Elite Model Management Corporation · New York, NY United States

Who says modeling agents are a bunch of elitists? Elite Model Management does. The New York-based agency created the term "supermodel" in the 1980s and helped launch the careers of some of the world's most well-known models, including Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, and Linda Evangelista. In 1972 John Casablancas (since retired) and Alain Kittler founded Elite in Paris. In early 2004 the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after lawsuits filed by former employees and models drained the agency of cash. Elite's New York office was subsequently purchased by investor Creative World Management for about $8 million. The deal split Elite Model Management from former parent Elite SA. To read the full description, subscribe now.