Expert: Kitty Kavey - 1/29/2008

Question
My 17 year old has been with a local (small) modeling agency for 2 years.  She attended IMTA and received interest from a couple agencies in Milan.  We were not comfortable sending her for 8 weeks to live in model housing unchaperoned.  Her agency here keeps telling us that it's necessary for her to travel abroad and build up her portfolio before any big name agency would be interested in signing her.  They have taken her to meet Elite and Ford in Chicago and the feedback we get is that her portfolio needs to be larger?  I am confused.  Is traveling abroad the best way to get signed by a large agency closer to home?  Or is it possible her local agency is holding things back for her because they will only make money if she travels to Europe and they are her "mother agency".

Answer
Just out of curiosity, what would happen if you were to mail in your daughter's information to, or attend open calls at agencies in a place like New York City?  There are dozens of big and/or name agencies there, and they select new faces based on look, not experience - so portfolio size would not necessarily be an issue.
You may still have the problem of an agency wanting to send her to work overseas, though, even if signed with an agency in NYC.
You could also check back with the Milan agencies who expressed interest, perhaps once your daughter is 18.  You should check the contract she has with her current agency - even if you arrange that she is signed with a bigger agency, her original agency may still be able to collect a percentage as the mother agency.
I know of many models who were signed by big agencies without any portfolio or any experience, so to say that the only way a big agency would be interested in your daughter is if her portfolio is bigger, is either incorrect, or they aren't telling you the real issue.  It could be that you are correct that her current agency is trying to keep control of her so that they keep a piece of the action for themselves, so-to-speak.  
If you can, I would try submitting your daughter's info on your own - and see what happens.  If it doesn't violate her current contract, it shouldn't be a problem, and you have the opportunity to hear everything straight from the agents themselves if she attends an open call, or if she is invited for a meeting with an agent.
And if you do find an agency who is interested, it also gives you the opportunity to let them know that you prefer her working a little bit closer to home, rather than in a foreign country just yet.
Good luck to you,
~Kitty