Matvey Lykov

Matvey Lykov is a Russian model and actor whose international fashion career began in New York and developed through a close association with Jil Sander. His work later extended from luxury advertising to music videos and leading film roles, giving him experience in both fashion’s constructed images and screen storytelling.

Born in Leningrad, now Saint Petersburg, Matvey is the son of actor Alexander Lykov. He traveled to New York through a student program and found modeling work after approaching an agency. The opportunity took him onto the international show circuit, where Jil Sander became an important early supporter.

He opened and closed the house’s fall-winter 2008 and spring-summer 2009 menswear shows, also appearing in its fall-winter 2008 advertising. Those bookings established him within the precise fashion world of then-creative director Raf Simons. A place in Gucci’s fall 2009 campaign broadened his visibility, beginning an association that included later lookbooks and accessories films.

Matvey’s move into screen performance developed alongside modeling. He starred in Woodkid’s 2013 video for “I Love You”, then played Arman in the 2015 fantasy film I Am Dragon. The role brought him to an audience beyond fashion and established a new direction in his working life.

In a 2024 interview with Kinopoisk, Matvey discussed another major screen role, August van der Holt in Major Grom: The Game. His path to that character had already taken him through international modeling and a fantasy romance, connecting the visual discipline of fashion with the different demands of acting.

Fashion remained part of that wider career. A 2020 editorial for GQ Spain returned him to the menswear pages after his first leading film role. His portfolio reflects careers that have developed together, with recurring fashion relationships alongside an expanding body of screen work.