NIGERIA - THE 1970’s
Atesh Salih was born on May 25th 1972, to a Turkish-Cypriot father, a forestry officer for the Nigerian government and an entrepreneur, and German mother, a teacher, in Ogbomosho, Nigeria. He lived in Ibadan briefly and then the suburbs of Ilorin, Kwara state. The third son of four children, the youngest being his sister, he remembers Nigeria fondly.
Atesh loved his childhood there. Home-schooled alongside his siblings, mornings were for study, leaving long afternoons free for exploration. Immersed in blazing heat, monsoon rains and lush tropical vegetation, he grew up among an ever-changing menagerie of animals: chameleons, a small deer, a genet, parrots, rabbits, tortoises and more. Curiosity and fascination led him to giant ants, huge locusts, praying mantises, snakes and a surprise visit by a dangerous monitor lizard.
He climbed trees and stared at the majestic crocodiles across the reservoir in amazement and, sometimes, trepidation. Every journey seemed an adventure, filled with remarkable people, unexpected encounters and discoveries waiting around the next corner. However, there were dangers too: he survived a near-fatal drowning and narrowly escaped losing a finger.
At the age of seven, in 1979, the family moved to England. Nigeria left an indelible impression on Atesh’s soul – and he felt like he’d left a piece of himself behind.
ENGLAND – THE 1980s
The move to England was a culture shock, not least because of the cold weather. The family settled on the outskirts of a town in Essex, about an hour’s drive from London. Though Atesh loved the countryside, life was too slow and somewhat limiting for an inquisitive young boy keen to learn about the world.
From a young age he realised he wanted to act, but he struggled with reading at school and was labelled dyslexic. With the inadequate support available at the time, and an increasing sense of being incapacitated, he never achieved his academic potential in this environment. Ending high school, with his reading challenges and no financial means to pay for drama school, his hope of acting dwindled.
It was only by chance that Atesh fell into modelling, after his mother and sister heard a radio advert asking for prospective modelling talent – and his mum suggested it could be a way into acting. Standing on his sister’s bed, in black trousers, a black and white baseball jacket, a black trilby hat and with an unlit cigarette in his mouth, Atesh struck his best James Dean pose. Unbeknownst to him, this first modelling picture would send him on a trajectory that would lead to his success in the world of fashion.
Though this didn’t happen immediately and, wanting to be financially secure, he tried a brief stint training as an accountant, but then worked in various other jobs over the next few years. Having trained since he was 11, he also started teaching martial arts, Wing Chun Kung Fu, as a fully qualified ‘Sifu’ (father-teacher) at age 18, eventually training to the highest levels of the discipline.
It could be said that the precision, control and understated elegance of Wing Chun had some influence in shaping the poised physicality and distinctive composure that defined parts of his work in front of the camera.
Meanwhile, he attended castings/go sees (modelling appointments) and had a few modelling jobs here and there. He tried a couple of agents over the years but felt it was of no real significance.
FASHION - THE 1990s
Atesh realised that he needed to land a prominent London agent to be successful. He decided this would be his last shot in fashion before it was time to move on. Fortunately, he managed to get an appointment at Boss Models, a major agency in the city. Though the booker (who gets your jobs) liked Atesh and thought he had potential, she knew he wasn’t the ideal model height of 6’+. But she was savvy and recommended he shave his head as a fashion statement and to draw more attention to his stunning, green eyes. While Atesh preferred his hair, he thought it was his last chance, so off he went to the barbers!
After doing his first test shoot (photographs for portfolio only) Atesh also landed an agent in Paris. He shot to fame a few months later (in the early 90s), becoming a male international supermodel after world renowned Photographer Paolo Roversi photographed him, in his Paris studio, for the cover of Vogue Homme International, the then biannual, male fashion, trend setting magazine.
In the blink of an eye, he was walking down catwalks at the fashion show seasons in Paris, Milan and New York, working with the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes, Versace, Kenzo, DSquared2, Hugo Boss, Issey Miyake, Paul Smith, Alexander McQueen and Tommy Hilfiger. Gaining recognition for his striking features and versatility, over the next 35 years Atesh appeared on the covers and in the pages of all the major international fashion publications. This included Vogue, GQ, Esquire, Arena, Wallpaper, Details, W, L’Optimum, Sportswear International, Mondo Uomo and L’Official Homme.
He worked with most of the eminent photographers in the fashion business from Paolo Roversi and Peter Lindbergh to Ellen Von Unwerth, Richard Avedon, Mario Testino and Mert & Marcus. He featured in the campaigns of top designers and luxury brands, including Giorgio Armani, Chopard, Cerruti, Clarins, Biotherm, Philip Treacy, Corneliani, Louis Vuitton and Mercedes. And he was the face of numerous mainstream brands, including Levis, Guess, H&M, Benetton, Celio, Olivier Strelli, Swatch, Wrangler, Daniel Hechter, Havana Club, Aigner and Häagen-Dazs.
Demonstrating ability as a presenter, he was hired for ‘The Clothes Show Live’, at a major exhibition centre in England. He also appeared in several interviews about his modelling career on primetime TV programmes.
ACTING – THE 2000s
In the early 2000s, Atesh got married and, a few years later, fathered two wonderful boys, two years apart. Meanwhile, having displayed a talent for acting, he landed more commercials and spent a period of time at drama school. After being spotted in the Giorgio Armani Campaign, on a billboard strewn across Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, a prestigious acting agent was interested in signing him up, which Atesh did, however, he was still living in London.
He appeared on stage and in film, performing in theatre plays, such as ‘Dangerous’ and ‘Eyes Catch Fire’ on the London fringe theatre circuit, with well-received reviews. He also acted in several independent film productions, such as ‘The Purifiers’, the award winning ‘The Winter Sun is a Lie’, and ‘Broken’, generally in supporting roles.
As well as trying out for other films, Atesh auditioned for leading roles as Paris in the film ‘Troy’, starring Brad Pitt, and, as the young Superman, in the new superman ‘Smallville’ series.
With a major role not forthcoming and increasingly intense requests from his LA agent, Atesh was on the cusp of embracing his acting career. But now he faced two opposing choices: 1. The prospect of spending several months at a time in LA and possibly moving there, or 2. Putting this on hold and reconfiguring his life to raise his children and be a present father.
Though it was a difficult decision, as a devoted family man, he chose the second option. This prompted a new career in another of his interests, interior and architectural design, which enabled him to stay close to home in London.
INTERIOR & ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN – THE 2010s
By this time, Atesh had also renovated a few properties, designing and project-managing them. Influenced by his cultural heritage, inspired by his travels, and the architecture he encountered, and with a fine eye for detail, he trained as an Interior Designer and started his own company. His design experience includes bespoke furniture, complete renovations, architectural and structural design, as well as project management. He has worked with some of the most respected designers in the field and his clients have included prominent public figures and royalty.
While embarking on this new journey he continued some modelling for major brands and acted in commercials, which is when he worked with the acclaimed director, Nicolas Winding Refn, on a Mercedes Benz advert.
During the middle of this decade, Atesh and his wife divorced, still sharing equal care and responsibility for their children. Towards the end of the decade, unexpectedly, he met and subsequently married his present wife.
As a private person, and to protect his young family’s privacy, he avoided the social media platforms that his contemporaries adopted and didn’t digitalise or catalogue his archive of work. But he wouldn’t remain hidden for long.
GEN Z, TIKTOK, YOUTUBE & RESIDENT EVIL – THE EARLY 2020s
Around this time, Atesh, unknowingly, resurfaced online as archived editorials, campaigns and footage of him spread across TikTok, YouTube and Gen Z internet culture. With the rise of ‘looksmaxxing’, ‘hunter eyes’ and ‘PSL Gods’ aesthetics, many online began citing Atesh as the definitive real-world embodiment of the ‘Hunter Eyes’ ideal, with his image widely shared across edits, forums and viral compilations.
The resurgence reached another level with the release of the ‘Resident Evil 4’ remake console game, for which Atesh was hired as the face model for the franchise’s iconic villain, Albert Wesker. The association quickly went viral across TikTok, YouTube, Reddit and gaming forums, introducing Atesh to an entirely new generation. His teenage sons, who gained great street cred from this, now became the loudest voices pushing him to finally step into the social media world himself. However, after a long time out of the public eye, Atesh was hesitant.
Simultaneously, success in his interior design business progressed to offering a private consultancy and design advice service, now only taking on specific projects. Alongside this, the acting and modelling continued – he featured in a recent lifestyle short. As the demands of fatherhood waned, he was moving into another phase of his life and exploring other interests.
NEW POSSIBILITIES – THE MID 2020s
It’s clear that his presence endures and his influence is still felt as his long-term, loyal fans have been joined by the younger generation in droves. His timeless appeal and effortless looks make him a natural in front of any camera. So, what’s next?
With his reappearance in the spotlight, and now posting on Instagram, will we finally get to know this elusive character with the mysteriously piercing eyes? Are you ready for his next chapter?
Stay tuned for what’s to come! 👀
The above is based on information correct at the time of going live (June 2026).
Particular career thanks and appreciation go to Paola Devito, (my booker at Boss Models), Corinne Hemmerdinger, (my Paris booker) and Frederic Benfaid (my current Paris booker), as well as to the photographers PoaloRoversi and Peter Lindbergh. Of course, I am also grateful to everyone who’s helped and played a part in my career along the way.
Acknowledgements to my sister, Shifa Salih, for helping me edit this, Andrea Vecchiato for co-editing and to Emirhan Özata for assistance with my show reel, Charlotte Sparkes (my London booker) for digitalising my images and Isin Butun for her patience and professionalism in building my website.
