Vab Mabhut is certainly a handsome man. But not from the category of sweets that if you add a bit of sugar, then do not pull out the spoon. He is handsome somehow truly, manly. This is the first thing you think about when you meet him.
Also, Vab Mabhut is certainly a talented person. From the category of those whom God kissed on the forehead. Moreover - repeatedly and with great love. You understand this when you get acquainted with what he is doing - be it models of swimwear or photos of these same swimwear. He was a tailor, was a fashion designer, was a model, was a fashion model, and, succeeding everywhere, became a photographer who loves celebrities and whom celebrities love. Whatever the Wab Mabhut does, he succeeds. Maybe this eclecticism, the versatility of the personality makes it mysterious. For the Vab Mabhut is certainly a mystery. And all that he does not talk about himself - only touches to his portrait, which it seems to draw to the end, even he himself is not yet in power.
Barcode one. Dream designer
"When I was 13 years old, I was sick of the movie. But I didn’t watch it like ordinary children - I lived the story myself. For example, I told everyone that when I grow up, I will have the same girls as James Bond Everyone laughed at me, they thought that I was a dreamer, but I did it. It was not a dream, it was a plan. People told me that I had a lot of dreams, and I told them that it was a lot of projects.
My father wanted me to become a doctor. He even prepared a place for me in one of the Romanian universities, so that I could become a dentist. But I did not care about the teeth of strangers! At that time, I was seriously engaged in bodybuilding and wanted to become a big, famous bodybuilder. Therefore, I failed the final exams, did not receive a certificate and after school, for the summer, went to study Europe. He lived in Paris, London and, having arrived in Milan, decided to stay. I had projects that I could implement in this city.
All that I dreamed of as a little boy became a reality. All that I once dreamed of being, I became. And I always lived, embodying my plans, no matter what, and all of them, despite different directions, made me who I am now. The first project, a step towards the grand goal of my life, was to study as a fashion designer. "
Episode One Childhood. Morocco
“I was about twelve years old, and I was fond of climbing onto the tops of the tallest trees, where others were afraid to climb. Once my friends and I climbed a mountain and reached the point where it was hard to go further up, but it was even harder to go down It was very scary: if we were lost or lost, no one would even have thought of looking for us on this mountain. My cousin began to sob, but I had the strength of mind to calm the general panic. I was able to bring our whole company to the foot. And it was then that I clearly realized my inner strength. . Maybe nothing, apparently I am very sweet and soft, but inside I'm not a - I can not be taken for a simpleton. "
The stroke of the second. Fashion designer
“I liked the fabrics and I had a good taste, so I decided to become a tailor. When I entered the design school where Domenico Dolce, Stefano Gabbana and Franco Moskino studied, I went back to my father and said:“ You wanted me to found himself, so I found, support me financially! "He was shocked - for the first time I went against his desire. But my father is a very wise man, he realized that I became a man and supported my decision. Father bought me a ticket , gave money, and I left for Milan.
Four years later, I graduated with honors and became a haute couture fashion designer. During my studies, I was invited to work on a project to create a line of bathing suits for one company, so I took a course on the design and sewing of swimwear and underwear. It was a sign of fate - since then it was swimsuits that became for me, as a fashion designer, a favorite topic. I really love women, beautiful women. And just, in this way, I have the opportunity to be closer to them. This is a joke, but with some truth. My first collection came out in 1987, 23 years ago. And if you put it into production today, it will be fashionable. Because even then I was a revolutionary and saw the future. Now I have my own brand - Wahb Beach Couture, but I have too little time to deal with it. But I still find him: I have a plan - to become a worthy competitor to Victoria Secret.
The designer in me is still alive. Even today I can sew a perfectly fitting evening dress, and I always hem the pants for my friends! Jewelery. Still, I'm a professional industrial tailor. "
Episode Two. Youth. France
“When I moved to France, the first time I lived in my friend’s house, or rather, in a guest cottage on the territory of her parents’ possessions. I was 19 then, she was 16. To prevent my parents from catching me, I only spent the night in the cottage, and the rest of the time I wandered around the city. One evening I called her (she still hadn’t got mobile) to open the gate. Her mother picked up the phone. I pretended to be a Frenchman, but the accent gave me away. Even then her parents suspected something, and then confirmation came in. Her father picked up the phone, who obviously had a problem with communication his young daughter with some kind of Arab teenager from Morocco, who said that I won’t see any things or passports anymore, and that I could get the hell out of it, otherwise he would call the police.
I panicked. And although I was very timid by nature, the SOS situation made me arrogant and persistent. I began to call them again and again. They shouted at me, but I calmly echoed: "I think we need to talk calmly." And when I said that otherwise, tomorrow I’ll fall into the columns about criminal incidents, my girlfriend’s mother broke down, invited me into the house, fed me. Despite my father’s protest, she allowed me to live in the cottage for several more weeks. Then I realized that I can achieve my goal, and my whole subsequent life proved it. "
The third stroke. Model
“Once, a woman from the famous fashion house, my beloved, who made amazing clothes: trendy, tight, sexy, approached me at the club. I offered to participate in the show. For a week I was afraid to call her, dropped the phone. But finally, I dared, and was invited I was dressed, shod and asked to walk on the podium, and I hid in the wings, where I sat for 10 minutes - I was terribly embarrassed. They pushed me onto the podium with burning cheeks, but for some reason they took me and paid a lot of money for the show.
I decided to become a model and model only to overcome my natural modesty and make another challenge to myself. I never thought that it would help me form a lot as a fashion photographer. He began to train, day by day: he went to fashion stores and watched fashion shows on TV, and then tried to repeat at home. Having made the portfolio, I decided that I would not give up until I went through 13 of the best agencies, even if they would kick me there.
And they kicked me. When in one place I was offered to contact the new agency Ugly People ("Ugly People"), I was terribly offended! Well, I think we’ve arrived - only the ugly people are right for me! But he took a business card. As I remember now, it was the card of Kelvin French, the chief model. But on the street Vincenzo Moti, 26, I still went, although I thought that it was an agency of characters. It turned out that the name was just a trick: the agency was full of beautiful, tall and slender boys and girls. Two times French sent me home. The third time I asked to cut my long “tail” and return. I cut my hair and returned.
Two weeks later, they gave me six shows at Milan Fashion Week. Usually they give beginners 2-3, and six. My modesty evaporated: on the catwalk, I did crazy things that designers like so much. And therefore, in my track record of the model and model, there are almost all the world's leading fashion houses. Then I made friends with Dolce and Gabbana: for almost five years their collections were measured on me, from underpants to jackets.
I learned not only good, but also bad things: I became very lazy, because they paid me money for almost nothing. And I also learned that among women models there are many smart, beautiful people. And even now, I am provoked by a storm of protest the conventional wisdom that models have no brains! But, most importantly, this experience has given me a lot to become a great photographer. For example, with the same Dolce and Gabbana, I worked as a photographer for three years. "
Episode Three Maturity. Moscow
“I grew up, understanding that the communist world is almost like space, something far and inaccessible. I never even dreamed of going to Russia, but my brother lived there, and we decided that we should use this chance. When my the plane landed, I didn’t believe myself. The first thing I was convinced of was that nowhere in the world in such a place there are so many really beautiful women like in Moscow. In Milan, for example, there are a lot of beauties, but they came from all over the world Russian girls are simply amazing: every second one can be a model or a fashion model ! Of course, I, as a photographer, I wanted to take pictures of these beauties.
I decided to contact the leading modeling agencies, although everyone around me assured that without acquaintances no one would do anything. With Red Stars, it happened at first: they wanted me to pay them money, and were not at all welcoming. But it is not for me, a photographer of this class, to pay: in Europe, models work with me for free.
But immediately it turned out to work together with the House of Glory Zaitsev: the son of Slava, Egor, turned out to be very professional and immediately appreciated my work. We did a great photo shoot.
But Red Stars haunted me. And I rested, despite all the persuasion of friends to leave this hopeless business. But I won: after a while, they themselves began to call and offer castings, shootings, models, if only I worked. In this I’m all - I’m never listening to anyone and if I really decide something, then I simply can’t get me out of the way. "
The fourth stroke. Famous photographer
“About twenty years ago, I faced the dilemma of becoming an actor or photographer. And although many urged me to go to actors, I nevertheless followed my dream project. I started shooting from the first year I became a model. Then I had a mechanical a camera from the category of protozoa. Beauty ... Working as a model with hundreds of photographers, I always watched carefully how they were shooting. And I downloaded it all in my memory and chose the best for myself. I studied, imitated them, experimented on my friends. I learned a lot from stylists and art directors. And a lot, ry much he practiced.
I tried different types of photography, but best of all I always got women. And I did not look any further, but focused on what I love. And here the experience of realizing my past dreams-projects was incredibly useful to me! Today I can prepare the shooting "from and to." And then he himself to make the best shots. It's always nice to find what you can do best and best. And there are people who create competition for you, but you are constantly growing and therefore they cannot catch you.
Now I have the status of one of the best fashion photographers specializing in shooting bathing suits and underwear. For example, the last issue of Sports Illustrated in South Africa took my work for the first and last covers. I have been working with this magazine for 9 years, and every year I think that they will change me. But I am growth and again fit them better than anyone.
I have grown to the point that I can take on the most ambitious projects in the field of photography today: if I have an adequate budget, a good team and models, I can do something amazing. This is the result of the fulfillment of my dream projects. But not yet final. Next will be the cinema! "
The fifth stroke. Designer of the future
“My next step is to create a film. Many people think that I am constantly moving away from the course, but it’s not so. I’m just learning something new and everything, as a result, works to achieve my main goal. Now I can generate and synthesize the result experience in life, and this will allow me to express myself only better.
My story will not be a cheap action movie, although it will have special effects. This is a love story, a story about the high value of family relationships, a story about nature, and where neglect can lead us to. Own theme, own idea, own production and direction.
The script is ready. Today I have all the tools in my hands to make the project the best way. And I'm sure that he will be no less successful than the Matrix. It remains only to find 25-30 million dollars of the budget, and I'm not afraid of sharks! Absolutely!"
Episode Four Maturity. South Africa
“It was about a year ago in Durban. After watching Jaws, I was terribly afraid of sharks, but then, having matured, changed my anger to mercy, and I always wanted to swim in their immediate vicinity. When I arrived at the place where such events are held It turned out that that morning I was the only one who wanted it. Usually there are 8-10 people. And I was scared because I was just a cameraman and a master. They are both experts. Although I had five years of diving experience, but with no sharks! And it was a challenge. We went to sea, threw the net with fish, and then everything was like in a movie: sharp fins, furrowing water, some vibrations, big shadows in the depths. They were huge, incredible! I was terribly happy and at the same time terribly scared. The brain began to issue danger signals and then I just threw myself into the water so as not to run away.
For those seconds that the body, under the cry of "numb!" plunged into the abyss, the desire to escape became simply unbearable. I opened my eyes and saw them close by - about 20 tiger sharks circled in the water. And suddenly something happened: I became completely calm. Absolutely calm. I went down 12 meters and looked at them from below, and then I decided to touch the shark and swam to meet her. But she left. It's simple: they feel what you feel. You need to clearly know that you are not food. And if the shark feels the danger, it will also never come close. Therefore, when the shark began to swim towards me, I went to meet her. It was instinctive: if you start swimming from a shark, it can eat you. So it is in life. Absolutely the same. "
Final blitz
Who are you?
I am Wab. Just a wab.
What is the main profession in your life?
Photographer.
What do you like most?
Fashion photo.
And in life?
Women. Everything that I do, I do for women and in the name of women. They are the passion of my life. I love and hate them. They drive me crazy, but I do not want them to be different.
What gives you the strength to go forward?
The goals themselves: I have to achieve them, and I am moving forward, no matter what. I felt this power as a child on that mountain.
Where are you going?
To achieve my goals. And where do your goals lead? To create that complete picture of my life that I had in mind. And there is no end to this. There were also photographers who worked at the age of over 80. I want to work until my last day.
What gives you balance?
The fact that I always crawl into the opposite extremes and thereby always come to the "golden mean". When you know what is at the very peak and at the very bottom, you can find the middle. Although constantly being in the middle is just boring.
What do you still have from your childhood?
I am a big kid. I love to play as a child and always play with children.
Where is geographically your heart?
In Milan. And only there. Milan is my home. Even the walls are home there. And the sound of the tram. And the alleys. And the boulevards. And the parks. Every inch of every street sits deep in me. I would like to die in Milan. This is a city that perfectly matches my worldview.
And the homeland, Morocco?
This is where my roots are: my family has a great history. I love this country, its culture and my family, but it’s hard for me to live with Moroccans. And still, I always say that I am from Morocco, and not from Italy.I am Moroccan and always will be. I am very proud of it.
What would you change in your life?
Nothing at all. Not a single thing. I am a completely happy person.
Next ... What's next?
Europe or America. Here in Dubai, I have too little space to deploy in full force.
And then?
Film. The photo. In general, I hope that until I reach the age of 100, medicine will reach such a level that I can continue to work, move spotlights, go to the gym, go in for boxing and meet the most beautiful women.
