Over the course of the last few years, conversations surrounding the changing face of fashion’s runways have begun to gather momentum, as a surge of upcoming agencies seek to diversify the industry authentically rather than in the hopes of increased profits or commerical success.
Having started pushing this idea back in 2016, photographer Michael Mayren’s modelling agency Brother aimed to diversify menswear, signing faces you wouldn’t traditionally see at the more commercial agencies.
“I always street cast for my own work because I struggled to find the kind of guys that I wanted to shoot at existing agencies,” Mayren tells us on how the agency was first founded. After growing that for three years, and getting boys work with the likes of Burberry, Vetements, and JW Anderson, the photographer is now expanding his boards to include women’s faces, creatives, and talent too.
“I’m very excited about this new chapter, our artists are all really incredible and talented,” Mayren says of a roster that includes Brooke Candy, rapper IDK, and dancer Kaner Flex, as well as photographers and athletes. “My drive is pushing talented artists to showcase their work and finding clients who are suitable rather than trying to change them.”
“The fashion industry is definitely progressing, but still has a long way to go in terms of inclusivity” – Michael Mayren
Despite diversifying, the photographer is still keen to keep up the high standards when it comes to scouting new faces. “I always look for people who I would be excited to shoot and work with – charisma and a strong presence are the most important things to me,” he explains. “As the agency and the boards have grown, I’m still looking for people who are unique and will stand out.”
Among these faces are Joey Darling and Lily, two plus-size models that have been shot by Netti Hurley who is also on Brother’s boards. “I really love Netti’s work and this feels like an honest insight into her world,” Mayren says on the images. “This shoot is really important for people to see that girls don’t need to fit any kind of criteria to be considered ‘beautiful’.”
Looking forward, Mayren hopes agencies like Brother and others in London and around the world will help to push conversations around diversity in fashion. “The fashion industry is definitely progressing, but still has a long way to go in terms of inclusivity,” he concludes. “Right now though, I’m just really excited to be working with so many inspiring and talented young people and not looking too far into the future.”
@brother.models
