Mikus Lasmanis

Mikus Lasmanis is a Latvian model whose career gained international visibility through Calvin Klein Jeans’ spring-summer 2009 advertising. Photographed by Steven Meisel, he appeared in the label’s ensemble campaign, an early major booking in a career that would develop a close connection to American menswear.

His introduction to modeling came at fourteen, when he was approached while walking with his mother. In a 2011 interview with Out, Mikus recalled an uncertain start in ninth grade, followed by a break. He returned to the profession while studying business and economics at university, choosing New York over a subject that held little interest for him.

Success brought a particularly personal reward: his parents’ anxiety about his future had turned to pride. He was candid about the less glamorous part of the job, too. Asked what he liked least, he replied, “The waiting. But I’ve learned to fill it with reading.” His answer about future collaborators revealed a similar curiosity: “Anyone that can teach me something new.”

Perry Ellis became a recurring relationship. Mikus fronted the Cobalt fragrance campaign in 2014, then appeared in the label’s spring-summer 2015 advertising as Michael Maccari’s first collection reached the campaign. Further work for Perry Ellis 360 extended the association into sportswear, establishing him across several parts of the brand’s identity.

His Latvian connections also became part of his photographic work. For bicycle maker Ērenpreiss, Mikus appeared alongside his wife, fellow model Margrieta Lasmane, in a story built around their family life. The feature presented a different chapter of the man first introduced through international fashion advertising, with a shared life becoming the subject of the photographs.