A KALTBLUT exclusive. Photography by Jacobus Snyman. The model is Yago Taboas Rivas. Fashion Editor: Daniël Geldenhuys. Take it from Yago Taboas Rivas: South Africa is a great exam prep location.
Study break activities run the gamut from penguins to paragliding, making for excellent Instagram content. Not that Rivas is your typical insta-obsessed model. He considers the platform a personal branding tool, referring to it with matter-of-fact objectivity that makes it clear he isn’t in danger of falling into the psychological black hole portrayed by Netflix documentaries and Facebook whistleblowers. Rivas chooses positivity, boosting endorphins with an exercise routine based on running, football, and frequent gym sessions. His resulting physique makes building a portfolio a breeze, as does guidance from his friend, the photographer who insta-scouted him, Sasha Olsen.
It’s been a good year for Rivas. A bourgeoning modelling career has prompted travel from his home town in Spain to Miami, Los Angeles, and now Cape Town, where he stars in this surrealist story by photographer Jacobus Snyman and content curator Daniël Geldenhuys. Then there’s his personal skincare breakthrough: as it turns out, combining shaving with a meditative aquatic soundtrack makes for a mindful practise that reduces pesky breakouts. If this sounds like the origin story for a mens’ skincare and mediation subscription service, Rivas could well be the man to make it happen: his next exam is one step closer to a business degree. And although there’s no rush to forge a specific career path, a new tattoo makes it clear stagnation is not an option for Rivas. In the last shot of this story, he pulls down his bottom lip to reveal three words: DO OR DIE.
Photographer: Jacobus Snyman / Instagram: @_iamjacob
Fashion Editor: Daniël Geldenhuys / Instagram: @ewithdots
Model: Yago Taboas Rivas / Instagram: @yagotaaboas
