Meet Digital Creator, Editor, And Celebrity Stylist Marc Forne

CFDA: Marc Forné is a jack of all trades. The Spanish talent got his fashion start as a model and digital creative working with brands like Louis Vuitton and Thom Browne, and has, in recent years, raised his profile to new heights. As a stylist, Forné has produced work for international publications, including GQ, Numéro, ODDA, and Esquire.

Forné took another career jump by diving into celebrity styling. With clients including actor Manu Rios and artist Troye Sivan, the stylist has become well known for daring looks that spotlight both niche brands and established design houses. Cases in point, he put Sivan in a pant-less look for the Loewe show and a sheer off-the-shoulder Ferragamo top for the Cannes Film Festival and dressed Rios in a bedazzled Moschino suit for his first Met Gala appearance.

We spoke to the rising fashion talent to hear more about his path in the industry.

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How did you get your start in fashion? Was this always an industry you knew you wanted to work in growing up?

My beginning, I bet, was as a kid: buying magazines and daydreaming about things I didn’t even know that well or not the full reality of them. I always felt the attraction for that world of beauty and art made into clothes but I never knew if I wanted to be part of it, work on it or just enjoy it, which are very much different things.

I’d always had conversations with modeling agencies but never got any further until social media came into the game when I was around 14 years old. Then, without knowing what that ‘Facebook lookalike’ app was for, I started using it. I’ve always been passionate about photography. I would spend all my money on any camera I could afford at that time. I started shooting places, trips and friends and styling second-hand clothes with my best friends and just randomly pretending we were already part of that industry in a very naive way.

Instagram was so much fun for me since I could express myself in the creative areas I was invested in. I wasn’t making money from it but just having fun, and that drove my account from shooting others to shooting myself and organically that brought more attention. I started with lifestyle content and then slowly I shifted into mostly fashion content since my interest in that area was growing exponentially and becoming more relevant. Then, back in 2015, I signed with my first representation agency as a talent in the Celebrities/Talents department. From there, I started to travel around the world working – mainly focused in fashion and luxury – and meeting lots of interesting people. I kept pushing my boundaries, absorbing everything that was surrounding me, and growing.

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You got your start as a model/influencer. Was there a moment when you noticed your career started to take off?

I started modeling in a very low-key way. I wasn’t really chasing a modeling career, nor was I pushed in that direction. Instead, I was focusing on Instagram as I could express myself in all the creative areas I was interested in. I noticed there could be a career doing what I was doing when I started to be contacted by brands to work together, brands I would never have imagined of working with or getting any attention from. I still remember when, at 19 years old, I was invited to my first Louis Vuitton show. They flew me over to Paris and, even though at that moment I may have not been fully aware of how Instagram was going to grow, it was a turning point in my career and life. A point where I felt my efforts and passion had meaning and it was worth it to keep on pursuing this field.

What made you make the transition into styling? How did you get your start? 

Styling has always been fun to me and a huge part of my daily work – from creating my daily looks to endless fittings related to my work agenda. There was a point when I started thinking how could I bring my passion and biggest hobby to a different level? Combining the fashion that I love with the people I admire. That’s how I started considering dressing others and working on editorials. This exciting path has just begun and I’m loving it.

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You also branched out into the realm of celebrity styling with Manu Rios. How did your collaboration come about?

It came about when Manu needed some help with his looks as he started his career as an actor in a pretty impactful way. So I decided to jump into this new field when this opportunity crossed my path. I didn’t want to miss it. That was a great beginning and I couldn’t be happier with that decision that has brought us to date as friends and business partners.

Tell us about your recent work with Troye. What were some of the conversations you had about developing his look? What were you going for? 

Conversations started after this year’s Met Gala. We had chatted before but never about work. Cannes was approaching and we decided to give it a chance. It was great to hear someone be so open and fearless about the fashion we could work/play with. Every look has its own unique goal, but the idea was always and has always been to stay aware of the moment, with reference to the iconic fashion happening while finding the balance between being hot and staying classy. What’s great about Troye is that you can go in any direction and he elevates the look. From edgy to classy, there’s always a way to make it fresh and suited for him. I believe the character being built around Troye is all about freedom and he’s embracing that with his looks and most of all, with his music.

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How do you stay creative in such a fast-paced industry? 

I stay creative as long as I keep moving around the world, meeting new people, seeing new collections and discovering new designers. I believe creativity stays fresh if you find your passion and motivation for something. I also think creative people are the ones who develop projects or work in a way that shows something they have inside them in a true way while also respecting their own gut feelings about decisions. That’s how I believe you stay creative and alive in an industry that challenges you daily and forgets easily.

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PHOTOGRAPHY AND CREATIVE DIRECTION: MARINA BASISTAYA