Spend just five minutes with Mia Regan and it becomes clear she’s not someone easily summed up. Best known for her modelling career and unique fashion sense, Regan speaks with an openness that feels disarmingly unguarded. She’s not here to perform a version of herself; she’s here to keep evolving. “Confidence is something you learn,” she says early in our conversation. And from where I sit now, it’s clear she never wants to stop learning.
She’s dialling in from her parents’ home in Wiltshire, where she’s spending the weekend catching up with family, though her backdrop—a raw chipboard wall, the kind you’d expect in an East London coffee shop—doesn’t give much away. Her newly dark hair falls in soft, undone waves. She’s wearing a royal blue hoodie and her nails are painted a rich burgundy. Her brother has been away, and now that he’s back, is the reason for her visit home. She smiles warmly when she tells me how close they are—”everyone jokes that we share a brain,” she says, and I wonder if her family is her grounding force.
There’s a calm air about 22-year-old Regan, a quiet thoughtfulness that isn’t always expected of someone whose career so often places them at the centre of attention. But if you’ve followed her journey, you’ll know she’s never been one to do things as expected.
At 14, Regan was scouted whilst attending The Clothes Show in Birmingham with her mum. “I think it happens for a lot of girls there,” she tells me. “When I look back, it’s interesting because [modelling] really wasn’t something I’d thought about—my life was all about netball (something Regan tells me she may have pursued professionally) and school. But I was very flattered. I’d always been interested in fashion, so there were no real reservations there. Even my parents were low-key about it; very ‘let’s see how it goes.'”
Together, they looked at a couple of agencies, but Storm Management seemed like the right fit for her. “It felt natural; everything just fell into place, to be honest, which I’m grateful for! I didn’t really overthink it—my life goal wasn’t set on modelling.” Clearly, Regan has good instincts, as she’s still with the agency eight years later.
Social media, once an afterthought, became something more, too. “At that time [of being scouted], content creation wasn’t really a thing. However, the more it became [that way] the more passionate about posting on social media I was,” she says. “I had always put a lot of effort into anything creative, like art, and it felt natural to move into that space, too, posting things I loved.” At the time of writing, her Instagram account, @mimimoocher (a blend of two nicknames she had growing up), has a surplus of 597,000 followers. Needless to say, she knows what it feels like to be in the spotlight, something that was amplified during her relationship with Romeo Beckham, whom she dated for five years before they went their separate ways in 2024. I’m interested to know how she copes with this attention and what helps to keep her grounded.
(Image credit: Toby Coulson Styling: Poncho and hat, William Palmer; Boots, All-In)
“I’ve always stayed really, really close with all the girls that I went to school with and grew up with,” she explains. “They are my closest people, they’ve known me forever and genuinely, nothing changed there. As for anyone who knows me from my work or my social media, they’ve all just been very sweet and encouraging. I’ve had a very positive experience.”
Regan’s creativity is something you can sense in everything she does—especially what she wears. “When I first started [on] social media and it gained a little bit of traction, [my style] was very colourful, very playful and graphic,” she explains. “That was at the time when we were all locked down [because of COVID], and people were craving colour and a bit of fun. I definitely was, so I dressed that way.”
She was particularly interested in championing small businesses and designers. “I feel like the independent brands I loved were being really playful at the time—everyone was very invested in that aesthetic,” she remembers. “But then I think, the older you get, the more like your mum you become,” she laughs. “It’s funny, but it’s true. My mum wears a lot of muted colours; her style is quite archival and classy—she’s very chic. And I’ve started to [emulate] her—I’ve swayed towards really earthy, neutral, muted tones, and it’s made me feel more comfortable in my own style.”
As a model, Regan has worked with some of the biggest names in fashion, including Gucci, H&M, Puma and Victoria Beckham, but she’s always been keen to keep her experience authentic. When I ask what expectations she had of the fashion industry when she first started, she pauses. “I genuinely didn’t really have any expectations,” she says. “I just loved fashion for what it was. That said, I learn so many things every day [about the] fashion world, especially when it comes to travelling. Whether it’s Milan, Paris or all around the world, you learn things about life and about yourself.
“For anyone [who] thinks [fashion] will be one way or the other, you really take what is given—you take from it what you want and can block the rest out,” she says. “I just love the creative side of it; being playful and having fun.”
One of the most fulfilling aspects of Regan’s recent career has been working closely with stylist Harry Lambert, who dresses the likes of Harry Styles and Emma Corrin. “Harry is great, he and his team are amazing,” she says. “One of the main things I’ve taken from him is his work ethic—he gives 100% in every project he works on. And I think that’s really important because there might be certain projects that you view as more important or whatever, but he is 100% invested in everything he takes on. He’s inspiring to watch—his knowledge about the fashion world is really impressive.”
Regan radiates when she talks about the shoots they’ve done together. “We’ve done a few now, and it’s always exciting. I’m always like, ‘Oh my god, this is happening—I can’t wait to see what Harry puts me in next.’ Everything we’ve worked on has been so fun—playing with the makeup, changing characters. Like the Who What Wear shoot; it was serious one minute and then fun the next, with people trying to make me laugh.” It’s clear that for Regan, modelling allows her to express herself in myriad ways. “It really is like a dream—playing dress-up, getting to be different versions of myself. It’s empowering.”
But Regan’s creative energy extends well beyond the lens. She recently took on an expanded role with sportswear brand On, directing and producing an entire campaign. “I’ve had a lot of fun working with On this year,” she says. “It felt very special because of my sporting background; it felt like a very personal project because of that. To go from high-end fashion to something sporty has felt quite natural for me because [sport] is what I’ve been doing since I was young.”
The campaign was a full-circle moment. “The [On] team has given me a lot of creative freedom on our projects—the campaign that’s coming out soon, I art directed it [and] cast it and Grace [Roger, Regan’s longtime manager] and I produced it,” she says. “Being involved from start to finish, across the whole thing, was really the most valuable experience.”
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Regan describes the project as something of a professional turning point. “Genuinely, the whole thing was just a big learning curve. We’d never done it before, and we just kind of threw ourselves into the deep end. In hindsight, it’s actually quite hilarious that [we] managed to pull that off,” she says, with a laugh. “But I would say there was something really special about the casting process and meeting so many people and speaking with them about their passion for the project, too.” And the biggest lesson? “Understanding what a project like this means to the people who work on it,” she says. “I wouldn’t change anything. It was hard, hard work, but that was part of the process.”
I ask if creative direction is something Regan sees herself pursuing in the future. “Absolutely,” she says. “The first creative-direction project I did was with Balmain years and years ago, and that really gave me a taste for it. Since then, it’s always been something I wanted to do more of. Having just done [my project with] On, I do feel like it’s something that comes naturally; I’m constantly looking for inspiration, being curious about things, so it seems to suit me.”
I get the feeling that Regan is the sort of person who doesn’t mind taking risks, that she’s open to throwing herself into something and isn’t afraid to work hard to make it work. I tell her as much. “I mean, thank you! I guess, yes, I would like to think that about myself. Work ethic and being prepared to work hard is something I learnt very early on [from] being so invested in sports. It really set me up for the future.
“Let’s face it: [fashion and modelling] is a bit of a strange job and things can sometimes get a bit blurry professionally, but I always think it’s best to put your all into everything you work on, because at the end of the day, this is a career. I find it cathartic putting my all into every project. And, like I was saying, seeing Harry [Lambert] do the same—showing up and doing your best in this industry goes a long way.”
I ask how she reconnects with herself after pouring so much energy into her work. “I’m really lucky in that I haven’t experienced severe burnout before,” she says thoughtfully. “I know a lot of people who have. I try to see every day and every job as inspiration for the next. It helps that I have the support network I do. But I suppose you never really do ‘switch off’, [so]it’s important for me to find moments of peace in my routine, which helps me to have that healthy balance. I’m quite an extrovert. I’ve come to the conclusion that I get a lot of my energy from other people. Though, it has to be the right kind of people. I also like having a little diary to put my thoughts to paper and to scribble. That’s an easy way for me to offload anything internal I’m working through.”
For being the age she is, Regan feels incredibly centred, though she’s quick to say this attribute doesn’t feel specific to her. “I would say, with my generation, people my age, we kind of have to be clued up. And I’m actually really impressed by the people in my generation—they are really articulate and can hold their own in a lot of conversations. Conversations are important.”
When she’s not working, though this seems like a rarity, Regan often finds herself in nature. “I enjoy going on really long walks and listening to podcasts with people speaking about anything they’re passionate about,” she says. “For me, going to the Brecon Beacons or anything like a proper hiking trip where you’re stripped of anything comfortable is the ultimate reset.”
Her love of trekking has taken her as far as Nepal, where, last year, she summited Mera Peak alongside her dad, brother, godfather and close family friends, including manager Grace Roger. She tells me the trip was transformative in ways she didn’t fully expect. “It was just the most incredible experience,” Regan says, her voice softening as she recalls it. “My dad and I hiked to Ama Dablam base camp the year before, which is right next to Everest, but Mera Peak was a completely different ball game. The altitude alone is really hard on the body—there’s something like 30% oxygen and it was -34ºC. What your body goes through is unbelievable.”
What surprised her, though, was how deeply connected she became to the people she met there, particularly their Sherpa, Tendi, whom she also trekked Ama Dablem with. “Tendi is just incredible,” she says. “He’s a mountaineering guide who’s summited Everest something like 16 times. He’s so calm, so kind, so eloquent. We kind of fell in love with him, to be honest. You couldn’t not.” It was through Tendi that Regan began to understand more about the risks that Sherpas face every time they guide a trek. “Many of the Sherpas lose their lives whilst working in the mountains, often leaving their families with very little support,” she explains.
After returning from Nepal, Regan, Roger and her father felt compelled to do something more lasting. “Tendi had already set up the Tendi Sherpa Foundation, and once we came back from that trip, it just felt like the most natural thing to get involved,” she explains. “Now, the three of us are joint chairs of the charity.”
The foundation’s mission is personal to all of them. “It’s about supporting the Sherpa families who have lost loved ones whilst working as mountain guides,” Regan explains. “The foundation raises funds for vital initiatives like education for children, building bridges to improve transport links in remote areas and making sure these communities are supported in really practical, meaningful ways.”
The work has become a major focus for Regan, who is now looking at how to bring together her professional network to support the cause. “One of the things I really want to do is organise treks across Nepal and invite people from the fashion industry and creative fields to take part,” she says. “I want them to see how beautiful Nepal is, but also to understand the vital work the foundation is doing.”
For Regan, the foundation represents a way to honour the connection she’s found to Nepal and its people—particularly Tendi. “Tendi’s approach to life is beautiful,” she says, with admiration. “He always says, ‘It’s not about the summit, it’s about the whole journey.’ And that’s how I want to live my life, too.”
(Image credit: Toby Coulson)
Photographer: Toby Coulson
Stylist: Harry Lambert
Hair Stylist: Liz Taw
Makeup Artist: Celia Burton
Manicurist: Michelle Class
Editor in Chief: Hannah Almassi
Art Director: Natalia Szytk
Executive Director, Entertainment: Jessica Baker
Editor: Maxine Eggenberger
Video: Jonathan Middleton
Video Editor: Natasha Wilson
Photography Assistant: Ollo Weguelin
Styling Assistant: Naomi Phillips, Ella Bacon
With thanks to Storm Management.