Magdalena Talik: You came to the meeting early. Is that a model's tick?
Tomek Szczukiecki: "This is what I learned in Japan. In that country, when you're late by just one minute, they call the agency right away. So, it's worth coming a bit early."
But I thought that the modelling environment is a bit mannered. Naomi Campbell once said she would not get out of bed, if she was would not make good money on a photo shoot.
Tomek Szczukiecki: "That's a different league, different money, different manners. I'm grateful for being allowed to do what I do, because once it wasn't that good. I had a normal job - at a construction site, at my father's workshop, in Big Star, where I toiled six days a week for 1200 PLN , until I was found by Hanna Kucia from Myskena Studio agency."
How did she look you up?
Tomek Szczukiecki: "One day around noon I went out for a cigarette break at work in Factory Outlet. And this excited woman approached me. Mrs. Hanna's enthusiasm was just disarming, as she was trying to convince me: "Paris, New York, Tokio. You'll be famous." I thought: "What's going on?" And she said that I could be a model. At home, my mum read about the agency on the internet, found out that the reviews were very good and began to encourage me: "What's the harm?" I was 19 when I had my first photos taken. I didn't know too much about the profession. The photographer arranged my pose, instructed me, and I managed to go through it all somehow. Then I forgot about it. I went with my friends on vacation, and here rings the agency. "You're going to Paris in September" I heard from Mrs. Hanna."
Tomek Szczukiecki during a show by Hermes, spring/summer 2014
And how was your first contact with the profession?
Tomek Szczukiecki: "It was a total disaster at the beginning! With my high school English, I understood what they were saying, but I wasn't able to say much myself. I was afraid to talk to people. My flatmates, American Rory and Austrian Philip helped me out with that. They made me speak, even if I wasn't exactly correct. After three months, it was a lot better. Now English is almost my second language. And my visit to Paris was a trial, I did test shots and finally had my first show - a collection by Issey Miyake. A big tent was set up by the Louvre, where the whole event took place."
Were you stressed out?
Tomek Szczukiecki: "My legs were shaking when I saw how many people were sitting by the catwalk. I don't have any recollection of this show, as if I were sleepwalking. But then the head of men's department in the Elite agency chose me to Milan. It was my first season, and I was to do an exclusive show for Dior. I didn't know what was going on. They told me: "You'll do only one show", and I started wondering whether I sucked that badly, but it turned out that it was the exact opposite. Dior wanted me for an exclusive show, I didn't have to walk in other presentations."
What is a male fashion show like in behind the scenes?
Tomek Szczukiecki: "You arrive up to four hours earlier, unless you have a few shows a day, then you show up at the last moment. Then the hair, makeup."
There's make up?
Tomek Szczukiecki: "To cover up spots and matt the skin. Just this. Of course, there are shows where they make up our eyes, but in general it's just powder and concealer to cover up bags under the eyes. Sometimes there's a hair gel. I even had a braid once."
Tomek Szczukiecki during a show by Cerruti, spring/summer 2014
And the legends about eating cotton pads? Do guys starve themselves, too?
Tomek Szczukiecki: "I doubt it. I've recently had a 0.7 kilo steak, so I don't know anything about dieting. I don't go to the gym, I can just quickly lose weight - I eat less, I'm more active, ride a bike. In Tokyo, I shed more than 5 kilos in three weeks without any problems."
You worked at fantastic shows, and with the legendary photographer, Steven Meisel. What is he like?
Tomek Szczukiecki: "After three hours of sitting for him I learned that Meisel is this inconspicuous guy sitting in the corner, and all the others are his assistants. He had at least three people to change his lenses. But he's a nice guy, in general. Quiet, businesslike. For him, I agreed to appear only in underpants, though I usually don't undress in my shooting."
Do you wear designer clothes on a regular basis? After all, you have access to quite nice threads.
Tomek Szczukiecki: "I like plain clothes. I'm not obsessed with fashion, I shop at H&M. I have a few designer clothes, e.g. a New Yorker Robert Geller, but I wear on less often. I'm not extravagant."
This profession is about travelling, but also about loneliness.
Tomek Szczukiecki: "I learned to be alone with myself. I don't mind the solitude. Nowadays I do a bit, perhaps, because I think of my girlfriend - a Brazilian model, and about our future; maybe we will choose Portugal, it will be easier for her with the language."
Model Tomek Szczukiecki wearing a T-shirt of his beloved Śląsk Śląska Wroclaw, not too far from his favourite club, Czarny Kot / phot. Tomasz Walków
Why not Wroclaw? They say you love your city.
Tomek Szczukiecki: "I like the local patriotism. Wroclaw is very important to me. Once I was coming back home after half a year. When I saw the city's skyline through the plane window, I had to press my face to the window so people could not see me cry. I will miss this abroad."
And Śląsk Wroclaw?
Tomek Szczukiecki: "Yes, because I grew up by the stadium at ul. Oporowska. We went to matches with our entire families. My parents moved to ul. Królewiecka now, so I'm close to the stadium again. I sometimes go to a match, and can't speak for two days, especially when our guys win. I was in Tokyo once, walking down the street wearing a Śląsk Wroclaw sweatshirt. A guy stopped me at the traffic lights and asked if were Polish. It turned out that he was a TV correspondent and we had a nice chat. Because of that Wroclaw sweatshirt."
