Micheal Ward is teaching me how to correctly say Christian Dior in French . “You have to say it in the accent, you have to get the right vibe,” he says, speaking down the phone from Paris. It’s all in the ‘Chris’, apparently: “ Chrrriss-t-on Dior .
” I give it my best shot. “Yesss, I like that – a lot of people wouldn’t even try, bro.” You might recognise the Jamaica-born, Hackney-raised actor for his roles in Top Boy and Small Axe , but as a former model once handpicked by the late and great Virgil Abloh to walk for Louis Vuitton, this world isn’t so alien.
“I think I’ve taken on knowledge,” he says. “If we were to go into a fitting and [my stylist] Cheryl [Konteh] couldn’t be there, I’d be able to speak to the tailor. Before, I couldn’t communicate what I wanted so I’m a lot more confident with stuff like that now.
” Ward has arrived in Paris to attend this season’s Dior Men’s Summer Show. It’s far from his first fashion week but it’s always an adjustment. “I’m still trying to find my feet here,” he says.
“I’m always hearing about new things when I’m here. Although a lot of people know about Dior and wear Dior..
. it’s quite prestige,” he says. “They always have good style – whether it’s a suit or regular clothing, it’s quite simple but in a way that’s effective.
” Even before he got into modelling, Ward has always recognised the importance of looking your best. “I’ve always been into dressing wel.
