Johnny Hood

[Mr-Dale]

The Herald Tribune:

New face of Dior: He’s 15 years old and comes from Brechin

MARTYN McLAUGHLIN and CAROLE ERSKINE October 11 2004

HE comes from a town that, only four years ago, was dubbed one of the most boring places in the UK when the Knowhere Guide to Britain disparagingly announced: "The best advice is not to go to Brechin and, if you are already there, leave."
Johnny Hood, aged 15, could be doing just that after beating hundreds of established male models to be named as one of the new faces of Christian Dior, the fashion brand which boasts Charlize Theron, the Hollywood actress, among its stable of models.
With his tousled hair, the fresh-faced teenager seems an unlikely candidate to enter an industry notorious for its vanity and greed. But it is his natural looks and laidback approach to life that has impressed the fashion world, and more talent scouts are preparing to flock north in an attempt to unearth fresh talent.
Johnny may be about to swop his life in Angus for the catwalks of Paris, Milan and New York, but people in Brechin have no reason to believe he will forget his roots. Already, the conscientious schoolboy is being represented by an agent who helped turn Scots shopgirl Kirsty Hume into a supermodel and multi-millionaire.
The Brechin teenager is to feature in an advertising campaign for Dior's new denim jeans after being spotted by a scout in the audience at a music festival. Hedi Slimane, the label's head designer, flew Johnny to London for the photoshoot and so his whirlwind story began.
The only child's reaction to his new career is the same as could be expected from any teenager – a mixture of excitement and bamboozlement. He has given up rugby to avoid injury and, although some of his friends have been ribbing him about posing for photographs, most have been supportive. He also revealed that he was finding it easier to attract interest from girls since becoming a model.
Johnny said: "It was a bit of a shock to be asked if I wanted to do some modelling, but it has been really exciting so far. I had never considered being a model, but I am now realising the benefits that could come out of it."
Johnny, whose interests in-clude playing in a band and snowboarding, said he was keen to do more photoshoots and maybe make some money to help him go to university, where he plans to study languages. "I am just enjoying it while I can," he added.
Dean Clear-Patterson, of Oxygen Model Management in London, is already keen to get his young protege only the right sort of publicity, but admitted: "We are so excited about Johnny and see a very bright future for him as a male model. There's something about people from these places. They don't always get spotted but because of their upbringing in small towns, they tend to be very at ease and natural.
"Johnny is in very good hands. We know he's young and his schooling comes first. We are very keen to protect him, but even so, for a 15-year-old to be modelling for Dior is remarkable. He's going to be a huge star. He's very relaxed and cool with having his photo taken, but he has his feet firmly on the ground."
Indeed, so taken are the agency with Johnny's naturalistic approach, they are planning on sending more scouts to rural Scotland in a trawl for more unearthed talent.
Having represented one supermodel, Mr Clear-Patterson's downplaying of Johnny's future is difficult to reconcile with the career path of Ayr-born Hume. Reported to be worth about £11m, she abandoned plans to study art when, at the age of 18, she was spotted by the friend of a Parisian talent scout for the Elite modelling agency while on holiday in Miami. Within months, Patrick Demarchelier had photographed the teenager for the cover of Harper's Bazaar, and by the mid-1990s, she had landed a lucrative contract as the face of Chanel.
Such tales are a world away from the quiet streets of Brechin, which for many years was considered a city because of its status as the seat of a diocese of the Episcopal Church of Scotland. The town is perhaps best known in the entertainment world for playing host to the now-defunct nightclub, Flicks, renowned during the late 1980s for its dazzling light displays and guest appearances by stars such as Kylie Minogue.
But it is young Johnny who is best placed to mark out the future of Brechin, and members of the community were pleased yesterday.
Rob Murray, leader of Angus Council, said: "I'm absolutely delighted for the young lad to get such a huge break. It's not the usual career path for people from Brechin, but it'll help put us on the map.
"We're just a fairly standard county town, the kind of which you'll find across Scotland. The teenagers have a youth centre, The Attic . . . but really, for a boy of this background to go on this road to success is wonderful."
Anne Mitchell, secretary of Brechin community council, said: "It's remarkable. It's the last thing you'd expect to happen in a place like Brechin. But anything that will help raise awareness of where Brechin is and what we do is superb. And it's equally good for the young lad himself."

Anyone have any pics perhaps?

 

[Acid]

ohh.....
there is SO much dior homme casting at the moment its getting so confusing

originally Rupert Smith @ premier was supposed to be doing the campaign, then the decided his hair was too short (bad excuse)
then it became just Daniel T @ select
then last week heidi flew to london to do some more work and isaac @ premier was supposed to be shooting for dior underwear but they decided his was wasnt right for it

then there are like so many other guys like freddy w @ storm on option, and loads from models1......its just crazy

i think heidi is still in london shooting for something......he keeps requestion everyone for castings

 

[helena]

Sorry for being a pendant but this really annoys me BRECHIN is scotland not england. They are separate countries.

 

[faust]

Originally posted by Acid@Oct 13 2004, 02:07 PM
ohh.....
there is SO much dior homme casting at the moment its getting so confusing

originally Rupert Smith @ premier was supposed to be doing the campaign, then the decided his hair was too short (bad excuse)
then it became just Daniel T @ select
then last week heidi flew to london to do some more work and isaac @ premier was supposed to be shooting for dior underwear but they decided his was wasnt right for it

then there are like so many other guys like freddy w @ storm on option, and loads from models1......its just crazy

i think heidi is still in london shooting for something......he keeps requestion everyone for castings

[snapback]395948[/snapback]​

maybe Hedi wants something they can't give him

 

[meister122]

Originally posted by helena@Oct 13 2004, 03:15 PM
Sorry for being a pendant but this really annoys me BRECHIN is scotland not england. They are separate countries.

[snapback]395956[/snapback]​

yes, but the article says UK and Britain which include both England and Scotland.

 

[ahhGucci]

Originally posted by helena@Oct 13 2004, 08:15 PM
Sorry for being a pendant but this really annoys me BRECHIN is scotland not england. They are separate countries.

[snapback]395956[/snapback]​

Being a pedant is not all bad.

 

[ahhGucci]

Originally posted by meister122@Oct 13 2004, 08:18 PM
yes, but the article says UK and Britain which include both England and Scotland.

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The title says otherwise.

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Does anyone in Britain actually say...the UK...it's such a weird word anyway...

Looks like Heidi's up to some artsy crap again...

 

[faust]

Originally posted by PrinceOfCats@Oct 13 2004, 02:24 PM
Looks like Heidi's up to some artsy crap again...

[snapback]395978[/snapback]​

What? You don't want to pay $100 for a book of photos of rock concerts?!

 

[Acid]

well the boys hes casting are all like under 19 so i hope hes not doing an MJ

i wonder where he's staying in london.......i feel an arge to ask for free clothes

 

[metal-on-metal]

Originally posted by Acid@Oct 13 2004, 03:07 PM
ohh.....
there is SO much dior homme casting at the moment its getting so confusing

originally Rupert Smith @ premier was supposed to be doing the campaign, then the decided his hair was too short (bad excuse)
then it became just Daniel T @ select
then last week heidi flew to london to do some more work and isaac @ premier was supposed to be shooting for dior underwear but they decided his was wasnt right for it

then there are like so many other guys like freddy w @ storm on option, and loads from models1......its just crazy

i think heidi is still in london shooting for something......he keeps requestion everyone for castings

[snapback]395948[/snapback]​

No, the main collection ads have already been shot. They used a long haired greasy-looking model. I don't think he was in the show. The ads look incredible though.

EDIT: Just re-read your post, Acid. It's probably Daniel T at Select. Do you have a pic of him?

 

[Ms. Diorella]

I want to see some photos - I wonder what the campaign will turn out like - I liked the last ads...the models were pretty cute

 

[Acid]

the main collection adds were shot in the first and second week in September in london

rupert and daniel were supposed to both be in it but rupert was dropped in the second day.

heidi is back doing some other shoots for other dior homme things.....i know the one isaac was supposed to do last thursday was for dior underwear

 

[metal-on-metal]

Originally posted by faust@Oct 13 2004, 03:38 PM
What? You don't want to pay $100 for a book of photos of rock concerts?!

[snapback]396000[/snapback]​

 

[oicicup]

picsssssss

 

[Ms. Diorella]

Originally posted by metal-on-metal@Oct 13 2004, 03:45 PM
No, the main collection ads have already been shot. They used a long haired greasy-looking model. I don't think he was in the show. The ads look incredible though.

EDIT: Just re-read your post, Acid. It's probably Daniel T at Select. Do you have a pic of him?

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He's a sexy greasy-looking model though

 

[Acid]

hes not sexy! hes like 17 years old
go to http://www.theones2watch.com/male/daniel/index.html

 

[Ms. Diorella]

Originally posted by Acid@Oct 13 2004, 03:53 PM
hes not sexy! hes like 17 years old
go to http://www.theones2watch.com/male/daniel/index.html

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omg, you're right...he did look hot in the adverts... his face is rather...ergh i didn't notice...maybe it was the clothes that made him look hot, i like a man in dior homme

 

[ahhGucci]

I really ought to stay out of supporting cast

 

[Acid]

no no Miss Diorella.......
he is in the ads which will be out next spring, the campaign was only shot a few weeks ago