He is the quintessential tall, dark and handsome young man. Meet StyleSkool model Akshay Rathore.

''Let's look back; what attracted me towards modelling when I could have settled for a stable career? Well, I have always wanted to be in front of the camera, wearing designer clothes… I thought that I had it in me, almost like I'm made for it! I was also attracted to the fact that good models have opportunities to travel, meet interesting people and so on. So yeah I love everything about modelling!

What makes me a good model? My style is unique; that's a differentiating quality. My attitude too makes me different from other models and I’m pretty photogenic. I also feel a model can add a touch of creativity to the assignment. So newcomers need to keep some of these things in mind — be presentable, keep yourself fit, workout, eat healthy and you're good to go. In fact, I work hard on myself. I like working out and focus on maintaining a healthy diet of green vegetables, fresh fruits, fresh juice, chicken and eggs. But, do not forget this — till you're young, you're wanted! But there's a new face every day so it's not a satisfactory career in the long run.

Speaking of the body of work, I've done campaigns for Rohit Kamra, Study By Janak, Voylla, Indian Artisans and Protonze; shows for Rajasthan Heritage Week, Rajasthan Style Fest, IISW and designers Anju Modi, Chirag Nainani, Felix Bendish and Sumit Dasgupta among others. As of now, I'm engaged with Rajasthan Style Fesr Season 2.''

— JASMEEN DUGAL