The belief that 'one size doesn't fit' all has picked up momentum in the fashion and beauty industry industry recent years. In large, this is thanks to efforts of models like Ashley Graham and Iskra Lawrence who continue to teach the world that beauty cannot – and should not – be qualified in size.
Unfortunately, the same eradication of barriers and unrealistic realistic standards can't be said for plus-size male models in the industry.
Think about it, when was the last time you saw a male model who didn't fit the lean and muscular stereotype we're bombarded with on television adverts, walking the runways, and in our favourite men's brands fashion campaigns.
So, this is why blogger Darnel Ghramm is on a mission to change perception of male beauty in fashion with his new #WeAreBigAndTall project.
Recreating Calvin Klein's #MyCalvins A$AP Mob advertising campaign, Ghramm enlisted a photographer Tony Trott and a group of friends to pose for the shoot.
'I immediately thought it would be cool to recreate the shoot for my birthday with a few friends,' Ghramm told Mic.
'In the midst of planning, I was tagged in a post by @foreverfeminism. The image and caption read, "I've never seen a plus male model."
The post inspired Ghramm to use his influence and Instagram following as a plus-size male model to change the narrative of what is deemed 'beautiful' or 'attractive' in men's fashion and beauty.
'When I saw Diana's [Sirokai, who shot the Kardashian-Jenners for Calvin's campaign] shoot it just solidified the idea and I knew I had to do the shoot and answer the questions the others were asking,' he revealed.
The goal? To tell the fashion industry that 'we exist and we are constituted by many different things', revealed Ghramm.
'Whether big, tall or simply fall outside of the worlds standards, we are all handsome and worthy. We must continue to push the boundaries and unfortunately we gotta work twice as hard to prove ourselves. We will eventually earn our spot, as wrong as that sounds,' he continued.
Following his 'campaign', Ghramm hopes to see improved visibility for plus-size male models and open discussions about male bodies.
'We will see ads everywhere and it won't longer be taboo to see a full figure, he hypothesised.
'Eventually, we'll drop the 'plus' and simply be models.'
What a beautiful message.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
