Erik van Gils

Erik van Gils is a Dutch model whose recurring work for Tom Ford became a defining relationship in his career. He appeared in the house’s fall-winter 2016 campaign, establishing an association that extended across menswear and eyewear over subsequent years.

His early independence shaped the way he spoke about the profession. In a 2016 interview with W, Erik recalled moving out of his mother’s home at seventeen to live in Rotterdam. Her advice to save before spending became more meaningful once he was supporting himself. By the time of the interview, he was walking New York shows for Tommy Hilfiger and Public School, learning to manage an international career alongside the practical demands of life away from home.

Campaigns for Roberto Cavalli and Moschino followed during his early years in fashion. Tom Ford remained a continuing client, with Erik returning for the fall-winter 2019 campaign and the label’s fall-winter 2020 advertising. His curls and lean frame became recognizable within the house’s imagery, as repeat bookings established him beyond the excitement of a first major campaign.

Speaking to V Magazine in 2020, Erik described the quieter life behind his public-facing work. Sociable on a night out, he valued stretches of solitude at home to recharge. He also spoke about wanting greater control over his travels and named buying his mother’s house as a goal. The interview offered a personal measure of ambition, rooted in family and the independence his work could provide.

His editorial career developed through publications including Hercules and GQ France, alongside advertising that gave him sustained roles beyond his early clients. He fronted Stylebop’s spring 2022 campaign and Filippa K’s summer 2024 campaign, photographed on the Swedish coast. These assignments extended a portfolio built through repeated fashion-house bookings and a continuing place in international menswear publishing.