John Casablancas, one of the founders of Elite Model Management, the world's largest modeling agency with headquarters in Paris and operations around the world, passed away from cancer on July 20th. He was 70 years old.

Elite Model Management was founded in Paris in 1972 by John, a New York native, and Alain Kittler. The first international branch was established in New York in 1977, and the agency now has offices in approximately 30 countries, with over 2,000 models on its roster. Elite has produced such celebrities as Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Tatjana Patitz, Helena Christensen, Heidi Klum, Milana Keller, and Helen Swedin, and current actresses Cameron Diaz, Kirsten Dunst, Milla Jovovich, and Uma Thurman also began their modeling careers. Elite Japan in Japan also represented Konishi Manami, Matsushita Nao, and Imajuku Asami. John retired from Elite in 2000. He continued to contribute to the fashion industry afterward, founding a modeling school and a scouting organization.

Incidentally, Julian Casablancas, the lead singer of the American rock band The Strokes, is his son.