When Michael Mayren left school with four GCSEs and no A-levels, he never imagined he would one day run a Manchester business turning over more than £2m a year.
Growing up on a council estate in Horwich with a young single mum, the 40-year-old says university “wasn’t something I thought I’d be capable of”. But nearly a decade after launching Brother Models from his bedroom with just a laptop, the agency now works with global fashion giants like Gucci, Versace, Burberry, Nike and Adidas.
Michael, who now lives in Chorley, said he “didn’t really intend” to set up a major model agency – and instead thought he was embarking on a “side hustle”. But over the years, its models and creators have also appeared in campaigns for Chanel and Primark, as well as music videos and projects for Liam Gallagher and Frank Ocean.
View 4 ImagesMichael Mayren shoots for fashion magazines like GQ Style, ID and Man About Town(Image: Michael Mayren)
He told the Manchester Evening News: “From being pretty young, I was never a kid that could focus or concentrate on that much, but I was always pretty creative.
“The only time I could ever really sit still and focus was if I was drawing or doing something a bit more physical or creative.
“Growing up I didn’t really have much going on around me that was inspiring. As I got older, it went the opposite way, so I was inspired to not be like that and work hard to get somewhere.”
After leaving school at 16 with only two academic GCSEs – C grades in English and science – alongside art and graphics qualifications, he moved out and spent years working jobs in shops and bars just to cover rent.
“It just wasn’t stimulating and I knew I wanted to do a bit more than that,” Michael added.
So at 23, he began a foundation course – which didn’t require A-levels or equivalent qualifications – before studying photography at the University of Salford.
View 4 ImagesMichael Mayren set up Brother Models 10 years ago(Image: Brother Models)
“It probably took me a while to go because I didn’t think I was good enough to go to uni,” he said. “In my head, university was this thing that super intelligent people went to, because nobody in my family had gone.”
“I was pretty lucky because I wouldn’t have been able to go to uni with how it is now,” he added. “Which is a shame because I think there’s something to be said about going to uni later than 18 because it shows there’s a real passion for the subject.”
It was during his course that he fell in love with fashion photography and his career quickly began to take off.
“The course leader [at Salford] encouraged me and believed in me more than anyone ever had,” he explained. “To have that for the first time, I just ran with it. It made me want to work harder. She made me feel like I could do really well.”
By the end of his first year, Michael was travelling to London shooting fashion editorials and graduate collections that were soon being published in major magazines including Vogue Hommes, i-D, Vice and Dazed.
Rather than relying on traditional agencies to source models, he began scouting people himself, finding faces in boxing gyms and on estates instead of casting agency models.
“At that time agency models all looked very similar and safe,” Michael said. “That was a bit boring for me. I used to go out and find more interesting looking people and shoot them”
After living in London for three years, Michael decided he’s “not made for London” and moved back to Manchester in 2015. And that’s when Brother Models was born. Initially launched as an all-male agency, the name was inspired by Manchester City’s iconic 1990s ‘Brother’ shirt sponsor famously worn by Oasis.
Starting with around 20 models, the agency rapidly grew – and today represents around 260 creators and models across the UK and Europe, with a full-time team of eight staff working from its Northern Quarter office.
On the growth of the agency, Michael said: “I started with nothing at all. I made my own website and worked from home.
“As soon as there was enough money in the bank, I got a really small office space in a photo studio. Then I took someone on three days a week. It’s always been organically growing.
“I’ve never had a business plan, because it just felt right to just see where it goes. The industry is always changing, so you’ve got to be a bit ahead and see what’s happening.”
View 4 ImagesBrother Models has now signed more than 260 creators and models(Image: Brother Models)
The agency has now made a profit every year since it launched and turned over more than £2 million in 2025, though Michael insists money has “never been a motivation”, admitting he probably would have “felt overwhelmed” if his younger self knew what the agency would become.
What Michael says he is most proud of is Brother Models’ inclusivity and representation, which he says has been central to the agency from day one.
He said: “A lot of agencies have the criteria that you’ve got to be this height and these measurements, but we’ve always gone against that…If someone’s got something special and unique about them, a lot of clients will make it work even if they don’t fit the criteria.”
Michael says he has always felt passionate about “making positive changes in the industry”, pushing for greater representation of race, size, gender, age, religion or ability.
Among the agency’s recent successes are non-binary model Thea appearing on the cover of Another Magazine in a Chanel feature, while model Rimshah, who wear a a hijab, has fronted campaigns for Khloe Kardashian’s brand Good American and Primark.
Michael says he hopes his story can inspire other young people who may not see themselves as traditionally academic.
“I’d say 100 per cent believe in yourself and that you can get where you want to be,” he said. “But also be patient and really work at your craft.
“Perfect your craft and enjoy the process of learning something before worrying too much about turning it into a business.”
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