Are you the face of London?

Four angular figures in acid-colour jersey are gossiping in the studio. But one word from the photographer and the women simultaneously switch themselves on like light bulbs. To even the trickiest of supermodels the photographer is boss because, for today at least, their image is in his hands.

And, indeed, these are four contemporary supermodels but tantrums, lateness and hauteur are conspicuous by their absence. By the time the first flash explodes, Erin O'Connor has pulled herself up through that extraordinary spine and angled her Nefertiti-like head towards the lens.

Helena Christensen has started to smoulder, Jade Parfitt narrows her eyes and glares, while Vivien Solari's face morphs from merely beautiful into bizarrely feline. Come between them and the camera at your peril.

But these focused females are actually more than pretty faces: they are players in a scandal that is rippling through London's modelling agencies. Models 1, probably the highest-profile modelling agency in the country, has historically been a breeding ground for British talent.

It was the first agency to develop a specific 'New Faces' division and has not suffered from the accusations of sleaze with which other international agencies have been plagued.

It had two stars firmly rooted in its infrastructure: Fiona Ellis, its chief scout, and Tori Edwards, its head booker.

Ellis, 39, a trendy, talkative blonde, lives with her four-year-old daughter in Willesden Green. She joined Models 1 as a booker 17 years ago, but was hindered by her dyslexia and soon moved into scouting.

Since then she has become an industry super-scout discovering Erin, Alek Wek and Parfitt among others.

Edwards, 33, a super-efficient blonde with a talent for nurture, manages both the business and the emotional lives of her models, speaking to them (or their parents) four or five times a day. Always in the loop, it was Edwards who sent all her top girls to appear in Alexander McQueen's show when he was still at Central Saint Martins, but she also secures the serious contracts with giant brands.

Like Ellis, she seems to inspire great loyalty in her models.

But in October last year, Ellis and Edwards controversially broke away from Models 1 to form ICM Models, a new arm of the ICM talent empire chaired by the disarmingly charming Duncan Heath who still personally represents Catherine Zeta Jones, Sir Ben Kingsley, Steve Coogan, Sam Mendes and Sir Michael Caine.

Even more sensationally, Erin O'Connor, Jade Parfitt, Vivien Solari, Lizzie Jagger (whose contract with Lancôme alone is said to be worth £1.5 million a year) and Alek Wek all defected to the fledgling company.

'We weren't allowed to approach any of the girls,' says Ellis, 'and we didn't think we'd hear from them, but within a week or two they were like, "Where are you? Why haven't you called?" ' And then they jumped ship.

As Erin O'Connor (articulate, animated and clearly enjoying her relationship with Jamie Theakston) puts it: 'It was a tough decision but Tori and Fiona are my modelling career.'

Models 1 managing director John Horner, 57, is a former advertising man who ran J Walter Thompson's brand-development consultancy before entering the fashion arena in 1999.

He has a dry sense of humour and has admitted that he can't tell a good model from a bad one; he handles money and image and endeavoured to make Models 1's image more 'quirky and edgy' when he took over. He's said of the present situation that 'it's aggravating to say the least... Poaching is not exactly smiled on in this industry.'

He went on to make it clear that 'we are taking this seriously and it is in the hands of our lawyers. There is a serious issue with contracts and the way in which the models left.'

Ellis dismisses the possibility of them suing the girls. 'No model is under any contract in any agency,' she explains. 'If they're not happy with the agency, they shouldn't be with them and vice versa.'

She had been unhappy at Models 1 for some time. 'Model agencies as they are just don't excite me any more,' she says. 'They seem to have lost their imagination.

'I needed more stimulation. Why should the girls leave a modelling agency to go to an acting agency when you've nurtured them and built up such a strong relationship with them? Why should you lose them when they can go on and do more and ICM can help them?'

Models often set their sights on movies and ICM, with its actors', directors' and writers' agents, can perhaps provide that gateway to Hollywood. Down-to-earth, wholesome Jade Parfitt, who lives with her student boyfriend in Kilburn, wanted to be an actress as a little girl so watch that space and Erin O'Connor has already started work on a book, which will be handled by ICM.

Gavin Myall, 29, the managing director of ICM Models, brought Helena Christensen (whom he first met at Select) and a forward-thinking attitude to the party.

'For me the future of this business is about creative marketing,' he says. 'And with ICM you get everything about celebrity. You've got all the actors and actresses, the directors, the commercial directors and the writers so you can strategically look at where the models want to be in five to ten years' time.

'I met Helena when she was starting to think about retirement but we began to do jobs together that would work for both her modelling career and her new career as a photographer - she is, after all, an icon.'

Christensen, who has flown over from New York for the shoot, appreciates the personal touch ICM seems to be offering.

'For me, it doesn't really matter what agency I'm with, but this did sound like a really interesting overall project. I like the way all the different talents are integrated and that everyone is thinking long-term. You can't just take a girl, work her and then have her come out at the other end with nothing to do.'

Myall agrees: 'It's become so book-it-now, do-it-now and those involved seem to neglect the long-term view.'

Duncan Heath, Britain's most powerful agent, has always been concerned with career longevity. 'My oldest client, John Gielgud, was 95 when he died and worked until three weeks before. The danger for a model is the fast turnover and that's very depressing - the idea should be to extend someone's career for as long as possible.

'Cameron Diaz was a model, Halle Berry was a model, Sharon Stone was a model at four. The Oscars, for instance, is now the biggest fashion show of the year and goes out to however many billion people so, of course, there's a link between the movie and fashion worlds.

'And when you see a show like the Ancient Egyptian couture show that John Galliano has just done - to me that's pure showbiz. It's very early days but

'I'd love to get a director like John Maybury [currently filming The Jacket with Keira Knightley and Adrien Brody], hook up with an up-and-coming designer and put on a f***-off show with someone like Erin.'

But Ellis has always been famous for and passionate about discovering new faces. It was she who set up that division at Models 1 and plans to continue with her discoveries at ICM.

After all, this is the woman who will leap from behind the wheel of her moving car to collar someone she thinks is interesting. She spotted Alex Saxby, 20, working at his clothes stall in Portobello Market.

The other male model on this shoot is Filip Gustavsson, a 17-year-old Swede with flowing hair, a six-pack and a mouthful of braces. He has gone all gooey and silent at the sight of his crush, Helena Christensen.

'New faces are an agency's future,' says Ellis. Which is why ICM and ES have collaborated with a competition to find London's most beautiful boy and girl.

'The doors are open wide to all kinds of looks but what we're looking for is some exciting character. I feel there's got to be a strength of personality, some substance. We'll be out there scouting on the streets as well.'

Jade Parfitt was discovered on a This Morning 'Find me a Model' competition, although she admits that 'my gran sent in my photo and now takes entire credit for my career'.

'Competitions,' comments Ellis, 'throw up big talent.' And if our winners succeed as models, who knows where ICM could take them?

This new breed of agency with access to every type of creative talent looks set to create an extraordinary symbiotic relationship between different sides of the business. 'We've got Rachel Weisz who's just finished her Revlon campaign,' says Ellis.

'We've got Kate Beckinsale, Orlando Bloom... so if the right campaign came up we could propose them. If you look at the way the industry is going, it is all about profile.

'Look at Nicole Kidman, who's just signed a huge deal with Chanel [$2 million for four days' work], George Clooney with Police sunglasses and Cate Blanchett with Donna Karan - the crossover is huge.'

Heath agrees that the idea is to create a onestop talent hypermarket. 'You want to be proud of the people you represent, there is an element of reflected glory. And, of course, there's always greed when you're an agent, there's no point in pretending there isn't.'

Models 1 declined to comment on their runaway models, as did their founder Jose Fonseca.

But Laurie Kurht, chairman of the Association of Model Agents, maintains that 'there is a prevailing ethos whereby members of the AMA try to behave as decently as possible.

In this case, the act was perpetrated by someone outside the modelling business [Duncan Heath] and so it's a slightly different situation. But in any area of commerce people are head-hunted. Business is business.'

The industry is reeling at ICM's boldness. 'But no one will talk because you don't f*** around with Duncan Heath,' one booker told me off the record. 'Apart from that, it seems clear that this new agency will be a bloody great success.'

Only time will tell but everyone involved in ICM seems confident. As Erin O'Connor says: 'I think we have created a big, powerful monster.'

But as all its directors will agree, this monster is only as fearsome as the sum of its parts and fresh meat is the key - this modelling competition is hunting for the next generation of supermodels. Are you one of them?

Win the chance to become a supermodel

THE JUDGES

Bay Garnett
co-editor of Cheap Date and style barometer

Margherita Taylor,
ex-model and DJ for 95.8 Capital FM (10pm to 1am, Sunday to Thursday)

Catherine Ostler
editor of ES magazine

Fiona Ellis
director of new faces for ICM Models

Erin O'Connor,
model and face of Helena Rubinstein

Matthew Williamson
fashion designer

ES and ICM Models are looking for one boy and one girl to be the new faces of London. Anyone aged 16 and over is welcome to enter but if you are under 18 you must send us the written permission of your parent or guardian, who must

They will win the chance to follow in the footsteps of Jade Jagger, Claudia Schiffer and Freddie Ljungberg and appear on the cover of ES magazine, as well as getting on to the books of London's hottest new agency alongside Erin O'Connor and Helena Christensen.

We will select ten finalists from photographs and invite them to join us for a day's shoot with a fashion photographer. They will meet all the judges during the day and the two winners will be selected. They will then go on to do a cover photograph.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Please send two photographs:

One clear head shot
One full-body shot

Plus:

A list of your measurements including height, waist, bust/chest, hips, shoe size
Your name, age, address, daytime and evening telephone number
Written permission of your parent or guardian if you are under 18

To: The Face of ES, ES Magazine, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT

ES and ICM Models are looking for one boy and one girl to be the new faces of London. Anyone aged 16 or over is welcome to enter but if you are under 18 you must send us the written permission of your parent or guardian, who must attend the day's shoot with you.

The closing date for entries is 8 March 2004. The winners will be announced in ES magazine on 2 April 2004 and their photographs may be used for publicity purposes. Finalists must participate in all required publicity. We will be unable to return any photographs. Prize as described and no cash alternative. Accommodation/travel/out-of-pocket expenses not included. Only one entry per person and no responsibility accepted for entries lost, damaged or delayed in post. Professional models excluded from competition. Judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. NB: Do not pay for professional photographs. You are welcome to nominate a friend or family member to enter the competition but you must get their consent first.