World-renowned designer Jean Paul Gaultier once said, “Perfection is relative and beauty is subjective.” But in a world where beauty appears in the eyes of so many to be merely skin-deep, how does a model, looking to make a mark on the industry, stand out in a crowd?
Jonathan Croy is doing just that and more. Born in Montgomery and raised in Birmingham, Croy has always known the Southern life. With a background in music, Croy attended the University of Alabama as a performance major and has been actively pursuing a career in music for years.
But when Croy began losing an impressive amount of weight, about 80 pounds at first, people began to notice that he might have talent in another industry as well. Towards the end of a year living abroad in Jordan to teach and play music and another 60 pounds lighter, Croy was first introduced to the idea of modeling.
“I was getting my hair cut and colored at a Toni & Guy Salon – it was really cheap over there,” Croy said. “The woman cutting my hair was born in Jordan but was raised in NY for almost all of her life. She had done a lot of fashion work and married an Ed Hardy representative for the Middle East and Asia, which is how she ended up back in Jordan. She asked me about modeling and suggested that I had good bone structure for it. She was the first person who planted the seed.”
Photograph by Corey Lollar
After returning home, Croy was noticed and recruited by Saks, who encouraged him to talk to agencies in the area and by 2010, Croy had signed with his first agency. Croy then signed with The Look Model Management in the summer of 2011 and has been with them since.
“Since being noticed at Saks, I’ve done some work for them with looks from Tom Ford, Vineyard Vines, Diesel, Burberry – a little of everything they have to offer,” Croy said.
Coming up in the next couple of weeks, Croy will take part in Birmingham Fashion Week for the second year in a row.
“What’s cool about it is that it’s four days, which is just a few days shy of a larger fashion week in bigger cities,” Croy said. “I should be walking in a large number of shows in a short amount of time; I’m just waiting to be confirmed for which shows I’m going to get to be a part of.”
Despite all of his recent success though, Croy says the journey has not been without its obstacles. Even though he has lost an incredible amount of weight – well over 100 pounds – Croy still struggles with his body and image.
“I call them my battle scars and they’ve been a huge issue,” Croy said. “There have been some humiliating moments where people expect a male model to have a six pack and a great body, and while I do fit the measurements they expect, the scars from my transformation are still there. I’m waiting for surgery to fix them, which I’m always upfront with photographers about. I’m not going to cheat someone and try to get hired without telling them I can’t do a shirtless shoot. I’ve been turned down for a lot of really big jobs that I wanted, which is frustrating, but I know it will happen when it’s supposed to.”
Photograph by John Pope Photography
Being a model in the South has also had it’s disadvantages, as Croy finds it harder to book editorial shoots when local designers are often looking for a more classic, less trendy image for Southern lines.
“If you grew up in NYC or London or Berlin, where people are editorial on the streets every day, it’s so much easier,” Croy said. “It’s all spatial. The market here doesn’t support high fashion. It’s a drive to get out, not to run away, but a drive to go to what I know is best for me.”
In order to make himself stand out when he is looking to book a shoot or job, Croy relies on his Southern charm and bubbly personality to leave a lasting impression.
“Personality is the key,” Croy said. “It doesn’t matter how good of a walk you have; if you have a bad attitude, they don’t care.
“I love to meet new people. I don’t think I ever meet a stranger, which is actually one of the perks of being raised in the South. It’s just normal. The fact that we don’t have that kind of social barrier that a lot of people from places like Europe do have is great.”
Croy encourages those looking to break into the industry to rely on their own confidence and desire to be the difference maker.
“Everyone is gorgeous but not everyone is made for modeling,” Croy said. “Some people just have it and are born with it.
“Knowing that you have the desire and that nothing is going to take it away from you is the key. I have met a lot of really beautiful people who say they’re models but they don’t have that inhibition in front of the camera. Be silly. Be weird. Right now fashion is all about bringing out your inner weirdness and letting people work with it. Just be willing to go there.”
The author with Croy in Tuscaloosa.
Classic Southern Chic 