Having set up her casting agency AAMO with Adwoa Aboah a few years ago, Madde has worked with everyone from Tim Walker and Charles Jeffrey to brands including Marni, Fenty x Puma and Marc Jacobs. Now she turns her eye to another project, launching bespoke modelling agency, STRONG. Standing for “Street Talent Representing Our New Generation,” STRONG launches with 16 models on their books, hailing from New York, Atlanta, Houston, London and Paris.

“It’s about creating a platform for the underserved demographics POC/QPOC/trans & non-binary,” she tells us. A statement to the modelling world by bringing all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations together under one umbrella, STRONG focuses more on selecting models based on their identity and story rather than choosing them based on regulations or standardised height or weight requirements that some modelling agencies conform to. Østlie built the agency alongside a dedicated team of young stylists, casting, production and editors, all of whom hold impressive resumes. There’s  Art Director SOSU, best known for his modelling campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Casting Director Jordan Vickors, who has consulted for Stussy and worked with the likes of Virgil Abloh, and Bookings Director Ricky Michels, previously the senior photo and bookings editor at V Magazine and CR Fashion Book.

Launching via Instagram yesterday feeds worldwide were awash with colourful GIFs announcing STRONG’s arrival. With this extraordinary lineup, the future of casting is in safe hands.