Our Story

Our Story: 30 Years of Fashion, Passion, & Purpose

My Defining Moment

Growing up, I was incredibly shy and deeply insecure about my height. Standing 5’10” as a teenager, I towered over most of my friends and felt completely awkward in my own skin. Everything changed when my mother and grandmother took me to a local fashion show. Seeing tall, thin models command the room with confidence was my defining moment. At 16, I enrolled at John Robert Powers downtown, Pittsburgh, unlocking the etiquette, poise, and self-confidence that ignited my lifelong career. 

When I first entered this industry over four decades ago as a teenage freelance model in the late 1970s, I had to figure it all out on my own. There was no user manual. While my early schooling taught me the basics, absolutely nothing prepared me for the intense psychological pressure of the real modeling world.

“My mission is to illuminate the path for aspiring talent so they never have to navigate this industry in the dark. We deliver the definitive business blueprint, protective guidance, and professional polish I wish had existed when I first started.”

After getting married and moving to Columbus, Ohio, to raise my family, I re-entered the industry, adapting my freelance modeling experience to the evolving Midwest market.

Our Journey & Evolution

  • The 1990s | Mastering the Industry Ground Up
    Before launching the agency, I modeled alongside my close friend and fellow professional, Kitty Arndt. It was a high-glamour era of choreographed runway shows, major bridal productions, and trunk shows for retail icons like Saks Fifth Avenue and Jacobson's at City Center Mall. Long before digital portfolios, our success relied entirely on face-to-face networking, physical comp cards, and in-person castings. As active members of Fashion Group International (Columbus Chapter), we kept our fingers on the pulse of top international fashion markets.
  • 1996 | Founding Active Image Management
    Driven by our firsthand expertise and deep local network, Kitty and I became business partners and co-founded Active Image Management. Our mission was clear, give local models the professional polish and competitive edge needed to succeed in a demanding industry.
  • 2004 | Transition to a Family-Run Agency
    A monumental turning point arrived when I took over full ownership following Kitty’s retirement. Committed to building a family-run agency, I acquired our dedicated studio location in Gahanna, Ohio. More than just an office, the Gahanna studio intentionally provided a supportive, family-oriented atmosphere, it was a safe space where models received hands-on coaching alongside our day-to-day talent bookings.
  • The Return from the "Big Apple"
    Having watched this journey unfold from the sidelines, my daughter Monica was inspired to launch her own successful career as a lifestyle, fashion, and fit model in Columbus and New York City. After mastering the industry in the "Big Apple," Monica returned home with fresh, firsthand experience to modernize our model development and help revamp the family business.
  • 2011 | Going Global on National TV (Remodeled)
    This powerful family transition was captured on the national reality TV series Remodeled with international super-agent Paul Fisher. Fisher helped us rebrand Active Image Management to our family name, Sigal Models & Talent, transforming our local footprint into an elite global Mother Agency. Since then, we have expanded our representation to major markets like NY, Milan, Paris, London, and Asia—proudly representing the top face of Abercrombie, signing our first male model with IMG International, and landing a coveted cover of Rolling Stone magazine.

The Sigal Model Academy: Cultivating the Next Generation

In 2020, we launched the Sigal Model Academy to meet the growing demand for our specialized coaching and development. Our clear-cut mission is to equip aspiring talent with the precise skills needed to transition seamlessly from amateurs into highly sought-after professionals.

We deliver our proven training blueprint across multiple accessible formats:

  • Online Training Modules: On-demand educational video series for remote and self-paced learning.
  • Exclusive Guidebooks: Comprehensive modeling blueprints packed with essential industry insight.
  •  In-Person Workshops: Hands-on, immersive training sessions for local women, men, and tween models. 

We do more than just prepare models for high-stakes bookings like billboards, catalogs, e-commerce, and high-fashion runways. We build true "role models" who are taught the importance of giving back and using their platforms to make a positive impact in their communities.

The Mother-Daughter Duo

Today, I am thrilled to run Sigal Models & Talent alongside my daughter, Monica. Together, we combine more than 40 years of industry experience to pour wisdom, fashion etiquette, and resilience into our talent.

Karen Sigal, CEO & Director of Operations

"My mission is to prepare a new generation of models for the highly competitive opportunities ahead."

I work directly with our local and international clients, using my eye for scouting to match the perfect, polished talent with high-profile commercial and fashion campaigns.

We channel our behind-the-scenes expertise to help new faces accelerate their growth and confidently navigate the industry's steep learning curve.

Monica Sigal, New Faces & Model Development Director

Monica is a former lifestyle and fit model who has worked across both the Columbus and New York City markets. As our New Faces & Model Development Director, she directly leads the training programs at the Sigal Model Academy.

Blending her extensive fashion background with her credentials as a certified yoga instructor and personal life coach, Monica takes a multi-dimensional approach to development. She builds our candidates from the inside out, strengthening their runway presence and physical alignment while cultivating the deep mental self-confidence required to succeed globally.