Cover Look: Jacket + Pants: Tell the Truth @tellthetruth.shop Jewelry: AROCK @arock_official Backpack: Swissdigital Design @swissdigital_design Top: Atelier Cillian @ateliercillian Sunglasses: Loewe @loewe
The last time BELLO sat down with Cody Christian was for the September 2017 issue. A lot has happened since. The roles have ranged from calculated villain to six-season anchor to the voice behind one of gaming’s most mythologized heroes, and what runs through all of it is a refusal to be easily read. Now, with SYNC, a science fiction thriller that places him at the center of a near-future Los Angeles, he is stepping into the kind of material he has been building toward: layered, emotionally complex, and uninterested in easy resolution.
Off set, the same instincts apply. Christian’s approach to style has earned its own conversation, not because he courts fashion, but because he clearly understands it. The distinction matters to him. What he wears is an extension of who he is, never the other way around. What follows is a conversation about craft, confidence, and the designers he is quietly dreaming about.
Faux Fur Coat: Vintage Sunglasses: Sojos Eyewear @sojosvision Jewelry: AROCK @arock_official Bag: Qoffah @qoffah Shoes: Jean Baptiste Rautureau @jb_rautureau Pants + Top : Saint Laurent @ysl
Cody Christian @codychristian
Photography Steve Limones @stevelimonesphotography
Styling Becky Thompson @stylebybek
Grooming Carol Park @1carolpark
Conversation by Aleksandar Tomovic @alekandsteph
Photography Assistant Nick Ahmet @nick_ahmet
Special Thanx Sean Reilly @seanreillyla
Maison Privée X BELLO Media Group @maisonpriveepr_la @bellomediagroup
Your style always feels effortless but intentional. How would you describe your personal fashion philosophy, and how has it evolved alongside your career?
That’s a great way to describe the direction; effortless yet intentional. Meticulous. Methodical. Details matter. Style is such a beautiful form of expression in which you get to both control and decide how you want to present/communicate with the world. I love the subjectivity in it. I’ve always been a firm believer in style/fashion accentuating the human being behind the outfit. YOU wear the outfit, the outfit doesn’t wear you. As I’ve grown within the industry and been exposed to more and more, my main approach these days is simply this: regardless of the brand, the price, the piece, do I feel confident? If the answer is yes, no one can tell me otherwise. No one can tell me, “Well, that doesn’t go with that” or “This is not in season, you should be wearing yada yada with yada yada.” At the end of the day, the outfit I choose to wear should feel like a uniform or body armor I’m proud to inhabit. If you feel that way, there’s no wrong answers. Also something I’d like to add to this that I’ve learned over time… form and fit over everything. You don’t need to be dressed head to toe in designer. Understanding how the fabric/material forms to your body is imperative. Proportions matter. Every body is different so it’s important to find out what works for you. I’ve made a 200 dollar suit look like a 2000 dollar suit by impeccable tailoring.
Sunglasses: Sojos Eyewear @sojosvision Bag: Qoffah @qoffah Jewelry: AROCK @arock_official Shoes: Jean Baptiste Rautureau @jb_rautureau Top: Samuel Gartner @samuelgaertner Pants: Hiromi Asai @hiromi.asai
Whether you are on set, traveling, or off duty in Los Angeles, what pieces or brands do you naturally gravitate toward, and what makes them feel authentic to you?
To piggy back off what I was saying before, whatever provides me a sense of confidence that can’t be rattled by outside opinion. I’m the one wearing it, not the person making an opinion. I gravitate towards pieces and brands that embody simplicity. I want my character to be complimented by the style, not the other way around. When I take off the outfit, who I am still remains, I try to keep that in mind with my style. I don’t have specific brands I’m married to. We’re in a day and age with social media that I’m constantly discovering new brands every single day and trying them out, very grateful for that. But one brand specifically that I think does an immaculate job is John Elliott. I’ve met John in the past and love his approach to designing and creating pieces that effortlessly create stand out silhouettes without ever doing too much.
Top: Atelier Cillian @ateliercillian Cummerbund: Hiromi Asai @hiromi.asai Jewelry: AROCK @arock_official Pants: Renaissance by DG @renaissancebydg
You have played characters with very different energies throughout your career. Does fashion, grooming, or even music help you step into a role before filming begins?
Absolutely. All of these things mentioned above share a core of human expression. How a character dresses, grooms a beard/styles their hair, or even the type of music they listen to tells a story about who they are and how they engage with their world. The deeper you get into the creative side of the world, you begin to understand and appreciate the interconnectedness of it all.
Jewelry: AROCK @arock_official Sunglasses: Sojos Eyewear @sojosvision Top: Atelier Cillian @ateliercillian pants Saint Laurent @ysl
In an industry where image is constantly discussed, how do you balance staying true to yourself while still evolving creatively and visually?
The willingness to express authenticity without it being rooted in fear. At a certain point, you have to be willing to let go of the control other people’s opinions may have over you. You begin to understand that dressing, acting, or presenting yourself to world in a way of searching for approval is actually a disservice to not only yourself but to others that may look to you in that space. It can be scary at times. But to reiterate what I said earlier, representation of yourself that creates unshakable confidence can never be wrong, regardless of outside opinion. My mind is going to a quote that I love that says, “If you live for the compliments, you’ll die by the criticism.” I feel it’s very relevant and applicable here.
Left: Coat: Renaissance by DG @renaissancebydg Jacket: Renaissance by DG @renaissancebydg Jeans: APC @apc_paris Shoes: Maison Privee Archives @maisonpriveepr _la Jewelry: AROCK @arock_official
When choosing your next project, what is the first thing that truly grabs you? Is it the writing, the emotional complexity of the character, the director’s vision, or something more instinctive?
A combination of everything you mentioned. I’m at the point in my career where I’m fortunate enough to have established a little bit of a foundation that at least communicates I’m capable of doing the job. I’ve been employed consistently and proven to not only myself but the industry in which I operate in that I can show up and deliver. What I’m looking for now is depth. I’ve done a lot of work in the past where I was unable to dive deep so I’m looking for projects that allow to me to flourish and show the mental and emotional maturity this work has blessed me with over the last two decades. I love the art form of story telling because I feel it communicates with human beings in what I refer to as the “emotional language,” something we’re all fluent in. I fell In love with this because of the potential of connection. To make others feel things, sometimes things they don’t even wish to feel. I believe it’s such a powerful reminder of what it is to be alive. Regardless of where you’re from, your upbringing, your race or cultural differences, being above the dirt is what connects us all. So in regards to projects, characters, stories to be told, all of these things are on my mind.
Jumpsuit: Mister Triple X @mistertriplex Shoes: Jean Baptiste Rautureau @jb_rautureau Coat: Renaissance by DG @renaissancebydg
Looking back at projects like Teen Wolf and All American, what kinds of roles do you feel most connected to at this stage of your career?
All the past work I’ve done holds a special place in my heart. They were all milestones. Lessons. Opportunities to grow and refine. These days, I find myself gravitating toward the imperfect characters. The ones with emotional complexity. An abrasiveness. The ones that truly feel lived in as I feel these characters are a wonderful exemplification of what it is to be human.
Your presence often carries a calm confidence that translates both on camera and in editorials. How important is lifestyle and routine in maintaining your creativity and sense of balance?
I always say the real work is not being on set and doing the things you’re in love with that provide fulfillment. In any creative industry, instability always comes second hand. The real work begins when you’re not actually working. It’s about creating structure where there may be none. Maintaining discipline to the things you know will do your mind, body, and spirit justice. These things may feel dull in comparison but it doesn’t negate their importance. To be free creatively, your mind and spirit cannot be in disarray. (Sometimes they can be, but its not always the healthiest approach or most sustainable lol)
Fashion and entertainment are becoming more interconnected than ever. If you could collaborate with any fashion house, designer, or creative director for a campaign or film-inspired editorial, who would be at the top of your list and why?
Brand wise, there’s more than a handful that have been on my wish list. Christian Dior for sure. Tom Ford as well, amongst others. I’m in love with the history and elegance of the brand and their creative directions. As far as designers go, I have big dreams to eventually cross paths creatively with a few. Schiaparelli. Iris Van Herpen. Robert Wun. These three never cease to amaze me. Talk about true artists. Imagination redefining boundaries. Not being afraid to put their heart and souls into the work. I find myself mesmerized and inspired. It may be quite some time before I’m wearing a custom Robert Wun piece to the likes of a Met Gala, but I’m a firm believer that everything in this life is real twice. First in your mind, then again when it actualizes. I feel this belief in the works of the 3 I mentioned.
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