Monday, April 15, 2013

What To Know About Wilhelmina

By Camille Nicholson


Wilhelmina is a female that that comes from the German language and is said to mean protector. Willy, Mina, Wilma and Willa are common nicknames or shorter versions used. There are famous people who bear this name, including a model and founder of a modeling agency, Wilhelmina Cooper.

Cooper was the founder and owner of Wilhelmina Models. She was born in the Netherlands in 1939 and died at age 40. She began modeling with Ford Models and at the peak of her career, started her own agency, named after herself. It was started in New York City in the 1960s. It is still in operation today.

Perhaps her most successful years in modeling were during the 1950s and 1960s. Over her career, she was featured on the cover of over 250 magazines. To date, she holds the record for having the most covers on the American edition of Vogue Magazine, appearing approximately 27 times. She was considered a star in couture.

While modeling, she became familiar with the industry. She put that knowledge to good use when she decided to start her company with her husband Bruce Cooper, who was an executive producer of the Tonight Show. The business quickly rose to become one of the leaders in the fashion industry, alongside Ford Models.

This company, and Cooper, are largely credited with helping launch the career of Naomi Sims, a black supermodel. Sims started modeling in the 1960s but struggled to find consistent work. With a little help from Cooper, Sims found the success she so deeply desired. Faye Dunaway portrayed Cooper in Gia, a 1998 film based on the life story of model Gia Carangi, who Cooper was responsible for discovering. Furthermore, the American show Ugly Betty named its protagonist character, played by Vanessa Williams, as a tribute to the late model.

Although she passed away at a young age, Cooper lives on, especially through her legacy in the world of fashion. Her company has developed in many ways and now has offices in New York, Austin, Miami and Los Angeles. Furthermore, it continues to form licensing agreements with international and national agencies. In modern times, it is considered among the top management firms, on a global level. Its list of clients includes men, children, fitness, women and full-figured models. It also handles artist management and has worked with musicians and entertainers.

This company helps clients create and maintain their brand identities, sponsorships, campaigns, marketing opportunities, endorsements and more. It includes multiple departments. The primary areas of work can be categorized under: women, teens and kids, men, artist management, select, fitness, curve, runway and s2.

Wilhelmina is a name that derives from German and is mostly assigned to females. There are approximately half a dozen people with this as a first name that had well-known careers and lifestyles. Among these people, and perhaps one of the most popular, was Wilhelmina Cooper, a famous super model. In addition to her modeling work, Cooper and her husband Bruce started a professional modeling agency in 1967. The company is still thriving today, long after its founder passed away in 1980.




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