David Gandy: ‘I was sent the script for Fifty Shades of Grey’

It is impossible to not fancy David Gandy, but not for the reasons you’d think. Yes, his supermodel looks and remarkable physique — immortalised in Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue campaigns in which he was frequently seen frolicking in tight white swimming trunks off the coast of Capri — obviously play a part. But it is his ambition (which allowed him to become, arguably, the world’s most famous male model), his self awareness and sheer good manners that make him truly attractive.

After my colleague met him at a recent event, he couldn’t stop singing David’s praises. He too had fallen under the model's spell. The David Gandy effect, it seems, is not limited to straight women and gay men. ‘That’s very sweet,’ David replies modestly. ‘Making an impression after a 10-minute conversation is always lovely.’

Life is not as jet-setting and international as it once was for the era-defining model. His two young daughters, Matilda and Tabitha, are now his main priority. ‘One of them just started big school a couple of weeks ago, and my other daughter became house captain,’ he gushes proudly, before adding, ‘I am not quite sure what that means, but it sounds impressive.’

‘That’s pretty much my life, being a dad, and then in between a few other little projects, here and there.’ One of these projects is his work with Hackett, fronting their Nº14 Savile Row AW26 campaign. Focusing on ‘a modern expression of British tailoring’ meant David was an ideal choice. ‘Tailoring is a passion, which came from my dad. My first suit was a hand-me-down from him. My dad didn’t have expensive suits — he doesn’t buy expensive clothes — but for some reason he had a tailored suit from East London,’ David says.

‘My grandfather and father came from quite impoverished backgrounds, but they were always perfectly dressed. They were smart, they had the perfect half Windsor tie and made the best of what they could. They understood about shining your shoes and I still sit around and do that with my daughters.’

David’s career began quite unexpectedly while he was a student at university studying multimedia and computing. A friend of his entered him into a modelling competition, which he hadn’t considered as a career before, but first place changed his mind. Like Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford, he is one of the most recognisable faces in the business; and one of the rare male celebrities who was a model first and foremost, rather than being an actor or musician.

Many expected him to turn to acting. David was sent the script for the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey by the book’s author before it was cast. ‘I got to read the script, but Jamie Dornan is a great model and his passion for acting was far more than mine. He's a great actor.’ He pauses, then adds: ‘I don’t think I was particularly prepared for that opportunity. It would have maybe been exciting.’ He has the rights to a book about Winston Churchill’s bodyguard and would love to see it made into a film, ‘then I would probably put myself forward for that part, because that would interest me… I always do things that are a passion of mine, and I think that is, more than anything’.

Whether David will turn to acting or not, he has already established himself as a notable figure in British culture. Aside from fashion he has been working with Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and with Crisis, helping set up pop-up shops on Savile Row. His fashion brand Wellware has collaborated with Marks & Spencer and is, according to David, 'going from strength to strength’. And if anyone has the qualifications to make smart, flattering clothes for the average man, it is him.

The first question in this column is always ‘Who is your aesthetic hero?’ Time after time, my interviewees have listed David as their choice. ‘If they saw me on the school run at 8:30am in the morning they probably wouldn’t,’ he says. Perhaps at the school gates he’s not looking exactly like he did in those Light Blue adverts, but I doubt he blends seamlessly into the crowd. David was born to stand out.

Your aesthetic hero

It’s an easy one to answer and it’s Paul Newman, specifically for how he dressed. That era of people dressing — of Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Cary Grant — they way they dressed wasn’t trend driven. It was sort of utilitarian-seaque. They were, to me, the best looking and some of the coolest guys who have ever lived on this planet. Whatever they put on, they looked great.

If you ask me for a more modern day choice, I think there are some people who stand out. I think Ryan Gosling constantly does it very well. I think Brad Pitt does it very well — it’s a bit quirky, but it’s individualistic, and I like it. They’re the modern day guys that I think are good.

The last thing of note that you bought for yourself

God, this is going to be boring, because I’ve recently got into gardening, so I’ve just bought us an aerator cartridge for the lawn mower. It was about £300. Over the last three years we have been working on our garden in London. I’ve planted about 4000 plants, including 500 white hydrangeas. There is lots of pruning in the spring, put it that way.

The possession you’d never sell

Everything’s a bit material in some ways, so I don’t have things that I would never sell. I mean, my classic car which I got restored, which is a 1954 Jaguar named after my daughter Matilda… I don’t think I could ever sell Matilda. That would be quite hard. When my daughters were born I also got two watches, Jaeger-LeCoultre Reversos, which I had engraved with their initials and dates of birth, I would never try to sell those.

But also, little things that wouldn't be worth money to anyone, you know, things that my daughters made me, and little messages between each other. Everything else, I suppose, can be replaced, but those things can’t.

An exhibition that has really impressed you

One of my favourite artists is David Yarrow. I love photography. He is known for these incredible, sort of, beast portraits — of polar bears, elephants, lions etc. I’ve actually got to work with him a couple of times now, which is fun, but his animal collections are the thing that have impressed me the most.

A book you’ve found inspiring

There’s a book I love, which is now a TV show, called SAS: Rogue Heroes, which is about the start of the SAS during the Second World War, and not many people knew of the book at the time. That was an inspiring book. There are also a few books on Ernest Shackleton, about what he and his team went through when they were exploring and got stuck in Antarctica on a ship for what they thought would be six months, but actually turned out to be two years. Absolute madness. They’re both inspiring in many ways. There’s also a great book called Churchill’s Bodyguard, which is a fab story that should be made into a TV series or film.

The music that you work to

I love music. I have music on in the morning, normally Classic FM playing in the kitchen while we’re getting ready for the day, and then my music is quite old school. I was brought up with soul and Motown, and a thing now that people call yacht rock as well, which is like The Doobie Brothers, Michael Macdonald and Hall & Oates. I generally don’t work to music when I’ve properly got to concentrate on stuff, but at all other times there’s always music playing in the house. It’s always old school, which drives my wife slightly round the bend. She likes ‘newer crap’, as I call it. Things that sound like a load of noise.

The last podcast you listened to

Louis Theroux, that was probably the last one that I listened to, because I just think what he does is absolutely brilliant. Desert Island Discs is another great one. I have listened to so many.

The person that would play you in a film of your life

Oh my goodness me, I have no idea. I mean, I’m still alive and I am not that old, so maybe I could play myself if there was enough AI to look 20 years younger?

What you’d take with you to a desert island

If I could I would take my children, my dog and my other half, that’s all I really need in life. That’s where I’m happiest. If I couldn’t take them, probably just a good bottle of gin, some nice tonic and some ice, and I’d just enjoy the desert island, likely half cut which would be very British.

Your favourite painting

I don’t know if I have one. All my art is photography, so I probably don’t have one, even though I studied art. I used to like the artist, Edward Hopper. His piece Nighthawks is what I’d pick if I had to.

What gets you up in the morning

My children. They’re generally quite early risers, or they get into bed with us.

The items you collect

We have a lot of antiques in the house that I’ve collected for years. And then cars, so my vintage car collection. I have just finished having an original Mini restored. I’ve got a Porsche, a Jaguar and a Mercedes. I think cars are my biggest collection.

The hotel you could go back and back to

There’s a place called Dunton Hot Springs in Colorado, and it was an old mining village originally, but when you go there it is like going back to the original mining town. Obviously, it’s lavish luxury, and you’re in the middle of the mountains and surrounded by beautiful hot springs. There’s fishing, horse riding and skiing. It is just the most fantastic experience.

The most memorable meal you’ve ever had

I ate piranha in the Amazon rainforest. It was muddy and bony and fishy and horrible, but when you're in the middle of the rainforest and you’re staying in a hut with tarantulas on the roofs, and that’s what they eat there, you can’t be picky. So I caught it and they cooked it.

The best present you’ve ever received

I was at an event with Jeremy Hackett, and he gave me a wooden model of a Jaguar XK120 exactly like mine. It’s just a lovely present.

To shop Hackett’s Nº14 Savile Row AW26 campaign, fronted by David Gandy, visit their website.