Léo Walk’s surname is an ironically modest signifier. One look at his body of work and it’s hard to imagine the French dancer’s modality ever being limited to putting one foot in front of the other. Walk’s feet seem to rarely touch the ground, whether he’s skimming the floor mid-breakdance, or upright, shifting his weight in marionette-like contortions. While his physicality would be enough to justify his 250,000 Instagram followers, Walk’s sharp fashion sense makes his videos all the more watchable. “[I remember being] frustrated because I didn’t have a lot of clothes growing up; my parents were of modest means,” he says. “My very first paychecks went straight to clothes. Now fashion is part of my life, although my style is pretty simple and basic.”

Growing up in the suburbs of Paris, Walk never took traditional dance classes. Having taught himself the basics, he earned his stripes in the local dance-battle scene — starting at the tender age of seven. I was a very active child and I always danced a lot,” he says. “One thing led to another, and I went from training down the block from my home to doing breakdance battles all over France.”

2014 marked a more formal introduction to fashion — or at least fashion-inspired spectacle. That year, Walk earned a role in Manfred Thierry Mugler’s nightly cabaret, Mugler Follies, in which he portrayed a green, lizard-like character. He went on to tour with French-pop sensation Christine and the Queens for three years, helping to shape the act’s idiosyncratic, fashion-forward style.

These days, Walk is focused on his clothing line, Walk in Paris. A new collection, “Jolie Môme,” dropping in mid-September, will focus on sweats and basics—comfortable and durable enough for a dynamism like Walk’s. In the meantime, his Instagram account is worth the follow, even if his own feelings toward the platform may waver. “Social media’s power is indisputable,” he says. “But I rarely post on Instagram. I would rather explore deeper [truths] by creating real-life stories.”