With nearly half a million Instagram followers, a dreamy sell-out clothing line and his own “Break The Internet” moment wearing mesh tights for Coitus, it’s fair to say that Reece King is the model of the moment.

We caught up with Reece to find out more about his life away from the lens.

Tell us about how you got scouted.

Yeah, it was actually through Instagram. It’s all happened through Instagram. First my account was on private and then I just posted a picture that blew up and started it all. I was just posting pictures and all the likes and followers were fun at the time. Then my Mutha agent, Leah Hibbert, messaged me asking what agency I was with. I was like: ‘I work in retail, I’m not a model.’ Then she was like ‘Whaaat’, she was so surprised. Then I met with her and she signed me and got me signed to my agency and it all just happened from there.

What has been your favourite part of modelling so far?

The transition from struggling in retail and trying to make money in retail, pay bills and support my mum and then getting into modelling and being a little bit more financially secure. That’s probably the greatest benefit as that is what I’m doing it all for. As far as personal, I guess it would be the travelling. Every place I’ve got to travel to I haven’t been before, apart from modelling. So, I’ve got to go to quite a few places that are kind of beautiful.

What has been your favourite place you have travelled to as a result of modelling?

Everywhere I’ve been has been really cool. There was a place in Benidorm called the Asia Gardens and I didn’t even know it existed. It was just like this luxury Asia-inspired hotel, it was just amazing!

Who would your dream photographer/stylist collaboration be?

I would really like someone like Cara Delevigne to take photographs, that would be really awesome. Or even like Rihanna, something like that would be really cool.

Why those two specifically?

I think, [with] Cara, she’s been in the industry, she knows how it works. I think when someone’s been in front of the camera a lot, they know what they want to do when they get the chance to have someone else in front of the camera. So I think that would be really awesome.

Tell us what you get up to when you aren’t modelling.

When I’m not modelling, I’m either with my friends, skating, relaxing or working on clothing and stuff like that. I use social media a lot to keep up with my followers and supporters. Mainly, if I had a week off I would just be off the radar, at home eating, watching my favourite films and shows.

Tell us about your clothing collaboration with Deck.

It started through Instagram. It was when I first got the followers and that scene happened and I was doing some promotional stuff for brands. I wasn’t actually a model at the time, I was still working in retail. Trying to slowly get into the industry and Deck messaged me asking if I wanted them to send over some stuff. At first it was just strictly business, you know. We weren’t really on a friends basis but then I started promoting for them and they were really loyal. We just came to the decision that we could make it work. I like their clothing, I like how they take care of their customers and control everything – even the materials and the quality of their clothes.

And how does the designing process work?

I wouldn’t want to put anything out there that’s attached to my name that’s half-arsed or just to make money. So everything is a long process. We’ve done 3 or 4 drops so far, all limited edition when it’s available and then it sells out. I make clothes that I want to wear and then it just happens that everyone else that follows me on Instagram wants to wear them as well.

And where do you get the inspiration from for your designs?

Honestly, like underground sort of weird kids on Instagram. I do like high fashion brands but the way that people style in editorials and Instagram photo shoots is really on point. So that’s where I usually see something and I’ll think ‘yeah, I want to recreate that and put my own stamp on it.’ But mainly through Instagram and underground kids.

We saw your shoot in the mesh tights. What’s been the favourite look that you’ve worn on set?

That was very cool. That was the first shoot that I did that was very provocative. I wore this really, like these high-waisted, yellow, velvet trousers with a pink t-shirt tucked in, in Benidorm for Call It Spring. They wanted to put me a jeans and a t-shirt but I was like ‘no, no, no let’s go over to the girl’s rack and look through it.’ I like weird kind of stuff, so that was probably my favourite. But yeah, I’ve got to wear some really cool clothes, so yeah. But that would be my favourite outfit. I would wear that everyday if I could.

Tell us what your plans are for the future.

I’m hoping that modelling will kind of continue and open other doors. I do really enjoy modelling and I would like to do it for as long as I could. I really enjoy the thought of acting or styling. I like when I get to control my own clothing and stuff like that for shoots. Even like panel talking about more serious issues inside modelling, I would like to do that.

That sounds really interesting!

Yeah, mainly because I think young people don’t really understand the job and everyone involved and they are quick to go into it. I think I would use my influence to educate people on certain things. But mainly acting and clothes, those are the two that I am mostly focused on.

Finally, what advice do you have for people that want to go into modelling?

Make sure you’ve got a business head on your shoulders. Know what you’re doing. Write down everything that you’re doing, payments and travel wise. Take it as a serious job because it is hard, even though it looks glamorous. Be nice – you have to be nice to be a model. That’s the 100% set role.