What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
“Wilhelmina” on its own can point to several things, but the best-documented meaning is Wilhelmina Cooper, the fashion model known professionally by that single name, and the modeling agency she built with her husband, Bruce Cooper. She was born in the Netherlands, began modeling in Chicago, and in 1967 opened Wilhelmina Models Inc. in New York. The agency still operates today under the Wilhelmina name, and its current business is described in a 2025 regulatory filing covering the year ended December 31, 2024.
Who Was Wilhelmina Cooper?
Wilhelmina Cooper was a working fashion model before she became an agency founder. She went by Wilhelmina alone, and that single name is how she is identified in her obituary in The Washington Post, which was published in 1980 and is the most detailed contemporary account of her career.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
New You by Wilhelmina cooper/wm.kauf (1978-09-27) | $163.91 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
WILHELMINA Name Gift Journal: This Design is the perfect Gift Idea for anyone named WILHELMINA | $6.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Jim Henson: The Biography | $19.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
The Life of Senator Margaret Chase Smith | $0.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Believe: The Barack Obama Story | $1.99 | Buy on Amazon |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The obituary reports that she was born in the Netherlands and that her modeling career began in Chicago. Her first assignment came through the Ford Agency in Chicago in 1958. According to the obituary, she went along to an appointment with a friend and was booked herself, a story that shows how casually modeling careers could begin in that period.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
How the Agency Began
In 1967 Cooper opened Wilhelmina Models Inc. in New York with her husband, Bruce Cooper. The Washington Post places the founding at that date, and the company’s own filing names the same year as the start of its predecessor business.
#1 Best Overall
Vogue’s 2017 anniversary feature describes the founding as an effort to represent a broader range of looks than the industry’s standard types. That is Vogue’s historical reading of Cooper’s aims, not a direct quotation from her, and it is worth keeping separate from the biographical facts above.
What Wilhelmina Is Today
The current company is Wilhelmina International, Inc. Its fiscal 2024 filing is the primary source for how it describes itself, and it is the best place to check the details below, since rosters and offices change over time.
Rank #2
| Area | What the filing states | Date or scope |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | New York City | Fiscal 2024 filing |
| Other offices | Los Angeles, Miami, and London, alongside licensees | Fiscal 2024 filing |
| Core business | Fashion model management, including representation and management of models, entertainers, athletes, and other talent | Fiscal 2024 filing |
| Aperture division | Represents actors and models for film, television, and commercials, and influencers for brand campaigns and endorsements | Fiscal 2024 filing |
| Roster size | Approximately 1,700 active models and talent | As of December 31, 2024, company-reported |
| Contract terms | Agency generally signs models to three-year exclusive contracts | Described in the fiscal 2024 filing |
The kinds of work the agency handles
The filing lists advertising campaigns, catalog and e-commerce, runway, showroom, editorial, and social-media influencer marketing. Agents negotiate bookings and advise talent on career and development. The filing also states that models may decline job opportunities. These are the company’s own descriptions of its operations, not universal rules for modeling agencies, and terms can differ by market and by contract.
Recommended Free Tools
Why the Aperture division matters
The filing’s Aperture description shows that the company’s business reaches beyond runway and print. Representing influencers for brand endorsements places the agency in the same commercial space as creator marketing, which is a notable extension from the 1967 model agency.
Rank #3
The 300-Cover Claim Is Not Settled
The 1980 Washington Post obituary reports that Cooper appeared on 300 Vogue covers. Other accounts circulating since then give different totals, and the counting basis behind each figure is not resolved in the available sources. If you need a cover count for citation, treat the obituary figure as one reported claim among conflicting ones rather than an established fact.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The 50th Anniversary Book and What It Says About the Agency
Vogue’s feature, dated November 3, 2017, covers the agency’s 50th anniversary book, Wilhelmina: Redefining Beauty. The book documents 50 years of agency talent through images. Current retail availability has not been confirmed for this article, so check a bookseller before buying.
In the feature, Bill Wackermann, identified there as the agency’s CEO, joked about the milestone: “I don’t know if Wilhelmina Cooper when she started the agency in 1967 would know that we would be looking so good at 50. 50 is the new 30,” jokes Wackermann.
He also described the book’s approach: “Rather than doing a linear narrative of the incredible talent that has come through our door over the 50 years, we focused on archetypes that repeat over time.” That choice explains why the book reads as a survey of recurring looks rather than a chronological history of individual models.
Best Value
For readers, the useful split is this: Cooper’s life and early career are documented in the 1980 obituary, the founding context and the book come from Vogue’s 2017 coverage, and the agency’s current size, offices, and contract practices come from the 2025 filing covering the year ended December 31, 2024.
Quick Recap
“
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
