Tom Pricone / Photo: for Barney's New York

PRO: With a tight board of 65 models, Q has worked hard to make themselves a presence on the crowded and competitive playing field that is male modeling. Dedicated to the idea that their models are full-scale personalities, Q is poised to be a major contender in the New York (and LA) market. A major bonus is the diversity of their board, whoever is scouting and signing these faces is very adept at editing an interesting selection of models.

CON: It's a very crowded field in the men's game and though Q has achieved an admirable level of stability, it's not their instinct to call a lot of attention to themselves.

Tell / Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde/Vinoodh Matadin

9. Fusion
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PRO: The drive and the focus at Fusion is such that in just under three years, newcomers like Tell were already highlighting a Dior campaign and Louis Vuitton was booking new face Jamison. The fresh energy and genuine excitement that Fusion brings to the business, anchored by their strong editorial eye in scouting makes Fusion a truly formidable newcomer.

CON: It's that new agency syndrome. Fusion is going to have to work from scratch to build those client relationships so that they leap quickly to mind when castings arise. They're off to a great start, so this goal is truly within reach.

SCOUTING CALL: The ability to see the model's potential before the model manifests himself on camera is a gift. Fusion has this without doubt.

8. VNY
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PRO: VNY Model Management has earned a reputation for being nurturing of their models. It's a quality that has endeared VNY to the mother agencies at maximum trust level. The agency driving force, Lana Winters, through her experience in the business has come to develop very tight client relationships, a background that has served a model like Nick Bryant very well when the big money clients came calling.

CON: The challenge of being a smaller agency is that new models might be distracted by those agencies with the bigger brand names when the scouting contest get down to the wire. As it stands, that means VNY needs to work harder on that coveted guy to get him on the map. That compulsion, if harnessed by an ambitious model, is a good thing.

Stan / Photo: Steven Klein for D&G

PRO: The clients are buzzing with maximum excitement about the audacious newcomer called Vision Men (formerly Citizen). With a lethal combination of impeccable scouting, focused development and shrewd management, the partners at Vision, Dave Fothergill and George Brown, scored high points in our survey for the ability to deliver to the editorial market, exactly what the blue chip clients are looking for, right that second. With the addition of the very well connected John Babin, the equation at Vision is balanced where all the cool Jil Sander and D&G faces like Stan Jouk are nicely positioned for their transition into the lucrative catalogue market.

CON: It’s the classic challenge issued to all mavericks. Fashion loves a new sensation but also loves to get over a new sensation just as fast. The next level of evolution for Vision Men is to turn its cool guys into wealthy fixtures.

SCOUTING CALL. The passion that Vision Men brings to the men's game spills over not only to the models but also to the clients. If you are looking for an agency that is fresh, clear-eyed and driven then Vision is your ticket to ride.

7. (tied)Request
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PRO: In almost record time, Request exploded on the NY scene landing some of the hottest models of the moment on their board. Client feedback indicated that their cool and unique crew of models (like newcomer Arian) was well-respected for its brave departure from the cookie-cutter ideal where often times model boards can sometimes be a series of clones. Request's management team also is known for its excellent relationships with photo-reps, in NY and especially in Paris where their dexterity with that market allows them to do a steady trade in direct bookings there.

CON: Unfortunately being a new player in the game left Request open to the poaching that is typical of an overcrowded market. While Request has displayed a proven ability to build the boy, the challenge is to keep him locked in place.

Photo: Mario Testino

PRO: As one of the venerable agencies in this industry, Click has built a base of loyal longtime clients defined by such powerbrokers as Bruce Weber and Ralph Lauren. If it’s one thing Click has proven, it’s the ability to log lucrative fees for its formidable board. In addition, during 2005, Click has made a sustained foray into the edgier, more editorial side of the business with newcomers like Parker Gregory and Matthew Guion, proving that cool is not a language exclusive to the new kids on the block.

CON: Ironically enough, 25 years ago when Click started, it essentially pioneered the cool men's mode on the NY modeling scene. Now that it’s grown up into a stable money maker it must bring a smile to Frances Grill's face to see the word " venerable" used to describe the Click agency. But reinvention is the very definition of fashion.

SCOUTING CALL: Click knows the clients, with an intimacy and detail that very few agencies can even begin to imagine. If they recruit you for their new Cool Brigade, rest assured they'll also be thinking of ways to make your "cool "as financially rewarding as possible.