Today we’d like to introduce you to Devin Mazza.
Hi Devin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was raised in a very small country town in Indiana, where I graduated high school. After that, I moved to Indianapolis to study Graphic Design at Herron School of Art. I made it about two years through school before realizing that it really wasn’t something I wanted to pursue, so I started doing photography on the side to make some extra money while working a full-time retail job. As a photographer, I started getting into fashion photography and began meeting people interested in becoming models and didn’t really know where to start. I knew nothing about this industry. I had no experience in fashion or modeling. I had never actually owned my own company or anything close to that. I started doing a bit of research and came across this casting in NYC for a couple of shows for fashion week and I told the girls who were interested that they should go try and cast for it. They all went out to NYC together and they all got in! Once it was time for the shows, I chose to go out there with them, and we told everyone I was their agent to see how things would go. To our surprise, it went really well, one of the girls ended up getting signed by an agency out there and so that is how MAZZAmodels began. At this point, all we had done was start an Instagram and came up with a name just for fun, but I knew I had to learn a lot before I could pursue any of that. I came back home, my boyfriend and I packed up our things and moved to Austin for his work. During that time, he had to take a trip to NYC for some courses he was taking, so I decided to accompany him. I took my photography portfolio and decided to start walking into agencies to see what they would say.
The portfolio was not good at all. Looking back it was horrifying lol. But agencies still met with me. They gave me feedback and info, but then two agencies told me that I should stop photography for now and become an agent. They gave me their personal info, told me to ask them any and all questions and that they would help walk me through the process. After I got home from that trip, I started researching as much as I could. Reaching out to agencies and brands, trying to gain knowledge while building relationships. Fast forward about a year, we had finally become a business. I had a set of models that I was essentially having to experiment with to figure out what I was doing. There were a lot of mistakes, learning experiences, figuring out how to run a company at 22 and be in charge of others. Now that it’s been about five years, I have a solid group of models, placements and agencies I work with all over the world. Connections with clients I never thought I would have. I get to travel the world and make new friends each year. I still make a lot of mistakes, but every day I’m learning something new and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. Every week there is still a new struggle. Realizing that this job doesn’t just depend on me and the work I do, but also that of the agents, I place my models with and also just my models themselves. If a model changes its mind last second, it completely changes everything, and there’s really nothing we as agents can do to control it, and the same if an agent changes something as well. Things are ever-changing because there are so many different people involved that you can never really know for sure what each day will bring. Struggles can be super small, like a model not booking a job that we thought they would to something huge like an agency canceling a contract out of nowhere. You really have to depend on the people you’re working with and hope everyone stays loyal to what you are working towards. A lot of the struggles I have gone through are just trying to fix problems that arise. If an agent wants something that we have to change, I have to come up with a plan on how to do so. If there’s a problem with a model, I have to be the one to fix it, whatever it is. That is why trusting those you work within this industry is so very important to me.
We’ve been impressed with MAZZAmodels, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
MAZZAmodels is a modeling agency based in Austin, Texas. We are a small mother agency that focus on scouting, developing, and placing models all over the world. Our main focus is pushing the boundaries on what a “model” is. We want those we preprint to be more than a model. We want to show that they are people who have other goals and hobbies and things they love. We focus on making sure that we build relationships and trust to our models and clients to the best of our ability. MAZZAmodels wants to be able to help the Texas fashion and creative community in every way we can. To showcase that we have so many incredible creatives here that push boundaries and try new things every day. That we can create stunning work and still have such a great time on set. I am most proud of my models and team members. I have the absolute best people around me, and I am so grateful that I can call on them anytime and share my ideas and goals, and they always support me. I am proud of the relationships we have built and the work that my models have done. How dedicated they are and seeing how much this means to them. I want people to hear our name and know that we are going to stand out from the crowd, that we want to support all people and help our communities; however, we can.
How do you define success?
Success to me can mean a lot of things. I think a lot of people base it on profit. But I think success for me is knowing that I have some major agencies and clients I get to call my friends. It’s watching my models get to leave the country for the first time and experience an entirely new culture and seeing them in stores, walking runways, on websites. Just getting to be a part of the experiences is a huge accomplishment for me. I also love it when people know the name or the brand. When people reach out to me for the first time saying they have seen my agency or hearing what we are doing and they’re interested in being a part of it. Those are all of the best feelings, and they make me feel successful no matter what.
Contact Info:
- Email: devin@mazzamodels.com
- Website: mazzamodels.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mazzamodels/
Image Credits
Logo and Branding by Tony Redmer of Terrain Agency Models: Gray Harris for Maison Manila Ritta Kelly for Saturday Skin Luke Johnson for Alexia Ulibarri Robert Sears for Boss Tate Peterson for Document Journal by Duane Michaels
