{"id":568816,"date":"2026-05-06T07:06:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T07:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/568816\/"},"modified":"2026-05-06T07:06:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T07:06:12","slug":"bolton-photographer-behind-international-modelling-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/568816\/","title":{"rendered":"Bolton photographer behind international modelling agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n Growing up in Horwich<\/a>, Michael Mayren, 40, would never have predicted he would one day become a fashion photographer and successful CEO.\n<\/p>\n

\n At Rivington and Blackrod High School,<\/a> he left with four GCSEs and no A-levels, but always had a passion for art.\n<\/p>\n

\n As a young creative, he wasn\u2019t sure where his path would lead.\n<\/p>\n

\n Yet, that unconventional route has since enabled him to build a thriving business in a notoriously tough industry.\n<\/p>\n

\n Joining further education later in life, Michael began a foundation course at Salford University<\/a> when he was 23.\n<\/p>\n

\n He then went on to complete a degree in fashion photography.\n<\/p>\n

\n It was during this time that his artistic skill began to flourish.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"MichaelMichael Mayren shot by Inez and Vinoodh for the Diesel Reboot Campaign (Image: Supplied)\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI had never really had anyone who encouraged me or believed in what I did,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cBut when I started the degree, my course leader saw my potential.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n By the end of his first year, Michael was taking trips to London, shooting for fashion magazines<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI just got stuck in.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n He finished his studies with a list of regular publications under his belt, already establishing his name as a fashion photographer.\n<\/p>\n

\n An incredible opportunity then emerged, working with Adidas at the London Olympics.\n<\/p>\n

\n Michael took the plunge, swapping the Horwich hills for London streets, customising Adidas trainers for huge names like David Beckham.\n<\/p>\n

\n In the densely populated capital, he saw an opportunity to start \u201cstreet casting<\/a>\u201d for his shoots, rather than using traditional agencies.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI enjoyed finding interesting people and started going into boxing gyms, or just out on the street.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Michael said that in London, being scouted in this way is more common, and he always received a positive response.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI was in my mid-to-late 20s and a working-class boy from Bolton, so I feel like it was easier for me.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cAt that time, I think that being working-class was almost fetishised in fashion.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Michael said that someone from a more conventional fashion background might have struggled to cast people in the way he did.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"BrotherBrother Models shot by Michael Mayren (Image: Brother Models)\n<\/p>\n

\n Eleven years ago, he moved back up north and settled in Manchester.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThere were far fewer creative opportunities compared to London, so I decided to create what I thought would be a side hustle with some of the guys I\u2019d scouted.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cBut it just took off almost instantly.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n At 30 years old, Michael launched Brother Models agency, a nostalgic nod to the 90s Manchester City shirts.\n<\/p>\n

\n Thanks to his scouting determination in London, he already had a diverse modelling list<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI continued to scout people in Asda, on the bus.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cJust whenever I\u2019d see people, I would speak to them,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n

\n The first few years were just Michael, but he now leads a large, dedicated team that has grown alongside the business.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt was built organically with no savings, no investors or help from anyone else.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cStarting with a laptop in my bedroom and gradually taking on staff and renting offices as enough money came through.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe\u2019ve made a profit every single year, turning over \u00a32 million last year.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The agency was originally just for male models, but now represents everyone.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe were quite niche and specific when we started, but now we have commercial models, actors and some really cool content creators,\u201d said Michael.\n<\/p>\n

\n On the books at the moment are approximately 200 models and roughly 80 creators.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"GQGQ Style, Raheem Sterling captured by Michael Mayren (Image: Supplied)\n<\/p>\n

\n The agency has worked directly with Gucci, Versace, Burberry, Vetements, GQ, Vogue, i-D, Nike, Adidas, On Running and Stone Island.\n<\/p>\n

\n Models have featured in music<\/a> videos, album artwork and promotional campaigns for Frank Ocean, Liam Gallagher, Khalid and Pet Shop Boys.\n<\/p>\n

\n As the business expanded, Michael learned to step back slightly.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cAt first I didn\u2019t want anything happening that I didn\u2019t know about, but I\u2019ve got a really great team by my side who I trust to make decisions.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cEverything grew very organically, doing what feels right.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The key for Michael has been taking things one step at a time, though he added that \u201ceveryone is different when starting a business\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n Despite being based in Manchester, the agency has models<\/a> all over the world, but Michael and the team still make time to get out and scout.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI love having a nice place to work, with a good team who enjoy their job.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cFor me, it\u2019s most valuable when I scout people who aren\u2019t doing much, and then go on to do great things.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThat\u2019s far more rewarding than how much money\u2019s in the bank.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Reflecting on his career, Michael said: \u201cI\u2019d recommend anyone who is young and creative to just go for it.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIf you\u2019re from a small place or struggling at school like I did, there\u2019s something for everyone.\n<\/p>\n

\n Michael and his team are celebrating 10 years of diversifying fashion through unconventional avenues this month.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a mixture of working hard, being good at something and lucky with the timing.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n To find out more about Brother Models, visit www.brothermodels.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Growing up in Horwich, Michael Mayren, 40, would never have predicted he would one day become a fashion…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":568817,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,1120,96,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-568816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=568816"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568816\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/568817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=568816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=568816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=568816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}