As his tattoo collection grew, Montreal native Rick Genest, also known as Zombie Boy, says: 'Well, there is a lot of stigma. You usually have to fit into the square of society - they want to keep everyone kind of restricted and the same, which I obviously had a problem with. But it was also to my advantage.'
The world now knows him as a Mugler muse, friend of Nicola Formichetti and Lady Gaga. He has even been photographed by Steven Klein. Genest is fashion's most alternative cool kid du jour, 'discovered' by Formichetti. His body is inked head to toe as a corpse, skeletal with ripped flesh, exposed ligaments and insects. He is also in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most tattooed bones and most tattooed insects.
The result of about 300 hours of work is beautifully macabre, but also riveting, especially Genest's face. Eyes and nose are blacked like they are sunken in, a captivating inked skull with exposed brain matter on top and teeth shaded in over his lips. The man is a walking artwork, and a performer. You can tell by the way he works the camera, probably the 10th that has been shoved into his face that day.
The Genest that sits before me, despite the rather fearsome appearance, was also rather shy and gentle, making us both a little awkward. After a long flight to Hong Kong and a slew of interviews, it's clear that he would rather be somewhere else than in a hotel room rammed with journalists and photographers.
'It was a great delight and surprise [to be contacted by Formichetti]. I had no idea what to expect at first. It's been a good trip - it's fun,' Genest says of this journey.
Genest's lifestyle changed drastically after he was contacted by Formichetti over Facebook and catapulted into a whirlwind fashion career. Formichetti immediately wanted to invite him to walk on the Mugler menswear show in Paris. But reportedly, Genest owed fines for sleeping on the street and couldn't get a passport in time. Formichetti sorted legal help and paid the municipal fines for Genest, and now they tour the world together for the French fashion house.
'The culture that I got into [when I was younger] was circus and carnival and these scenes embrace extremes, originality and the beauty of contrasts,' says Genest.