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Text by Carmen mañana
Ph: Daniel Riera. Stylish: Juan Cebrián
Ph: Daniel Riera. Stylish: Juan Cebrián
Spanish Version
DAVID GANDY
A BODY FOR SUCCESS
David Gandy is one of the few male models at the same level of his most famous female colleagues. As the image of the fragrance Light Blue, Dolce & Gabbana, he reveals the secret of his success: become your own brand.
The sounds of Mariú Parlami d'amore, played by Mario de Sica. A man of Herculean beauty dives into the waters off Capri wearing a white Speedo. He follows a woman. He kisses her and unties her bikini top. A clapboard and fade to black. We are talking about the TV commercial for the fragrance Light Blue by Dolce& Gabbana. And we are also talking about David Gandy, a model, that to paraphrase Melanie Griffith in Working Girl has a body for sin and a mind for business. Because this British, according to his agency, born in 1980, has managed to squeeze the success of the campaign led by Mario Testino in 2007 and the two that came later to become one of the few men who can compete with their female colleagues in financial terms and popularity. A double achievement in an industry that today focuses on tender looking teen models and where advertisers call on Hollywood superstars for their ads.
Just last year, Gandy starred in 23 international magazine covers. "Fashion is like any other business. The ultimate goal is to sell. And I, as a model, see myself. The key is to know how to do it: become your own brand and working on its development," he explains.
The brand David Gandy directly employs six people: a publicist, one PR, a head of communication, someone responsible for social networking, the booker or agent and the model himself. A full-fledged small business, comparable in size to 41% of Spanish SMEs, according to the National Statistics Institute. He recalls that the top models have been working like this for decades: "They've been very smart in defining their position in the industry. Modelling is not brain surgery, but there should be professionalism."
The gap between men and women in the industry responds first, and according to Gandy, the greater weight of women's fashion. "But the attitude of some of the younger ones, desperate for visibility, only makes things worse. They say yes to everything - lowering fees and conditions - and they do not realize that in this profession it is almost more important what you say no."
The team not only manages Gandy and his saturated schedule of photo shoots, fashion shows and shoots, but also other products that reinforce his image and salary.
In addition to his website (www.davidgandystyleguide.com), his Facebook and Twitter (@ DGandyOfficial), three years ago the model decided to launch his own application for phones and tablets: David Gandy Style Guide for Men. A project that arises, according to his account, to respond to the thousands of questions about style from his followers. Perks and privileges of being elected the most elegant man in the world by GQ magazine.
"Most men are quite lost: what is the difference between a suit of two or three buttons? For a consumer of fashion it is essential to explain it, and that's what I intend, " he argues.
Ironically, the model and ambassador to Men's Fashion Week London is defined as an "anti-fashion victim". He deliberately ignores trends and boasts about it. His style icons are Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. "Two men that loved comfort and prevailed in a pragmatic manner", plus two speed freaks like Gandy himself.
Perhaps in his naturalness resides a key interest in being a writer. A fact that has not gone unnoticed by media outlets such as New York Magazine and GQ, who have been invited him to write on their pages. Gandy enjoys the potential of this new facet. After 13 years starring in fashion editorials, he knows that it is time to move beyond the ranges of being photographed. His goal, he admits, is to become "a creative director".
Meanwhile he collaborates on various projects for the fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana -whose leaders have made headlines recently for a conviction for tax evasion that they have announced that they will appeal-. And he continues to build its own brand. In January he launched a new application: David Gandy Fitness and Training, sharing guidelines to get a body like his. He makes sure to keep his body in top form and ready for his next project or campaign. He ensures that from 22:30 it is easier to find him on a bike at the gym than at the bar of a glamorous party.
As a means of escape for the Briton, who confesses he is addicted to sport since his days of studying "multimedia computing" at the University of Essex. It was his classmates that entered Gandy in a model search for a local morning show, like a good Hollywood script, it opened the doors of the fashion world for him.
But not everything is business (or a catwalk) Gandy's life. The model runs a non-profit organization for children at risk of exclusion, which has called, Steel Blue Appeal: the name of the look made famous by Ben Stiller in Zoolander, his great parody of the fashion world.
Twelve years of Mediterranean love. Fresh and with the spirit of summer, the fragrance Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue is a classic summertime perfume. Created by perfumer Oliver Cresp, was launched in 2001 for women and in 2007 for men. Now with the new campaign shot by Mario Testino and starring David Gandy & Bianca Balti, the goal is return "to capture the energy and excitement of a love affair with a woman of Mediterranean character."