Jane Belfry
What began as a body-inclusive newsletter centered around lifestyle and beauty has morphed into an in-house modeling agency representing all body types and races called The Btwn. Founder Jane Belfry worked in the fashion industry for ten years before growing disillusioned with the industry’s limiting beliefs and decided to take matters into her own hands. Belfry’s mission is to represent all of the women who fall “in between” sizes, shapes and unattainable standards set by the fashion industry. We spoke to The Btwn founder about her first experience with body shame, working to level the pay gap for minority women, and creating a brand that represents a group of dynamos who are redefining beauty through the images we see unfold around us on all media platforms. Belfry is a social disruptor, a leader in every sense of the word, and as bold as they come—all of which and so much more make her so damn Dandy.
Tell us about The Btwn and how you created an agency that represents all body types:
The Btwn started as a newsletter and lifestyle site covering a range of topics like beauty, skincare, and cooking but all centered around bodies and with accompanying imagery that was meant to show a range of body types, shapes, and sizes. From our imagery, people began using us as a casting resource and it felt like a natural next step to represent the models full time. The agency started a little over 1.5 years ago.
It’s an incredibly intense time. A reckoning for the Black community. And then a global pandemic. How has Covid affected your business? Are people still reaching out to plan editorial shoots?
It is an intense time indeed. With most in-person productions being shut down for the moment, most brands have reached out to us to find the right models to produce self- captured content at home.
I see you’ve started a Mutual Aid Fund for Black Models. Can you tell us a bit about that:
We set up the Black model relief fund to show solidarity with our models that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and the public health crisis that is violence against Black people. We’ve just surpassed the halfway mark to our $10k goal.
As a talent manager casting a wide range of women, have companies you’ve worked with offered less $ for minority women? How do you navigate that?
Yes, as a whole I’ve had Black models and certainly Black plus-sized models get asked to do free work, work for trade, and work for lower rates than white models with similar experience and backgrounds. If it is a multi-booking job, we will ask for the same rates across the board or the same rates to reflect the experience of the model, at least.
Do you remember your first experience feeling shame about your body? I was 10.
I grew up in ballet pretty seriously, so many of my formative memories around my body come from that time, probably around that same age 8/9. I started dieting and restricting at a very young age which quickly morphed into an eating disorder.
What experience did you have managing talent before you founded BTWN. Or did you learn on the job?
I worked for an agency in my hometown of Minneapolis called Vision, which was a pioneer in ethnic diversity especially in the Midwest. Vision was a mother agency that developed models to place them in larger markets. We’d come to New York for fashion week, agency placement meetings, and the like, so it was a world I knew well and something I always wanted to go back to.
What are your 5 essential beauty products?
Elta MD tinted sunscreen, Vintner’s Daughter Active Serum, Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting Liquid, NARS Soft Matte Concealer, Charlotte Tilbury Iconic Nude lip pencil.
What was one of the most memorable campaigns you helped bring to life?
Definitely the two Target swim campaigns. We had four models in each campaign and it was such a huge national roll out. Getting to see the in-store ads when shopping at Target, or the commercials when flipping on the TV or scrolling through Instagram was incredible. The majority of the models booked were curvy and under 5’3” also which felt like such a big step in the right direction in showing bodies that reflect real consumers.
Share any great books you’ve read lately:
I just finished Station Eleven, which I purchased pre-global pandemic, but that is the theme. It was excellent and I highly recommend it if apocalyptic literature won’t stress you out more. Now I’m reading Raven Smith’s Trivial Pursuits and Little Weirds by Jenny Slate.
What are your favorite bra companies? Luckily there are more options now for girls with boobs bigger than a C cup:
For everyday comfortable lounging bras I love True & Co. For more support or something sexier, I’m a Savage x Fenty girl.
What’s your skincare routine?
It’s pretty extensive and even more so with all this time at home. For cleansers, I use Indie Lee Brightening or Amore Pacific Enzyme cleanser followed by toner, either Paula’s Choice Pore Minimizing or Indie Lee CO-Q 10. Then in the morning I’ll do iSClinical Pro Heal Serum, Vintner’s Daughter Active Serum, and Elta MD sunscreen. At night, Environ AVST Retinol. And I use a ZIIP microcurrent device, a LightStim LED wand and a plethora of masks; my favorites are the Environ Revival Mask (recommended by my friends at Glowbar) and Biologique Recherche Masque Vivant.
We've all been cooking a lot more lately. What's for dinner tonight?
I have gone full Barefoot Contessa. I do weekly menu planning and try different things each night; this week it’s been Korean Gochujang Fried Chicken, Jerk Wings on the grill, oxtail stew, spiced lamb meatballs, and shrimp creole.
When you started The BTWN, did you face any haters? The fashion industry can be a bitch:
There were people in the beginning that told me to go get a job at a curve board at another agency and that starting my own was too much work. And there are certainly trolls and haters in our comments when you do anything related to body positivity.
You feel most confident when:
After yoga, when I witness what my body can accomplish.
Your favorite restaurants in NYC/BK:
Sarabeth’s for brunch I miss the most right now. I love cooking dinner, but brunch is something I really enjoyed out and their’s is my favorite. I love Lovely Day a lot, and had an amazing meal right before lock down at Legacy Records.
What's one thing you hope to accomplish with The BTWN that you haven't yet?
When things reopen I’d love to get to LA for an in person open call; we have a small but growing LA board.
Has The BTWN helped you on your own journey to body self acceptance?
Definitely. Everyone I’ve met has impacted my journey and taught me something. Our journeys are so personal, but very much intertwined.
The first vacation you plan post-pandemic will be to:
Aside from seeing my family in Minneapolis ASAP, I usually go to Miami often and want to get back to the Shore Club south beach, which is truly an oasis to me.
Not sure if you're single or dating. But if you're single, have you still been going on "dates?" If you're in a relationship, has the dynamic shifted at all?
My boyfriend and I do yoga together every day and walk our two dogs, both of which have been great for our mental health.
Your vices:
Natural wine, anything salty, and HGTV/AWE house hunting shows.