Fashion is driven by a powerful force driving the flow of talent from the streets and on to stardom. Model agencies can provide the means to get into the business. Vast source of talent and new faces for projects later owe the great success of their careers to getting involved with one of the better modeling agencies early in their careers.
Model agencies are not as dominant as they once were. The infamous man in an expensive suit and dark glasses in search of new talent to bring into the fold are fairly uncommon in today's industry and many people make it using model agencies only sparingly.
Model agencies often work closely with a few major companies who deal with primarily A-List talent. Today there are a myriad of independent model agencies who work with all levels of talent. Smaller model agencies have the advantage of being able to adapt more quickly to today's new technology by providing the instant transfer of information and a more personable enviornment.