Everything
There is something inexplicably alluring about the profile of Lennon Gallagher. Perhaps it is his untamed mop of hair that hangs over his forehead, his striking eyebrows, or maybe it’s the doe-eyed look – a seemingly endless pool of glistening blue. To the everyday passer-by, Gallagher is another cool kid with an Instagram account and lottery-winning genetics. To pick him as a millennial is to hear his life motto, “Memes for life.” But to the fashion industry, the 20-year-old is the natural prodigy of the runway and the future face of luxury fashion. However, the essence of the rising star is something that cannot be taught. Not when you’re the offspring of ’90s rock’n’roll royalty.
Lennon is the spitting image of his father, Liam Gallagher – or at least when Liam was Lennon’s age. With that same careless swagger and polarising stare, it is no surprise that the man was a celebrated music icon – and to some, still is. As the lead singer of four-man UK band Oasis, Liam established the Britpop group in 1991 and it wasn’t until the late-2000s that they split. Responsible for timeless hits including “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back In Anger”, perhaps the most prolific of its music was the 1994 debut album Definitely Maybe, a curation of tracks that still find a welcomed airing in run-down speakeasys and suburban haunts across the world. Considered the height of fame for Oasis, Liam’s same natural pull to the limelight resonates in Lennon. And for his mother, Patsy Kensit, the stage was also a second home, for she, too, found a sense of exhilaration in the public eye. Fronting English pop band Eighth Wonder, the singer-cum-model-cum-actress will always be known for her blonde bob and on-stage charisma. Most notably, her 1987 performance at Sanremo Music Festival has found permanence on the internet when the strap of her mini leopard-print dress slipped on stage.
Liam and Patsy met in 1995 and, in a passionate albeit short fling, Lennon was born on September 13, 1999. Lennon joined the ’90s babies conceived from celebrity parents and was unknowingly plucked from normal childhood into an elite society of famous families. However, for the young adult and unlike fellow child stars such as Brooklyn Beckham and Lily-Rose Depp, Lennon has stayed out of the headlines until more recent years – even his Instagram feed remains elusive. Despite his strong family ties to the music industry – his name was inspired by Beatles legend John Lennon – the creative has always been adamant it was not the path he wanted to follow. Of course, as his relaxed persona and grungy appearance would lead you to believe, the son of Liam counts The Velvet Underground, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Nirvana as his favourite bands, though the real purpose for Lennon is already upon him.
Now signed with Models 1, DNA Models and Success Models, Lennon is quickly becoming a regular face – of which was clearly made for towering billboards and worldwide campaigns. In 2017, Lennon made his way onto the fashion scene with several big names on his side and, at 17, made his modelling debut at London Fashion Week Men’s for British fast-fashion giant Topman before walking later that summer for MSGM and then fronting the brand’s Fall 2017 campaign. Just like his mellow demeanour, the progression was natural and followed his upwards career trajectory by modelling alongside fashion and music mogul Pharrell Williams for his coveted collaboration with G-Star Denim. The following year, he joined forces with Zara. But it wasn’t until his ascendance into luxury style that the potential and clout of the unassuming model was fully realised when he fronted Saint Laurent’s Fall/Winter 2018 campaign, following on from his appearance on its runway in Paris. Lennon and Laurent just make sense and it’s surprising it hadn’t happened even sooner. Joining the likes of Travis Scott and Keanu Reeves, the punk-ish, rock’n’roll sensibilities the model exudes through the screen bodes well to the French fashion house – something he can attest to his parents’ pasts. Donned in a tailored fur coat, all-black shirt, slacks and the house’s quintessential Cuban-heeled boots, Lennon appeared in a monochrome campaign, which saw his face splashed on 6×3-metre billboards, digital banners and within the pages of style publications – ironic considering he wasn’t allowed to pin up posters of his favourite bands growing up. But rumour has it, the real dream for the style mogul is acting.
Like his mother, who starred in notable roles including Don Boyd’s film Twenty-One, Lennon is said to favour the world of cinema. Following her example of multi-faceted talents, the dubbed “teen heart-throb” attended the Guidhall School of Music and Drama in London with the prestigious school boasting notable alumni such as Daniel Craig, Orlando Bloom and Ewan McGregor. In a rare interview, Lennon was asked of his hopes and dreams for the future. He responded with his aspirations for a “stable life” with no regrets. If anything, the glamorous and famed career of Lennon Gallagher is only just beginning, whether that be on fashion week runways or on the big screens of Hollywood. Stay tuned.
Photography: Chris Colls
Styling: Paul Sinclaire
Hair: Teddy Charles
Grooming: Holly Silius
Styling Assistant: Céline Bourreau
THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE OCTOBER 2019 EDITION OF ICON AUSTRALIA.
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