World Premiere Interview: Rickie Hall!!

Hello Ricki! Would you like to introduce yourself to my readers?

Ello, my name is Ricki Hall, I am 25 years old and I'm an English model living in London. I am signed with one of the top agencies In London, Nevs Model Agency.

Talk me through an average day in the life of you?

I wake up grumpy and sluggish, piss all over the toilet seat, throw some weetabix down me throat washed down with a strong sweet coffee and then sort my hair out, and then I'm out the door. If I'm shooting that day I will make my way to whatever studio or location I'm shooting at.

If I'm not shooting I will be looking through my emails to get the casting and Go-See addresses for that day that my agency sent me the night before. At the end of the day I will come home, play with myself and then drift soundly to sleep, after an episode of Only Fools and Horses obviously. 

Obviously...

Oh before we go any further I’m going to need your measurements please?
I'm 5,11, 36 chest, 29 waist and 8uk shoe. 

 

So how did you get into modelling? Did you always think growing up that you were more photogenic than your family and friends or were you scouted like?
I got scouted when I was in London meeting a friend by Laura Amy who is a model scout. I got sent to Nevs and they signed me straight away (I didn't have a beard at this point) and I had to move to London fairly quickly. I was still living in Wolverhampton working in my Dads motorbike shop! I was sofa surfing for a while and living in some right fucked up situations before finding home in Brixton.   

If you had to choose a favourite job that you have worked so far as a model, which one would you choose and why?

Awww mannn, I've worked on so many awesome jobs and shoots it’s hard for me to pick one. One that I will always remember is shooting The Shoes’ ‘Time to Dance' music video with Jake Gyllenhaal.
Name dropper! But carry on…

Meeting Jake was awesome and to shoot a scene with him in Hoxton was surreal. He chased me down the street rugby tackled me and stabbed me to death whilst on top of me. It was a pretty light hearted scene.

 Another was doing my first campaign for Lyle and Scott, it was just exciting to get a campaign under my belt and messing around in a nature reserve in August with fellow Nevs model Alex Libby (who is the curly haired one on Asos) was boss. Oh yeah the 3rd one I loved was shooting for NakedButSafe Magazine in Milan during Milan Fashion Week.

It was with fellow tattooed models Lawson-Rhys Taylor, Dawid Auguscik and Daniel Bamdad. It felt like mates just hanging out on holiday than an actual job. Loved that one. Harrods magazine was pretty sweet we were modelling their Watch collection and I was wearing a watch that cost more than a standard 3 bedroom house in the midlands. It came with its own security guard who had his eyes firmly glued on me just incase I felt a bit chancey and had it away on my toes. I wouldn't have though, obviously. Haha.  

What about a fellow model you cannot get enough of at the moment (and why)?

A model I can't get enough of is Alice Dellal for the fucking obvious reasons. Models I give a lot of respect to are Ash Stymest and Josh Beech as they introduced tattoos into the model industry in a big way. I loved that. Also my mate Jimmy Q (who tattooed my face) has such a look it almost hurts. We are shooting together later on this month with Rebecca Naen. It's gonna be a belter of a shoot. Keep your eyes peeled. 

If you could work with any photographer tomorrow you would choose...?  Terry Richardson, I don't even have to write anything else. 

   

How would you describe your style?

My style is quite minimal and relaxed. I am always in a good pair of skinny jeans, dr martens and a classic white tee teamed up with a crombie style coat with a nice pocket square. I always have posh pants on too. Usually Vivienne Westwood or Alexander McQueen. I suppose I have a big James Dean-esque look to me, I like the way I dress, it's effortlessly awesome.

And what do you think influences your style? Is it music, film, the London streets,  etc.
 I don't take influences from anywhere really, my style sometimes does take a nod towards This is England with a splash of Fred Perry here and there. I don’t try hard with my style if anything I'm really quite lax. I love that whole '5 minutes to get ready look' chuck ya posh pants on, throw your legs into your skinny jeans, Docs on and head through your tee and you're done.

I top it off with a few sprays of Comme Des Garçon, Wonderwood; it smells like a caveman has just speared a fucking dinosaur and cooked it on an open fire he has just made with his bare hands. Basically I smell like a Flintstones character, probably Barney.

I hope you don’t mind me saying but you used to be quite a big lad Ricki. What prompted the totally dramatic body transformation from gym thug to sample size thug with an en trend beard? It's a good look likes...

Yeah I weigh just under 10 stone now. When I was 20-22 I was massively into weight training and I was 13 stone. I was training 4 days a week heavily eating my parents out of house and home too. I blew up loads, I really enjoyed it, but after a while my clothes didn't fit well and I went off that bulbous look so I dieted down… Fast! I'm lucky I don't have any stretch marks. I lost the weight really quick and I'm glad I did it otherwise I wouldn't be doing the job I do today. I'm happy with my weight now and that's all that matters really. 

Let's talk tattoos. I have two, one on the inside of my arm which says Be Patient and Smile more in Portuguese, and another just above my crotch which reads Force Majeure. Which tattoo of yours are you most chuffed with?

You have nice cute ones.  I just have really random shapes and objects that are interesting to look at and are visually fun. There are no stories behind the majority of my tattoos. I’ve got a few ex-girlfriends names that I've had covered up and a tally chart about falling in and out of love (on my left hand above the coffin with R.I.P above it covering my ex-girlfriends name on my thumb.

How many do you have? I need an exact number.

Maaaate you're fucking kidding me, you want me to count every one of my tattoos, fuckssssake. Hang on 1,2,3,4......122, had to get my friend to help me with that. 

Jokes aside, your tattoos photograph beautifully it has to be said and for someone who has so many you don't seem to have one crappy looking one on your whole body. Do you actually regret any of your tattoos?

Aww thank you what a lovely thing to say, you're quite the cute gentleman sometimes ain't ya. I don't regret any, my tattoo Artist and close friend Zibi Dombek does all mine. I have never been unhappy with a single tattoo he has done for me. I go back home to Wolverhampton every 4 months or so to get tattooed and see my family. ZIBI is such a great bloke, couldn't ask for anything more.

What do you plan to have inked next? Maybes give me an exclusive!

Okay this is an exclusive, no one else knows about this. I'm having a massive stag across the whole of my chest. It is going to look so fuckin bad ass when it's done, I'm semi erect. EXCLUSIVE

So what does Ricki like to do for fun on a day off?

I actually get off at doing the washing up. I'm a domestic goddess. Put me in a room full of dirty plates and half an hour later they come out sparkling, happy as a pig in shit I am, I find it very therapeutic especially after a long tiring day. But when I'm not doing the dishes I'm sliding around Camden in the dark alleys dancing with the shadows, preying on the weak.
Nah, live bands and shit ;-). I've started running a lot too as I've recently given up drinking so I needed something to fill the void, either A-class drugs or running, I chose the latter. You can see me running over Brockwell Park most nights; I don't like the daytime by the way. I fucking love the dark, I feel safe in the night.

If you could be an animal for a day which animal would you be and why?

I'd be a fuckin shark, being all sharky and shit. Swimming about like he owns the joint, eating sexy lady swimmers and ruining any inflatable crocodile lilos and beach balls within a 5 mile radius. 

Your go-to song should you find yourself in a trashy karaoke bar?

Bonnie Tyler – ‘Holding Out for a Hero’. I will happily get slated for this but you and I both know that that is a naughty fucking song. "Where have all the good men gone!" Ha! 

Right there with you boy, with "Where's the street-wise Hercules, To fight the rising odds?" - so sick!  Take it away Bonnie!

What never fails to make you smile?

When I smell steak cooking or when a sizzling plate of fajitas gracefully floats passed me in a restaurant or an all you can eat shrimp place. Cat videos on YouTube kill me too. If I'm ever late that's why, "Where's Ricki?" "Oh he is watching cats looking at themselves in a mirror on YouTube..  he will be along shortly."