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BY
NATHAN T. ELLIS - Neatly
dressed in suede loafers, pressed khakis, and a crisp white
button-down, Ford Models' Executive Vice President Neal Hamil
gives the impression of a well-mannered Southerner, quick
to offer pleasantries, or perhaps a glass of sweetened iced
tea. Moving gracefully through the gauntlet of camouflage
and distressed denim in Ford Models' SoHo offices, he appears
the quintessential old-school agent, one that treats his girls
as ladies and expects them to act likewise.
Jerry
and Eileen Ford met Hamil during a 1978 scouting trip to Texas.
At the time, he and his sister were running a successful agency
in Houston. Still speaking with more than a hint of his Lone
Star accent, Hamil said he instantly clicked with the Fords,
soon giving Eileen first choice of his models. Over time,
they grew as close as parent and child. However, fifteen years
would pass before Hamil joined Ford in New York.
"January
3, 1993, was my first day. I didn't know anyone here because
Jerry and Eileen weren't back from the holidays. It was sink
or swim, and I just dove right in." Indeed. He quickly became
the agent for some of Ford's top girls, including Stephanie,
Naomi, Kristen McMenamy, Veronica Webb, and Jerry Hall.
Eight years and one acquisition (by Magnum Sports and Entertainment)
later, Hamil now runs the Women's Division, handling top girls
Kristy Hinze, Korina Longin, Lesley David, and Elizabeth Jagger,
and logging 150,000 flying miles a year. Busy as Hamil is
- it's off to Copenhagen next week - he took time out for
a chat with Tear Sheet about his career, the current state
of the industry, and the charms of Texas women.
 NE:
What is it with girls from Texas?
NH: (Laughing) I don't know, it must have something to do
with the sunshine. Great models always come from Texas, California,
and Florida. I do know they tend to lead healthier lifestyles;
perhaps that's part of it.
NE: What do you think makes a great agent?
NH: You have to care about your clients, you have to feel
something for them - it's not numbers and deals and business
alone. It's like a marriage. You speak every day and travel
together, and you know everything about each other. There
has to be trust, and you have to stand by them when they are
utterly wrong. I make a good friend (laughing) - I'm a Scorpio,
my passions run very deep.
NE: What have you learned from Jerry and Eileen?
NH: Jerry has taught me about negotiating, aspects of the
business side, which is always what he did. Eileen has taught
me the ins and outs of models, what to look for, how to scout.
I still learn from both of them, and I'm as close to them
as my own parents.
NE: Could you tell us a little about some of the star girls
you've handled over the years?
NH: The first really big challenge I had was probably Kristen
McMenamy. She's a model's model, but very strong-willed and
very high-strung. She moves like a fireball. I remember the
first time I saw her work, for a Michael Kors campaign shot
by Stephen Meisel. She came out of the hair and makeup room
- Garren and Pat McGrath had just made her over- - and she
absolutely astounded me. It gave me chills. One of the greatest
models to ever live working with one of the greatest teams
ever assembled. That was the day when I came into my own as
an agent. Naomi is truly driven. She can pack more punch and
accomplish more in a day than most people. She's a great businesswoman,
and very decisive.
NE: Do you think that's why she's gotten a lot of negative
press? Because she's so intense?
NH: People don't understand her.
NE: Can a model today be as successful as Naomi and Stephanie
were?
NH: It's still being deliberated. I think there will always
be people at the top of every field.
NE: What do you think of the celebrities, especially actors,
dominating the covers once reserved for models?
NH: I don't think the celeb covers will continue, and I've
heard this from editors. The actresses have so many handlers
and demands, the editors are just fed up with it. Plus, most
can't wear a sample size 6, which limits what the magazines
can shoot.
NE: Taking Ford's acquisition into account, as well as IMG's
purchase of the rights to Fashion Week and ventures into music,
sports, film, and TV by other agencies, do you think the ideal
of what an agency should be has changed?
NH: I think it's important to have connections in the entertainment
industry now. I think there is strength in numbers. Models
are becoming actors in greater numbers, and celebrities are
doing things in the advertising world. There's more crossover
now, certainly.
NE: In what other ways has the industry changed during your
career?
NH: There's a lot of poaching today. Every agency has to send
three or four agents just to protect girls when they travel.
NE: Are you seeing shorter careers?
NH: Definitely. Girls were being put through the systems,
and stars were burning out faster than they rose, though some
will hang on. I think Erin O'Connor is a good example of a
model that has endured. She has a beauty allure that is timeless;
many of those girls didn't have that.
Like those rare timeless beauties, Neal Hamil's star doesn't
show any signs of burning out anytime soon. Watch for his
top models in campaigns and on covers across the globe.
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