Vogue’s September 2014 cover had us feeling nostalgic: Models (the major ones), over the years, have come to be known essentially in brackets. You have the overarching supers—the Karolina Kurkovas and Hilary Rhodas of the biz—atop which, arguably, sit the Trinity: Naomi, Linda, Christy, those who needn’t a surname uttered. You have the waifs, à la Miss Moss. You have the Brazilians—Alessandra, Adriana, Gisele, etc. And now, well, you have the Instagirls.
That tendency for pop-grouping doesn’t so much apply to the men of the trade. “Male supermodel” sounds weird. Yet, no doubt, there’s a gilded ring of all-time greats, hailing from St. Louis to Sweden and everywhere in between. Here, check out Vogue.com’s homme-age to the ten greatest gentlemen catwalkers and campaign kings of all time—the supes of their sex, with nary a cheekbone or abdomen muscle gone soft over the years.
Tyson Beckford
1 / 10
Tyson Beckford
Bronx-born Beckford can thank his Jamaican, Panamanian, Chinese, and African roots for his smoldering and versatile look (and that bone structure!), a personage that’s caught the eye of Herb Ritts, Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein over the years. People magazine once named him to its 50 Most Beautiful People list, and he is among the rare male models to successfully cross over into celebritydom. Our favorite dip in the entertainment pool? Obviously a cameo in Britney Spears’s “Toxic” music video.
David Gandy
2 / 10
David Gandy
David: The Dolce boy. Much of Gandy’s modeling career has been headlined by his numerous appearances in Dolce & Gabbana campaigns, including lucrative fragrance bookings. (“Light Blue” features the model on a boat sailing over electric cyan water. His eyes match. #swoon.) He’s even produced a calendar for the brand, shot by Mariano Vivanco.
Brad Kroenig
3 / 10
Brad Kroenig
Where David has Dolce, Brad has Chanel. Or, well, Karl, more specifically. Lagerfeld discovered Kroenig in 2003 (the model began his career with, who else, Abercrombie & Fitch in 2002), promptly booking him for a Fendi shoot. The rest is history—he’s walked many times down a Chanel stage, including a spin in Dallas with his son, Hudson! Lagerfeld has also produced a book about Brad’s ascent in the industry, called Metamorphoses of an American.
Photo: Rex USA
Jon Kortajarena
4 / 10
Jon Kortajarena
Debuting on the scene in 2004 (in Milan for Emporio Armani and Paris for John Galliano), Kortajarena is the closest thing male modeling has to a sex symbol. Guest turns in campaigns for Guess and Tom Ford are the only proof you need.
Sean O’Pry
5 / 10
Sean O’Pry
He’s the boy-next-door with feline-esque, 10-out-of-10 good looks. O’Pry has appeared in ads from Giorgio Armani to Bottega Veneta, on runways from Yves Saint Laurent to DSquared2, and, notably in Forbes who ranked him in 2009 as the world’s most successful male model.
Marcus Schenkenberg
6 / 10
Marcus Schenkenberg
Swede Schenkenberg was first discovered while roller-skating in Venice Beach. That fateful run-in led to the now iconic, mostly nude Calvin Klein campaign of the early nineties (shot by Bruce Weber), which launched his long and high-profile career, appearances for Versace, and trysts with Pamela Anderson and Jessica Simpson very much included.
Mathias Lauridsen
7 / 10
Mathias Lauridsen
Known for his unique features, this Danish model first broke out in 2004 as the face of Dior Homme. That little coup sparked a booking craze, and he’s since worked for everyone from Lacoste to Salvatore Ferragamo to Givenchy.
Mark Vanderloo
8 / 10
Mark Vanderloo
OK, besides an illustrious run atop the biz (Hugo Boss campaigns are pretty major), this is the one fact you need to know about Mark Vanderloo: Zoolander, the comedy starring Ben Stiller about very serious male modeling, is allegedly a twist on Mark’s surname. Talk about an honor.
Noah Mills
9 / 10
Noah Mills
Mills’s career was launched when he walked for Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci. Since then, he’s gone on to star in Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, and Tommy Hilfiger campaigns. He’s still getting work, ten years later!
Evandro Soldati
10 / 10
Evandro Soldati
We’re not surprised that Evandro Soldati hails from Brazil’s Minas Gerais state, which is known for its mining—his cheekbones could, after all, cut diamonds. Our favorite Soldati appearance (Louis Vuitton campaigns notwithstanding) has to be his star turn in Lady Gaga’s music video for “Alejandro,” directed by Steven Klein.
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