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Ivan Bart, former president of IMG Models, has died at the age of 60, according to a post on his Instagram.
Bart first joined IMG Models in 1994 and served as president from 2014. He stepped down in March but remained senior advisor.
Since joining as president, Bart played a powerful role in pushing for size diversity in the industry. At IMG, he was behind some of the biggest faces of the industry, including the Hadid sisters as well as plus-size models Paloma Elsesser, Precious Lee and Ashley Graham, hijab-wearing model Halima Aden and transgender model Hari Nef.
“Your impact has moved mountains and broken down so many walls for myself and so many others,” Graham said on her Instagram Stories today. “I can’t thank you enough for the opportunities you have created for me, the time you invested in me, and the help you have given to navigate such a harsh industry.”
“Ivan Bart changed the landscape of the modeling industry in so many ways. He saw people and recognized their potential. He made the modeling industry more inclusive,” said Ignacio Murillo, Vogue’s Global Talent Casting Director. “When Ford closed their Plus Size division, IMG signed Ashely Graham, who became the first curve model on the cover of American Vogue. He expanded the idea of who can be a model, signing May Musk at the age of 68 and by supporting the careers of transgender models and those with disabilities, as well as advocating for racial diversity on the runway and in advertising.”
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