It’s quite disappointing meeting David Gandy in person. Yes, he’s a breath-taking Adonis-like no other, chiseled, angular cheeks, steely wolf eyes, and wavy, dreamy ebony hair. His bulking physique ywns and stretches the groaning fiber of his checked, Saville Row suit. He even smells pretty awesome, Dolce by Dolce and Gabbana, naturally. But the disappointment comes from sitting in the presence of the second-best male model of all time, according to Vogue at least.
Reportedly worth some 12 million dollars, Gandy has become one of a mere handful of males to catch up with the Gisele’s and Cara’s and earn supermodel status of his own. A former catalog hunk who got his break on a model search on UK daytime TV show “This Morning,” David was simply another pretty face in the crowd.
Born on the 19th of February 1980 in Billericay, Essex, England, Gandy started his modeling career after winning a televised competition in 2001. His muscular body became the fancy of Dolce & Gabbana, who featured him in many campaigns and fashion shows. In 2006, he became the face of Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue fragrance. His increase in his notoriety resulted in many campaigns for many companies throughout the years. In 2014, he designed a line of underwear, swimwear and lounge-wear for Marks & Spencer. In 2016, Marks and Spencer collaborated again with Gandy expanding the “Gandy for Autograph” line.
His elevation into top-grade model royalty hasn’t come at the expense of his humility, which makes meeting him a peculiar experience. No ego, arrogance, or preening and posturing that his photo portfolio suggests should be the case. He’s a normal person, and unlike a host of models, film stars, musicians and celebrities, what he says is worth listening to.
Gandy lives in west London with his partner, Stephanie, and their one-year-old daughter, Matilda.
STRIPLV: How did you get into the modeling and the fashion industry? Was it something that you’d always wanted to achieve? GANDY: (Laughs) Not at all, it was never on my list of aspirations at all. I was more the type of person who certainly knew that what I didn’t want to do was to be working in an office or anything like that. The thing is that my attention span is virtually zero, which means I get very bored very easily. That also leads me to take on new things all of the time to break that boredom and keep me satisfied. I’m like most people in the sense that I have to be busy to feel a sense of purpose. I think, though, with the fact that I have been able to make some headway in the fashion industry has undoubtedly helped to open new doors in other areas where you see interesting projects and initiatives. It gives you the chance to try things that you’d maybe always wanted to and to see how far you can, in turn, take those. STRIPLV: Cars are another big passion in your life, aren’t they? What was your first car? GANDY: My first car was a 1.1 liter Ford Fiesta Ghia, which was 10 years old. I’ve still no idea what the Ghia was meant to do. It was supposed to be the top of the range Ford Fiesta, but having driven a non-Ghia Fiesta, I fail to see the difference. Maybe someone could let me know that. (Laughs) STRIPLV: You’ve had some very exotic holidays in your life, haven’t you? Are you still able to relax when you go abroad? GANDY: Yeah, and what I will say is that because I was a lot younger at the time and I went with my parents, I probably didn’t fully appreciate those holidays and adventures because that’s what they were, adventures. I was more wondering why we were going to Borneo and the Amazon Rainforest, while other people I knew were going to Spain and Portugal! But when I look back on it, they were amazing times, and then a year or so ago, I was very fortunate to meet Sir David Attenborough. There we were talking about some of the things that I had done in my youth, and you’re standing there discussing it with one of the most greatly-loved people of our time, that’s unbelievable. As for relaxing, for the most part, I do. You’re often aware there are cameras and paparazzi around, but I feel we’re a bit beyond the era of photographers hiding in bushes and, for the most part, you’re just allowed to get on with it? STRIPLV: What’s your relationship like with the press? GANDY: It’s always been pretty good. I’ve not really got too many skeletons in the closet, and I don’t think the general public feels models are the most exciting people out there ready to slip up or do something crazy. I’m happy to let film stars and musicians take most of the credit on that side. The thing I’ve discovered with the press is that everyone is just out to get a picture or a story, and it’s simply people doing their jobs. As someone who is photographed for a living, it would be pretty hypocritical of me to start telling photographers they can’t take my photo, so you’ve got to balance those things up and, for the most part, just get on with it. As with most things in life, the nicer you are to people, the nicer they are back to you, and that’s a moral compass I’ve always tried to stick to. STRIPLV: There must be a few people you mix with who aren’t quite as patient. GANDY: There will be a few, but that will be the case in any walk of life, nice people, others who aren’t so nice. It doesn’t matter if you’re a model or a racing driver or a politician; it doesn’t matter if you’re famous or not. That is just what some people are like. I don’t think this industry or any industry necessarily transforms people from one type of person to another.
STRIPLV: Is it true you were a bit of an ugly duckling when growing up?
GANDY: Well, not quite. I was chubby and had that puppy fat kind of thing. That was the way my body decided to be then. I played a ton of sports, and then during one year, I shot up to 6’3”, and turned into that gangly awkward stage, until I filled out.
STRIPLV: When do you chill out? GANDY: When I’m at Battersea [south London] Dogs and Cats Home. I was chilling out with the animals. When I’m out driving, or when I’m with my family. I haven’t had a holiday in a couple of years. STRIPLV: Why? GANDY: Because stuff gets in the way, an opportunity comes that you can’t miss. STRIPLV: You know you can say no, right? Did you say that earlier yourself? GANDY: True, I should follow my own advice sometimes.