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DIGITAL ARTWORK Sarah Ditterline
had more muscle tone. Western culture pressures men to build up their bodies while slimming down, creating a combination of lean, bulky muscle. Ashley Graham, Kate Upton, and Jordyn Woods are household names changing the modeling world by redefining stereotypical beauty standards across all media outlets. But why do we not hear names like Zach Miko, Josh Ostrovsky, and Dexter Mayfield? Like the three women mentioned above, these men all have something in common: they break stereotypes within the modeling world and spread positive body images. Miko was the first model to sign under IMG’s new ‘Brawn’ division in 2016, working under the ‘Big and Tall’ category for Target, UNIQLO, Nordstrom and Levi’s. Miko has started his own podcast on Apple Music which invites guests who “make the world a better place.” Signing with One Management Agency, the Instagram star The Fat Jewish, whose real name is Josh Ostrovsky, took his social label to the modeling world in 2015. Ostrovosky, in pursuit of his new career, has asserted that he will “continue eating a 100 percent carbohydrate diet and
hopes fashion shows will begin catering to his needs backstage” (one suggestion is a nacho machine for before the shows begin). In 2015, Dexter Mayfield also made his debut on the runway as a plus-size male model walking for the Marco Marco show in Los Angeles. Mayfield is known for the exotic dance moves he brings to the show, and has since been featured on the cover of Hardy . Although there has been an increase in plus-size male models and clothing lines designed specifically for curvier men, representation for this segment has fallen by the wayside. Rather than promoting figures derived from extreme dieting and muscle building, the media must shine a spotlight on men of varying shapes and sizes. Miko, Ostrovsky, and Mayfield have been plus-sized models since 2015, yet their faces have not graced any major men’s fashion publications. The growing number of plus-size male models include Nemar Parchment, Alex Frankel, and Darnel Grahamm, who utilize their social media platforms to gain traction in the fashion world. But, their followings stop at around 3,000. If we want to encourage a new shape of beauty across gender lines, we must endorse it by clicking, following, liking and buying.
Volume 5 101
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