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BY
NATHAN T. ELLIS - In
an industry where longtime success is notoriously hard to
come by, Monique Pillard's prosperous years as president of
Elite Models certainly qualify her as an icon of the beauty
business. She's enjoyed success, endured scandal, and outlasted
the man who hired her 25 years ago - Elite founder John Casablancas.
Born
into a clan of hairdressers in Nice, France, and raised in
the States, Monique was a precocious child. By the age of
18, she was, as manager of Revlon's salon division, in charge
of nearly 100 employees. Pillard moved on to become Eileen
Ford's first booking agent, then joined John Casablancas nine
years later in 1977. Her impact was quickly apparent - Pillard
created a division strictly for Elite's stars and negotiated
a huge deal for Paulina Porizkova with Estee Lauder.
Blessed with a keen eye for new faces and a talent for turning
models into supermodels, Monique went on to develop the careers
of many top models (including Cindy Crawford) and negotiate
contracts with cosmetic giants like L'Oreal, Cover Girl, Lancome,
and Mabelline, as well as retailers Victoria's Secret and
Guess Jeans.
Pillard was also one of the first to foresee the impact of
celebrity on the fashion industry. Her intuition led to the
creation of Elite's Celebrity Division, which handles clients
like Ashley Judd, Brooke Shields, Iman, Drew Barrymore, Shannen
Doherty, Ed Burns, and Anh Duong. She recently took time for
a candid e-chat with Tear Sheet about models, celebrity, and
high-stakes negotiating.
 NE:
What's the most important change the industry has undergone
since you started out with Eileen at Ford Models?
MP: The most important change has probably been in terms of
the rates being paid for models. There are no standards anymore;
every detail is negotiable. I also think the definition of
what is considered beautiful has changed...personality counts
so much too, now, and age matters far less.
NE: You're known for your ability to spot trends in the industry
before they take hold. What major developments do you see
occurring in the near future?
MP: I see the trend of using celebrities as opposed to models
continuing and expanding into music, sports, etc., and the
definition of who is considered a celebrity continuing to
develop into many other areas as well. But, I think there
will always be a need for models as well.
NE: Negotiation is one of your acknowledged skills, if not
your forte. What are the keys to your success in getting the
best deals possible for your models?
MP: I do love to negotiate and perhaps that shows! But if
I were to say what the keys to my success have been, well...it's
like Whoopi Goldberg commenting on what her favorite Entenmann's
baked goods are: if she told everyone, there wouldn't be any
left for her!
NE: You negotiated the first "supermodel"-sized deal for Paulina
Porizkova with Estee Lauder. In today's industry, is it possible
for a model to reach that level of stardom?
MP: Yes, if the right model comes along. But having said that,
Paulina was very special and an extremely tough act to follow.
NE: A lot of looks - quirky, Brazilian, butch - have come
and gone very quickly in recent years. Are we finally seeing
a return to classical beauty?
MP: Definitely!
NE: It's your fifth decade in the business, and you've seen
many a model come and go. What sort of advice do you give
models who are starting out?
MP: I think it's funny that you say it's my fifth decade in
this business. But having seen many models come and go over
the years, however many it's been, I would say to those just
starting out that it's not an easy job. It seems glamorous,
but it's a lot of work and you have to make many sacrifices.
So, be prepared to give it your all, because the window of
opportunity is very short in this business and you have to
be prepared to jump when opportunity knocks.
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