A friend asked me recently if I had noticed all these boys and men wearing beards lately. I laughed, because this trend isn’t just lately, it’s been going on for a few years already. But not many people know how and with whom it started…?
In 1996, Patrick Petitjean was already well known as a model, he’d done some great editorial jobs. I met him during a job for a Dutch magazine called Man. I told him I would in Paris during the next menswear shows-week and promised to give him a call. We met again backstage at the Claude Montana show and later we went to the Hugo Boss show, he was booked for. I never saw him again after that day, but I remember him as a really nice guy, with amazing blue eyes!
Early editorial picture of Patrick Petitjean
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Polaroid of Patrick Petitjean, ph. Patrick Demarchelier
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Soon he appeared on billboards for Missoni, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss, and became one of the most photographed male models during the late 90ties.
Missoni Campaign, 1996 .
After a few years of lots of editorials and campaigns it became quiet around Patrick Petitjean, but in 2008 he appeared in a campaign again, this time for Prada, photographed by Steven Meisel.
Prada campaign, photographed by Steven Meisel
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Then Patrick did something that bombarded his career to the absolute top and changed men’s fashion: he grow his beard… Magazine editors and photographers recognized immediately it was thé new look for men. He first appeared with his new look in 10 Men magazine, 2008.
Ph. by Marcelo Krasilcic for 10 Men magazine
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Growing his beard wasn’t all Patrick did, he also grew his hair. This Jesus-look has inspired photographer Mario Sorrenti and stylist Emanuelle Alt to make “On the Road” for Vogue Hommes International, september 2009.
Vogue Hommes International, september 2009
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But the absolute break-through for the bearded look came with the fall/winter,2009 H&M campaign, photographed by Andreas Sjodin.
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That’s how the beard became a fashion item again and lost its hippy / 70ties image.
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Other great photographs of a bearded Patrick Petitjean
And in 2012 without a beard
Ph. Jean- Baptiste Mondino
Ph. Jean- Baptiste MondinoFiled under: inspiration
