Men’s Beauty Archetypes

From the ‘Chic Boy’ to the ‘Macho’: Rethinking Men’s Beauty Archetypes in Fashion

Across men’s beauty archetypes, the image of the male body is changing, but only in a limited way. It may seem more diverse, but in reality, there is still no single clear idea of what the “ideal” man in fashion looks like.

Instead, the brands move between different types of masculinities. On one side, there is the strong, muscular, very ‘macho’ body often seen in more commercial ads and campaigns. On the other, there is a slimmer, more androgynous figure, especially in high fashion. These two versions of men’s beauty archetypes, frequently seen on runways, are now being combined with a growing focus on individuality: a key idea shaping the current market.

However, this “individuality” is not as free as it seems. It is still guided by casting systems and market demands, which decide what kind of ‘je ne sais quoi’ is acceptable. In the end, rather than truly new creative directions, what we see is a constant shift between these familiar looks, driven by trends and by what the industry wants at the time.

At brands such as Gucci and Willy Chavarria, individuality, presence, and narrative identity are often prioritized over fixed physical masculinities, signaling a gradual shift away from purely morphological criteria.

These patterns are not theoretical. They are produced and maintained by the people who work directly inside casting rooms, studios, and showrooms. To understand how these ideals are built in practice, we had a conversation with a model/stylist, a casting director, a photographer, a model agent and a scouter in one of the main fashion cities: Paris.

Five experts in the field

Born in Canada and now based in Paris, Kieron Harper works as a stylist and model across contemporary menswear editorial and runway casting. He was first scouted in Toronto while visiting his family in Ontario in 2018. After quickly becoming active within the industry, he has established himself in Paris and has also begun working there as a stylist for emerging brands.

Dana Montana is a model agent at Women360 Paris and a mother agent focused on developing and placing male talent in international markets. Although she does not engage deeply with fashion in a traditional sense, she grounds her approach more in the sociology behind people and image-making..

Christian Kimena works as an international model scouter, identifying new faces for major runway shows and campaigns. With over five years of experience, he initially did not consider scouting as a long-term profession, but after several successful model placements, including talents who have gone on to work with Off-White and Dior, as well as Willy Chavarria. It
became a defined career path.

Cole Fawcett is a photographer based between Toronto and Paris whose work explores portraiture within editorial fashion contexts. Much of his practice is rooted in backstage documentation during Paris Fashion Week, working with shows such as Blue Marble and Ludovic de Saint Sernin, with a focus primarily on menswear projects for magazines.

Martin Franck is a casting director with over two decades of experience, having worked with major fashion houses including Maison Margiela and Walter Van Beirendonck. He has witnessed how men’s beauty archetypes in fashion have evolved over the past 20 years and primarily focuses on streetcasting.

IRK: How would you describe the current image of men in high fashion?

Stylist: “It depends on the brand, but there’s definitely a more commercial, buff direction right now. A masculine, almost macho energy in some markets.”

Model agent: “You still have a lot of stereotypes of masculinities. There’s the edgy boy, the athletic guy… but it’s very trend-dependent. If it’s not what the industry wants that season, it’s a no.”

Scouter: “Very repetitive. You see the same guys in the same shows. Fashion should mirror society, but clients still heavily control casting..”

Photographer: “There’s more understanding of what traditional and non-traditional beauty is, but also more constraints on how the male body is presented.”

Casting director: “I prefer androgynous models. Tall, slim, with personality. Men’s beauty archetypes is not the key factor anymore.”

IRK: Has the male model changed in the last 20 years?

Stylist: “Yes and no. It’s cyclical. If you look at Gucci under Tom Ford, which is somewhat returning in spirit, that was a very macho silhouette. Then in the early 2000s you had a much slimmer aesthetic at Dior and Celine.”

Model agent: “Definitely. Casting directors now accept more fluidity, but there are limits. If it’s not aligned with the trend they’ve established, it’s a no.”

Scouter: “Yes. Twenty years ago the image of men was more rigidly masculine. Now there is more diversity and more room to tell different stories.”

Photographer: “What changed most is who we are photographing. Before, it was more hierarchical. Now it’s more about people who don’t necessarily hold power but want their voices heard.”

Casting director: “The industry changed a lot. Before it was men; now it’s boys. Then brands like Balenciaga introduced more androgynous casting. It’s more about personality now.”

IRK: Why do you think the representation of men has changed?

Stylist: “The expectation of masculinity has shifted. There are also sexual preferences influencing casting. One day it’s a macho type, another day it’s a Hedi Slimane boy.”

Model agent: “Because society changed. There’s more awareness and acceptance of diversity, and the industry adapts to that.”

Scouter: “Fashion is a mirror of society. It simply reflects what is happening outside.”

Photographer: “There’s more commercial pressure on imagery now. Male photography has lost some of its sense of purity.. I still look back at Robert Mapplethorpe. There was a raw honesty there.”

Casting director: “It was repetitive before. The same type of man over and over. It had to evolve.”

IRK: Who is driving these changes within the industry?

Stylist: “Casting directors have huge influence. They define who walks the show and therefore what the season looks like.”

Model agent: “Marketing departments play a big role, but ultimately it reflects society. Creative directors interpret that information and adapt it.”

Scouter: “Both society and clients. Brands need to match global audiences, so they adapt their casting accordingly.”

Photographer: “Model agencies are key now. They develop personalities, not just faces.”

Casting director: “Brands ultimately make the final decisions. The ownership structure defines the direction.”

IRK: Is diversity in male casting real or performative?

Stylist: “Often performative. Some brands like Louis Vuitton feel genuine, but many others are simply ticking boxes.”

Model agent: “It’s strategy. New stereotypes replace old ones, positioning models every few decades.”

Scouter: “Both. There is genuine effort in some cases, especially from certain creative directors, but also a clear branding strategy behind it.”

Photographer: “Performative. There is visibility, but not always cultural understanding behind it.”

Casting director: “There is still not enough diversity. Representation exists, but it is far from reflective of reality.”

IRK: What is the future of masculinity in fashion?

Stylist: “Trends are cyclical. We may return to older ideals.”

Model agent: “It will remain stereotyped in some form.”

Scouter: “Uncertain… Especially with AI entering the industry.”

Photographer: “Only very specific archetypes will remain visible.”

Casting director: “The base silhouette will stay: tall, slim, strong presence.”

These conversations do not show a clear break with past ideals; instead, they reconfigure how fashion presents male identity. Traditional men’s beauty archetypes (strength on one side and androgyny on the other) still exist, but personality increasingly filters them.

Attention is shifting from purely physical ideals to presence. Certain faces stand out not only for their proportions, but because they feel recognisable, memorable, and easy to recall. Models no longer function as anonymous bodies on the runway; instead, they carry character and resemble actors or digital personalities more than traditionally anonymous fashion figures.

This is closely tied to how images circulate today. Fashion exists beyond the runway and these men’s beauty archetypes, constantly moving through social media, where visibility and recognition matter as much as form. The “interesting face” has become part of a wider system shaped by virality and brand strategy.

Recent collections, including Gucci’s Cruise direction, reflect this shift, prioritising individuality and narrative presence over uniformity. However, according to industry voices, this is not a definitive change. Men’s beauty archetypes in fashion remains cyclical, repeatedly returning to familiar archetypes.

The slim, tall “chic boy” still dominates in Paris, while Milan often relies on recurring models and fixed men’s beauty archetypes codes. Looking ahead, there is no consensus, but most agree that only certain archetypes will remain dominant.

In that sense, men’s beauty archetypes is not simply diversifying, it is being re-edited for an era defined by attention and repetition.

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