Give Them Face
The Face magazine, published under Wasted Talent, is exploring revenue diversification with the launch of its own talent agency, The Face Represents.
Having introduced Accelerator, an in-house TikTok talent agency, in March 2021, The Face Represents aims to nurture a wider range of emerging * and established talents across the fashion, music and creative industries.
In an interview with WWD, Cal McRae, head of talent at The Face, said its service expanded because the title "wanted to form an agency that can create just as much work IRL as it does in a URL."
"Accelerator was launched when it became apparent that brands could no longer ignore the importance of TikTok. We used it as a way to help brands show up on the platform in an organic way by using talents that weren't your ' traditional' TikTokers," he explained.
With The Face Represents, McRae said it serves more like "a network of peers" than another influencer agency.
"We want to work with brands to help them discover talent, on and off roster, who will go on to say, ' We worked with them first.' Our artist services will also be a standout part of the business, offering the opportunity for artists to work and create with the team that has made The Face the cultural icon that it is today," he added.
For the launch, the firm's roster has a mix of musicians, directors, gamers, radio hosts, designers, collectives and even a production company.
"All of our initial rosters have turned their passions into careers and have been disruptive whilst doing so. They are some of the most important names in youth culture today," McRae claimed.
For example, the agency scored presenter and gamer Alhan Gençay a Coutts campaign, where he engages with the new generation of money makers, while the art collective 99Ginger recently worked with New Balance to create buzz during Paris Fashion Week.
Dan Flower, managing director of The Face, noted that the expansion into talent management is "a natural step" for the storied title.
"For the Face's entire history, we've always been about finding the most talented, forward-thinking people — not just the biggest — and letting them tell their story to a wider audience. But increasingly, the people that we work with are operating outside the system and need to find new ways of connecting with our industry's most innovative brands," he added.
On the editorial front, the magazine on Wednesday released its fall 2023 issue with Taylor Russell on the cover. The actress is currently starring in "The Effect" at The National Theatre in London.