World’s first male plus-size model recalls moment he was poached
December 3, 2018‘I thought I was being pranked’: World’s first male plus-size model recalls the moment he was poached on Instagram – and what he really thinks about being labelled ‘brawny’
- Zach Miko is the world’s first plus-size male model
- The 29-year-old rose to fame in 2016 when he signed to agency IMG
- At 6 foot 6 inches, and with a 40 inch waist, he prefers being called ‘brawny’
- He also prefers being labelled someone ‘of size’ as opposed to ‘plus-size’
- Zach is the first plus-size male model to walk an Australian swimwear show
At 6 foot 6 inches and with a 40 inch waist, Zach Miko doesn’t fit the typical mould of a male model.
However the 29-year-old defied expectations in 2016 when he signed to agency IMG as the world’s first plus-size male model.
The American spoke to FEMAIL on Monday about the shocking moment he was poached on Instagram by a scout and his thoughts on ‘labels’ in the modelling industry.
‘I thought I was being pranked’: The world’s first male plus-size model Zach Miko (pictured at The Iconic’s swimwear show in Sydney on Thursday) recalled the shocking moment he was poached on Instagram by a stranger
‘I never dreamed it was even possible to be a model when I was growing up. I thought I couldn’t be a model any more than I could be the Queen of England, it just wasn’t an option,’ Zach told FEMAIL.
‘I had moved to New York to follow my career as an actor when I booked a small print job. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, I was just happy to have my rent paid that month,’ he added.
However it was a message on Instagram from the President of IMG Models, Ivan Bart, back in 2016, that became a turning point.
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Chance encounter: The 29-year-old told FEMAIL on Monday he was approached by President of IMG Models, Ivan Bart, on Instagram in 2016
‘Even as a fashion novice at the time, I knew who IMG and Ivan Bart was, so I thought someone was playing a prank on me,’ Zach admitted.
Zach said that Ivan sold him on his dream of making fashion a ‘diverse and inclusive industry’.
‘He brought me in and told me about his dream of fashion, as a diverse, inclusive and ever-evolving industry and how I could be part of it by pushing that message for men,’ he explained.
Ever since that pivotal moment, it’s been a ‘non-stop adventure’ for Zach, who recently took to the runway at the Iconic’s 2019 swim show in Sydney on Thursday.
Making waves: Zach said that Ivan sold him on his dream of making fashion a ‘diverse and inclusive industry’
Labels: Zach admitted to FEMAIL that while he doesn’t mind the term ‘plus-size’ he prefers to be labelled ‘brawny’
Making history: Zach made history again last week in Sydney, when he was the first male plus-size model to walk in online retailer The Iconic’s swimwear show
The occasion also marked the first time a male plus-size model has been included in an Australian swimwear show.
Zach said that while he doesn’t mind the term ‘plus-size’ he prefers to be labelled ‘brawny’.
‘There are definitely terms I prefer more, such as ‘brawn’, ‘big and tall’ or ‘people of size’, but in my own personal journey, I don’t have an issue with ‘plus-size’,’ he said.
‘I have actually found community in the term as it’s a gender inclusive term for people of size,’ Zach added.
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