Founded in 2015 by the owners of Dublin vintage store Nine Crows, Dean McDaid and Emma Frazer, NotAnother Agency represents models, photographers, make up artists and stylists who don’t necessarily fit the constraints of the Irish fashion industry. “We always had it in our minds that it was something we wanted to do. [With Nine Crows] We have worked with agencies here in Dublin and didn’t always have the best experiences with them. That, coupled, with the fact that there just wasn’t enough diversity in the models here made us decide to start when we did.” These experiences, mixed with a serious frustration over Ireland’s misrepresentation spurred the pair on. “There is this weird gap in Ireland; you walk down the street and you see these amazingly dressed young people who have a fashion sense beyond their years; you also see international brands using really unusual, interesting models and creating such fresh interesting work. Then you look at some of the work that is produced in Ireland and it doesn’t match up.”

NotAnother has certainly garnered quite a lot of attention recently for their diverse list of models. “It was definitely a conscious decision that we wanted to work with all different types of clients. That is our aim with the agency, to have a model that will suit any brand or client.” The agency also coincides with a shift in global tastes surrounding our concept of beauty, something the pair see as an “exciting” move in fashion. “The world has opened its eyes up more. We’ve become so overexposed to people who have the typical ‘perfect’ look that we have become bored with it. We want to be intrigued by the models we see in ads and campaigns.”

Of course, you can also see the agency’s ethos as having a political dimension, especially as discussions surrounding representation gain traction in mainstream media. When asked whether they plan on representing race, size and different types of gender identities more in the future, McDaid and Frazer reply: “YES YES YES! It’s so important to represent all different types of people. We are starting a Street Cast division in our agency, where we will be representing all shapes, sizes, heights that wouldn’t work for every type of job a standard model would have to do but would definitely work for certain brands. We also have quite a diverse range of models when it comes to race which we believe is so important and we are definitely hoping to build on that even more.” Clearly race and size are major concerns for the company, but our discussion of gender identity is not elaborated on. The agency’s primary goal is to build careers for their models, assigning them to brands who will work well with their look. Perhaps there is a lack of such commercial opportunities for models who express a non-binary gender identity. If this is the case, surely this is something that needs to be addressed. Nevertheless, McDaid and Frazer agree that “Ireland is definitely changing for the better and it is great to be a part of it.”

Ireland’s fashion community has always been viewed as a very small and traditional group of industry professionals. As a result the scope for radical change has always been limited. “The industry here seemed to have got stuck and not caught up to the rest of the world. Yet we have some of the most amazing designers, stylists, photographers and other creatives here, and the industry in Ireland thus far has been letting them down and forces many to end up emigrating.” In July 2015, i-D published an article entitled “dublin…wish you were here” outlining an emerging design community based in Dublin. The pair view the internet as the biggest factor contributing to Dublin’s new status as a growing fashion hotspot. “People nowadays are so clued-in to what is happening in the world, especially this generation. You can sit at home and be inspired by things from all around the world without having to even move. Now our generation is growing up and they’re stepping into roles that had before been filled by people who had gotten comfortable and stopped pushing boundaries. The fashion industry is ever changing yet here there was a big lull. We definitely see it changing and it’s so refreshing and a very exciting time for Dublin and Ireland.”

Clearly for NotAnother the internet is a source of inspiration and connectivity. However, it also presents new challenges and opportunities which must be properly understood in order to thrive. “We see [social media] as being very positive and something we really make sure our models make the most of. Any client hiring a model now wants to see their instagram account. A model with a large following may get picked over a model who isn’t active on social media so we try and help them with their online identities.” It also helps that McDaid and Frazer are quite young themselves, growing up with the same forces and demands that their clients are put under. They also see these generational ties as something which aids in their relationship with the models they represent. “What it comes down to is that we think we are far more relatable than the other agencies here. We are also a lot closer in age to our models so I think that helps people feel comfortable with us.”

2015 was a big year for Irish fashion and for NotAnother. So what’s next for the agency? “We have been so shocked at the creative talent we have found in Ireland. It’s been exciting working with these amazing people and we are putting a lot of time into trying to help these people get work here […] This whole journey so far has happened very naturally. We don’t have any set goals other than to help brands and clients create the best work they can in Ireland and to not have to go overseas to do so.”

NotAnother Agency can be found on instagram @notanotheragency. Their website is www.notanothertheagency.com. NotAnother regularly holds casting calls and street castings. Check their social media channels for details.

Photos by Katie O’Neill
Models: Lee Sherlock, Aine Tubridy, Manny Aivo, Samuel Awe