Porn performers at fashion shows are nothing new. Back in 1991, Manfred Thierry Mugler put Jeff Stryker in one of his runway presentations. And occasionally, protests have often taken center stage on the catwalk. (Rick Owens infamously punched a model for an unapproved stunt protest back in 2015.) This week, in Paris, the paths converged.
Designer Louis Gabriel Nouchi's latest collection pulled inspiration from Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho -- the brand has a history of sourcing from novels. This meant dark, imposing tailoring amid sensual and sometimes erotic designs. For the cast, Nouchi opted for what many might call stunts: Stefano Ganino from The White Lotus, Zane Phillips from Fire Island, and La Grande Dame from Drag Race France were all in the mix. As was Sharok, the Los Angeles-based porn performer who made an unsanctioned protest surrounding the protests in Iran that has since gone viral.
Here, we talk to Sharok about walking in the show, the decision to protest, and the struggle he often faces as a sex worker looking to speak out on social issues.
Photo: Getty Images
How did you get involved with the show? Were you connected with the brand prior?
I was in touch with the owner of the brand prior, the designer Louis-Gabriel Nouchi. We had been Instagram friends and I was a fan of his work. Initially, I was drawn to the brand because he used different-sized models in his runway shows. He didn't just have your typical agency runway models. He had larger guys, he had hairy guys, all shades and every color. I liked that he was doing that. He was making clothes and making them accessible for real people. Last season he had Jordan Firstman walk naked in his show and Jordan's a really handsome, hot guy but we don't see guys with that body type in major fashion campaigns so I think what Gabriel did by including him was pretty major.
My friend Enrique was going out to Paris to go walk his show this season. He was like you should come and I asked if he thought I could walk and he said I should try to message Louis. Louis told me to just come to a casting. So I went and got cast.
Is this something you have wanted to do before?
When I was a kid, of course I wanted to be a model but I never thought I could be a model on a runway. Even as I got older, I still appreciate fashion but I never thought I could do a runway show.
Photo: GettyImages
So you get casted and ended up walking the show. On the runway you held up a sign. How did all that happen?
He actually had no idea I was going to do that. I specifically wanted to do the show so that it would give me that kind of platform to do it. That sounds a bit shady, but... it worked. I haven't spoken to him about it since but he had no idea I was going to do that. I did specifically unbutton my shirt to the point where you can see my tattoo that says "Women. Life. Freedom." And that was going to be the statement but I had written the sign and kept it in my bag up until the last moment. When the music was on and we were all in line and about to walk out, I was like, "Fuck it, I'm going to do it."
How has the response been? How has that been for you?
It's been great. It achieved the goal that I wanted which was to go viral. So Vogue Italia and Vogue Poland put it on their Instagram. A lot of the Iranian news online posted it but of course they haven't tagged me because of the whole porn thing. Which is fine, because I don't really care, but it does kind of annoy me that even within my own community there's still a stigma when it comes to homosexuality, porn, and sex work.
I have a friend who works at one of the biggest Persian-Iranian news agencies. He wanted to run a story on me about the whole thing. They were like, "Yeah, this is great. He's amazing." And then at the end of the meeting, he told them I did porn and they're like, "Oh, no, we can't. We can't do anything. We can't even post his picture."
Photo: Instagram (@the_sharok)
Does this happen often when you try to speak out about social issues?
Sometimes. When people find out what I do, sometimes the attitude changes, and sometimes I don't feel welcome in those spaces. I've kind of shifted my social media presence on Instagram from porn and sex work to activism especially since September when everything started happening in Iran. I have another account that somebody else manages for me that's for work.
For anyone who hasn't heard, do you want to give a quick primer on what exactly you were drawing attention to?
Just the fact that there is a revolution going on and it was started by women. It has filtered down to every demographic within Iran. People are tired of living under a religious theocracy and they want change. It's been 43 years of this dictatorship. One of the biggest things people can do is post online and talk about it because a lot of the internet is being cut off or monitored there. So us bringing awareness to it is really our job as Iranians living outside of Iran.
Photo: Instagram (@the_sharok)
Do you hope to work in or with the fashion industry more in the future?
I mean, after this stunt I pulled I don't know if I'll ever be asked to do a show again. If people want me to model that'd be great. But for me with this, I'd never been on a runway before and I didn't get paid so I had nothing to lose. I would have felt stupid and not right to have walked and not made a statement with everything going on right now. For me to be so self-indulgent and attention-seeking to walk in a fashion show without saying anything would have gone against everything I've been talking about for the past few months.
Photo: Instagram (@the_sharok)
