MEET CAYTLAN: AGENCY DIRECTOR X EXPERT EDUCATOR

WORDS FROM ONLINE TRAINER, CAYTLAN KOLJNDREKAJ

My journey into the world of fashion began way back in 2013 when I first picked up a camera and started photographing away. I would shoot anything and anyone that would let me! I actually got lucky pretty quickly, landing some gigs with brands like Dickies and Converse within that first year. In 2016, I decided to take a step back and pursue my other passion: Teaching & English as a literary form. I enrolled in university, majoring in Creative Writing & English Literature - with the hope to go onto my masters and eventually teach English Literature and be a full time academic.

In 2017, I had a dream about starting a Modeling Agency, which turned out to be a lot more than just a dream. Balancing agency life with full-time studies wasn't easy, but I managed to make it through, all whilst producing runway shows and even getting back behind the camera.

Teaching came naturally to me because I love sharing and encouraging others. Making classes fun is what I like to think is my specialty. I find that especially in the online realm it can be a bit more difficult to keep everyone engaged - but my rambling seems to shine through and keep the class giggling and engaged. I really hope that from this teaching experience I can inspire the next generation to find their feet and direction in the industry.

One of the coolest moments so far in my teaching journey was meeting some of my students who volunteered at the last runway show I produced. It's one thing to teach them online, but meeting them and working through backstage chaos with them was great.

Creating a sense of community in class is super important to me. By keeping things light and fun, we've cultivated an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable speaking up and asking questions. It's like a safe space where ideas can flow freely and no one ever feels silly. While I am teaching and guiding my students through the industry - I like for them to see me as one of them - in the sense of someone in the industry, who is passionate about fashion. I think it’s so important to communicate with them in that way, as these students are the next generation in the industry that will be working alongside me.

Looking ahead, I'm really excited to see where teaching is going to take me - as there’s something really exciting on the horizon here at NFC. When it comes to the agency, we're focusing on international placements for our models, which is something I am very excited for this year.