She's a Houston powerhouse, showcasing her eye for talent on a national stage.
With a starring role in the E! reality show "Scouted," Houston modeling agent Page Parkes gives us a glimpse into the uber-competitive world of high fashion modeling.
Parkes' empire was born 30 years ago. When studying fashion under icon Emilio Pucci, Parkes had her light bulb moment.
"It was a magical moment for me to realize that I wasn't so powerful, but choosing the proper model was," Parkes said.
Three decades later, Parkes now represents 300 models and runs agencies in Houston, Dallas, and Miami and a modeling and acting school, claiming Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron, and Tyson Beckford among her celebrity alums. And even while she's busy raising three children, Parkes is always scouting.
On this particular day, she was scouting while she grocery shops in Houston. She found Cypress native Marissa McPhaul working as a carhop at a Sonic restaurant. Marissa was featured on "Scouted," and is now working for One Management in New York.
So, for all the aspiring models out there, what is it Parkes is looking for?
"Tall, we need you to be 5'9" to 5'11," Parkes said.
The next element is the right body shape.
"Girls who have a very, very high waist that gives them those extra, extra tall legs where everybody says wow, that's a freak of nature," she said.
Then, and only then, does Page consider the face.
"After that, a must is your beautiful skin. So we take a quick look at the skin and the teeth," Parkes said.
Notice she still hasn't used the word "pretty."
"And I won't. Pretty for me is not going to be pretty for America or for a man; it also be a girl with a big gap between her eyes or oddly proportioned girls that can photograph beautifully but in person can look extremely odd," she said.
So you want Parkes to look at your picture and let you know if you have potential? Well guess what? There's an app for that!
"It's amazing; we get photographs from all over the world, and also you can download the app and submit yourself as a model," Parkes said.
Unlike so many in this ruthless business, Parkes' style isn't to break girls down with criticism -- quite the contrary.
"She's the one that got me and believed in me, even when I was doubting myself. She just was amazing," McPhaul said.
And though Parkes says season 2 of "Scouted" is looking likely...
"Daily life goes on here and the reason that I was even chosen was even with or without a TV show, I promise you I'll be scouting," she said.
By the way, the models that Parkes scouted for the reality show ended up taking top spots and are now signed with a New York agency.
To contact Parkes, visit her website, or use her iPhone app called iScout.
