize drama or contextualize situations, i was told unequivocally that the writers of this show did not shove words down anyone's throat. from my perspective, the "characters" are portrayed quite realistically. it's actually reflective of why their women's div has been struggling all these years:
1. Pink/Becky/Lola is a dysfunctional unit
2. they need to cut the fat with girls like burger+fries waffling Chloe who would've been dumped by any other top agency

as for Tyler, well, he's been modeling since his late teens and is currently in his early-mid 20's. i thought the haircut was an improvement, but more importantly, the clients did too. if he stays lean, doesn't go bald, and continues to reinvent/modernize his look, i reckon he can prolong his shelf life. embarking on or retiring from a modeling career at a later age is one advantage male models have over females. Gabriel Aubry, Alex Lundquist, Mark Vanderloo, Jason Shaw, etc. has been with Wilhelmina for years! Sean/men's div shrewdly brokered exclusive deals with Vman, Calvin Klein, Gap/BR, and GQ – it's kept the agency relevant at a time when fashion clearly prefer models with "look identity" associated with boutique agencies.

gah. i don't want to turn this into a solipsistic thread filled with my boring industry talk. more Wilhelmina pix from the GQ/CK fashionweek party:


Owen Steuart (taken by COACD) back in 2005 when he was just starting out as a runway/editorial boy. back then he was still too skinny for Wilhelmina+american market. thanks to Hedi Slimane, these days his physique is the norm with the domination of svelte androgynous lads like Mads Larsen, Nick Snider, Kevin Flamme, Nicolas Chabot, James Neate, Mael Zuana, Dylan Michael, Dimitri Vankerkoven, Stas Svelti, et al.