• FRONT COVER // BACK COVER •
PHOTOGRAPHY BY • TOPPER KOMM • @TOPPERKOMM.DE
MODEL • DYLAN HASSELBAINK • @DYLANHASSELBAINK
// @TWOMANAGEMENT
STYLING • RIDVAN CAVUS • @MAISON.CAVUS
HAIR & MAKEUP • JASMIN ARNOLD • @JASMINARNOLD_
DYLAN WEARS • ANNA KIKI • GENTLE MONSTER • YUIMA NAKAZATO • JOSEPH • THE PACK BY CAMPILLO • MOSCHINO via YOOX • AMESH WIJESEKERA • 032c via ZALANDO • JIMMY CHOO • HUGO BOSS • ICEBERG • SWAROVSKI • OTTO LINGER via YOOX • DRYKORN • TEREZA ROSALIE KLADOSOVA • ESSENTIEL ANTWERP • CAMPER LAB
• DYLAN HASSELBAINK •
HOW DID YOU START IN THE NEW YEAR? DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR 2023?
I SPEND THIS NEW YEAR BY MYSELF. I WANTED TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW IM ENTERING THE NEW YEAR. SO I MADE A NEW VISION BOARD, I JOURNALED, I MEDITATED, AND WENT TO SLEEP.
HOW DID YOU START MODELING?
I FIRST GOT SCOUTED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN I STARTED POSTING ON INSTAGRAM. I WASN´T CONVINCED I COULD EVER BE A MODEL, SO I ENDED UP TURNING THE OPPORTUNITY DOWN AND CONTINUED FOCUSING ON SCHOOL. WHEN I WAS STUDYING, I REALISED THAT IT DIDN’T MAKE ME HAPPY. I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING MORE CREATIVE. THE THOUGHT OF MODELLING STAYED IN THE BACK OF MY MIND. IN THE MEANTIME I STARTED TAKING SOCIAL MEDIA MORE SERIOUSLY, MOSTLY AS A CREATIVE OUTLET, AND THAT’S WHEN I GOT SCOUTED AGAIN.
THIS TIME I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY, DROPPED EVERYTHING, AND STARTED TRAVELLING.
I’VE HAD SOME AMAZING EXPERIENCES, TRAVELLED TO BEAUTIFUL PLACES, AND MET SO MANY AMAZING PEOPLE. BUT IT ALSO DIDN’T FEEL LIKE THE RIGHT TIME FOR ME. I WAS STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO I WAS. SO I DECIDED TO TAKE A BREAK FROM MODELLING, LEFT ALL MY AGENCIES, AND STARTED FOCUSING ON MYSELF. NOT MUCH LATER COVID STARTED. WHICH GAVE ME A LOT OF TIME FOR ALL THE INNER WORK I NEEDED. DURING QUARANTINE I BECAME A LOT MORE CENTERED AND AWARE OF WHO I AM AND WHAT I WANTED. WHICH ALLOWED ME TO GET BACK INTO MODELLING WITH A CLEARER VISION. SO WHEN I GOT SCOUTED AGAIN, I WAS SUPER EXCITED TO START MODELLING AGAIN.
AND SINCE THEN IT’S BEEN GREAT. EVERYTHING I DO NOW IS A LOT MORE IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO. SO I’M VERY THANKFUL THAT THIS TIME AROUND I FEEL A LOT BETTER ABOUT MYSELF AND THE PEOPLE AROUND ME.
• DYLAN HASSELBAINK •
IN REGARDS OF MODELING, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH NEGATIVITY OR NEGATIVE COMMENTS IN GENERAL?
I’M VERY SENSITIVE, SO FOR ME IT CAN BE HARD TO DEAL WITH NEGATIVITY. BUT I LEARNED HOW TO NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY. I THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANT IN THIS INDUSTRY TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE. WHAT I STRUGGLED WITH MOST IN THE BEGINNING IN REGARD TO NEGATIVITY, WAS PEOPLE CONSTANTLY TELLING ME WHO TO BE OR HOW TO ACT. FROM HEARING I HAVE TO BE MORE MASCULINE, GETTING REJECTED FOR JOBS BECAUSE I WEAR WIGS AS A BOY, BEING “TOO MIXED”.
BUT I ALWAYS TRY TO SEE THE POSITIVE IN THINGS. AND I DIDN’T WANT TO HAVE TO CHANGE MYSELF IN ORDER TO WORK IN THE INDUSTRY I LOVE. AND WHEN YOU FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE, GOOD THINGS COME YOUR WAY. I DON’T DEAL WITH A LOT OF NEGATIVITY NOW, OR MAYBE IT DOESN’T AFFECT ME AS MUCH. INSTEAD, I NOTICED THAT I STARTED TO ATTRACT AMAZING PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR MINDSETS AND VISIONS. THAT WANT TO WORK WITH ME FOR THE EXACT REASONS PEOPLE FIRST REJECTED ME FOR.
• DYLAN HASSELBAINK •
YOU’RE QUITE SYNONYMOUS FOR AMAZING WIGS. HOW DID YOU START WITH WIGS?
"I THINK I’VE ALWAYS HAD A FASCINATION FOR HAIR. AS A KID, I ALWAYS HAD A BIG AFRO. SOME KIDS WOULD BULLY ME FOR MY HAIR, SO I CHOPPED IT ALL OFF BEFORE GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH I INSTANTLY REGRETTED. I DIDN’T LIKE IT AT ALL, SO I WOULD ALWAYS HIDE UNDER CAPS.
AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, I DECIDED TO GROW OUT MY HAIR AGAIN, WHICH TOOK SOME YEARS. I LOVED THE JOURNEY AND SEEING ALL THE GROWTH. HOWEVER, I NOTICED THAT I WAS LOSING MORE HAIR THAN USUAL. I HAD BECOME VERY ATTACHED TO MY HAIR AND DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE ALL THAT PROGRESS. THAT’S WHEN I DECIDED TO BUY A WIG THAT RESEMBLED MY HAIR, SO I COULD LET MY OWN HAIR REST UNDER THE WIG.
FOR ABOUT A YEAR, I WORE THE WIG EVERYWHERE. THIS PERIOD COINCIDED WITH MY MODELLING BREAK AND THE COVID PANDEMIC, GIVING ME PLENTY OF TIME TO ADJUST TO WEARING A WIG. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I HADN'T SEEN MANY OTHER MEN WEARING WIGS.
AFTER A WHILE, I BECAME INTERESTED IN TRYING DIFFERENT STYLES. I STARTED COLLECTING MORE WIGS TO EXPERIMENT WITH. IT SOON BECAME A HOBBY. DESPITE NOT BEING A HAIRSTYLIST, I ENJOYED THE PROCESS OF COLORING AND CUTTING WIGS INTO WHATEVER I HAD IN MIND. THIS LED ME TO NEGLECT MY OWN HAIR, ULTIMATELY LEADING ME TO SHAVE IT OFF AND COMMIT TO THE WIGS.
THE WIGS HAVE TAKEN ME ON AN UNEXPECTEDLY FUN JOURNEY. EVERY DAY, I WAKE UP AND CHOOSE HOW I WANT TO LOOK."
• DYLAN HASSELBAINK •
HOW MANY WIGS DO YOU HAVE? ANY FAVORITE WIG?
I THINK I LOST COUNT AT THIS POINT. I HAVE A COUPLE OF WIG HEADS THAT I USE FOR THE WIGS I’M USING THE MOST. AND THE OTHERS ARE STORED IN A BIG BOX. IF I HAVE TO MAKE A WILD GUESS I THINK I HAVE AROUND 30-40 WIGS. IT’S HARD TO PICK A FAVOURITE WIG. I FEEL LIKE THEY’RE ALL INDIVIDUAL, DIFFERENT VIBES. I ALWAYS CHOOSE A WIG BASED ON WHAT I’M WEARING, WHERE I’M GOING AND HOW I’M FEELING. SO MOST OF THE TIME IT DEPENDS ON THE DAY.
I DO HAVE A GO-TO WIG. IT’S A CURLY AFRO AND THE FIRST WIG I GOT. THAT WIG DOESN’T NECESSARILY NEED TO BE GLUED DOWN. SO WHEN I’M IN A RUSH OR I’M INDECISIVE ABOUT MY HAIR CHOICE, THAT’S THE ONE I’M GOING FOR.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS?
I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE DOING WHAT I LOVE. I FEEL LIKE MY PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE CONSTANTLY CHANGES, SO I FIND IT HARD TO SET GOALS SO FAR AHEAD. I LIKE TO GO WITH THE FLOW AND TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY I CAN. ENJOY EVERY MOMENT. AND MAKE SURE I CAN LOOK IN BACK IN 5 YEARS AND FEEL PROUD OF WHAT I’VE DONE.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU‘D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME BE PART OF THIS PROJECT AND LETTING ME SHARE SOME OF MY STORY. I HOPE THAT IT INSPIRES ANYONE TO BE THEIR UNIQUE SELF. TO NOT CARE SO MUCH WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THEM. AND TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE!
