Who are the Valley's movers and shakers when it comes to the worlds of fashion and beauty? We are fortunate to know and work with many of them. Whether they're filling the runway with fabulous fashions or beautiful models, or even gracing the fashion pages themselves, our area is home to some pretty intriguing industry pros. Here's a look at some pretty impressive portfolios.
Image International Modeling and Acting Center
Opening a modeling and talent agency in Allentown in 1989 was challenging, according to Image International's President Chad Jon Schneider. Not only was Schneider new to the business world, the Lehigh Valley then wasn't what it is today. Recalling basically just Dorney Park and Perkins if you wanted to go out, Schneider says it was a big deal when the community got a Starbucks in 2006.
Now Schneider points to new restaurants and malls, the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, the IronPigs, the Sands Casino Resort and Event Center, the festivals. “It's a melting pot of some really nice ingredients that's making [the Valley] extremely appealing,” he says. “It's starting to become a destination.”
The city's ups and downs mirror Image International's. When the agency first opened, a local competitor closed down, making Image's launch slightly easier, but then several large clients went bankrupt or relocated. More recently the agency landed QVC, with its insatiable need for talent.
But it was back in the 1980s when Schneider was actively modeling that he picked up on an interesting trend. An increase in the number of models and actors going up against him, especially for TV commercials, gave Schneider an idea.
Realizing he had the connections to start his own agency, Schneider explored the possibility. Reactions from target clients were favorable, and when fellow model and now agency Vice President Denise DeMas returned from a modeling gig in Tokyo, he approached her about teaming up. Together, they launched an agency with a very different kind of modeling school at its core.
“We didn't want to open up a charm school,” says Schneider, “where you put a book on your head and walk around a runway. We wanted to teach the dynamics of the industry [and] about how to audition.”
With its unique curriculum, the agency became a sort of prep school since, as Schneider puts it, “If you don't act and look prepared, you're not getting the job.”
They focused on building self-esteem and integrated instant gratification to keep students motivated. By week two of the program, says Schneider, “Students look fabulous as they leave, wearing new makeup; come week three, they walk out with a different hairstyle; and by week four they're carrying a killer promo shot.”
DeMas observes, “Our students get a taste of the industry in a really positive manner. They're coming to school early. They can't wait, because each week they feel great.”
The staff of 15 at Image includes internationally trained coaches for acting, runway, makeup and skin care, as well as current actors, models and stylists. “They're all professionals in their fields, because you can't be a model from 20 years ago and teach these kids what's happening today,” explains DeMas.
In 1995, Schneider added Excape Hair Design Studio and, in 2007, Metro Beauty Academy. The synergy was awesome: models learned how to do hair and makeup, students practiced on models, Excape pulled from the student pool at the cosmetology school. Equally helpful, the stylists were able to transform some questionable experiments. “Some of the girls like to play around with their hair,” says DeMas, “so we send them over to get it fixed. It all works together.”
DeMas continues to model, appearing in recent print ads for Lord & Taylor and Resorts Casino; past jobs include Kodak, Warner Bros. and a stint as a Mack Truck girl. She brings strong organizational and booking skills, while Schneider considers himself more of a visionary, into creating and design. “A lot of fighting goes on,” he says—totally joking—then adds, “Denise has pretty much been running Image for the past five years. We have a turnkey system that works for us, but it took many years to get to this point.”
Agents of Change
What keeps the pair stoked are the letters they receive from models' parents. “We must be doing something right,” notes Schneider, “because we get thousands of letters thanking us upside and down from parents for helping their children. Whether they're 12 or 13, at an awkward age or extremely shy, have learning issues or had misfortunes in their life, these kids are learning and having a lot of fun doing it.”
What Schneider loves is spotting raw talent—like Kristen Hendrickson, who, he says, had “no concept of how pretty she was.” Growing up in Kutztown, Hendrickson's path was never aimed in this direction. Her father, a principal who believed strongly in higher education, nixed the idea of enrolling in Image's school. Recognizing Hendrickson's potential, Schneider talked her father into giving them a chance with her. Hendrickson, who Schneider says “would have been happy doing an ad for Boscov's,” didn't realize how big he was thinking. She was later signed to Ford Modeling Agency in New York City, and her career skyrocketed.
Hendrickson adjusted quickly to her new status, traveling to Italy and Paris, soon lamenting that her check from an Edwin jeans commercial was only $30,000. Her co-star got $3 million. Of course that's because her co-star was Brad Pitt. Other Image success stories include Allentown native Michaela Conlin who stars in the hit FOX drama, “Bones;” Danielle Fillmore, whose face was featured on a Goo Goo Dolls album cover, as well as in YM, Seventeen and Marie Claire; and Jason Alan Caine, of “Sabrina: The Teenage Witch,” “All My Children” and “Another World” fame. And then there's Chris Burcin, fast becoming an icon for Brooks Brothers. Not to mention starring roles in “Les Miserables” and “Mamma Mia!” for one of Hollywood's “It Girls,” Amanda Seyfried. Other Image talent regularly lands roles in commercials for the likes of Nike and Nickelodeon and appear internationally on the runway. Not too shabby for an agency located outside the traditional modeling hot spots.
On the Lookout
Around 65 percent of the people who walk in Image's door make it. Most of their models work locally, with about five percent breaking into the New York scene with its glitzy, global connections. Schneider puts this in perspective: “Look at the NFL or professional baseball. You're with the best of the best. It's such a small percentage that makes it into the big leagues. That's how challenging it is.”
This makes Image International's inroads all the more impressive. They're regularly spotting, developing and launching major talent, and they continue to think big. DeMas explains, “Even though we book a lot locally in the Philadelphia market, we're always looking for the person who can be placed in bigger cities. We're always looking for that next star.”
Image International Modeling and Acting Center | 4959 Hamilton Blvd., Allentown | 610.391.9133 | imageintl.com
Lauren Midlam | Creative Director, LM Style Bar
Makeup: Katelynn WalshHair: Dave McCormack, American Hairlines
Launching your own clothing line is a huge step. Lauren Midlam took an even bolder step this past May—when she gave notice at her “real” job. In charge of presenting a unified voice to suppliers for Urban Outfitters brands, including Anthropologie and Beholden, Midlam remembers asking herself, “Do I say goodbye to a job that I absolutely love?”
The answer became ‘yes' when she realized her new company was at the point where it could take off—or perhaps not, if she kept it on the back burner. She recalls, “It was exciting, but a little daunting, to take that step as an entrepreneur—that this is going to be your full-time job.”
Being Creative Director of LM Style Bar is a job Midlam clearly loves every part of, from designing the various pieces to selecting the fabric to seeing her final creations. “When I get the finished product and I can see how it fits and see it on the models, it's a really satisfying experience,” she says.
But it wasn't satisfaction that was the inspiration for the line; her own frustration was actually the inspiration. “I spent years looking for the type of clothing I wanted at the price points I wanted to pay, but couldn't find it,” Midlam explains.
Pursuing Every Path to the Dream
Most of the years Midlam was shopping and looking for the kind of clothing she could envision were spent in school. She completed a double major in finance and marketing for her undergraduate degree then earned an MBA, all at Lehigh University.
As early as her junior year, while interning at a financial institution, Midlam recognized that this was not the life she wanted. She decided to design her own clothing line, and the idea—although less practical than her original path—would not fade. In a move that would change everything in her life, Midlam headed for Southern California. She enrolled in a two-year program at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, but received the real crash course in fashion working in the garment industry. Time spent at St. John Knits and later at American Apparel meant Midlam could take her questions about how apparel was put together right out onto the factory floor. “I had access to all of these great pattern makers and sewers,” she recalls. “It was a really eye-opening experience to see it from conception through production.”
Building the Basics
Midlam now designs each LM Style Bar piece—from the idea to the rack—and intends for the line to comprise the foundation of the professional woman's wardrobe. Consisting of solid separates with distinctive details and a tailored look, the line continues to grow ever more chic under Midlam's hand. It currently features classic dresses and pencil skirts in black, winter white, amber and red. New pieces, including a red blazer, are in the works. This is because Midlam is a proponent of bold color, as well as neutral components, in a well-balanced wardrobe.
“Every woman needs a red skirt,” she declares, noting that most women don't gravitate toward color. “Red is a beautiful classic color that looks good on everyone, no matter what your skin tone is. I picked this specific color—a true red—because of its wearability on most everyone. It brightens you up, and it goes great with black, cream or white. It's a very fresh look, no matter what year it is. It's a standard color you just need to have.”
Midlam is helpfully specific with her fashion counsel, pointing out that the red blazer is not to be worn with the red skirt. It's just such style sense that customers rely on. They gain the benefit of Midlam's savvy through online style tips accompanying each garment. The ones for the Donatella Cut-Out Tech Neoprene dress, for example, offer this: “Wear with your favorite belted cardigan for an updated work-appropriate look. Wear alone for after-work cocktails.”
Customers describe the line as “conservative with an edge because of the details,” and the standout tailored black Donatella, with its V shoulder slits, as the “go-to dress for work and for going out.” Midlam's website defines her label as “fashionable, functional and high-quality separates that can take you from the office to cocktail hour with the switch of a purse and a swipe of lipstick.”
Designed to fit well and retain shape and freshness, the Donatella is made from a luxurious techie work-appropriate neoprene knit, with a bonded cotton lining. The Lacey dress is a ponti knit, while the Marissa pencil skirt features wool and cashmere herringbone, lined with charmeuse.
LM Style Bar aims to offer the perfect blend of structure and flexibility. Every item features posh amenities like seaming details, center back vents and hidden zippers.
Not Just 9 to 5
Midlam designs for “women like me, the professional woman who has a bunch of different roles, who wants to feel put together and polished hour by hour and not look wrinkled by noon.”
According to Midlam, wearing well-designed clothing that fits properly and is comfortable is a driving factor for self-assurance. “If you feel comfortable with what you're wearing, you present a confident presence,” she says. “I think that's very important for any professional woman. She has that confidence behind her so she can do her job to the best of her ability because she's not worrying about how she looks in her clothing.”
A growing number of customers obviously agree, filling up their shopping carts on lmstylebar.com. Beginning in December they also bought them at Popmart, located in the American Hairlines Salon in Bethlehem. Midlam is exploring boutiques with a similar demographic to carry her line both locally and in New York, Philadelphia and beyond.
“I'm not limiting myself for geographic distribution,” she says, noting that she's looking to grow both in distribution and offerings. Although opening her own store is not currently a goal, the designer wants to expand to four deliveries a year, stepping it up from the two—spring/summer and fall/winter seasons—she currently offers.
We say, “Bring it on.”
LM Style Bar | lmstylebar.com
Lori Smith | Owner L Studio Makeovers & L Studio Boutique
Hair: Enzo Giarratana, European Concept SalonMakeup: Lori Smith
“Let me show you what you can really look like.” This, in essence, is what drives Lori Smith. Whether she's behind the lens, transforming someone with a makeover, or chasing down treasures in LA for her boutique in Allentown, her considerable energy is focused on making everyone look amazing.
“When I hear people say, ‘I never thought I could look like this,' it's exciting,” says Smith, who crisscrosses the country in her quest for the best in everything fashion-related. Smith, originally from Los Angeles, has had a remarkable, evolving career. An international model appearing in Elle, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Vogue and traveling internationally, she lived in Milan, then Paris. She walked the runways with the likes of supermodels Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford.
“I never thought I'd leave Paris,” says Smith, who lived there for six years. “The whole city was so full of art, you just felt like an artist. You could express yourself any way you wanted to.” Wearing roller skates and “fabulous dresses” to casting calls, the model-turned-photographer/stylist fit right in.
Creating a New Life—Locally
Through these experiences and through working with some of the finest photographers, makeup artists and designers out there, Smith developed a passion for photography and for other arts that would allow her to help people—and fashion products—shine.
Leaving Paris in 1998, Smith moved to New York, continuing to fly back and forth to London and Paris for modeling engagements. It was during this whirlwind period that she began to picture a different life. Married by then, with a daughter, this urbanite found herself fantasizing about a country home and garden. Eventually the fantasy won out, so she moved to the Poconos a decade ago and then to the Lehigh Valley in 2008, where she pursued her next dream—a team that could fulfill her vision of a total makeover enterprise. When she couldn't find a makeup artist, Smith decided to take on that aspect herself, and partnered with European Concept Salon in Allentown for the salon side.
Enter L Studio Makeovers, which offers makeovers of all kinds. As in makeover parties, makeovers with photo shoots, makeup lessons, and event makeup—alongside a tiny gem of a boutique. Located within European Concept Salon, L Studio Boutique features one-of-a-kind merchandise. Fashions you can't get anywhere else in the Valley. Things you've never seen. Things you had no idea you adored until you saw them.
Bet You Can Buy Just One
“People love to go in and find treasures,” says Smith. “I get really, really good deals because I can shop as a stylist.” (Translation: she has the connections to pluck on-trend bargains from the back rooms of warehouses in LA.) Just don't stop to think about it if you fall in love with one of the outfits or accessories in the boutique, because it's not like a regular store. You snooze, someone else gets lucky, is the deal here.
Smith keeps her clientele in mind when she's buying, but sometimes she'll run across an item that just catches her eye, like a gold-studded handbag or petite saddle purse. She brings one—and just one—back, trusting that someone else will heed its siren call.
“People like knowing that I have only one of each item,” she says. Her “mini-tique” features jewelry, hats and other accessories as well as upscale clothing—from a black strapless number by Ark & Co. to an R&K blazer to the unexpected—like the designer David Bowie Chaser t-shirt Smith was wearing during our interview. Smith shops to keep her creative juices flowing, so the collection changes every month. The insider call to action when she returns from Los Angeles is, “Lori's back!” (Crowd surges.)
In addition to the boutique, the makeovers, the styling and the photography, Smith has introduced her own makeup line, with just “the essential pieces, stuff I love that's not easily found.” She is particular—her label only goes on products not tested on animals, made from all-natural ingredients. “It's taken a long time to create the line,” Smith admits, “because I'm always adding and subtracting.” Currently she is negotiating with a European cosmetics firm, developing custom chemistry blends in palettes she hopes to have out by fall—her “new and exciting thing.”
Beautiful Has Come to Town
Despite being immersed in the modeling world, Smith finds special fulfillment in working with non-professionals. “I really wanted to work with the person who just wants to feel good about herself,” she explains. Besides showing teens “tricky” techniques, she teaches fresh practices to other clients who “might not have changed their makeup since they were 20 and who might wear the wrong colors and the wrong clothes” for their looks.
Smith is also passionate about working with new models from the region: “I show them how they can be just like any superstar model that graces the pages of Vogue. I think if you're passionate for it, it's in you, and you just go for it.”
Because she's spent years on the other side of the camera, model shoots are second nature to Smith. Her success lies partly in the link she sees between modeling and acting. A favorite trick is to suggest a movie scene to a model, which sets the mood and delivers the shot Smith wants, one that communicates fully the feeling she's after.
“All my models are like stars, they're all actors,” says Smith, “because you have to do it the whole way—your whole body, your facial expression, everything has to be into it. Otherwise it doesn't work. You can have a beautiful face, but if the eyes don't say anything, it doesn't tell the story. It has to be believable.”
An Early Lesson in Color
Working in the fashion industry since she was 18, Smith's love of fashion initially bloomed during a childhood where she enjoyed “everything about hair and makeup.” She recalls her “kooky mom” taking a Color Me Beautiful course in the ‘80s, which divided people into “seasons” that matched their complexions to guide their wardrobe choices. A true believer, Smith's mother gave her children very specific instructions.
“Mom took it to another level,” recalls Smith. “We kids were told to never buy her anything that wasn't ‘our color.' We were even given swatches.” While she followed the rule, Smith was skeptical about that color theory when she started modeling. Now, though, she pronounces, “I'm totally back to, ‘You've got to wear your colors.'”
Whether it's suggesting a new color or look, different eye makeup, lighting or a backdrop that shows off someone's best attributes, Smith combines her expertise in color and style to transform not just fashion items but her clients themselves. The reward is hearing these words yet again: “Oh, my God! How do you do it? I had no idea I could look like this.”
L Studio Makeovers & L Studio Boutique at European Concept Salon | 1040 S. Cedar Crest Blvd., Allentown | europeanconceptsalon.com
610.437.1855 | lorismithphotography.com
