NOW THATS THROW-BACK GQ STYLE I was about 10 years old when I was first introduced to GQ Magazine, by much cooler and hipper, older guys in my neighborhood. I was immediately influenced by it in ways I could not even understand at the time. I was about 12 when I began to see the magazine again with some frequency, and by 13, I was buying copies for myself. I had no money and no job, but did my best to emulate the styles and looks in the magazine with my limited financial resources! (Because of GQ, I became a blazer-and-tie kind of kid all through Jr. High school, and we didnt even have a uniform code. It just became my style! But as a 13-year old boy, who had followed the magazine for some time, it was the November 1979 issue that simply blew my mind. The magazine featured, arguably the first black male super model, Mr. Renauld White. He truly paved the way for the likes of Tyson Beckford, arguably the most famous male model, black or white, in the history of the industry. (On that note, kudos to Ralph Lauren, who used Tyson as his muse for years, for what is still one of the most aspirational lifestyle brands in the world - Polo Ralph Lauren. This was truly a ballsy move on the part of Mr. Lauren to CHOOSE this dark-brown black man as THE face of his very aspirational and elitist brand). Renauld White is heralded as the first African American model to grace the cover of GQ. And though Mr. White is considered the first African American to land the cover, he was NOT the first person of color featured on the cover. In November of 1977, a Swiss-Nigerian named Urs Althaus debuted on the new GQ cover, and in April of 1968, the feature cover story showcased a group of native Kenyans. From my research, the first African American actually appeared on the cover in September 1967, which featured the triple-threat , Rat-Pack Alum, and entertainer of entertainers, Mr. Sammy Davis Jr. But for me, its still the Renauld White cover that I remember as a kid, bringing me so much pride, in this barrier having been broken, and a pioneer in the fashion world being born! Here was this man, that looked like me, living this luxurious life, surrounded by the most beautiful women... And though they were only pictures, his images, shot so many years ago, heavily influenced my desire to live a grand life. Thank you Mr. White for representing and displaying such poise, grace, elegance and consummate masculinity for young men of my era, who saw your images in Ebony, Jet, Essence, Men In Vogue, Fashion Fair, and finally the cover of the illustrious GQ Magazine. NOW THATS BREAKING BARRIERS STYLE! alanmichaelsdesign alanmichaelsdesignblog facebook/alanmichaels Twitter: @alanmichaelsNY Instagram: alanmichaelsdesign
Posted on: Thu, 01 May 2014 13:38:25 +0000
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