Oh, the glory of the rippling pecs, tight abs and chiseled faces that elevate these he-men into the supermodel stratosphere. Forget Cindy, Claudia and Amber —as fashion pundits say, today’s men are the new women. And it’s about time because the cream or the catwalk puts our purring in overdrive.
The highest paid in the business, these male supermodels flaunt their clean-cut, boyish appeal and raw sensuality, while pouting into the camera lens for top fashion designers such as Tommy Hilfiger, Versace, Calvin Klein and Lagerfeld. Rather than simply accepting their pinup status, the stunners often strike past the pose and scorch their way onto the big and small screens (and our hearts) with runway success. How picture perfect.
Tyson Beckford • Black Magic
Focus on: Striking and sexy slanted eyes plus a hunky physique fit for burning love have let Bronx beauty Tyson Beckford shatter a multitude of glass ceilings, stereotypes and pigeonholes. His warp speed rise to fame began when he was discovered in Manhattan Washington Square Park by staffers from hip hop’s bible, The Source. When male supermodels were just a twinkle in the fashion industry’s eye and African Americans absent from the world of advertising, Tyson emerged larger than life and exuding cultured cool.
Strip Tease: No shrinking violet, Tyson posed completely in the buff —just his hands between us and his delicious dark secret. Seems the more famous he gets the less he shows, so we are ambivalent about his rising stardom.
Strike a pose: The king of male supermodels, Tyson caused such a sales sensation when he first donned a Ralph Lauren sweatshirt that he landed an exclusive contract with Polo, including the upscale Purple Label line —which proved Tyson could hawk silk and cashmere as well as jeans.
Mental mannequin: As Tyson has come to represent the new all-American image, he’s managed to keep his sex appeal and celebrity in perspective. “You have to, because the public has put me where I am today. But they can easily put you out. You can say, ‘Oh, I’m Mr. Man, I’m all that,’ and they’ll take you right out. I’m just a humble person.”
Catty chat: Of Jamaican and Chinese descent, 30-year-old Tyson so vows the world that People named him one of the 50 most beautiful people and he was voted VH1’s male model of the year. His turn with Toni Braxton in her “Unbreak my heart” video made for dishy gossip, as did rumors of romance with Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey…
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