Photographer Tommaso Aprilino captures James McDonell for MMSCENE Magazine’s December digital cover story, titled Specchio d’Acqua. With art direction and styling by Francesco Maria Ben Messaoud, the editorial features wardrobe from Issey Miyake, Stefano Mugnai, Sandro Paris, Manuel Ritz, PSIDE, Scarosso, Random Identities, Stetson, Maison Margiela, Corneliani, Campomaggi, Ferragamo, and Diesel. Edoardo De Falco creates the makeup, Alessandro Pompili styles the hair, and Luca Fancellu completes the editorial with retouching.
MMSCENE EXCLUSIVES
In conversation with MMSCENE’s EIC Zarko Davinic, the Australian model discusses his background in classical ballet and his transition into modelling. McDonell reflects on the discipline he developed through dance, his experiences moving from Australia to Europe, and the decisions that led him toward a career in fashion.
What first drew you to ballet, and when did you know it would be your life?
I started out in jazz and tap, and for two years my teacher kept telling me to try ballet. I refused, repeatedly. Then at nine I finally gave in and said I’d give it a try – and from that moment I fell in love with it. Once I learned it could actually be a career, the dream was born.
Ballet demands a lot of discipline from a very young age. What has it taught you that you still rely on today?
Ballet drilled a whole set of life skills into me that I use every day. The big one is discipline and a hard-working mindset – pushing on no matter the circumstances, even when you don’t want to, and giving everything I do my full effort. The other is body awareness: knowing how my body moves and functions, which I carry straight into modelling. It means I can take on feedback, apply corrections, and get the result the final image needs.
Moving from Australia to Europe is a big leap, both geographically and artistically. What did you expect before you left, and what turned out to be completely different?
Honestly, I went in very open-minded and prepared for whatever came my way. But moving to Eastern Europe came with big cultural differences and a completely different language to navigate. Small talk is standard in Australia – asking someone how they are is just normal – but it wasn’t really a concept there, and it could even come across as nosy or rude. I learned that one fast.
What was the hardest part of settling in, and what do you still miss from home?
I think the hardest part of moving away, for anyone, is the newness and unfamiliarity – trying to turn your surroundings, your objects, even the people around you into things you understand and know. I miss family and friends, of course, but I really miss the beach, and the wildlife. The range of bird sounds in Australia is like nothing else, and I miss that soundtrack.
How has pursuing a career in modelling changed the place ballet holds in your life?
I’m not doing professional ballet at the moment. I decided to take a step back and chase a dream of modelling I’d had for quite some time. I couldn’t commit to both without sacrificing one – ballet requires full attention and commitment, while modelling needs a vacant schedule and the ability to be available at any moment. I still do ballet on the side, for my own enjoyment and my physical health.
You spent some time in Novi Sad, Serbia, where we’re originally from. What brought you there, and what did you enjoy most about your visits?
I didn’t actually work in Serbia, but my best friend was dancing at the Novi Sad opera, so I visited and took classes with the company a few times. I loved my time in Novi Sad – and a fun fact: it was the very first place in Europe I ever went to.
How did you end up in modelling? Were you ever interested in it before signing with agencies, or did it find you?
I was interested long before I was signed. I loved taking pictures and posing in front of the camera from a young age. So when I was anticipating my move to London, I researched agencies and applied to several, and I managed to sign with Next London – which I’m so grateful for.
Next London is your mother agency and Wonderwall represents you in Milan. How did those relationships come about?
As I mentioned, I applied to several agencies and either got a no or heard nothing back. Then I got a haircut, took fresh digis and sent them out again – and one of the agencies that came back to me was Next, who signed me shortly after. I signed with Wonderwall a bit later, when they were scouting in London; I met them through Next, had an interview, and they signed me from there. I feel very privileged to be with these agencies and to have the agents I do – they support me and patiently answer all my annoying questions.
How did the discipline of professional ballet prepare you for the unpredictable nature of modelling?
A dancer’s schedule is a full five or six-day working week, plus extra strength and conditioning you do in your own time to keep your body in shape and healthy, along with extra rehearsals and performances on nights and weekends. That lifestyle has definitely prepared me for modelling – it gave me the discipline to stay in shape and healthy, and the ability to handle last-minute unpredictability. In dance you have to be ready at any moment to run on and cover someone if they get injured. The show must go on.
What role, piece, or project is at the top of your dream list, and where do you see yourself in five years?
Romeo and Juliet is such a classic – the character development and storytelling are so evident and so necessary to convey the feelings and the storyline. Add the powerful score, the dynamic, artistic choreography and it has to be one of my favourite ballets. As for the next five years, they could look like anything, and that actually excites me – the unknown of what’s ahead and where I’ll even be based. I don’t like having a set plan; I’d much rather go with the flow and live in the moment. let doors open and close, and follow that path that creates itself and just focus on the present. I think that helps me keep grounded and keeps me sane.
