Coming into a shoot with The Mold. — a modeling agency created by a USC student — Linz Black Ross said she went “all out,” thrifting her hardest to find the perfect pieces to wear. When the shots came out and “the pictures came out amazing,” it just clicked, Black Ross said. 

The Mold. is where she wanted to be. 

Kailyn Bryant — the founder of The Mold. and a sophomore majoring in political science as well as law, history and culture — grew up in the heart of Los Angeles. She said she saw a need to connect Black and Brown Angelenos to fashion industry opportunities. In its first year, The Mold. is hosting over thirty photoshoots with models and creatives of color. 

“Black and brown people are typically the mold for what is trending in the media,” Bryant said. “We are the mold, and that’s it. There’s no need for further discussions.”

The Mold. is a safe space for people of color to try modeling and see if it’s the right fit for them, Bryant said. If a model wants to do more, The Mold. helps them branch out to other creative fields in the fashion industry. 

Afra Garcia, a junior majoring in political science at California State University, Northridge, started as a model but became one of The Mold.’s creative directors with Bryant’s encouragement. 

The Mold. also provides models, studio spaces to shoot in and photographers for small businesses in an industry where such resources are reserved for bigger companies. Bryant said she does this to spotlight small business owners, or the “underdogs” of the fashion industry.

Black Ross, who is now a stylist with the collective, said The Mold. does not want to be seen as a novice youth organization, but a reliable, professional collective. As a stylist, she said she is rarely happy with her models’ initial outfits. She likes to continue layering accessories until all her models stand out from one another before even considering their outfits to be good.

“A lot of people, they’ll sign up for The Mold., and then they’ll think just a cake walk, ‘Oh, this is just something for kids to do,’” Black Ross said. “No, we’re trying to grow.”

What results from their hard work is a family, Black Ross said. She said The Mold. is a group of young entrepreneurs growing together. When she watches their behind-the-scenes vlogs, she said the whole team cannot stop laughing at each other. Garcia also said without The Mold., she would not have met her closest friends, and Black Ross, her girlfriend. 

The collective has expanded to Teen Mold., a branch of their organization dedicated to training teen models, Bryant said. She said there is a need to modernize the fashion world, and she aims to do so by bringing in fresh faces into the community. If her younger models decide modeling does not fit them, she hopes they will still come away from The Mold. with useful skills.

The organization’s next big project is their first runway show in July, titled “From The Land.” Bryant hopes to give her models their first experience walking a real show. She is also planning to host the event on an L.A. street, possibly one close to Leimert Park, to better connect with the city.

Bryant said while her organization may not be as advanced and as well funded as others, she plans to use all of her resources to impact as much of the L.A. community as she can. 

“The Mold. has potential to be great, not just for my personal need, but because there’s other people like me who reach out,” Bryant said.