Hot male models make the world go ’round. It’s science. Back in the 50s and 60s, the beefcakes du jour personified the muscular all-American stereotype, from suave Don Draper look-alikes dressed in neatly pressed suits to tanned Clark Kents ready to save babies from a burning building at a moment’s notice.
Later, in the 70s, the paradigm shifted from wholesome do-gooders you wanted to marry to oiled, mystery meat you wanted to, well, you get the idea. The hypersexualized boy toys of brands like Versace could thank an emerging crop of photographers for that. Robert Mapplethorpe was busy shocking the New York scene with stunning male nudes buzzing with a strong undercurrent of bondage and BDSM. And by 1978, a little known cameraman by the name of Bruce Weber was making a name for himself with saucy snaps of college polo player Jeff Aquilon in his undies.
Then the 90s hit. Hedi Slimane changed the game at Yves Saint Laurent with his preference for rail-thin teens with 27-inch waists. Years later, Raf Simons and Rick Owens would follow in his footsteps, both regularly employing notoriously attenuated hot male models. It’s only in the last couple of years that we’ve seen an emergence of inked hipster hunks and barrel-chested dreamboats that look like they’re about to chop down a sycamore and whittle you a blue jay. Billy Reid, here’s looking at you, kid.
To get a peek at the hottest male models of all time, click on the slideshow above. No drooling, s’il vous plaît.
Note: The slideshow above was updated on May 20, 2015.
Male Models
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Larry Scott
Larry’s greatest claim to fame was starring in Giorgio Armani’s Acqua di Gio fragrance ads from 1997 to 2007. The 10-year campaign is one of the longest running print ads of all time. Aside from modeling, Larry is a photographer who describes his style as “anti-fashion.”
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Enrique Palacios
Enrique is a top model from Venezuela who posed in campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger, Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana. He was also Naomi Campbell’s boyfriend back in 2001.
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Antonio Sabato, Jr.
Antonio broke onto the scene in the 90s as a Calvin Klein underwear model and as the muscle man in Janet Jackson’s “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” video. He later went on to act in Melrose Place, The Bold and the Beautiful and in a recurring role for General Hospital. Recently, Antonio danced with Cheryl Burke on the 19th season of Dancing with the Stars.
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David Agbodji
David is one of the busiest male models in fashion today. Not only is he a frequent face on the catwalk and in print campaigns, like Calvin Klein and Bottega Veneta, but he has also bagged reoccurring commercial jobs for brands like Banana Republic and Express.
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Jason Lewis
Before Jason played Jerry “Smith” Jerrod on Sex and the City, he was one of the hottest male models of the 90s, landing campaigns for Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Ray-Ban and Boss, where he was photographed by Richard Avedon. In 1996, the VH1 Fashion and Music Awards nominated Jason for “Male Model of the Year.”
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Joel West
Joel’s modeling career took off after getting discovered by a photographer at a Dairy Queen in the 90s. At the height of his popularity, he posed for Versace, Hugo Boss and most notably, Calvin Klein, whom he had an exclusive contract with for several seasons. Joel is now an actor and producer.
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John Pearson
John’s career has spanned over 25 years. The top 90s model was called the first “male supermodel” by The Sunday Times and has since been nicknamed the male Cindy Crawford. His client list includes Burberry, Calvin Klein, Valentino, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan, among others. To date, John is the only man to appear editorially in GQ for over three decades.
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Renauld White
Renauld was one of the most sought-after models of color in the 70s and 80s. He was the first black male model to walk the runways of Bill Blass, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren.
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Godfrey Gao
The Taiwanese actor-turned-model made headlines when he became the first Asian male model to front a Louis Vuitton campaign in Spring 2011. He’s also appeared on the cover of Numero Homme China and GQ China, to name a few.
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Lars Burmeister
The 6-foot-1-inch German model began his career at the age of 23 and has graced the covers of VMAN, Euroman and Vogue. He’s also snagged campaigns from brands like Versace, Valentino, Giorgio Armani, Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana.
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Broderick Hunter
You may recognize this up-and-coming California native from his Spring 2014 campaign for Philipp Plein or his Fall 2013 editorial in Fantastic Man. On the other hand, it could be his Instagram account @broderickhunter. He already has 55,000 followers and counting.
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Michael Flinn
People magazine named Michael “the most beautiful male model in the world” in 1989. What earned him that title? Securing Hugo Boss from 1983 until 1994, for starters.
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Noah Mills
Noah is a Canadian-born model-turned-actor who began his career as a runway fixture at Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and Michael Kors in the mid-2000s. He has fronted international magazines, appeared on 2 Broke Girls and played Taylor Swift’s love interest for her video “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” in 2012.
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Tomás Valdemar Hintnaus
Tomás, a Brazilian model and professional pole vaulter, is credited with being the first model in Calvin Klein’s underwear campaign, shot by Bruce Weber in 1982. Later, American Photographer magazine named the iconic photo one of the “10 Pictures That Changed America.”
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Tyson Brett Ballou
Since signing with IMG in 1998, this Texas model has been the face of Jil Sander, Valentino Jeans, Perry Ellis and 7 For All Mankind. In addition, Tyson has been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, L'Uomo and W, among others.
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Walter Schupfer
Walter was discovered by Helmut Lang at the age of 15. After an illustrious career that spanned the 80s and 90s, he started WSM in 1995, a creative management company with an impressive client list that includes Chanel, Adidas, H&M and L'Oréal.
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Marcus Schenkenberg
Marcus is a Swedish model, whose career hit the big leagues in the 90s. At the height of his fame, he modeled for Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Versace and Giorgio Armani. He’s also known for his famous girlfriends, which have included Mariah Carey, Jessica Simpson and Pamela Anderson. It’s rumored that Smith Jerrod, the Sex and the City character played by Jason Lewis, is inspired by Marcus.
Image: WENN
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Garrett Neff
Delaware native Garrett was scouted in 2005 at the Miami International Airport. He has worked with photographers like Bruce Weber, Steven Klein, Steven Meisel and Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. In 2009, Forbes.com named Garrett one of the most successful male models of the year.
Image: WENN
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Adonis Bosso
Meet Adonis, the 6-foot-2-inch up-and-comer who hails from the Ivory Coast. For the past couple years, Adonis has dominated the catwalks at shows like Dolce & Gabbana, Thom Browne and Acne Studios. He’s a favorite of the guys over at Public School, a regular at Kenneth Cole and a repeat face at DKNY.
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Baptiste Giabiconi
Baptiste is one of the hottest male models to come out of France. In 2008, he signed with DNA Model Management and that same year was booked for Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld, who has taken him under his wing and nicknamed him “a boy version of Gisele Bündchen.” Later, he posed for the Roberto Cavalli Spring 2010 campaign with Kate Moss and became the face of Coca-Cola light alongside Coco Rocha.
Image: WENN
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Tony Ward
Tony is known for his life on and off the catwalk. The model, actor and artist rose to fame in the 80s, posing for the likes of Calvin Klein, Chanel and Fendi. By the 90s, his stardom catapulted when he started dating Madonna (pictured here). You can see his cameos in music videos like “Cherish,” “Erotica” and “Justify My Love.”
Image: Getty
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Bob Menna
In the 70s and 80s, Bob was a god. Former model Janice Dickinson even wrote about Bob in her book, Everything About Me Is Fake . . . And I'm Perfect. And we quote: "At one point, I was dating hot-hottie-hot male model Bob Menna, who had jet-black hair, thick eyebrows and a chiseled hot bod that would put Superman's to shame. Bob was sweet, but going out with him was a pain in the ass. At restaurants, the waitresses could hardly write or speak, they were so busy drooling...Such was the power of Bob."
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Sterling St. Jacques
In his day, Sterling was as much of a regular fixture at Givenchy and Halston as he was on the dance floor at Studio 54, where he took turns twirling famous faces like Grace Jones, Bianca Jagger and Pat Cleveland. Allegedly, Sterling died of AIDS in 1984.
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Bruce Hulse
In the 80s, Bruce “The Incredible” Hulse was the embodiment of the phrase “sex sells.” He was discovered by Bruce Weber and became one of the most sought-after models in the industry by designers, photographers and his female counterparts. Word on the street is that he was Don Juan reincarnate.
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Casey Legler
Casey is a former French Olympic swimmer who is known as the first woman under contract as a male model with Ford Models. She has landed advertising campaigns from Diesel to AllSaints and walked for Michael Bastian.
Image: Getty
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Cameron Alborzian
Cameron began his modeling career on the runway of Jean Paul Gaultier in 1986, but it was his three-year contract with Guess in 1988 that made his career. In 1998, Cameron left the industry to become an Ayurveda and yoga therapist.
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David Boals
David sprung up overnight in the 90s after being shot by Bruce Weber for Interview magazine wearing nothing but an Azzedine Alaïa coat and biker boots. Early on, he became a favorite of Valentino, covered Vogue Hommes and was handpicked by Madonna for her book Sex.
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David Gandy
For the past 15 years, David’s career has been on fire. His accolades include being named the third most successful model by Forbes.com in 2009, one of the sexiest men of 2012 by Glamour and one of the most influential men in Britain by British GQ. Apart from modeling, David has designed a line of loungewear for Marks & Spencer, penned a blog for British Vogue and written car reviews for British GQ.
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Brad Kroenig
Karl Lagerfeld’s favorite male model is none other than Brad, a St. Louis transplant who has modeled for Chanel, Fendi, Roberto Cavalli, Gap and DKNY. His 6-year-old son, Hudson, is Lagerfeld’s godson and tiniest muse.
Brad Kroenig (L), pictured with Karl Lagerfeld (R) and Hudson Kroenig (C).
Image: Getty
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Fernando Cabral
Fernando made his mark in 2010 when he starred in H&M’s holiday campaign alongside his brother, Armando. While Armando has branched off to run his own shoe line, Fernando has climbed the runway ranks, walking in shows from Hermes to Givenchy.
Image: A.Sauvage
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Hoyt Richards
In the 80s and 90s, everyone knew the name Hoyt Richards from his work in campaigns like Versace, Valentino, Ralph Lauren and Burberry. In the late 90s, Hoyt relocated from New York City to Los Angeles, where he started his own production company called Tortoise Entertainment.
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Jeff Aquilon
Bruce Weber’s scintillating 1978 photo of Jeff, then a college polo player, in his underwear changed the game for male models. It also shot Jeff into the supermodel hall of fame.
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Jeffrey Brezovar
Jeffrey was most famous as the face of Aramis in the 90s—that is until he was rumored to be Camryn Manheim’s baby daddy for son Milo in 2001.
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Mark Vanderloo
Mark is a Dutch model who fronted campaigns for Guess, Valentino and CK, among others. The gossip mill claims that the film character Derek Zoolander is loosely based on Mark and fellow model Johnny Zander’s names.
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Matt Norklun
In 1986, New York magazine called Matt a cult figure. In his career span, he covered countless magazines, including GQ, and fronted major campaigns like Perry Ellis. Matt is now an actor and stuntman, working with names like Ryan O'Neal.
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Michael Bergin
Michael honed his modeling chops in the 90s as Mark Wahlberg’s successor in Calvin Klein’s racy underwear ads. After years of walking the runways of designers like Giorgio Armani and appearing in big ticket commercials (from Kellogg's to L'Oréal), Michael switched gears to play J.D. Darius on Baywatch.
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Nacho Figueras
Nacho has been the face of Ralph Lauren’s Black Label line since 2005 and has also starred in the Polo fragrance commercials. But he’s not just a pretty face. In 2009, the handsome Argentine was ranked as one of the top 100 polo players in the world.
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Nick Constantino
Nick was one of the hottest male models in the 80s and early 90s. One of his most prestigious campaigns was for Guess, starring opposite Claudia Schiffer.
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Oriol Elcacho
Known as the “Spanish Adonis,” Oriol has worked with brands like Missoni, Gap, Valentino and Ralph Lauren. But his most notable get was Bvlgari’s Aqva campaign.
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Paul Palmero
Paul was a hot commodity in the 70s and 80s. The Cuban refugee landed campaigns for Lanvin, Valentino and Armani, graced the cover of GQ and was plucked by Andy Warhol for Interview magazine. After years in the business, Paul transitioned into a photographer and later opened his own modeling agency. He’s now retired and working on his memoirs.
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Urs Althaus
Urs is credited with being the first black male model to cover GQ. This year, he published an autobiography called Urs, the Swiss Black Boy: A Rollercoaster Between the High Life and Bankruptcy, chronicalling his time in the fashion industry, Hollywood and beyond.
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Tim Boyce
Tim was a top model in the 90s, posing for campaigns like Giorgio Armani. His most notable picture came in 1994 when he posed for the cover of Arena Homme +. When his career waned, he fronted Playgirl in 2011.
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Tim Easton
Tim’s Ralph Lauren and Polo Ralph Lauren campaigns made him a household name in the 80s. He still continues to model for brands like Brooks Brothers and Mercedes-Benz, proving that age really is just a number.
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Tomas Skoloudik
He’s worked with DKNY, Gap, Gucci and Calvin Klein, but it’s his multiple campaigns and runway appearances for Giorgio Armani’s brands that have sealed the deal for Tomas.
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Ben Dahlhaus
In 2014, Swedish model Ben became the mysterious face for luxury watchmaker Brathwait. Instantly, the images became an Internet sensation, earning Ben the title “the Swedish Brad Pitt.”
Image: Brathwait
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Tyson Beckford
Tyson is a model-turned-actor whose first big break came in the form of a Polo Ralph Lauren campaign in the 90s. By 1995, he was named “Man of the Year” by VH1. He went on to co-host Make Me a Supermodel with Niki Taylor in 2008 and rack up credits in over 13 films, including Zoolander.
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Tony Spinelli
Tony was featured on the cover of Vogue Hommes in 1978 and is still booking gigs today. His resume includes TV commercials, catalogue work for top retailers like Bergdorf Goodman and two covers of GQ. He currently is a spokesman for the I Am Waters Foundation.
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Alex Lundqvist
Alex is a Swedish model, who was discovered in 1994 by—who else—Bruce Weber along with model agent Sean Patterson. He has secured campaigns from Versace to Lagerfeld and appeared as Fergie’s love interest in her music video “Clumsy.”
