Robert Pattinson Makes History As First Celebrity To Front Dior Menswear
Robert Pattinson has extended his contract with French fashion house Dior, being named the face of the brand’s Homme’s ready-to-wear autumn 2016 collection. The label has dressed a number of A-listers, including James Marsden, Orlando Bloom, John Legend, and A$AP Rocky, but this marks the first celebrity to ever front the line. Pattinson sizzles in the black and white photos for the campaign, shot by famed designer Karl Lagerfeld. When the chief executive officer of Christian Dior Couture told Robert he’d be working with Lagerfeld, he “was even more enthusiastic” about the campaign, PEOPLE notes.
#RobertPattinson Stars in @Dior Homme Intense City Fragrance Campaign https://t.co/PlY9gdYji1 pic.twitter.com/gUxiHebbpb
— The Fashionisto (@thefashionisto) February 27, 2016
“We approached Robert Pattinson for the Dior Homme autumn 2016 campaign,” said Sidney Toledano, chief executive officer of Christian Dior Couture. “He was already the face of the Dior Homme Fragrance and he was thrilled to be also the face for fashion. When we told him that Karl Lagerfeld was going to shoot the campaign, Robert was even more enthusiastic, and indeed, the campaign is perfectly reflecting the spirit of Dior Homme.”
Pattinson also served as the face of Dior Homme’s fragrance campaign back in June 2013. The fall 2016 ready-to-wear collection was designed by Kris Van Assche, and is Robert’s second campaign with Dior in the last few months. In December, the fashion house released a commercial for Dior Homme cologne featuring the Twilight vamp.
Putting that brooding to good use! Robert Pattinson is the new face of Dior menswear: https://t.co/dREXNGWlhs
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) February 26, 2016
Robert began modelling at the age of 12, but offers stopped pouring in four years later. In December 2008, he explained to British magazine Closer that his masculine appearance was to blame for the decrease in modeling gigs.
“When I first started I was quite tall and looked like a girl, so I got lots of jobs, because it was during that period where the androgynous look was cool. Then, I guess, I became too much of a guy, so I never got any more jobs. I had the most unsuccessful modelling career.”
Robert landed his breakout role as vampire Edward Cullen in the film adaptations of the Twilight novels by Stephenie Meyer, which consisted of five films between 2008-2012 that combined grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide. In 2008, he and co-star Kristen Stewart became tabloid and social media fodder when they began dating. Fangirls were crushed when they split in 2012. Two years later, Pattinson angered legions of Twilight fanatics when he began dating biracial singer/songwriter FKA twigs. They announced their engagement last April.
The Guardian notes that those who have worked with the actor describe him as humble and not the type of think of himself as a God, despite the fact that any director would want him in their film. His is a name that gets projects green-lit and a fanbase to support.
“Obviously success came relatively easy to Rob with the Twilight series, and ever since then he’s taken on left-of-centre roles to prove – I guess to himself – that he is an actor and not just a famous actor. That’s really courageous of him, but he underestimates his own quality. He’s nervous. I think he beats himself up a lot – unnecessarily so, in my eye,” says director Anton Corbijn.
Lately, Robert has been taking his time curating roles. He’s currently filming Good Time, directed by Ben and Joshua Safdie. The movie centers on a bank robber who “finds himself unable to evade those who are looking for him,” per IMDB. He also co-stars in The Trap with James Franco, set to be released in 2017. Pattinson wrapped on The Lost City of Z late last year, in which he plays Corporal Henry Costin.
“In a lot of ways, I’m quite proud that I’m still getting jobs,” Pattinson explained to The Guardian. “To go from starting a job by accident when you’re 16 and maintaining it somehow and learning how to do it on the job as well. Because of falling into a job, you always feel like you’re a fraud, that you’re going to be thrown out at any second. So yeah, the main thing I do hope is to gradually get rid of that and really be doing what you want to be doing without feeling like you’re faking it. Does that make sense?”
Robert Pattinson’s Dior campaign drops worldwide April 1.
[Image courtesy Larry Busacca/Getty Images]
