World Cup Rivalary Takes Over the Runway with This Season’s Most Fresh-Faced Male Models
What happens when a mix of 19 soccer loving—excuse us, football—male models fanatics have a pitstop in Milan at the same time? Photographer Paolo Simi quickly discovered as tensions flared and home-country loyalties became as apparent as the piercing-editorial-stare born onto each model’s face. See our exclusive Fashion Week preview and FIFA World Cup Tribute below featuring Alessio Pozzi, Benoni Loos, Dean Stetz, Debiais Victor, Dino Sabanovic, Do Byungwook, Gordon Bothe, Jarno Boom, Kai Keller, Leo Mel, Lucas Mascarini, Mariano Ontanon, Marlon Nicolau, Nemanja Maksic, Rael Costa, Sam Steele, Stefan Knezevic, Stefan Radojkovic, and Toby Binge.
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Benoni Loos
Agency: I Love Models
Nationality: Belgian
First scouted: Sitting on a bench in Antwerp
Personal style: "Black jeans and black or white t-shirt."
"I always enjoy watching a good game."
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Mariano Ontanon
Agency: Elite Milano
Nationality: Argentinian
Most recent campaign: Just Cavalli
Favorite city: "Rome, because it's magical. I fall in love with it every time I've been."
"I'm a citizen of the world, but I know and will never forget where I come from."
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Alessio Pozzi
Agency: Elite Milano
Nationality: Italian
First scouted: in a shopping center
Sports played: soccer, swimming, and gym
"My style is very simple in my life."
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Toby Binge
Agency: Independent Milano
Nationality: British
First scouted: 15 years old at a music festival
Favorite city: "New York. There is always something different going on, it feels like being in a film."
"I love to travel, but I am British through and through, from my favorite food (langers and mash) to loving football."
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Marlon Nicolau
Agency: Elite Milano
Nationality: Portugese
Most recent campaign: Filipe Faisca
Sports played: "I watch soccer all the time, but the only sport for me is sex. I hate the gym."
"I am a philosopher of life."
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Dino Sabanovic
Agency: Fashion
Nationality: Bosnian
Most recent campaign: Italia Independent Sunglasses
Personal style: "Thrift shop"
"I eat french fries with Nutella."
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Kai Keller
Agency: 2morrow
Nationality: German
Most recent campaign: Mauro Grifoni
Favorite city: "Barcelona, because it has everything."
"I like to mix up streetwear and elegant pieces like Burberry, Saint Laurent, and Gucci."
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Lucas Mascarini
Agency: Fashion
Nationality: Brazilian
Most recent campaign: Bottega Veneta
Grossest thing seen in a model house: "dishes, dishes, dishes"
"I don't see myself as a model."
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Debiais Victor
Agency: Nologo
Nationality: French
First scouted: shopping at an H&M store in Paris
Sports played: swimming, running, and gym
"When I was scouted I waited 6 months before signing my contract, because I didn't want to be a model at the time."
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Stefan Knezevic
Agency: Independent Milano
Nationality: Serbian (but supports the Bosnian World Cup team)
Most recent campaign: Pitti Immagine Uomo
Sports played: "I played volleyball for 10 years, of which the last 3 were professional. Now I only do sports for fun."
"I still haven't visited many of the places that I really want to see."
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Gordon Bothe
Agency: I Love Models
Nationality: German and Swedish
Favorite city: "New York—they just opened a Nutella bar."
Open bar anywhere for a night: "Las Vegas to make The Hangover movies look lame"
"I played soccer all my life until I started modeling."
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Dean Stetz
Agency: Nologo
Nationality: American
Most recent campaign: Tombolini
Favorite memory of hometown: Beach with family
"I am much more simple and normal than my work."
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Jarno Boom
Agency: 2morrow
Nationality: Dutch (from The Netherlands)
Most recent campaign: Sascha
Favorite city: "Milan feels like home, plus I love Italy."
"Obviously there's no place like home, but I really do miss the cheese."
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Sam Steele
Agency: Elite Milano
Nationality: Spanish and British (born in Spain)
Favorite memory of hometown: "Being outdoor with my mates."
Open bar anywhere for a night: "Any pub in Ireland. They have great beer and drinking culture."
"It's where you're at, not where you're from, that is important."
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Rael Costa
Agency: Why Not
Nationality: Brazilian
Favorite city: "Rome and Florence — there are so many places to visit and so much history."
Sports played: soccer, volleyball, wake boarding, and skateboarding
"Because of the easy way I live, most people say fake things about the job. I try to stay happy always."
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Leo Mel
Agency: I Love Models
Nationality: Italian
Most recent campaign: Andrew Mckenzie
Favorite city: "Rome because it's a historical city, and Paris because of the great modeling experience and the most romantic city in the world."
"Modeling has made me open to different people and countries."
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Stefan Radojcovic
Agency: Independent Men
Nationality: Serbian (but supports the Australian World Cup team)
Favorite city: "Aruba or the Australian seaside because of their nature vibes."
Staying in shape: "I was lucky that I trained in a gym as a child for 7 years, so now it’s easy to keep in shape."
"Trough my travels I've become very flexible, but I still have my Serbian nationality."
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Do Byungwook
Agency: Elite Milano
Nationality: Korean
First scouted: Elite China contest
Personal style: " It is terrible that I wear the same t-shirt and pair of jeans every day?"
"If the weather is good, it's is not important where I am. I just want to see to fascinating young ladies. "
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Nemanja Maksic
Agency: Fashion Milano
Nationality: Sebrian (but supports the Russian World Cup team)
Most recent campaign: adidas Originals
Embarrassing story from adolescence: "One time I broke my shoes so my mother gave me my sister’s to wear. When people asked me about them, I just replied, 'Because it’s fashion!'"
"I have many sides to my personality."
Images photographed by Paolo Simi; Styled by Stefano Spinetta; Make up and hair by Sara Del ReMartin, Jorge Paradas, Claudia Tito, and Jonahid Miah; Editing by Piotr Trojanowski; Photo AssistantsGiulietta Raimondi and Nicola Lazzari; GIFs by Giulia Bertuletti.
