Who

Ford is head of the famed modeling agency Ford Models, Inc.

Backstory

The daughter of Eileen and Jerry Ford, who started the fabled agency in 1946, Mary Katherine Ford graduated from Sarah Lawrence and worked in advertising sales before joining her parents' company in 1980. She took over as head in 1995 and moved operations from the Upper East Side to SoHo in an effort to revitalize the fabled but fading agency. She also expanded the company's reach by setting up offices in 10 other cities, including Chicago, Cleveland, Paris, Brazil and Argentina. Ford even branched out into representing athletes, and also teams up celebrities with advertising and marketing partners.

Of note

Still one of the largest modeling agencies in the world—they represent more than 2,500 clients—Ford has lost some of its juice in recent years as smaller, boutique agencies have grown in popularity. They've also suffered from losing some of their most bankable stars like Karen Elson, Maggie Rizer, and Erin O'Connor, who were all poached by other agencies. Nonetheless, Ford's vast network of modeling scouts around the globe ensures that it's never without a bevy of fresh faces to bring in the money alongside more established models like Sophie Dahl, Camilla Finn, and Chanel Iman. Other stars Ford has repped over the years include Kim Basinger, Adriana Lima, Rachel Hunter, and Christie Brinkley.

Personal

Ford married hotelier Andre Balazs in 1985. They were married for almost 20 years before divorcing in 2004. (Rumor had it that Balazs's budding relationship with actress Uma Thurman was behind his split with Ford.) Balazs and Ford have two daughters, Alessandra and Isabel; Alessandra attends Riverdale High School and is an aspiring scenester and actress. Following Balazs and Ford's divorce, the couple sold their townhouse in the Village to Luke Janklow and his wife Julie for $4.5 million. Ford now lives in SoHo with their two daughters.