A Conversation with Duncan Yair on Fashion and Everything Else

.digital

Duncan Yair Talks Influences, Gratitude and Fashion’s Feel-Good Spirit

written + interview CHIDOZIE OBASI

Spanish model Duncan Yair has been a firm and impassioned fashion aficionado from the early days. “I was just 14 when I got scouted for the first time,” he shares, with sheer excitement. “I've always been obsessed with fashion since a really young age, as I wanted to study fashion design, art or something related to such fields in a foreign country, but I never saw myself as a model.”

One day, as he was walking back from school, his friend’s mother saw him and told his comrade that he could have a potential modeling career. “It turns out she was a model agent back in the day in their hometown, Amsterdam,” he admits, adding, “and that encouraged me to apply to some agencies; luckily, I was scouted.” Yair deems his passion for art’s multifaceted lens is what keeps him going, while trying to grasp his inner identity on a deeper level and being able to keep varying his practice through multiple projects. “I’m so excited to keep trying new things other than modeling, which at the end of the day is what my young self wanted before becoming a model,” he shares. Below, he unpacks all-things creativity, mental health and far beyond with LE MILE’S Fashion Market Director. You’re welcome.

Duncan wears total look by MOSCHINO and shoes by AQVA ALTA

Duncan wears total look by MOSCHINO

Chidozie Obasi
Could you unpack how your foray into the creative and fashion sphere came to fruition?

Duncan Yair
I was just 14 years old when I got scouted for the first time. I've always been obsessed with fashion since a really young age. I wanted to study fashion design or art or something related to design and art in a foreign country. But I never saw myself as a model. One day I was walking back from school and my friend’s mom saw me and told my friend that I could be a model. It turns out she was a model agent back in the day in their hometown (Amsterdam). And that encouraged me to apply to some agencies. And I got lucky and got scouted.

Who influenced you the most while growing up?

I got lucky to grow up in different parts of Spain during my childhood and that always inspired me so much the different people from the south, the east and the center of Spain. And the way of living, also I grew up with a lot of music around me and football. I feel like young rockstar -like footballers always caught my eye and attention. With their style and way of living. Plus musicians and actors such as Antonio Banderas or Penelope Cruz. I feel like the context of my upbringing it’s what influenced me the most. I feel like I’ve always been attracted to the foreign, to travelling and to different people and cultures. I always wanted to explore and experience.

What have been your biggest pinch-me moments, and any particular thing that you could say shaped your path?

My biggest pinch me moment was my international runaway debut for Jacquemus. I was so young and excited I knew while walking that I would remember that forever. And that my life would change from that moment.

Diving into deeper territory: how do you tackle mental health, rejections and the system's downturns on a broader scale?

Mental health in the modeling industry is such a huge part of the process. Just the fact of being a male model makes it so much easier because we don’t have the amount of pressure that a female model has, it can’t even compare. Other than that, the loneliness you can go through as a model is so intense there’s weeks where you’re just alone traveling around the world without talking or hanging out with people. You learn to really appreciate your friends and the moments with them and the people you meet along the way. I don’t think rejection in modeling should be a factor to be ashamed of or sad about as a model. Sometimes you’re just not the right match for a collection or not in the plans or the vision of some designers and casting directors, it’s just better to show up and hope for the best, but don’t take it too personal if you do get rejected, everything is cyclical and there’s not much you can do about it other than have a good attitude and nice personality. I’m so happy with my career so far and I think it’s really good to be appreciative of what you have achieved and accomplished as a model. I still love the art of this. And I always will. Also I’m so happy I get to do sideprojects such as styling and I get involved in so many areas of art such as music, cinema and performance. I love it all and I think my passion for all the art forms is what keeps me going and going to understand myself more deeply and be able to keep showing myself through these lenses and projects. I’m so excited to keep trying new things and open to learn and explore other things other than modeling which at the end of the day is what my young self wanted before becoming a model. And it makes me feel so good, but modeling is my job and I’m so proud to be a model too.very personality type you can think of. That's an arena I wanted to be operating in.

Duncan wears jacket by AGNONA and shirt by DIOR

Duncan wears cardigan and pants by N21, sweater by TOMMY HILFIGER, and tie by CELINE

Duncan wears jacket by AGNONA, shirt by DIOR, pants by LOUIS VUITTON, shoes by MOSCHINO, and tie by IM MEN

Duncan wears jacket by SANDRO, shirt by ON ME, and pants by TAGLIATORE

Duncan wears coat by DRUMOHR, blazer by CARUSO, and pants by MORDECAI

Duncan wears coat by DRUMOHR and a blazer by CARUSO

---

photography COSIMO BUCCOLIERI via STUDIO REPOSSI
fashion market director + stylist CHIDOZIE OBASI
contributing fashion editor EDWARD PUSCA
head of production JESSICA LOVATO
fashion coordinator FILIPPO CANCELLIER
make up DIANA DJURDJEVSKI via STUDIO REPOSSI using MARE SKINCARE
hair FABIO CICERALE via ETOILE MANAGEMENT
model DUNCAN YAIR via WHY NOT MODELS
photography assistant ANTONIO CROTTI
fashion assistants SIMONA VERNAZZA + CHIARA DE BONIS + LOUIS VEDERE + ISADORA COSSARI + IOLANDA BANDINI + CAROL GARLANDO + TIYA CHEHAB

credits
all Images (c) LE MILE
and Cosimo Buccolieri