LONDON — The modeling industry has been under the microscope more than ever this past year as a result of the rise of the #MeToo movement, allegations against leading photographers about sexual harassment and this week’s Talent Protections Act being signed into law in California — according to which, talent agencies need to provide educational materials on sexual harassment prevention, retaliation, and reporting resources to their clients.
Aware of the pressing need for change in the industry, Tala Davies and Esther Kinnear-Derungs founded agency Linden Staub. They’ve been attempting to rewrite the rules of model management for three years, even before the #MeToo movement took hold.
They only represent models as the “mother agency,” which means they retain control over the strategy and big decisions around the models’ career trajectories. They have also implemented a next-day payment policy for the talent on their books, and attempt to educate them about the industry.
They’ve already helped create breakthrough personalities, including Maxim Magnus, the transgender model who has been a champion for LGBTQ rights and has been featured in an array of high-profile campaigns from Gucci to Stella McCartney and Tom Ford.
Finn Buchanan, who identifies as gender-fluid, is their next rising star and made waves
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