The Plus-Size Modeling World Has A New Star: And It’s A Guy

At 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds, the imposing Mr. Miko is hardly a mainstream customer for the designers whose looks flattered the catwalk crew (whose waists top out around 32 inches). Mr. Miko’s waist is 40 inches, and though he keeps in shape by biking, he’s free of hard edges and sharp angles. Even in the go-see ensemble that he chose for this flaunt-it evening — jeans from Levis, jacket from Hickey Freeman and the white dress shirt he wore at his wedding — he looked more like the running back who stole your heart in high school than a high-profile clotheshorse.

For all of that, Mr. Miko, 26, is the model of the moment: As the first (and so far, only) hunk signed with Brawn, a division for plus-size men that IMG started in March, he has a mandate to speak for Guys of Size longing to be au courant. And if his blue eyes and tattooed biceps look familiar, it’s because the response to Mr. Miko and his “body positive” message has been over the top. (See: “Good Morning America,” “Entertainment Tonight,” Vogue.com and British news media outlets galore.) More than 58,000 Instagram followers have bonded to the actor since he happened into modeling, making his debut online last September in the plus-size line of Target’s Mossimo collection. Read more at The New York Times.