{"id":117695,"date":"2019-04-03T11:00:56","date_gmt":"2019-04-03T15:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/?p=117695"},"modified":"2019-04-04T16:37:21","modified_gmt":"2019-04-04T20:37:21","slug":"the-new-casting-collective-looking-to-get-models-paid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/the-new-casting-collective-looking-to-get-models-paid\/","title":{"rendered":"The New Casting Collective Looking for Stories More Than Faces"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nPhoto by Emon Toufanian<\/small><\/p>\n

With new parameters of what makes a model, the floodgates have opened on what seems like an endless list of fresh runway players on the scene. The surge of the street has caused brands to call upon its energy to revitalize marketing campaigns and include the artists, students, and influencers that they once only tried to sell to. Enter the AKRAV<\/a> collective who has picked up high profile clients like Dior, Celine, Vivienne Westwood, and Gucci all who are looking for unique faces to seduce new consumers into their luxury terrain. Ran in part by Sarah Benjamin<\/a> along with her partner Joie Duke Ryan, the twenty-something, intermittent photographer moved in 2013 to New York from her hometown of Jerusalem and started the casting and management agency out of dire necessity to get the many models she befriended fair rates. Somewhere between the chilly blur that was the European men shows, couture, and the start of the fashion season stateside, we spoke with Benjamin about her street scouting process, how she got her start, and what really makes a model stand out from the crowd.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Where does the name Akrav come from and when did you first start it? <\/strong>
\nThe name Akrav means scorpion in Hebrew. I just liked the animal and I wanted to find a name that nobody knew what it meant. I didn\u2019t want to be a corny acronym. I started Akrav in March (2018) but we weren\u2019t really a collective until the end of June when the full team came on board.<\/p>\n

The business of fusing representing talent and casting them I’ve seen more, as of late. What made you go down that path? I understand the process of casting talent, you have clients and you want to connect the right model to them. But why did you first want to start representing the talent, too? <\/strong>
\nIt happened naturally. At first, we didn’t know if we wanted to be casting or an agency. Through scouting for specific jobs we met these amazing kids and in getting to know them found out how hard it is for unsigned talent to be paid properly and manage themselves. No one teaches you the difference between an editorial or a campaign. We started giving a lot of advice to our friends who were coming to us with their booking requests and one day said, let’s start an agency. There needs to be an agency like us. <\/p>\n

“…we met these amazing kids and in getting to know them found out how hard it is for unsigned talent to be paid properly and manage themselves. No one teaches you the difference between an editorial or a campaign.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Exploitation when it comes to models and fees is definitely something that\u2019s come up in talks recently. Do you think that in this current iteration of fashion’s evolution that there is a need for more of these hybrid agencies that help street-casted kids make sure that they can make a living off of this?<\/strong>
\nNo one knows what’s going to happen because everything is changing so much – with or without the hybrid agencies, making a full time living off of modeling is super hard. However, I do think that the existence of these agencies is important to make sure kids get paid from a project. The other valuable thing about this new model of agencies is that they\u2019re smaller and more based on personal relationships and community. Some of our kids are now working closely as photo assistants or stylist assistants with creatives we introduced them to. I think the community goes a long way and can open opportunities that surpass modeling. <\/p>\n

Akrav already has a very impressive roster. East coast, west coast, Europe. My question now is how did you get here – talk about how you first got your start in the industry. I know you moved from Jerusalem a few years back to New York but where did you first find work in the industry and how did you get your footing?<\/strong>
\nI\u2019ve been doing the same thing for eight years. Shooting the people I’m around, making little videos and photo series’. Nothing for sale, just because it’s what I like to do. I met Dexter Navy back in 2017- he’s my favorite artist- and we shared a common vision. I started casting for the A$AP Forever [music video], and from there it continued. I never really assisted anyone, and if I did I quickly got fired. <\/p>\n

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A post shared by S A R A H B E N J A M I N (@sarah.akrav)<\/a> on