VMAN PRESENTS
TARAS
CLOUD
GCDS FALL 2020 BY STEVEN KLEIN
CLOUD
PHOTOGRAPHY STEVEN KLEIN FASHION PATTI WILSON
Makeup Kabuki (Kabuki Magic) Hair Jonathan de Francesco (Streeters) Models Taras Romanov, Cloud (DNA), Matt van de Sande (BMG New York) Manicure Honey (Exposure NY) Executive producer Travis Kiewel (That One Production) Producer Roberto Sosa (That One Production) Digital technician Kylie Coutts Photo assistants Timothy Shin, William Takanashi, Dean Dodos Stylist assistant Taylor Kim Makeup assistant Andrew Karrick Hair assistant Aziz Rasulova Production assistant Aren Johnson Sanitization Assistant Carlos Garcia Retouching DTouch Creative Location Pier 59
MATT
Digital
Advertising
Contributors
Editor-in-Chief / Creative Director Stephen Gan
Digital Director Mathias Rosenzweig mathias@vmagazine.com
Associate Publisher / Advertising Director Nicola Bernardini de Pace nico@vmagazine.com
Inez and Vinoodh George Cortina Steven Klein Patti Wilson Malick Bodian Rowan Papier Vera Comploj Fish Zhang Shun Watanabe Noel Quintela Samia Giobellina Yaniv Edry Àlvaro Gracia Minerva Portillo Josiah Rundles Ignazio Lozano Marian Schlicker Dylan Kelly
Managing Editor / Production Director Melissa Scragg
Digital Editor Dania Curvy dania@vmagazine.com
VMAN is a registered trademark of VMAN LLC. Copyright © 2020 VMAN LLC. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. VMAN (BIPAD 96492) is published biannually by VMAN LLC.
Editorial
44 Editor Samuel Anderson
Editorial Consultant Owen Myers Photo Director Goran Macura
Editor, Entertainment Greg Krelenstein
Office Manager / Editorial Assistant Nicholas Puglia Contributing Editor-at-Large Derek Blasberg Copy and Research Editor Lynda Szpiro
Design
Art Director Gabriele Baldotto Senior Designer Shibo Chen
Consulting Creative / Design Greg Foley
Social Media Manager Kevin Ponce kevin@vmagazine.com Weibo Editor Meng Ji
Consulting Digital Editor Ian David Monroe
Fashion
Contributing Fashion Directors Paul Cavaco Gro Curtis
Fashion and Market Editor Aryeh Lappin
Assistant Market Editor Sam Knoll
Contributing Fashion Editors Nicola Formichetti Anna Trevelyan Amanda Harlech Jacob K Joe McKenna Melanie Ward Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele Clare Richardson Panos Yiapanis Jane How Tom Van Dorpe Beauty Editor Stella Pak
VMAN FALL 2020
Advertising Office, Italy and Switzerland Magazine International Luciano Bernardini de Pace luciano@bernardini.it Daniela Sartori daniela@bernardini.it
Press and Events
Purple PR Andrew Lister andrew.lister@purplepr.com Jocelyn Mak jocelyn.mak@purplepr.com Amy Choi amy.choi@purplepr.com
Finance/Distribution
Managing Director Todd Kamelhar Distribution David Renard
Sales and Distribution Director/ Editorial Coordinator Czar Van Gaal
Special Thanks
VLM Studio Kim Pollock Marc Kroop Exposure NY Stacy Fischer Audrey Greene DNA Tony Craig Statement Artists Danielle Williams Viviana Cartagena Bryant Artists Lucy Bon Melissa Lapeyre Susan Price NYC Veronica Roseberry The Wall Group Elena Lakomkina Amelie Cabrolier Hannah Kadah Streeters Cristian Banks Jillian Graham IMG Kevin Apana Morgan Rubenstein VNY Lana Winters NEXT Samuel Zakuto Oscar Garnica The Lions NY Lucy Jackson Premium Models Farez Brahmi Tomorrow Is Another Day Marko Bahor Success Models Kevin Nompeix 16Men Julia Rabaux Marilyn Model Management Erwann Le Hen M Management Guillaume Donsante Nanami Tashiro Today Management Claudio Napolitano Atomo Management Serafina Aiello Agence Saint Germain Carla Martin 20000 Lieux
Interns
Kristina Ang Shaoul Avital Ella Christensen Taylor Dahl Sam Ford Allison Foster Julia Grippo Jo McDougall Hailee Milton Calem Robertson Laura Sanchez Jenna Solomon Valerie Stepanova Hadley Tutton Anthony Uribe Trent Wei Michaela Zee
COME TO T EL A few months ago, the fate of this issue felt unclear. Amid COVID-19 and protests against racist police violence, daily life—not to mention the business of making a magazine—felt tenuous. Thus, it is with a special sense of gratitude and humility that we present VMAN44. On the cover, Parker Van Noord, shot by Inez and Vinoodh, rocks denim and jewelry, proving that diamonds, and choker necklaces, are a guy's best friend. Gro Curtis's "Time of Your Life" is a multilayered ode to evolution: shot by Malick Bodian, the Senegalese-Italian model turned photographer extraordinaire, the watch-focused story is a 2020 variation on the VMAN series, "Time After Time." As is often the case, necessity was the mother of invention. Even with the restrictions of quarantine, the legendary Steven Klein captured rising star James Turlington—with a minimum six-foot buffer, of course, and with stylist Patti Wilson patched in via Zoom. Meanwhile, VMAN.com's photographer search, "Next Wave," came in handy for our "Global VMEN" portfolio. Shot from Brooklyn to Tokyo, these unique yet harmonious talent portraits offer a sense of togetherness. On each page herein, we hope you'll find a chance to connect. MR. V
WORLD W HE
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M E O T C O L T E
On the cover: Parker wears ring Clash De Cartier Bracelet Cartier Love Watch Cartier Tank Solo
© INEZ AND VINOODH
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VMEN VAN NOORD
FORTIFY YOUR FALL WARDROBE WITH NEW STAPLES: ELEGANT COATS AND STATEMENTMAKING JEWELRY
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TIMEOF YOUR LIFE
A SUPERMODEL TURNS THE CAMERA OUTWARD. THE RESULTS ARE AN INSTANT CLASSIC
STEVEN KLEIN RECRUITS FASHION SCION JAMES TURLINGTON FOR AN ALL-NEW EXERCISE
INTRODUCING THE FACE OF NEW-AGE MASCULINITY, DRIPPING IN CARTIER JEWELRY
MEET SIX FLAGSHIP TALENTS FROM AROUND THE PLANET, SHOT BY SIX EMERGENT PHOTOGRAPHERS
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VMEN WANT DON'T STOP BELIEVING IN YOUR NEXT VACATION. A SHINY NEW COLLAB GETS US HALFWAY THERE
GLOBAL VMEN
MADRID
In this unprecedented series, VMAN unites unique talents from all corners of the planet. From Tokyo to Tel Aviv, a new era of connectivity is just beginning
César wears clothing and shoes Emporio Armani Hat and earring stylist’s own
CÉSAR VICENTE ACTOR
PEDRO ALMODÓVAR’S MUSE WANTS TO GO WORLDWIDE “I was 12 years old when I set foot on a stage for the very first time,” Spanish actor César Vicente says. “It was the year-end dance at my school. I realized [then] that performing would be part of my life; it allowed me to be confident in a way that I wasn’t before.” Chasing that sense of invincibility, Vicente enrolled in the dramatic arts program at Sevilla’s Viento Sur Teatro. Following four years of intensive training there, he soon began landing parts. These included the role of Elías, a clever groundskeeper at an all-girls finishing school, in the 2018 series A Different View, and a young Hernán Cortez, the Spanish imperialist who defeated the Aztecs, in the 2019 historical drama series Hernán. Though each of those characters played a role in Vicente’s development, it was his role as Eduardo, a local laborer learning to read and write, in Pedro Almodóvar’s 2019 film Pain and Glory, that put him on the global map. “My experience as Eduardo was the most wonderful time of my life,” he says. “It was an opportunity to develop my hidden potential and to put into practice the skills I had learned in the Academy.” Eduardo is an ancillary but potent figure in the life of Salvador Mallo—the film’s protagonist and a loose analog for its director. In building the character, Vicente met with Almodóvar on multiple occasions. “[Almodóvar] described the character meticulously to get the most out of my abilities,” Vicente says. “It [was] an honor to play this important role in the director’s life.” Vicente’s mission is not only to be a conduit to a filmmaker’s vision, but also to prove his craft. “I am always trying to learn from the mistakes I make. Even if I keep failing, I never give up,” he says. For instance, his next red carpet will likely be a smoother affair than that of the Pain and Glory premiere: “That was a challenge,” he recalls. “All the recognition and promotion was fun but very intense for me.” If his parting sentiment is any indication, Vicente is ready to savor the spotlight that awaits him: “I feel a burning desire to conquer the world.” DYLAN KELLY 14
Grooming Verónica Ruz
Photography Álvaro Gracia Fashion Minerva Portillo
GLOBAL VMEN
TOKYO Sen wears all clothing and accessories Comme Des Garçons Homme Plus
SEN MITSUJI ACTOR
Grooming Yuya Nara
Photography Fish Zhang Fashion Shun Watanabe TOKYO’S SCI-FI HEARTTHROB HITS HOLLYWOOD A common fear today, the theft of intimate data, has come to pass in the TV adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s dystopian sci-fi classic, Brave New World. Early in the series, now streaming on NBC’s Peacock, a hologram replays racy encounters between a love interest (Jessica Brown Findlay) and Henry Foster (Sen Mitsuji). Foster is the ultimate alpha in New London society, which deems promiscuity and memory-wiping drugs civic duties. “[Henry] dishes out all the shit and doesn’t take any of the consequences,” says Mitsuji, a Sydney native living in Tokyo. “People only experience Henry being a dick for the two seconds it takes to pop a pill. I think contemporary society might hate him a lot more than [they do in the show].” Maybe so, if it weren’t for society’s weakness for relaxed good looks that channel a young Keanu Reeves. Mitsuji’s favorite pastimes underscore his alt-bro energy. He took up photography in his male-model days, and continues to flex his refined eye on Instagram. And whether he’s shooting in L.A. or self-quarantining in Sydney, his thoughts tend to drift seaward: “I love being in nature, but I get bored of stuff pretty easily. I like surfing [because] you’re in nature but it’s really dynamic, and a little bit violent,” he says. “I like that.” Free-thinking as he is, Mitsuji’s comfort zone evolved on the Brave New World set— especially while shooting semi-choreographed orgies. “As someone who doesn’t do that regularly, my mind was constantly going, ‘What the fuck am I doing?’” he says. He may have come away with a new favorite pastime: “Just before you see everyone with all of their clothes off, toward the crescendo, [we were] just pushing and pulling each other,” he says, referring to a scene set in New London nightlife. “It was more physical than erotic, but it felt amazing to get rid of your inhibitions. I remember leaving and thinking, ‘Maybe the people of New London were onto something.’” SAMUEL ANDERSON 15
GLOBAL VMEN
NEW YORK Medhane wears all clothing Tom Ford Jewelry Cartier
MEDHANE MUSICIAN
BROOKLYN COMES FIRST FOR A PROLIFIC YOUNG RAPPER On a tranquil morning in Park Slope, Brooklyn, not far from the epicenter of the city’s ongoing protests, Medhane steps out for his morning fuel: iced coffee. Even with a caffeine boost, the rapper is soft-spoken. “[I’ve been] staying in the house, seeing the same people, and making music,” he says, summarizing quarantine on the walk back to his place. Economy of speech is a hallmark of the 23-year-old’s work: His songs tend to clock in at around two minutes. Which isn’t to say Medhane is not prolific. In fact, in the span of less than a year, he dropped three self-released albums. It all started last November, with his debut LP Own Pace. Without missing a beat, he followed up Pace with Full Circle in February of this year. Then in May, he dropped yet another LP, Cold Water. “Cold Water is all about overcoming adversity,” he says. “When you go through something, it feels like it’s going to last forever. But the fact of the matter is, it doesn’t.” This outpouring of hard-hitting material points to a history of overcoming personal strife: I ain’t show it but I been through the most...It took a minute just to get in my glow, Medhane raps on Water’s “Na Fr.” Despite maintaining a stiff upper lip, Medhane also has an impressive capacity for self-reflection. “I want to show the importance of remaining true to yourself and bringing light to the multitudes of self,” he says of what he hopes for his music. “There are so many different realities, and people have a lot of different sides to them. You can show all those different sides and still [stay true to] who you are.” His outward composure, then, is all the more alluring—projecting not an absence of self-knowledge, but an abundance of it. If this year’s widespread hardships have slown him down at all, it only did so by a fraction: Yet another album is slated for early 2021. So if you catch him on a neighborhood stroll, iced coffee in hand, know that a multidimensional mind is in high gear. DK 16
Grooming Janice Kinjo (The Wall Group)
Photography Josiah Rundles Fashion Aryeh Lappin
GLOBAL VMEN
PARIS
Makeup Masae Ito Hair Quentin Lafforgue Photo assistant Enrique Villaluenga Stylist assistant Emilie Carlach
Léo wears all clothing and accessories Louis Vuitton
LÉO WALK DANCER
Photography Noel Quintela Fashion Samia Giobellina PARIS’S SHAPE-SHIFTING DANCER TAKES FLIGHT Léo Walk’s surname is an ironically modest signifier. One look at his body of work and it’s hard to imagine the French dancer’s modality ever being limited to putting one foot in front of the other. Walk’s feet seem to rarely touch the ground, whether he’s skimming the floor mid-breakdance, or upright, shifting his weight in marionette-like contortions. While his physicality would be enough to justify his 250,000 Instagram followers, Walk’s sharp fashion sense make his videos all the more watchable. “[I remember being] frustrated because I didn’t have a lot of clothes growing up; my parents were of modest means,” he says. “My very first paychecks went straight to clothes. Now fashion is part of my life, although my style is pretty simple and basic.” Growing up in the suburbs of Paris, Walk never took traditional dance classes. Having taught himself the basics, he earned his stripes in the local dance-battle scene—starting at the tender age of seven. I was a very active child and I always danced a lot,” he says. “One thing led to another, and I went from training down the block from my home to doing breakdance battles all over France.” 2014 marked a more formal introduction to fashion—or at least fashion-inspired spectacle. That year, Walk earned a role in Manfred Thierry Mugler’s nightly cabaret, Mugler Follies, in which he portrayed a green, lizard-like character. He went on to tour with French-pop sensation Christine and the Queens for three years, helping to shape the act’s idiosyncratic, fashion-forward style. These days, Walk is focused on his clothing line, Walk in Paris. A new collection, “Jolie Môme,” dropping in mid-September, will focus on sweats and basics—comfortable and durable enough for a dynamism like Walk’s. In the meantime, his Instagram account is worth the follow, even if his own feelings toward the platform may waver. “Social media’s power is indisputable,” he says. “But I rarely post on Instagram. I would rather explore deeper [truths] by creating real-life stories.” MATHIAS ROSENZWEIG 17
GLOBAL VMEN
TEL AVIV Tom wears Pants and hat Ermenegildo Zegna Necklace his own
TOM MERCIER ACTOR
A MAGNETIC ROOKIE COMES INTO HIMSELF The 2019 drama Synonyms opens on a young, enigmatic Israeli arriving in Paris. Yoav, we will learn, left his country in hot pursuit of a personal and cultural reinvention. But he’s off to a rough start. The first night, Yoav’s flat is robbed while he’s in the shower, leaving him cold and naked, thrashing for warmth, or a culprit, or what we don’t quite know. Tom Mercier, 27, breathtakingly portrays our conflicted protagonist. Ironically, the actor’s French-Israeli roots form a near-perfect mirror image of Yoav’s trajectory: “My father was French, but we never spoke French at home,” he says. When he finally learned the language in preparation for Synonyms, Mercier realized he “knew nothing about that French side of my family.” “In a way, I discovered half of myself,” he continues. Growing up, Mercier’s lone-wolf tendencies made for an atypical young adulthood. “I was a very isolated kid,” he says. “I played sports all the time. I never hung out with kids or went to parties. I [would have] liked to, but I never had the chance.” Once a Judo prodigy, Mercier eventually dropped the sport in favor of theater. “I had horrible [grades], but [my high school] said, ‘There are no guys here taking theater. If you want to get into our school, you have to do theater,’” he recalls. “To me, theater was a door into society.” The art form continues to be an exploratory tool for Mercier: Though a medical discharge once barred him from army service—compulsory for most Israelis—Mercier had another shot at military glory. In Luca Guadagnino’s We Are Who We Are, coming to HBO this fall, he plays an officer on a U.S. base in Italy. In keeping with a theme, his character’s real struggle is internal. “The army saves his life, in a way, but he is still not happy in his own body,” Mercier says. “He never succeeds in becoming a butterfly.” Mercier, on the other hand, is coming into his own without a hitch. Now back in Paris, he’s ready to adapt to an ever-changing reality. “As I’m talking to you,” he says, “I’ve just arrived at my new apartment. I really feel that this is a new country...Life is reinventing itself, and we need to learn how to move on.” SA 18
Hair Yaniv Zada
Photography Yaniv Edry Fashion Aryeh Lappin
GLOBAL VMEN
BERLIN Kelvyn wears all clothing Boss Jewelry and headscarf his own
KELVYN COLT MUSICIAN
Grooming Sabina Pinsone
Photography Ignazio Lozano Fashion Marian Schlicker THIS BERLIN RAPPER IS MASTER OF HIS DOMAIN Born in Wiesbaden, Germany, a mid-sized city known for its gambling and luxurious hot springs, Kelvyn Colt derives his musical pedigree from various international scenes. The rapper, 26, projects a worldly perspective: His lyrics alternate seamlessly between German and English, the latter passed down to him by his father, who left Nigeria for Germany as a 19-year-old orphan. “As a kid, I wrote a lot of poems,” Colt recalls. “My dad used to make me write haikus, and I would always try to outperform myself each time.” With age, Colt’s rhymes grew more complex. “What really got me [to be] serious about music was that I wanted to move people like music moved me,” he says, citing Kid Cudi, 2Pac, and Eminem as inspirations. But music took a detour when an opportunity to be the first in his family to attend college arose. “I dropped out after a few weeks because it wasn’t what I wanted to do,” he says of his stint at law school in Germany. “I wanted to rap.” Colt was soon on a one-way flight to London, where music was his priority. Still, he juggled both a job on the Michael Kors sales floor and a 90-minute commute to business courses at the University of Buckingham. In 2017, he released his debut, LH914 (EP), named after the flight number for that pivotal London passage. In the ensuing years, Colt’s business background would serve him well: He has his own company, Triple Black Heart Gang, and in 2019 made Forbes Germany’s “30 Under 30.” Today, having terminated his Sony contract to buy back his catalog, Colt is the definition of an independent artist—one with 14 million Spotify streams and counting. He’s relishing the success of his first autonomously released track, 2020’s “4 Am | Mein Block,” which reflects both his hometown pride and expansive worldview. “‘Mein block’ is German for ‘my block,’ but ‘my block’ is not just one postal code,” he explains. “It’s many different parts of this Earth.” Colt’s strength lies in his independence, and it’s safe to say his global ambition and entrepreneurship make for a winning combination. DK 19
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PARKER VAN NOORD Son of late model and artist Andre Van Noord, this rising male muse carries on a legacy of enlightened masculinity. In the wake of his father’s passing, Parker began experimenting with filmmaking—adding to rugged pursuits like carpentry and world travel. With his new short film, a raw, big-hearted ode to childhood nostalgia premiering on VMAN.com, Parker bares his soul while rocking Cartier jewelry Photography Inez and Vinoodh Fashion George Cortina Text Mathias Rosenzweig
Parker wears Necklace Cartier from Camilla Dietz Bergeron Archive (throughout)
Amid our ongoing stasis, the world needs a refresher. In fashion, one palette cleanser comes in the form of Dutch model Parker Van Noord. The son of the ’90s male supermodel Andre Van Noord, Parker is the heir to his strong-jawed good looks. More notable is his sensitivity, challenging the long-held “real-men-don’t-cry” ethos among male idols. Beyond his boho appearance, Parker’s emotional interior manifests in his films. His debut short, which hits VMAN.com in tandem with this story, is a tribute to his late father, evoking life’s ephemerality in its nostalgic, mumblecore style. While sensitivity in men has often been conflated with weakness, it is the very quality that elevates Parker to a role-model status. After this year’s unprecedented social conditions, it has become clear that those who express emotions fare better than those who cannot. Parker operates in that vein of guileless honesty, whether on the runway or (as this reporter knows firsthand) at coffee with a stranger in Paris. Shot here in Cartier jewelry, Parker is somewhere at the crossroads of old and new, strong and soft. He is following in his father’s footsteps, even as the industry beneath his feet continues to evolve into something different, and better, than before. VMAN (3/26/20, 1 pm ET) Hi, Parker! Where are you? PARKER VAN NOORD (3/26/20, 7 pm CET) I’m in Amsterdam. VMAN What does it look like over there? PVN It’s semi-locked down. They are trying to [slow the rate of infections], but people are still working. I’m even helping my friends, who are building this new café. VMAN What part of Amsterdam are you in? PVN I live just outside of Amsterdam. So it’s more like the countryside. People are still in the streets, doing their walks and everything. VMAN Does your family still live there? PVN Yeah, I grew up in Amsterdam. When I was a little bit older, we moved to the countryside, which is only 20 minutes outside of the city. VMAN More and more people seem to be moving to Amsterdam. I hear it’s the new Berlin. PVN It’s getting so international. It’s kind of comparable to Brooklyn: There’s new construction everywhere. It’s a mix between new and old. The culture is cool, and the people are really nice. VMAN How do you feel about the changes to the city? PVN It’s only making it more of a cultural hub. The only shitty thing is the [new construction]. We used to have this huge piece of land wrapping around the back of our house, completely filled with trees. And they’re deconstructing everything right now to build houses. VMAN Did a lot of your plans get canceled because of COVID? PVN I had some things lined up, and then everything got canceled. But I try to be very positive. So I’m like, “Okay, well, this is my time off.” There are things I can still work on for myself. For example, I bought an old car, and it needs a lot of work. So I’m trying to learn [new ways of] making things with my hands. Or even working as a carpenter, just to learn the trade. VMAN Can you describe your childhood? PVN The countryside, where we moved when I was seven, is a very idyllic place with loads of nature and horses. My mom and dad really loved each other, and I feel fortunate to have grown up in a loving family. I have two siblings, and our family [dynamic] is very open. I have always had a lot of freedom to experience things on my own. My mom is an artist and my father was a model and artist, so he’d be traveling most of the time. But when he got home, everything was a big adventure. He had this passion for old Mercedes-Benz cars. We would spend time together by loading the car up and driving to places like the South of France. VMAN I know you like to make videos as a hobby. Are you gravitating to that right now? To document the strange times we’re in? PVN No, not really to be honest. I just feel like I’ve been away from home for so long, and I need to settle down before I start doing other things. Right now, for me, it’s just about organizing myself. I don’t know how long this will last, either. So I’m trying to stretch it as far as I can. For me, that really means being calmer, being more physically present, and spending time outdoors. VMAN When did you start making videos? PVN In 2018, my father got really sick. That was a major influence on how I perceived things. I found [filmmaking] to be a good tool to express that. In a way, these movies are like a diary for my father. VMAN Is video something you’d like to explore more? PVN I didn’t really think about it [that way]. For me, it’s just a visualization of my memories. But it’s fun. It’s a start. Maybe it will evolve into something completely different, but I feel like, as a model, it’s very important to have a certain experience in...not necessarily story[telling], but maybe [cultivating] a cool aesthetic. Making movies is part of my aesthetic, I guess.
Makeup Dick Page (Statement Artists) Hair James Pecis (Bryant Artists) Model Parker Van Noord (DNA) Executive producer Stephanie Bargas (VLM Productions) Producer Tucker Birbilis (VLM Productions) Production coordinator Eva Harte (VLM Productions) Production manager John Nadhazi (VLM Productions) Lighting director Jodokus Driessen (VLM Studio) Digital technician Sacha Vine (VLM Studio) Photo assistant Joe Hume Stylist assistants Moses Moreno, Sean Nguyen, Sho Tatsuishi Location Industria Brooklyn
VMAN Have you read anything worth sharing during the past few months? PVN I read a lot about Elon Musk’s Neuralink and how more technology ought to be implemented in daily life. Technology is innovating at a rapid pace and all the heavy lobbying done by companies such as Google and Facebook makes it extremely tough to form any legislation around these causes. For me, this year really shows the global unity we can form with demonstrations and manifestations that pressurize governmental infrastructure. I hope we retain this powerful unity in the future, and that we can make a mark [through] legislations. VMAN What were some of your first impressions of modeling? PVN As an outsider, one may say that modeling makes for an easy living. But my first impressions were that it is not easy, and that you have to be very focused. VMAN When did you start modeling? PVN I started when I was like 14, but was never full time. My father was always like, “Yeah, you go to university before you go full time.” VMAN When did you understand what your dad did for a living? PVN I knew he was a model, but I could never really imagine anything about his profession. I guess I only really understood it when we started working together, around the age of 14 or 15. I don’t know how it is nowadays, but I got loads of laughs in primary school for his profession... VMAN Was he happy that you pursued the same career as his? PVN I wouldn’t necessarily say he was happy about me pursuing the same career, but he thought it was a good tool for me to experience the world. So that made him really happy. VMAN What have been your top three shoots thus far? PVN I really liked the shoot we did for VMAN43, up in Hollywood. And the Calvin Klein productions are always a lot of fun. [Another memorable shoot] was this past year, with Inez and Vinoodh. They brought a photo of my dad from 1986. He had dyed his hair platinum blond and was wearing clothing that belonged to Vinoodh. He must have been the same age as I am now; I recognized something of myself in him. It’s just so beautiful to find all these images and untold stories from all the people that he knew and admired, and to continue those relationships [myself]. VMAN What are some of your goals outside of modeling? PVN I really like working on my films, and I would be very happy to exhibit them someday. VMAN Do you see yourself modeling for a long time? PVN I don’t know. Maybe I’ll do it for a few years. I don’t think I’ll do it for 32 years, [like my dad]. I really want to develop other things as well. So, I don’t think [I’ll do it forever]. VMAN Are you still studying? PVN After my father passed away, during my fourth year, I quit university. I was doing an internship and my work was also really starting to pick up, so it was just too much to deal with in the moment. But I’m thinking about maybe pursuing it [in the future]. Next year, or the year after, or the year after [laughs]. VMAN What had you been studying? PVN It’s a funny story...I had no idea what I was going to study, so I picked the same course as my best friend: International Business and Management. I never really liked it much. Both of my parents are super artistic—everything was always a big mess in our house. So it’s nice to have that organizational structure. Knowing how to do your own accounting and your finances, for instance. VMAN Do you feel that you’re getting an education of sorts as a model? PVN For me, the great thing about being at a university was just having time and space to really conduct a certain relationship with myself. That personal development just helps with life [in general]. In terms of learning from modeling...When I was 14 and at my very first shoot, I remember my father telling me, “There are two faces in modeling. You’re either saying, “Fuck me,” or “Fuck you.” I was like, “Dad, why are you even telling me this?” I had no clue how to pull it off. But I think I can by now! So that’s my progression. VMAN This pandemic is going to have unimaginable and lasting effects. Can you think of ways that the world might be changing for the better? PVN Now, people have time to spend together. And for me, that’s a little bit different, because my father has passed away. But this period is about spending time with the family that are still with us—and not only by watching television, because you can’t do that all day. People are really connecting again.
ZOOMOUT
Shot with a six-foot buffer, a new, bold perspective comes into focus: back-to-basics with an edge. Saddle up! Photography Steven Klein Fashion Patti Wilson Text Samuel Anderson
Above James wears jacket R13 Briefs Calvin Klein Hat Baja East Sunglasses Oliver Peoples Gloves and boots David Menkes Left Top and bracelet Dsquared2 Briefs Ron Dorff Shoes Armani Exchange Sunglasses Gentle Monster
Any baseball player knows that distance raises the stakes. Thus model James Turlington, in love with the sport since age four, seemed the perfect fit for VMAN’s zero-contact series by Steven Klein—in which physical distance was not only a public health requirement but a guiding aesthetic rule. It didn’t hurt that the model-photographer duo were a hop, skip and a jump from one another during quarantine, both shacked up in Bridgehampton, New York. With the remote guidance of inimitable stylist Patti Wilson, VMAN’s first socially-distanced shoot came together there—transforming a bucolic hideaway into an avantgarde fashion gymnasium. “The whole shoot, we were social distancing,” Turlington recalls. “[Klein] was shooting through the windows of his house, or from inside his car. [At one point], I was running down the street, alongside him and his car!” For more high-speed content, see Klein’s drone footage of Turlington on VMAN.com. 26
All clothing Walter Van Beirendonck Mask Richard Quinn
Top left Briefs Dsquared2 Hat Baja East Gloves David Menkes Necklace, worn crossbody Moschino Pearl necklace Celine Bottom left Bodysuit 5 Moncler Craig Green Boots Givenchy
Top right Top Dsquared2 Briefs Ron Dorff Hat Eric Javits Sunglasses Louis Vuitton Bottom right Coat Dior Men Pants Salvatore Ferragamo Briefs Ron Dorff Boots David Menkes Hat Baja East Sunglasses Louis Vuitton Necklace model’s own
Top left Briefs, hat, gloves David Menkes Sunglasses Louis Vuitton Necklace Moschino Blanket Hermès Bottom left Jacket R13 Top and briefs Calvin Klein Boots David Menkes Hat Baja East Necklace Dsquared2
From top to bottom All clothing and accessories Richard Quinn Briefs Dsquared2 Boots and gloves David Menkes Necklace, worn crossbody Moschino Sunglasses Louis Vuitton
Top left All clothing and accessories Walter Van Beirendonck Bottom left Briefs Ron Dorff Boots David Menkes Sunglasses Gentle Monster Mask Vex Latex Necklace Dsquared2 Socks stylist’s own
Top right Jacket R13 Top and briefs Calvin Klein Boots David Menkes Necklace Dsquared2
Model James Turlington (IMG)
Bottom right Coat Dior Men Pants Salvatore Ferragamo Briefs Ron Dorff Boots David Menkes Hat Baja East Sunglasses Louis Vuitton Necklace model’s own
TIME OF YOUR LIFE
This season’s top runway walker, Malick Bodian, strides behind the lens for a timeless Cartier survey Photography Malick Bodian Fashion Gro Curtis
Aramish wears all clothing and accessories Celine by Hedi Slimane Watch Pasha de Cartier Bracelet Clash de Cartier 34
Khadim wears all clothing and accessories Dior Men Watch Pasha de Cartier Rings Clash de Cartier
Alpha wears all clothing and accessories Versace Necklace Clash de Cartier
Jonas wears Coat and pants Fendi Shirt Lanvin Shoes Haider Ackermann Watch Pasha de Cartier Ring model’s own
Adrian wears all clothing and accessories Giorgio Armani Watch Pasha de Cartier Ring Clash de Cartier
David wears coat Gucci Necklaces Clash de Cartier
Andrew wears coat, pants, shoes Burberry Hat Gucci Earring and ring Dior Men Watch Pasha de Cartier
Antoine wears all clothing Salvatore Ferragamo Belt stylist’s own Watch Pasha de Cartier Rings Clash de Cartier
Makeup Tiziana Raimondo (The Wall Group) Hair Quentin Guyen (Bryant Artits) Models Jonas Mason (Premium models), Andrew Westerman (TIAD), Aramish Mangi (TIAD), David Ge (Success models), Antoine Miller (Premium models), Khadim Sock (16 men), Alpha Dia (Marilyn Agency), Adrian P (M Management) Digital technician Marion Duchaussoy Lighting technician Foucauld de Kergrlay Casting Director Morgan Maher (Establishment New York) Stylist assistant Audrey Petit Set design assistant Vanille Busin Location Agence 20000 Lieux
OUTER ARMOR Embellish your Fall outerwear with covetable hardware—this season’s unlikely staple Photography Rowan Papier Fashion Aryeh Lappin Text Ted Stansfield
Garrett wears all clothing Ralph Lauren Purple Label Ring Cartier
When Harry Styles arrived at the 2019 Met Gala—the annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute—he caused a stir. Or rather the small object dangling from his ear did: a single pearl earring. The jewel launched a thousand online articles, a million social media posts, while Styles was dubbed “the boy with the pearl earring.” In recent years, the idea that jewelry is just for women has washed away. Where once men would only wear wedding or signet rings, now they are making bolder choices, wearing not only rings but earrings, necklaces and bracelets. The history of men’s jewelry stretches back to the ancient world, where jewelry crafted from shells, stone, bones and later, gold was a universal adornment. In Medieval Europe, royalty and the nobility donned gold, silver and precious gems, primarily as status symbols, but also because of the protective powers they were believed to possess. This continued into the Renaissance, where particular types of stone were believed to protect against ailments such as toothaches. Sir Walter Raleigh, the 16th-century bon vivant, wore a pearl earring to show his devotion to Elizabeth I, who was regularly pictured in pearls to symbolize her unmarried chastity. Outside Europe, the Maharajas of the Mughal dynasty adorned themselves with jewels, often to epic proportions. In the modern world, men’s jewelry took on a life of its own. In the ’80s, pioneers of hip-hop drew on African aesthetics. Schoolly D, for example, characterized wearing gold as a kind of rallying cry: “This goes back to Africa…Artists in the rap field are battling. We’re the head warriors. We got to stand up and say we’re winning battles, and this is how we’re doing it,” he once told Spin. The following decade, men’s jewelry, rebranded as “bling,” entered the mainstream, with fashion houses such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton launching in-house lines. But it wasn’t until the 2010s that men’s jewelry really exploded—perhaps a result of the enduring popularity of hip-hop, but also the advent of men’s fashion weeks and the attendant fashion blogosphere. Meanwhile, as our attitudes on gender were relaxing, Gucci’s Alessandro Michele was ushering in a maximalist, more-is-more aesthetic, in which flamboyance and freedom were at a premium. Today, a generation of public figures—Tyler, the Creator, Timothée Chalamet and, yes, Harry Styles—are beacons of embellishment. With all the fun they seem to be having, notions of gender-specific jewelry are just a fading glimmer of the past. 42
Niyo wears all clothing and hat Versace All jewelry Tiffany & Co.
David wears all clothing Dsquared2 All jewelry Bulgari
Abdulaye wears all clothing Giorgio Armani Watch Tag Heuer Bracelet Chrome Hearts
RJ wears all clothing Prada Watch Omega
Makeup Tatyana Makarova Hair Evanie Frausto (Streeters) Models RJ King (IMG), Garrett Neff (IMG), Dae Na (VNY), Jordy Ortiz (DNA), Abdulaye Niang (DNA), Niyo Malik (IMG), David Agbodji (Next) Producer Maria Sanchez Casting director Margaux Elkrief Digital technician Brandon Satterfield Photo assistants Xavier Muniz, Tiem Okori Hair assistant Shanice Fields Runner Simi Vihay
Jordy wears all clothing Givenchy All jewelry Bulgari
Niyo wears all clothing Calvin Klein All jewelry Tiffany & Co.
Dae wears all clothing Issey Miyake Homme Plissé Rings David Yurman
WHAT VMEN WANT
Yvens wears jacket, pants, hat Moncler 2 1952 ($475—$1,385, all available at Moncler.com)
Grooming Janice Kinjo (The Wall Group) Model Yvens Mendes (Next)
This sparkling new travel companion is ready for lift-off Photography Vera Comploj Fashion Aryeh Lappin Text Czar Van Gaal
Never since the advent of commercial travel has the want...nay, the need to break free been more urgent. In a perfect world, our bags would be packed and waiting by the door, encroaching cool weather be damned. Whatever the season may be when the veil finally lifts, luggage is one item you won’t go without. In their new collaboration, Rimowa and Moncler offer a gleaming vision of this future necessity. Marked by its mirrored aluminum surface, the reflective design also features a removable LED screen, inspired by departure-arrival ticker displays. Synergizing the two brands’ international heritages, the case reflects Rimowa’s high-quality yet sustainable fabrication with Moncler’s experimental visuals. MONCLER X RIMOWA REFLECTION SUITCASE (AVAILABLE AT MONCLER.COM, PRICE UPON REQUEST) 48
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