Images Model Management

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Images model Raphael What working from home hasn't done is slow Pat Collins down. Even her honeymoon in Spain saw her interviewing models in her hotel room ("my husband loves to tell that story").

Now, in addition to a hectic scouting and public speaking schedule, managing a successful agency that invests a lot in development, long-distance road trips, fundraising (she's currently, along with Jobee Yoshizawa from Mittsu Model Management, co-ordinating an International Agent & Model Cookbook for animal-related charity), she's also organizing a means to get better information into the hands of others in the industry. "I am trying right now to put together some kind of educational talk that is not about the Asian market in particular, that is not just for potential models, but is geared toward imparting information - not necessarily teaching, but giving information - to the agents, the mother agents and the bookers involved in placing models in foreign markets."

"I still get very distressed and heartbroken when I see what some agencies say and do with some of these kids that are out there. I think it's cleaned up a lot - but at the same time I still think that there are a lot of people out there that are just about the money. It's not about the feeling. It's not about really taking care of who these kids are and what they're trying to accomplish.

"Really it's up to us, you and I and models that have been in the industry to educate these kids. And I find there are far too many agents and models in the business that have really no idea, and they're depending on someone else."


Images model NikkiAs passionate as she is about the industry, Collins really doesn't enjoy the attention. This has never been about making a name for herself. Instead she considers herself a "stepping stone" for people to do something they may not experience otherwise.

When asked what she wants people to know about her, Collin's initial reaction is "I have a real problem doing that."

But, when pressed further...

"If I was a parent looking for somebody to give me an honest assessment of whether my child," she says thoughtfully, "whether she be 11 or 20, has the potential to model, I would want to meet someone like me.

And...

"If I was looking for someone that was going to take an active interest in whether my child was going to graduate from high school, get good grades at the same time as trying to have this modelling career for however long or short it may be, then I would want to meet someone like me.

What else...

"If my child wants to be on the cover of Vogue then maybe Pat Collins isn't the right person, because Pat Collins isn't interested in having the cover of Vogue superstars. Pat Collins wants girls and guys that want a good financial business career out of this."

And how would you assess the job you are doing?

"As far as goals for what I would like to achieve, on a personal level I'm achieving my goal everyday. On a professional level, my goal is to give as many models, male or female, the opportunity to try this business and see if it's right for them."

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