jan van vianen, van v media, helen siwak, portfolioyvr, fashion stylist, media manager, vancouver, bc, yvr, west coast influencer

Taking Up Space Unapologetically: Jan van Vianen Builds van V Media from Runway to Feed

Jan van Vianen is a social media coordinator and content creator with more than a decade of experience producing scroll-stopping work across fashion, lifestyle, beauty, and travel. He uses content creation and social media to inspire others to live authentically and take up space unapologetically, whether he is directing internationally published editorial shoots, building digital communities, or creating stories that connect.

His background directing photo shoots for publications in Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, and the United States, and covering New York, London, and Paris Fashion Weeks, gave him a production standard that continues to inform how he approaches content creation today.

Beyond client work, van Vianen is actively invested in his community. He has raised more than $2,600 for 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations including Qmunity, Equality Florida, the Kendall Gender Foundation, and Rainbow Refugee, and he uses his personal platform to encourage members of the community to show up fully as themselves.

jan van vianen, van v media, helen siwak, portfolioyvr, fashion stylist, media manager, vancouver, bc, yvr, west coast influencer

In His Words

“In my early twenties I really wanted to pursue modelling, but because of my height, and the time, there were little to no opportunities for me. Every model casting I went to, they all said the same thing: ‘you should be an actor.’ So I started creating my own opportunities. I worked hard at building relationships with different photographers, stylists, makeup artists, designers, and any other creative who would work with me, and I basically became my own modelling agent. Developing that strong network of professional creatives helped me immensely when I started my fashion production company in 2014, which ultimately led me to living and working in China and England.

My first big project came to me when I was working at Topshop. I wanted to create my own fashion magazine consisting of high-fashion editorials inspired by gothic fairy tales. I launched a creative casting with a focus on real people who inspired me, as opposed to professional models — I wanted to provide opportunities for those without those options, like I once had. I shot two photo shoots a month for a full year, organized them into a coffee table style magazine, and sold it at my launch event.

jan van vianen, van v media, helen siwak, portfolioyvr, fashion stylist, media manager, vancouver, bc, yvr, west coast influencer

NEW YORK, NO PAYCHEQUE

My most memorable experience to date is getting to cover New York Fashion Week for Huf Magazine. I was living in London at the time and already planning to travel to New York, so I reached out to UK-based magazines looking for NYFW coverage without the means to send anyone. Huf Magazine accepted my proposal and granted me a media pass. I did not get paid, but the experience made my portfolio much stronger.

FROM PRINT TO DIGITAL

After a decade running my fashion production company, Jv2 Fashion, I decided to focus more on social and digital media. Looking back, I was happiest when producing fashion shoots and fashion films. With the shift from print to digital, the challenge has been learning how to marry my experience in content creation, social media management, creative direction, casting, and talent scouting into one business and sell my expertise.

LEARNING TO CONNECT

After getting accepted into theatre school and starting my modelling career, I learned that I am not only super creative, I am also good at connecting with people. The way I learned to connect at theatre school gave me the confidence to start my own business. I have had to move a lot, and my life has always been nomadic. I turned down other opportunities and better paying jobs to keep the fire alive. Balancing personal and professional life is easy for me because the two are very intertwined — many of the professional creatives I work with are also close friends.

jan van vianen, van v media, helen siwak, portfolioyvr, fashion stylist, media manager, vancouver, bc, yvr, west coast influencer

PIVOTAL MOMENTS

There are three pivotal moments that have made me feel like I was on the right path: when I got invited to Paris Fashion Week, when I covered New York Fashion Week for Huf Magazine, and when I was recently asked to make content for a Drag Race winner. Moments like these made me realize how talented I am and how well connected I have fortunately become.

I remember thinking I would never be able to become a travel influencer; however, by designing a strategy to approach key properties in Europe that aligned with my values, I pitched a package that included deliverables on multiple fronts, and two hotels in Austria and Spain accepted. That was another moment where I truly felt I was aligned on my path.

The resulting stories were published across two issues (#36 and #37) of Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, an internationally respected, BC-based digital publication, and have since been viewed over 300,000 times in six months.

Working with the publication as an Ambassador has also opened doors for me, including opportunities to represent the brand at elevated events hosted by leading players across the beauty, health, wellness, hospitality, and luxury sectors while allowing me to connect with key marketing team members.

jan van vianen, van v media, helen siwak, portfolioyvr, fashion stylist, media manager, vancouver, bc, yvr, west coast influencer

LEADING WITH LOVE

The first real mentor in my life was my mother. Without her, I would not be as eccentric and outgoing as I am today. The second was my high school drama teacher, Mrs. O’Toole, who saw my creativity from a young age, invested in me, and was one of the first people to humble me and fully support my journey at the same time.

My leadership style has stayed the same. I always lead with love. That kindness has cost me in the past — I was too trusting and did not use contracts, and a photographer sold images from a project I organized and kept the profit. Because we had no written agreement, there was nothing I could do. I created a contract the very next day.

AUTHENTIC AND UNAPOLOGETIC

My current business model is more freelance. I love working with brands, businesses, and creators that loudly support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. My whole approach has always been to provide opportunities to marginalized people who would not normally get them. My motto is ‘live authentically and take up space unapologetically,’ and I want the work I produce to inspire others to do exactly that.

My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to always keep the flame alive, even when it feels impossible. Starting your own business is not for the faint of heart, and it takes a lot of time sitting in fear to get where you want to go. Sit in that fear, because it is only temporary, and do it anyway.”

Author Profile

Helen Siwak, Collaborator: This story is created in collaboration between Helen Siwak and the featured subject. As the founder and publisher of Portfolio.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine, Helen works closely with entrepreneurs to share their paths of innovation, resilience, and growth. Each story in this series is co-developed through interviews and first-person insights, blending authentic voices with Helen’s editorial expertise to highlight the remarkable individuals shaping British Columbia’s business landscape.