2 5 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁F ords ' ▁first ▁super star ▁model ▁was ▁Jean ▁P atch ett . ▁The ▁F ords ▁had ▁the ▁capital ▁to ▁inst ill ▁the ▁v ouch er ▁system , ▁something ▁that ▁other ▁model ing ▁ag encies ▁were ▁not ▁aff lu ent ▁enough ▁to ▁offer . ▁Dor ian ▁Le igh ▁described ▁E ile en ▁as ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁hard est ▁working , ▁most ▁persistent ▁persons ▁I ▁have ▁ever ▁known , ▁two ▁qual ities ▁which ▁made ▁her ▁my ▁very ▁good ▁friend ▁for ▁years ▁and ▁later , ▁my ▁un antic ip ated ▁enemy ." ▁ ▁After ▁two ▁years , ▁the ▁F ords ▁began ▁to ▁seriously ▁comp ete ▁with ▁the ▁Hun ting ton ▁Hart ford ▁model ing ▁ag ency ▁and ▁the ▁John ▁Robert ▁Pow ers ▁ag encies , ▁the ▁two ▁most ▁successful ▁model ing ▁ag encies ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁Le igh , ▁mean while , ▁closed ▁her ▁model ing ▁ag ency ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁pre gn ant ▁with ▁her ▁third ▁child ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 . ▁Le igh ▁called ▁E ile en ▁and ▁told ▁them ▁that ▁her ▁ 1 5 - year s ▁younger ▁sister , ▁Su zy ▁Parker , ▁was ▁making ▁only ▁$ 2 5 ▁per ▁hour ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁model ▁for ▁Hun ting ton ▁Hart ford . ▁Le igh ▁felt ▁Su zy , ▁although ▁only ▁ 1 6 ▁years ▁old , ▁should ▁be ▁making ▁$ 4 0 ▁per ▁hour , ▁and ▁told ▁Ford ▁she ▁would ▁join ▁her ▁two - year - old ▁ag