THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MALE MODEL

Old Gray Lady looks into the phenomenon of the incredibly shrinking male model in yesterday’s Styles section.

Apparently Hedi Slimane’s influence in revolutionizing the aesthetic of the men’s fashion industry has changed the preferred appearance for models.

Slimane’s suit cuts were so boldly slim and sleek that other designers quickly followed his lead bringing a new look to suits throughout the industry. With this sea change of new looks came the need for models who could fit into the suits to do them justice.

“This was abundantly clear in the castings of models for New York shows by Duckie Brown, Thom Browne, Patrik Ervell, Robert Geller and Marc by Marc Jacobs, where models like Stas Svetlichnyy of Russia typified the new norm” the New York Times reports. “Mr. Svetlichnyy’s top weight, he said last week, is about 145 pounds. He is 6 feet tall with a 28-inch waist.”

Dave Fothergill, a director at Red Model Management tells the Times, “Designers like the skinny guy…It looks good in the clothes and that’s the main thing. That’s just the way it is now.”

Which poses the enevitable question of whether or not skinny male models are the new skinny female models?

The Vanishing Point [NYT]