Episode 59 

This week, Tessa is joined by Dean Cleary Patterson, founder of D1 Model Management, an agency he launched in London in 2006 and has since grown internationally with offices in New York and Los Angeles. 

In this episode, he reflects on his journey into model management, beginning in Glasgow before working in Miami, Paris, London and New York. He discusses the experiences that shaped his approach to scouting, developing talent and building an agency with a clear identity and strong industry relationships. 

Dean talks about what makes a model stand out, how the role of agencies and casting directors has evolved, and the progress the industry has made around diversity and representation. Alongside this, he discusses the responsibility agencies have towards the people they represent, and explains why talent development, trust and long-term relationships remain central to successful model management. 

Dean Cleary Patterson on Building D1, Scouting Talent and Growing an International Agency 

Interview by Tessa Dewing for The Business of Modelling Podcast 

Dean Cleary Patterson is the founder of D1 Model Management, an agency he launched in London in 2006 and has since grown internationally with offices in New York and Los Angeles. Having worked across Glasgow, Miami, Paris and London, Dean brings a long-term view of model management, scouting and how the industry has changed over the last two decades. 

Starting Out 

Dean grew up in Glasgow and developed an early interest in fashion, clothes and creativity. As a teenager, he sketched clothing collections, imagined shop layouts and thought he might become a fashion designer. His first real experience of the industry came through a fashion competition linked to Glasgow’s year as City of Culture, where he was selected as one of twelve finalists. 

That competition introduced him to agencies, models and fashion professionals, and eventually led to his first role at a modelling agency in Glasgow. Those early years taught him the practical side of the business, from speaking with parents and organising bookings to understanding how agencies worked day to day. 

His career later took him to Miami, Paris and London, where he continued learning the structure of model management. Reflecting on those years, Dean says, “You have to know everything, you have to learn everything, and you have to understand that everything has its place in its correct order.” 

Building D1 

After working within established agencies, Dean reached a point where he wanted to build something of his own. He felt he had a different vision for what an agency could be and wanted the freedom to develop talent in his own way. 

“I knew that we could do more, and I wanted to. I had just different values, and I had different vision,” he explains. 

When he launched D1 in 2006, the agency started with a small team, around twelve models and Dean’s own investment. The idea was clear from the beginning. He describes D1 as “a street casting agency, but with a model edge,” representing talent who felt distinctive, interesting and not always immediately obvious to the wider industry. 

Scouting and Developing Talent 

Scouting has always been central to Dean’s approach. He talks about being drawn to models who did not always fit the obvious mould, but who had something that could work if they were placed in front of the right people. 

“I used to look after those sorts of models that maybe other people didn’t quite get, but if you got them in front of the right person, they could have a really good career.” 

Dean also discusses the balance between instinct and market understanding. He is clear that an agent must know their clients, understand what they respond to and recognise where a model might fit. “I knew what type of models I liked; I knew what type of models I could work with,” he says. 

He also speaks about patience, and how model careers do not always happen quickly. “Sometimes it can take a while. You have them on your board for two or three years, and then they get one big campaign, and then they get a big show, and then they get another campaign, and then the next thing you’re off to the races.” 

Diversity and Industry Change 

The episode also looks at how the industry has changed around diversity and representation. Dean reflects on D1’s early years and the fact that some of the models the agency championed did not have an obvious place in fashion at the time. 

Speaking about some of those early signings, he says, “There was not a space for models like that,” until D1 began pushing them forward. He talks about how the industry is now more diverse across race, body type and gender expression, but he is also clear that progress needs to be maintained. 

“We still have to keep an eye on it,” he says, recognising that change can move backwards if the industry stops paying attention. 

Relationships and Respect 

Dean also speaks about the changing role of casting directors and how agencies now work within a different structure. While the industry has changed, he still sees relationships as central to model management, whether with models, clients, photographers, stylists or casting directors. 

For Dean, respect is one of the most important parts of longevity in the industry. “If you want to do well in this industry, you don’t have to like everybody, but if you can respect everyone, be gracious and polite, you go a long way.” 

Model Management and Responsibility 

The conversation also touches on the responsibility agencies have towards the people they represent. Dean talks about model wellbeing, managing expectations and helping talent understand how the business works, from castings and options to contracts and commission. 

He describes D1’s approach as “bespoke management,” explaining that every model is different and needs to be understood as an individual. For Dean, good management means knowing how each person works, what support they need and how to guide them through an industry that can be competitive, unpredictable and often misunderstood. 

What Comes Through 

What comes through clearly in this episode is Dean’s belief that strong model management is built on instinct, experience, patience and relationships. His story is not only about building an agency, but about learning the industry from the ground up and using that knowledge to back talent others may not have understood straight away. 

Nearly twenty years after launching D1, Dean remains focused on discovering new faces, developing careers and staying true to the values that shaped the agency from the beginning.