Coaching
Today's
Pageant Contestants!
3313 W Cherry Lane #203 - Meridian ID 83642
(208) 866-1050
info@flaire.netAdd FLAIRE to your address book!
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
| The
History of FLAIRE – by Valerie Cragin (Valerie Cragin is Calley Slagle Haws' Grand Aunt)  In
the mid-fifties, the Flaire Modeling School and Agency opened its
doors for business on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, Calif.,
in the middle of some of the most famous movieland landmarks of its
day. Across the street from the Garden of Allah hotel, where movie
stars kicked up their heels; up the street from Schwab's drug-store
where Lana Turner was allegedly discovered; and down the street from
world-famous night-clubs -- Ciros, Trocodero, Mocambo; the tiny, two
storied building was undoubtedly the smallest building on the Strip.Only fourteen feet wide, the quaint, gable roofed structure was originally built on property intended for an alley -- A wooden outside staircase led to the modeling school on the second story while the agency occupied the first. Rent $300.00 a month! In its way, Flaire was a bit of a miracle from the start to the finish. Valerie Cragin and her friend, Betty Collins had both been working for the Mary Webb Davis Model Agency, which was also located on the strip, when Mary had an offer to sell her business. The new owners planned to run the business -- so, rather than be out of work in the world that they loved, Valerie and Betty chose to go into their own business. Valerie borrowed $500.00 to start the school (it was paid back within the first three months)'and Paul Hesse, one of the world's most famous photographers of movieland, offered to fund the agency. When the word got around, about the two girls' plans, models started asking questions. Betty and Valerie decided to have a meeting at Valerie's apartment to discuss their plans with any of the models who were interested. The night of the meeting, it seemed that every top model in town wanted to be a part of the exciting new agency -- run by a couple of dedicated young girls who were experienced, well known, and very well liked in the industry. At the same time, Dorothy Preble - who was the highly respected owner of the other leading agency in town -- decided to retire. Valerie had worked for Dorothy before she joined Mary Webb Davis and she was still friendly with Dorothy. It was important to Mrs. Preble to honor her obligations to her current students and give those models, who worked for her, the opportunity to be registered by another agency. Valerie made a deal with Dorothy to finish the modeling courses of girls who had enrolled at the Dorothy Preble Modeling School before Dorothy retired. So -- on the night of the meeting, models from both Dorothy Preble and Mary Webb Davis were in attendance -- sitting all over the floor, standing against the walls, even crowding in the doorways of Valerie's apartment (which fortunately, was fairly large.) After Valerie and Betty described their plans for the future, models quickly volunteered their help. Within a week, the most beautiful girls and guys in the business were painting the building and donating furnishings for the new modeling agency. Valerie, concerned by the fact that there wasn't much room for furniture and still teach the girls how to move, went to Sears and bought ten little unpainted chairs ($100.00) and to the Goodwill where she found a wood Settee (7.00) and a tiny rolling desk. (6.00). LOOK magazine somehow became aware of the unusual model evolution on the Sunset strip and decided that the activities of models, excited by the prospect of a new, young agency, would make a good pictorial. Local photographers and fashion designers were fascinated by the turn of events and casting phones were ringing from the very first day. In addition to Dorothy Preble's orphaned students, Valerie contacted her own best former students and offered advanced training for a ridiculously low price. Nobody turned her down. By the time that summer arrived and teen-agers (who were Valerie's biggest fans) were on vacation from school, it became obvious that the tiny building would no longer be able to accommodate the modeling school. On the first Monday that the public schools were out, a line actually formed all the way up the stairway from the sidewalk of the strip. Thinking fast, Valerie passed out cards to the would-be students, explained that she was planning to move to more spacious quarters, and instructed them to put their names and telephone numbers on the cards, promising to call them with the new address and dates that she could start classes. By that afternoon, Valerie signed papers of a lease for a wonderful building on the corner of Hilldale and Sunset -- a few blocks up from the agency and below the trendy, new night-spot - "Whiskey a go-go' Her classes read like a Who's Who in Hollywood. Walt Disney's daughter, Sharon, enrolled in two courses simultaneously. Leading Director, William Wyler, sent his daughters as did Gordon McCrea and other important film people of that time. Diane Baker, one of Valerie's favorite models, starred in an academy award winning picture with Jimmy Stewart and Linda Evans, who starred in TV’s Dynasty, was one of her favorite students. All in all, Valerie taught over 20,000 students. At one time, the apartment of actress, Dorothy Dandridge; the front room of Valerie's new quarters was spacious with a grand white-stone fireplace and one long, completely mirrored wall. Other smaller rooms were perfect for make-up classes and Valerie's office. Most unbelievable of all, there was a secret staircase leading to a loft bed-room and bath where Valerie could live. With new carpeting and a gorgeous cream colored circular sofa that covered one corner and several Wedgwood blue upholstered chairs, and a long make up table (chairs were the ones from Sears); Valerie's money was running out fast and she really couldn't afford to maintain her apartment and office. Her students, the agency models, and photographers who worked worked with her students, never knew that the comfortable loft space, with windowed views of the entire city, even existed. In a few years, the agency part of the Flaire business ran out of space as well and soon moved up the strip, closer to the school. In the meantime, Valerie married and had a darling little girl, named Deborah Joy -- named after one of her favorite students. Besides caring for her baby (the loft was converted to a nursery), Valerie gave lectures to schools and women's clubs, produced fashion shows and made weekly television appearances, as the Fashion Consultant on Jack Latham's Noon News (KTTV) and wrote several articles for local publications and two books on modeling which were published by Petersen Publishing. The Flaire Modeling School and Agency continued to operate in separate buildings and enjoyed the status of being the leading business of its kind on the West Coast, until the mid-sixties when Betty resigned for health reasons and Valerie, newly divorced and now a single Mom, assumed sole ownership of both operations. In 1966, the Flaire Modeling School and Agency moved to a glamorous, large building on Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. The Mayor of Beverly Hills attended the gala opening and Phyllis Diller surprised the guests by modeling in the fashion show. Valerie had the foresight to realize that video-taping was an enormously effective teaching school and her school boasted a giant-screen TV. (one of the first of it's kind) and a carpeted runway in the classroom of her beautifully appointed business. In 1968, Hugh Hefner used the Flaire Models exclusively in the party scenes of his popular television series, 'Playboy After Dark'. A new model in town was taken to the TV studio to meet the casting woman -- and Barbie Benton became Hef's co-host on the show. The guests on 'Playboy After Dark' were famous authors and politicians and unforgettable luminaries of Hollywood, comparable to the Red Carpet of today. In addition to the work opportunities in town, Valerie sent models to Italy, France, and Japan to develop their portfolios with 'tear sheets' and gain the savoir faire of models in foreign countries. For awhile, Flaire Agency continued in Beverly Hills, only as a TV Commercial agency, headed by her friend, Irena Kamal, while Valerie went on to develop a relationship with another well-known agency. The doors finally closed on Flaire in Beverly Hills, in 1982 as Valerie and Irene went to work for that agency. In 1993, Valerie retired from her illustrious career, moved to San Diego and has renewed her writing career. She is currently working on an entertaining novel, based on some of her experiences in the modeling world. But, that's not the end of the story: Valerie says that one of the most gratifying moments of her modeling agency career, was the day that her Grand Niece, Calley Anne (Miss Idaho USA 2007 and Val’s brother's grand-daughter) called and asked permission to use the name of Flaire for her school (charm, modeling, with the additional perk of Pageant Training.) Valerie was pleased and proud to say 'Yes'. Flaire has moved again . . . to Idaho! |