Pressure, performance, spotlight.
These are all things that elite athletes have to deal with regularly. So it’s no surprise that Men’s National Team defender Hudson Stewart has seemingly found another calling that requires excellence in those areas.
It also requires a certain type of genetic makeup, or more simply put – good looks.
Last year, Stewart added modelling to his resume, which already featured a diverse range of skillsets and experiences including being a University trained Engineer, an international field hockey player, and a bartender.
“Some people will get nervous, some people will get confident,” says the 27 year-old native of Vancouver, British Columbia. “There’s some people with more experience, less experience. So it’s pretty analogous to a sports team.
“You all have to be in tune with timing, everyone has to try and walk at the same pace. Everyone is wearing different clothing, but you’re still part of the team for the designer. And you want to do your best job for the designer.”
Spoken like a true team player. And its was in fact Stewart’s other team, his co-workers, who encouraged him to explore modelling last September. And when he made the decision to, things came together as quickly as they possibly could have.
“One week I submitted some photos to a few agencies in town just to see what was going on. And I heard back from one and I met with the agent a week later and that day he got an email regarding Vancouver fashion week,” he explains.
“So he took a couple snapshots of me and sent my photo to the organizers at Vancouver Fashion Week and he heard back later that day that they wanted me to be for the show the next week.”
At that first show, he walked for a British designer and while he was admittedly “out of his element,” Stewart took a liking to the new experience.
And just like in sports, a little practice doesn’t hurt.
“Luckily we were able to practice walking on the runaway so you can hit your marks, you can get your timing, your pace down, so when you actually do it you’re not going to look like a sloth or a cheetah walking down the runway.”
It seems he’s doing just fine.
Since his first show, Stewart walked in the Spring/Summer edition of Vancouver Fashion Week earlier this year, and then in Bridal Fashion Week, where he showcased Indian wedding-wear. He has also booked gigs for stock photos, for which he gets paid.
“It’s cool to kind of be like ‘oh yeah, I’ve been paid for modelling,’” he says.
And while he has no plans to quit his day (or night) job as a bartender, or put his field hockey aspirations on hold for a career in modelling, Stewart is keen to stick with what he calls his cool new hobby and see where it goes.
“I haven’t had the need to make any serious decisions, like am I going to Europe, or should I travel – nothing like that so far,” he explains.
“So, in the future, however far ahead that is, I may pursue it but right now I’m just enjoying life.”
For more photos of Stewart on the runway, follow him on Instagram.
