A Male Model’s Intimate Photographs of Fellow Models

The Spanish male model Diego Villarreal has made something of a splash in the past season, namely through his membership in Alexander Wang‘s regular crew. But, on the side, he’s moonlighting as a photographer, one who’s developed a particular admiration for the sexually-charged work of Robert Mapplethorpe, Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin. So it’s not surprising that his own photographs are of a provocative nature. When he shoots his fellow models, he can hardly find the words in his accented English to describe how cool he thinks they are. Though his photographs of the female models can be explicit, he seems to be more in awe of their aura. “I really love them,” he said. Since moving to New York City a year ago, he’s been introduced to rising star Stella Lucia and befriended mysterious women of the city’s nightlife. Because he knows what it’s like to bare all in front of the camera, clearly his muses feel most comfortable when he’s behind it.