About Breed
We’re often asked about Breed, what exactly it is we do, how we got started and who’s behind it, so we thought we’d put together a brief intro to help answer those questions and introduce Breed’s founder, Olivia Triggs.
Olivia started Breed in 2007, as an agency representing artists and illustrators. What’s important is that each artist Breed represents has a distinct and unique style and talent. At present, the agency represents 16 individual artists and teams.
Breed’s client list ranges from major fashion and retail brands to newspapers and magazines, creative agencies, hotels, galleries, and museums. Just a sample of recent clients Breed’s artists have worked for would include: Sony, Pentagram, The Royal Academy, The Design Museum, Hermès, The New York Times, The Guardian, MR PORTER, Mother, Condé Nast, Studio Small, W Magazine, and M&C Saatchi.
In her own words, Olivia talks about starting Breed, the thinking behind it and her ambitions for its future.
Do you come from an artistic background?
Not a particularly artistic background, no. I did do Art & Photography at A-Level a long way back, then a foundation in Art, which I wasn’t that into, and then moved away from it but I’ve always appreciated it.
I went on to work for a few titles at Condé Nast and then on to Christies, before moving to work with photographers at an agency.
Where did the name Breed come from?
It was all meant to be around a new breed of talent, but I’ve always kept the agency quite small, which doesn’t really work with the name in reality!
How did you find the first artists to join Breed?
I started with a few I knew well – Steven Wilson, Natasha Law and Neal Murren.
Then I think it was Andy Gilmore, James Joyce, Danny Sangra, Matt Blease, and the others from there.
Then more recent have been Yelena Yemchuk, Quentin Jones and Annie Aktins
Cat Garcia joined on the photography side of things quite early on, which I loved. So nice to mainly be a creative illustration agency, but then work with more photography-based clients in addition.
What were your original intentions for the agency?
To work with the best illustration talent that was out there!
And to work with talent I liked and whose work I liked (both go hand-in-hand as it’s just a one-to-one relationship). To work with a great mix of creative clients, get some excellent commissions and, hopefully, make some money.
What are the key ambitions you have for the artists Breed represents?
To get them work in the areas they want to be working in and to then add your own input about which clients could be a good fit for them.
What kind of clients does the agency work with?
Such a mix, and that’s what is so nice. Ad agencies, design agencies, brands, fashion, magazines, supplements, charities, museums, music labels, department stores – it’s quite a varied list.
What have been some of your proudest moments with Breed?
Generally speaking, I’m proud to have kept it going for so long, despite the ups and downs.
Among some of my proudest moments have actually been the more day-to-day threads of the agency, including working with some really great talent and some truly lovely people, and the relationships with those who support the agency on an everyday basis.
Winning some of those really great commissions that you worked hard to get!
Doing a book project with Cat Garcia in 2014 was a real highlight, as it was quite a personal project for Cat.
Starting BREED presents… online recently. Talking and chatting to others in the creative industry is endlessly fascinating.
What plans do you have for the future?
I’d love to make BREED presents… into more of a podcast series and develop this.
Image: Catherine Garcia