HOMME ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE : FIFA WORLD CUP TRIBUTE Featuring Alessio Pozzi, Benoni Loos, Dean Stetz, Debiais Victor, Dino Sabanovic, Do Byungwook, Gordon Bothe, Jarno Boom, Kai Keller, Leo Mel, Lucas Mascarini, Mariano Ontanon, Marlon Nicolau, Nemanja Maksic, Rael Costa, Sam Steele, Stefan Knezevic, Stefan Radojkovic, and Toby Binge.

Alessio Pozzi

Agency: Elite Milano

Nationality: Italian

First scouted: in a shopping center

Sports played: soccer, swimming, and gym

Debiais Victor

Agency: Nologo

Nationality: French

First scouted: shopping at an H&M store in Paris

Sports played:  swimming, running, and gym

Benoni Loos

Agency: I Love Models

Nationality: Belgian

First scouted: Sitting on a bench in Antwerp

Personal style: "Black jeans and black or white t-shirt."

Dean Stetz

Agency: Nologo

Nationality: American

Most recent campaign: Tombolini

Favorite memory of hometown: Beach with family 

Dino Sabanovic

Agency: Fashion

Nationality: Bosnian

Most recent campaign: Italia Independent Sunglasses

Personal style: "Thrift shop"

Do Byungwook

Agency: Elite Milano

Nationality: Korean

First scouted: Elite China contest  

Personal style: " It is terrible that I wear the same t-shirt and pair of jeans every day?"

Gordon Bothe

Agency: I Love Models

Nationality: German and Swedish

Favorite city: "New York—they just opened a Nutella bar."

Open bar anywhere for a night: "Las Vegas to make The Hangover movies look lame"

Jarno Boom

Agency: 2morrow

Nationality: Dutch (from The Netherlands) 

Most recent campaign: Sascha

Favorite city: "Milan feels like home, plus I love Italy."

Kai Keller

Agency: 2morrow

Nationality: German

Most recent campaign: Mauro Grifoni

Favorite city: "Barcelona, because it has everything."

Leo Mel

Agency: I Love Models

Nationality: Italian

Most recent campaign: Andrew Mckenzie

Favorite city: "Rome because it's a historical city, and Paris because of the great modeling experience and the most romantic city in the world."

Lucas Mascarini

Agency: Fashion

Nationality: Brazilian

Most recent campaign: Bottega Veneta

Grossest thing seen in a model house: "dishes, dishes, dishes"

MARIANO ONTAÑON

Agency: Elite Milano 

Nationality: Argentinian 

Most recent campaign: Just Cavalli

Favorite city: "Rome, because it's magical. I fall in love with it every time I've been."

Marlon Nicolau

Agency: Elite Milano

Nationality: Portugese

Most recent campaign: Filipe Faisca

Sports played: "I watch soccer all the time, but the only sport for me is sex. I hate the gym."

Nemanja Maksic

Agency: Fashion Milano 

Nationality: Sebrian (but supports the Russian World Cup team) 

Most recent campaign: adidas Originals

Embarrassing story from adolescence: "One time I broke my shoes so my mother gave me my sister’s to wear. When people asked me about them, I just replied, 'Because it’s fashion!'" 

Rael Costa

Agency: Why Not

Nationality: Brazilian

Favorite city: "Rome and Florence — there are so many places to visit and so much history." 

Sports played: soccer, volleyball, wake boarding, and skateboarding

Sam Steele

Agency: Elite Milano

Nationality: Spanish and British (born in Spain)

Favorite memory of hometown: "Being outdoor with my mates."

Open bar anywhere for a night: "Any pub in Ireland. They have great beer and drinking culture."

Stefan Knezevic

Agency: Independent Milano 

Nationality: Serbian  (but supports the Bosnian World Cup team) 

Most recent campaign: Pitti Immagine Uomo

Sports played: "I played volleyball for 10 years, of which the last 3 were professional. Now I only do sports for fun."

Stefan Radojcovic

Agency: Independent Men

Nationality: Serbian (but supports the Australian World Cup team) 

Favorite city: "Aruba or the Australian seaside because of their nature vibes."

Staying in shape: "I was lucky that I trained in a gym as a child for 7 years, so now it’s easy to keep in shape."

Toby Binge

Agency: Independent Milano

Nationality: British

First scouted: 15 years old at a music festival

Favorite city: "New York. There is always something different going on, it feels like being in a film."


What happens when a mix of 19 soccer loving—excuse us, football—male models fanatics have a pitstop in Milan at the same time? Photographer Paolo Simi quickly discovered as tensions flared and home-country loyalties became as apparent as the piercing-editorial-stare born onto each model’s face. See our exclusive Fashion Week preview and FIFA World Cup Tribute below featuring Alessio Pozzi, Benoni Loos, Dean Stetz, Debiais Victor, Dino Sabanovic, Do Byungwook, Gordon Bothe, Jarno Boom, Kai Keller, Leo Mel, Lucas Mascarini, Mariano Ontanon, Marlon Nicolau, Nemanja Maksic, Rael Costa, Sam Steele, Stefan Knezevic, Stefan Radojkovic, and Toby Binge. - Images photographed by Paolo Simi; Styled by Stefano Spinetta; Make up and hair by Sara Del ReMartin, Jorge Paradas, Claudia Tito, and Jonahid Miah; Editing by Piotr Trojanowski; Photo AssistantsGiulietta Raimondi and Nicola Lazzari; Gifs by Giulia Bertuletti -