Evan Mock Takes On Television

The coolest kid in New York City makes his way into tinseltown.

Words by Dio Anthony

Evan Mock, the boy with the buzzed pink hair is single-handedly keeping New York’s downtown scene alive. Ushering in a new wave of young, multifaceted artists who just might not be able to fully explain to you what they do for a living. That’s okay with Evan, he isn’t the type to be labeled or defined by a project, or in his case a fashion campaign. Besides, his skillsets have traversed industries.

For a while, on Instagram, he was known as the pink-haired skater hyped by Frank Ocean. Today, having graced some of New York City’s biggest billboards, with brands like Calvin Klein, the Frank Ocean story feels like an old fable.

At 24, the Hawaii born skater has modeled for Saint Laurent, been sculpted into a mannequin for Louis Vuitton, and is likely on first name basis with everyone who’s anyone in fashion, music or New York’s new counterculture. Now, he’s one of the popular players on HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot. Quite possibly the most hyped show in recent years. For Evan, this development seems natural, though not sought out. While on a break from filming last winter, he catches up on a Hawaiian beach with his personal stylist Taylor Okata for a conversation that just might get to the bottom of why he’s so natural at being cool. 

TAYLOR OKATA: This is Taylor Okata interviewing Evan Mock for American studies. Okay. Let's see. Oh, you know what? I realized today that this is our two year creative-relationship anniversary. Which is like, pretty mystic. This is when we shot our first story together. When I cast you for an Essence shoot. That was two years ago today. Isn't that crazy? It feels like ages ago, but at the same time, it feels like yesterday. So much has happened for you in these past two years.  It feels more like four years. I got one of those memory things pop up on my computer about it being exactly two years ago.  When I wanted to cast you for that first shoot we did together… I knew even before working with you closely, that you were going to be a star. I always felt that. The trajectory that you've set for yourself in the last two years is really fascinating. It's really amazing. Did you always have a sense of this growing up here on Oahu?

EVAN MOCK: Not at the capacity that's gone, but definitely I knew that I wanted something different and challenging. I don't know, it was never really a goal to get this or that. It was just exactly what I'm doing now, which is just kind of figuring out things out and learning new things, getting into new things and just expanding my mind in different ways. It was never about me leaving Hawaii, nor was I brought up thinking like that. But then after I moved from Hawaii, I felt pretty liberated and free and I became more  open to trying new things. Just being in new atmospheres gets my mind ticking on new stuff to do. You learn really fast when you get out of your comfort zone.

EM: I think that's a rare quality to have. I know as well being from Hawaii that it's rare to have that courage and confidence, and seeking spirit to leave your comfort zone––because it's so comfortable here.

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EM: Yeah! Especially coming back now that I’ve been away, it's so much easier to just want to stay here forever and live off the grid, and not talk to anyone else. Just get into a normal schedule of surfing, eating, skating and hanging out all-day-every-day.

TO: I think that's such a healthy balance. Despite everything that's been happening over the past year in the entire world. How has this past year developed for you professionally? Because you’ve made a lot of strides despite a pandemic going on.

EM: Yeah. I think this year has been the hardest to try to balance everything out, and make sure you have that time to skate,  and practice your lines. While also make sure you have that time to produce another collection or another collaboration––whatever it is at the moment. Then you have to make sure your friends and family are good. Paying enough attention to everyone is pretty tough as well. It's so easy to get stuck in your own world. Being able to come home for the holidays is always such a nice time to recharge and  feel normal again. Cause’ everything here stays pretty much the same. It's nice to always have that, because in New York, you don't really know what you're getting. Or around the world, you don't really have that normal routine. I feel like I don't know how to live or have a schedule anywhere else besides home. It's nice to be able to go somewhere and know what you're getting.

TO: Yeah, definitely. What do you think your biggest reservations with stepping into the acting space has been? It's all brand new for you. 

EM: I think the most nervous I was going into it, was about not knowing what anything is. The names and the titles, and the terminology. I've never been on such a massive production. So, it was cool to see everyone's moving parts. As long as you do your job, you're doing it.. Everyone just has to be on point and it works out. I mean, I think the toughest thing for me was just memorizing, it eventually got easier though. We've only been filming for a couple months at this point, but from the first day, to now–– I’m so much more comfortable. Everyone else, they’ve all had a first day on set before, so they were really supportive, and it was really comforting cause’ I was a nervous wreck leading up to it.

TO: I would be too. I mean TV and film is such a different world than us doing fashion shoots together. You obviously like being in the skate and surfing worlds, and have been on different types of sets. But nothing like this..

EM: For photo shoots and stuff, you can pretty much just show up. It's just been different and new.

TO: And you're assuming a new character too. Whereas with photoshoots they want you to be yourself. Evan Mock on HBO. No lie it’s my favorite channel that I also grew up watching. Now you're going to be on one of those shows that will be culturally relevant for who knows how many generations…

EM:  Hopefully. It's going to be interesting. There’s lots and lots of gossip.

TO:  Everyone always wants to address your pink hair. I remember when you shaved your head and dyed it pink. I think a lot of people don't know that pre-pink look. When I had your casting photo up, you had a little bit of longer hair. When you shaved your head and dyed it pink, did you realize how much it would be part of your visual identity?

EM: That was another thing I never thought about. I think that's what happens with most things that go viral or have a lot of circulation throughout the world. It just happened by chance. I mean, I lost a bet, so I shaved my head, and had long hair prior to that for years. And I couldn't remember the last time I shaved my head. Timing and not worrying about the next step and just living and doing me was really  all that was behind it. 

TO: Like you said, you lost a best and that initially was what sparked it. It's the skate culture side of you, to be like, yeah, I'm just going to do this. I remember when we were in Paris together, I started to see so many guys who had shaved their heads and colored it pink. Not to say that it hasn't been done before. I'll just say it, but you did it! I definitely did see a new wave a of it, with your generation, specifically in the worlds of skate, music and fashion. Which is really awesome.

EM: I get tagged in stuff every day of people being like: look I shaved my hair and dyed it pink because of you. 

TO: Can you talk about that? Wasn't there a point where you were  reposting kids who shaved their head and dyed it Pink?

EM: I would ask them why they did it because I was curious. A lot of them were basically saying it brought them out of their comfort zone, which is kind of what it did to me initially as well. Dressing up and making your hair crazy. It definitely gives you an extra little nudge of edginess and makes you feel cool. Which can feel different for everybody.

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TO: I think that that type of aesthetic change in general always puts a different style into the person.

EM: Girls are doing this all the time. Guys doing it is becoming more of a normal thing now.

TO: I think that's why I always love working with you and dressing you and working on looks together. From the get-go you were always just so down to try it, and then if you didn't like it, you would at least try it. We could have a conversation about it. I think that what was so refreshing about working with you was you had that ease and confidence of not worrying about what other people thought. I think that is so infectious, and I think you're one of the few people in that realm right now that is really pushing those boundaries.

EM: It's not like a conscious thing where you're I’m like, I'm going to be pushing gender roles. You can instantly see if it clicks, then it clicks and if it doesn’t, then it doesn’t. Not everything works. I think having a clear headspace and not thinking about what anyone else is wearing or looking at is the best way you can go about things.

TO: That's the point of  fashion too. I think  a lot of people in fashion lose that, where they start to take themselves too seriously and then it loses the whole fun of it. But that's the point of being a creative and an artist and a personality. You follow your mood and what you're into and you just do it.

EM: It's like little girls playing dress up, but like every day.

TO: Which we have a lot of fun doing, especially in Paris. Share your thoughts on the relationship between skate culture and fashion? I know you talk about it a lot in other interviews..

ChoosingHow I Live t-shirt, Dion Lee frayed jeans, landofthelost sweaters (on floor) Amiri white loafer

EM: I think skaters have their own personal style on a board, like designers have their own sense of style. Everyone wants to find that individuality of what makes this person. You know, what makes you think about this person when you see something. I think that's what everyone's chasing, a signature of themselves in whatever they do. Wether it's skating, styling and fashion in general. I think everyone wants their identity to be known. Or else we would just all wear the same things and skate the same.

TO: I know skaters have always had such great style in my opinion. I think it also comes from the aspect of skate culture of when you're first learning how to skate. Being fearless in the sense of falling flat on your face.

EM: Yeah. I mean, I think for example the shoelace belt. We don't want to be falling on a giant Gucci belt or something. We want to be falling on a piece of thread instead, you know? And then that kind of transcended into the fashion world. Skate style is very logical. In most cases it's very much: these shoes make me skate better, so I'm going to wear them and they happen look like that–– but I skate the best in them, so I'm going to wear those. Then it just becomes something..

TO: I think fashion, when they look at skate culture––it’s the cool factor. It's so effortless and that's what's so appealing about it. You want to look like those guys and girls on a board that are just so natural at being cool. 

EM: Everyone wants to be a skater, which is great. Skating just teaches you so much to set you up for your life. Like, not giving up, trying a trick for hours, maybe days and that's a template for life. Not giving up and that you'll get a million NOs, but the one yes. It’s so perfect. If you have it on film, it's amazing. There's a lot of time invested for skating and there's a lot of time invested to be the world's biggest photographer or designer or stylist. Designers will make a collection for so long and tweak it for so long, for it to be shown on a runway for 30 seconds maybe. And skaters will put in days, hours, sometimes minutes, if you're lucky for three, five seconds on the video..

TO: That's such a good point. I never thought about it that way.

EM: Yeah, there’s a lot of backstory to it. When you see the three second clip, you remember everything that happened and when you see a piece you made on the runway, you know the whole process of it. Your best one might’ve taken the least amount of time, or your worst one, you might’ve put all the work in for––it’s the same thing for skating. Your ugliest trick might've been the sickest one, or the one to go viral.

TO: You being a public person now––a fixation yourself, are there any artists or personalities that you're paying attention to today? Anyone that you're always excited to see what they're going to do next?

Area sweater customized by stylist

EM: Mikey Alfred who runs illegal civilization. He basically made Mid 90s and he made an even better movie called North Hollywood with a few key members and a bunch of skate homies. He’s one of those creators that knows how to connect the dots and make something amazing happen. He’s always had a plan, even as a dumb kid to just know what he wants, which is something that I struggle with because I kind of get into things so quickly and easily that I'm instantly infatuated with something new–– and to have someone that knows what they want from day one, from what I've seen is pretty solid. He puts his homies on too, which is the best part. I feel like he doesn't necessarily bow down to the older white dudes that are saying yes and no to if this movie is going to be great or not. Which is something that I think a lot of people need to realize is not necessary. Those guys, they might know the logistics of things, but they still don't know what the kids like. Who better to tell you than the kids who are living at the time.

TO: That are actually a part of the community..

EM: I think anyone that's in that lane is interesting. There’s this guy Julian, I always forget his last name. He’s a really amazing videographer and I always love seeing what he's doing. He's bringing back old cameras and redoing them and making films with them. He creates a whole bunch of different mediums. It was interesting to me because he's doing it on such a large scale that can't really be fucked with, which is cool. There's so many people that I obviously can't think of. But, there’s so many kids that are doing so many different cool things. It's not just someone who makes clothes or makes music. It's also videography. It's everything. It's art. 

TO: I think that's what's so great about your generation. Growing up, I was always told that you have to pick one thing. Even our parents were told that. I think your generation are really the ones who are making it a part of the norm to be like, well, I just like this and this is what I do. And that's that.

EM: Yeah. I think there’s also just more money in it, which makes it possible for us. This generation just so happened to be what it is. It’s now possible for 12 year olds on Tik TOK to live in a Hollywood mansion. It's nuts. 

TO: That leads into my next question perfectly, how do you feel your generation differs from previous ones? Is it really just social media?

EM: I guess we're just so much more connected now. My homies in Russia, I would have never met them before if it wasn't for Instagram, YouTube and all that stuff. It’s like you're instantly on the other side of the world on your phone. So the fact that we're all connected, I think helps a lot and helps us stay motivated and inspired by people around the world. Because you're not only seeing what's in front of your eyes, you're seeing everything if you wanted to.

EM: I think it's the generation of doing what you want. Kids are around the world trying to figure out how to live and just do what they want constantly. So many young people are willing to put the work in to do that. They're all just trying. to do it. Some people do it. Some people figure it out. I wouldn’t call it fluid, but I think young people now, they’re more just down to hop on a plane and go.

TO: I think that's what was so refreshing to me, when I first started working with you. Not to date myself, but we are about a decade apart, and that does feel like a generation apart in a sense.

My generation was a little bit different in the sense of not being as free, taking risks and just being fluid, like you said. I think the beautiful part of the gen Z culture is–– This is me, and if you don’t like it too bad. I think that's such a beautiful part of the youth right now. It's so much easier to find your tribe now too. I think social media obviously has its pros and cons with growing up with it and being exposed to it. But I think it also allows you to find your tribe a lot easier and then that really uplifts you, you know? There’s so many people I see in your generation that are doing what you're doing in the creative sphere. I can hear the waves behind me. How’s the surf today?

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EM: I’m been looking at it the whole time. I want to get out there. 

TO: In the spirit of the issue’s theme—Tomorrow People, highlighting personalities set to be around for the next X amount of years. Do you have any long-term goals you want to share or anything specific that you'd like to see for yourself by 2031, which is crazy? That sounds like the most futuristic around the corner number ever..

EM: I guess we'll see how that goes and feel it out as it happens. I'm just happy to be able to do whatever I want. Honestly, it's so nice. It's like all I ever wanted to do, and I spent my whole life trying to figure out how to do it, and it just happened and I feel really lucky to be in a position to do it. It also just feels natural because I've worked so hard to get here. But looking forward— you know, buying property, being able to retire my parents, all the normal things, but just being able to continue to do what I do at the highest level. Being able to have the freedom to experience new things and go to new places without being landlocked or anything like that.

TO: And then we'll all have houses out here on this beautiful beach.

EM: Then we'll own this place! 

TO: All right. Well, Evan’s going to go surf now. I'll watch from the shore, but it looks amazing out there.

A butterfly flys by.

EM: A butterfly. It's a good omen. 

Photographed by Dennis Tejero Styled by Britt Mccamey In conversation with Taylor Okata