Fashion Houston 2011

Eileen Ford

It's an honor—video tribute and Lifetime Achievement Award

Special guest Joan Severance and Ford models Carmen Dell'Orefice, Dianne DeWitt, and Dolores Hawkins Phelps will participate in Thursday night's tribute, outfitted in the finest couture from Neiman Marcus.

New York City. 1946. Eileen Ford, a fashion stylist and reporter, pregnant with her first child, decided to occupy her time by taking bookings for all her model friends. The baby was born and so was Ford Models, Inc. The business had soon become so successful that her husband Jerry joined her, and together, in a one room walk-up on First Avenue, the coupled launched the World's premiere model management firm.

Eileen truly led the way for women in business, building her empire while traveling the world, hand-picking the models who have, for six decades, defined mankind's idea of beauty. Jerry and Eileen truly revolutionized the modeling industry, introducing the voucher system, residuals on print, and the first of countless exclusive contracts between models and brands when they signed Ford client Lauren Hutton to an exclusive beauty contract with cosmetics giant, Revlon.

Since that first exclusive contract, Ford has single-handedly dominated that prestigious and lucrative end of the market place.

Eileen Ford gave us Carmen, Suzy Parker, Dovima, Twiggy, Lauren Hutton, Christie Brinkley, Vendela, Jerry Hall, Karen Alexander, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Amber Valetta, Shalom Harlow, Bridget Hall, Karen Elson, Alex Wek, Maggie Rizer and many of the most influential new faces of today.

Audi Fashion Houston is thrilled and honored to bring Mrs. Ford to Houston in recognition of her astounding achievements. Mrs. Ford will be presented with our first Lifetime Achievement Award in celebration of her decades of giving the world some of its most ageless, timeless, and memorable beauties.

She is recognized for her steely resolve, her iron hand, unfailing eye, and loving, nurturing, mothering of every model fortunate to enough bear the "Ford Girl" label.