Chantelle Fraser noticed a missing link while working as a booking agent at a modeling agency: Luxury brands wanted high-fashion models for promotional events, but the agencies didn’t see these jobs as career-enhancing, turning them down even though the models needed the extra money. So, armed with a cell phone and a Rolodex, Fraser launched her New York–based niche agency in 2006 as a way to give consumer brands access to high-caliber models.
She now staffs as many as 150 events a month for brands like M.A.C., Evian, and BMW, functioning as a one-stop shop for image-focused, charismatic talent—her current roster includes model bartenders, event staffers, aerialists, graffiti artists, cabaret acts, DJs, and even a team of professional hair stylists, makeup artists, and fashion stylists to give staffers an on-brand look. Whether it’s finding Johnny Weir look-alikes who can skate, Mongolian-speaking models, or casting 200 Archies and Veronicas for a series of M.A.C. events, Fraser’s focus is hiring talent that does more than just look pretty. “I look for social intelligence,” she says. “Clients don’t just want models, but brand ambassadors—staffers that are well-presented, radiate confidence, and have the social skills to attract consumers to their products.”
