Playing Fair

But rather than settle in pricier Madison, Fair Indigo rents a modest space in an out-of-the-way industrial park in Middleton, just outside of Madison. The four cofounders and other executives work in rooms together rather than housing themselves up in posh, private offices.

In addition, Fair Indigo chooses models from nearby Chicago, rather than from the pricier, higher profile New York modeling scene, a 40 percent to 60 percent difference in wages, according to Director of Creative Ryan Williams. In addition, being just a little more than an hour’s drive away, working with local Chicago talent means no travel expenses for the cast and crew. “My photographer owns his own studio, so there’s no need to book one separately,” he says, adding that he knows of no New York City photographer who has a studio. The cataloger also saves on the rental of equipment, such as lights, lenses and wind machines. And catering is cheaper.