Spotlight On David Gandy

David James Gandy is a British model. He grew up in Essex in a working-class family. After winning a televised model-search competition, he became a successful male model. For several years, he was the lead male model for Italian designers  Dolce & Gabanna who featured him in their campaigns and fashion shows. The increase in Gandy's popularity and name recognition resulted in a broad portfolio of magazine covers, editorial photo shoots, interviews and industry awards. He has gone on to participate in fashion-related and personal projects such as writing a blog for British Vogue,  writing car reviews for British GQ,  mobile app development and charity work.

David Gandy For GQ (2011)

In his youth, David Gandy wanted to be a veterinarian but his grades were not high enough to meet the needed standards for that line of study. So, while studying multimedia computing, he went to work for Auto Express, delivering the latest Porsches and Jaguars to the track for testing. Before graduating from the Univeristy of Gloucestershire with a Marketing degree, Gandy's flatmate entered him (without his knowledge) into a modelling competition on ITV´s ´This Morning´ hosted by Richard and Judy.The 21-year-old Gandy won the competition which included a contract with Select Model Management  in London.

During the early years of his career, Gandy modelled for a variety of companies including: 7 For All Mankind, Zara, Gant U.S.A, Hugo Boss, Russell & Bromley, H&M, Carolina Herrera, Massimo Dutti, and others.In 2006, Gandy became the face of Dolce & Gabbana, annually starring in their apparel campaigns and fashion shows through 2011, working with female supermodels such as Gemma Ward, Scarlett Johansson and Naiomi Campbell  as well as male models including Noah Mills, Tony  Ward and Adam Senn.

David is best known for the 2007 advert of Dolce & Gabbana's fragrance ´Light Blue´with Marija Vuyovic which had 11 million online hits and saw a 50-foot billboard of him displayed in Times Square. He also modelled for their 2008 calendar, shot by photographer, Mariano Vivanco.He returned as the face of the second "Light Blue" fragrance campaign for 2010, but this time with Anna Jogodzinska.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.That same year, Gandy shot four magazine covers and five fashion editorial photoshoots. In 2012, he was featured on sixteen magazine covers, eighteen fashion editorials and modelled for Banana Republic, Lucky Brand Jeans, El Palacio de Hierro and Marks & Spencer. In addition, Gandy was named the brand ambassador for Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

In an industry dominated by skinny models, Gandy's muscular build caused some menswear fashion designers to move to a more masculine standard. He has been nominated for or received several awards in the modelling industry. In 2008, Spanish Glamour magazine named him "Most Beautiful International Male Face" at an event in Madrid, Spain. 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).

Short List named Gandy the "Face of Today" in 2011.The Evening Standard included him in their list of "London's 1,000 Most Influential People" for 2011 and again for 2012. For a second time, BFC nominated him for "Model of the Year" in 2012. Glamour readers voted Gandy one of the "100 Sexiest Men of 2012". At the end of 2012, Models.com ranked him #4 in the list of "Money Guys" and #5 in the list of "Top Icons".

May 2010, David spoke at the University of Oxford Union as part of a panel that included photographer Tony McGhee, Victoria & Albert Museum senior curator Claire Wilcox fashion consultant Frances Card and Dolly Jones, the editor of British Vogue. Prior notable speakers who have debated in the Oxford Union include Winston Churchill,  Queen Elizabeth and Mother Theresa. In September 2011, he 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. Gandy 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, he was the only male to walk the Union Jack -shaped catwalk, featuring British fashions, alongside models Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Jourdan Dunn,Lily Donaldson, Georgina May Jagger ,Karen Elson  and  Stella Tennant. For the occasion, he wore a gold bespoke uit by British designer Paul Smith. He was invited to the Oxford Union again on 19 Nov 2012 with Alex Bilmes, Editor of  Esquire to discuss "The importance of men's fashion."

2012 Olympics - British Models

Gandy released the "David Gandy Men's Style Guide" mobile app in 2010 which offered style and clothing advice to men and which ultimately hit Top 3 in the Lifestyle market. Gandy was the first male model ever interviewed on friday Night with Johnathon Ross which aired on 30 April 2010. Three months later, he made a short film with Helena Christensen called "Away We Stay".

Since Feb, 2011, Gandy has regularly written a blog for British Vogue  where he discusses his career, fashion/style, cars, antiques and life in London.He is also an official car reviewer for British GQ. In October, 2011, London´s Evening Standard  invited Gandy to be guest writer/editor of their Men's Issue. He was ranked #17 of the “50 Best-Dressed in Britain” by GQ Magazine in 2012. His body has inspired fitness-industry interviews, exercise videos as well as his own fitness app which was released in Dec, 2012.

David Gandy - Car Reviewer For GQ (2012)

Gandy participated in the "Fashion for Relief" fashion show on 19 Feb 2010. The event was organized by Naomi Campbell to raise money for victims of the Haitan 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 Katherine 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 Cats & Dogs Home announced that Gandy had been named the institution's first celebrity ambassador.