We recently connected with Brana Dane and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Brana thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you’ve thought about whether to sign with an agent or manager?

In a creative field, it’s necessary to have someone trustworthy to represent you. It’s not possible to handle all the business and prospecting as a model while performing at your best. Not only this, but much of fashion is based on relationships and trust. The client needs to know that they are hiring a top model that looks like their pictures and has correct measurements. This is one of the many reasons clients tend to book with agents they know and use the same bookers over and over again.

From the model’s standpoint, it’s extremely important to be selective about who represents you. When I first started modeling I faced outright theft from two agencies. I worked a full day for Samantha Sung, she paid via credit card the same day and I never saw even a sent from that job. Throughout the time I’ve been working, I’ve heard a lot of complaints from models about nonpayment or extended waiting times to receive payment. Unfortunately, I’m not the type of person who can sit idly by when I see an injustice.

Subsequent to this and other interesting experiences, I became involved with Models Trust and helped to develop their Benchmark Survey to anonymously evaluate agency performance. Moreover, I spoke as an expert on how job insecurity can lead to sexual abuses in one of the ten most watched news documentaries on the largest TV channel in Switzerland, SRF (Swiss Public TV).

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a model, activist and former TV Host for “Fashion News Live” on Amazon Prime. Growing up, people always asked me if I was a (child) model but I was very studious. In fact I skipped grade six just like my Grandpa and also planned to become a doctor, even getting into one of the top medical schools in the UK. But life had other plans! At the age of 14, I got scouted by the top agent in Canada. I made the decision to focus on school but eventually I did get into modeling. The rest is history!

I’ve been seen in Refinery29, the Cut, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, WWD, Forbes, Glamour US and in the cover story of Porter Edit among other publications. In 2022, I celebrated my cover for Glamour Bulgaria. My clients include some of the top designers and brands in the world, such as Dennis Basso, Samantha Sung, Herno, L’Oreal, Peter Thomas Roth, Marshalls, Target, Stella Nolasco, Redken, Maison Margiela and Milly.

Modeling is a potpourri of people and places. This summer I had a great time walking the runway in NYSW for sustainable swimwear designer Rosina-Mae and just got back from a job with L’Oreal in Austin, TX. I really enjoy the variety and get my need for novelty met through my work.

As a New York based model, I was lucky enough to attend events such as the premier of “The True Cost” documentary at the IFC Center alongside Eileen Fisher and Zosia Mamet. This particular film opened my eyes to the environmental costs of fast fashion. Later, I became involved with an organization called the Model Mafia and started to take action to improve the industry from within. For example, I designed a NYFW rally that went viral on social media and was even seen in Vogue Brasil. Another highlight was being asked to speak as one of four keynote speakers for the 2019 official Earth Day rally in Union Square.

In 2017, the producer of FNL Network, Rocco Leo Gaglioti, asked me to become a co-host for the popular fashion program, “Fashion News Live” airing globally on Amazon Prime. Of course, I was familiar with the show, since I always saw the FNL crew backstage at NYFW! I agreed and quickly learned some invaluable on-camera skills. Hosting is fun because you get to be quick on your feet while talking to many different talented professionals. The movie stars were fun to chat with but I always valued talking to the designers most because I gained insight into their process.

I’m so grateful for all the experiences I’ve had!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

In fashion, social media has become more than a tool; it’s even sometimes the main focus! Clients look through your socials before hiring you. If you’re not maximizing your presence on social media, you’re at a major disadvantage.

Organic growth is king. Platforms switch up how much organic exposure they’re willing to give you frequently. Many people will tell you to focus on one platform but if you have the time my recommendation would be to recycle and tailor your content for multiple platforms. In this way you’ll discover which is currently offering the most organic reach. Instagram for models and other creatives is definitely vital, but it’s not delivering the reach that it once did. Video is the best place to start if you want to grow on Instagram right now.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

There’s a lot of instability in the life of a model. You’ll get last minute castings, last minute direct bookings and if you’re unavailable it’s too bad for you! In this way your schedule is not your own and it can be hard to plan in advance. As a model you’re also expected to travel to so many different locations for jobs, test shoots or castings. Your GPS becomes your best friend.

On the more personal side, there’s no end to the misconceptions people have about models. Firstly, I would like to point out that while you don’t need to be book smart to be a model you do need to have a lot of other positive qualities like resiliency, discipline, and tenacity.

Contact Info:

• Website: Branadane.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/Branadane
• Facebook: Facebook.com/DaneBrana
• Twitter: Twitter.com/Branadane
• Youtube: YouTube.com/@Branadane
• Tiktok: TikTok.com/@branadane

Image Credits
JD Barnes, Thomas Concordia, Ruben Caballero, Bridget Errante, Ruben Marin