interview

Name:
Mateo Villanueva Brandt

Agency:
Select Model Management (London)

Age:
18

Height:
186.5 (6’1″)

Place of Origin:
Stockwell, South London, England

Ethnic Origin:
½ Venezuelan ½ British

Birthsign:
Cancer

How discovered:
I was lucky enough to do the Lanvin A/W 14 campaign through my then girlfriend, Olympia Campbell. A friend of mine, Ben Allen, then took me into Select and with that under my wing they put me on their books :)

Favorite things:
Listening to music, playing music (couldn’t live without my instruments), dancing and just generally hanging out with close friends. Also travelling, it’s always fun to be somewhere you’ve never been before.

Favorite music, band:
AHh all music really but if I have to be specific probably grunge, punk, Brit pop and everything in between! My favorite band is definitely Sonic Youth and then probably Talking Heads, Beatles and Nirvana!

Favorite movie, tv show:
The two movies I watch again and again are Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I don’t watch much TV but the one program I really got addicted to was the American Office. Dwight must be my all time favorite character.

Favorite designer, fragrance or beauty product:
If I’m completely honest I don’t really think about these things, at least not fragrance and beauty. I buy the majority of my clothes from Ben Sherman, Kooples and Carhartt so those are the brands I feel comfortable wearing and fit my style.

What would you be doing if you weren’t modeling?
Well I’m studying at the LSE at the moment so would probably try work a bit harder and just get that done well. I also play in band, which is something I would love to give a lot more time to.

What’s something uncool that you love anyway?
I adore Mariah Carey to be honest. I suppose that’s really uncool. I also find archeology fascinating – again probably not the coolest thing but who’s to say anyway!

Favorite modeling experience so far?
For me it was the shows just gone. The Topman show was my first so it was pretty exciting and when you’ve got a good group of people around you it’s hard not to have fun.

What’s the best thing about your hometown/country?
Keeping busy. I love getting out of London but after a while I miss the hustle and bustle. It’s also my home and always has been. What could be better than home and especially your mum’s cooking? I think your own mum’s cooking is always the best. Visiting Venezuela is always great – It really feels like paradise.

Which brand would you really love to model for?
That’s a tricky one. I would love to model for Paul Smith because I love the clothes. I had a lot of fun and felt very comfortable working with Tim Walker so it would be great to meet him again. Walking for brands like Saint-Laurent or Dior would obviously be incredible but I know so little about fashion that I would love to walk for lots of smaller brands and get to know more and more.

Place you would love to visit:
Patagonia simply because it looks like the most beautiful place in the world. Tokyo is also high on my list – hopefully I’ll get to go sometime soon.

Currently you’re obsessed with/about:
Just doing things! Between university, my music and modeling I always feel like I’m getting something done which for me is definitely a positive and quite a new feeling. Although with my newfound productivity has also come a new obsession with sleep. Doing nothing can sometimes just be the best.