For Bourgeois though, this broad fan base and acceptance by the fashion community represents a kind of coming full circle. In a video shared on Instagram last month, he detailed how he kept his love of trains a secret from his classmates when he started at a new secondary school in Frome, Somerset. 

“My favourite thing to do after school was to come home and play with my model railway,” he said. “But I realised I was experiencing feelings of loneliness so I decided to try and fit in a bit more at school. I gelled my hair up and decided to sell my model railway in order to fund my gym membership. I even wore ‘roadman’ clothes [tracksuits and utilitarian garb inspired by the grime music scene] – but it wasn’t me and it wasn’t making me happy at all.”

By the start of the pandemic, Bourgeois was studying engineering at Nottingham University. “Lockdown happened, my hair grew out and I reclaimed my love for trains through my videos,” he said. “Honestly, running down platforms and chasing trains really feels like the shackles are off and I’m totally free.”