"So many men, so little time." That seems to be the motto behind The Most Beautiful Man in The World,
a self-published, image-led fanzine printed as a tabloid-sized newspaper, and filled with attractive strangers from around the world. After a career in showbiz styling, Frank Strachan launched TMBMITW's debut issue last May, handing out the first few bundles of the paper for free around London.
The second issue (out now) features new faces such as Ron, a martial arts fighter from New York who also works as a go-go dancer; Jamie, a profoundly deaf soccer player from Worcester, England; and Ben, a French dancer photographed backstage during the European leg of Kylie Minogue's tour. But besides the gorgeous photography and playful design scheme, the most exciting part is perhaps to learn about each subject's backstory (and get their Instagram info), with the hopes of one day bumping into one of them in their respective cities.
Here, editor-in-chief Strachan (pictured, below) talks about his love for print, and how much fun he's having in his ongoing quest to find the most beautiful man, ever.
Out: After years of styling pop stars, why did you decide to start a print project?
Frank Strachan: I graduated in menswear design from Central St Martins. in London, but my first job out of college was with Kylie. I worked with her creative team for four years, until things wound down, as she became ill. I continued styling performances, tours, and videos for girl bands and pop acts, and styled X Factor and The Voice in the UK. Itwas an exciting job, but it was frustrating being squashed between a hierarchy with conflicting goals. I came away from that experience just wanting to break free and do something myself. It's a personal project I guess, which has been liberating.
Why a newspaper format? It's a surprising choice when most publications are investing in digital content.
FS: The newsprint feels fresh and tactile. I was so scared for the first print run, but the images are so much brighter and fresher on the newspaper. I think we're so used to seeing images on screens now, through our phones, laptops... Even window displays are video walls. There's a saying in Blackpool, where I'm from, that "today's news is tomorrow's chip paper" (people eat a lot of fish & chips there), but today it feels like the images we see digitally are incredibly throwaway. There's always another image to be found scrolling a little bit further. Printing on a traditional newsprint press is beautiful -- even an error is a mark of beauty and craftmanship. The large pages also allow a lot of fun with the layout: You can make huge double page statements, or focus on tiny details.
Spreads from TMBMITW Issue 2: Ben from Paris (left) and Ron from New York (right).
How do you find the guys you put in the paper?
FS: I'm always on the hunt! Social media is a joy and a curse. I found the amazing Remi from Cannes on Instagram. He's an incredibly fit free-runner and acrobat. He only had a couple of hundred followers, but he kept appearing in my feed. We also have Willie, who was a dancer on Britney's Las Vegas shows. I met him years ago while working on her "Circus" tour. Another favorite of mine is Ben from Paris, Kylie's hot new dancer. Then there's Alex from San Diego, a cute barman who served me while I was enjoying some downtime in L.A. with the photographer Gregory Vaughan. We got his number on a napkin, and arranged to shoot him. We do shoot professional models, too, but I want the paper to feel like the reader's looking through a window into the lives of these guys. If all of them were models, I think that would become a bit boring.
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How did the title of the paper come about? Is it meant as a quest to actually find the most beautiful man in the world?
FS: The title came about by accident, when I was absentmindedly naming a folder on my desktop. The next time I saw it, it made me laugh, and it stuck. The aim is to celebrate beautiful men, exploring characters that aren't necessarily represented in mainstream fashion imagery. I don't want to capture anything seedy or subscribe to an unrealistic lifestyle. The guys are shot in locations they are familiar with, and I'm not over-styling them into something unnatural to them. The quest to find the most beautiful man in the world is an impossible, ever-changing task, but it's a lot of fun to explore the options!
What's in the cards for issue 3?
FS: I feel like there's so much more to say! I already have a wall of prospective men for issue 3, and it would be a shame not to share them with the world. The paper isn't constrained by seasons, but I hope to be releasing the next one in the summer.
Who's "TMBMITW" to you?
FS: Oh, I've found him, and he's very special, and funny and scary intelligent! Although I always solve the murders on Silent Witness [a BBC crime show] before him.
The Most Beautiful Man in The World, issue 2, available now at BigCartel.com. Follow the newspaper on Instagram @themostbeautifulmanintheworld.
Fun on the job. Frank Strachan at a shoot in West Hollywood. (Photo: Gregory Vaughn)
TheMostBeautifulManInTheWorld.co.uk
Photo: Cameron McNee (Strachan)
