Sweater, pants, sneakers, all Onitsuka Tiger; Sunglasses, necklaces, all Evan’s own
Shirt, top, pants, shoes, all Onitsuka Tiger
You might have seen Evan Mock as the guy with the pink buzzcut in Frank Ocean’s Instagram post; Rosé’s other half in the “Toxic Till the End” music video; Aki in the HBO Max revival of Gossip Girl; or a model on the iconic Houston Street billboard in New York. But, really, the Filipino-American model, actor, skateboarder, and surfer is a “child of the universe”, whose heart found its shape and continues to sing the song that comes from O‘ahu’s North Shore.
The Men’s Folio November 2026 cover star takes us through his level-headed, authentic, and curious core — leading with a spirit that is magically light yet grounded at the same time.
Hi Evan, introduce yourself to our readers in less than 10 words.
Ok, I would say just a kid. Oh, just a child of the world.
Well, no, just a child of the universe. Still figuring it out. I think that might be 11 words.
Would the introduction be different 10 years ago? If yes, How so?
No, honestly, it would be exactly the same.
How would you describe nine-year-old Evan Mock to your friends?
I don’t know if it’s because I’ve knocked myself out skating so many times and had concussions, but I don’t remember too much of that era. I don’t even know what I was doing at nine.
I do know I was getting into skating more seriously around 10 or 11, so I was probably just going to the beach and trying to avoid doing my homework like any other kid who was growing up in Hawaii.
What’s your favourite childhood memory?
I mean, I don’t think it’s like one particular memory, but it’s kind of just my childhood growing up. There was a phase when it felt so free, without any worries.
Now that I’m older and have more responsibilities, I like the idea of being free and not having anything specific to do, career-wise or anything else. It was about having fun growing up on the North Shore, being on the beach, and hanging out with friends.
Coat, Fendi
Sweater, pants, sneakers, all Onitsuka Tiger; Sunglasses, necklaces, all Evan’s own
What’s one thing about you that has never changed with time?
I still hate beatboxing. Maybe that’s just something I’ve never liked.
You have roots in both surf and skate culture. How are they different or the same?
They’ve always coincided for me.
I grew up surfing, and I discovered skating a little later, around 10 or 11, and started taking it more seriously. Those were all I ever knew growing up in Hawaii. They were the two most important sports and lifestyles I grew up with, and the ones I was most attracted to.
Even though I had phases with soccer and baseball, I surfed and skated throughout those seasons. It was a part of my life. Looking at surfing, it now hurts less than skateboarding, but you can also get held under, hit your head against the reef, and die that way. The only difference between surfing and skating is that you can hurt or die in different ways. [laughs]
What’s your favourite part about being able to express yourself through multiple mediums?
Having the freedom to learn. At the start, it’s a journey, and you’re learning so much at the same time. It’s really about the progress and seeing yourself grow into something that wasn’t like that a week, a month, or a year ago.
My favourite part is seeing the progression in things that you are able to be self-explanatory or expressive with. Seeing the growth and evolution of your skate style from when you started to now is quite similar to acting. You pick up notes over time, learn things, and then start to develop your own formula for how you learn and who you learn from. I think the freedom to do that across multiple categories, lifestyles, or hobbies is a truly great feeling.
The way someone wears and styles their outfits can tell you a lot about their personality. How does this translate to skate attire?
I think skateboarders have been setting trends for a long time, and that translates to skateboarding style and attire by picking up on what works.
I feel the shoelace belt was very skater because falling on a giant belt buckle did not feel good. I think they found an easier way to keep your pants up and not have to fall on a giant buckle. At least that’s what I think. That’s why I did it.
Skaters have been coming up with their own trends for a long time, and it has now caught on in mainstream fashion and fast fashion. You see little aspects of the fits of jeans or the way your shoes are scuffed up, or just little things. It’s been happening for a long time, so I’m used to it.
What about in surfing?
I feel surfers have more of a functional way of fashion or style, and then it just becomes their own thing. They live and breathe being next to the water, and whatever works best to let them do that is what they wear.
Jacket, pants, sneakers, all Onitsuka Tiger
Jacket, Loewe
Necklace, Evan’s own
The last thing you texted Frank Ocean?
We all respect your process greatly.
How did you get into modelling?
I was doing my friend Sylvè Colless a favour as a stand-in background model. I guess they needed a male model to stand behind her in the picture, but she was the main focus. Sylvie took a couple of pictures of me that day, and I think she sent them to IMG Models or something. I ended up getting signed to IMG Australia and did some jobs through them. They said no when I approached them a long time ago about being represented worldwide or on a bigger scale. So I left, and I found The Jeffries.
Was acting ever in your cards?
My uncles and relatives always said, “Oh, you’re gonna be a movie star, blah blah blah,” but that’s just what people say to hype the youth up. But, honestly, it kind of fell into my lap. It was such a beautiful process the way it happened, and how I ended up filming a TV show for two and a half years. It was such a great learning experience.
Over those two and a half years, I realised I had a new career path I enjoy, and I didn’t — and still don’t — have to drop any other careers or hobbies. I just added acting to the fold.
What’s something you learnt about going to traditional school only through playing Aki in Gossip Girl?
I learnt that you definitely find the people you like hanging around with, and it’s obvious. So I understand how school clique dynamics unfold with the people you gravitate toward. I obviously didn’t have that [experience] because I was homeschooled my whole life. But it was cool to be in a school setting for the first time at 24? 22? 23? Something around there.
What about shooting “Toxic Till The End” with Rosé? What was a fun BTS moment from that experience?
It was the scene in the hallway with the ceramic sculpture shattering on the ground. In the first take, when she pushed me against the pillar, my knee-jerk reaction was to catch the falling sculpture. I went, “Oh my gosh, I was supposed to let it drop.” We all burst out laughing. That was a fun moment, from there.
Jacket, pants, all Onitsuka Tiger
Jacket, pants, all Onitsuka Tiger
Coat, shirt, pants, shoes, all Prada
Are there roles you want to try in the future?
I’ve always said I’d love to film an action movie with lots of explosions and fight scenes. Maybe tie that into it being filmed in Hawaii, with some sort of surfing aspect? I think that would be my dream role.
You often go back to Hawaii to ground yourself. Is there any routine or go-to reset ritual?
Honestly, it’s the moment of getting off that plane. That first breath of fresh air puts you right back at home. It could be the rain on the asphalt on a rainy day or the scent of plumerias from the flower leis… There are certain scents that put me right back, and that’s enough of a reset for me.
We usually head straight to a restaurant in O‘ahu called Zippy’s. It’s a classic Hawaiian, kind of Asian-fusion local chain. We also go straight into the water after eating. I usually land around 4pm if I’m coming from New York, and there will maybe be two or three hours of light left. So we go surfing after eating, wash off the airport in the salt water, and I’m straight back to being home.
Sweater, pants, shoes, all Bottega Veneta
Shirt, top, all Onitsuka Tiger
Do you have a favourite tattoo memory?
That would have to be with one of my best friends, Eli Brown, who I also did Gossip Girl with. I helped him move into his new apartment in New York while we were filming, and we ended up getting drunk by the end to reward ourselves for moving all day.
He had a stick-and-poke set; neither of us had ever done one on anyone, let alone professionally. We ended up tattooing each other. It was a pretty romantic evening. He wrote “smile” on my arm, and I wrote “so what” on his rib cage, referencing one of his favourite Miles Davis songs. It was a fun little memory, and a good time in my life in New York. It was pretty new, and I like thinking about that time.
Your favourite conversation topic is…?
“Where are we eating next?”, and “What’s the least crowded pool table in New York City?”
Biggest regret in life so far?
Not investing in Uber. [laughs]
How would you sum up 2026?
I feel I was hurt for a big chunk of 2026, so I had a lot of time to sit with myself and work on my mental health, get better, and keep a stronger attitude towards getting better. I also got to spend a lot more time with my family than I usually would.
I basically had a lot of time to think in 2026; it was the silver lining of getting hurt for six months. And surgery. [laughs]
What aspirations do you have for 2027?
Just continuing what I’ve been doing my whole life. Surfing, skating, and hanging out with friends. I want to book a role I believe in, keep acting, and keep meeting great people. Travel the world. Create new memories.
Coat, shirt, pants, shoes, all Prada
Jacket, Loewe
Photography Poyenchen
Creative Direction Izwan Abdullah
Styling Manfred Lu
Grooming Jenny Sauce
Casting & Production Lorenz Namalata
Set Design Kayla Ong
Photography Assistants Caro Herrera, Santiago Pinzon
Styling Assistants Alexis Franco, Lance Encarnacion
Shoot Assistant Clint Puertas
Location Coordinator Jones Brooke
Location 99 Scott Studio
Production Fatbrain Collective
Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our November 2026 issue.