indy Kauanui, founder of Jet Set Models, has grown an underdog agency in San Diego into an industry leader.
Her road to success hasn't been easy; Cindy has had to overcome everything from a hurricane that destroyed her initial production company and home, being a single mother, and constant criticism from Hollywood and New York agencies. Multi-tasking has become her signature along with having a keen eye for talent, which accounts for her latest success story, Tori Praver the new Guess? model replacing Paris Hilton.
Recently Cindy sat down with HILARY Magazine – or rather drove around while on her way to the airport in Maui – to give us some insight into her life, company and everything that has come along the way.
HILARY Magazine: Can you tell us a little bit about your background in the industry, including your movie production company?
Cindy: I grew up in Kauai and I went to Oahu for college and while I was in Oahu I was discovered by a modeling agent, so I started out as a model myself. I modeled in Honolulu just working for local companies, and [big names like] Coca Cola, but I really liked behind the scenes more than I liked in front of the camera, so I asked the agency director if she could train me and she did. When I moved back to Kauai I met up with this woman, Belinda – we actually met up at a Tupperware party if you can believe it – and she use to work for William Morris Agency so she had the movie background and I had the modeling background and together we decided to form a company called Showlites Unlimited. We started booking models on assignments for television commercials and print campaigns and the movie production companies started calling us. The movie business really came to us, we did 14 major motion pictures and it was so much fun.
HILARY Magazine: On a personal level how were you able to overcome the loss of your initial production company and home, to Hurricane Iniki, and how did that experience impact your outlook in life and business?
Cindy: When the Hurricane hit the Island it was September 11 1992, we had one more day of production with Jurassic Park. I ended up taking Hawaiian airlines, lining up with everyone else. I felt like God was leading me off the Island because I hopped on the plane with literally no luggage and three kids. I had faith that it was going to work out and it did. I remember one thing, the Salvation Army came and gave us our dinner [during the hurricane] and later on we were able to do a big dinner for the Salvation Army, it was really neat.
Today my outlook is to bring the brighter side of modeling and to give it a good name. A lot of people have these construed ideas about what modeling is, that it's really glamorous, that it's really tempting, and that there's these parties and it really isn't that way, it's just a business and we've proven that through Jet Set.
HILARY Magazine: When you relocated to California to start over again, did you go with the intention of starting a modeling and talent agency, or did you have other plans in mind?
Cindy: When we went to Los Angeles my sons and I – I was a single mom – all the doors shut down on me. It just wasn't meant to be that I'd be in Hollywood so we ended up coming down to San Diego and when we came to San Diego everything opened up to us. A good friend of mine that owns Fashion Model Management in Milan came to visit me and said he'd make me a scout and wanted to put me on salary as a scout. I started hunting down people in San Diego [for work in Italy] and when those models came back, they couldn't find work back home so I thought ‘gosh maybe I should start an agency'. I applied for a loan and got approved and I started out of my little apartment, and booked big assignments like Versace. Eventually I moved into a little office so my kids wouldn't have models coming over every day and then it grew and grew and that's how I'm here today.
HILARY Magazine: When you started Jet Set Management Group in 1995, where were you hoping to take the company, and how have you achieved those goals, or perhaps surpassed them?
Cindy: It's been a really great road, and it keeps growing, we have seven divisions now, including the babies division, we have a children's division, a regular teen division, the adult division and then the theatrical division. We're also doing films so I'm back in the film business, it's been a complete circle. Now we're even opening an office back in Hawaii – that's what I was doing here, signing the documents for the new property.
HILARY Magazine: Can you tell us about Jet Set's philosophy and what kind of talent you represent?
Cindy: That natural beauty, like Laetitia Costa would be a real look of Jet Set. They just have that natural beauty that doesn't require any makeup, I can't describe it because none of our models really look alike but they all have it. They just have that glow and that healthy look, not that drawn look. I scouted this guy in San Diego that had that look and he ended up instantly, from Polaroids, getting Versace. There's a photographer and a dear friend of mine, Bruce Weber, and he has the same tastes that I do – I think we have the same eye – he shoots for Ralph Lauren so its that Ralph Lauren look.
HILARY Magazine: Recently, you discovered one of the top talents, Tori Praver, the new spokesmodel for GUESS?, who will replace Paris Hilton and join the likes of Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer; in the press release you say you discovered her while browsing through a magazine, how are you able to spot talent such as Tori?
Cindy: Outside Magazine did an editorial piece on surfers that are from Kauai – because Kauai produces some of the best surfers in the world like Andy Irons, Titus Kinimaka and Tanoy Lake – I got the publication so I could look at the pretty pictures; I turned the page and I saw a picture of Tori in a wetsuit. When I saw her I read Guess? all over, she just looked like a Guess? girl. I called Outside Magazine and they put me in touch with her. I flew to Maui and met her family and just said let me see what I can do. I presented her to Paul Marciano [of Guess?] and she ended up becoming the big image model, she ended up taking over, becoming another Claudia Schiffer, she's all over on billboards now and it's really exciting.
Tori had a really fresh face it was really Jet Set, I can honestly say she's the epitome of what Jet Set looks for, we like girls that are at least 5' 8" – 5' 9", Tori is 5' 11" and she has a healthy glow, good skin, beautiful green eyes, full lips, a long neck, and these are just things you look for. I've created that look that I really want to bring that to the industry.
HILARY Magazine: With all the success that Jet Set has achieved, have there ever been set backs that you have had to overcome, and that have perhaps made you and the company even more successful?
Cindy: Oh definitely, first of all I was not it the hub, I was in San Diego in La Jolla, it's a beautiful place to live and has a great lifestyle but it isn't where all the business is. The models have to drive two hours to get to Los Angeles for castings because all the work is in L.A. or New York. But I really believe that La Jolla is great place like Hawaii where you can actually find great people, as oppose to in big cities where you're expected to be a model; some of the best models come from far away places so it's a great recruiting place on the upside but the downside is that it is far. Often times you get agencies in L.A. saying ‘why are you with someone in La Jolla' but we've overcome that. Now we're branded as an agency that works all over the world and we've branded an image. It took a long time to win that over and I took a lot of heat from L.A. agencies, but now the clients know to call Jet Set.
HILARY Magazine: Where are you hoping to take Jet Set in the coming years?
Cindy: We just finished filming a pilot, we're not sure if it's going to get picked up or not, it's for an internet reality show. If it gets picked up it'll allow people, let's say in the Midwest, to watch a five minute reality show online and get to see the lifestyle in California and the lifestyle in Hawaii as we travel back and forth. In the future we're also going to be doing a lot of films and one day I'd like to write a script because I've been through a lot and I'd love to share that.
HILARY Magazine: What has been the driving force for your success, and what advice would you give to others who are just getting started?
Cindy: Well just to not give up I think a lot of people are afraid to take a risk, because they think ‘oh gosh it won't work'. There's going to be hard times, you have to be open to that, but you can't give up, you have to keep going. You're going learn every step of the way, and I know from experience because all my setbacks were actually an education.
I really think anything is possible, women out there - especially single women and single mothers – shouldn't lose hope, if they have a dream they should pursue it. Eventually you might go down one road and all of a sudden there's a fork in the road and it leads you down somewhere else and you have to keep moving; you can't drive a car unless it's moving.
I think a lot of people try to jump and think they need to have it all at once but you don't, it's better to just take it slow and not get yourself into debt. That's basically what I did, I moved a lot like a turtle, I have been doing this now with Jet Set for over 10 years and I honestly never expected it to grow this big. I was just going to have a boutique agency but it just keeps growing and growing so it's like do I keep going or do I stop, it's been an incredible journey.
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