Trump Models

PaAGE TWO

When Tutolo started with Trump, the mood was different. "There was a lot of energy and excitement because we were doing something new. The challenging part though was rolling with the punches because it's like every great musician - they're only as good as their last great song."

"Clients want rejuvenation. Some want the girl that's already there, and some want the brand new girl before she's there. That's hard to deliver in a short period of time."


Lisa Cant, in W Magazine
Photographed by Paolo Roversi "Now we represent girls like Rachel Blais who is going to be the next Lisa Cant, but also represent Isabella Rossellini and Tatjana Patitz. That's what's going to keep us from being a flash in the pan."

That, and an ongoing commitment to respect. "You can't go home at the end of the day and lay your head down knowing you've been an ass, or wronged someone that day and still have a good conscience or expect that you'll be treated well the next day."

My experience with this philosophy came as I stepped into the office. Conversations stopped and all of the staff turned to greet me. Was it eerie? Yes. Unexpected? Definitely. Nice though? Oh yeah.

Explains Tutolo, "Even on the busiest day when everyone's in here there isn't a time when you can't stop the entire board and say 'What do you think of this?' In a small agency you have that."

It's precisely that kind of cooperative atmosphere that has allowed Trump to find its own identity. "The industry wants a new girl every six months so we don't concentrate on getting the big girls away from other agencies. We're building our own, focusing on relationships along the way. There's a lot of respect between the bookers and the models, so that in six months we have a mutual understanding and we can help them remain successful."

"Lisa Cant is a great example of that. She's not your typical American beauty. She's a gorgeous girl, with very special features. She has huge blue eyes, and very pale skin. And usually people would look at that and say 'Oh, this is Steven [Meisel]'s girl of the moment,' and move on. We have her now not only shooting with Steven, but with Irving Penn, and doing W [magazine]. And it's because we're very selective in where we send our models that people will look at her and say, 'Yeah, we never thought of Lisa in that way, but now I see this story or this booking...'"

"That's the part that's really special about this agency. Although we're known as a trendy, boutique agency, there's so much more behind that. I would never, in a million years be able to negotiate a contract like Corinne (the agency's Vice President). But I pride myself on saying I follow every single photographer, every editor - to really understand the client's perception of the kind of story they want. I can suggest a girl and know that I'm sending someone they would be interested in and not waste their time with a bunch of iffy girls. And that's how you build trust with clients, and it's also how you build trust with the models - they know you're not wasting their time.

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