SS26 Menswear - IVAN, UNFILTERED with Ivan Ugrin

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IVAN, UNFILTERED
*with Ivan Ugrin

written CHIDOZIE OBASI

Croatian-born, Amsterdam-hailed multidisciplinary artist Ivan Ugrin spent the last decade finding and shaping his stride. “I’ve been a professional contemporary dancer for fifteen years, with stints as a movement director and a model,” he tells LE MILE’s Fashion Market Director, Chidozie Obasi, the moment they meet in Spring, during a sun-soaked day in Milan ahead.

Ivan wears a total look by DIOR

The past year was a rough one for everyone around him, himself included. “It was a year of monumental changes, but also a year of big personal growth,” he shares, adding how he feels very proud of how far he’s come. “I changed my creative field, going from the contemporary dance world into a more fashion-driven realm,” he says. “My modeling career kicked off, and I honestly feel very grateful and blessed to be where I am right now,” he adds. Below, we grabbed five with Ugrin to unpack influences, career feats and future hopes.

Ivan wears a sweater by MICHAEL KORS and underwear by ISABEL MARANT

Chidozie Obasi
Who’s been your biggest influence while growing up?

Ivan Ugrin
Growing up, I was a very goofy kid that would play out scenes from Jim Carrey movies, especially Ace Ventura, as I really admired him. To this day, I still quote a lot of the jokes and physical humor.

Could you unpack your biggest career feats so far?

I don't really look at my career as one big feat after the other. But rather, I take pride in a lot of small, but equally meaningful events, like every time I premiere a piece. Or when my mom came to see me perform for the first time when I was twenty five years old (and then secondly when I was thirty three (she only saw me on stage twice). I’m also thrilled when a person who attends the show comes to me after it, telling me how the performance impacted them. I’m also elated when I catch a glance of a friend in the audience that I had no clue he was going to be there that night. In the past, I performed a lot for kids, and putting up a show for them made me fall in love with performing even more. I performed this kids’ play titled TETRIS by Erik Kaiel in a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan. It was one of the most beautiful and heartwarming experiences of my career; the kind of experience that reminds you of the power of art.

And touching on the complex moments and, in turn, rejections, how have they shaped your persona?

No one likes rejections, but no one knows rejections better than performing artists. I personally have been rejected a lot of times. So much so that I have not passed a single audition in my career. I don’t do well under that kind of pressure, and I feel in the audition setting I’m unable to show my full potential. For all the jobs I’ve undertaken, I was either recommended by my peers or I personally wrote to choreographers directly, expressing my desire to work with them. So I’d say that these situations have impacted me a lot as a young dancer. I had to deal with most of them on my own, understanding I should not take every rejection to heart. Some things are just a matter of timing and luck.

Ivan wears a total look by PRADA

Ivan wears a sweater by ISABEL MARANT, shirt by LOUIS VUITTON, shorts by LESSICO FAMILIARE and shoes by CHURCH’S

Where did you study, and how has your path in dance been?

When I was eighteen, I moved to Zagreb to study Veterinary medicine. That same year I started dancing Jazz twice a week at TALA Dance Center in Zagreb. I didn't know much about dance at that time apart from how it felt in my body and how it made me feel. Dancing felt good, it felt right: It felt like I finally found my passion. Those hours spent in the studio made me feel free without any worry. I was told by my teachers that I was talented, but it was hard for me to understand that at the time. All I knew is that I wanted to be as good as I can be and I wanted to dance. I enrolled at Amsterdam School of The Arts, at the Modern Theater Dance department. I skipped a year, so I finished 4 years of education in three years, landing a graduation in 2013. After that moment, I worked mainly as a freelancer, most noticeably with Arno Schuitemaker and Connor Schumacher. I was part of a ICK/Emio Greco Pieter Scholten company in 2016 for a year, while they were artistic directors of Ballet National de Marseilles.

You’re also taking ballet classes, correct?

Yes, I still take ballet classes a bunch of times a week. During the week, as my daily practice I mix Yoga, Ballet and weight training at the gym. Nothing prepares you for dancing like classical training.

What projects are you working on?

This is a good opportunity to say that I am free and ready to work on new projects as I’m about to perform the last shows in the Netherlands, in beautiful pieces I am part of.

What’s next for you?

The next thing for me is to start new exciting dance projects in Europe. And together with my amazing agent Jane, we are focusing on my career as a model and movement director within the fashion space.

Ivan wears a blazer by FENDI, shirt by SANDRO, shorts by PHYSIQUE DU ROLE and shoes by CHURCH's

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photography ANDREA CENETIEMPO
fashion market director + stylist CHIDOZIE OBASI
head of production JESSICA LOVATO
fashion coordinators ALBERTO MICHISANTI + EDWARD PUSCA
make up EDOARDO DE FALCO via WM MANAGEMENT
hair FUJIWARA TAKAHASHI via MKS MILANO
talent IVAN UGRIN via DEJAPRIS AGENCY
fashion assistants VALENTINA INVERARDI + VINCENZO VITELLO + SEBASTIAN RAFAEL

credits
all Images (c) LE MILE
and Andrea Cenetiempo

SS26 Menswear - STITCHES OF FREEDOM with Michelangelo Vizzini

.digital

STITCHES OF FREEDOM
*with Michelangelo Vizzini

written CHIDOZIE OBASI

Michelangelo Vizzini’s first dabs within the creative sphere took place from an early age, when music—in the first instance—became a pivotal tool for expression and freedom. “Over time I found acting as another equally powerful language,” he confesses, as we settle into our conversation.

Michelangelo wears a total look by MIU MIU

“I see myself as someone constantly exploring; I love nature, staying with my family and chocolate,” he exclaims, his face filled with excitement. “Growing up, I’ve been influenced by a mix of music and cinema: Musicals were probably the strongest presence early on, as they shaped my sensitivity.” Vizzini has always been deeply inspired by artists who were able to be honest and vulnerable in their work: namely Daniel Caesar, whose music carries a deeply raw and emotional truth in its lyricism.

Michelangelo wears a total look by CELINE

“In general, I’m drawn to people who create from a genuine place, regardless of the medium,” he says. “Creativity has always been part of my life,” he opines, adding how, “Music came first and very naturally, while acting came late, but it didn’t feel like a shift, but more of an expansion.” LE MILE’s Fashion Director caught up with the rising creative force, unpacking everything from career feats to future hopes. You’re welcome.

Michelangelo wears a blazer by GIORGIO ARMANI, a sweater by SON OF A TAILOR, shirts by MOSCHINO and MICHAEL KORS, shorts by POLO RALPH LAUREN, shoes by CHURCH’S, and a belt by CELINE

Chidozie Obasi
When was the pivotal moment you realised you wanted to pursue the creative path as a full time profession?

Michelangelo Vizzini
I think I’ve always known, in a way. This path requires courage, and I never really had a plan B. I could spend hours singing or studying musicals without ever feeling tired, and that feeling made it clear to me that this was what I wanted to do with my life.

Leaning on to the crucial moment that changed your path forever: could you unpack it with us?

I think the crucial moment was when I decided to put music slightly aside for a while and focus more on cinema. It wasn’t an easy choice, because music has always been a big part of me, but I felt the need to explore acting more deeply.

At a time when the social and cultural phenomena are wreaked by havoc at an increasingly ferocious pace, how do you navigate the system and stay afloat?

I try to stay grounded and connected to what feels real. It’s easy to get distracted by noise, but I think it’s important to come back to the work, to the process, and to your own voice. For me, it’s about focusing on authenticity rather than external validation.

Could you unpack your most ‘complex’, dare I say, moment of your journey?

The most complex moments are often the ones where you doubt yourself. There are times when things feel uncertain, when you question your path. But I’ve learned that those moments are also necessary, they push you to grow, to redefine who you are, both as an artist and as a person.

Michelangelo wears jeans by HED MAYNER, shorts by ESSENTIEL ANTWERP, and shoes by BEPOSITIVE

And now, talk to us about Love Me, Love Me: how did it all happen? And what did you expect when you first read the script?

I immediately connected with the emotional core of Love Me, Love Me. It asked me to be completely honest, especially in portraying love and vulnerability. I wanted to respect the character while making him real for me, focusing on personal connections. It was also a key experience that taught me to trust the process and stay present.

You’re also quite passionate about fashion: is that something you've learned to embrace over time, and what's your relationship with it?

Fashion is something I’ve grown into over time. At first, it was more instinctive, but now I see it as another form of expression. It’s a way to communicate something without words, an extension of identity and mood.

What's next for you, and where are you hoping to take your career in time to come?

I want to continue exploring characters, stories that are intimate but also challenging. I’m interested in roles that push me out of my comfort zone and allow me to grow. At the same time, I’ll keep developing my music, because it’s such a personal space for me. I don’t want to limit myself. I just want to keep evolving and searching for something real.

Any final reflections?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s the importance of staying open, open to change, to doubt, to growth. This path is unpredictable, but that’s also what makes it meaningful. In the end, it’s all about being honest with yourself and with what you want to express. Anyway, life will guide me, and wherever I end up, I’ll trust the process.

Michelangelo wears shirts by SON OF A TAILOR and POLO RALPH LAUREN, pants by MOSCHINO, and jewellery by LAG WORLD

photography ANDREA CENETIEMPO
fashion market director + stylist CHIDOZIE OBASI
head of production JESSICA LOVATO
fashion coordinators ALBERTO MICHISANTI + EDWARD PUSCA
make up AMERICO TURTORO via MKS MILANO
hair FUJIWARA TAKAHASHI via MKS MILANO
talent MICHELANGELO VIZZINI
fashion assistants SOFIA FARINA + LUIZA ANGELOVA + SEBASTIAN SCHIAVO

credits
all Images (c) LE MILE
and Andrea Cenetiempo