40 Under 40 2024: Emily Moon, Loupe Agency

Emily Moon

Founder, agent, and executive producer
Loupe Agency
New Zealand 

Emily Moon’s inspiring rise from production runner 17 years ago to agency founder now is one to behold. Trying her hand at production all those years ago, she eventually moved up to a junior producer role and then head producer, where she worked on international campaigns.

During this time, she absorbed everything like a sponge, eventually noticing a gap in the market for a production company that offered both stills and video as well as a diverse representation of talent. Six years ago, Loupe Agency was born.

But Moon’s journey hasn’t been without its battles. Throughout her career, she quietly battled Lupus, underwent chemotherapy twice, and had a kidney transplant in 2021. She refused to be defined by her illness and instead hankered down on growing Loupe. Incidentally, 2021 ended up being one of the company’s most successful business years—notwithstanding the Covid pandemic.

One way she drove Loupe’s success in 2021 was to hire one of New Zealand’s top advertising photographers and bring on a high-profile fashion stylist. Although unconventional, the move was strategic and led to a boost in the agency’s capabilities and reputation.

To market her artists' work, Moon launched an in-house magazine, Loupe Magazine, with the objective of visual expression as well as to heighten the agency’s visibility. The magazine, coupled with Moon’s ‘less is more’ philosophy in her work, was highly regarded by editors and clients in the competitive world of fashion, art, and beauty.
In a testimonial, a collaborator at a PR agency said that Moon’s network is rich with top-tier talent and that her advice is seen as stable and sophisticated in an industry “filled with young and inexperienced artists and managers who are trying to make a quick dollar”.

One of the many ways Moon gives back is by supporting photographers not represented by Loupe. This is done through one-on-one portfolio reviews and building sessions with artists represented by Loupe as well as freelance creatives—this arrangement has allowed feedback and support to independent photographers.