RULE BREAKER, RISK TAKER. DANIEL MILLAR HAS NEVER BEEN SHY. IT'S NOT JUST HIS MOUTH THAT ASSERTS HIS REBELLIOUS STANCE ON LIFE; THE YOUNG STAR HAS ALWAYS USED CLOTHES TO SPEAK VOLUMES. FOR HIM, FASHION IS FAR MORE THAN A TOOL FOR SELF-EXPRESSION TO HIS LEGIONS OF FOLLOWERS; IT’S AN IMPORTANT MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. SO, WHAT IS THE actor and it-boy muse TRYING TO TELL US? WELL, FOR ONCE, HE’S READY TO GROW UP IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. DESPITE HIS OMNIPRESENT LOVE FOR FASHION, HE’S LOOKING TO EXPAND HIS RANGE. EVER SINCE HE WAS A KID, MILLAR HAS LOVED THE CRAFT OF ACTING, AND NOW HE’S COMMITTED TO DIPPING HIS TOES INTO THE WORLD HE’S ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A PART OF. AND HE’S NOT DREAMING SMALL—AFTER ALL, WHAT’S THE POINT OF DREAMING IF YOU DON’T DO IT BIG? MILLAR WANTS THE WORLD, AND THE WORLD WANTS HIM.

Left Full look **Celine Homme**
Right Dress **Stefan Cooke**, bag charm **Prada** Archives

Hi! How are you?

I’m good! Where are you based? Are you in Paris?

No, no, I believe we’re both in London.

Nice, we’re having a good day today, it hasn't been this sunny for a while.

I’m a bit fearful because we haven’t seen this much sun in a while. I feel like I don’t want to get my hopes up. Anyway, there are more hopeful things to talk about, fashion for example. When did you first realize you love fashion?

In school. We had uniforms up until the last two years of school. Those two years were the first time that I started dressing myself and feeling like myself every day. We were meant to dress smartly but I would always try and find the most farfetched way to circumvent the rules. I would wear leather suits. All the other boys would be in normal suits, and I would be in leather head to toe. It was a Christian school; I was using fashion as a tool to be rebellious. That was when I started caring about what I wore. I realized what you choose to wear says something about you.

Did you get in trouble for that?

Well, they didn’t love it. [Laughs] In that first year, I got a few detentions because of my outfits. But I think by the end, the teachers found it quite funny that I just refused to wear what I was being told to. I got progressively more aggressive with it. I was coming in crop tops while everyone was wearing suits. It pushed my centre of fashion further really. I realized that they wouldn’t kick me out for it because they never did, so I just kept going. I have gotten an email from one of the teachers who told me that since I left, they have changed the uniform requirements to make them more specific.

Left Full look **Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello**
Right Full look **Prada**

Your legacy lives on…

[Laughs] My legacy is that now all the other students have to dress more strictly than I did. I don’t know if it’s an amazing legacy, but it’s something.

When did fashion become a desirable career option for you?

I was modelling throughout school. I started doing it when I was like 15 so I had seen a little bit of what fashion could do in terms of a career. Because of modelling, I got to see all the other jobs that come with that world. I was aware of the job of a stylist or a creative director, these are things that I have to do in my daily life when I’m making content. When you’re at school they talk to you about careers all day. Doctors, lawyers… but there’s this entire world of freelance creative careers that don’t get mentioned. I think because of the work I was doing as a model I got to open my eyes to what my future could be.

Coat **Lacoste**, pants and shoes **Gucci**

How has your relationship with fashion changed as it went from a passion to a full-blown career?

I think I’ve become more appreciative of the power fashion truly has. I’ve become a lot more conscious of its impact. Before I was just wearing stuff to be rebellious. When I wear something casual to a fancy event or vice versa, the impact of that decision is something that I’m aware of, there’s power in going against the status quo. And, of course, fashion history, the more I get to work in the industry and meet the people behind these brands, the more I understand this world.

You’re a product of the London fashion scene. Do you think it affects your sense of style?

You know, I don’t know if I’m particularly aware of the way London has affected me, even though it did, it’s undoubtedly that it would have done. I think, like in all big cities, there’s a degree of openness and expression. If you live in the middle of nowhere, you just can’t have the same exposure you have in a fashion capital. The amount of freedom is something we don’t even think about. When you see someone walking down the street wearing something crazy that subconsciously tells you you’re allowed to do that too.

Left Coat **Givenchy**, jeans **Natasha Zinko**, glasses **Saint Laurent by Anthony Vacarello**
Right Jacket **Celine Homme**

Left Coat **Givenchy**, earring Daniel’s own
Right Jacket, polo and skirt **Fendi**, boots **Miu Miu**

Speaking of fashion capitals, London is such a specific city in the circuit, it’s known as the incubator for so many of the industry’s legends. Is there anyone right now that’s catching your attention?

That’s a good point, such a big part of the [London] fashion calendar is new brands. There are a lot of experimental people trying to do something new. The New Gen program is the heart of the schedule, in my opinion. Names like Dilara Fındıkoğlu are so exciting… She reminds me so much of Lee McQueen, there’s so much gory experimentalism. Ahluwalia is also doing some super exciting things when it comes to brand ethos, she’s such a champion of sustainability and diversity. I was initially on track to go study politics at uni so that side of the industry is super exciting as well. CSM (Central Saint Martins) always has a beautiful rollout each year. I just wore Maximilian Raynor to the McQueen show. I saw it at the CSM show and wore it straight away.

The red look, right? I remember seeing that and loving it. It made so much sense with Seán McGirr’s direction for his debut show.

My stylist gets all the credit. She had spoken to Maximilian before and he previously worked under Sean, he did an internship under his supervision, so it felt like everything just fell into place.

That’s amazing. Going to the other spectrum of the industry. You’ve talked openly of your respect for Saint Laurent. Where does that appreciation come from?

They were the first show I ever went to. It was the Marrakesh show in the desert. It was my first-ever fashion show. I was so overwhelmed and starstruck by the whole thing. It’s become a very important core memory. It was my first time being around celebrities, it was crazy, a very famous person let me hit their bong. People were treating me like I was someone when I so truly wasn’t. I feel an extreme sense of loyalty towards them because of it. They took a risk by inviting me, they trusted me to represent the brand, that’s something I’ll never forget. I owe them so much; they’ve opened so many doors for me.

How do you see your kind of career in fashion progressing?

Well, I’m moving into acting. I’ll always love fashion, but I want to make that transition my focus. It’s what I get up to do every day. But I would love to mix both passions. I was just talking to my stylist, and we were dreaming of the possibility of a red carpet for a movie. I admire the work Zendaya and Law (Roach) do in terms of method dressing. I think fashion will move more to being strategic, it will be about crafting an image. I see that being a lot more prevalent in menswear, I would like to be a part of that.

Dress **Stefan Cooke**, shoes **Maison Margiela**

Left Top **Dior Men**, earring Daniel’s own
Right Sweater **Shushu Tong**, shirt and shorts **Eric**, shoes Prada, socks **Falke**

What sparked your interest in acting?

I started acting when I was seven. I obviously had to stop with school and then modelling. Missing one day of school for a modelling gig is not the end of the world, but missing months at a time for a role wasn’t possible. Now that I’ve left school, it’s possible. It always comes down to me being an expressive kid, I needed an outlet to be creative. And, realistically, I can’t sing, I can’t dance, so I never had another option.

Do you have any actors in the industry that you look up to?

I don’t really have that with male actors, I aspire to have something closer to the career of an actress because I find they don’t get bottlenecked and are allowed to do different things. People like Viola Davis, Jessica Lange, Cate Blanchett… All the legends that have been doing it for a long time. They’ve progressed with the times at such an impressive speed. That’s what I want - I want a career that can adapt to whatever changes happen in the industry. Above all, a varied career. Even though I am fascinated by people who are known for a genre.

Left Full look **Gucci**
Right Full look **Dior Men**

If you had to be known for a genre, what would it be?

If other people’s opinions didn’t matter, I’d probably say horror. I think horror gets a bad rep as something that isn’t academic or highbrow. You never see horror films nominated at the Oscars. But I disagree with that. I think horror is the furthest you can push your emotions - it’s the peak of human fear. Of course, I couldn’t do it forever, I need to win an Oscar and that’s not going to happen if I just do that. But whatever would be in that realm would be great. It pushes you to go somewhere else entirely different than yourself.

You’re setting up some big goals for yourself. What are some of the things you’d like to achieve in the industry?

[Laughs] Well, if you don’t have big goals, what’s the point? So many people live in a state of ambivalence. If you’re not going to live aggressively towards life, then there’s no point. I want to be the youngest male actor to win Leading Man at the Oscars. I have until I’m 28 so I have some time to get there. I also want to be a guest editor at a major fashion magazine. I want to buy a house in a fashion capital so I can just make fashion week easier - that’s another one. Oh, and I want a cat and a dog: a black Doberman called Dante and a black cat called Diego. So then, we’ll be Daniel, Dante and Diego. Those are all my goals. Easy.