ALL MAN: The International Male Story

Official Selection of the Tribeca Festival 2022

 

From the 1970s to 2000s, the infamous International Male catalog landed unsolicited into millions of men’s mailboxes. Part magazine, part catalog, this "magalog" presented hard-bodied men in boundary pushing clothing, who seemingly traveled the world in style. From poet's blouses and pleated pants, to exotic underwear and mesh body suits, the catalog challenged conventional men's fashion, calling into question what it meant to be a man.​

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The hot male models, boys-next-door, appealed to both gay and straight audiences alike. For gay men, these sensually dressed men provided a gateway into a fantasy world–providing an escape from AIDS and homophobia. For straight men, the catalog gave them permission to take fashion risks without threat to their masculinity, in an era of Miami Vice and gym culture. 

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For over three decades, the International Male catalog queered the image of the all-American boy, ultimately changing attitudes about men’s fashion, masculinity and sexuality in America.