Because the zombie apocalypse is no doubt approaching, what's a better time to interview the internet-sensational walking dead, Rick Genest, also known as Zombie Boy? Just in case you have been living under the rock, Genest is a Canadian artist and part-time model who's best known for his head-to-toe, body-covering tattoos; watch the "Go Beyond The Cover" video below where Genest gets transformed by L'Oreal's makeup artists with Dermablend below. You'll be amazed. Promise.
WWDsat down with the "living, rotting" corpse and talked about music, fashion and his tats. Here are the excerpts.
On His Beloved Tattoos
“I got my first tattoo, an outline of a skull and crossbones, when I was 16,” Genest says, pointing to his left shoulder and exposing a long thick scar down his right forearm. “I’d always wanted tattoos. I’d see them on the bus or on TV or in movies.”
His knuckles read “EVIL” and “DEAD” — “It’s like, if you’re dead, you’re evil at the same time,” he says — and his right forearm reads “THE SAW IS FAMILY” near the scar, the meaning of which he doesn’t address.
Over the past decade, Genest has spent tens of thousands of dollars on the tattoos, which he refers to as “[my] project…if I get a couple of weeks off I’ll go get more. I’ve got a couple of blank spots, I’ve got to finish my project. It develops, you know, with time.”
He estimates that over 80 percent of his body is inked, and says that the most painful places were his eyes, nose, ears, throat and pressure points. [Ed. note: DUH!]
On New York and Paris
“I love New York…Ever since I got my passport, the world’s just kind of opened up,” Genest says, citing a preference for Spanish culture over French.
“It’s a little too classy,” he says of Paris. “I like more getting down in the dirt, you know?”
On The Fashion World
Genest is not worried by the notoriously fickle nature of the fashion industry, whose sudden acceptance and support could just as quickly disappear.
“I respect the industry,” he qualifies. “I’ve always surrounded myself with artists. I’ve always loved being around the art scene and the fashion world and designing sets and props and all of that. That’s all showmanship, that’s all art.”
On Music and Post-modeling life
Genest is currently pursuing DJing acts alongside a possible career as a recording artist. For a person who has so wholeheartedly embraced his own finality, he puts few limits on his future. “Music sounds great, I’d love to cut an album, but I’ve got to learn how to do the kind of music I like. I’ve got to figure it out,” Genest says, when questioned about life beyond modeling.
“I’ve got to learn how to do stilts,” he perks up. “I want to stilt walk. When the fashion show is over, I want to go back to the circus.”
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment!