Pier59 Studios lifts ban on Elite Model Mgmt

Federico Pignatelli della Leonessa, president and CEO of Pier59 Studios, a popular venue for fashion week shows and studio space for fashion shoots, has opened the doors back up to Elite Model Mgmt.

"Almost a year ago in my efforts to bring attention to a multitude of issues in reforming the modeling industry and in accepting stronger regulations in preserving and furthering the rights and well being of models, I had blacklisted a number of agencies, among them Elite, from working in my studios," Pignatelli della Leonessa said in a statement. "Since then I had a multitude of productive and supportive conversations with ownership and the new management team, CEO Dejan Markovic and CFO Sergio Leccese, two extremely well respected veterans of the Modeling Industry."

He added that, "I have full trust that they will do a wonderful job in managing Elite, one of the historical and prestigious names in the business, founded by my personal friend John Casablancas back in 1972. My trust and deep friendship with the new Elite's Management Team is of the highest level, and I am confident that they will act in the full interest and well being of their models, therefore I enthusiastically welcome them back in working collaboratively at Pier59 Studios."

Pignalettli della Leonessa has long been an advocate of models rights, and is the creator of the Models Bill of Rights, offering protections and respectable workplace conditions for models. Although he has welcomed Elite back into his studios, this week he banned New York Models and LA Models from Pier59. Other agencies still banned from Pier59 include Wilhelmina, Nomad, Major and The Syndical Models Miami.