Before he was the genius profiler with the elbow patches and the messy hair, Matthew Gray Gubler was a literal runway icon. Honestly, if you only know him as Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds, you’ve missed a massive chunk of the "Gubler-verse." We're talking about a guy who wasn't just a model on the side—he was ranked among the top 50 male models in the entire world.
It’s kinda wild to think about.
While most actors have a "struggling waiter" phase, Matthew had a "high-fashion editorial" phase. He was discovered while buying something at a drugstore in New York City. A scout from DNA Model Management saw this lanky, awkward-but-striking NYU film student and basically told him he had the face for the industry. From there, it was a whirlwind of flashes and runways.
The DNA Model Management Years
You’ve probably seen the grainy, tumblr-esque matthew gray gubler modelling photos floating around. They aren't just snapshots; they are high-fashion history. Signed with DNA, he became a go-to for designers who wanted someone who didn't look like a standard gym rat. He had that "waif" look that was huge in the early 2000s.
Think Burberry, Marc Jacobs, and Tommy Hilfiger.
He wasn't just doing catalog work for local department stores. He was walking in Milan. He was doing campaigns for Louis Vuitton and Sisley. There’s this specific energy in his early photos—it’s a mix of "I don't know what I'm doing here" and "I’m the coolest person in the room."
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Working with the Big Names
The roster of brands he worked with is actually insane for a guy who just wanted to be a director:
- Tommy Hilfiger: He did classic American prep but made it look slightly off-kilter.
- American Eagle: More accessible, sure, but he gave it a weirdly high-end vibe.
- Marc Jacobs: This is where his look really thrived. Jacobs loves "interesting" faces, and Matthew fit that perfectly.
- Aldo Shoes: He even did a full-blown commercial for their Fall/Winter 2011 campaign, well after he started Criminal Minds.
One of the most frequent collaborators back in the day was photographer Terry Richardson. Now, Richardson is a controversial figure, but in the mid-2000s, his studio was where everyone went. The photos of Matthew from those sessions are legendary—often featuring him in his signature glasses, doing magic tricks, or just being generally chaotic.
Why the "Model" Look Helped Create Dr. Reid
People often wonder why Spencer Reid wore such specific clothes. It turns out, a lot of that was Matthew’s own style influence. The mismatched socks? That’s 100% him. The way he wore cardigans? That came from a guy who knew exactly how fabric should sit on a 6'1" frame.
His modeling background gave him a physical awareness that most actors lack. If you watch those early seasons of Criminal Minds, the way he moves—sort of gangly and deliberate—is very reminiscent of a runway walk.
The Transition to Film
While he was modeling for Burberry, he was also interning for Wes Anderson. It’s the most "Gubler" story ever. He was literally working as an intern on the set of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou when Anderson encouraged him to audition for the role of Nico (Intern #1).
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He got the part.
Suddenly, the guy from the matthew gray gubler modelling photos was on a movie set with Bill Murray. The fashion industry lost a top-50 model, but the entertainment world gained one of its most unique voices. He even made a documentary about his time as an intern, which you can still find on some Criterion Collection releases.
The "Ugly-Cool" Aesthetic
What really makes his modeling portfolio stand out is that he never tried to be the "handsome lead." He leaned into being the "weird guy." In fashion terms, this is often called "geek chic" or "heroin chic" (depending on the year), but Matthew just called it being himself.
He once joked in an interview that he was a model because he was "weird-looking." But looking at the shots for Sisley or his editorial work in Glamour Magazine, it's clear the industry saw something else: a canvas. He could look like a 1920s poet in one shot and a 90s skater in the next.
Key Campaigns to Look Up
If you're hunting for the best examples of his work, look for:
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- The Sisley 2004 Campaign: Very moody, very "European cinema."
- Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer Collections: These show off his ability to wear "difficult" clothes.
- The Tommy Hilfiger Print Ads: The quintessential "young Matthew" look.
It Wasn't Just a Phase
Even after Criminal Minds took over his life, he didn't totally quit the fashion world. He still does the occasional shoot that feels more like art than "modeling." Whether it's for his own books (Rumple Buttercup) or just stylized portraits for magazines, he still uses those skills he learned in front of the lens in 2001.
He basically proved that you can be the "smart guy" on TV and still be the "cool guy" in a magazine. It’s a rare crossover. Most models try to act and fail; Matthew acted, modeled, directed, and wrote best-selling children's books.
What You Can Learn from the "Gubler Style"
If there's any takeaway from his modeling years, it's that leaning into your "flaws" is actually a superpower. He didn't hide his lankiness; he highlighted it. He didn't fix his "geeky" vibe; he made it high-fashion.
If you’re looking to find his old portfolio work, your best bet is to dig through fashion archives from the early 2000s or fan-run sites like Gublerland. Most of the high-res stuff is buried in physical magazines, but the digital footprint of his DNA Model Management days is still very much alive on Pinterest and Tumblr.
Go check out those 2004 Burberry shots. You'll never look at Dr. Reid the same way again.
To see how his style evolved, you can track his career from the DNA Model Management boards to his more recent, self-directed portraits that accompany his art and books. The consistency is in the quirkiness. He never stopped being that guy who got scouted at a drugstore; he just found more ways to show it.
The best next step for any fan is to look for the Terry Richardson Diary archives (if you can find them) or old Sisley catalogs from the mid-2000s. These contain the rawest, most unfiltered versions of his modeling work before the "Hollywood" polish took over.