{"id":56613,"date":"2019-11-06T20:38:35","date_gmt":"2019-11-07T01:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/models.com\/mdx\/?p=56613"},"modified":"2019-11-19T17:07:08","modified_gmt":"2019-11-19T22:07:08","slug":"future-faces-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/models.com\/mdx\/future-faces-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet 16 of this year\u2019s breakout men"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"cover\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/XU_IMG-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56627\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/XU_IMG-8.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/XU_IMG-8-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"covertitle\">\nMeet 16 of this Year\u2019s Breakout Men<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n#cover {position:relative;padding:10%;margin:30px auto;text-align:center;}\n#covertitle {position: absolute;font-family:'Neue Haas Unica W01',helvetica,sans-serif;\n  bottom: 20%;\n  width: 80%;\n  color: white;\n  font-size: 4rem;}\n#cover img {max-width:1280px;}\n#introbox,#footerbox {max-width:1280px;margin:auto;}\n#introbox,#footerbox {clear:both;font-family:'Neue Haas Unica W01',helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:400;text-align:center;}\n#introtxt {text-align:justify;max-width:900px;margin:auto;padding: 90px 10px 0 10px;}\n#introtitle {text-align:center;width:90%; font-size:1.5rem;margin:90px auto;font-weight:400;}\n#introtitle a {color:black;}\n#introcredits {font-size:1rem;margin:60px 0;}\n#introcredits h3 {font-family:'Neue Haas Unica W01',helvetica,sans-serif;}\n.separ {border:1px solid white;clear:both;margin:60px;}\n.parts {min-height: 160px;color:#ccc;float:left;width:12.5%;text-align:center;padding-top:20px;}\n.active a {color:black;}\n.center,#portrait,.center img,#portrait img {width: 100% !important;}\n.center img,#portrait img {margin:40px auto !important;}\n.credits {font-size:.65rem;font-family:\"Courier New\", Courier, monospace;font-weight:normal;text-align:center;}\n#portrait img {max-width:640px !important;}\n.center img {max-width:1280px !important;}\n.center,#portrait{text-align:center;}\n.interview {max-width:560px;\nmargin: 30px auto 60px auto;\nfont-family:'Neue Haas Unica W01',helvetica,sans-serif;\nfont-weight:400;\ntext-align:justify;\npadding:0 80px;}\n.pullquote {font-size:2.4rem;text-align:center;font-style:italic;}\n.coming {padding: 0 80px 80px 80px;margin: -20px 0 40px 0;font-size:2rem;text-align:center;}\n.modelname {font-family:'Neue Haas Unica W01_n2',helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-size:1.9rem;font-weight:800;}\n.modeltext {font-size:1.4rem;font-weight:400;}\n.txtbox {font-family:'Neue Haas Unica W01', sans-serif;\n  width:50%;\n  max-width:640px;\n  margin:60px auto 60px auto;\n  text-align:justify;}\n.center p {margin:0;}\n.pic5 {width:60%;margin:5% 20%;}\n.separ {border:1px solid white;clear:both;margin:60px;}\n.featured {font-size:1.6rem;margin:30px 0 50px 0;}\n<\/style>\n<link type=\"text\/css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"\/\/fast.fonts.net\/cssapi\/1ee7eecc-8318-40d7-9f60-2840770611c0.css\"\/>\n<div class=\"txtdiv\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"introbox\">\n<div id=\"introtxt\">\n<p>2020 is drawing ever nearer and nearer, offering the opportunity to look both forward and back, at the decade that was and the decade to come. In the 2010s, fashion finally began to catch up with its customers, offering a vision of the world as diverse as the real one we live in. The modeling scene has kept up apace, as the industry broadened its horizons and welcomed in new faces from across the world, slowly starting to offer a range of ages, skin tones, and body types to better connect with the consumers who have been asking for decades to see themselves reflected in ads.<\/p>\n<p>Every June, we gather some of the year\u2019s most notable runway breakout stars on the final day of Paris Fashion Week Men\u2019s to create a snapshot of the future faces of the industry, the young men who have shaped the season with the promise of many campaigns and covers to come. Some are already editorial favorites, some have international ads under their belt, and some are fresh off being discovered, but all of them offer a look at where we are today and where we are going.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"introcredits\">\n<p>    Photography by <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/thomas-goldblum\">Thomas Goldblum<\/a> for Models.com<br \/>\n    Styling by <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/ferdi-sibbel\">Ferdi Sibbel<\/a><br \/>\n    Hair by <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/alexandry-costa\">Alexandry Costa<\/a><br \/>\n    Makeup by <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/william-bartel\">William Bartel<\/a><br \/>\n    Text and casting by <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/jonathan-shia\">Jonathan Shia<\/a><br \/>\n    Photography assistant: Thomas Clodine-Florent<br \/>\n    Styling assistant: Jeffrey Manoir<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"center\">\n<!---CONTENTBELOW--><\/p>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TGO_ALEC_REBEL-137.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56624\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TGO_ALEC_REBEL-137.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TGO_ALEC_REBEL-137-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">Coat by \u00c9tudes\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/alec-pollentier\">Alec Pollentier<\/a>, 21, Antwerp, Belgium<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">It was only a matter of weeks after Alec Pollentier was scouted at a music festival in his native Belgium when he found himself about to make his modeling debut backstage at the Spring 2018 Calvin Klein 205W39NYC show\u2014Raf Simons\u2019 second for the label\u2014the biggest of New York Fashion Week. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what to do or how to walk,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI was shaking before the show and at the rehearsal I was like, \u2018What the fuck is going on? What do I need to do? Is this going to be good enough for what they expect of me?\u2019\u201d Everything turned out fine in the end and Pollentier was put under an exclusive contract with the designer for half a year, during which he shot a number of campaigns with Willy Vanderperre, Lachlan Bailey, and Daniel Jackson.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">Having received the stamp of approval from some of the industry\u2019s biggest names, Pollentier walked his first full season last summer, including in Virgil Abloh\u2019s first Louis Vuitton collection as well as Kim Jones\u2019 initial outing for Dior Men. The wakeboarder (and half of a pair of fraternal twins) joined our Top 50 list earlier this year on the strength of his advertising work\u2014he starred in campaigns for Louis Vuitton and Calvin Klein this past Spring\u2014and his runway strength, which has included repeat appearances at Louis Vuitton, Dior Men, Herm\u00e8s, and Ferragamo, plus turns for Tom Ford and Dries Van Noten. Having left school to focus on modeling, the constant travel has had a side benefit for Pollentier, sparking his passion for photography. \u201cAt the time I got scouted, I was thinking about what I could do when I was done with my last year of school and I really didn\u2019t know,\u201d he laughs. \u201cNow I feel like I want to do photography\u2014but not fashion. It\u2019s more architecture and landscapes. Maybe I would do fashion a little bit, I would put someone in front of a building that has a nice architectural shape and then just try to fit it in like that.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TGO_ABE_REBEL-264.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TGO_ABE_REBEL-264.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TGO_ABE_REBEL-264-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">Shirt by \u00c9tudes\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/abe-paymans\">Abe Paymans<\/a>, 17, Esch, the Netherlands<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">At the young age of 17, Abe Paymans has already been modeling for three years, having been scouted by his mother agent on Instagram at just 14. \u201cI got a message like, \u2018Hi, how tall are you and how old are you?\u2019\u201d he recalls with a laugh. His first thought? \u201cWhat a creep!\u201d But after making his debut at A-Cold-Wall\u2019s Spring 2019 show during London Fashion Week Men\u2019s, Paymans has become both an editorial and runway favorite, with a show CV that includes Prada, Dior Men, Louis Vuitton, Raf Simons, Boss, Valentino, Alexander McQueen, Craig Green, Balmain, and Ludovic de Saint Sernin. Asked to name his most memorable experiences, he demurs, \u201cI don\u2019t know, I\u2019ve done so many cool shows.\u201d<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">Over the past year, Paymans has shot with a range of major photographers, including Brett Lloyd, Thomas Cooksey, Harry Carr, and Blommers &#038; Schumm for L\u2019Uomo Vogue, which makes him especially appreciative of his lenient professors. \u201cThey are really cool with it,\u201d he adds. \u201cIf I say I need to go somewhere, they say, \u2018It\u2019s cool, you can go.\u2019\u201d Currently studying business and economics, he says he still knows little about the fashion industry, but he enjoys the firsthand experience of the work and the time he has to explore his options. As for the future, \u201cI want to start my own company,\u201d he explains. \u201cI don\u2019t for what yet, but I\u2019ll figure it out in the next two years.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"center\">\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TGO_MATHIEU_SUCCESS-65.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56625\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TGO_MATHIEU_SUCCESS-65.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TGO_MATHIEU_SUCCESS-65-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">Pants by Louis-Gabriel Nouchi\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/mathieu-simoneau\">Mathieu Simoneau<\/a>, 18, Toronto, Canada<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">The second time was the charm for Mathieu Simoneau, who was scouted two years ago on the first day of a music festival and then promptly lost the agent\u2019s card. Luckily, he was tracked down again the next day and \u201cthen it just went from there,\u201d he recalls. Things moved slowly until last summer, when he made his runway debut as an exclusive at Raf Simons\u2019 Calvin Klein tromping through popcorn in a balaclava and patchwork shirt. \u201cit was crazy, I didn\u2019t really know anything about the industry,\u201d he says. \u201cMy mother agent had to teach me how to walk an hour before my casting for the show. I was super nervous and everything just blew my mind.\u201d<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">After modeling through his final year of high school, Simoneau admits to still being struck at times by the distance between his last job as a busboy and dishwasher at Bub\u2019s Burgers in Carmel, Indiana, and his new life traveling to Paris to walk for Louis Vuitton, Milan for Prada, London for Daniel W Fletcher, and Tokyo for the Valentino show. \u201cA lot of people were really hyped and excited about it, but as time went on, it just became my job,\u201d he laughs about the reactions of his classmates. \u201cIt was less \u2018Whoa\u2019 and more like, \u2018Oh, Mathieu\u2019s doing his thing out there.\u2019 I guess somewhere like Belgium or Paris, it\u2019s normal to have friends who are models, but somewhere like Indiana or Toronto, it\u2019s less common.\u201d It\u2019s taken some time for his friends to appreciate the situation he finds himself in as well. \u201cEven though I\u2019ve told everyone many times, they still ask me, \u2018Do you get free clothes? Do you get to keep your look?\u2019\u201d he laughs. \u201cYou do get free gifts, free t-shirts, free underwear here or there, but I assumed there must be a way for models to get free clothes, but that doesn\u2019t really happen.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TGO_JONAS_NEXT-195.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56629\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TGO_JONAS_NEXT-195.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TGO_JONAS_NEXT-195-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/jonas-funk\">Jonas Funk<\/a>, 19, London, England, United Kingdom<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">Jonas Funk was almost late for his first show before he was almost early. \u201cThe night before the show my oblivious brain was like, \u2018Oh it\u2019s 10 PM, I\u2019ve definitely not got the show,\u2019 and I fell asleep and then I woke up the next day and there was an email from 1 in the morning like, \u2018Congratulations, you\u2019re confirmed!\u2019\u201d he laughs about Margaret Howell\u2019s Spring 2019 show during London Fashion Week. \u201cI was so excited, but also not knowing the call time was three hours before, I was like, \u2018What if the show starts in like five minutes, damn!\u2019 So I just ran to Waterloo and made it there. I was so nervous about not actually making the show that when I got in lineup I was more relieved that I was actually there.\u201d After that initial scare, Funk has had plenty of experience in the year since, walking for dozens of shows in his two full seasons, including Coach, Balmain, Off-White, Marni, and Loewe. He points to the Maison Margiela couture show as a special highlight, thanks to its mirrored floor and cartoon walls and soundtrack of \u201cclassical dubstep.\u201d<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">Born in Chicago, Funk moved as a toddler with his family to London, where he grew up skating and playing basketball before being scouted a few years ago at the Reading Festival\u2014what he calls \u201cthe most boring answer to that question ever.\u201d He put the idea of modeling to the side until graduating from high school last summer, before kicking off his whirlwind year. He is now fully intent on seeing his new career through, even as he admits to having been \u201cpretty damn clueless\u201d about the fashion industry beforehand. Studies in marketing and psychology are down the line, but for the moment, \u201cI\u2019m just trying to be young and be happy,\u201d he says. \u201cThis is such an amazing opportunity. I never thought something like this would ever happen. All of this to me is still a bit like, \u2018How am I here and how am I doing this?\u2019\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/WELLINGTON_ELITE-138.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56626\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/WELLINGTON_ELITE-138.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/WELLINGTON_ELITE-138-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">Coat by Alexander McQueen\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/wellington-grant\">Wellington Grant<\/a>, 19, Beaverton, Oregon, United States<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">The word Wellington Grant uses the most often to describe his past year is \u201csurreal.\u201d After walking in Raf Simons\u2019 Blade Runner fantasy in July 2017, he returned to his native Oregon and spent nearly eight months trying to figure out his future. \u201cMy agencies weren\u2019t talking to me, I wasn\u2019t getting anything, so I was very much wondering if I was going to even do this,\u201d he recalls. \u201cThen in May, I get punched in the face and three days later I book my Coach campaign and the photographer Steven Meisel liked me, so two weeks later I go and do Givenchy, my second campaign, then I got to go to Europe and start my shows off and get everything rolling.\u201d Now he finds himself firmly ensconced in our Top 50, thanks to ads this year for Prada by Willy Vanderperre, Louis Vuitton by Inez and Vinoodh, and Berluti by Alasdair McLellan, and his runway turns for Prada, Dior Men, Louis Vuitton, Boss, Versace, Tom Ford, Valentino, Michael Kors, Dries Van Noten, Berluti, and Craig Green.<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">Long a creative spirit, Grant says his recent experiences working closely with designers like Simons and Haider Ackermann and stylists like Carlos Nazario for Helmut Lang have inspired him to consider designing creations of his own in the future. \u201cI love clothing, but I don\u2019t necessarily love fashion because it\u2019s not always poured into with art and heart and all that good stuff,\u201d he explains, \u201cbut getting to be close to people and seeing the way they seam and create clothes I\u2019ve never seen before, the way that Raf drapes, the intellect and details from the Valentino designer, is so cool because it opens me up. I\u2019ve started to find that clothing is probably where I\u2019m going to end up.\u201d If not for fashion, he says he would probably be studying to become a special needs teacher, because he has a \u201cvery soft spot for those kids.\u201d He also continues to express himself in writing, including in poems and short stories that he warns should not be seen as strictly autobiographical. \u201cI enjoy creating this persona. When I write, it\u2019s very fun because people look at it as if it\u2019s me telling them something about myself and I\u2019m not,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m more writing what I aspire to give myself. I\u2019m writing my poetry for me. What\u2019s so fun about it is not everyone\u2019s looped in and it makes it more mysterious, but it does reflect a side of my mind.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TAMSIR_BANANAS-50.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56622\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TAMSIR_BANANAS-50.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TAMSIR_BANANAS-50-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">All clothing by Saint Laurent\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/tamsir-thiam\">Tamsir Thiam<\/a>, 20, Brescia, Italy<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">Most models have a story of chance and circumstance about how they were discovered, but Tamsir Thiam is the rare one who took the initiative himself, asking a friend how to become a model and deciding to reach out to agencies of his own accord. He made his debut at the Ermenegildo Zegna Fall 2018 show and soon after became a favorite of Gucci\u2019s Alessandro Michele, walking for him a total of five times in a row, including his memorable Resort shows in Arles and Rome, and starring in the brand\u2019s holiday campaign last year. Repeat appearances in Valentino campaigns by Juergen Teller set him up for this year, in which he joined our Hot List and walked for Prada, Boss, Off-White, Coach, Fendi, Tom Ford, and Craig Green.<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">Now modeling full-time, Thiam has put the rest of his life on hold, including his career as a shooting guard on Brescia\u2019s city basketball team. \u201cRight now, it\u2019s a little bit hard, but when I have time I\u2019ll go and play with friends,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve been playing basketball my whole life.\u201d He\u2019s also taken time off his university studies in electricity and mechanics, but says he plans to eventually return and then use his newfound expertise to help out in his family\u2019s ancestral homeland of Senegal. \u201cThe last time I was there was in 2008,\u201d he explains, \u201cbut I always wanted to go back and do something in Senegal.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/YANG_HAO_ELITE-94.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/YANG_HAO_ELITE-94.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/YANG_HAO_ELITE-94-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">Jacket by Dries Van Noten. Shirt by Lacoste. Tie by Gucci.\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/yang-hao\">Yang Hao<\/a>, 21, Hebei, China<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">For years growing up, Yang Hao trained in aerobics, until he suffered an injury in high school that put an end to that pursuit. \u201cMy teacher said it would be hard to continue and he advised me to be a model,\u201d he recalls. \u201cSo I signed up for a modeling contest.\u201d He placed first in the 2017 edition of the China Model Star Contest and signed with his mother agency in Beijing soon after. By the next summer, he was in Europe for fashion week, where he walked for Dries Van Noten, Alexander McQueen, and Kenzo and closed Raf Simons. So far this year, he\u2019s taken turns on the runway for Louis Vuitton, Boss, Versace, Coach, Tom Ford, Ermenegildo Zegna, Craig Green, and Loewe, but he names his multiple appearances for Prada as his favorites. \u201cI love the details in the clothes and accessories, always nice and classic,\u201d he explains. \u201cMore than this, the people are very nice too! They prepared dumplings for me and the other Chinese models, which made us feel at home. I always miss my hometown foods after staying a long time overseas.\u201d<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">A pair of top-notch campaigns, Prada by Willy Vanderperre and Zara by Craig McDean, helped land Yang on our Hot List earlier this year, and he says he worked hard to prepare for the shoots with the brands, researching their \u201chistory, designer, photographer, stylist, casting director, etc.\u201d beforehand. \u201cIt\u2019s always good to know more about the brand before working with them!\u201d He hopes to pursue acting in the future, a development that can be credited to something his new career has helped him learn about himself as well. \u201cI was not really confident at the beginning as I knew nothing about it and I did so many castings and got only a few jobs,\u201d he recalls. \u201cBut I realized that I am in love with this industry and it made me discover something different about myself. Now I am very excited every time I walk in a show or am in front of a camera.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/JERANIMO_SUCCESS-15.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56616\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/JERANIMO_SUCCESS-15.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/JERANIMO_SUCCESS-15-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">Turtleneck by Alexander McQueen\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/jeranimo-van-russel\">Jeranimo van Russel<\/a>, 17, Amsterdam, the Netherlands<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">It only took a few fleeting seconds for Jeranimo van Russel to catch his agent\u2019s eye, making a guest appearance in an Instagram story that disappeared all too quickly. \u201cA friend of mine is a model of my mother agent and he posted a picture of me and him on his Instagram story,\u201d he recalls. \u201cHe texted my friend and he was like, \u2018Who\u2019s the guy?\u2019 and after 24 hours the thing was gone, so I took pictures with my friend and we sent them to him.\u201d Not long after, van Russel made his modeling debut this past January as a Prada exclusive, exhibiting impressive composure for a brand-new teenager. \u201cI wasn\u2019t nervous at all,\u201d he says. \u201cMy agent thought I didn\u2019t like it because I was so chill. I don\u2019t think I need to be nervous about things.\u201d<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">In the few short months since that prodigious start, van Russel has also walked for Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Boss, Loewe, and Lanvin, as well as appeared in campaigns for Prada by Willy Vanderperre, Lanvin by Glen Luchford, and Sandro by Alasdair McLellan, all achievements which have helped make him a rising star on our Hot List. But little else seems to have changed for him, except perhaps for his response to the ads he encounters regularly. \u201cBefore I started modeling, if I saw an advertisement, I was looking at the things, and now I\u2019m looking at the picture and maybe if I know some of the people,\u201d he laughs. \u201cI look at things in a different way.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/JUN_ROCKMEN-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56617\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/JUN_ROCKMEN-5.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/JUN_ROCKMEN-5-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">All clothing by Gucci\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/jun-young-hwang\">Jun Young Hwang<\/a>, 19, Seoul, South Korea<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">Jun Young Hwang has had just the kind of year any new model would envy. His first season this January featured highlights including Prada, Valentino, Dries Van Noten, Loewe, and the opening spot at Kris Van Assche\u2019s first show for Berluti, serving to mark the beginning of a new era in a seamed and shaped leather suit, as well as his debut appearance for Ermenegildo Zegna. \u201cI was so nervous!\u201d he recalls. \u201cI will remember every moment for the rest of my life.\u201d He added Louis Vuitton, Craig Green, Lanvin, and Ludovic de Saint Sernin to his runway list in June.<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">Having just graduated from high school this summer, Hwang, a soccer fanatic, says he imagines doing something with sports in the future, but for now his attention is firmly on modeling. Earlier this spring he appeared in a campaign for Prada Linea Rossa, which he followed up as part of the cast of rockabillies in Craig McDean\u2019s Zara ads for Fall. \u201cI was honored to be shot by Craig McDean,\u201d he says. \u201cOne of my dreams came true and everyone was so nice on set. It was one of my first worldwide campaigns and it\u2019s quite impressive to see yourself in every store!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/SEIGNE_BANANAS-138.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/SEIGNE_BANANAS-138.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/SEIGNE_BANANAS-138-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">Jacket by Kenzo. Turtleneck by Saint Laurent.\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/serigne-lam\">Serigne Lam<\/a>, 21, Dakar, Senegal<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">One might say that Serigne Lam became a model thanks to popular opinion. After moving to New York from Dakar two years ago to join his father, he found himself being asked regularly whether he was a model. \u201cPeople always stopped me on the street and on the subway to ask me about modeling, so that was so annoying, but I said, \u2018Why do people always ask me this?\u2019\u201d he laughs. \u201cI didn\u2019t know about modeling and if it was going to work for me but in the end I was getting tired of it and I said I have to do it because people think I look like a model. One day I met my mother agent and he was asking me and I said, \u2018This time I\u2019m not going to miss it so I have to try and see.\u2019\u201d Soon after, he found himself walking Prada as an exclusive this past January.<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">The rest of this year has seen Lam walking for Valentino, Gucci, Boss, Coach, and Balmain, and closing Dior Men, while his campaigns for Dior Men by Steven Meisel, Berluti, and Y-3, have helped him move quickly onto our Hot List. Now studying engineering and mechanics in college, he says he still maintains his lifelong dreams of becoming a soccer player, even though he is firmly dedicated to the fashion industry for now, having recently launched his own clothing line SBYL, starting with a signature sweatshirt with the colors of the Senegalese flag. It\u2019s another way for him to stay true to himself, which he credits for helping him maintain his composure even in the highest-pressure situations. \u201cMy first show, I was exclusive for Prada, and it was a big deal, but if you know yourself, everything\u2019s going to be fine,\u201d he offers. \u201cI was a little bit nervous, but I was happy to do it because I know myself and I\u2019m always comfortable with myself. I was so happy and excited to do it.\u201d<br \/>\n<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TAE_MIN_BANANAS.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56621\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TAE_MIN_BANANAS.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/TAE_MIN_BANANAS-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">Sweater by Junya Watanabe\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/park-tae-min\">Tae Min Park<\/a>, 25, Busan, South Korea<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">Chances are good that no other new model had a summer of 2018 like Tae Min Park. After being introduced to his agency by his friend, the designer Youngmi Woo, he made his runway debut in Europe at Prada in Milan, then appeared in Kim Jones\u2019 first show for Dior Men in Paris, and then walked for Raf Simons at Calvin Klein 205W39NYC in New York\u2014as an exclusive all three times. \u201cEverything seems to me like a dream and I am still dreaming,\u201d he describes of those hectic three months. \u201cI will remember all of these special things forever.\u201d Advertisements for Prada by Willy Vanderperre\u2014which felt like \u201ca super amazing gift\u201d since the shoot took place on his birthday\u2014Dior Men by Steven Meisel and Isabel Marant by Juergen Teller soon followed, along with shoots with Brett Lloyd for Vogue Hommes and Paolo Roversi for L\u2019Uomo Vogue.<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">Now firmly on our Hot List, Park recalls being interested in fashion since he was child, paging through magazines and watching clips of runway shows on YouTube. After his compulsory military service, he was working at a shipyard before he made the drastic switch to modeling. Even today, after runway turns for Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Valentino, Givenchy, Coach, Alexander McQueen, Versace, Craig Green, and Loewe this year, he still remembers the small kindnesses that have helped him adjust to his new life. \u201cPrada was my first show in Europe and I was really worried,\u201d he explains. \u201cI remember that I felt alone and nervous. After the show, it was an unforgettable memory when Olivier Rizzo gave me a hug.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/XU_IMG-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56627\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/XU_IMG-8.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/XU_IMG-8-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">Coat by Issey Miyake\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/xu-meen\">Xu Meen<\/a>, Incheon, South Korea<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">It\u2019s no exaggeration to say that Xu Meen has upended the standard protocols of the fashion industry this year, taking the top spot on our runway list after two years of modeling in a realm that is normally obsessed with the newest faces. \u201cI appreciate it all the time, but of all the models, I don\u2019t know who decides who is number one,\u201d he says, laughing with embarrassment at the mention of his ranking. \u201cAs a field player, I can see all the models are working hard all the time going to many castings and shows, so a bunch of models are number one for me.\u201d Still, it\u2019s undeniable that he was an almost ubiquitous presence on runways this year, closing Neil Barrett in January and Ermenegildo Zegna in June, opening Givenchy\u2019s Pitti Uomo show, and walking for Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Boss, Versace, Bottega Veneta, Michael Kors, Alexander Wang, and Craig Green as well.<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">After ads by Steven Meisel for Versace and Givenchy last year, Xu Meen joined our Hot List thanks to campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Selfridges, and Reebok by Mario Sorrenti. He was scouted by a number of casting directors a few years ago while visiting a friend in London, where he now lives after having moved from South Korea and giving up his job as a Korean teacher. \u201cI thought it was going to be a scam because I\u2019d never met fashion people before in my life,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what fashion is, what a casting is, what an agency is, but I was like, \u2018Ok let me try.\u2019\u201d As a more established model, he says that he is taking things as they come, but always with an eye on the future. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of a dilemma for me,\u201d he offers. \u201cI spend it one season at a time, but I\u2019m not an underage model, so I have to manage my life as a mature adult, but I\u2019m doing this.\u201d As for what\u2019s next? He laughs, \u201cLet me know, man.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/MATTHEW_SUCCESS-12.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56618\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/MATTHEW_SUCCESS-12.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/MATTHEW_SUCCESS-12-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">All clothing by Celine\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/matthew-rahill\">Matthew Rahill<\/a>, 19, Coventry, England, United Kingdom<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">When Matthew Rahill headed down to London in June just days after signing, he was traveling light. \u201cI thought I was just going to be there for a week, so I packed for a week,\u201d he recalls. \u201cThen they go, \u2018You\u2019re going to Milan,\u2019 then they go, \u2018You\u2019re going to Paris,\u2019 so luckily there was a washing machine in Milan.\u201d Modeling is notorious for its uncertainty, but he had little to complain of as one week stretched to three, after a notable turn at Craig Green led to appearances for Dior Men, Versace, Berluti, and Lanvin, with editorials in British GQ Style and Hero Magazine following this fall. \u201cI can\u2019t even explain it,\u201d he laughs. \u201cIt\u2019s been insane.\u201d<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">A student of fashion business at Birmingham City University, Rahill says he had never considered the possibility of becoming a model even though he had an understanding of the industry already. \u201cI had people say to me like, \u2018Oh you\u2019re going to be a model,\u2019 and I was like, \u2018Yeah, whatever,\u2019\u201d he says. \u201cThen I got scouted and I was like, \u2018What the hell?\u2019 and then obviously this has happened.\u201d Getting an up-close view of designers like Kim Jones at Dior Men and Jun Takahashi at Undercover at work has encouraged him to shift his plans from the business of fashion to the creation of it, and there might be no better education than his new job. \u201cI want to learn how to print my own t-shirts and jumpers and all that\u201d\u2014inspired by Takahashi\u2019s skill with the process\u2014\u201cbut then I want to learn how to actually make the clothes,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m going to become a full-time model because I want to be in the fashion industry anyway. That\u2019s what I\u2019m learning at uni, so why not actually live it?\u201d<br \/>\n<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/BRAIEN_SUCCESS-78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/BRAIEN_SUCCESS-78.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/BRAIEN_SUCCESS-78-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">Jacket by Dries Van Noten. Henley, stylist&#8217;s own.\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/braien-vaiksaar\">Braien Vaiksaar<\/a>, 18, Tallinn, Estonia<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">A debut show season that starts with Valentino and includes turns at Balmain, Berluti, and Paul Smith is no small feat, but it was a buzz cut in the spring that helped launch Braien Vaiksaar to the next level. After gaining notice in a pink smock at Prada\u2019s Spring 2020 show in Shanghai, he went on to a packed season walking for Dior Men, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Fendi, Dries Van Noten, Craig Green, Herm\u00e8s, and Lanvin this summer. Willy Vanderperre and Alasdair McLellan have shot him multiple times since then, including for the covers of Vogue Hommes and Document Journal, and Steven Meisel photographed him for Dior Men\u2019s Spring 2020 campaign. \u201cI am still learning every day,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen my agent called me super excited that I would be photographed by Steven Meisel for Dior, I have to admit I didn\u2019t realize how important it was.\u201d<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">Vaiksaar\u2019s success is all the more impressive given that he effectively scouted secondhand after his agent spotted him in a picture with a friend they had originally been looking to sign. \u201cI got a message from the agent asking if I would be interested in meeting them as well,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI didn\u2019t know anything about modeling and I was pretty sure this was not for me, but here I am today. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time and to give it a try.\u201d He looks back to his first show, Valentino, as the experience that gave him the encouragement to pursue his new career wholeheartedly. \u201cI was very happy and excited, but super nervous as well before going on the runway,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen I finally went out there, I tried to keep my posture and I remember I barely breathed. When I got backstage I felt that something big had happened. Everybody was applauding\u2014of course for the designer and for the show in reality\u2014but I felt that they were applauding for me personally and that I had succeeded. I think I will never forget that feeling of backstage, the energy and all. It made me want to do it over and over again.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/FERNANDO_NEW_MADISON-21.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56615\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/FERNANDO_NEW_MADISON-21.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/FERNANDO_NEW_MADISON-21-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">Jacket and pants by Louis-Gabriel Nouchi. Shirt by \u00c9tudes.\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/fernando-lindez\">Fernando Lindez<\/a>, 19, Madrid, Spain<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">Two years ago, Fernando Lindez was in between classes at school when he looked on his phone and saw a direct message from an agency asking him to come in and meet with them. \u201cAt the beginning, I thought it was a joke, not a serious thing,\u201d he laughs, \u201cbut my sister used to be a model when she was younger and my parents told me to go so I was like, \u2018Ok let\u2019s do it.\u2019\u201d A few months later, he made his runway debut during Madrid Fashion Week walking for Palomo Spain, where he admits he was \u201cvery nervous\u201d and \u201cdidn\u2019t know how to walk.\u201d His breakthrough moment came this January when he opened the Versace show. \u201cI couldn\u2019t believe it because I went to do the looks with them and I was like, \u2018Ok I\u2019m here, but I\u2019m not 100% confirmed,\u2019 so I just hoped to get the show,\u201d he recalls. \u201cOne day before the show I was having lunch and someone from the Versace team told me, \u2018I think you\u2019re opening the show,\u2019 and I was like, \u2018Oh shit!\u2019 It was very good news for me. One year ago, I was studying in school and just a normal guy, and now I was going to open the Versace show. The night before, I couldn\u2019t sleep very well, but before the show, I was feeling good.\u201d<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">Lindez, who gave up golf and MMA to focus on modeling, has had a busy year since, opening DSquared2 and Dunhill and closing Prada\u2019s Shanghai show and Jacquemus\u2019 tenth-anniversary show set among the rolling lavender fields of Provence, and working with top photographers like Willy Vanderperre for i-D and Vogue Hommes, Alasdair McLellan for Love Magazine, and Mert and Marcus for T Magazine. He also walked in Virgil Abloh\u2019s Place Dauphine takeover for Louis Vuitton in June, even though he originally thought he wouldn\u2019t. \u201cI went to the fitting and they were like, \u2018See you tomorrow,\u2019 then I asked my agent and she was like, \u2018Sadly, Louis Vuitton didn\u2019t confirm,\u2019\u201d he explains. \u201cI was very sad, but the next day in the morning I was at a casting and my agent called me and said, \u2018Go very quickly to Louis Vuitton, they forgot to confirm you,\u2019 so all the happiness came in.\u201d His plans are to return to school in the future for acting, and he already has a head start after two seasons as the heartthrob Alejandro on the Spanish version of the hit Norwegian high school series Skam, but for now, \u201cI want to enjoy this time,\u201d he says. \u201cI want to work as much as I can and live in the moment.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic5\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/MICHAEL_BRO_MODELS-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1315\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56619\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/MICHAEL_BRO_MODELS-8.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/mdx\/i\/2019\/11\/MICHAEL_BRO_MODELS-8-152x200.jpg 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credits\">Sweater by Herm\u00e8s. Pants by Dries Van Noten.\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"separ\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"txtbox\">\n<div class=\"modelname\"><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/maikls-mihelsons\">Maikls Mihelsons<\/a>, 22, Riga, Latvia<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"modeltext\">It\u2019s hard to think of a more promising start than the one Maikls Mihelsons had, walking as an exclusive for Prada and then Givenchy Haute Couture last summer before landing on the cover of Document Journal lensed by Willy Vanderperre. \u201cPrada and Givenchy are brands known worldwide and I absolutely knew that being booked as an exclusive in the first season was an honor and a great responsibility,\u201d he says. \u201cEverything was planned perfectly. They were very memorable experiences and a wonderful start to a modeling career.\u201d This year, he\u2019s added Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Berluti, Dries Van Noten, Loewe, Raf Simons, and JW Anderson to his runway list, along with Prada\u2019s recent turn in Shanghai and Givenchy\u2019s during Pitti Uomo in Florence, helping him feed what he says is an innate \u201ccalling to travel and see places.\u201d<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span class=\"modeltext\">Born in Italy and raised in Latvia, Mihelsons was discovered while playing basketball with friends, a sport he had pursued for 12 years before being sidelined with an injury during high school and shifting his attention to stage construction. Now focusing on modeling, he says he plans to finish his university degree in the future with the hopes of starting his own business. But in the meantime, he is taking the time to appreciate the rarefied situations in which he now finds himself and the company he is keeping. \u201cAll the shows that I have been in have brought me amazing experiences,\u201d he says. \u201cI have met many incredible designers and crew members without whom each and every show would not be possible.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our latest annual roundup of the year&#8217;s breakout runway guys offers a diverse promise for the decade to come<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":56652,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3044,155,2129,901,1538],"tags":[3638,3650,1825,3647,3636,3649,3641,3639,3644,3648,3253,3643,3646,3645,3640,3635,3245,3637,3429,3642],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/mdx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56613"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/mdx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/mdx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/mdx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/mdx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56613"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/mdx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56657,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/mdx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56613\/revisions\/56657"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/mdx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/mdx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/mdx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/mdx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}