Renaissance man

What a difference time and circumstance make. “When I visited Milan for the first time in the 1980s, I was told by agents that there was no market for black people,” Jamie Melbourne recalled of his attempt to break into the Italian fashion industry as a model.

Now 68, Melbourne had already found success in New York years earlier, booking editorial, commercial and runway work with Ford and Wilhelmina, the agencies to which he was then signed. Europe, however, was far less welcoming at the time. Once denied, Melbourne was last Friday strutting the runway at the opening of Milan Men’s Fashion Week, modelling Italian luxury brand Zegna’s Fall/Winter 2026 ready-to-wear collection.

“I felt confident, no jitters so to speak. I was super focused on the task at hand and determined to do it well,” he told Living on a call back home in Manhattan, New York.

He has spent most of his adult life in the Empire State, after migrating from Jamaica at age 20 to attend Columbia University.

“Backstage was high energy, a lot of excitement and great camaraderie between the models, and good team spirit. The show was incredible,” shared Melbourne who was Look 45 in plaid tweed separates, a ribbed turtleneck and suede loafers.

The 56-look Zegna runway show, under the direction of artistic director Alessandro Sartori, was staged at the Art Nouveau dome of Milan’s Palazzo del Ghiaccio. The presentation showcased a diverse mix of ethnicities, genders and ages, with casting director Ben Grimes playing a key role in finalising the model line-up.

OPPORTUNITY

For the resurgent Jamaican-American fashion star, the journey from his twenties to his Zegna debut was particularly meaningful.

“Opportunity is often about being in the right place at the right time, and we live in an age right now where it is possible for models of diverse ages to work,” he surmised of his Italian assignment that was booked through his New York-based agency, Soul Artist Management.

His cellphone rang at 7 a.m. while he was on a train bound for New Jersey for a business appointment two weeks ago. Zegna was requesting his presence for a 9:30 a.m. fitting at its store back in the city, and he immediately doubled back by subway.

Two days later, another call came. This time, he was needed in Italy for further fittings.

“I was confirmed for the show after my second fitting in Milan last Wednesday evening,” he added.

Show day, naturally, left lasting memories.

“Alessandro and his team were incredible. They kept referring to me as ‘bello’ and ‘bellissimo’; I was humbled and greatly appreciative. The casting director and team were also amazing,” Melbourne explained.

RUNWAY RETURN

The auspicious return to modelling began six years ago, when Melbourne reached out to SAINT International chief executive officer Deiwght Peters during a vacation to The Rock. Peters helped him prepare for an international career, coordinating photo tests and curating his image for the high-fashion market.

“We had a meeting where [he] expressed an interest in an international career in fashion modelling,” Peters recalled of their meet-up, adding, “I am aware that there are huge opportunities in his market demographic but I was also acutely aware that it takes a special kind of imaging in terms of photos and general aesthetic to make it work.”

Peters noted that Melbourne was well-prepared for the challenge: “He was in shape as he told me it was from years of working out, swimming, so I was never daunted by the task ahead.”

When Zegna requested a walking video for casting, Peters already had updated footage ready from prior work with Melbourne.

“As it turns out I had done a whole series of updated digitals and videos on Jamie when he visited last year with the intention of proposing him to the top brands for some exclusives for the men show season in Milan and Paris this January. It was just wonderful serendipity when Sarah [Hamilton-Bailey, director at Soul Artist] called for his video to submit to the Zegna team and I had it ready,” Peters added.

Speaking further, Peters told Living, “Interestingly, I styled him and did the videos for the digitals at The Pegasus hotel and it was a joke onset that he fit the same jeans and T-shirt as a 17 year-old. After they received the video he was called in to do a fitting to confirm.”

The Milan fashion assignment was also a homecoming of sorts for Melbourne. Besides modelling, he built a solid career as a fashion creative, working for years as first assistant to the legendary François Nars, founder of the iconic cosmetics brand.

Clients included Italian fashion houses Versace and Dolce and Gabbana.

“I worked in Milan a lot from the mid ‘90s to the early 2000s as a makeup artist,” Melbourne remembered. “My last time here was on Pat McGrath’s team on a Miu Miu show during the early 2000s; so it’s been a while.”

Juggling his Jamie 2.0 modelling career, which has included an advertising campaign for premium fashion label rag & bone, a Macy’s lookbook, and runway appearances at New York Fashion Week, Melbourne is also focused on running his co-partnered men’s cosmetics company, Apostle.

In the coming months, the brand, which has steadily grown since its founding three years ago, is looking into: “[expanded] manufacturing and selling more stock keeping units via our online stores.”

He is also at peace with where his journeys have taken him. “What I love about my life right now is that I am more aware than ever of divine intervention and guidance in life,” Melbourne concluded.

lifestyle@gleanerjm.com