The Tamesis
Welcome to The Scoop: a weekly email series in which I ask fashion insiders about the week’s stories. This will be a way for the Vogue business community to synthesize and reflect on the latest headlines every Friday and get a little inside scoop.
This week’s guest is James Boulter, a talent agent fashion businesss 100 innovators. James is one of those entrepreneurs who can’t help but spot a gap in the market. At just 18, he founded a health food chain and two years later began working as a brand consultant. Along the way, he came into contact with celebrities and quickly realized there was an opportunity to help them become their own brand.
In 2019, James started his own talent agency and was recruited by United Talent Agency (UTA) three years later. He has since overseen some of the agency’s landmark deals, including Cynthia Erivo’s global campaign with Mulberry and Priyanka Chopra Jonas as global ambassador for Bvlgari. The latter may have something to do with today’s scoop.
Hi James! What is a scoop?
Priyanka Chopra [Jonas]This Sunday she will attend the Oscars and show off Bvlgari’s new Eclettica series for the first time on the red carpet. It is the masterpiece of their high jewelry collection and will be launched at a global brand event in Milan later this month.
What does the Ecletica range look like?
This is a very good question. You’ll see on Sunday.
Can’t wait. How long have you and Priyanka been working with Bulgari?
Four or five years ago, I introduced Priyanka to Bulgari. You have to think how coveted someone like Priyanka is in terms of luxury placements. Thinking back to the start of awards season and the Golden Globes, she dominated the red carpet, becoming the only actor to occupy two spots in the luxurious top five. She was wearing Dior, which I think created about $5.9 million in earned media value for Dior. Bulgari generated $4.9 million in media value just by wearing a necklace on the carpet. When you have moments like this, brands really take notice.
What role do agents play in this?
Today, the agent’s role is less that of a broker and more that of a risk strategist. I encourage the clients I work with to think like a founder. We identify where they have long-term IP opportunities and match them with capital investments from the right brands to build a complete business.
I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the OGs in the field. Like Paris Hilton, she is for all intents and purposes the original influencer. Or Jessica Alba, who at the height of her fame as an actress in the early 1900s pivoted and founded The Honest Company, which remains the only talent-led brand to successfully IPO. My role is to take their long-term intellectual property and bring it into the commercial business and ecosystem.
How to seal a red carpet deal?
So the necklace, the gown, whatever the talent is wearing is just a visible part of the broader negotiation. Unsurprisingly, these moments are highly strategic and the result of a true team effort behind the talent; a team of diverse agents, managers and stylists who are at the heart of it all. And, of course, there are the brands themselves and the people who work for them, who can offer opportunities beyond a specific location.
As fashion and entertainment become more intertwined, the talent themselves develop direct relationships with creative directors, and so do their teams. There really is a whole ecosystem around this talent, and it’s set in motion months before they even step onto the carpet. When a film is deemed to have awards credibility, people start thinking about the red carpet.
