Sharon Stephenson talks to model Josh McGregor about his famous friends and making it on the runway.
He’s mates with the Kardashians, regularly hangs out with Justin Bieber at Coachella, gets acting advice from Leonardo DiCaprio and calls designer Giorgio Armani a “really nice guy”.
But that’s what happens
Since 2020, Wellingtonian Josh McGregor has been based in New York City, where he’s appeared in ad campaigns for Burberry, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein, and for magazines such as Vogue and GQ.
The 24-year-old has also walked the runways of the big four – Paris, London, Milan and New York fashion weeks – including “closing out” shows in Milan and New York (as anyone in the fashion industry knows, being the last model down the catwalk, or closing it out, is a big deal).
Even after five years, the pinch-me moments hit often, Josh admits.
“On one of my first modelling jobs, I was flown to Ibiza in footballer Lionel Messi’s private jet. And I was recently invited to a film premiere where I chatted to Ryan Reynolds, John Cena and Idris Elba. Sometimes my life is a bit surreal.”
Talking to Viva from the Soho apartment he recently moved into (more on that later), it’s easy to see why the fashion and entertainment worlds have fallen for Josh: cheekbones you could slice cheese on, long limbs a sun-drenched shade of healthy, and skin that has the sheen of a diet rich in antioxidants.
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Advertise with NZME.But it’s his down-to-earth Kiwi-ness that Josh believes is responsible for the high-profile gigs that keep coming his way.
“My parents always drilled into me the need to stay grounded. That no matter where I am or who I’m hanging out with, I’m just a Kiwi kid from Upper Hutt who loves sport and my family. That kind of attitude is carved into who I am today.”
Being from Aotearoa is also a great conversation starter, he adds.
“When I meet some of these Hollywood stars or models like Kendall Jenner, they want to know if my accent is Australian, so I always try to get in first and say I’m from New Zealand. Because New Zealand has such a good reputation over here, and a lot of these actors and models have visited there, they want to talk about it.”
Josh clearly inherited his parents’ work ethic; his mother is a hairdresser who has run a salon for years, and his builder father owns a construction company.
His diary is full to bursting. Not only did Josh recently close out a runway show for Italian brand Dsquared², but he also has to push out our interview when a shoot for Lululemon runs over. Also on the horizon are runway shows in Milan and New York, and shoots for Nike and hot French label Ludovic de Saint Sernin.
Which isn’t bad for someone who’d never considered modelling or heard of the famous French brand Lanvin, let alone known how to pronounce it (lah-veh).
“I was never exposed to male models, so never thought about it.”
Sport was where the lanky teenager was headed (“I wanted to be an All Black”), although he was no slouch academically, so if the rugby or basketball hadn’t worked out, plan B was to study marine biology at the University of Otago.
But in 2019, while checking out US colleges who’d scouted him for a basketball scholarship, Josh was approached by Sam Doerfler, the head of Ford Models worldwide.
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Advertise with NZME.“I told him I wasn’t interested, but he gave me his card. I showed my uncle, who was living in New York at the time, and he told me that Sam was actually a super famous model agent and that I should take a meeting with him.”
Which Josh did, and was signed to Ford Models the next day.
But success has come with its downsides – such as missing home (“I’m a little bit tired of New York and miss having a backyard”) and having to move houses because of stalkers.
“There’s a group of girls who show up wherever I am and who’d scream that they loved me outside my building, which didn’t endear me to the neighbours!” he says. “It actually became unsafe to live there, so I’ve moved to a building with 24-hour security and have a personal bodyguard when I go to events, which sounds nuts, but I have to keep safe.”
The next step is acting, and Josh is taking lessons. He’s also about to launch a high-end street-wear range of unisex clothing with a designer who’s worked with Rihanna and Justin Bieber.
“We’ve called the brand You Know Us, and we’re hoping to eventually have runway shows. It’s going to be a big part of my future, along with acting.”
Meanwhile at NZFW: Kahuria
From personal style to the biggest moments.
All The Best Street Style From New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria 2025. The Viva team charts the most interesting and stylish looks spotted outside New Zealand Fashion Week.
What The Viva Team Is Wearing To New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria 2025. Treasured vintage, considered new purchases and borrowed garments we’d rather not return – the Viva team considers the stories and surrounding economies of our wardrobes at New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria.
Karen Walker’s Return To The New Zealand Fashion Week Runway Was Chaos, Just As She Planned. Fashion designer Karen Walker has always delighted in presenting the unexpected.
Taika Waititi Walks The Runway At New Zealand Fashion Week Opening Show. New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria kicks off at Shed 10, with sparkling NZ stars dressed in treasures from the archives.
