Who Gets Cast?

How Models Are Chosen for Fashion Shows

A runway cast begins taking shape long before the audience arrives. Behind the final line-up are agency submissions, meetings, walks, fittings and decisions about the collection’s identity.

The process varies between brands. Some teams work with familiar models, while others seek new faces or cast beyond agency boards. Across these approaches, the central question remains: who can communicate this collection?

Ben Grimes and the Ann Demeulemeester team at the Spring/Summer 2027 show castingPhoto: Anna Stokland

The Casting Director Interprets the Brief

Casting directors work with designers and stylists to translate a creative brief into a group of people. References might suggest a particular attitude, energy or relationship with the clothes. The casting director proposes models and helps the team refine its choices.

In an interview with Vogue, Piergiorgio Del Moro described beginning with the designer’s vision and reference images. That starting point gives the selection a purpose. A strong individual portfolio still needs to make sense within the show.

From Agency Submission to the Room

Agencies submit models through portfolios, current digitals and measurements. Availability also matters: a model must be able to attend the necessary appointments around the show. These materials help the casting team decide whom to meet.

The portfolio shows previous work; digitals provide a simpler view of the model’s current appearance. At an in-person casting, the team can also assess movement, presence and responses to direction. Models may walk, have reference photographs taken or try on a garment.

Casting director Clare Rhodes has described a process involving preliminary meetings, shortlists and further castings with the client and stylist. The final selection develops through those conversations rather than through one person’s judgement alone.

What the Walk Reveals

Walking allows the team to see how a model carries clothes through space. Pace, posture and turns can change how a silhouette reads. A collection built around fluid fabric may call for a different approach from one featuring rigid construction.

Following direction is part of that assessment. A model may be asked to adjust speed or reduce a gesture. For someone preparing for castings, practising a consistent walk and responding to clear instructions offers a useful foundation.

The Cast Shapes the Collection

Casting also determines who a brand makes visible. Decisions about age, body size and individual character contribute to the audience’s understanding of the clothes. When teams consider casting early, they have more scope to develop garments around the intended models.

Casting director Emma Matell has discussed this approach in relation to her work with Sinéad O’Dwyer. Building relationships before show week can create room for a broader cast within the collection’s development.

For FP Runway, casting deserves attention alongside styling, music and set design. The people wearing a collection influence its meaning. Understanding how they arrive on the runway gives us a fuller picture of how a show comes together.