What Up With....Rick Genest?

Welcome to my new series called "What Up With..."! This blog is about the new face of Thierry Mugler and Lady Gaga's new BFF, Rick Genest AKA Rico AKA Zombie Boy AKA TOO MANY "AKAS"! So What Up With Rick Genest anyways? 

Who IS Rick Genest? 

There doesn't seem to be that much info on this dude on the interwebs. What I do understand is that he is from Canada, he went to school in Chateauguay until his parents kicked him out, and he began to live on his own. Rick had a hard time living in Montreal with his tattoos. Landlords, shop owners, bus drivers and cops all had unfavorable reactions to his zombie transformation, making his life more challenging than necessary. However, I can't feel too bad for the guy, he choose to get tattooed this way, and there is always a price to pay.

Finding a job for Rick was nearly impossible. Rick began doing anything that would make him some cash to get through the day. Zombie Boy got his start in the entertainment industry by preforming in a Canadian freak show, Carnivale Lune Bleue. 

What Up WIth The Tats? 

As a child, Rick developed a brain tumor which prompted him to think long and hard about life, death, and humanity. His tattoos symbolize all these things, and they are also an "ode to society and the zombies that comprise it," as Rick puts it. He got his first tattoo at age 16, and plans to get every part of his body covered, including his tongue and the whites of his eyes. His tattoos have cost him more than $16,000 and have earned him a place in Ripley's: Believe It Or Not? Rick claims his tattoos have been called some of the best in the whole world. On an unrelated note, am I the only one who looks at a fully tattooed person like Rick and wonders what they'll look like in 30 years? I can't imagine saggy skin and wrinkles would enhance this look...

How Zombie Boy Became A Muse

Lady Gaga's stylist Nicola Formichetti discovered the tattooed model on Facebook, and instantly Rick became a muse for Nicola. Lady Gaga also jumped at the chance to feature Rick in the "Born This Way" music video and also shot him for a short film. Nicola is also the creative director for Thierry Mugler, and Zombie Boy has begun to pop up in their ad campaigns. 

Lady Gaga directed a video starring Rick Genest, check it out:

Rick never expected to be a model. He's a Canadian punk kid who lived on the streets for most of his life. However, he is a natural, and seems to be embracing his new career. Rick is one of the new unconventional male models that have been changing the modeling world's perception of beauty.

Here are some examples of what I mean:

Shawn Ross, the Albino male model:

Andrej Pejic, The androgynous male model:

Lea T, the transgender model: 

All are captivating. Do you think Rick has the staying power of these three? Or is Rick a one trick pony? Do you think he'll have a long carer as a male model? 

The fashion industry is fickle. "One day you're in, the next day your out," so says Heidi, anyways.

If Zombie Boy outgrows his welcome in the fashion world, what could he possibly do next?