The Model: An emblem of Decadent Glamour, he has struck poses across the world.

The Designer: Fashion is a freedom crime.

The Man: Go out there and break the rules.

Thinking of idealization and wondering who the so-called ‘new kids on the block’ really are, I decided to catch up with David Lindwall.

His reputation for being a fashion designer with uncompromising talent who says what he means, and a growing presence in London’s club scene truly make David Lindwall the ‘new kid on the block’ par excellence.

So I ask, can a T-shirt really be art, or is it just some fabric with dashes of paint?

“I believe in fashion. You might smile and say there’s nothing to believe in, but I do believe that there is a thought and a meaning to fashion, that it is more than just sales figures.”

Then he adds,

“I want this to be good, well I wanted to be good, but actually, it is all bullshit. I wanted to tell you how I’ve walked down the catwalks in Paris and Milan for all the big brands, and how I was shot by Richard Avedon and styled by Hédi Slimane for Dior Homme. That was the most exciting thing that I’ve ever done when I was 18. Or how I have played records and women around the world have stared at Excitement in the face as I kept turning the bass knob to 10- red, red and RED. But no one cares about that. Except Me.”

All this said with an air of nonchalance.

What do ‘glamour’ and ‘chic’ mean for you?
I only work in menswear, and either ‘glamour’ or ‘chic’ are words that I would associate with that.

When is a woman the embodiment of ‘glamour’?
Wearing a pair of black leather high-heeled Balenciaga shoes with a black, washed-out XL plain t-shirt, that would be the closest thing to glamour that I could visualize.

I have watched the short video The Cult of Boys. Black and white. Light and shade. Filled with a melancholic atmosphere dashed with a touch of hope when you open your eyes at the very end. The story becomes a bubble of grace, of irrealism.

How was the rehearsal? Did you have to follow a script or was it more about following your intuition?

There was no rehearsal at all. I had a beer and then Toyin (the director) started filming and chucked me a gun and then I was just left to do whatever I wanted. When I open my eyes, that shot I really like, it’s very me.

There was something in his posture, his gesture that gave a feeling, a bearing and certain elegance. His lids closed, his lips wearing the expression of smile. No angel in heaven could be more beautiful than he appeared. Life is boundless in its duration, and love in its sympathy, and joy in its fullness. Unearthly beauty: he has a flash in his eyes.

He had his head on a pillow, his young and fair features were almost as hopeful as perfect peace. He looked at the camera with a smile without uttering a world, trying to put into his glance a wealth of love. My mind was never in a holier frame than while gazing on that untroubled image of Divine rest.

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