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How Kevin Amato casts a fashion show
The fashion photographer and casting agent shares his fashion week process with the New York Times
What do you need to find faces fit for a cutting-edge fashion show? Pizza, cigarettes, and plenty of time on Instagram. That’s the takeaway wisdom from Kevin Amato’s recent piece for the New York Times.
![One of Kevin Amato's castings. Photo by Kevin Amato](/resource/kevinamato5.jpg)
The photographer and casting agent chooses the models for a number of notable New York runway shows, including VFiles, Band of Outsiders and Kith. And fprior to the current NY fashion week he shared his professional process with T: The New York Times Style Magazine.
![Kevin Amato's open casting. Photograph by Kevin Amato](/resource/kevinamato1.jpg)
Amato made his name circumventing the modeling agencies, by finding his subjects on the streets of New York and, more recently, via Instagram. This has made for a more diverse range of selection of face and body types, as well as quite a few eager kids, who feel their less-conventional looks might make it into an Amato show.
The piece details one of Kevin’s open calls, and includes incidental shots of his working practices - a bed covered in head shots, a half-empty pizza box, and a table strewn with cigarettes and alcohol – as well as plenty of striking young faces.
![Alexis Jae by Kevin Amato](/resource/kevinamato12.jpg)
There’s Kevin's long-standing model, Alexis Jae, whom Amato first came across on the streets of lower Manhattan, as well as newer subjects the photographer plucked from the sidewalk or social media.
![One of Kevin Amato's castings. Photo by Kevin Amato](/resource/kevin4.jpg)
To see more of his photos, order a copy of Kevin’s new book, The Importants here.