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Casting director Shaun Beyen’s eclectic model selections for Maison Margiela are consistently among fashion week’s best. Working with designer John Galliano to bring to life the mood of each collection, Beyen goes for the unexpected, from Fall’s memorable creeping models to couture’s alluringly androgynous boys. Hailing from Belgium, Beyen grew up admiring the Antwerp Six and now casts for the collective’s best-known label. He’s also the man responsible for the on-point casting at shows like Oscar de la Renta, Gareth Pugh, and Chalayan. After today’s Margiela couture show, Style.com caught up with Beyen to talk show-opener Molly Bair, collaborating with Galliano, and what he feels is the next big movement in modeling.

How did you approach the casting for Maison Margiela’s Fall 2015 couture show?

We started talking about the casting at least a month before the show, and John’s idea was to include androgyny within the cast. You see that with the boys, but also when you look at Erika Linder, whom we flew in from L.A. She was exclusive to us for couture this season. For this collection he didn’t want it to be too pretty, he didn’t want it to be too classic—it had to be modern and androgynous, that’s basically what we were looking for.

There were several boys featured on the Margiela runway, which is rare for couture, though.

We’d kind of been playing with that idea for a while. In the Resort lookbook we used Roan Louch, and John was inspired by him, so we started discussing [that] maybe we should use the boys for couture. But we can’t just use one, we have to use multiple, so I started casting and really looking at the men’s shows. We organized a go-see during men’s fashion week with Carl Sandqvist and John Whiles because at that stage we were already pretty sure that we were going to use either one. Once John met Carl and John, he felt very inspired by them and we decided they’d be right for the final show.

The boys selected fit so seamlessly with the whole cast.

It was a challenge because, you know, there is the idea of androgyny, but androgyny in general is open to interpretation. We also didn’t want it to become a gimmick. It was a profound statement because there’s so much being discussed at the moment about gender fluidity and gender neutrality. I think the timing is right to play with that a little on the runway.

Molly Bair opened the show and she’s such a distinctive beauty—what made you select her for Look 1?

Molly had been a topic for a while in our conversations, and John had never actually met her, so we were kind of playing around with the idea. It’s also very much about the body for him, and Molly has such a tall, slender presence. We brought her in on a go-see because we don’t really do a huge casting. We do selective appointments with John because [he] is so busy working on the collection, he doesn’t have time to see 300 girls. With Molly, it went pretty quick: She came in, he fell in love with her, literally. He was very interested because she has such an alien kind of presence and she’s so fresh. Just as androgyny is open to interpretation, so is beauty. John thought she was very beautiful in her own way, and we all agreed, and she has this youthfulness and a personality, as well. It’s also very much about the characters; we never wanted to have an ethereal cast. That’s not what it’s about at Margiela: It’s about the character, and it’s as much about the girl as it is about the clothes for John Galliano. Molly is such a character, very personable and interesting.

Are there girls who are standing out for you right now?

Personally, I love a good model. I love someone with longevity. I think Nastya Sten is a great beauty. Josephine Le Tutour is a great beauty, has a good body, walks well. Sarah Brannon. Vanessa Moody is another one of those beauties with a fabulous body whom I’m absolutely convinced will have a really long career. Tami Williams and Aya Jones are exceptional, and I like seeing that there are so many great black girls working now. I think diversity is necessary on the runway—we have a long way to go still.

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Do you feel street casting is necessary these days?

I think there are people who are really good at it and that have the time to do that, but I’m not one of them. It’s extremely time-consuming, and you’re also not dealing with an agent. You’re not dealing with people who are used to showing up on time for a fitting, showing up for a 5 a.m. call time.

Who is really dictating the trends in modeling right now?

I don’t see the trends manifesting themselves on the model side, I see them manifesting themselves on the client side. It’s easier for brands to distinguish themselves via their casting. You see it with Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Prada, which has always been a force when it comes to launching new faces. Brands are eager to say this is our girl, this is our boy, and with the wealth of models right now it’s easier to do that today.

It feels like Margiela is at the forefront of that, too. It’s really a show where the casting goes hand in hand with the clothes.

As a casting director, a show like this really gives you the opportunity to go beyond. With John, you really have to find the right characters, girls who can bring the ideas to fruition. So it’s a bit of work, but it’s fun, and it lets you go all the way. I personally did look at a lot of girls; I went through every one because it’s not necessarily about “who is she, what has she done,” it’s just, “Is she the right character for the dress?”

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