Jon Kortajarena

Jon Kortajarena Redruello (born 19 May 1985) is a Spanish model and actor. He has done advertising campaigns for Just Cavalli, Versace, Giorgio Armani, Guerlain, Bally, Etro, Trussardi, Diesel, Mangano, Lagerfeld, Pepe Jeans but notably H&M, Zara, Guess, and Tom Ford for his consecutive seasons with the brands. On 26 June 2009, Forbes ranked Kortajarena eighth in The World's 10 Most Successful Male Models.

Career

Early life and career Kortajarena was born in Bilbao, Biscay, Basque Country, Spain. He was discovered in September 2003 while vacationing in Barcelona and accompanying a friend who was invited to attend a fashion show. While there, a booker noticed him and persuaded him to give the fashion world a go. His first professional experience was in a Madrid Fashion Week show for Roberto Verino. He left Bilbao, his hometown, and ventured into the fashion industry in Paris. In 2004, at the age of 18, Kortajarena became the face of Just Cavalli for Roberto Cavalli's spring campaign which quickly jet started his career. Its content, though, quickly drew complaints in Britain and it eventually became restricted to the post-9 PM broadcasts.

2007–2009 Kortajarena (right) with Matthew Goode, Tom Ford, Julianne Moore, Colin Firth and Nicholas Hoult at the 66th Venice Film Festival. In 2007, Kortajarena signed with Guess and renewed his contract again in 2008. With new campaigns on the stands, Terry Richardson photographed Kortajarena for Tom Ford alongside Noah Mills and became the label's signature male model for the next consecutive seasons. For the 2009 spring men's wear and eyewear advertising campaigns Jon was art directed and photographed, for the first time, by Tom Ford himself.

On 26 June 2009, Forbes published its list of "The World's 10 Most Successful Male Models" ranking Kortajarena in 8th place. Spain's Marie Claire awards Prix de la Moda awarded him "Best Spanish Model" for 2009.

2010–present Breaking into 2010 with ad campaigns for H&M, True Trussardi and Esprit; Kortajarena modeled alongside Alexa Chung for Pepe Jeans fall/winter Campaign. He was in the Next autumn/winter campaign and in its TV advert that launched on 10 September, alongside Emanuela de Paula.

In 2011 he was selected as one of the models to star in Lacoste's $66 million new advertising concept under the new tagline, "Unconventional Chic". The ads were shot by Mert and Marcus showing models wearing the iconic white Lacoste polo shirts worn over eveningwear. He fronted the cover of the March 2011 issue of Vogue Spain alongside Anja Rubik and compatriot Andres Velencoso. Described as "an icon of charm and masculinity", Kortajarena was chosen as the protagonist for the special video version of Roberto Cavalli Men's Spring/Summer 2012 runway and opened the show held at the Palazzo Serbelloni in Milan. For the fall campaigns he became the face of David Yurman for the third consecutive time and was photographed by legendary photographer Peter Lindbergh.

Kortajarena played Alex in one episode of the 2020 Amazon Prime Video series Tales from the Loop.

Personal life Kortajarena speaks Basque, Spanish, and English. He went to an ikastola school until he was 10 years old, but due to traveling, he went on to enroll in public, private, and Catholic schools thereafter. His mother is a hairdresser and she often styles his hair. If he was not modeling, he would be a full-time actor; however, he notes that interior designing and photography are some fields he has always been curious about. His hobbies include watching films, reading books by Hermann Hesse, sunbathing, going to the mountains with friends, and listening to music. He describes himself as an "ultimate romantic". Some of his favorite novels include Perfume, The Wheel of Life by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, and Siddhartha. Between 2014 and 2016, Kortajarena dated Welsh actor Luke Evans.

Ad campaigns Year Campaigns 2016 F/W Fergie Music Video "M.I.L.F.$" 2015 F/W Madonna Music Video "Bitch I'm Madonna" 2013 F/W HUDSON Jeans 2012 F/W Kenneth Cole, Zara, David Yurman, Madonna Music Video "Girl Gone Wild", Roberto Cavalli, 3 Vogue covers 2011 S/S Lacoste Pepe Jeans ReplayDavid Yurman F/W David Yurman, Karl Lagerfeld, Lacoste 2010 S/S Belvedere Vodka El Palacio de Hierro Next H&M Matinique Mangano Esprit Mauro Grifoni Trussardi Jeans Etienne Aigner F/W Trussardi Jeans H&M John Richmond Matinique Lagerfeld Pepe Jeans Esprit David Yurman 212 VIP fragrance Next 2009 S/S Brian Atwood Diesel Tom Ford Etro Guess F/W H&M Matinique Mangano Tom Ford Eyewear Jaeger Mauro Grifoni 2008 S/S Bally Guess Etro Mango Tom Ford Eyewear Trussardi F/W Carlo Pignatelli Guess Tom Ford JPG Jeans John Richmond Wormland 2007 S/S Guess F/W Armani 2005 F/W Fanta Z Macy's Springfield 2004 S/S Just Cavalli F/W Versace Sources: Models.com, The Fashionisto, Armani-07 TV spot

Filmography Film

Television Year Title Role Network Notes 2017 Quantico Felix Cordova ABC Recurring role 2018 La verdad Marcos Eguia Telecinco Main role 2019-2020 High Seas Nicolás Vázquez Netflix Main role 2020 Tales from the Loop Alex Amazon Prime Video 2021 Drag Race España Himself Atresplayer Premium Episode 1 2022 El Inmortal Himself Movistar Plus+ All episodes

Music video Year Title Singer Notes 2012 "Girl Gone Wild" Madonna 2015 "Bitch I'm Madonna" Madonna2016 "M.I.L.F. $" Fergie "Wolves" Kanye West