Model Wars
On the surface, the modeling industry in the 80s was about parties and pretty clothes, but underneath the flash, there were drugs, sex, and violence. And Paul Fisher, a former straight-A student from the San Fernando Valley, rose to prominence amidst the turmoil. After a chance encounter with an alleged mobster, Paul suddenly found himself with a million dollars in funding and the chance to start a modeling agency in New York City. The city was then embroiled in a “model war” between industry titans Eileen Ford and John Casablancas, and Paul tried to make his mark. But even as Paul thrived in the party-heavy culture of the time, burning cash like a furnace, he came face to face with the darkest forces in the industry. As his shady backers put the screws to him, Paul faced down deadly consequences, trying to make a star while saving his soul.
Episodes
In the grit & glam 1980s, Paul Fisher started a New York City modeling agency, fueled by $1 million in rumored mob money, and warring with industry giants like Ford and Elite. What could go wrong?
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Paul Fisher is a semester away from graduating college when his knack for seducing beautiful women catches the eye of alleged mobster Larry Lind. Larry convinces Paul to work for him, and we follow Paul’s journey from growing up in the Valley to running a model agency in gritty 1980s New York City, with absolutely no experience.
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Paul arrives in New York City, overwhelmed by its glamorous modeling scene. What he lacks in fashion knowledge he makes up for in confidence. He learns about the “model war” between John Casablancas, a powerful playboy model agent, and the matronly agency boss Eileen Ford. Paul begins his own battle against the titans.
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Model turned agent Omar Albertto enters the business, and meets Paul. The two join forces in their quest for good times and industry clout, all on Larry Lind’s dime. But with Larry proving increasingly toxic, how much longer can they work for him?
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After their modeling agency abruptly shuts down, Paul and Omar are unhireable. Along with their hustler buddy Billy, they do whatever it takes to stay afloat in New York City.
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The LA modeling scene isn’t much, but it’s all Paul has. Can he claw his way to the top again?
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Legendary model Jennifer Gimenez educates us about the dark side of the industry, from a model’s perspective.
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After losing his only client to John Casablancas, Paul launches his own “model war” against Elite and signs supermodels like Stephanie Seymour. Reunited with Omar, Paul transforms the LA modeling scene and their new agency becomes an unstoppable force.
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Now a big shot, Paul recruits his old friend David to run It Models, but Paul’s erratic behavior and impulsiveness put everything at risk. He’s finally at the top, but deep down he knows the modeling industry is a terrible business. Has Paul’s life’s work made the world a worse place?
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We talk to Kara Young, a model who made the cover of many top magazines, and model agent Suzie Sugarman about how modeling has–and has not–improved.
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In this episode, Omar Albertto tells his story. As he takes us on the wild ride that is his life—from partying at Studio 54 to modeling in Milan—he considers the racism he battled to find a place in the industry for himself and others.
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