The Passion Agency by Rebecca Lee Page B

weekly, if not more frequently at Symington
International Models. The 80s and 90s saw the agency represent the
face for no fewer than 10 worldwide corporate brands as well as
bring the lead face down the catwalk at a majority of the shows for
the major fashion designers of the world every year, In a business
where tastes and trends shifted in mid-season, the Symington
monicker represented a true steady giant in the industry.
     
    Then the new millenium and a thing called the
internet changed everything.
     
    “We keep signing talent,” Marika Flint, head scout
for North America, “Just fewer and fewer people are interested. It
means more to have obnoxious cows with no talent like Kim
whatshername plugging your clothing or product than it does, some
rare beauty. I don’t know what the answers are. The problem has
been steadily building for years. Maybe the whole thing is like the
newspaper industry.”
     
    “We need to adjust what we consider beautiful and be
on the forefront of that,” Kristy Travis, the account executive
with the least seniority chimed in. “The internet is the internet.
It’s widened our definition of beauty. We need to be more pop
conscious now. I know we have this name and we’re in Beverly Hills,
but if we can’t sell like we used to, we need to find a way to
start. If the old ways aren’t working, do some fresh things. Maybe
some strategies we never would have done back when Christie and
Beverly ruled the modeling world. The traditional models can’t lead
and define beauty any more. The public is too savvy. We’re trying
to sell them a horse and carriage and they know about the car.”
     
    “Go on Kristy,” Marika said.
     
    “Well what if we made natural beautiful and went
against the idea that you have to have make-up,” Kristy said. “We
could align ourselves with social media and underground products
that use the natural beauty model. Even get on the other side of
the growing rumblings about the beauty myth. Remake ourselves into
the future. The “natural agency”.
     
    Everyone took notes furiously with their heads down
as Kristy spoke. A big idea was being hatched. An idea that needed
a messenger to introduce it.
     
    But ultimately ended up being idea that never left
the room that day at the Symington Agency of Beverly Hills. Gone.
Like Kristy Travis. Although she managed to hang to her job another
week.
     
    How did she make it that long? No one knew.
    ...
    Across the country, a 16 year-old girl living in the
southern reaches of Columbus, Ohio, named Rachel Evans was picking
up ten thousand new hits a day every day on her videos showing the
cartoonish transformation of women when they had make-up applied
professionally. Her fan base was expanding from every corner of the
world. She already had her own podcast where she talked about the
pressures on young and old women to look like what the celebrities
didn’t actually look like themselves.The Channel on the video site
was called BeautyLies.
     
     
     

 
     
    Chapter 11--Perceptions
     
    That night, Donna Casteel figured it was time to do
something, anything really. She didn’t look to get over to Compton
despite Peter's suggestion. She never even thought about.
     
    She returned home after what could only be described
as a truly amazing day. When she got into the house, the fear crept
in. She was again worried about money. As well she should have
been. She didn’t have any coming in.
     
    Her daughter said she had a job but that could mean
anything for any amount. There wasn’t any sort of definite amount
Donna could count on.
     
    So she did what she didn’t think she would do while
she was walking and talking with Peter. She picked up her cell
phone and placed a call to Malcolm, the overweight unhealthy white
skinned lawyer who had made a move on her after her interview for
the legal assistant’s job a few hours earlier.
     
    “Yeah hi,” he said when she called. “I live out in
Palos Verdes. Why don’t you