Where are the male models? – NRK Culture and Leisure

– Personally, I’m not very fond of the word “plus size”. But that’s what the models at my size call me. I wish we didn’t need this term, says Gul Akfama.

He’s from Oslo and is signed as a model with FYE Management – a Scandinavian design agency that focuses on diversity and inclusivity in all its forms.

He himself has always been interested in fashion, but says he was very surprised when he was asked if he would like to try a modeling career.

– That’s because I haven’t seen a lot of physically fit people in the modeling industry, and then you’d never think you’d get the chance, says Akvama.

These days fashion week For men in paris is my neighbor To the fullest. And while it’s mainly about what kind of trends we’ll see in the coming year, there’s also excitement associated with the models.

It is becoming more and more common to see plus size models in both magazines, on catwalks and on posters. This is, among other things, a consequence of globalization Body positive movementwhich challenged traditional ideals of beauty.

Well-known supermodel names like Paloma Elsesser, Precious Victoria Lee, and our very own Norwegian Seifal Omar are examples of plus size female models who have recently gained international attention.

So, where do all the plus-size men go? asked the fashion magazine Vogue magazine themselves recently.

Gul Akvama believes that the fact that it was women who primarily stood the ground in the battle for body positivity is probably part of why men are lagging behind.

– Obviously, there is much more physical stress for women than there is for men, he says.

Rihanna’s models have gone viral

KK Fashion and Beauty Director Ida Elise Eide Einarsdóttir believes that the lack of big male models is not talked about much.

– One would think that this narrow body belonged to the past. If you look at the diversity in general, there has been a lot of development in the area.

The old paradigm of beauty is changing, and today diversity is almost expected in the fashion world, a fashion editor believes.

The body is only a small part of the diversity pie. Gender, age, skin color, orientation, job differences, and cultural background also play a role.

Einarsdóttir singles out lingerie brand Rihanna Savage x Fenty as a good example. When the artist expanded her brand to also include menswear, she did so by featuring the clothes on one of them number of different bodies.

– The virus is completely gone. It’s saying something about how weird it is to see “plus-size” male models. And that’s despite the fact that some of the biggest modeling agencies in the world have their own departments just for these models, she says.

I think the movement has gone too far

Last year, British brand SS Daley made headlines when it was Send in a few male models On the catwalk during London Fashion Week. This shows that there is an unrealized potential for more body diversity in the male part of the industry as well.

The world of fashion—and perhaps luxury fashion especially—isn’t on the cusp of change.

Although more volumes need to be shown, the body-positive movement has sometimes gone too far, believes the head of Norwegian modeling agency Idol Looks.

Severe cases are not healthy for either individuals or society. It’s not aesthetically pleasing to be fat, Amar Faiz’s agent tells NRK.

For supermodels in the fashion industry, everything is oversized 44 very big. This is my personal opinion, says the model, adding that he also hates very skinny models.

There are no plans for the Norwegian city year to represent male models in the plus category in the future.

– “dadbods” Still, things are going well, says Fayez.

Jonas Mangerud, managing director at modeling agency Heartbreak, is more positive about larger male models.

– This is something we’ve tried to be on the lookout for for a long time. We even have male models in this category with us.

He says clients are beginning to arrive asking men in larger sizes, but such models are hard to find.

There are far fewer men than women in this industry. And even if there are clients asking for bigger men, it’s often the shows that come up that don’t meet one hundred percent, he says.

One of the challenges in the Norwegian modeling industry is that the market is not large enough to work as a full-time model. He says the occupation threshold is higher because people have to put a lot of effort into a part-time job.

– But we’d like to get more male models in bigger sizes, says Jonas Mangerud.

New model Jules Akvama looks to the future.

– It’s crazy that there are so few male models in my size now, but I really think there will be more of us soon, he says.

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