About Us - Hired Hands Models (HHM)
Who are Hired Hands Models (HHM)?
Set up in the 90s, Hired Hands Models (HHM) was one of the first specialist agencies of any significant size to focus solely on representing professional hand models within London, where we grew our reputation as the definitive ‘one-stop-shop’ for hand models. Over time we have become renowned within the advertising, film and photographic industries for consistently providing the most experienced and professional hand models within London and the United Kingdom.
In the +30 years that the agency has operated, we have remained agile - adapting to meet the ever-changing demands of the industry and the evolving needs of our clients - by broadening our offering to also include body parts and commercial models, as well as manicurists and hair & make-up artists.
We have a reputation for being innovative, dependable and for offering a professional and efficient casting process. What’s more is we’ve even been told we’re nice to work with! A testament to this fact is that Hired Hands Models continues to represent models who have been with the agency since the very beginning; which is proof of the continued good practice, professionalism and reliability that has become synonymous with our agency and our talent.
Who are Hired Hands Models (HHM)?
Set up in the 90s, Hired Hands Models (HHM) was one of the first specialist agencies of any significant size to focus solely on representing professional hand models within London, where we grew our reputation as the definitive ‘one-stop-shop’ for hand models. Over time we have become renowned within the advertising, film and photographic industries for consistently providing the most experienced and professional hand models within London and the United Kingdom.
In the +30 years that the agency has operated, we have remained agile - adapting to meet the ever-changing demands of the industry and the evolving needs of our clients - by broadening our offering to also include body parts and commercial models, as well as manicurists and hair & make-up artists.
We have a reputation for being innovative, dependable and for offering a professional and efficient casting process. What’s more is we’ve even been told we’re nice to work with! A testament to this fact is that Hired Hands Models continues to represent models who have been with the agency since the very beginning; which is proof of the continued good practice, professionalism and reliability that has become synonymous with our agency and our talent.
Who founded Hired Hands Models?
Hired Hands Models was founded as a partnership by Steve and Judi Barker in 1991, with the original business running out of their home in North London. They ran the business for almost 30 years, up to their retirement in 2019 and, today, they remain connected as family, Company Director’s and indispensable advisors to the agency.
Prior to the inception of Hired Hands Models Steve was working in advertising as a copywriter and worked at various top agencies - including TBWA – and it was through his experience of attending the commercial productions on the various adverts he had scripted that that he first came up for the idea for the agency. Back then, there weren’t many bespoke agencies providing dedicated professional hand models, of great quality, skill and ability, who maintain their parts to a high standard. So once Steve realised the demand for professional hand models was out there, he set about creating the biggest and, eventually, most renowned hand modelling agencies of scale within the UK. Thus, Hired Hands Models was born!
But behind every great man, they say, there is a great woman…so Steve enlisted the help of his wife, Judi, to get the agency up and running. Judi was a perfect fit given her own background in theatre production and casting; as her parents are regarded as ‘fringe theatre royalty’ having founded both the New End and Offstage Theatres.
So having learnt the ropes within theatre, with both casting and managing performers, she comfortably fell into her role in managing the agency day-today. From day one she manned the phones, always ensured everyone got paid and that everyone’s portfolios were the best that they could be.
The combined hard work, diligence and reliability that Judi and Steve delivered day-to-day, combined with their reputation for being able to identify and provide the most experienced, professional and diverse hand models within London and the United Kingdom. Their efforts cemented Hired Hands Models position as the go-to hand modelling agency that represented all of the best ‘hand supermodels’ – including, but not limited to, the notorious ‘one take’ Nina Taylor (who we still represent to this very day) - leaving a lasting legacy and reputation that the agency stills maintains today.
Who runs Hired Hands Models today?
In October 2018 the partnership became Hired Hands Models Limited and Chloe Barker joined the team and, yes, we can confirm she is Judi and Steve’s daughter! On joining the agency, Chloe brought her vast experience working within the Advertising industry, where she had risen to the level of Creative Lead and Head of Post Production, applying her trade at agencies such as BHH, Maverick and The Mill. Chloe brought with her Thomas Albone, her (then) long-term squeeze, to help her run the agency. Thomas joined the agency having learnt the ropes as an owned media specialist within the performance marketing arm of Publicis Groupe, where he had reached Director level before joining the good ship Hired Hands.
At the time they joined the agency, they brought with them over 20 years combined experience of working within film, advertising, digital and media, bringing with them very different skills from their previous career journeys to help them maintain Hired Hands Models position and reputation within the industry. The plan was to also refresh the agency’s image and launch a new website to meet the needs of digital-first customers back in 2020…but then, of course, Covid-19 happened…
Who runs Hired Hands Models today?
In October 2018 the partnership became Hired Hands Models Limited and Chloe Barker joined the team and, yes, we can confirm she is Judi and Steve’s daughter! On joining the agency, Chloe brought her vast experience working within the Advertising industry, where she had risen to the level of Creative Lead and Head of Post Production, applying her trade at agencies such as BHH, Maverick and The Mill. Chloe brought with her Thomas Albone, her (then) long-term squeeze, to help her run the agency. Thomas joined the agency having learnt the ropes as an owned media specialist within the performance marketing arm of Publicis Groupe, where he had reached Director level before joining the good ship Hired Hands.
At the time they joined the agency, they brought with them over 20 years combined experience of working within film, advertising, digital and media, bringing with them very different skills from their previous career journeys to help them maintain Hired Hands Models position and reputation within the industry. The plan was to also refresh the agency’s image and launch a new website to meet the needs of digital-first customers back in 2020…but then, of course, Covid-19 happened…
In the short time that Chloe and Thomas have been in charge of Hired Hands Models, they have steered the agency through the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 Viral Pandemic, the UK’s exit from the European Union and the associated Cost of Living Crisis had on the modelling industry, all whilst welcoming their first child into the World during the lockdown of 2020.
In 2023, after having their original wedding cancelled due to the Covid Pandemic, Chloe and Thomas finally got married – in style – with a simple off-the-shelf ceremony in Las Vegas! Hired Hands Models therefore remains, as it has always been, a family run business and the values, reputation and vision that was established by Steve and Judi lives on today in them.
So it’s been a bit of a rocky road to say the least to get here, fraught with many twists and turns. But after overcoming many obstacles, the vision Chloe and Thomas had for Hired Hands Models has come to fruition with this website - so welcome to Hired Hands Models 2.0!
So what does Hired Hands Models stand for today?
Hired Hands Models have promoted diversity and inclusivity since the agency started, so such values are not new to us. Today whole businesses are now founded on this premise, but for us it has always been part of our core of our agency’s identity. We remain proud to support models, and session artists, from all backgrounds and lifestyles, of all ages and abilities, offering equal opportunities to all our talent, regardless of their gender, race, creed, age, sexual origination, or religion.
We strive to match established standards set within our industry and we continually update our working processes to adhere to current best practice. We believe in a safe working day and that a production crew should adhere to all government guidelines on Health and Safety requirements. In fact, we produced our very own Covid-19 safety requirements for our clients to adhere to at the height of the pandemic, as safe working is paramount to our agency’s values.
We are committed to protecting day rates for our talent, so that the creative arts remain a viable option for people to pursue. We believe models, creatives and freelance professionals should be able to make a living from their valued work and that brands, businesses and corporations should respect the work they do. Hired Hands Models know the value of the skills our talent possess and we believe that experience should therefore come at a price.
We have a strict hiring criteria for new talent and are commitment to providing training, guidance and opportunities to those starting out within our industry, to enable new talent to develop, but we still give support and direction to our more established talent, to ensure that they are fully maximising their potential.
Hired Hands Models is therefore a progressive, reactive and established 21st century modelling agency: but with traditional family values built into its core. So, if you are looking for experienced, professional and reliable models to get the job done, with Hired Hands Models, you know you are in safe hands!
Meet the team
Chloe Barker | Company Director
Thomas Albone | Company Director
