He is none other than Rick Genest, aka Rico, aka Zombie Boy, aka the muse of Mugler’s and Gaga’s Nicola Formichetti.

As Formichetti told Hint, “I had his picture on my wall forever. I saw it one day on Google. I thought it was amazing Halloween make-up done by Peter Philips or something.”

We all know by now that that shit is permanent. Well, Formichetti went on to find Zombie Boy’s true identity and to find him on Facebook, and whisked him away to Paris (having paid his near 20 thousand dollar fines for sleeping in the street, and also having gotten him a passport in record time), to have him model in his debut men’s show.

Now that you’ve seen the before and after, which way do you prefer Rick Genest?

Link Love: The Cut

Sonny Vandevelde is a European-born, Sydney-raised photographer. Fed up with the unimaginative “tunnel vision” of his photography instructors, he dropped out of college and learned his craft his own way. His father did lighting on film sets, so Vandevelde picked up equipment and technical knowledge from working with him.

Vandevelde started in sports photography for Australian magazines and moved onto catalog work for Quiksilver. From his personal photography of friends, he got into documenting local night life and learning about the fashion world. At this point he’s more of a Cobrasnake than a Leibowitz, focusing more on the personality of the models and subjects than the technicalities and traditions of his work. In much of his backstage work, models are smiling!

A “lifestyle-fashion photographer,” Vandevelde describes his work as “colorful…energetic…vibrant”

Vandevelde’s portfolio includes campaigns for Lucky Brand Jeans, Lee Jeans, Billabong, and Tommy Hilfiger, and his work has also appeared in Pulp, Link, Hint, Cosmopolitan, and other publications. His signature is documenting the backstage at runway shows and speaking out against formulaic magazines whose editorials don’t let the personalities of the models shine through.

Interview with Vandevelde here.