The male supermodel, actor, and dancer opens up about his first campaign with GapStudio, what a decade of modeling has taught him, and his plans to invest in his artistic talents.

It’s been quite the busy year for <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/alton-mason-2023-met-gala-look-chanel-bridal-karl-lagerfeld">Alton Mason</a>. Fronting campaigns for multiple brands, attending red carpets across the world, and linking up with stars like Ice Spice are just some of the recent happenings on the 28-year-old’s roster. But the Phoenix-raised creative doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.
Born in Nebraska in a family of Jamaican, Ghanaian, and Haitian heritage, Mason was drawn to the arts from a young age. Yet, it wasn’t until after a BET Awards performance as a backup dancer in 2015 that he would kick off his journey as a model. After being discovered on Instagram, the new face walked for Yeezy and Gucci before becoming the first black male to walk for Chanel in 2018, for the house’s Métier d’Art show, selected by Karl Lagerfeld himself.
Dozens of modeling endeavors, a debut single titled “Gimme Gimme,” and an introduction to the acting world later, Mason has become one of the most celebrated male models in the fashion scene. After six years of being a face for Gap’s “Wear Light” campaign, the six-time Model of the Year winner is not just returning to the American brand, but supporting its creative atelier: GapStudio.
“With the quality of the clothes, to sum it all up, there's a nostalgia part,” Mason tells L’OFFICIEL while reflecting on what makes GapStudio special. “But it's intentionally elevated, and you can feel that through the clothes. You feel that in the environment [and] the team.”
The <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/men/alton-mason-summer-cover-2019">two-time</a> L'OFFICIEL <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/alton-mason-shayna-mcneil-cass-bird-lofficiel-global-sept-2020">cover star</a> is no stranger to GapStudio, especially since he sported the brand’s Coated Denim Moto Jacket to an event in New York City last year. Not only is this the male supermodel’s first campaign with the elevated fashion line, but it’s the label's first time shooting with a male model.
Beginning August 28, GapStudio’s Fall 2026 Collection will be available on gap.com and in select Gap stores, with womenswear in 20 locations globally and menswear in three U.S. sites: Flatiron, Chestnut, and The Grove. Construction, proportionality, and a unique contemporary perspective are so in this season.&nbsp;

Esther McGregor for the GapStudio Fall/Winter 2026 Campaign. Photography by Daniel Jackson, Courtesy of GapStudio.

For its latest launch, GapStudio presents a 20-piece line ready to elevate your wardrobe while staying true to Gap’s iconic American style. Precision and simplicity, normality and distinctiveness, manliness and softness are easily interchangeable in this collection.
As Leon Thomas performed “MUTT” at the 2026 Grammy Awards, the artist sported a custom two-piece GapStudio design. Denim tailoring and stripped-back codes contribute to the brand’s conversation between iconic moments and its collections, and also make standout fashion moments like Thomas’s a part of the everyday.
“With the Fall GapStudio collection, we continued to evolve Gap’s design language by looking at some of the most familiar pieces in the American wardrobe through a more architectural lens,” said Zac Posen, Executive Vice President and Creative Director of Gap Inc. “There’s a play between utility and sensuality, precision and ease, and the familiar and unexpected. It’s about evolution rather than nostalgia.”
Captured by photographer Daniel Jackson, true signatures like workwear, khaki, and shirting are reimagined in a sculptural point of view. &nbsp;Fronting the collection’s campaign are Mason and actor Esther McGregor, with fashion and image direction led by Alastair McKimm and creative direction by Posen himself.
Set against a minimalist environment, the collection’s design, look, and adaptable individuality shine brightly. Whether it be a denim jacket with an asymmetric twist, printed denim on dresses and T-shirts, or a diverse range of well-crafted pants, GapStudio knows how powerful the American wardrobe is and can be with a touch of polish, artistry, and confidence.
Read our full conversation with Mason below.

Behind the scenes with Alton Mason for the GapStudio Fall/Winter 2026 Campaign. Photography by Daniel Jackson, Courtesy of GapStudio.

L’OFFICIEL:&nbsp;In April 2025, Zac Posen said, “GapStudio is where craftsmanship, creativity, and culture come together.” In your words, what is GapStudio? 
ALTON MASON: Totally agree with Zac Posen that it all comes together in that way. But something, for me, is it feels like home in a way. It reminds me of growing up and going to the local mall in Arizona, me, my mom, and my dad. They had me when they were like 18-19, so it's not like we grew up together, but it was just us three. My dad went to ASU, and there is this local mall [that] we would always go to [visit] all the stores, but GAP was one of them. We would buy matching denim sets, and we would always match our outfits. That is my first memory. So I agree with Zac Posen, but it also feels like it's family-oriented. Being able to work with the team [and] seeing how tight they were, it feels like its own world.
L’O: You’ve modeled for plenty of houses and their campaigns. What made this one stand out to you? 
AM: For me, this process felt like a full-circle moment because a few years ago, when they launched GapStudio and appointed Zac, I was there with him; we had a great dinner, and I got to really meet him. I also got to work with Dan Jackson, who's one of my favorite photographers. We also started out [together], and we shot this amazing GQ [image at] the beginning of my career. Then Alastair [McKimm], we shot so many other campaigns together. Just looking to my left and looking to my right and seeing these amazing men that I'm familiar with that I've worked with just by my side and asking me, ‘Are you okay?’ ‘How do you feel in this?’ ‘You look great,’ [and] ‘I love this on you’; it just made me so happy. It just felt like home; it was a great experience.
L’O: If you had to pick a favorite moment during the campaign, which one would it be and why? 
AM: That's hard; there's a few. The fittings always feel ceremonial when you're working on campaigns and projects like this. [It] feels like you're putting on armor, getting ready for something to be created, which is what we do. For me, the most memorable moment would be being with Alastair doing [the] fitting, and then Dan Jackson walk[ing] in. He was like, ‘Alton!’ because it's been so long since we've seen each other. That was the great moment. While I was on set doing my first shot, Zac walked in, and he started looking at the photos. He's like, ‘Oh, these are amazing.’ Then he said ‘Hi’ to me. Those are the two key moments, but the entire shoot felt just calm, chill, and aligned.

Alton Mason for GapStudio Fall/Winter 2026 Campaign. Photography by Daniel Jackson, Courtesy of GapStudio.

L’O: Gap is known for its iconic monthly playlists. If you had to choose only five songs for the campaign, what would they be and why? 
AM: If I had to choose five songs for the campaign, like only the name of the songs?
L’O: Yeah, like anything that comes to mind. 
AM: Okay, number one, “The Sweetest Taboo” by Sade, one of my favorite songs. Number two, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” by Michael Jackson, that always gets me up and ready to shoot. Number three, I would probably say “Work” by Rihanna. ‘Dry, me ah desert him / No time to have you lurking’ aye, that’s one of my favorites. Two more, right?
L’O: Yeah, two more. Almost there! 
AM: I would say “Twin Flame” by Kaytranada [and Anderson .Paak], I love playing Kaytranada on set. I feel like you could just press play on Kaytranada, and then we're good for the whole shoot [to] just let it flow. Then we would have to play Alton Mason, “Weapon,” just to close it all out. It’s an unreleased song that I made here in L.A., and I would definitely have to add that to the set list.
L’O: When it comes to denim, do you have any styling tips for the Fall/Winter 2026 season? 
AM: I just feel like you can never go wrong with a white tee [and] dark wash denim. One of the outfits that [is] one of my favorites from the collection, [which] actually reminded me of my dad, was these baggy dark wash denims and a striped button-up that I love. I would just rock that all fall with some Timberland boots. I would say that is definitely the go-to outfit.
L’O: On August 17, you celebrated 10 years of being a model on Instagram. With a decade of experience, how does GapStudio redefine the ways we think about American fashion?
AM: That's a really good question. From my perspective, one thing that I love is the intentionality with who Gap chooses to give platforms to and shed light on. I think that's something that they're great at. Just looking at the red carpets and seeing all the diverse, powerful women wearing GapStudio, like this one outfit with Cynthia Erivo, who was beautiful. That makes me feel seen as a Black artist in fashion and in this industry. What’s also important is having the youth, people like you, who are part of the process with making me feel so seen, asking these questions, and also just showing so much love; I think that's something that Gap is great at, so shout out to you for being here with them. I believe in the youth [and] the future because I feel like as the world goes by, our consciousness develops differently. Shout out to the people that have opened doors for us to walk through. But things are different, and I feel like they [the predecessors] come from a different time and a different era. It's not to say that [it] was harder, greater, or lesser than because everyone has their own unique experience. But I think it's so important for companies to trust the youth, trust the people who have their ear to the streets. Sometimes it's not always about experience, but sometimes it's also about people who are curious, ambitious, and have something to say. They might just need the patience to learn. What we do in fashion and what we do as creatives—learning is a never-ending process and journey. It's nice to shout out Gap [for] trusting people who are young, aspiring, smart, and intelligent [while] shining the light on them and giving them the opportunities to be creative and inquisitive.

L’O: From a 2017 Gucci campaign to playing Little Richard in Elvis, these years have been transformative. What do you hope the next ten look like? 
AM: When you climb up a mountain, you never know what you're going to come across. Then, you get to the top of a mountain, and you’re like, ‘Yes, I did it!’ [But] you see another mountain, another 10 years across the way, and you gotta climb back down and climb back up again. What's different is you're aware of all the things that gave you the strength and courage to climb up that first mountain, and that's where I feel like I'm at now. All of the people that have believed in me, my friends and family, I have them with me, and I feel like I'm more fearless now. So when I think of these next 10 years, I feel like it's me protecting my peace of mind. My mental health [and] my self-love, making sure like my cup is full so I could pour into others intentionally; the people that I love and people that may or may not be inspired by me, my journey, what it took, and being able to just be evidence of that testimony. When you're climbing up these mountains, you learn which steps to take. All of those little things on your journey, they make a big difference.
Just taking all that I've learned from these last 10 years and taking them into the next 10 years, utilizing what I've learned [while] opening bigger doors, taking bigger risks, bigger chances. Investing the time and energy into myself as a brand, as a CEO, as an artist of music, nurturing my gift in performance and acting, and really being intentional with who I'm surrounded by. And just really having fun, not just being so hard and obsessive over my purpose, but also being present and just being human. Taking time to do absolutely nothing, be a nerd, play Tekken, and all of those things that I love to do. I definitely feel that these next 10 years are doing that in a more peaceful way. I feel like when you're growing up, in business, and getting everything out of the mud, you operate out of [a] survival mindset, and those instincts sometimes can be a little chaotic.
L’O: Yeah. 
AM: It's a blessing to get to a checkpoint, switch gears in the car and know, ‘Okay, I can cruise for a little bit before I speed up again.’ I think it's a very, very privileged space to be in. Hard work does pay off. I just want to keep working hard [and] just being evidence of that, which is why I wanted to share that post the other day [August 17] and just give people hope because I come from the process of 20 castings a day, losing all your money to the train, and having to hop the train sometimes. Don’t do that; I got in trouble for that! But I had to do it because I only had like three more dollars in my account, and I had to get a pizza. I come from the evidential quote of “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” Actually, one of my first billboards was Gap in New York Times Square. When I think about Gap, I think about that moment, walking to Times Square with my best friend, and there's just me on this billboard; it looks like I'm flying. This all just feels so full circle to me. I really get excited and motivated just to keep going because if it can come around full circle this way, then who knows what can happen next? Shout out to my mom and dad.
L’O: Do you have any words of advice for those wanting to break in the industry? 
AM: When you're taking a risk, it's important for me, and maybe someone can relate to this, [to] just trust God. Having a relationship with God inside and hearing that voice, trusting your instincts, your intuition, making sure those are clear enough to follow, dream with, and guide you because those are your superpowers. For example, one thing that I would do in New York is I would sometimes crash little after parties just to network, right? But it was my discernment and my intuition that ignited that fire to go up to someone and be like, “Hi, my name is Alton.” There’s moments where we can feel small in those big rooms, and we're like, ‘Okay, let me just stand to the side, have a drink, [and] look cute.’ But sometimes closed mouths don't get fed. So, how do you spark a conversation? How do you introduce yourself? And how are you being intentional with being interested instead of trying to be interesting...That is super important because we only get to live once.
I’m a Scorpio, so I’m gonna get deep, but I only get to be Alton Mason once. When you think of things that way, your intentions are different. You spend your time differently, and it's not to be all about being ambitious, but it's also just about knowing your purpose. Finding something that you love and that you're great at; that's a part of the journey. If it's hard to find, ‘Damn, what is it that I want to do?’ sometimes it's about taking a moment to pray, meditate, and think about where you were as a kid. Think about that five-year-old you, and who they would want to see you become. Sometimes your answers will start flowing in on those reflections and those meditations; that's what worked for me. Growing into New York, it's like, ‘Damn. Okay. Well, here's the money equation. How can I invest in myself? How do I make this real?’ My first job, I was the mascot, [the] literal buffalo mascot [for Buffalo Wild Wings]. I would carry wings up these bleachers; they would announce, ‘Here's Buffalo Bill,’ then I would walk back down the bleachers and dance battle the football mascot. I would make $8 an hour. Everyone starts somewhere, but sometimes it's important to start [a] budget and have a savings account dedicated to your dream. Take that little $400, go to New York for a day or two during a specific time, get yourself out there, and come back home and grind again. That's what I was doing. If those steps help to get anyone started, then I feel like I did my job.

Alton Mason Is Ready For What’s Next

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