Man About Town Casting Director Paul Isaac Lifts the Lid on his Most Iconic Shoots

The London-based creative has been quietly shaping the pages of magazines and campaigns for more than a decade.

The array of brands and publications that have had their visual language permeated by the eye of Paul Isaac is seemingly infinite. From Cartier to John Smedley, Belstaff, Lacoste and magazines (including Man About Town) – the international casting director has a knack for selecting the right faces. And that aptitude has seen him integral in bringing to life the visions of the world’s leading photographers and stylists for over 15 years. 

In the social media-laden times of the 2020s, new faces have never been easier to come by. However, such saturation has made the role of CDs like Isaac – to identify personalities that cut through the noise and connect with audiences – more vital than ever. Silently setting the tone, as the industry mutates, their ability to interpret the cultural moment has never been more influential. 

In the spirit of end-of-year reflection, Isaac sifts through the archive, lifting the lid on how he cast some of Man About Town’s most iconic fashion stories to date… 

Dylan Lloyd Courtaillac, Ed Collins, Harrison Page, Marco Varcoe, Victor Norberg – “Grunge” (Autumn/Winter 2023)

Creatively, for this story, we wanted a clan of boys which would evoke a cool Viking spirit – tough yet ethereal, all of them with long hair to capture something of the ’90s grunge nostalgia as well. All the boys, including Dylan Lloyd Courtaillac and Victor Norberg, worked beautifully together and individually to tell a story of the strength in vulnerability and the softness at the heart of the images.

Eliott Tipp, Najib Abdi, Ruben Moreira “Boys Night” (Spring/Summer 2022)

Because her work is so playful and characterful, when working with Ellen [von Unwerth], casting boys that bring that energy and personality is just as important as them having the right look. Eliott, Najib and Ruben really brought a sense of fun and liveliness to the story, capturing a moment in time of youthfulness, self-expression and unbidden freedom.

Sacha Bilal (Spring/Summer 2022)

Sacha really understands movement and his own body, which is why we really wanted him for this story. He can reflect athleticism with the way he positions his body, but there is a timeless elegance, too. He has a quality of introspection reminiscent of an old Hollywood movie star in this story, which I love. There is a very cinematic quality about him that is inimitable.

Tristan Watkins – “Pop” (Spring/Summer 2025)

It felt key with this story to balance that bold edge, that is so synonymous with the ’90s, with a boy who was effortlessly cool and somewhat androgynous. Tristan truly embodies that; he has the face of a ’90s supermodel, paired with a charisma and confidence that is so reminiscent of that iconic moment in time.

Emiliano Marku, Evans Nikopoulos and Nacho Penin – “Director’s Cut” (Spring/Summer 2024)

For this cover, we wanted to draw strong visual parallels to the iconic “Easy Rider” aesthetic, blending the spirit of rebellion and freedom. We knew the casting would be key to evoking the countercultural vibe of the 1969 film, a symbol of the open road and defiant individualism. The casting of Emiliano Marku, Evans Nikopoulos and Nacho Penin helped echo the feeling of that freedom often associated with biker culture. They were each able to tap into the same energy of youthful rebellion, fearlessness and the search for identity that “Easy Rider” immortalised, but with a contemporary edge.