Casting call, party in South Salt Lake for hopeful models

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Utahns are invited to be the state's "next top model" - or just party like one this Saturday. New York-based Elite Model Management - the talent agency featured in the TV hit "America's Next Top Model" - is launching its first scouting-only office in South Salt Lake this week with a huge street party.

A joint venture with Oregon-based Pulse Management, the SoSaLa office, 2150 S. Main St., will hold a casting call today at 5 p.m. for would-be models. Finalists will be judged by Elite and Pulse execs during the grand opening party on Saturday, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. One girl will be named "Utah's Next Top Model."

Elite picked Utah for the new office because the Beehive State is a "gold mine" for modeling talent, New York recruiting director Roman Young has said.

Tickets to the party, to be held just south of 2100 South on Main Street, cost $12 at the door or $6 in advance at 24tix.com. The event also features a groundbreaking ceremony for the surrounding $500 million Market Station development, Salt Lake City's own international runway star Ali Stephens, base-jumping, break dancing and a skateboarding demo by X-games veteran Randy Marino.

- Rosemary Winters