I was a consultant engineer with the Health Authority but left to run a charity - "The Lighthouse" non-alcoholic pub -
and also established the first ever local radio station in Hastings.
My hobbies were art and photography and I had always been intersted in fashion creation, so when a friend asked me to do a mini-portfolio
of her to put into a competition, I was pleased. And when she showed the pictures to her friends I was beseiged by girls asking me to do the same for them.
I then decided to turn professional as a photographer and on seeing some of these models' pictures was asked by other photographers
how they could hire my models.
I therefore decided to start a model agency and Studio 17 fashion modelling agency was launched in 1993 becoming licenced in May 1994.
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I was asked to judge a model contest in April 1994 and the winner was Emma B.
(When I'd seen her walking around before the event, I'd said to my partner she would someday be a supermodel.)
I therefore signed her up and was not surprised when she became one at the age of only 15.
Following industry deregulation in 1995 allowing anybody to call themselves a model agent, model or photographer etc., I allowed the business to wind down and having dallied briefly with galmour - BlueBelles - closed that in 2007
In 2001 one of my models aasked me to help her into artists modelling and in 2004 I launched Bohemia artists' models register which has become very popular.
I now live on Spain's Costa Blanca where I run weekly life drawing classes.
Martin |