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Interview
by Edo Q ©
2010 CoverMen
Mag!
April, 2010
-Hello
Milan, I'm flattered you accepted to be interviewed
for my online mag, to start this interview off,
please give me some background information.
Hi
Edo, it's my pleasure. Well I was born and raised in
Toronto so I'm city-boy at heart but any chance I get
I love going out to the countryside. I've got one older
brother who I've always been very close with. My Dad
is from the Czech Republic and my Mom's from just outside
Montreal. As for education... I was always going back
and forth trying to balance the modeling with school
and kinda doing both half-assed. So I ended up finally
going back and finishing high school when I was 20.
I'm most likely starting University next year for either
architecture or landscape design. I've been living in
Brooklyn for the past couple of years but I'm moving...
going back to the Nomadic lifestyle for a bit.
-Let's
look back at how you started modeling, tell me about
how you got "discovered", how old were you
then and how old are you now?
My brother
Jeno actually got scouted in Toronto and had been doing
it for a couple of years. I met his agent Norwayne at
a fashion show and he approached me and asked me if
I'd sign with him. It took a little convincing cause
at that age (16) I kind of just wanted to hangout with
friends and be a regular kid. But I tried it out, and
after traveling a bit it really grew on me...Now I get
restless being in one place longer than a few weeks.
I'm 25 now....damn :)
-How did you get
your first modeling job? What was it like?
My
first job was booked directly from my agency in Milan.
I can't remember which magazine it was for but it was
an editorial with Peter Lindbergh. It shot on location
in the basement of a church in NYC. I was really nervous
cause I had no clue what I was doing...I don't think
I got any sleep the night before. It was a big crew
so I was pretty intimidated and acted pretty shy at
first. But the story was of a Russian wedding and they
wanted it to be as authentic and natural as possible
so they got us some drinks, we danced and I definitely
loosened up... maybe a little too much haha. It was
a lot of fun... For a first shoot I don't think I could
have had a better experience.
-You were
on the cover of L'Uomo Vogue at the age of 17, were
you ready to manage such a great success?
What
was great about being so young was that I was also incredibly
naive. I had no idea who or what was considered
important in the industry. If I worked with prestigious
photographers, stylists or got a “big job” I was pretty
clueless so it was pretty difficult to let it get to
my head at all. I would kinda gauge how enthusiastic
I should react to something by how my bookers reacted
to it :). My family has also always been wonderful about
supporting me and helping me keep my head on straight.
I think if any of it had gotten to my head they would
have given me a swift kick in the ass.
-You
worked more times with Mario Testino, how would you
describe him as a photographer and as a person?
It
was actually Paolo Roversi who shot the Vogue cover.
But I shot with Mario Testino soon afterwards for the
Burberry campaign. I remember him being very passionate
and meticulous about his work. As a person he was very
charismatic and had an infectious energy about him.
And he had a great sense of humor- everyone laughed
their faces off the whole shoot.
-On the
fashion industry: who are the people that you really
loved to work with?
My best experiences with
people have been on long shoots in unfamiliar places.
I think it's because everyones so much more relaxed,
you get to really know the people you're working with
and everyone lets loose and has some fun. I've been
fortunate to have worked with a lot of good people.
The Hilfiger shoots definitely stick out in my mind...
had a ton of fun with that crew. And it was amazing
shooting in the NorthWest Territories and in Monument
Valley. Also the jobs with Mr. Lagerfeld were a real
pleasure...that man is a walking encyclopedia; he really
knows something about everything.... a real history
buff. I just enjoyed listening to his stories and picking
his brain.
-Apart from modeling, what else
do you enjoy doing?
I love learning - whether
through reading, traveling, meeting different kinds
of people. Drawing, sculpture and really anything that
involves design and using my hands. And I'm really passionate
about ice hockey - you can give me a piece of wood and
any random object and I'll figure out a way to play.
-I
know you've traveled around the world, where you would
like to live other than where you do now? 
I
think after living in NY for so long I'd love to live
somewhere a little more tranquil and sunny...Barcelona
has always been one of my favourite cities- great ambiance,
and well... the beach! I'm actually leaving NY at the
end of the month and I just might go settle there for
awhile...
-Thanks Milan for taking your
time to answer my questions, it was a gift to me and
my readers!
My pleasure Edo! Thanks for keeping
me in mind and showing your support. Best of luck to
you and the mag.
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