“it takes pain to get somewhere in life”

Tell us how you got into modelling?

It was by chance! I frequently went to a lot of tattoo conventions and some of my tattoos had already been featured in a few magazines. At one convention, a photographer asked if I would like to do a shoot, and after the shoot an agency saw the photos, contacted me and asked if I would like to join them. It then went on from there.   

Who are the models & tattoo artists that you look to for inspiration? 

Chester Bennington & Travis Barker were an influence when I was younger, I had many hairstyles like them, I do miss having my Mohawk, but as I got more into the industry it became models like Josh Spizoiky, Jimmy Q and Ricki Hall. Tattoo artists would be mostly Spanish artists, their style I’m heavily into and style of neo trad designs, Toni Donaire and Kike Esteras are some of my favourites.   

Why do you think people are enamored with tattoo art Specifically?, especially with the popularity of social media, tattooed models have become increasingly popular. Why do you think this is? What is the attraction? Deep human need to change everything around us, including our own skin, or just a love of beauty? 

I would say it’s a mixture of things, with society now and the popularity of tattoos, some people like to enamour themselves as a way of self expression and claiming their body. Unfortunately some people don’t think their tattoos through properly, the impact it can have on your work life etc, so get tattoos just because its fashionable and want to fit in or copy celebrities to look like them. Social media has a huge role to play, when I first started to get tattooed there wasn’t an "Instagram" or "Facebook" you would have to go a studio looking at designs, artists books and buy magazines. Now it’s a lot easier to find artists styles and designs with social media ,and tattoos are a lot more in the public eye compared to before. Slowly it’s becoming a lot more acceptable to have tattoos in the work place . So people who wanted tattoos before and weren't able to, are now more likely to make that choice without feeling judged .   

What has been your best shoot to date? 

My best shoot to date is a campaign I did for Selfridges & Co called the Hello Beautiful. I was in all their stores ,online ,billboards ,sides of buses, the underground and street advertising in London and over the country. Really good exposure  

Dead or alive who would you love to work with and why? 

Sigourney Weaver , Im a huge Alien franchise fan and it would be a dream come true just to even be an extra on set with her.    

In your opinion what is the hardest thing to deal with in the fast growing influencer/modelling industry? 

As social media becomes more and more popular, there’s been an influx of people wanting to/or becoming models, so the competition is harder, and you need to work harder to be more unique and to stand out at castings etc.    

Beyond modelling and supporting other creatives, what are your passions? What do you do on vacation or your days off? What do you wish you had more time for? 

I love watching Moto GP as I’m really into bikes, also watching UFC as I’ve done a few martial arts. Food is a big one! going to restaurants, trying new foods and baking with my partner. My last vacation was in Japan, I went to lots of temples, festivals and visited different parts of Tokyo enjoying loads of food. Wish I had more time for travelling and seeing more of the world, and to do more sports    

What did you want to be when you were growing up? 

I wanted to be a fireman but unfortunately due to my eye site I wasn’t able to join the fire service.    

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? What is the worst? 

Best advice would be " it takes pain to get somewhere in life". Worst would be "just try to blend in".    

Tell us something about your personal life past or present that will blow our minds. 

Not many people know but I’m a 1st Dan in Hakko Ryu Jujitsu, I’ve also done boxing and Muay Thai Boxing.    

What hopes do you have for the future? 

I hope to be able to travel more and go to Japan a lot more. My girlfriend and I recently got engaged so there will be our wedding and plans in the future to look forward too.