A North Melbourne man had his nose broken during a brutal bashing in St Kilda Botanical Gardens that is believed to have been a homophobic hate crime.

Danny Levi Bryce-Maurice told Fairfax Media he had been celebrating a friend's birthday in St Kilda Botanical Gardens with his husband James on Saturday, January 9 when the alleged attack occurred around 10pm.

Danny Levi Bryce-Maurice says his nose was broken in a homophobic attack.

The North Melbourne model and designer, who co-owns a Prahran hair salon, had walked away from his friend's picnic to go to the public toilet block near Herbert Street.

As he entered the toilet block, Mr Bryce-Maurice encountered four men who began to hurl homophobic taunts at him.