Former adult film stars Stacy Valentine and Shelby Stevens and veteran wardrobe stylist September Dawn have started Exotic Star Models, a new talent management company that is entirely woman owned and operated.
Valentine, who moved back to Los Angeles in June after four years in New York, reported that her best friend of nine years, Dawn, came up with the idea last year. She also discussed the venture with her other best friend, Shelby Stevens.
"I was going to come back anyway and I wanted to do something. This business has been very good to me," Valentine told AVN.com. "I wanted to stay involved but I just didn't know how. I figured I could stay involved in the industry by helping girls manage their careers.”
A native of Tulsa, OK, Valentine began her performing career on Valentine's Day in 1996. She was 25.
"I came in older. I wasn’t quite as strong [as Shelby], but I was very fortunate that nothing bad happened to me," Valentine said. "I just want to help girls instead of them getting into the business and getting shot out."
Stevens, a Sacramento native who moved to L.A. in 1991, started performing in July of 1993 and continued until 1996, when she began doing makeup on adult sets. She is now one of the busiest makeup artists in the adult industry.
"I was lucky enough to come in at 24. I had enough sense of self to be able to say 'no' to some things," Stevens said. "When you're a little older, you stick to your guns. This business consists of a lot of 18-year-olds coming out of high school, and it's a business run by men."
Dawn, who is originally from Springfield, IL, met Valentine on the set of Wicked Pictures' Satyr. One of the most highly regarded wardrobe specialists in adult entertainment, Dawn has worked for every major company since debuting in 1994. She recently wrapped a Club Jenna production, and before that styled Tera Patrick & Co. for the upcoming Tera Patrick's Asian Love Palace.
"I have 11 years of production background," Dawn said. "Stacy has a performing background and the stardom she received, and the same with Shelby. We have some serious wisdom, a lot of years of experience in a lot of different areas."
The trio says in its mission statement that Exotic Star Models would like to "set a new standard in the industry in the management arena, providing a superior quality of service, professionalism, and open lines of communication between directors and our talent pool. Our goal is to help production move as smoothly as possible."
In just over six weeks, the firm already has signed 12 girls and five guys to its roster.
"I like to pace girls so they don't get burned out,” said Valentine. “They should keep their expectations realistic, have limits, and know what they are."
She added, "We would love to be known as a company that gets their girls contracts."
Stevens told AVN.com that she looks upon these girls “as someone's daughter. We tailor how we handle each girl in terms of their individual wants or needs."
Exotic Star Models maintains standards for its talent with regard to punctuality, testing every two weeks, appearance and hygiene.
"Bodies are the tools of the trade," Stevens noted.
Valentine avers that Exotic Stars recognizes the amount of competition in the talent management arena, adding, “We like the challenge."
"We're not trying to monopolize anything," she continued. "That's not the way we work. We're trying to provide a service."
The company aggressively pursues publicity and print opportunities for its clients.
"We want to be the biggest and the best," Valentine said. "Give us a few months…"
Visit www.exoticstarmodels.com for more information.
