Winston Lawrence stars in new campaigns for Theophilio, An Only Child

Winston Lawrence’s face value is on a continued rise. The stately, razor-cheekboned SAINT International star co-headlines two new advertising campaigns for the buzzed-about fashion labels An Only Child and Theophilio. “I really love the final images for both ads,” raved Lawrence from his Anchovy, Portland home, where he’s temporarily resting his head after flying in last month from The Big Apple for much-needed family time with mom and siblings.

He’s particularly thrilled with his Theophilio work, that sees his black-and-white visage mounted among other places, on the American metropolis’ walls and high-rise billboards. He was recently sent photos snapped by friends in Brooklyn. “Seeing the campaign photos plastered around the streets of New York makes me overly enthusiastic, I’m anxious to return and see them in person,” he said, adding that he first learnt of the label’s Jamaican-American creative director Edvin Thompson after being cast in the model line-up for the Spring/Summer 2023 show at New York Fashion Week last September. “Edvin is very cool and I’m definitely a fan of his work. I love that he embraces his Jamaican culture in his collections and includes Jamaicans in his projects as well,” he pointed out.

Besides Lawrence being featured in the new campaign, SAINT models Aashawnie Stewart and Elecia were cast last August in Thompson’s limited-edition Theophilio capsule collection for Amazon Luxury Stores that was photographed in Negril and began retailing online in October 2022.

As for his turn in An Only Child, frontman Maxwell Osbourne’s latest campaign, Lawrence discovered the designer’s Jamaican parentage on shoot day. “We shot at his family’s home in Mount Vernon and it’s always nice when you can make a connection to yard in this industry, plus Maxwell’s design skills is super-impressive,” came the Portlander’s assessment of Maxwell, formerly a DKNY co-creative director alongside Dao-Yi Chow, with whom he founded their own brand Public Policy in 2008.

Also now out: a Sky Blue Review fashion editorial shot last summer by Fabien Montique and styled by the Parisian men’s magazine editor-in-chief James Thomas, in which the six-feet-two-inch tall Jamaican head-turner is suited in bespoke suiting. Does he prefer being in front of the camera for photo sessions to strutting the runway? “With editorial shoots, you never know what will happen and that’s what makes them fun,” he explained, “where with runway work, I love the hype, the food backstage and how the industry prioritises shows.” Lawrence singled out English male supermodel and long-time Dolce & Gabbana face David Gandy as the person he commands the most respect for within the industry. “I really admire his campaign shoots, it is my dream to be that consistent with a client.”

A then 17-year-old Lawrence was scouted in 2018 by SAINT model Aneita Moore en route home from Port Antonio High School. Moore promptly relayed his contact details to SAINT head honcho Deiwght Peters, who put the teenager on the express route to stardom after he was exclusively booked from Jamaica for Gucci’s Fall/Winter 2019 show that subsequently led to the model’s sustained success in the global fashion industry.