Martin Pichler Online: јануар 2014

He made it from the Austrian contemplative dullsville Mürzzuschlag (8745 inhabitants) in Styria to the most important catwalks of the international fashion world, he commutes from Vienna to London, Miami and Milan. Martin Pichler is 28 years old and meanwhile one of the most established male models of the Alpine Republic. He gained fame through last summer‘s Abercrombie & Fitch campaign- even if the private Martin loves to wear Diesel.

HOLE: Hallo Martin, please describe yourself for us in three words.

Martin: Down to earth, adventures, full of life.

Whats your favourite look?

Boots, jeans, leather jacket - just worn with a simple V-neck.

How would you classify your type?

Versatile. (smile)

How do you get into modeling?

As soon as I arrived in Vienna I have been approached over and over again by scouts who asked me if I could image to work as a model. At that time I had all sorts of other interests and without even thinking about it I have always

immediately rejected such requests. Until I asked myself „why actually?“. I couldn‘t find a plausible argument I decided to grab the next opportunity and to take part at an open casting which introduced me to my first agency.

Unfortunately, in the beginning, I didn‘t get as many jobs as I would have liked to. However, I still wanted to try my luck in the business, so I decided three years ago to enter wienermodels- one of my best decisions.

Look is everything in this business, how much time do you invest in your look?

My body is very important to me, therefor I do regularly sports, well actually on a daily basis. If nothing gets in the way I get to an average of an hour per day. I switch between free weights, exercises for my upper body and running. The latter forms my entire body to the best and I can stay fit for longer shoot days.

Which part of your body do you specially like - and which not?

Thankfully I am quite happy with my body. If there should be something that I don‘t like and I can change it, I‘ll do it, for example, I then change my training. Meanwhile I know my body very well and I know when it responds at its best.

Which are the positive and negatives aspects of your job?

I meet the most different personalities, I get to know people from all over the world extremely quickly, some of which you get to meet over time over and over again. That‘s how friendships start and to be honest with you, you are never really alone on the road. Next to the experiences that you make for your future life, you get to discover some new cities, you learn how to get familiar with the new place and to organize your daily life in a foreign environment, which seems to be quite a hurdle for many models.

The work as a model is quite eclectic. On the one hand you need to be able to deal with stressful situations, people aspect from you that you are spontaneous and flexible. On the other hand jobs take quite a lot of time. Especially

in jobs where you are on the set with several models, there can be long waiting times which have already tested my patience.

Which was your most beautiful shoot?

One of my coolest shoots was definitely for the Abercrombie & Fitch campaign in Miami. We were a relatively big group of nice models on a huge outdoor set with beach house etc. and we could just do whatever we wanted. From playing football to dancing or just chilling in a hammock, we were just free to do whatever we wanted and Bruce Weber bustled around with his crew and shot us almost accidentally.

Is there a moment of your career that you will never forget?

The shoot for HOLE Magazine (laughs). Well, the best moment was actually when I first walked at the Milan Fashion Week. It was my premiere on one of the most important fashion metropoles and as I was straight away part of the shows for Moncler, Dolce & Gabbana and Armani, where I opened the Emporio Armani show, it was a big boost for me to hit the international market and to travel a lot.

What is your relationship to fashion and how has fashion influenced your personal style?

I‘m dealing with it more intensively and today it is more important to me to dress up well in my private life. Especially at castings or when meeting clients it‘s crucial to have an impeccable and stylish appearance.

That wasn‘t always the case with me - to be honest with you, fashion was so important to me that my mother had to shop for most of my cloths. Obviously I still like to have her around when I‘m going shopping, though today as a sponsor. (laughs)

Do you have a favorite designer?

I don‘t have a favorite designer but a favorite fashion label: Diesel.

Which trends will dominate the upcoming summer?

I hope swim trunks (laughs).

Which magazines and blogs do you read?

I read magazines only occasionally, for example GQ or Wiener. I keep myself informed mainly through the net, models.com or blogs like „the fashionisto“ are always up to date. And not to forget the wienermodels blog.

You have already worked with a lot of photographers but is there one that you would like to work with?

I am a fan of natural black and white pictures and I find the work of Peter Lindbergh simply fantastic.

Shoots and shows all around the world, all the traveling - how much does your job influence your private life?

I don‘t really have to neglect it though quite often I need to change plans on a very short notice. Modeling requires flexibility and this makes it hard for me to plan holidays or trips with my friends. But I have to say so far I could always manage everything.

Vienna is home. Meanwhile do you also feel at home somewhere else?

I believe that every city has its beautiful and interesting side - may it be culture, language or - my big passion - food. Basically I love to be in Vienna. Surely it‘s the capital of my country and most of my friends live here. Nevertheless Vienna is simply a wonderful city that has everything to offer.

On top of that I really love Miami, to be correct Miami Beach. There I usually feel always in a good mood. The weather is great, the people are cool and I believe that they like to take care a lot more about their well-groomed appearance

as in other cities.

It‘s simply great to walk along the beach during sunrise whilst listening to the ocean, to walk on Ocean Drive in the evening or to celebrate parties mostly with great weather.

You are modeling for quite a few years now. Has the business changed over the years?

Well, I’ve not been in the business that long. But looking back I can say that some things have definitely changed. Primarily the Internet has contributed massively to connect agencies, models, photographers and designers

worldwide. Through blogs and websites new productions can be published immediately with almost no effort and generally speaking, modeling became more accessible to new faces.

Is there anything you would still like to achieve professionally?

You always have to set your goals a little higher - and so far I am still lacking a perfume campaign ... (laughs).

Last question: what are your specific plans for the future?

Modeling has taught me one thing so far: it is almost impossible to make plans in this business. You’re expected to be spontaneous and have to be prepared for nearly everything. Quite often I get a call from my agency and they say: “You’re flying to London tomorrow”. So it makes no sense to think about a long-term career plan. I always discuss the next steps or longer trips with my booker, and depending on which events are coming up, we decide accordingly.