The passion-forward approach to casting at Offshore Agency
Alizée Jean Jacques interviews founder and talent of the agency that celebrates being "more than a face®"
When Micheal Rotimi founded his talent management and mother agency, he wanted to source the “it” factor in everyone he signed. Personality, confidence, and a sense of personal style are typically top of mind at Offshore Agency, where Rotimi has been finding talent through casting calls, social media or casual community introductions since 2015. This ethos has evolved over time, but the agency still makes a point to demystify the path between diverse, engaging talent and an often-fickle industry that still has to be nudged to keep its representations reflective of its patrons.
Rotimi recounted the unique experience of launching the agency in a saturated market, telling BOF in 2021 that Offshore began to set itself apart as brands started looking for ambassadors capable of resonating with “young, values-driven consumers.” It is no surprise then that the agency’s client index tends to include people with distinct voices and magnetic personalities across a range of looks. In the modeling world, there is something for everyone.
“I think that if you’re a painter or a singer or a dancer, if you’re passionate about something, you could be a model,” Rotimi says. “Especially if you are good at what you do, there is a place for you in this industry.”
As a place for models to grow, Offshore has demonstrated its ability to place signees with gigs across independent brands as well as commercial campaigns. There is a track record of steady but sustainable success, facilitating careers to determine where they would best develop in the creative space.
Enga Domingue, signed in 2019, is one such model who first cultivated her portfolio as a working student in New York, pre-pandemic. After a handful of collaborations with friends and peers, she attended an Offshore open-casting and was signed on the spot. Domigue recently did a campaign with major consignment brand The Real Real and with European retailer Mango.
Offshore held another open casting call on September 13 during a joint Fashion Week activation with lifestyle brand, The Break. A line grew around the block with aspiring models waiting to get their digitals taken by New York and Miami-based photographer, Travis Matthews. Inside, the room was filled with beautiful, well-dressed people, making it difficult to distinguish who the models were and who was not. “More Than Just A Face” the agency’s philosophy when it comes to who they choose to represent, has embraced models for their individuality, drawing people in through the insurance that you will be represented by a team that wants to nurture your difference and use it to form a career that reflects your personal passion and identity.
Mia Daniels, a most recent addition to Offshore’s roster signed in January 2022, walked the runway for the first time this Fall Fashion week. Despite her obvious beauty, Maria chose an early retirement due to her former agency’s pressure to adhere to European beauty standards. Hearing about Offshore’s passion to represent Black models and be supported by a team invested in her potential motivated her to return to the industry, with the newfound security of management that shares her values.
In a (sort of) post-Victoria Secret world, we won’t be so bold as to say that tall, slim white bodies are not still upheld as beauty ideals. However, it is impossible to ignore recent years’ reconstructing of beauty and desirability in commercial media. Bodily-affirming inclusivity should be the standard, and it is up to casting agencies and brands to uphold it.
Models are no longer blank canvases for designers to mold their aesthetic visions onto. The modeling and fashion industry intertwine to depict a shared interpretation of current culture, art, and society, and models are becoming a more empowered part of the formula. Signaling the evolving ideals of the moment rely heavily on the models used in the work–their thoughts, online presence, and audiences as well as their looks. As a result, designers seek out models who transcend just beauty and can communicate a sense of combined timelessness and versatility.
It's no longer intriguing to just be beautiful, your success as a model is determined by your ability to be captivating, magnetic, and charismatic. Your individuality, and the confidence to fully embrace every part of it, is what casting agents are looking for. Offshore’s ability to nurture their recruits to their fullest potential has quickly made them the type of representation aspirational among the underrepresented model community. “If you want to be signed somewhere,” Michael says, “you should focus on whatever your other goals are because anybody can become a model.”