October 29, 2017 |
As Van Assche puts it, 18-year-old Dylan Roques is the current “muse model” to Dior Homme. A prominent part of the brand’s recent shows and campaigns, the raven- haired beauty also serves as fit model at the house three days a week. “He’s really part of the team,” Van Assche says. “Everybody knows him. We have lunch together. He’s part of the family.”
Roques was discovered on his 17th birthday by the model scout David Raoult at Paris Games Week – the haute couture shows of video games – and imported into the hallowed halls of Dior Homme by Nardi. He first met the designer in December 2015. “I was very impressed and I still am,” Roques says.
“He’d been a model for, like, a week or something, so we grabbed him and never let go,” Van Assche says with a smile. “When we discovered him, he was super-shy – so not at ease in the fashion world – and in the two years we’ve been following him, he’s out there. I think fashion changes life.”
A masculine reincarnation of a young Winona Ryder, Roques grew up in the small Parisian suburb of Sainte-Geneviève- des-Bois and was catapulted into model stardom when he opened Dior Homme’s AW16 show. “It was my first show and I barely slept the night before because I was so anxious,” he says. “But when I hit the catwalk, it was pure happiness.” Exclusive to Dior Homme, he’s the house’s youngest and most astute ambassador, chipping in with things like: “In my personality I am a reserved person and I believe that Dior Homme embodies this discreet and refined luxury.” Not just a pretty face, as they say.
“I don’t care where boys come from – the more international I go, the more I like it – but there is something nice about having a French muse,” Van Assche admits. “He has this double layer that I like so much. He’ll look sporty in a suit and elegant in sportswear. He balances out whatever look I put on him.” In the real world, Roques dabbles in the pursuits of any 18-year-old: French boxing, video games and visits to Brussels, where his girlfriend lives. “We need to convince him not to have pizza every day, like at least not at lunch and dinner. He’s that kind of guy,” Van Assche says affectionately.
Text by Anders Christian Madsen
Photographer Ian Kenneth Bird
Taken from the latest issue of 10 Men, REBEL HEART, on newsstands now…
