Ivan Bart, the former president of IMG Models has died at the age of 60, according to a post published to his Instagram account.
Over a decades-long career, Bart helped steer the careers of some of fashion’s most famous faces. Under his oversight, IMG represented models including Kate Moss, Tyra Banks and Gigi and Bella Hadid.
He also pushed to make the modelling industry more inclusive. He was named president of IMG Models in 2014, the same year Ford Models closed its plus-size division. Ashley Graham and other plus-size models dropped by Ford were quickly snapped up by IMG.
In 2017, Graham was the first plus-size model to appear on the covers of British and American Vogue. In a tribute posted to Instagram, the model described Bart as “one of the most integral parts” of her career. “Your impact has moved mountains and broken down so many walls for myself and so many others,” Graham said.
As news of Bart’s death spread, prominent figures in the modelling industry paid homage to the executive. “You were such a positive force,” model Naomi Campbell said in a comment on the post announcing Bart’s passing. “Have a gentle rest — you beautiful tenacious groundbreaking soul,” said fellow model Paloma Elsesser.
You were truly one in a million,” casting director James Scully said in a post to his own account. “You gave so much of yourself to so many and [it] seems unfathomable to lose you when your next chapter was just beginning.”
Bart stepped down from his position as president of IMG Models in March, but remained a senior advisor at the agency until his death.
