A high quality picture book is an important step and honour in every artist’s career. Belgian designer Dirk Bikkembergs had to choose selected key pieces from 25 years of creative work. To present the sporty collections, the designer looked for athletic models with character. Three McFIT models made the cut and convinced him with their sporty power.
Renowned designer Bikkembergs plays in the premiere league of international fashion labels and is a pioneer in regards to the synergy of fashion and sport. He seeks inspiration from all disciplines, but is particularly interested in football. He predominantly designs Haute Couture for athletic men that are sports icons in their own right. Thus it seemed only logical that he chose the talents from MCFIT MODELS for his model selection for his picture book ‘25 Years of Athletes and Fashion’. Dirk Bikkembergs says: ‘Athletes, my muse and inspiration’. SEBASTIAN C., HANNES R. and JOHANNES I. wowed the designer with their trained bodies. You can see them on one of the 448 pages of the picture book, published by Rizzoli Verlag.
Bikkembergs and renowned photographer Luc Willame photographed the athletes. Sebastian is an experienced McFIT model and travelled to Belgium for the shoot – the designer’s native country. With his fit body, which the dancer and acrobat trains for on a daily basis, wowed Bikkembergs. Personal trainer Hannes’ body also got him a ticket to the Maldives for his very first shoot. McFIT model Johannes is a professional football player and had lots of power and defined leg muscles to bring to the table – something the designer paid special attention to when choosing a total of 23 models for the photo shoots.
Berlin based photographer Kike snapped the looks for current collection by new beachwear label ALL FOR TERRY in collaboration with CAROLIN H. c/o McFIT MODEL AGENCY.
About: ALL FOR TERRY uses lovely materials such as super-soft terry cloth and laid-back linen – all in soothing, cooling and peaceful colours, which are inspired by the spirit of beach life of the island of Mauritius, its gracious people, white sandy beaches and the warm Indian Ocean. ALL FOR TERRY works from beach to bar, from seaside to seated dinners, from sun naps to tender hugs. On the beach, in the city, on the plane and on the boat. For beach heroes and city adventurers. As long as you are wearing it with a cool drink in your hand and a smile on your face.
The MICHALSKY StyleNite on 11 July 2014 was the highlight of Berlin Fashion Week. Designer Michael Michalsky presented his menswear collection on 12 McFIT models (among others) during Berlin Fashion Week under the header ‘Important Secrets’. Fashion, music, film and art belong together and are newly combined at every MICHALSKY StyleNite.
Michael Michalsky is one of the most influential fashion designers in Germany. As art director at McFIT MODELS he supports the agency with his expertise in the model and fashion business and strengthens the sport model agency with his insider industry knowledge. After working as the head designer for Levis and the worldwide creative director at Adidas, he founded his own label MICHALSKY in Berlin in 2006. Besides working as a fashion designer, he also designs outside the fashion industry. He founded design agency ‘MICHALSKY designLab’ for this purpose – the ‘lab’ produces commissioned design work in the product design, interior and corporate fashion categories. His clients include big companies such as Marriott Hotels, Sony, Intel, MCM, Afri Cola, P&G, Disney, BMW and many more. He also launched a very successful MICHALSKY Living collection.
Tobias J. owes his well-trained body to one sport in particular: judo. At the age of seven, he started doing martial arts and moved to Munich on his own at the age of 15 to concentrate on his judo career there. He fought in the German premiere league, became the runner-up German single champion and German team champion. He trained in training camps in Russia, France and Austria, to compete with the international judo elite. Despite the hard training, the successful athlete excelled in school, even skipping a year and received his high school diploma (A-levels) with an average of 1.3. McFIT model Tobias then began his studies in tax law and in addition works part-time as a student trainee in an accounting firm.
In his spare time, the talented model practises Judo as well as keeping fit by swimming and jogging, exercising regularly at McFIT, where his attention is drawn to McFIT MODELS. The sporty orientation of the agency suits him perfectly. His early modelling career came about almost by accident through a friend who was looking for a male model for a shoot. He managed to get his first job in the field and discovered his passion for modelling: ‘it's a great feeling to hold professional pictures of yourself in your hands.’ The first bookings come in quickly. He shoots editorials for Italian ‘Fucking Young!’ magazine and German ‘74 Magazine’, presents the new collection for fashion label ‘Matchless’ at Milan Fashion Week and recently posed for Porsche Design. Tobias particularly likes the diverse experiences he gets as a model: ‘You get to know and see so many people and places that you otherwise never would get to meet or see.’
Sport, studies, job, modelling and his private life: how does it manage to tie it all together? He says: ‘I don’t pressure myself. I’m happy about every booking I get and do my very best.’ Tobias is unbiased and open to every new challenge, as he believes that you don’t regret things you have done later on, but things you didn’t do.
At the tender age of five he began with athletic sports and discovered his passion for gymnastics early on, which he then made his profession. The 40-times national champion in gymnastics is a successful McFIT model today and an internationally renowned aerial and stilts acrobat. With his powerful body control Thomas S. wows his audience at jobs. Thomas trained on a daily basis from an early age to achieve his goals; in addition he played handball and football and did gymnastics for ten years in the premiere league in Germany and France. ‘The early experiences from sports run through my life like a thread. Therefore, it does not bother me to work hard on myself.’
The thoroughbred athlete came to McFIT MODELS through a friend, who told him about the agency. As a McFIT model, Thomas has already booked numerous jobs with his vitality, dynamism and years of experience as a gymnast. He can count AXE, fitness magazine LOOX, Braun and Panorama Berlin to his clients. A special highlight was the shoot with heavy weight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko. He gushes: ‘for me as an athlete that was a great honour and very inspiring experience.’ He particularly enjoys the sports model jobs, as the atmosphere on set is always good - a lot of fun mixed with professionalism. Funnily enough, despite all the ambition and constant discipline the sporty acrobat has always kept one thing: his feet firmly on the ground.
