David Gandy: “I'm a naturally driven person”

As David Gandy observes, some items possess an inherent elegance that doesn’t necessitate their use to be appreciated. Take, for example, his home gym where we’re sitting for his interview, surrounded by sleek Technogym fitness equipment: “It just looks great – I mean, it’s Italian; you don’t need to drive an Italian car – it just looks fast, and fantastic.”

Much like a certain male model sitting opposite me. Though, it’s clear he is getting plenty of use out of his Technogym gear. I ask if he has any Italian in his family line – after all, there was a good reason he was chosen by Dolce & Gabbana to shoot in Capri for that iconic Light Blue fragrance campaign all those years ago. (Almost 25 to be exact, but let’s not dwell on that.)

He says no, he’s definitively English with Scottish heritage. He once had his DNA tested and discovered that ‘Gandy’ is about as un-Italian as you can get. The name itself translates to ‘Suffolk land owner’.

“Is that why you love the colour green?” I ask – he’s surrounded by dark walls and high ceilings in the deepest shade of what I could only describe as ‘forest green’…

David Gandy: It’s actually called ‘Studio Green’ – I found this colour when we did a two-year renovation on the house, and decided it was my new favourite. I love it; I keep painting everything this colour.

Square Mile: It was, of course, a very different colour that helped launch your career. After shooting Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue campaign, you were thrust into the spotlight in your twenties – and paved the way for a new kind of more muscular male model. How aware were you that you were breaking new ground at the time?

DG: Fashion campaigns come and go in trends, the same with models. It probably was due for a change at that time, and I was very fortunate to be in Light Blue. 

The modelling industry was turned on its head; the popularity of that Dolce campaign changed everything. What was created, I don’t take any credit; that was the creative talent of D&G and Mario Testino – of having the balls really to completely turn left when everyone was going right, of doing something different. And of course then people follow.

SM: How has your relationship with fitness changed over your career?

DG: At that time, you had a lot of models trying to fit in with the androgynous guys – as that’s what agencies would put on their books because that’s what brands wanted. There were a few of us off-book, but we were pretty limited to catalogue and commercial work.

I didn’t maintain my physique for any other reason apart from I’ve always enjoyed playing sport, and when I wasn’t playing sport, if I ever did take holidays, they were skiing or active holidays.

I’d train for everything. For sports I was less competitive at, the more I got into the gym because I needed to give myself that edge – and to keep myself fit and healthy. I feel physically and mentally better having what people call a ‘better body’. But it’s just the same as an athlete: the more you train, the physically fitter and more muscular you get.

I didn’t do it because it was in fashion, or because I thought I’d set a trend, but also no one was telling me to lose weight or be smaller because I physically couldn’t – I’m a 6’3” guy. So while it wasn’t on purpose that I didn’t conform, I was still set on my goals in many ways.

SM: For the last two decades, you’ve maintained that physique; how difficult has it been to keep that up?

DG: People go into training with the wrong mentality, as though you’re doing it for a certain time period – like someone training to do a marathon – and then they don’t continue.

I train virtually every day, but a 45-minute session in the gym for me is the same as someone else eating dinner or watching TV. I just fit it into my schedule, usually after I put my daughters to bed. I used to be on 80-90 flights a year, travelling for shoots, but within that time frame, there would always be a 45-60-minute session in the gym.

To me it’s very easy because I’ve taught myself the hard way about the things that do and don’t work. And as you get older, things change as well. It gets a lot harder to put muscle on, your testosterone level decreases, and so it’s harder to flip between something you have to be in training for (like another campaign – which takes me longer these days) and regular training.

I found out early that I was never a morning person. A lot of people say that’s when you should train, but it’s just one of those things that people were falling for or listening to. It’s like saying we should always eat breakfast, because breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it was Kellogg’s who came up with that – not someone who cared about health and nutrition. I’ve never eaten breakfast – and now everyone calls that ‘intermittent fasting’ – but I’ve just never eaten breakfast.

SM: Are you a naturally driven person? 

DG: Yes, I’d call myself a naturally driven person. I think no matter what, I can’t sit still. I might complain that I have too much on and not enough time to do things, but then when I quieten down I’ll take on a couple more projects or investments. 

My parents were very driven. They had their own businesses and were a great example to me. I think for me it’s about being curious. I am always curious as to how things work and why they work, and wanting to push the boundaries of pretty much anything I do.

If I buy classic cars, I want to know if I can race them. If I race them, then what’s the most exhausting race in the world – the Mille Miglia. I think: can I compete in that?

Or attempting a world endurance record in a powerboat race to Tokyo – I was a part of that team [in 2015]. I have no idea why – half the time it’s just a curiosity thing with me; to see if I can do it. And often when people say it’s not possible, then that rallies me to do it even more.

SM: Are you innately confident?

DG: I’m confident when I know something. I won’t say something unless I’m confident it’s the truth, or confident I’m right about it.

SM: Your work ethic in the gym seems to extend to your various business ventures. How do you split your time?

DG: I’ve always enjoyed not having a proper routine – there’s a beauty to that. When you’re travelling around the world shooting, you can’t have a regimented routine because you don’t know what jobs are coming up from one week to the next. 

I miss that a little bit because that’s not my life anymore. I have to have a routine now because I have daughters, and need to be around as much as I can for school drop-offs and pickups, so my schedule does have to sort of move around them. 

But it does go from being in an office for my brand David Gandy Wellwear to meetings with Technogym, Dolce & Gabbana, Vitabiotics, new clients, wholesale orders, it changes every day and I love that. The only two things I know I’m going to fit in are the gym and taking my dog for a walk in the morning.

SM: What was the biggest challenge in setting up David Gandy Wellwear?

DG: The challenges are ongoing. Three years is not a very long time; the company is a baby. We’re in our infancy, still learning. Although I knew it was going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

I had the range with Marks & Spencer, and before that, lots of brand collaborations, but when you’re working with such big brands you have their budgets, teams, and resources. We’re a very small team taking on the big boys and big brands. But it’s going well so far.

For instance, we had such success with the M&S collaboration, that we set up Wellwear in that target market. I literally had guys approaching me in the street or the supermarket saying ‘We cannot get your stuff; where is it?’, so we knew there was a gap in the market.

The concept was about bringing together wellness and apparel for the first time because today we talk about wellness and fitness and health as one. It was always the idea to bring those ideals together, and hopefully that’s what we’ve done.

SM: Not dissimilar to Technogym’s community initiatives, then? 

DG: I generally work with brands with whom there’s been a past relationship or history. I was never in one place for long, and didn’t have much time to train, I also didn’t have time to look for a good gym – I didn’t know where the gyms were. And so I wasn’t choosing hotels based on them being my favourite hotels, it was because I knew they had Technogym equipment; I knew those were the best gyms. Then we began talking to Technogym, and it was a very natural relationship. 

What I don’t think people realise about Technogym is the 360-approach to health, wellness and community, which I absolutely adore. They focus on the health of a whole area – from initiatives funding healthier food for children, to organising for parent volunteers to pick children up each day and walk them to school because it’s healthier. And it all started with one guy – Nerio Alessandri, who founded Technogym in 1983, at the age of 22, building exercise equipment in his garage. He wanted to give back to the community and to Italy. I just thought it was a lovely story.

Then I was really sold when they introduced me to what I call the ‘future of training’ – like the connected dumbbells, which are AI, and connect to the app. It’s basically like having a personal trainer there, only on your phone, and telling you how to improve your training.

SM: Any plans to collaborate with Technogym on a range of equipment?

DG: I wouldn’t dare – that’s not my expertise – and you wouldn’t need to. They have everything that anyone’s ever going to need. And it’s moving at such a pace with current technology and everything being connected to your phone. But I work with them on initiatives, and bringing Technogym to more places – we’re hoping to do something at my daughter’s school.

SM: So talk us through this personal home gym – beyond the ‘studio green’…

DG: The gym is kitted out in a mix of old-school and new. There’s a Technogym rack for squats and benchpress for a very old-school – think Arnold Schwarzenegger bodybuilding – kind of training with free weights and crossover cables.

Then you’ve got the modern function of the connected dumbbells, which range from 2 - 24kg – and they’re in a small connected package that you just click together. They’re a lifesaver because they save so much time and so much space. 

Most people dream of having a pool, or a Ferrari, but my dream was to have a home gym, which might sound a bit sad, but that’s what I’ve always wanted.

To see Technogym’s full range of equipment, go to: technogym.com