$5M poach war over a top model
SUI HE IS BEING SUED. The stunning Victoria’s Secret runway beauty, who is also known for her 2011 turn as the first East Asian model to open a catwalk show for Ralph Lauren, has been accused of dumping her agency to join a rival.
In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court Wednesday, New York Model Management asserts that it incurred “significant expenses and costs, both in terms of time, money ney and opop portunity in building up a model to the point where he or she can book regular work.”
The five-count suit asks for a minimum of $1 million per count.
The lawsuit also names Women Management and booker Duncan
Ord — who also worked with NYMM — for enticing the Chinese-born Sui He (inset) to break her contract. Sui He’s impressive portfolio includes five Victoria’s Secret shows between 2011-2015, a W magazine cover and campaigns for Vivienne Tam, Chanel, Dior and Helmut Lang. In making the leap to Women Management, the gorgeous model joins a roster that included Cara Delev
ingne, Behati Prinsloo and Jourdan Dunn. According to the lawsuit, Sui He entered into a three-year deal with NYMM in February 2014 after the agency agreed to reduce its 20% commission rate to 15% to lure the top model over.
Sui He had earned approximately $3.5 million under NYMM’s direction before taking her talents to Women Management, which has offices in New York, Paris and Milan, NYMM says.
The lawsuit also claims that before Sui He ditched her old agency, officials at NYMM reached out to the CEO of Women’s Management, Sergio Leccese, to warn him he would be aiding Ord and Sui He in breaking their agreements.
NYMM also alleges that Ord, who left the agency last March, was banned for one year from attempting to lure clients from his former agency to the new one.
“Leccese seemed to be unconcerned,” says NYMM’s lawsuit, which also states the agency warned Lecesse not to steal its clients as recently as Feb. 1.
The lawsuit also alleged: “Women (agency) placed a photo of Sui on its Fashion Week Show package, confirming that they had begun representing her in violation of her W I agreement with NYMM.” R E I New York Fashion Week got unM A derway on Thursday. G E
“We don’t know anything about this and we are very busy with Fashion Week,” a Women Management rep sniffed to Confidenti@l.
NYMM attorney Robert Hantman, of Hantman & Associates, tells us: “This case never should have happened, but Women Management arrogantly invited this situation and will now have to pay the price.” Hantman adds that the top model may not have understood the complexities at work here and that she is still “invited to come home” to NYMM.