The subtle power of casting: a conversation with Greg Krelenstein

A leading voice in fashion casting, recognised by The New York Times as a ‘secret force’ within the industry, Greg Krelenstein is a New York–based casting director, creative strategist, and co-founder of GK-LD, a studio that he established in 2019 with Lisa Duckworth. Before founding GK-LD, Krelenstein had already made a name for himself as Director of Editorial Operations at Starworks Group, where he demonstrated a rare forward-thinking instinct by securing major names for independent publications and embracing celebrity media branding early in the digital era—an intuition that cannot be taught.

Through GK-LD, he has built a company focused on strategic talent curation for editorial projects and brand campaigns. Krelenstein advises clients on fashion casting for leading publications and major campaigns, with an impressive roster that includes collaborations with Dazed, Perfect Magazine, and Another, as well as major brands such as Acne Studios, Calvin Klein, Chloé, and Miu Miu, among many others. In this conversation, he reflects on meaningful collaborations, the evolving role of authenticity, and the importance of instinctive timing.

hube: What path led you to founding GK-LD? Were there pivotal moments early in your career that fundamentally shaped your vision and approach?

Greg Krelenstein: It wasn’t a deliberate plan. The agency I had been part of for over a decade closed just before the pandemic. I was in the middle of castings for several campaigns I was working on with my colleague, Lisa Duckworth—now my partner—and we decided to finish those projects and then take the time to consider what might come next. GK-LD emerged from that moment. It developed gradually, through ongoing collaborations and a network of relationships that felt important to maintain. It wasn’t necessarily a fixed idea from the start, but something that took shape through continuity and the natural evolution of the industry.