Zayn Malik on Why He Wants to Sell You Some ‘Sick’ New Shoes

Singer. Artist. Shoe designer?

That appears to be the next step for model heartthrob Zayn Malik, who announced Thursday morning a new collaboration with fashion designer Giuseppe Zanotti on a pair of biker boots. It’s fitting: Zayn, who’s best known for his downbeat, sultry solo music (after splitting from boy band One Direction in 2015), is dating Gigi Hadid, one of fashion’s biggest obsessions and consistently appears decked out in designer gear.

In a new interview with GQ, Zayn — just the first name is needed these days — explained a little more about what goes into his distinctive look.

“It’s about being happy to look a bit scruffy,” he said. “I just got into the whole rock sort of feel to clothes—big boots, skinny jeans, and dark T-shirt, and rings. Just the grungy feel.” He may be grungy, but Giuseppe Zanotti certainly isn’t; the brand, which is best known for its sky-high spiky women’s stilettos and chunky men’s sneakers, sells most shoes for upwards of $700.

Zayn also told GQ that he’s feeling “blessed at the minute by God or whoever it is,” and he’d like to “continually have a presence,” so we expect there will be more fashion to come.

Predictably, his fans got the hashtag “GiuseppexZayn” to trend in certain Twitter markets almost immediately, although it appears to be more about the new photos of the crooner than excitement over the boots themselves.