Danish model Tobias Sorensen is more than a chiseled face

Søborg born, Copenhagen bred, and New York City residing, Tobias Sorensen is a model to many cities - he's a friendly, familiar face in fashion. With globetrotting on the weekly schedule and high-energy photo shoots in incredible places, I was surprised that this Scandi-New Yorker brought such grounded energy to our very laid-back virtual ‘get to know you’.

From accounts of his younger life to his successful modelling career, Sorensen is more than a chiseled face. While modelling might be his career, it's the exciting in-betweens - from being a family man to currently designing his dream home in Denmark, to his appreciation for the minimalistic approach to work, life and wellbeing - that makes him even more interesting.

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Before being scouted at the age of 18, and quickly thrown into the international fashion scene, Sorensen knew home as Denmark. "I grew up just 10 minutes outside of Copenhagen, in Søborg, with my mum, Dad and older sister - she's three and a half years older than me and we’ve always been super close," he says. "I went to school in that town. I grew up in that town. And later, I ended up moving on to business school where I studied one year of fundamental business and three years of higher business." Though education was leading him towards a different side of the fashion industry, his sister was the first person to help him see modelling as a potential route, a side hustle, perhaps.

"I remember my sister took all these photos of me in our basement, and we sent them around to agencies. Most of them didn't reply, and the ones that did all turned me down," he says with a humorous tone. "But then, one agency had me come in for a sit-down, so I went. And a few days later, I received an email saying that although they liked my look and my personality, they were afraid there would be too many expenses." Why? I asked. "With the scars. Editing and covering up my scars."

We shared a brief moment of relief in acknowledging that these absurd beauty standards have started to change for the better. He was ready to throw in the towel on the idea of modelling, when a year later, while working his shift at a clothing store, a customer scouted him. The same talent scout that represents Sorensen today. "A week later, I was in Paris doing my first shows, and everything just kick-started from there,” he explains.

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Now, at 34, Sorensen's modelling career is thriving on multiple continents. And he's filling the rest of his time making some rather exciting life decisions. I asked him to share something he's looking forward to, and he quickly admitted that although the concrete jungle suits his lifestyle, he still needs a fair balance of nature to stay sane.

"My grandparents had a vacation house on the harbour, just north of Copenhagen," he says. “My family used to spend a lot of time there and it’s just beautiful. I recently bought my own place there, because I have so many great memories from my childhood. It's something that I've always really wanted and it feels good." Experiencing Covid in New York City seemingly gave things a new perspective. "It just made me want to spend more time in Copenhagen and settle down. I've been on the go for so long, and it really made me want to spend more time with my family and have a place to just be."

Sorensen reiterated how his busy life in New York had given him a newfound love for Danish minimalism in design, architecture, and lifestyle. "I think (minimalism) is something I took for granted when I first moved to the States. I grew up in this beautiful city, but I didn't pay attention to it the way I do now. I know now that Copenhagen is by far one of my favourite places to be."

Inspired by Danish furniture designers like Arne Jacobson and Hans Wegner, Sorensen made a strong point for exploring one's personal style. “Interior design kind of lines up with fashion. When you're in the industry, it's important to find your way of expressing yourself. It's the same as where you come home to in order to relax."

As our conversation came towards the end, I asked him to share some thoughts on inspiration. Being an inspiration to others, I was curious to know what — or who rather, inspires him. Without hesitation, he answered, "Edward Enninful, the editor in chief for British Vogue. What he's done is amazing. I mean, he is revolutionising fashion and fashion magazines." Other inspirations included creative disruptors like Rihanna, Virgil Abloh, and Olivier Rousteing - creatives he believes to "have had an authentic vision from the beginning". Hard to argue. And his future hope for emerging models and creatives of the industry are simple. "I want others to not only be able to be proud of who they are but also to feel comfortable in who they are.”

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And with just hours left before his next flight, we said our farewells, I wished him safe travels, and we signed off. Though Sorensen's modelling career is not slowing down, we're lucky to start seeing him more on this side of the pond. And lucky for him, that means more time for family, quiet summer days on the coast of Copenhagen, and soul searching for the perfect interior – the fruits of his hard-earned labor.

Stay tuned for his upcoming projects (and perhaps even a top-secret six-day shoot in Thailand that he called the biggest job of his entire career). We can’t wait.