Those who have ever ventured backstage during fashion week or visited a designer’s showroom in the run-up to a show are highly likely to have encountered James Scully along the way.
One of the industry’s top casting directors, Scully works closely with an impressive list of designers — among them Tom Ford, Carolina Herrera, Derek Lam and up-and-coming talent Brandon Maxwell — to cast a perfect group of models that can embody the spirit of the collection.
He started his career with Kevin Krier in the early 1990s and worked as a booking agent at American Harper’s Bazaar before turning his full-time attention to casting.
Here, the self-proclaimed image enthusiast (@jamespscully) tells CFDA.com about how he came to casting as a career, the faces he discovered and the continuing need to address industry issues and improve the working conditions for models.
CFDA.com: At what moment did you know you know you wanted to be a casting director?
James Scully: “I come from a production background so 20 years ago, casting was part of your job. I always loved that part the most. I realized that I missed it when I left a stint as bookings editor of Harper’s Bazaar in the late 90s. I took a two-year hiatus from the business, and was then convinced to come back by Derek Lam and Stella McCartney, who were my first official clients on my own.”
CFDA.com: What was the favorite show you ever worked on and why?
J.S.: “There are so many but I would have to say the Gucci white dress show [for Fall-Winter 1996]. That was such a sad time in the world…the Gulf War, nesting, monastic minimalist fashion. [The show] was such an uplifting fashion moment. Sex, beauty, abandon — it had been so long since we saw it. You could feel the energy in the room from backstage and the energy just kept building with the applause for almost every outfit. It was truly emotional and so needed at that time. The audience gave a standing ovation and so many editors, retailers and models were crying afterwards, myself included. It would be one of the last eras that an audience was present and completely in the moment at fashion shows.”
CFDA.com: Who has been your biggest model discovery and how did you come across her/him?
J.S.: “Again, the Gucci/YSL years launched so many through exclusives — Natalia [Vodianova], Julia Stegner, Georgina Grenville. All of the back stories are great. I was searching through a pile of cards I was sent from Elite Chicago and as I flipped through them, there was one who stood out — Liya Kebede — so I sought her out, fell in love, then sent her polaroids overnight courier (this was before the internet lol). Tom Ford called me the next day, she was on a plane, and the rest is history.”
CFDA.com: You are a supporter of the CFDA Health Initiativ. Have you noticed any chances since its 2008 launch?
J.S.: “It has definitely made people aware that young is too young and in doing that, since its inception, I would for sure say the rampant eating disorders of five years ago are a thing of the past. We have a long way to go though. The next [step] really is to start to monitor the abusive conditions some of these girls are exposed to at the hands of some stylists and casting directors. Mental and physical health go hand in hand.”
CFDA.com: What key advice would you give an aspiring model?
J.S.: “Stay in school. Any successful model only gets better with age. If you are going to be successful, you will be. Taking breaks from the industry is a good thing. Many models who become really successful have left and come back when they feel more able to handle the rigors of this business. If you break out fast, your chances of being young and washed up quickly are far greater.”