Latest style: Rocker Style for a Brighton Boy

Pinstripe shirt with guns, Gresham Blake; Purple braces, Gresham Blake; Grey suit trousers, Gresham Blake; Jewellery, model’s own

Rhatia Renée’s style shoot with David Gaylor of Brighton band Half Crown

Boys will be boys, as the old saying goes. My first male fashion shoot of the year brought about a fresh change of scenery for this photo gal. Taking fashion photographs of men is just, well, different. Not speaking for all the guys here, but most of the time they are just a little more spontaneous and a little less self conscious of their looks compared to my female models. Knowing this industry, as well as the society we live in, this isn’t exactly a surprise. Men can afford a more cavalier attitude since they’re generally judged less on the basis of their looks. Where my female models fidget and fuss on the job, guys breeze through the shoot as if they know they can’t miss a beat. In fact, the younger they are, the more fun they have with the whole experience. They don’t starve themselves before showing up, but play with studio props just like they played with their action figures as kids. It’s cute, a little sexy even. That childlike playfulness is what is basically so attractive about boys to begin with.

But let’s be honest, I gave him some great props to play with. David had a couple of cool bikes to ride around the studio. Even my baby, a beloved old-school Velorbis city bike, got to do some modelling. But enough of the child’s play. When it was time for him to flip the switch and act like a grown up, he obliged. Think more “smolder”, less “blue steel”… thankfully. He admitted to not having done too many big photo shoots before.

So how on earth does an untrained model achieve this level of confidence in front of the camera? Well, it’s not too hard for a guy who works at Gresham Blake bespoke tailoring during the day and performs with an awesome Brighton rock band by night. The dude knows how to give it to an audience, whether it’s to sell snazzy suits or whip up a crowd of rock fans. Be sure to check out the music from him and his band Half Crown at www.halfcrownband.com/

Grey and black dog tooth check suit jacket, model’s own; Black shirt, Gresham Blake; Black jumper with white symbols, model’s own; Black leather belt, model’s own; White jeans, model’s own; Jewellery, Topshop

Black shirt, Gresham Blake; Black jumper with white symbols, model’s own; Black leather belt, model’s own; White jeans, Topshop; Black leather boots, model’s own; Jewellery, model’s own; Mini motorbike, model’s own

Light blue suit jacket, Zara; Silk pocket square, Gresham Blake; Black logo tshirt, model’s own; Black jeans, Topshop; Black leather belt, model’s own; Black socks, model’s own; Leather shoes, model’s own

Navy suit jacket, Gresham Blake; White shirt, Gresham Blake; Burgundy knitted tie, Gresham Blake; Black leather belt, model’s own; Black jeans, Topshop

Navy suit jacket, Gresham Blake; White shirt, Gresham Blake; Silver collar pin, Gresham Blake; Silk pocket square, Gresham Blake; Black jeans, Topshop; Jewellery, model’s own