LONDON — Louie Chaban, a veteran mannequin agent, has died at age of 69.
His dying was confirmed on Instagram by the British mannequin and founding father of the Tub Style Pageant, Jade Parfitt.
Chaban was chargeable for the breakthrough careers of Adriana Lima, Erin O’Connor, Karen Elson, Maggie Rizer, Missy Rayder, Agyness Deyn and Parfitt.
Agyness Deyn, Anna Sui and Louie Chaban in 2009.
Patrick McMullan through Getty Picture
He held a number of totally different positions at modeling businesses, particularly, Ford, The Lions, Elite, DNA, and Girls. He represented Doutzen Kroes, Raquel Zimmermann, Cameron Russell and Jamie Bochert.
In September 2020, he returned to Ford Fashions, the place he was named director of U.S. Girls’s enterprise, directing the New York Girls’s Division and overseeing the ladies’s enterprise throughout the U.S., reporting to Decio Restelli Ribeiro, president of the group with places of work within the U.S., France and Brazil.
In an interview, The Lions managing associate Ali Kavoussi mentioned that the company had been open for 12 years and within the first eight of these years, Chaban was “considered one of my companions and mentors.”
“He taught me a lot about mannequin administration, however past that, his ardour for artwork, design, structure, and furnishings was infectious. These have been his true loves,” he added.
Kavoussi describes Chaban as having “deep, real friendships” within the trend business with lots of these relationships present lengthy earlier than he began his profession.
“He was one of many funniest folks I’ve ever identified, and I’ll always remember the profound position he performed in my life and within the lives of all who cherished him so dearly. He was delicate, robust, and I really feel so fortunate to have shared a decade of labor, laughter, and friendship with him,” he mentioned.
Parfitt wrote on her social media account that “Louie was the actual deal, probably the greatest, the good and impossible agent I ever had. Earlier than changing into a mannequin agent he had labored all types of jobs together with being a doorman on the Mudd Membership in its heyday.”
“This intelligent, wry man from Queens through Cuba appeared completely misplaced after I first met him at Ford Fashions within the ‘90s; we turned quick mates, in addition to him pushing me for jobs solely he knew I might get. He taught me how you can play pool, took me to take heed to the Strokes, to discover the marvel that’s Coney Island; we went playing, to enjoyable festivals, however largely cherished to take a seat and chew the fats and giggle in regards to the loopy world we discovered ourselves in.”
Francine McGivern, Missy Rayder, Louie Chaban and Maripol in 2006.
Patrick McMullan through Getty Picture
Chaban labored laborious to get Parfitt again into the style scene after she broke her ankle.
“He labored so laborious for me, getting me again as soon as once more into rooms he was certain I needs to be in. Way more than my agent, my chosen household,” Parfitt mentioned.
Style photographer Liz Collins commented on Parfitt’s submit saying, “I’m so sorry to listen to this tragic information of the world’s lack of one of many good ones. Louie was at all times such a help to you women.”
Chaban’s entry into the style world began by manning the door on the New York membership Mudd within the ’70s. It’s the place he befriended the likes of Steven Meisel, Anna Sui and Paul Cavaco.
Within the ’90s, he was working for Sui till Meisel advised that he work at a mannequin company.
The photographer launched him to Katie Ford, the daughter of Ford Fashions founder Eileen Ford.
He was at Ford Fashions for over a 12 months till shifting over to Elite, the place Elson, Rizer, Parfitt and Lima adopted him.
Chaban stayed at Elite for 4 years and constructed a reputation for himself as being powerful and overprotective of his fashions.
He left the mannequin company to hitch DNA, the place he labored with Maryna Linchuk and Deyn.
Chaban was a prolific mannequin agent, at all times leaping from one company to a different with the help of his friends and fashions.
He was adored by all his fashions with lots of them calling him greater than an agent in interviews.
