You can also find out more about the following:t’s a hard life being a male model. Strings must be added in order to avoid the horrendous fate of becoming just another pretty face.
Today’s most influential male models aren’t so much seen and not heard, they’re seen, heard and then some. They don’t just wear the latest fashions, but they also set them. Some even design them. They turn their cheekbones, which God gave them, into real-world capital and social media influence. Meet the men who have brains that match their brawn.
Armando Cabral
Male models who are stage-managed to the nth degree look great, but they have no affinity for the world of work they inhabit.
That’s not the case with Portugal-raised model Armando Cabral who can back up being generally elegant and expensive-looking with being the designer of an eponymous shoe brand that is every bit as tasteful in appearance as the man himself.
In a world where being a name and a face is enough to get cash-registers ringing furiously, the fact that Cabral’s fancy footwear shows a genuine understanding of design is music to our ears, and feet.
Follow Him @armando_cabral
Billy Huxley
Billy Huxley was one of the first beard wearers, and he inspired thousands of hairy-hipster imitations.
Putting that divisive achievement aside, in an industry where models are expected to be a blank canvas, Huxley’s decidely unblank canvas (he’s teeming with tattoos) marked a new kind of men’s style icon where clothes are almost secondary to body mods.
Peak hipster may have subsided, but Huxley’s still got us wishing we were cool enough to go heavy on the facial hair, tattoos, leather and jewellery without looking completely and utterly ridiculous.
Follow Him @billyhuxley
Cameron Dallas
Cameron Dallas shows how things have changed.
YouTube and Vine were the launch pads for this American on-line personality. His full-time occupation is to document his waking life in front of a truly staggering audience. At the time of this writing, he has 20m Instagram fans. That’s 3m more than Barack Obama.
When Dallas isn’t making millions by goofing around, he’s modelling for the likes of Dolce & Gabbana while effectively filling the non-threatening attractive male void that was left by the disbandment of One Direction. Take note, would-be Instamodels.
Follow Him @camerondallas
David Gandy
David Gandy is about the only person on the planet who could make Michelangelo’s namesake statue look a bit rough around the edges in comparison. And it’s thanks to a mixture of weight room dedication, a generous dose of genetic gold dust and genuine fashion credentials.
A pro at mixing high-fashion campaigns with accessible high-street product lines, his work combines D&G and M&S. When he’s not making eyeballs pop out of their sockets in his underwear, Gandy’s busy directing his own short films, investing in small brands and throwing his megawattage behind charitable causes. Oh, and proving to men that the traditional British tailoring still has plenty of life left in it.
Follow him: @davidgandy_official
Eric Rutherford
Eric Rutherford, an American model, is one of the annoying men that can look good in anything and transition between suits and casualwear effortlessly. And he does it all in life’s dreaded middle stages. Now in his 50s, he is still going strong.), Rutherford hasn’t let age become an excuse to make nondescript baggy chinos and a miscellaneous fading polo shirt his go-to uniform.
To that end, Rutherford’s doing a heroic job of demonstrating that the young guns aren’t the only ones who can enjoy picking menswear’s ripest fruit. And, if we’re even a tenth as cool as Rutherford in decades to come, we’ll be very happy indeed.
Follow Him @mr.rutherford
Zach Miko
At 6’6 and with a 40 inch waist, Zach Miko doesn’t fit into the narrow confines of the textbook male model, but thanks to modelling agency IMG’s (dubiously named) ‘brawn division’ men way beyond being a beanpole are no longer being locked out of the fashion game.
In the few years that have followed Miko’s signing, the male body positivity movement has taken flight, with brands slowly waking up to the fact that men of every size should be representated.
Miko, who provides a model for dressing for men of larger sizes, is a rare find in an industry that lacks realistic role models. He also does an excellent job at shutting down those who say clothes are only suitable for certain body types.
Follow Him @zachmiko
Gilles Souteyrand
Souteyrand’s example is a wake-up for men who still think body beauty is reserved only for the young. Souteyrand, a model and personal trainer at 40 years old, has a torso that is so toned it would make men half his own age join HIIT classes.
As well as making the fashion industry sit up and take note of a more traditional ‘fitness model’, Souteyrand has distilled his tips and tricks into his own fitness and nutrition guide, so that the un-swole likes of us can inch closer to Greek god territory. Souteyrand’s perfectly sculpted body allows him to wear simple clothing while still looking great.
Follow Him @gilles_souteyrand
Hu Bing
Hu Bing? Does the name Hu Bing not sound familiar to you? He’s big in China and is the first international menswear ambassador for the British Fashion Council.
In true Dorian Gray style, Bing started his career in 1990 and is now edging towards 50 while looking roughly half his age: whatever he’s been drinking, we want some – and a lot of it.
For most men past the half century, clothing can be little more than a means of not being naked, but Bing’s all about experimentation. He’s a walking lesson in non-stuffy tailoring and demonstrates that mounting birthdays don’t necessitate a slow descent into dishwater-dull practical clothing.
Follow Him @hubing
Isaac Carew
Whoever coined the terminally unfunny phrase ‘don’t feed the models’ clearly didn’t foresee the model-turned-chef thing because, as Isaac Carew proves, good food and good looks make an excellent pairing. In an extremely unlikely move, Carew (who was previously best known for a look that mashed up preppy and rock star) has become male modelling’s answer to Nigella Lawson, minus the excessive innuendo.
In giving the world an insight into his diet, Carew has busted the myth that a model’s sustenance is all alcohol, coffee and cigarettes. Oh, and he does all this while still getting in front of the camera, leaving us with no excuse to say we’re too busy to cook. Thanks, Isaac.
Follow Him @isaaccarew
Oliver Cheshire
A good model wears trends well, but a great model sets them: that’s exactly what gives Oliver Cheshire the edge in a sea of razor-sharp cheekbones and toned torsos.
Translating runway trends into outfits you’d actually want to wear is Cheshire’s modus operandi, so anyone with an ounce of sense should have their eyes narrowed in search of this Essex-boy-gone-menswear-royalty during fashion week.
He’s something of a menswear polymath in that he looks just as good in a tracksuit as a bespoke suit, but the thing you should really look to steal is his eye for details. Whether it’s a mix of fabrics, a clash of smart and casual or some statement accessories, Cheshire’s a pro at the little things that take your outfit to the next level.
Follow Him @oliver_cheshire
Pietro Boselli
Rags to riches stories don’t come more digital than the tale of Pietro Boselli, a humble maths teacher who went viral thanks to a student who stealthily put his image online.
Boselli is forever indebted for that sneaky student. Since then, modelling contracts, advertising campaigns, and online followers, have all snowballed. Though Boselli’s been MIA from the staff room for quite some time, teaching is still a talent. After all, who else will step up to the challenge of showing the world’s male population how to be hench without dressing like a Love Island reject?
Follow him: @pietroboselli
Jack Guinness
The human embodiment of all those qualities which apparently characterise British style (eccentricity, wit, eclecticism), Jack Guinness is definitely no blink-and-you’ll-miss-him model: being a personality is roughly half of his job. So, if you were under the misapprehension that models are mute, then you’ve not read Guinness’s CV thoroughly enough: DJ, presenter and professional party starter are just a few of his surplus talents.
Even more impressively, in today’s post-hipster age he’s one of the few men who can carry off a full beard and heritage garms without looking like he’s the last person to receive the memo.
Follow him: @jackguinness
Johannes Huebl
Johannes Huebl’s half-sister Olivia Palermo, who is a beautiful and well-dressed woman in her own right, is the equivalent male.
Proving there’s more to German style than socks, sandals and backpacks, this Hanover-born clothes horse has become the unofficial poster boy for preppy style, anytime, anywhere.
So effective is Huebl’s ability to pull off chinos, loafers and an Oxford shirt, we’ve questioned whether we really need fashion at all when the classics always look so goddamn great on him.
Follow Him @johanneshuebl
Jon Kortajarena
The correct pronunciation of Jon Kortajarena’s name may be something which escapes most, but there’s no missing this Spanish model’s cheekbones and eyebrows, which have been loudly radiating from Tom Ford ads for as long as we can remember.
A brief appearance in Ford’s A Single Woman enabled the perpetually sun-kissed Spaniard to add actor to his line-up of talents and if his Instagram antics are anything to go by, he’s a dab hand at throwing a shape or two on the dancefloor, too.
As a result of being handsome enough to look good in absolutely anything, Kortajerna’s wardrobe errs on the side of simplicity with a smattering of prints and leather jackets chucked in for good measure. Unsurprisingly, all of it looks great.
Follow Him @kortajarenajon
Lucky Blue Smith
There are Instamodels, and then there’s Lucky Blue Smith, whose piercing blue eyes and shock of blonde hair have won him hordes of fans, both of the tweenage and serious fashion person variety. Such is his popularity and star power, you’ll now find a cohort of equally oddly-named relatives getting in on the action.
Brands that want to reach the eyeballs of this original social media sensation are scrambling to secure her endorsement.
Though, despite being a marketer’s dream Lucky Blue is no commercial puppet: he manages to do that whole grungy tortured-soul look like a complete pro.
Follow Him @luckybsmith
Luka Sabbat
Although he’s just a whisker into his twenties, Luka Sabbat has earned the respect of the modelling world thanks to his
Sabbat is one of the pioneers in the cross-body bag fashion. She wears things that look absurd on the majority of models. Granted, it’s all eye-wateringly expensive, but still there’s a skill to getting it right.
With a following of over 1m Instagram fans, hype brands that this influencer endorses stand to reap the rewards, so head over to Sabbat’s socials now if you’re looking to swot up.
Follow Him @lukasabbat
Richard Biedul
Richard Biedul, the man behind the fashion campaigns and catwalks who lends his eye to the creative projects by big-hitting brands, is not a one-trick pony.
Biedul is a regular fixture on London’s menswear scene, but unlike many anony-models you’re just as likely to find this rakish influencer talking menswear as you are wearing it.
Biedul is no stranger to wearing wide silhouettes, promoting British brands and winning street style. This makes us feel sympathy for her less talented, genetically blessed peers.
Follow Him @richardbiedul
Roger Frampton
Roger Frampton is a well-muscled man who, unlike your average model, does not submit to some hot personal trainer. It is a good idea to use a bilingual translator The shitty personal trainer
Previously best-known for starring in Orlebar Brown’s ad campaigns, Frampton has decided to share the secret to getting insanely ripped by devising his own workout regime which relies solely on the weight of the body.
Smashing the stereotype that brains and brawns shall never meet, Frampton’s all about the science behind exercise and clearly has plenty between his ears with a TED talk that’s racked up over 2m views.
Follow Him @rogerframpton
Sang Woo Kim
When it comes to the question of who’s got the sharpest cheekbones of them all, there’s no doubt that Sang Woo Kim takes the title, even among his impossibly angular peers.
He’s been in front of the camera for everyone from Burberry to Diesel but it’s not just the artist/model’s mind-boggling bone structure that enables him to break from the the facially fortunate pack. Kim’s ability to put together a spectacular outfit is what makes him a favorite among photographers.
The key to his success isn’t wearing garish photographer bait though, it’s his simple yet retina-pleasing outfits that make the model a true flagbearer for great British style.
Follow Him @sangwo0
Sean O’Pry
Despite being one of the most photographed faces in male modelling, Sean O’Pry is not one for excessive self promotion. So while his ice blue eyes and bold brows may trigger vague recognition, for most his name probably won’t. Given that O’Pry has worked with pretty much every single major designer imaginable, the fact that he’s remained a bit of an enigma is as impressive as it is ironic.
But, that’s precisely the sign of a truly great model and it’s what makes O’Pry a designer’s dream. This American, who is way above the average, is striking enough for people to take notice but malleable and flexible enough to avoid saturation.
Follow him: @seanopry55
