Jon Kortajarena, a single man

Jon Kortajarena arches his bold eyebrows, adjusts his expression to reflect what could almost be a scowl, and strides to the end of the catwalk to face the cameras in a challenging pose. The defiant stare and beauty of a classic face with sharp angles and features that could easily have been chiselled by a sculptor immediately wows the audience. His modelling debut came in 2003 at the Cibeles fashion week in Madrid and was quickly followed by international success. Hailing from the Basque Country, this intensely private person who has revealed a passion for chocolate, sunbathing, reading and walks in the country was born in Bilbao in 1985. His international career took off in 2004 thanks to a campaign for Versace, and since then he has been a regular face for many of the leading fashion names from around the world. However, perhaps the highlight of his modelling career has been his collaboration with designer Tom Ford. Working with him on countless occasions, he quickly became the designer’s favourite model, positioning him at the forefront of the world fashion scene. His soulful beauty also lit up cinema screens and contributed to the faultless aesthetic of Tom Ford’s 2009 directorial debut, A Single Man, starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore. His intensely strong, inherently masculine look has made Kortajarena one of the most instantly recognisable male models of our time. In 2014 his prominent international career earned him the status of an illustrious figure in Bilbao, an honour granted by the City Council. And while Kortajarena remains much in demand as a model, he has not ruled out a change of career direction and moving into acting. He appeared in Ma Ma with Penélope Cruz and in Andron with Alec Baldwin, and in 2016 he filmed Acantilado, adapted from the novel El contenido del silencio, by Lucía Etxebarría. Whether in cinema, on the catwalk or in the pages of a fashion magazine, there is no doubt that the striking look of Kortajarena will continue to enthral, as audiences admire this sculpture made from flesh and bone. (Cappuccino Grand Papier, volume 8) Photo: David Yurman.