There’s really no other way to put this: Donovan Wildfong is on some king shit. He’s taking the modeling world by storm, working with brands like Gap and Fear of God after less than a year in the industry. He just released two singles under his alter ego, Dottie Da, that are perfect for any chill, alternative summer playlist. And arguably most importantly, Donovan has single-handedly made blush the must-have accessory for 2021.
Not to mention, he accomplished all this while challenging the typical gender rules associated with clothing and accessories, remaining unapologetically himself, and existing as a Timothee Chalamet look-alike.
Born and raised in San Clemente, California, 21-year-old Donovan Wildfong is a jack of all trades. Outside of his solo music, Donovan is currently working on a new album with his band, Depress Mode, is a talented skater boy, and has a killer social media presence. Sheesh Magazine had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Donovan and chat about his many trades.
You’re a man of so many talents, I lost count. Can you tell us about your passions in life?
DONOVAN WILDFONG: I’ve been skateboarding since I was four. My parents put me on a skateboard when I was actually an infant, and I’ve been skating my whole life. That is one of my biggest passions because it’s always been there, since I was a kid. It’s always a place that I can run to. Another passion, I would say, is music. Everybody’s life revolves around music, even if you don’t think that it does. Music is one of the most important things ever, and I am almost always listening to music. I come from a very music driven family, so everything has memories attached to it and sentimental value. When I started making music at fourteen, I put my own feelings into songs, and that’s when it became the most meaningful.
What has your journey with music been like? Did you find music or did music find you?
DONOVAN WILDFONG: I would say that music found me because my dad has been in a band since he was a kid. He makes his own solo music all the time, and he would always try to get me into it when I was younger. I didn’t have the attention span to learn an instrument because I was such a loud and fast kid, and I just wanted to skate and go fast and break stuff. I’m one of seven siblings, five of them are my sisters and one of them’s my brother. I very much look up to my brother, and he started a band when he was in high school, and I was a middle schooler at that time. I was looking at him like, ‘Wow, he’s so cool. He’s in a band.’ I thought it was super cool, so I think when I got a little bit older and I got an attention span, I started learning how to play instruments, found a group of friends, and then music brought everybody together.
Tell us about your experience modeling! Is it an old love or is it a new flame?
DONOVAN WILDFONG: A funny story about that. Nine months ago I got out of a three year relationship, so I was feeling really down. All of my friends were like, ‘You just need to find something to distract you.’ Then one of my sisters took photos from my Instagram and sent them out to agencies without telling me. She just brought me a contract one day, so I went and met with the agency, signed with them, and am still with them today. A lot of crazy things have happened since then. I just had a bunch of big jobs, a billboard, and in store photos, and I’ve only been doing this for less than a year. I love it. Everybody that you meet is so nice and also so pretty, it’s kind of intimidating. I think that it’s super fun and such a nice little community.
You just got your first billboard. What was it like seeing yourself on the streets of Sunset Boulevard?
DONOVAN WILDFONG: That was insane actually, because they told me that I was going to get it, and I was like ‘Oh it’s just going to be a little billboard.’ They sent me the location for it and so me and two of my friends went to drive over and see it, and we were like, ‘Where is this thing?’ as we were driving, and then we peeked around the side of a building, and it was a ten or twelve story tall picture of me. I didn’t even know how to react. I can’t put it into words, it’s just crazy that I’m at this point.
How would you describe your aesthetic? What vibes do you try to give off?
DONOVAN WILDFONG: I think I just dress and act like what I think is cool and like myself. I’ve always had this sort of style for years, and I don’t really know what I would call it. Cowboy chic, maybe. I don’t really try to put off an aesthetic, but if I were to put off a vibe, I like making sure that everybody is happy, and specifically comfortable with themselves. I put myself out there as much as I can, so that people are like, ‘Oh, this guy is doing this, maybe I can put myself out there and be myself.’ It’s happened a lot, where I’ve gotten DMs from people saying I helped them find out who they are. I guess that’s just the vibe I try to put off — encouraging people to be themselves.
What does it mean to be able to help other people want to be themselves?
DONOVAN WILDFONG: That’s an extremely good feeling. It makes me feel like I’m doing something here, like I have a greater purpose. While I have a small platform, even on a small scale it feels great knowing that I’m helping people come out of their shell and feel more comfortable being themselves.
What is it like being a part of multiple bands while creating solo music? Does it give you an opportunity to experiment with different sounds?
DONOVAN WILDFONG: I really enjoy playing with bands. Depress Mode has been around since I was fifteen, and we’ve only gotten better together. We have changed sounds so much, but we always keep to our roots. My solo stuff is really where I get to let my creativity show. I’m excited for people to hear this album, because every song is so different and so me. Everything has so much feeling behind it and switches up genres and styles and speeds and all of that stuff. It feels good that because I have all these ideas that pop into my head, like, ‘Oh my gosh, it would be so funny to write like a country song,’ and I can just write a country. It’s just so nice being able to not have any pressure on it. I’m not signed to anybody, so I have all creative freedom.
Is there a certain genre you would assign to your music?
DONOVAN WILDFONG: I always put myself in one genre, and it’s a genre I made up called ‘Pop Ramen.’ Top ramen is the low budget equivalent to nice, fancy ramen. So I use that in the sense of like, my pop, weird, rock music that I make is like a low budget version of all the bands that I really like. I think that putting a genre on it is not creative enough. I like to have more fun with it.
You’re stranded on a desert island. You can create one last outfit. What are you wearing?
DONOVAN WILDFONG: All right, I would like forest green canvas bell bottoms or flare pants. I would like a perfect fitting cream sweater, and then I want a red collar coming out of the cream sweater. On top of that, I would probably throw on some cream socks, black shoes, maybe some nice Prada loafers or something to get a label on it. And a blazer with the same exact tone as the pants but a good short cut fitted on that I can take off so the whole fit is showing.
What wisdom can you offer to other aspiring young creatives?
DONOVAN WILDFONG: Please be yourself. Please. You can tell when somebody is not being themselves, and it’s always like, damn, I just wish you were pushing what makes you unique. You may find those people that are going to hate on you for it, but that’s just because they’re jealous, because they’re not being themselves. That’s the most important thing, to be yourself.
Make sure to check out Donovan’s new singles on Spotify and Apple Music. And don’t forget to visit his Instagram page if you want your feed to be blessed with good vibes, fashion inspiration, and more updates from Donovan himself.
This article has been edited and condensed for clarity.
