Good American is searching for new #GoodSquad models.
Last week, the Khloé Kardashian and Emma Grede-founded denim brand hosted its seventh annual open casting call in partnership with model Ashley Graham in New York City. Over 1,000 aspiring models attended the one-day event, making it the largest open casting event to date for the B-Corp certified brand.
Good American celebrates women of diverse shapes and sizes, offering clothing in sizes 00-32. Additionally, the brand has “all-size mannequins” in its Los Angeles flagship. It also requires wholesale partners—including Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue—to carry its assortment in the full size range and display all sizes together rather segregating larger offerings in the plus-size section.
The #GoodSquad casting call is an annual initiative that amplifies Good American’s values of body positivity and inclusivity. No modeling experience is required to enter, though applicants provide information such as age and height, as well as links to all social media handles and a brief description of why they should be chosen.
While this initiative has been part of the brand’s ethos since its inception in 2016, the need to promote a more size-inclusive industry has not slowed. This past season, out of the 219 shows presented at fashion week in New York, London, Milan and Paris, only 3.8 percent of the models were a size 6-12, and a mere 0.6 percent were a size 14 and up, according to Good American.
“You’ll see there’s still such a lack of representation and a lot of chat, but if New York Fashion Week showed us anything last season, the reality is dire,” said Emma Grede, Good American CEO and co-founder. “Our aim is to make the open casting as all-encompassing [and inclusive] as possible.”
At the New York City event—where candidates lined up around the block of Hudson Mercantile near Javits Center as early as 3 a.m.—attendees had the opportunity to get their photo taken by a professional photographer and build connections with other aspiring models.
They also had the opportunity to hear from Grede, Graham and former J.Crew creative director, businesswoman and “Real Housewives of New York” star, Jenna Lyons. The trio spoke on a panel about the need for the fashion industry to prioritize inclusivity and “uplift diverse bodies.”
“Women come in so many shapes and sizes, and a brand can [either] make you feel not good about yourself, or it can make you feel so good. I wanted to be part of a solution,” Grede said during the discussion. “When we see ourselves in a brand, we feel represented, and I think [Good American has] taken that not just to be something performative, but the heart of our business and the decisions we make.”
Good American’s search for its new #GoodSquad models kicked off last month in Nashville. On Jan. 20, the brand will host its final open casting call in Los Angeles. It will also meet with international candidates via Zoom for those who can’t make it in person.
Finalists are expected to be chosen in early 2024. The chosen few will win a trip to Los Angeles to shoot Good American’s spring campaign, receive mentorship sessions with industry agents and have the opportunity to be signed with top modeling agency IMG Models.
“I love everything Good American stands for,” Destiny Young, a casting call hopeful, told Rivet. “If I had to wait in that line [again] for five hours, I would.”
