Richard has had a varied and colorful career in the creative and entertainment industry. His first job after college was in advertising, which he found exciting and fulfilling. He worked in the art, production/traffic departments at Compton Advertising, one of P&G's main agencies. In this role, Richard learned how to turn an ad concept into a finished product. His duties also included selecting models and photographers. This was a very hands-on job at the time. By making friends with colleagues in each department of the agency, such as copywriting, art direction, account handling, and production, Richard quickly rose through the ranks and eventually became responsible for art direction and creativity. Richard received many industry awards for his work, including a CLIO.
Over the course of many years and several ad agencies, some of the accounts he worked on included Wind Song, Cachet, and Sun Shower brands of products from Prince Machiabelli, fragrance division of Chesebrough-Ponds; Triumph, Land Rover, TR-6 and Spitfire models of cars from British Leyland Motors and countless consumer products from Proctor & Gamble.
Richard's years of experience in the advertising agency business paid off when he left in 1980 to establish his modeling agency, "Pretty People Model Management, Inc." His agency proved to be an innovator in the agency business, as Richard designed it around the needs of the advertisers. He considered the advertisers to be the real clients who spend millions of dollars to create a brand and move their products off the shelves and into people's homes.
Richard created each model portfolio to resemble a work assignment in advertising. He instructed the photographers to shoot the models as if it were a real job and not a test. These photographers were individuals that Richard had previously worked with in advertising, so they were eager to assist in the establishment of his modeling agency. Some of the photographers that Pretty People had the privilege of working with included: Richard Avedon, Francesco Scavullo, Carmine Sciavone, Gerard Gentil, Walter Chin, Robert Mapplethorpe, Ken Hack, Ken Young, Harold Kieger, Nancy Brown, Barbara Bordnick, Peter Lindberg, and of course, Patrick and Steven, among others. It's no wonder that Pretty People, the modeling agency, became so successful with the help of such noted and highly skilled photographers.
The agency soared like a rocket and remained successful for nearly two decades. As the agency continued to grow, it was only natural that it expanded. In 1990, a partnership was formed with the late Jean Jacque DuBane, and three specialty divisions were formed: "HommesFemmes," the men/women fashion division; "Everyday People," the commercial advertising catalog division and "Bambini," the children's division.
In 1998, Richard established a new company called "Richard Franchise Rep." The company represented both experienced and emerging photographers, make-up artist, and stylists for work in advertising and magazine editorials. Despite no longer being in the model agency business per se and no longer maintaining an office on Fifth Avenue (or any avenue for that matter); Richard's expertise was still sought after by people from all major model agencies, conventions, and events. He was invited to give lectures and seminars and to judge local competitions by organizations such as: MAAI, IMTA, AMTC, Barbizon, Connections, and ITS, just as if he had never left the business. As a result, Richard formed another new company, "Richard Francis Management," solely for scouting, grooming, and developing of new talent for placement with agencies worldwide.
Richard Francis Management is a company that has a reputation for discovering and placing new faces in some of the world's most prominent model agencies. Richard, who has a good sense of humor, enjoys speaking with young people who are interested in the fashion & entertainment industries. He is a regular at the "Tents" in New York and Miami during Fashion Week and has the opportunity to meet and interact with many designers and models. Inclusive of models, the company also represents actors, spokes models, influencers and TV hosts. Richard also has the privilege of partnering with Robert .Blume, a longtime friend and associate, owner of "Step Forward Entertainment". With the addition of these new areas, and the aide of Robert Blume, Richard Francis Management is expanding its career-building services and is one of the fastest-growing and most rewarding companies in the industry.
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