Model Call: SuperModel Filip Hrivnak

Model Call: Filip Hrivnak

I sat down with in-demand Slovak male model Filip Hrivnak to get the scoop on his story of overnight success.

The skyrocketing career of today’s most in-demand Slovak male model, Filip Hrivnak, is a story of overnight success: The ex-hockey player turned Versace boy and Mert & Marcus sweetheart has been modeling for only two years. Hrivnak’s professional portfolio includes editorials for W, GQ and Vogue Hommes International, to name a few. Though his career has taken on global reach, his hometown remains the Slovak capital of Bratislava, where his agency Exit is based. My Assistant Tia and I  met up with Hrivnak in Prague for the closing runway presentation at Mercedes-Benz Prague Fashion Weekend.

 How did you start modeling?

Filip Hrivnak: As a teenager, I never thought I would become a model and I definitely never planned for that. I mainly focused on hockey but when I got injured, I took a break from sports and decided to try my luck by contacting the model agency Exit. They signed me and a month later I was opening the Givenchy show and got booked for their look book. From that point on the avalanche of requests began.

 What was your first big job?

F.H.: I definitely owe my career to Mert & Marcus. They booked me for my first big editorial in W magazine, called “Supernormal Supermodels.” We shot for 10 hours in London and I got to work with Kate Moss, who was very sweet. The next day I got booked for a Vogue Hommes International cover.

 What do you consider your biggest professional success so far?
F.H.: I loved working with Steven Klein and Lara Stone on the editorial “Love Machine,” in the February 2015 issue of W magazine. Lara is a genuine person and in many ways she’s not a typical model. I find her very feminine and beautiful. My biggest job yet was the last Versace campaign.

 Did you have a chance to meet Donatella?

F.H.: Yes, I did and I really enjoyed her presence during the shoot. We didn’t discuss fashion at all. She just asked me questions about Slovakia and about the area where I’m from.

Have you always been aware of your appeal?
F.H.: I know this will sound very cocky, but girls always liked me, so I am guessing this is where my self-confidence came from.

 How do you keep in shape?
F.H.: When I have spare time, I do all kinds of sports such as football, swimming and tennis.

Who is your professional icon?
F.H.: I would say the model Simon Nessman is my icon. At the beginning of my career, people nicknamed me “baby Nessman” and some people from the industry also said our personalities were similar. We share the same agency in New York and Milan. I met him once at a dinner and after meeting him in person I realized we don’t look alike at all, although our character’s similarity is pretty true indeed.

Is there anything you would like to change about the modeling industry?

F.H.: I would appreciate it if the rates were equal for male and female modeling.

How do you feel about nudity?
F.H.: I am OK with underwear but I guess that’s my limit and everyone respects that. When shooting for E! with Steven Klein, he wanted me to take my briefs off but in the end he respected my decision. I don’t consider myself shy, but I like to keep certain boundaries.

Are you active on social media?
F.H.: Nowadays it’s a must for a model to be active on Instagram for professional reasons and I personally like the fact that I can show who I really am outside the studio and off the runway. I don’t mind sharing parts of my personal life. Interestingly enough, I’ve received a few commercial “product placement” offers for my Instagram profile.

What do you consider the most common stereotype about male models?
F.H.: Most people outside our industry think all male models are gay. I find it funny because the vast majority of the male models I know are actually straight. From my experience I sense that clients also seem to prefer straight models.

 Is there any brand you would love to model for?
F.H.: Calvin Klein! Thus far I have only walked his runway shows and my dream is to become a CK underwear or fragrance model. I’m a big fan of the Calvin Klein clothing line too. I would also like to model for Hugo Boss.

Which city do you consider your favorite?
F.H.: I am definitely not a big-city boy. I’ve found that on my travels, Paris is my favorite place to work in, although the spirit of New York City is one of a kind. For my job I’ve already had to move from my hometown to Bratislava and I would consider moving to Prague, but I guess that’s the furthest I’d move.

 Can you picture yourself being a father and having a family?

F.H.: I feel totally ready for it and I hope by the time I turn 27 that I will have my own little soccer player.

Exclusive Interview with Antonio Navas: GQ Male Model of the Year!

When Antonio Navas was handing out flyers on la Rambla in Barcelona 2 years ago he was approached by a New York photographer asking him if he would please come join him and his colleagues for a drink, to talk about the possibility of Antonio to go to New York and sign with a model agency there. Antonio who at that time never even thought one second about the possiblity of modelling told his mom about this encounter. She told him to go to the best model agency for male models: Sight Management, and see whether there was a chance of him becoming a model. 

There they took a good look at him, took some polaroids of his face and body and sent them out to potential clients and with success, a few days later he was on a plane for his first job as a model.

Now we are 2 years, numerous campaigns, catwalks and editorials further and he just received his first award: The GQ Model of the Year Award!

Congratulations Antonio!
– Thanks so much! It’s truly an honour to have received such a prestigious prize, I’m very happy with it!

You told me the amazing story about how you became a model, how did you experience the first job you did as a model?
– My first job was a shoot for a catalogue. Of course I was quite nervous and insecure, not knowing one thing about how these things work. Everything comes with experience and little by little you get used to it and learn how to deal with all the aspects of this career.

What were these things that you had to get used to in your career?
– Well, you need to be able to act any mood and atmosphere that they want you to. You have to show yourself a lot, and you can’t be shy and timid. They create a story and you are the main character. Also, you are your own marketing manager. If a client likes you and liked working with you, they will book you again. If they didn’t like and if you can’t bring the story alive that they wanted you to, they won’t book you again. Also you need to learn to be alone, and to be available whenever they call you for a job.

 Luckily I’ve met a lot of really nice people and I’ve made a lot of friends. These make e.g. the Fashion Weeks a lot of fun, because you can hang out with friends backstage, do the shows together and enjoy the time together in different cities. The travelling I get to do because of this job is great. I’ve been to places I never imagined going and have shot on amazing locations.

How are photo shoots generally directed?

– It depends on who the shooting is for and what the style of the shooting is. For an editorial they have a clear idea of what they want to achieve, but both the photographer and the model(s) always have space to take it into another direction and play around with the initial set up. For campaigns and catalogues you have to be more strict to what the clients wants.

Shoots or shows?
– Shows of course  Like I said, it’s a lot of fun because you do the shows with people you know and backstage you can have fun together. You put on different outfits, walk back and forth and that’s it. Of course the castings and the fittings can be very time consuming. You can be there with 50 other guys waiting to show your portfolio and do a test walk. But when you have done a certain show before and they liked you, it also happens that they book you without having to come to the casting. One thing that can be a bit frustrating is when several clients book you for their show, but the shows are either at the same time or so close to one another that you can’t do both, so you end up missing out on jobs.

Put these factors in order of importance for becoming a successful model: The right looks, hard work, luck
– 1. Luck   2.The right looks   3. Hard work
It doesn’t matter how hard you work if you aren’t lucky or  don’t have the right looks. Nobody likes your look until you do a certain campaign and all of sudden they see you in a different way, which is why you have to be lucky to get the right jobs at the right time.

How do you experience working closely together with other models in shoots?
– You do it as your job, so it’s all about acting and creating the atmosphere that the client wants. You just have keep in mind that it is a job you have to do together, nothing more or less.

Thank you for your time being interviewed on my blog!

Interview with Dionisio Heiderscheid

International Gay Porn Star, and

 Runway Model  Interview

You’ve done over 15 movies for Raging Stallion and for Black Scorpion. You’re now an exclusive for Raging Stallion, how was this transition between Black Scorpion and Raging?

D.O.: Yes, I believe I’ve done 16 movies. My first steps were with Black Scorpion Video and now with Raging Stallion and Falcon. It was great to start with Black Scorpion because they were new in the business and so was I, so I felt very comfortable in all senses. They wanted to make beautiful movies in great locations with the hottest models, and there I was taking the main flag of the company and using all that I knew to seduce them and the audience. It was a great experience. They made me feel like a real star. Now, with Chris Ward, I just feel I am the best performer in the industry ever. He took me on a non-stop trip to the top.

You looked smoother and younger with Black Scorpion. With Raging, you grew a beard, you stopped shaving your body, you look more masculine and tough, is it something that you’ve wanted to do, were these changes planned?

D.O.: I like changing all the time, from my look, to my work, but when it comes from feelings and my people, I never change. My people from Argentina, my family and boyfriend will be around me as long as I can keep them with me. But, yes, they asked to me to let my hair grow out and I accepted in a heartbeat.

Is there a difference between shooting for Raging Stallion and shooting for Black Scorpion?

D.O.: Well, Raging Stallion is all about hard sex and all the fetish, Black Scorpion was about being beautiful and having fun in a great location with a great team of models. That’s why at the time both of the companies were working so close, because they have different oriented targets.

So far, what would you say is what you consider to be your best movie or scene?

D.O.: From Black Scorpion, I would say Sex Hiker, and from the last year with Raging Stallion, I love my scene from Giants Part 1 with Francesco D’Macho and Logan McCree. They’re the hottest performers ever.

What really made you want to work in the porn industry in the first place?

D.O.: I was looking for a radical change. And I decided to go to the edge and take the risk in the adult entertainment. Why porn?  Because I’m a big porn consumer and I knew there was a big professional industry waiting for me out there, and I had all I needed to be a number one in the business. So, I came to NY to take my chances. And, here I am with the best porn company contract ever, the best directors, V.I.P. treatment and with all the freedom to decide what I want or don’t want to do.

Why have you decided to become an exclusive?

D.O.: Because being an exclusive gives me the right situation to get what I want: a professional environment and the possibility to get to the top with the support of a big company.

Your first scenes were for Black Scorpion, were you nervous at the time, how did it go for you on the set, with other actors, etc.?

D.O.: Everything was new for them to. So, as I was a main stream fashion model and TV host, they give me all I wanted to make me feel that I was just shooting just another TV spot, but naked with a bunch of hot models. After being a fashion model and on a TV show for three years on mainstream TV in Argentina, everyone was expecting me to step into regular acting or hosting another show, but for me that was like being stuck in the same place forever without the chance to experience different situations around the world.

In general, what can you tell us about your experience in the porn industry so far?

D.O.: In my case, it was kind of easy and very productive, because I had a professional background, and I really knew how to use it to my benefit. So, everyone treated me with such a respect that it really surprised me, and I’m very, very thankful for that.

Do your friends and family in Argentina know that you’re doing gay porn, and what do they think of it?

D.O.: Of course! The day I decided to have my first experience (in porn) I went to my mom’s house and told her. She is an architect and teacher in the national university for almost 30 years, and both of my sisters teach too.  My father died when I was 11, he was an architect too.  I always say that we are what we feel inside, not what we do for a living. They knew that I decided to do this because I’d find the right ways to do it, without losing my integrity as a human being while respecting my feelings and being professional as I always was.  I can totally say I have the greatest family and friends in the whole world, because if after this they stay with me, they trust and respect me WITHOUT A DOUBT!

You’re from South America. For the last 5 or 6 years, we’ve seen a lot of gay actors coming from Latin America, doing porn as never before. What, in your opinion, changed the trend and made it possible for young Latinos to start doing porn in the US and in Europe?

D.O.: Well I don’t think it is a new thing just In South America. In fact, once I went to the US and Europe, I realized how big the industry was around the world, and the adult business is getting big in Latin America as well.

You’ve done 2 military themed movies with Raging (Night Maneuvers and Don’t Ask, Just Fuck), is the military theme something that you’ve liked to explore?

D.O.: Not really.  I like all scenarios!

You have done some vanilla with Black Scorpion and some rougher stuff (military) with Raging Stallion, but what kind of other kinky stuff would you eventually do if asked?

D.O.: I like romantic and hardcore too, depending on the partner and the chemistry on set.

What is your favorite position?

D.O.: Legs up, down, on the side, knees. It always depends.

What would be your dream scene, your fantasy come true? And who would be your dream partner, is there an actor that you’d really want to shoot with?

D.O.: I have done more than one fantasy with this job, believe me!!!  Just watch my latest movies J

Finally, you’ve said that you’re in a monogamous relationship with your boyfriend for about 4 years, how do you reconcile your porn career with your personal life?

D.O.: I met my boyfriend at the same time I was planning all this, and he made it clear: “You are much more than what you do for a living.”  So, it was love at first sight, and we are like a regular, common and normal couple, because he knows I’m just doing work, this is my job. And like my family, he trusts and respects me.   All real, great relationships are about trust and respect.  And here we are, about to celebrate our 5-year anniversary.

Tell us a bit about the latest projects you’re doing?

D.O.: Last December I released my first book, FREEDOM. It really represents me. It is a coffee table book, where 20 photographers were able to create with me an exclusive portfolio and express their self through me as the subject.  I’m raising the money to help in HIV research. In the next weeks, I’m about to release the second Book named “THE HOT VERSION” with all the sexiest photos from all of the photographers. 

My boyfriend and I also have a restaurant in Buenos Aires, where people can enjoy our special menu twice a week. We change the menu every weekend, and we have the best Argentinian cuisine and international dishes. We make our own bread (not that I have personally made it)  and the place is so cute.   

All my best for all of you and the fans, and thank you so much for being interested in what I’m doing!

David Gandy:Male SuperModel at 40

In a world of increasing division and hostility, there remains one thing people of all ages, religions and sexes can agree on: David Gandy is hot AF. 

Thankfully, the male supermodel's 40th birthday today (19 February) ample excuse to delve into commendably clothes-free fashion back catalogue.

You might not recognize the name, but you've definitely seen him. Or, stared at him.David Gandy is a British model who was the go-to for designers at Dolce & Gabbana for many years. He was considered for the role of Christian Grey in 50 Shades of Grey and, as you can see, they made an enormous mistake passing him over for Jamie Dornan, who will always look way more like a boy than a man --- in my humble opinion, of course.But, let's do have a moment to appreciate the tall, dark and handsome David on his special day.

David James Gandy was born in Billericay, Essex, England, to Brenda Janet (Rabey) and Christopher A. Gandy, who ran a property and freight company. He is of English, and some Scottish, descent. After winning a television modeling competition at the age of 21, David Gandy was signed to Select Model Management in London. Selected as the lead male by Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana, David starred in numerous D & G campaigns and runway shows between 2006 and 2012. He became best-known as the face of their fragrance, "Light Blue". The duo featured Gandy in two special projects: their 2008 Calendar and "David Gandy by Dolce & Gabbana," a 280-page photographic book dedicated to their six years of collaboration.

Once David achieved international name recognition, he diversified into other activities such as regularly writing a blog for British Vogue and car reviews for British GQ. Twice Gandy has represented British style and the men's fashion industry as a speaker at the Oxford Union. In 2012, he was appointed to serve on the British Fashion Council's Committee for London Collections: Men.

Spanish Glamour awarded David "Most Beautiful International Male" in 2008. British Fashion Council has nominated him for "Model of the Year" twice: 2010 and 2012. During the Closing Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, he was the only male to model British fashion alongside Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and other female models. In 2012 and again in 2013, Gandy was included in the Evening Standard's "1,000 Most Influential People in London." British GQ has repeatedly named him one of the "50 Best Dressed Men in Britain."

David's other pursuits include racing in the Mille Miglia, creating two mobile apps (the David Gandy Men's Style Guide and the David Gandy Fitness Guide) and charity work with Battersea Dogs & Cats Home as their first celebrity Ambassador. Gandy also launched his own non-profit foundation, the "Blue Steel Appeal" to raise money for Red Nose Day/Comic Relief.

Birth Date: February 19, 1980
Birthplace: Billericay, Essex
Country of origin: United Kingdom

Height: 6’3″
Waist: 32″
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue

Death of A Male Model, Tales Soares: Autopsy Report

Tales Soares Autopsy Report: Model had Undiagnosed Heart Condition

An autopsy has determined that Brazilian model Tales Soares tragically died last April from an undiagnosed heart condition. The 26-year-old collapsed as he walked the runway during Sao Paulo Fashion Week.Also known by his true name Tales Cotta, Soares was a rising star in the modeling world. During Sao Paulo Fashion Week, he was working for the fashion house Ocksa when he suddenly took ill. Physicians suspect Soares may have been sick prior to his death and that this may have exacerbated his condition.

The Sun reported that Soares’ autopsy findings were presented by the Legal Medical Forensic Institute which determined the probable cause of death was heart disease leading to acute pulmonary edema. Pulmonary edema is the accumulation of fluid in the air spaces around the lungs. The condition results from congestive heart failure. “Tales had a heart disease that perhaps the model himself did not know he had,” the report revealed.

There was initial speculation that Soares’ death may have been caused by substance abuse or anorexia however, no drugs or alcohol were found in his system and there was no indication of any eating disorders. Soares’ family disputed the allegations, saying that he had an excellent diet, studied yoga and enjoyed Crossfit. “I want to clarify these untruths that they are saying about him, drugs or anorexia – this is not true,” sister Alexandra Soares said.

“My son was a ‘golden’ boy. He had no vices. I’m really going to miss him,” mother Heloisa Cotta said. Cotta revealed that she regularly asked her son if he was eating enough and would quiz him about his health. During one of their last conversations, he made it clear that there was plenty of food provided backstage during each show and he was feeling fine.

Soares’ agency, BASE MGT, released a statement defending their client which stated that he had always exhibited “exemplary behavior,” and had never complained about any health problems. “He maintained a healthy diet (he was vegetarian), did not use illicit substances and was in full condition to participate in the fashion show.”

Soares’ agent Rogerio Campaneli said the handsome model had undergone a physical just prior to the show and no medical problems were detected. Campaneli told FocusOne News that doctors who watched the video immediately suspected an undetected congenital heart condition. “From videos, they believe he died on the catwalk,” he said, adding, “It was all so fast; he kissed a friend behind the scenes who was following him, walked out confidently as usual, then suddenly stumbled, lost his footing and fell,” he added.

Many audience members assumed Soares’ fall was part of the show, as he pivoted on the runway, then stumbled and collapsed as the other models calmly continued to walk by. Some spectators thought he’d accidentally tripped over the long ribbon laces on his shoes.

It wasn’t until Soares began to foam at the mouth that horrified onlookers realized something was terribly wrong. Video of the episode captured Soares collapse. Attendees can be heard gasping as paramedics ran onto the stage to help the fallen model. The report from paramedics who treated Soares said he was unconscious and in cardiac arrest when they transported him to the hospital and that attempts to use a defibrillator and perform CPR were unsuccessful.

Soares had just finished a video chat with his mother Heloisa and sister Gabrielle Gomes before stepping out onto the stage. The two women were watching the show in their home in Manhuacu, approximately 500 miles away from Sao Paulo. Gabrielle said that he told both women he was well and had just finished eating a carrot.”

They witnessed Soares make his way down the catwalk but did not see him return. The broadcast abruptly ended. “My mother called to find out what was going on, they said that Tales had taken ill and had been hospitalized,” Gomes recalled. Soon after, the family was notified of his death.

Sao Paulo Fashion Week organizers initially considered canceling the remainder of the show, however, the designers and models agreed it would be best to continue the event and honor their friend. Soares’ fellow models paid tribute to him at each show by having a moment of silence and holding signs that said “LUTO” (MOURNING) and “AMOR” (LOVE).

Girlfriend  Fernanda Rosa  also posted tributes online. “Hi my little being full of light and joy, I wanted to go on to say that you will always be in my heart. You took a little piece of each of us, but as always, generous, left a little of yours,” she wrote.

“May God welcome you with open arms! Life is definitely a catwalk, we’re just passing through! Very Sad!” the Sao Paulo Fashion Week organizers posted in Portuguese on Instagram after Soares’ death. “He will be forever in our hearts and memory,” they added.