The fashion industry is often criticized for its lack of diversity, but Lorde Inc. [1] is out to change that. Lorde [2] Inc. is a street casting modeling agency that focuses entirely on representing people of color. Founded in 2013 by art history grad Nasifa Kaptownwala, Lorde [3] embraces diversity, working with models who may not fit the standard stereotype of what we see walking down the runway. In a world where 77.4 percent of models on the NYFW Fall runway were white [4], Lorde shifts the focus, pushing the industry to embrace the fact that beauty doesn't come in one shape or color. Nasifa states, [5] "In some ways Lorde Inc. started as a proclamation for me to say, 'I am beautiful! and to show that I know this is a feeling I'm entitled to.'"

As a street casting agency, Lorde relies on its popular Tumblr account [6] to recruit new talent, along with castings in cities like London and New York City. But where other agencies are looking for a "type," Nasifa says that instead of a specific look, Lorde is about finding individuals who are comfortable in front of the camera. "My friend Arvida Byström really opened me up to the idea that you don't have to look like a conventional model to model and that's not going to compromise the quality of the photo," she told Dazed [7]. "It'll still be just as beautiful." Read on for a look at some of the diverse models who are shaking up the fashion industry.