Don't Just Stand There, Get Scouted! Strike Agency Ushers in a New Era for Utah Models

Salt Lake City's fashion scene is buzzing.

With a surge of local designers, burgeoning film and TV work, and a vibrant community of artists, the energy is palpable. But amidst this creative explosion, a crucial piece of the puzzle has been missing: a mother agency dedicated to nurturing and elevating local talent. Enter Strike Agency, the brainchild of Alli Halladay and Taylor Kent Smedley, poised to redefine the modeling landscape in Utah and beyond. With over 300 Instagram followers in less than a week – and a model already gracing the runway before their official launch – Strike is making a statement. Is this the agency that will finally give Salt Lake City its own crop of supermodels?

"And I'm just over-wrecking with all of the love and support," Smedley exclaims, his enthusiasm infectious. "All of the people in our community that have shown up and said like, Utah needs this, we need this, like this is a space that needs to be occupied and I feel just honored and grateful to be the one to say, yeah, let's change some shit up. Let's change some shit up in how we do this and make things better."

Salt Lake City boasts established agencies like McCarty (founded in 1974), TMG (over 28 years in business), and NIYA (founded in 2012). But Smedley and Halladay aren't just looking to join the ranks. They're aiming to revolutionize the game. "Alexander McQueen, one of my personal heroes, always talked about having to understand the processes or the systems in order to change them," Smedley reflects. "So a lot of his work in, like, you know, in a tailored suit was understanding how those pieces work so that he could then break, know the rules to then break the rules. So what I come to the table with is an understanding of these quote unquote rules, but then also the ability in that understanding to go, let's break the rules."

Strike’s vision goes beyond simply placing pretty faces. Smedley is passionate about redefining the very definition of a model. "A model is traditionally defined in certain ways, whether it be their sizes or the way they look or, you know, how many Instagram followers they have," he explains. "And I think that in my experience, and a movement I'm pushing for is redefining what a model is. And I think that if I could narrow it down to three things that I look for in a model, that would be presence, personality and potential.”

“So I've wanted to frame this new endeavor with Strike the agency to find individuals who encapsulate that presence, personality, and potential. So I'm not interested so much in the way you look or what your sizes are. I want to know what it's like when you walk in a room. You know, what it is that you see in this world and what opportunities are out there that I can help you connect with or find or create. I think there's a lot of room for that. And so that's the approach with which I have taken on this new venture in Strike."

Smedley's connection to the Utah fashion scene runs deep. "It's something I've been thinking of and working towards and building up for a long time," he shares. "With my involvement across the board in the fashion scene here in Salt Lake specifically. As you know - I've been on the back end of fashion shows doing castings and operation in the back end of these events, helping models get in and out of their outfits and making sure everyone makes it down the runway. I myself have shown designs and collections and pieces and put my art and stuff out there on the runway to be consumed in that way, too. So, I'm no stranger to kind of our community here."

He sees a unique opportunity to elevate the industry in Utah. "We have so many startup brands here. We have so much budding film work. We have TV work. We have commercial work. We have awesome new photographers launching here," Smedley observes. "And where I've noticed in my limited experience, but there's kind of this lack of collaboration and unity across the board of all of these silos. I mean, you've got makeup artists, hair artists, designers, photographers, models. We're all just trying to navigate this thing and get the best outcome for themselves."

Strike aims to bridge these gaps, fostering a unified front and raising the level of professionalism across the board. "Ultimately I would love to like, see a more unified front on how we all support each other and level the game up with each other and also put our foot down when it's not, when we're not being paid the way we should or treated the way we should or have, you know, instances that are there you need an HR person for but you don't because you're a gig worker as a makeup artist on a set for 12 hours a day when you should have overtime for that time."