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The cover of Esquire’s celebration of autumn winter 2019 features not only French Montana (aka Karim Karbouch) the Moroccan-born rapper, but for the first time ever his son, too.
Throughout our ‘Fatherhood’ issue we tackle different ways that the role of the dad has evolved over in today’s society. And while French is better known for his swag-laden bars and braggadocio hooks, our goal was to capture him in a different light from what we are used to seeing him. We dubbed it: French Montana: The Unexpected.
Out with the Big Red Solo cups, the streetwear clothing, scantily clad women and diamond encrusted watches, and in with a more refined look, dark colours and stark lighting. With a… stylist
What makes this shoot “Unforgetable” is of course the inclusion of his son, Kruz. As well as being an awesome and good-looking kid, it shows a side of French that few people ever get to see – Karim Kharbouch, the dad.
French Montana is often seen in his trademark streetwear styles, which is why we wanted to present him in an entirely more Esquire-style of dress. Enter brands such as Prada, Fendi and Gucci. As well as a healthy number of statement accessories.
Chief among the accessories where the watches. Montana is known for sporting some great watches, and our shoot was no different. However, we wanted to give his wrist a dash of Italian style, which is why we chose Panerai. The brand is known both for its eye-catching watches as well as its technical prowess, wich made it the perfect watch partner for Montana.
You can watch the full video below:
