Elite Model opening office in South Salt Lake

SOUTH SALT LAKE — Offices for one of the world's foremost modeling agencies are opening here today, providing a ticket out for young Utah women with their sights set on modeling haute couture in Paris, Milan and New York.

Elite Model Management, which has discovered supermodels like Alessandra Ambrosio and Coco Rocha, will have scouting offices in South Salt Lake in a partnership with Pulse Management.

Neal Hamil, Elite's North America director, said the new "look" is all-American.

"We're seeing the return to the American model," said Hamil, who turned Naomi Campbell into a supermodel while president at Ford Models. "We had the Brazilians. We had the quirky English. We've had the Russians. The (Utah) girls typify American beauty: They're tall, blond, light eyes. And they're nice."

Hamil has had luck in Utah in the past by working through Pulse Management. Pulse discovered East High student Ali Stephens, who launched her career modeling for Milan fashion houses Prada, Gucci and Versace.

But not all faces in Utah resemble northern Europeans. In fact, Pulse discovered Korean-American Hye Rim Park, an Olympus High graduate whose face has graced eight Vogue covers.

Here's how the relationship between Pulse and Elite works: Pulse, based in Oregon with offices throughout the West, will find models for Elite, Hamil said, and Elite will work with the models to develop their talent and find them work with designers and fashion magazines. If Elite isn't interested in a model, Pulse will find other agencies. Pulse founder Stacey Eastman also has an extreme-sports management company and represents people looking to get into film.

Utahns, while nice, are also conservative, and that can create problems in the fashion industry. Eastman says models need to realize that refusing edgy work will mean less money. But he points out that if a model is good, she'll become successful on her own merits. Ali Stephens, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is an example.

"Sure, she won't be doing those jobs that are a little more risque," he said. "But at the end of the day, there's far more important things in life than money."

Model Danna Lee Ballard, 20, originally from Pleasant Grove, is represented by both Elite and Pulse. Elite lines up her shoots and casting calls. But Pulse also negotiates for her. If she needs a break during a shoot, she says she calls Eastman, and he talks with the photographer, which avoids hostility between the model and client.

Ballard was discovered at age 12 when she was looking for work as a television extra.

"I was a freak of nature," Ballard said. "I was 6 feet tall in the sixth grade."