David Lundin: “New York is my city of dreams, no matter what other people say.”
From life on Sweden’s Next Top Model, to marching down Milan’s runways for Dolce & Gabanna, and now working through New York City, we caught up with international model David Lundin, who’s churning out the next chapter of his career in the City of Dreams.
Photos: Andrew Godreaux for The Triumphant Scoop
Exploring the life, style, stories, and scoop of inner-city influencers, and the journey behind what make these cities relevant to their daily lives.
David, what brings you to New York City?
David Lundin: I came to New York City because of my modeling career. I recently got signed with an agency [Muse NYC] and I decided to come here on an O-1 visa, which allows me to stay here for four years because of my talents as a model. I see New York as a city of opportunities, and that’s really important if you want to become successful.
Are you planning to move to New York permanently?
DL: I haven’t really thought about that yet. If everything works out here and the visa allows me to stay longer, I would like New York to be my home base. If not, I would probably return to Sweden.
What have been some of your coolest projects?
DL: I often do the runway for Dolce & Gabanna [in Milan]. It’s always really fun to be a part of the shows because they come up with the coolest things. Another project I did was for Adidas shampoo. It was one of my first jobs. Every day you see commercials on TV for shampoo and it was really cool to see how it’s like behind the scenes.
There are many cities to work in fashion, but do you think New York is the best place to pursue a modeling career?
DL: New York has a lot of opportunities, but there are a lot of models who are trying to make it in the city. Some people make it overseas first and then come back to New York, because it can be very hard to make it here as a starting model. So they build their portfolio and then come back. But I definitely think that the big cities like New York, London, Paris and Milan are the best places to pursue a modeling career.
So you had already made it in Sweden before coming here?
DL: Because I was on Sweden’s Next Top Model, I gained a lot of followers on social media and I got to build my portfolio. In order for me to get the O-1 visa, I had to prove that I was already a successful model. The O-1 visa is only given to people with a specific talent so I needed to have a strong portfolio.
Did you come far in the show?
DL: I had a lot of time on the TV screen. They broadcasted me for two months, while I was only in South-Africa for one month. I ended up tenth in the ranking. In the beginning of the show, one contestant needed to go home every week and when I left they started sending home two contestants every week. So I got a lot of TV time for the placement that I got.
What was the aftermath of Sweden’s Next Top Model?
DL: Before Sweden’s Next Top Model, I had very little experience. Back then I was just a freelance model. I had signed up on a website looking for modeling jobs and one day they called me, saying they were looking for ‘handsome guys.’ They didn’t tell me it was for the television show. I did the interview and I got picked for the show. We shot the show in South-Africa, which was a beautiful setting. There were seven guys and seven girls in the running. It was an amazing experience for me and this is what got my modeling career really started.
I took a break from school to fully grab this chance of becoming a successful model. I’m planning to go back to school to study philosophy, because I’m really interested in the way the mind works. I want to study in my free time so I can combine school with my modeling career. I didn’t have much experience as a model yet and being recorded for a TV show was definitely a challenge for me. But the scariest challenges make the best learning experiences.
How did the show get you to New York?
DL: Because of the show, I got scouted in Sweden and I got opportunities to fully pursue my modeling career. I was able to build a portfolio, network with agencies and people in the modeling industry and get more followers on social media. This all led to more work and made me a better model. The next step for me was to come to New York and see if I could make it here as a model. So that’s what I’m here for.
What goals do you hope to achieve in New York?
DL: My hopes and goals are to challenge myself and to grow as a model. Not only as a model, but also as a person. It’s true when they say “If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.” If you become someone in New York, the whole world will know about you. If you make it in Sweden, you just make it in Sweden.
I saw that you’re also a personal trainer and a photographer. How are you managing these with your modeling career?
DL: Photography started out as a passion that I did in my free time besides modeling, but now I also do it professionally. I have an eye for detail and it has helped me to become a better model. By being a photographer myself, I can coordinate myself better and work better with the photographer that’s shooting me. Personal training is an obvious choice for me because I have to work out and eat healthy as a model. I got my license for personal training last year and the education gave me a deeper understanding of how the body works. I hope to be able to help others reach their body goals and help them become the best version of themselves.
In a recent Instagram post you said that “you’re living your dream right now in New York.” Is this the dream you expected?
DL: When I first started out as a model, this was the dream. Living in New York City, working on cool projects and making it as a model here. I gave myself five years to see if this is what I really want to do. Now that I’m here in New York, I am living that dream. I always strive for bigger dreams to keep me on the tip of my toes. Before he was famous, Jim Carrey once wrote in the palm of his hand a certain time in the future and the amount of money he hoped he would earn by then. A couple of years later, he was in the movie Dumb and Dumber and he earned the money that he had dreamed of. I’ve written myself a note too and we’ll see if that works out.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen in New York?
DL: It was 2am in the morning and I was on the subway on my way home. There was a guy dressed as a cat. He had a really loud speaker and he started to sing. I was laughing so much. At first I thought this guy was crazy but he was just really enjoying himself. Later on, he started preaching about deep stuff, I really didn’t expect that.
Name one thing you would change about New York if you could?
DL: If I could change something in New York it would be more garbage cans. If there were more garbage cans, the city would be a lot cleaner. Now you need to walk two blocks to get to a garbage can and I think that’s one of the reasons the city is so dirty.
Where are your all-time favorite places in New York City?
DL: Washington Square Park would be my all-time favorite place in New York. There’s a beautiful fountain and there are always talented people doing their thing. I often pass by that area and it’s a nice quiet space here in Manhattan.
Sum up New York City in one sentence.
DL: New York is the City of Dreams, no matter what other people say.
For more on David Lundin, visit his website or follow him on Instagram: @davidlundins
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