World Premiere Interview: David Gandy: World's Famous Male Model

Is there more to male modeling than being really, really ridiculously good looking? Last month I flew to Miami to interview 39-year-old David Gandy, one of the most famous and highest paid male models in the world, to find out. Like his female supermodel counterparts, Gandy’s success runs the gamut from international runways and campaigns for iconic fashion houses to photoshoots with legendary photographers and a massive billboard in Times Square. Since 2006, he has been loyal to Dolce & Gabbana specifically their Light Blue Pour Homme fragrances, which he’s been the face of for nearly a decade. In honor of the brand’s latest aquatic scent, Light Blue Swimming in Lipari (think crisp, masculine notes like sea salt, mandarin, dry woods, and musk), I met up with the British model seaside to discuss male grooming, man buns, dad bods, fashion faux pas, and what makes male models tick. 

What are the biggest misconceptions about male models?

David Gandy: Oh, where do I start? I could spend about half an hour on this subject. I’ve even written for Vogue and GQ and the Daily Telegraph in London and in any article I’ve written and it’s trying to change that perception. The only thing people have seen is  Zoolander, so people have that perception that we’re not very intelligent. That’s one reason I diversified into writing and my own brands — I’ve tried to make fashion and modeling a little more tangible. It gives insight into an industry that’s a little bit mysterious.

There are so many female models that girls can identify and know by name, but there are very few well-known male models. Why do you think that is? And how did you set yourself apart?

I think we were always told, “This is your limitations, you’re never going to earn as much as the women,” and I looked at that and I thought, “Well that’s wrong.” We’re in the same campaigns, we’re in the same coverage, and no one was really building a brand. There are so many models out there that you really have to differentiate yourself from them all, and of course we’re not just against male models — we are up against the biggest male stars in the world. So you have to bring something extra to that. I saw it as a business, and I read up on how Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington and all these guys who are still my influences,  and said, “Where can we take that for male modeling?”

How did you get started?

David: Oh, the early days. I was at university and a housemate of mine, without my knowing, sent in some pictures to a television program. It wasn’t like an “X-Factor” or anything — it was a very small competition on morning television. So, I went on and won, and carried on from there. I didn’t start out doing much at all, because I was the freak in the modeling industry. Everything was very androgynous — the tall, skinny Dior guys were in at the time and I was quite a big guy. But fashion goes around in circles, so I knew the masculine guy would come back in style. I started working with Dolce. In 2005 I got the apparel line, and then Light Blue in 2006. Eight years later here we are.

As your career has grown, do you ever have moments that still blow you away like seeing your face on a billboard in Times Square?

Which I never got to see.

Oh, no way!

Yeah I was in London, but I had friends sending me pictures. Times Square would’ve been very special to see. There are some people who go find themselves [on a billboard] and take a selfie, but I’ve never really been that sort of person. I’m very critical and I sort of see it as another person, it’s my job and my persona. But I do pinch myself all the time about the people I get to meet and the locations, and everything really.

In the early days did you ever have to do anything that you weren’t totally comfortable with or anything embarrassing?

Oh, of course, and the thing is it never goes away! With digital and the internet, you can shoot something 10 years ago that will appear once you get famous, so you have to be very careful. I was never shy about walking off a shoot or saying I didn’t want to do something. A lot of people take it very, very seriously, but we’re not saving lives here. We’re not brain surgeons. It’s fashion and we should all just feel very privileged at the end of the day that we get to be here and live the life we do.

You’re obviously quite stylish after so long in the industry. What are some mistakes that you think men make when it comes to fashion?

My friends are always saying there’s so many ways that men can go wrong. I think being an individual is good. I don’t think men should be afraid to experiment or worry that it looks wrong — if you have the confidence then you can pull it off. There might be trends on the catwalk and that’s fine, but it might not suit you. So find out what suits you, and find out what you like. What’s your inspiration? It doesn’t have to be from the catwalk this season, it could be from the catwalk five seasons ago, it could be Paul Newman, it could be Steve McQueen.

Sometimes guys can overdo it with cologne. How and when do you wear it?

I wear it all the time. I have different ones for different times of day. I’ve always loved Light Blue. It sounds a bit cliche, but it’s good memories for me because it was my first really big campaign. I first smelled the fragrance on a speedboat with Mario Testino going over to Capri. I still love that fragrance. I like citrusy fresh in the summer, and then in the evenings or winter I wear something a little bit darker and a little bit deeper like the velvet range from Dolce and the leather [look for Dolce & Gabbana's Exotic Velvet Leather coming this fall]. I absolutely adore those fragrances.

Guys are becoming so much more interested in grooming, too, with their hair and their beards. Do you have any tips for grooming?

In the summer, the biggest thing is to look after your skin with sun care. That’s important especially in the U.K. — we’re useless at this. We don’t have any sun throughout the year and then we all go mad the first day that there is sun. Also I think men need more education on what each product does like a serum and a scrub, and I’ve only really just learned. You use a scrub to get all the dead skin off and then the moisturizing serums can do their work. I’m getting older now so I know all about this, but a good moisturizer and a good rose oil — something like that, very simple.

The new thing for guys this summer is the man bun, have you seen this?

Wow. That’s a new one on me. I’m going to have to Google it. Man bun? [Types into his laptop]

Yeah, I think Jared Leto is one of the people who started the trend.

He’s an individual, so he can get away with the man bun. [Looks at photos online] So this is it?

Yup, this is the new thing. And I’ve talked to stylists who say guys will come in asking how to get the look. You can’t exactly grow your hair overnight.

You know, the person who kind of started this is [David] Beckham. He didn’t do the bun, but he did have long hair pulled back. It’s a trend. You know every guy here has their hair in a bun and is trying to have a beard, but it will all change. My hair just grows out, so my hair bun would just be huge.

OK, the other thing people are talking about is dad bod.

OK, I have to Google this one.

The idea behind it is guys who are dads and let themselves go a little…but some guys have dad bods when they’re not dads.

Oh, is this Jon Hamm? Are they saying that Don Draper has a dad bod? If Don Draper has a dad bod, then I’m happy I’m going that way. But I kind of know what they mean.

Would you ever get to a point in your life where you won’t care so much about staying in amazing shape and rock a dad bod?

Well, some people think I have been doing it as a vanity thing, but I’ve always played sports for as long as I can remember, so I’ve always trained. And when you train you have a better body. And that’s how Light Blue came about because I was always training and always bigger and they were looking for a more athletic, masculine guy with a decent body and all the other guys had the scrawny little bodies. But don’t get me wrong, I used to be able to change my body in two weeks, and now that I’m 39 it takes a month or six weeks. My dad is 69 and still eating well and playing lots of sports and changing his diet if he needs to. So he’s sort of my example. But if Leonardo DiCaprio and Don Draper have dad bods, then that’s not a bad way to go. Thank you, you’ve educated me now to man buns and dad bods.

Great, now you’re all ready to go.