David Gandy

Background

Gandy was born in Billericay, Essex, England, the son of parents who owned property and freight companies. In his youth, he wanted to be a veterinary surgeon but his school grades weren't high enough. While attending university, he went to work for Auto Express, delivering the latest Porsches and Jaguars to the track for testing. Before graduating from the University of Gloucestershire, where he was studying multi-media computing and marketing, Gandy's flatmate entered him (without his knowledge) into a model-search competition on ITV's This Morning hosted by Richard and Judy. On 27 June 2001, the 21-year-old Gandy won the competition which included a contract with Select Model Management in London.

Work

During the early years of his career, Gandy modelled for a variety of companies including: Shiatzy Chen, 7 for all Mankind, Zara, Gant USA, Hugo Boss, Russell & Bromley, H&M, Carolina Herrera, Massimo Dutti and others. In 2006, when most of the male models working runways and advertisements were skinny and androgynous, Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana chose the muscular 6ft 3in tall Gandy to be the face of their apparel campaigns and fashion shows. For more than six years, he was featured prominently by the duo, working with female supermodels such as Gemma Ward, Scarlett Johansson, Gisele Bündchen and Naomi Campbell as well as male models Noah Mills, Tony Ward, Adam Senn and others.

Gandy was initially best known for the 2007 advert of Dolce & Gabbana's fragrance 'Light Blue' with Marija Vujović (shot in 2006 by photographer Mario Testino) which had 11,000,000 online views and saw a 50-foot billboard of him displayed in Times Square. He also modelled for their limited-edition 2008 calendar, shot by photographer, Mariano Vivanco. In 2009, portrait and fashion photographer Rankin recreated seven iconic photographs in a BBC Four Special entitled, "Seven Photographs That Changed Fashion." He selected Gandy to recreate 'Fred with Tires', originally shot by Herb Ritts in 1984.

Gandy returned as the face of the second 'Light Blue' fragrance campaign for 2010, but this time with Anna Jagodzinska. He also made a short promotional film for W Hotels with Helena Christensen called "Away We Stay". In 2011, the fashion house published "David Gandy by Dolce & Gabbana", a 280-page photographic coffee table book of images chronicling their years of collaboration and they hosted public events in Milan where Gandy met fans and signed autographs. In 2012, he began to model for British retailer Marks & Spencer and was named the brand ambassador for Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

In 2013, Dolce & Gabbana released the third version of the 'Light Blue' fragrance campaign featuring Gandy. Once again, Mario Testino filmed the adverts and commercial on location in the island of Capri, in southern Italy but this time with Italian model Bianca Balti in the female role. Mid-year, Bionda Castana, a British shoe label, released a fashion film featuring Gandy called "David Gandy's Goodnight." In it, he seduces several women who discover later that he has stolen their shoes. In September, Gandy and Jaguar released a short film called "Escapism" which featured Gandy driving models such as the C-Type, E-Type, XKSS as well as the new F-Type. At the end of October, Gandy was named the face of SM Men's Fashion (one of the largest department stores in the Philippines) and made a brief runway appearance during Philippine Fashion Week. In November, Marks & Spencer launched their 2013 Christmas advertising campaign, "Magic & Sparkle". The fairy-tale-themed commercial featured Rosie Huntington-Whiteley with Helena Bonham Carter and Gandy.

In May 2014, Gandy was cast as Jennifer Lopez's love interest in her "First Love" music video. The video, directed by Anthony Mandler, was shot on location in the Mojave Desert during a sandstorm. In June, Marks & Spencer announced that Gandy had designed a range of underwear and sleepwear for the brand's premium line called 'David Gandy for Autograph'. The collection (modelled by Gandy) launched in September 2014 with public appearances in several international cities and became one of the company's best-selling clothing lines. In August, Savile Row tailor Henry Poole & Co announced they were expanding into the Japanese fashion market and that Gandy would be the lead model for their campaigns and adverts.

In May 2015, Gandy announced the addition of swimwear to the 'Gandy for Autograph' range with Marks and Spencer. The collection of underwear and loungewear had been successful (with several items selling out immediately) so Gandy marked the one-year anniversary by expanding the range for Autumn 2015 with new designs, fabrics and colours. He continued to represent Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue fragrance at meet-and-greet events in Sydney and Singapore. The department store Palacio de Hierro Polanco in Mexico City was extensively refurbished and its reopening was promoted in October and November 2015 by a campaign featuring Gandy, Carmen Dell'Orefice and Isabeli Fontana.

M&S increased their collaboration with Gandy in 2016 by expanding the 'Gandy for Autograph' range. In January, they announced the addition of sports-inspired loungewear, with additional swimwear revealed in March and the launch of beachwear announced in May. In June 2016, Gandy was named the brand ambassador for Wellman, a category of vitamins and supplements produced by nutraceutical company Vitabiotics. He had taken Wellman for six (6) years. Toward the end of the year, Dolce & Gabbana released their first Light Blue winter campaign which featured Gandy and Balti on the ski slopes. The commercial and still photos were once again shot by Mario Testino.

In 2017, the ‘David Gandy for Autograph’ range was expanded again for Marks and Spencer. In May, Dolce & Gabbana released a new version of their Light Blue fragrance ("Eau Intense") which again featured Gandy and Bialti photographed by Testino.

Fashion projects

In May 2010, Gandy spoke at the University of Oxford Union as part of a panel that included photographer Tony McGee, Victoria & Albert Museum senior curator Claire Wilcox, fashion consultant Frances Card and Dolly Jones, the editor of British Vogue. At the end of that year, he released the "David Gandy Men's Style Guide" mobile app which offered style and clothing advice to men and which ultimately hit Top 3 in the Lifestyle market.

In September 2011, Gandy was named the spokesman for the Martini's 'Luck Is An Attitude' campaign, launching their model-search competition on the Spanish Steps of Rome, which were opened specifically for the event. He was appointed to serve on the British Fashion Council's Committee to launch 'London Collections: Men' as part of London Fashion Week 2012.

During the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, Gandy was the only male to walk the Union Jack-shaped catwalk featuring British fashions, alongside models Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Jourdan Dunn, Lily Donaldson, Georgia May Jagger, Karen Elson and Stella Tennant. For the occasion, he wore a gold bespoke suit by British designer Paul Smith. Gandy was invited to the Oxford Union once again on 19 November 2012 with Alex Bilmes, Editor of Esquire to discuss "The importance of men's fashion."

On 28 April 2013, Gandy participated in the Vogue Festival as part of a panel discussing, "Too Fat, Too Thin, Will We Ever Be Content?" The panel, chaired by Vogue's editor-in-chief, Fiona Golfar, also included model Daisy Lowe, child star Patsy Kensit and Vogue contributing editor Christa D'Souza. He was chosen to appear in Alistair Morrison’s legacy photograph, ‘90 Greatest Britons’, commemorating the Queen’s 90th birthday. On 21 March 2017, Time Inc. hosted a panel discussion entitled “Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? The Future Face of Marketing to Men” featuring Gandy alongside Robin Wight, president of The Engine Group; Time Inc. UK's CEO Marcus Rich; and Jonathan Durden, co-founder of BTB Grooming.

Writing and other pursuits

Since February 2011, Gandy has periodically written a blog for British Vogue where he discusses his career, fashion/style, cars, antiques and life in London. He is an official car reviewer for British GQ and Mayfair Times. In October 2011, London's Evening Standard invited Gandy to be guest writer/editor of their Men's Issue. His physique has inspired fitness-industry interviews, exercise videos as well as his own fitness app which was released in Dec 2012.

On 12 September 2013, The Daily Telegraph launched a new men's lifestyle section called "Telegraph Men". They announced that Gandy would be a contributing columnist. In February 2015, media agency M&C Saatchi Merlin announced they had signed Gandy to their roster "...for the management of his commercial and broadcast portfolio." Shortly thereafter, Virgin Media Business and founder Sir Richard Branson announced that Gandy would sit on the judging panel of the "Pitch to Rich" competition for start-up, new and growing businesses. Other judges include Jo Malone (creator of Jo Malone London), Justine Roberts of Mumsnet and Shutterstock founder Jon Oringer.

Gandy served as guest editor and was featured in an interview for Boat International for their March 2017 issue. He also test drove for CNN Style.

Business ventures

In 2013, Vogue reported that Gandy had invested in a health-focused protein-based ice cream company called Wheyhey. That same year, the Daily Telegraph revealed he had started his own production company and invested in The Numbers Station, a 2013 film starring John Cusack. On 9 January 2015, Gandy announced that he had purchased a majority stake in David Preston Shoes, a small, East London shoe label. He also invested in London Sock Company.

Charity work

Gandy participated in the 'Fashion for Relief' fashion show on 19 February 2010. The event was organised by Naomi Campbell to raise money for victims of the Haitian earthquake. On 17 April 2011, Gandy was part of the "Oxglam" team who ran in the London Marathon to raise funds for Oxfam. Other members of the 'Oxglam' team included model Agyness Deyn and fashion designer Henry Holland. In May 2011, Gandy modelled a shirt designed by fashion designer Katharine Hamnett. Proceeds from sales of the shirt went toward the Environmental Justice Foundation's "Save The Sea" campaign.

On 23 March 2012, Gandy, along with model Kate Moss and designer Stella McCartney, made a guest appearance in a special episode of the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous to benefit Sport Relief 2012. Three days later, the UK's Battersea Dogs & Cats Home announced that Gandy had been named the institution's first celebrity ambassador. He made public appearances and participated in fund-raising campaigns, such as Dog Walk Auctions and their "Muddy Dog Challenge" to raise awareness and funds for the organisation.

In January 2013, Gandy launched "Blue Steel Appeal", his charity foundation created to raise money for Comic Relief's Red Nose Day. The foundation, which derives its name from the satirical fashion film Zoolander, will host a series of fundraising events. The first was an auction on eBay in March 2013 which included collectible items and fashion experiences donated by Victoria Beckham, Mollie King, Dolce & Gabbana, Lucky Brand Jeans, One Direction and others. In the fall of 2014, during the London Collections: Men SS15, Gandy participated in the "One for the Boys" celebrity style show organised by Samuel L. Jackson to promote awareness of testicular cancer and encourage early detection of the disease.

Gandy made an appearance in a humorous sketch entitled "National Treasure 2015" in support of the Comic Relief Red Nose Day 2015. He also modelled a T-shirt to raise money for the event. Gandy was one of the celebrities to design his own Shaun the Sheep to raise funds for the Wallace and Gromit Children's Foundation. His design, which he called "Fine & Gandy" was inspired by London tailoring. The five-foot sculptures were placed in various London locations from 28 March through 25 May in an exhibition entitled "Shaun in the City". The sculptures were sold at an auction on 8 October 2015 where more than £1million was raised in total, with Gandy's sheep selling for £10,000. He also participated in Greenpeace's 'Save The Arctic' celebrity photo campaign, a collaboration with fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood and photographer Andy Gotts. The display at London's Waterloo tube station was intended to increase awareness of (and raise funds for fighting) environmental threats to the Arctic Circle, particularly oil drilling off the coast.

On 29 July 2015, Gandy participated in Marks & Spencer's 'Spark Something Good' initiative in which hundreds of volunteers completed 24 projects over a 24-hour period throughout the UK. In his new role as ambassador for the 'Achievement for All' charity, he spent the day working at the Maria Fidelis School in Camden. In 2016, Gandy collaborated with fashion label Selfish Mother to design a holiday jumper with proceeds to benefit Save the Children.

Mille Miglia

After receiving his racing license in 2012, Gandy was invited to be one of the drivers in the 2013 Mille Miglia ("1,000 Mile") regularity trial in Italy. Each year, the three-day event passes through nearly 200 Italian towns from Brescia to Rome and back, recreating the original races which took place between 1927 and 1957. He and his co-driver, Yasmin Le Bon, were part of 'Team Jaguar', driving a 1950 XK120. Early in the race, Gandy and Le Bon were 'pushed off the road by a competitor' which caused body damage to the fender and side of the vintage car. They re-entered the race, ultimately finishing in 158th place out of 415 cars.

Gandy participated in the Mille Miglia again in 2015; his new co-driver was television presenter Jodie Kidd. The pair drove a Jaguar XK120 and came in 171st out of more than 400 cars that participated.

Powerboating

On 25 August 2015 Vector Martini announced Gandy was one of six celebrities joining their Speedboat Racing Team. Each of the four-man crews will attempt a world endurance record as part of a television documentary series. On 6 September, Gandy was on the Vector Martini Powerboat team in the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race. They won both legs of the race and were the overall winners.

Professional achievement

On 26 June 2009, Forbes magazine ranked Gandy as the world's third most successful male model, behind Matt Gordon and Sean O'Pry. In 2010, he was the first male ever nominated for 'Model of the Year' by the British Fashion Council (BFC) and ShortList named him the 'Face of Today' in 2011.

At the end of 2012, Models.com ranked him on their 'Money Guys' and 'Top Icons' lists. For a second time, BFC nominated him for "Model of the Year" in 2012. In 2013, Business of Fashion announced the 'BoF 500: The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry'. They included Gandy as the only male in the 'Models & Muses' category. In October, Forbes updated their ranking of 'The World's Top-Earning Male Models of 2013'. The list placed Gandy at No. 2 just behind O'Pry.

For 2014, Gandy remained on Models.com's list of 'Money Guys' and was moved up from their list of 'Top Icons' to their new 'Supers Men' list. He was included on their new 'Sexiest Men' list and in the Top 10 on their new 'Social Media' ranking by number of followers. (A year later, he had dropped to No. 13 on the list.) In September 2014, Vogue (US) named Gandy as No. 2 of the 'Top 10 Male Models of All Time' (behind Tyson Beckford) and he was named 'Model of the Year' by Spanish GQ at their Men of the Year Awards 2014 in Madrid.

Yahoo! Style named Gandy first in their list of the 'Top Male Models of 2015'.

Personal awards and honours

In 2008, Spanish Glamour magazine named Gandy "Most Beautiful International Male Face". The Evening Standard included Gandy in their list of "London's 1,000 Most Influential People" for 2011 and again for 2012. Glamour readers voted him one of the "100 Sexiest Men of 2012" and he was ranked No. 17 of the "50 Best-Dressed in Britain" by GQ Magazine in 2012. Cosmopolitan named Gandy one of "The Sexiest Men of 2013" and British GQ included him in their 2013 list of the "100 Most Influential Men in Britain". In December 2013, Glamour readers once again voted Gandy among the "Sexiest Men of 2013".

On 10 March, Gandy received the first Man of the Year award at the 2014 Rodial Beautiful Awards. On 1 September, he received the first Founders Award from the annual Scottish Fashion Awards "...for his support of Scottish and British fashion over the last nine years". In December, Harper's Bazaar included Gandy in their list of "Best Dressed Men of 2014". In January, British GQ named him 9th on their 'Best Dressed Men in Britain 2015' and GQ readers voted him No. 7 of the Britain's Best-Dressed Man 2015'.

In 2015, speciality publisher Debrett's, originally known for its listing of British peerage, included Gandy on their list of the "500 Most Influential People in Britain – 2015" under the Fashion category. They described Gandy as "...the most famous male model to come out of Britain" and noted his successful design work with Marks and Spencer. When GQ presented their list of "The Most Stylish Men of All Time", they included Gandy as one of the "...Most Stylish Men of the 2000's". Glamour readers voted Gandy in the Top 20 of the "Sexiest Men of 2015" and MTV included him in their "50 Sexiest Men Alive" for 2015. On 8 September, Gandy was named "Most Stylish Man of 2015" by British GQ at their annual Men of the Year Awards Gala. He was also featured on the cover of the magazine for the first time. Later in the year, GQ Australia named him the "International Style Icon" at their 2015 Men of the Year Awards event in Sydney.

In January 2016, for the second year in a row, Debrett’s included Gandy in their list of the 500 Most Influential People in Britain. British GQ named him as #10 among the Top 10 Best Dressed Men for 2016. and GQ readers voted him #8. Gandy was nominated by Third Sector Excellence Awards in the ‘Celebrity Charity Champion’ category for his work with Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. Glamour magazine readers voted Gandy as #24 on their list of the ‘100 Sexiest Men of 2016’. and again for 2017.

Personal life

Gandy has an older sister, who lives in Spain. In 2011, he started a relationship with Mollie King, a singer with the girl band The Saturdays but ten months later, the couple announced that they had split up. He was in a relationship with English model Sarah Ann Macklin for about a year from May 2012 to their break-up in 2013. In 2015, Gandy and King reconciled but in early 2016, King confirmed that they had split up again.

Media appearances

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015