9-to-9 With Vince Chase

Originally Published for Destroy to Rebuild 1/2013.

Vince Chase is a study in oxymorons.  He has a calm, almost timid, demeanor that belies his quick wit and no nonsense attitude.  He’s soft spoken and has a way of carefully choosing his words without making an effort to do so.  He is so meticulously put together and yet, somehow, not at all.  “I auditioned for American Idol six times,” he begins in his unrushed and delicate manner of speaking, “and I only made it through to the second round once. And they basically told me, ‘We don’t care if you can sing or not. It’s all about your personality.’ That’s when I knew all of it was bullshit.”  He says it with a finality that betrays no malice whatsoever; he simply states the facts.

Chase is the founder of Chase Models NY, an all male modeling agency.  The Brooklyn born and bred twenty-nine-year-old scouts, shoots and finds castings all by himself.  With that much drive, you would think that this is a dream Chase has been working toward for a long time, but it all kind of came together by divine happenstance.  “I feel like God was prepping me for this in some kind of crazy way.”
Chase went to FIT for fashion merchandising, so he used to intern for Bella Honey, a now defunct women’s sportswear line.  He expected to learn more about his field, but instead found himself in constant contact with the models—scheduling and prepping them for shoots, working with them on sets, etc.  He was also made responsible for editing the photos, a task he initially loathed, but soon provided him with an odd calm.  Then, serendipity stepped in.

“I was on the train—that’s how all my ideas come to me, sitting on the train listening to music—and my battery happened to die as I was listening to Janet Jackson’s “Better Days” and I heard this girl complaining about how she wasn’t getting anywhere in modeling. She was saying how agencies wouldn’t see her and she was having problems getting photographers…I thought, that’s it. I can help people do this.”

Chase Models NY was initially conceived as an all female agency, but the diva antics and nonsensical drama proved too much for easygoing Chase.  He had happened to take in two male models during that time and they’d always been consistent, so when his mother told him, “You better give up on those bitches and stick with those two,” he took heed.
The agency now boasts close to 30 faces including models who have been featured in NY Fashion Week, Essence, and a few TV appearances.  However, having an all male roster is not without its own complications.  The majority of the models are men of color, and it is a challenge to get them the visibility that Chase feels they deserve.  “I’ll get calls from casting agencies saying things like, ‘Come back to me when your board is less black.’ or ‘Lighten up your board.’ It’s like, okaaay.”  Chase further explains that the male models of color who do get attention have to fit a certain mold.  “A lot of times in the industry, black male models are just man meat.  You’re not going to see a slim guy in a nice tailored suit, but the guy in a tight speedo who’s all greased up? He’s the one who everyone’s drooling over and talking about and having his pictures blogged.”  Chase prides himself on having faces that step outside of that box and provide something fresh.  “Sometimes I feel like I wanna go with the industry standard, but then I’m like, no… Why am I going to have a board of all the same faces looking like Children of the Corn? Everyone says it makes more money, but then what are we changing?”

To this end, Chase has created Dyvers (pronounced ‘diverse’) magazine.  It is a publication that exclusively features men in editorial-style shots.  “You don’t necessarily have to be a model, you just need to embody something that makes you stand out and demand attention.  More than anything, it is a way to showcase the talent of up and coming photographers…We just focus on the art of fashion and editorial photography.”  Dyvers is currently an online publication, but Chase hopes to be in print by this summer.

For everything that Chase has stirring in the pot, there’s one ingredient missing that most may consider the base: money.  When asked what his cut of the models’ work was, he paused and said in a level tone, “To be honest with you, I don’t get anything.”  Any makeup artists, studio time and stylists he uses are all on the strength of people believing in his vision.  Incredulous, I ask what keeps him going. “The fact that I will one day have my own shit [chuckles]. That’s what keeps me going. I’m not going to be broke forever; I’m too talented for that.”