Interview by Elena Petrova | Photos by Natalia Ilina |

If you haven’t already heard of Baptiste Giabiconi, you probably soon will – the most in-demand male model in the world is set to conquer the world of music, too. We met in a suite of the Swissotel The Howard hotel on the Thames Embankment while he was in London promoting his first single “Showtime”.
 
I listened to it on YouTube before leaving the office – it‘s a catchy pop song that, to my mind, is too simple to top the charts but offers female members of the audience an excellent way to spend five minutes: Baptiste on a bike, Baptiste in a fight, Baptiste saving a girl – a bit cliché but he looks hot. And in flesh he doesn’t disappoint either. His look when he arrives at the hotel is not dissimilar to that on “Showtime” – hair style à la Elvis Presley, jeans and jeans top, and more rings than is sensible for a jet-set lifestyle – going through airport security must take forever. Here he is, ready to be adored and listened to, but it hasn’t always been like this.About three yeast ago, a skinny boy from a modest background left his native Marseille to try his chances in the world of fashion. After months of editorial work and castings, he caught the eye of Karl Lagerfeld : the Grand Monsieur of fashion was on the prowl for a new face, a new muse. Destiny chose Baptiste – the shoot Lagerfeld did for French Vogue when the young, lean French boy modelled in high heels and a one-piece bikini made it patently clear – the face of a new generation had arrived. Since then he has appeared in Chanel campaigns as well as Lagerfeld’s catwalks.
He is only 21 – fresh-faced, his smile slightly more open than his job requires. He tries hard to come across as friendly, but at the same time has an air of the person who is enjoying being liked and heard great things about him many times. He is pleasantly articulate – do we need to say “Thank you, uncle Karl?” – after all, this boy left school at 14. There is something about the way he carries himself that makes you watch him a little longer than is considered polite – I can see that je ne sais quoi, so hard to pinpoint, yet so obvious to the eye. Not that we ever doubted Mr Lagerfeld had taste – I just never had a chance before to interview someone hand-picked by him. 

We are meeting under the pretext of Richard Mille watches for whom Baptiste is the ambassador. His agent brings two models – an intricate watch that looks huge wrapped around Baptiste’s fine wrist, and a gigantic pendant-like model on a very thick chain.

Q: Baptiste, why have you decided to work with the Richard Mille brand?

A: The collaboration came about thanks to a mutual friend of my agent Sid and Richard Mille. They had a conversation over dinner once, and this mutual friend thought it’d be good to meet up with Richard and see if there was something in it for both of us. I met with Richard, and several months later became his new face. Personally, I’m very passionate about the watches. I wanted a Rolex since I was 16! Richard Mille is a well-known brand. It’s a very distinguished and established name in the world of watches. I love the fact that at the same time it has its own style that’s similar to mine – a bit rock’n’roll and very individual!

Q: Modelling is often a starting point for other careers – it can open doors to the world of film, music – where do you see yourself after fashion?

A: I’m not thinking about life after fashion – it’s more about continually working in various fields. I love music, I’ve been singing for years and now, finally, it’s happened – I’m promoting my first single ‘Showtime’. But it doesn’t mean that I’m ready to leave fashion and move into the world of music. I’m enjoying both but in my heart music’s taking first place, but it won’t stop me doing modelling.

Q: For a male model, being promoted by Karl Lagerfeld always means a big change in their career… Did you realise that big things were about to happen to you?

A: Some people say Karl can be difficult but the start was very easy for me – he’s always been supportive of me. They say I’m his muse but he’s a true inspiration for me – Karl encourages me to develop, to fulfil my dreams. For example, he knew I loved singing – his opinion was I should pursue it.

Q: Karl has taken some of the most amazing shots of you, capturing something that doesn’t appear in other photos – you look a lot rawer, sometimes more vulnarable. What enables him as a photographer to bring out that side of your personality best?

A: He’s very talented but that you know, of course. I’ve had time to create a very deep, creative relationship with Karl, which goes beyond the model-photographer scenario. He’s not a man I just suddenly met on a shoot, so working with him is much easier – it’s slicker and more intense. Day-to-day communication with him is better than going to any school – I’m learning something new every day, and not only about fashion but about every aspect of life.

Q: Do you consider him your mentor?

A: No, he’s more like a close member of the family. And in the future we may not work together in a professional relationship anymore but we’ll always have a very strong friendship, I believe…

Q: What are the advantages of your job?

A: Meeting people, learning things about people and myself, travelling – I’m always changing locations, and that enriches me…

Q: Has nudity ever been an issue ?

A: I feel very comfortable with my own body, and if the shots are beautiful, not vulgar, and nudity serves an aesthetic purpose, then why not? I very much believe in the capability of the people I’m working with.

Q: Do you take advantage of being so hot?

A: Absolutely not. I think everything is about your personality – if I meet a really hot girl who’s horrible, I find her unappealing. It’s a cliché, but inward beauty is important.