Photography by Luke Austin

Styling by Monty Jackson

Words by Ryan Cahill

“I never really understood who my father is, because to me it was just normal!” 23-year-old rising star Miles Richie tells me. The only son of musical legend, international icon and the reason none of us can say “hello” without bursting into song, Lionel Richie, I’m keen to find out what that’s like? “I had a very interesting childhood. I was always shy and held back. Whenever the cameras came out, I would hide behind my mother, and she was very supportive of my differences.”  

Despite being in one of the world’s most recognisable families, Miles succeeded in staying out of the limelight for the duration of his adolescence. However behind the scenes, he wasn’t having the easiest time. “I was a very angry child.” He explains, “I was sent away to a boarding school in Colorado for four years when I was nine years old. They taught me how to control and handle my emotions in a more ‘reasonable’ way. I still get myself into trouble sometimes because that’s just life!”

With a childhood full of “surreal experiences” listening to thousands of fans chanting his dads name – “I would sit in the front row and play air guitar and get as close as I could to the stage. I, for sure, almost ruined a couple of shows by crushing the air guitar too hard!” – Miles is ready to create a legacy of his own. His first venture is within the world of modelling having signed with IMG Worldwide and making his runway debut at this year’s New York Fashion Week. “I have been approached by several different people in my life to try and persuade me to enter the modelling game,” he shares with me. “However, my insecurities always took over. I was approached by IMG and it seemed like the perfect fit for me and they understood my weird quirks as a person. I don’t look like a stereotypical model, but I kind of love that about myself. I love being different and out of the box.”

He hopes that his modelling experiences will lead to a career in the fashion industry and he already has his eyes set on making a move into the designing world. “I want to make ridiculous unisex hoop dangly earrings,” he tells me. “I’ve always loved jewellery and I have an obsession with gold. I, one day, want to make a comfy silky, somewhat pyjama-looking clothes that can be worn out.” We’re certain to see him wearing his designs on the cover of magazines in no time.

“I was always shy and held back. Whenever the cameras came out, I would hide behind my
mother, and she was very supportive of my differences.”

Bar the gold jewellery and pyjama looks, there’s one thing that you can’t miss when you take a quick glance at Miles, and that’s his many tattoos – it’s clear to see he’s using his body as a canvas. “I waited until I was 18 for my first tattoo and I got ‘RICHIE’ down my forearm,” he says excitedly. “My entire life I always loved the look of tattoos, and once I got started, there was no stopping.” Describing it as a “therapeutic escape”, he admits that when getting inked he loves to just “zone out, listen to music and feel the pain.”

2018 is certain to be Miles’ year. With plans to fully step into the limelight – marked here by his debut cover story – he plans to use his new found fame to create a positive change. “I want to do a large amount of philanthropic work with this truly amazing charity that I am part of called GivePower,” he explains. “I want to get out there and be hands on and make the world a better place. The future used to always scare me, but now I’m very optimistic and I’m excited to go into the unknown with confidence and an open-mind.” If his family tree is anything to go by, we’re sure he’ll do just fine!

All clothing by RALPH LAUREN

“I never really understood who my father is, because to me it was just normal!” 23-year-old rising star Miles Richie tells me. The only son of musical legend, international icon and the reason none of us can say “hello” without bursting into song, Lionel Richie, I’m keen to find out what that’s like? “I had a very interesting childhood. I was always shy and held back. Whenever the cameras came out, I would hide behind my mother, and she was very supportive of my differences.”  

Despite being in one of the world’s most recognisable families, Miles succeeded in staying out of the limelight for the duration of his adolescence. However behind the scenes, he wasn’t having the easiest time. “I was a very angry child.” He explains, “I was sent away to a boarding school in Colorado for four years when I was nine years old. They taught me how to control and handle my emotions in a more ‘reasonable’ way. I still get myself into trouble sometimes because that’s just life!”

With a childhood full of “surreal experiences” listening to thousands of fans chanting his dads name – “I would sit in the front row and play air guitar and get as close as I could to the stage. I, for sure, almost ruined a couple of shows by crushing the air guitar too hard!” – Miles is ready to create a legacy of his own. His first venture is within the world of modelling having signed with IMG Worldwide and making his runway debut at this year’s New York Fashion Week. “I have been approached by several different people in my life to try and persuade me to enter the modelling game,” he shares with me. “However, my insecurities always took over. I was approached by IMG and it seemed like the perfect fit for me and they understood my weird quirks as a person. I don’t look like a stereotypical model, but I kind of love that about myself. I love being different and out of the box.”

He hopes that his modelling experiences will lead to a career in the fashion industry and he already has his eyes set on making a move into the designing world. “I want to make ridiculous unisex hoop dangly earrings,” he tells me. “I’ve always loved jewellery and I have an obsession with gold. I, one day, want to make a comfy silky, somewhat pyjama-looking clothes that can be worn out.” We’re certain to see him wearing his designs on the cover of magazines in no time.

“I was always shy and held back. Whenever the cameras came out, I would hide behind my
mother, and she was very supportive of my differences.”

Bar the gold jewellery and pyjama looks, there’s one thing that you can’t miss when you take a quick glance at Miles, and that’s his many tattoos – it’s clear to see he’s using his body as a canvas. “I waited until I was 18 for my first tattoo and I got ‘RICHIE’ down my forearm,” he says excitedly. “My entire life I always loved the look of tattoos, and once I got started, there was no stopping.” Describing it as a “therapeutic escape”, he admits that when getting inked he loves to just “zone out, listen to music and feel the pain.”

2018 is certain to be Miles’ year. With plans to fully step into the limelight – marked here by his debut cover story – he plans to use his new found fame to create a positive change. “I want to do a large amount of philanthropic work with this truly amazing charity that I am part of called GivePower,” he explains. “I want to get out there and be hands on and make the world a better place. The future used to always scare me, but now I’m very optimistic and I’m excited to go into the unknown with confidence and an open-mind.” If his family tree is anything to go by, we’re sure he’ll do just fine!