British model David Gandy shares tips on becoming a successful male model

British supermodel David Gandy, 33, is one of the few male models who achieved tremendous success in the fashion industry.

He is famous for his work with Lucky Brand Jeans, Massimo Dutti, Banana Republic, to name a few brands. But his most notable work is, by far, as the face of Dolce and Gabanna "Light Blue" fragrance.

"I think of what I can achieve as a male model and I always try to think outside the box. And with my observation with the industry, it's not following the crowd like what a lot of fashion people do," he said in a press conference.

"My inspiration when I came into the industry were the female supermodels. Like they've done that before, they're happy with a certain element or limit to where they go as they would expand," David added.

Furthermore, determination to do great in his chosen career is one of the reasons he bagged the status he most coveted in the fashion industry.

'It's really your agency'

The Essex-born model, who started his career after winning a modeling contest in 2001, was recently named by Forbes Magazine as the second highest-paid model of 2013 and had been dubbed by British GQ as the "Most Influential Man in Britain."

And just last year, Gandy was the only male model who got to strut his stuff at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympics. He walked alongside British models Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Jourdan Dunn, Karen Elson, Lily Cole, Stella Tennant, Lily Donaldson, and Georgia May Jagger.

Following his success, a lot of aspiring young male models now want to make it big in the industry as well.

But, "It is difficult to give advice in many ways," said Gandy.

"There's not one way to become successful in the modeling industry," he noted. "Everyone has a different story—they all have had different experiences on how to become successful."

But before gracing the covers of the prominent magazines and scoring high profile campaigns, every model has to start somewhere, and as David advises, "it's really your agency."

"The agency you choose has a huge, huge importance because you have to work with these people every day," he revealed. "Just make sure you like them—and not just as a successful agency—but you got to like these people as well."

Gandy is under the management of Ford Models (New York), New Madison (Paris), Why Not Model Management (Milan), and Select Model Management (London), the last of which also stands as his mother agency.

"I've worked with the same agency for certain years and I've been really successful with them. And really, just be respectful with people and take advice from people, so, don't be scared to do that," David shared.

At the same time, David said that "as a model, you can't just rely on your agency" because you are the one working on photo shoots, with people, and with brands.

"Have a good mix between you and the agency, and you work together—and you work very hard," David asserted.

The new face of SM Men's Fashion

Last Thursday, David was introduced to the public as the new face of SM Men's Fashion where he closed the brand's 2014 Spring/Summer collection during the Philippine Fashion Week held at the SMX Convention Center.

"We are glad to announce that David is officially part of SM Men’s Fashion, and we invite everyone to stay tuned to our future campaign, where our latest endorser will exemplify how it is to be a sensible and stylish man of the modern times," said Ayen Florendo, SM Men’s Fashion assistant vice-president for marketing, in a press release. — VC, GMA News