Iowa’s newly elected governor, Rob Sand, has an unexpected connection to the fashion world. Before entering politics, Sand walked the runway for Prada during a show in Milan. His modeling background has attracted attention following his election victory.
Rob Sand walked Prada’s Milan runway years before entering politics
On Tuesday, Rob Sand, a Democrat, won the Iowa gubernatorial election. Long before entering politics, Sand worked as a fashion model, walking in shows during the early 2000s. He appeared in Prada’s Spring 2003 menswear ready-to-wear show in August 2002.
In 2007, Newsweek reported that Sand had also modeled for Giuliano Fujiwara, Number (N)ine, and Prada. He told the publication that he missed an opportunity to support then-presidential candidate Howard Dean in Iowa in 2004 because of his modeling commitments. He said, “It had to be one or the other. And I chose to go to Europe.”
According to Harper’s Bazaar, Sand’s modeling assignments helped him pay for his college education, including his political science degree from Brown University and his law degree from the University of Iowa.
During his campaign, Sand said he hoped to bridge the country’s deep political divide. He also addressed Iowa’s high cancer rates, a major concern for residents across the state.
Sand said, “I have hugged Iowans as they’re crying, telling their stories. A lot of times we almost try to avoid doing it because we each have a story, all of us, that we can share about our loss.”
Before defeating Republican Zach Lahn, Sand served as an assistant Iowa attorney general and chief public corruption prosecutor. He was born and raised in Iowa, according to PEOPLE.
Speaking about political divisions at campaign events, Sand said, “One of the moments that gets me at most of our events is I’ll ask people sometimes, ‘Raise your hand if you’ve had a relationship with someone you cared about go sour over the last 15 years because of politics.’ And it would break your heart to watch every hand go up.”
Sand’s journey from the fashion runway to the governor’s office marks an unusual transition from modeling to public service.
