Man-made man: The role of the fashion photograph in the development of masculinity

Abstract

As a former male model and fashion photographer, I am fascinated by the visual representation of masculinity. Currently, this representation is in the midst of a shift away from traditional, singular notions of masculinity towards a more diverse and inclusive representation. This article looks to analyse the role of fashion photography in the changing landscape of masculinity in male fashion photographs. I will be examining the historic creation of singular hegemonic masculine ideals and comparing them to current representations in male fashion photography, which have become more complex and inclusive of gestures and elements that were once ascribed to non-normative ideals. My research has uncovered the role of authors who create male fashion photographs and the process they follow in the creation of new narratives that are more diverse in the current climate of accelerated digitized media.