Jerry Ford
By Kate Betts
Widely credited with transforming modeling into a big business by creating the first exclusive modeling contracts, Jerry Ford died on Aug. 24 at his home in Morristown, N.J. He was 83.
Along with his wife Eileen, Ford revolutionized the industry when he began negotiating lucrative contracts for models to represent certain brands exclusively; the first such agreement was between Lauren Hutton and Revlon in 1974. In doing so, he demanded higher fees and made many of his clients household names, including Christie Brinkley and Brooke Shields.
Born in New Orleans, Ford studied accounting at Columbia University and fell into the fashion industry when his wife, who was managing the accounts of several model friends, became pregnant. He took over her duties and discovered a knack for management. The couple founded Ford Models in 1946 and went on to manage the early careers of Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Ali MacGraw, among many others. It's fair to say Ford's preference for healthy-looking American models such as those women played a defining role in fashion for four decades.