Stefan Campbell Presents: Sean Fitzergerald, the Anti-Abercrombie Kid

This is Sean Fitzgerald, a 20-year-old, lanky, Jodie Foster-circa-Freaky-Friday of a boy, and a drama major at NYU and Lee Strasberg from Ohio. I spotted him at ODIN on Lafayette Street last June one afternoon around 1:20 p.m. before having lunch with Aussie photographer and director James Huston (look for James’ documentary on sex in America). What caught my attention about Sean were many things… from his “Southern punk trash look meets deliverance chic”; to his classic black Wayfarers and Clockwork Orange-style bowler hat; to his perfectly scruffed up, square-toe vintage dusty boots and ratty bobbed hair. But what blew my mind was Sean’s skinniness that made him seem as if he attended the Rachel Zoe School of Dieting. He was so thin his skinny jeans were too baggy... and all his gestures while browsing through the racks of the hipster-wear looked like couture poses. “I have all brothers, and we are all this way," he said of his Vivien Leigh meets manorexic waistline.

But… thin is in! Have you noticed all the super tall and rockstar thin boys invading New York and Los Angeles like Alberto Giacometti living sculptures? And all the guppy twinks online… so not Tom of Finland. Apparently, rather than sacrificing their stylish uniforms and party favors, some nuevo city kids would rather skip meals and spend the money on clubs and pseudo-designer clothes (later to be found at INA)… thin is the mandate. Who was it that said nothing tastes better than thin? When Jalouse USA launched in early 2001 (then quickly closed after 9/11 because of advertising cutbacks) its campaign promoted fashion over food, causing a few eyebrows to raise. But Sean eats, drinks and enjoys life (and you know what they say about ultra skinny guys and what lurks beneath their skinny jeans -- or any jeans for that matter).

Recently, I sent Sean over for a casting to meet fine art photographer (and my downstairs neighbor) Leigh Johnson, whose partner is Peter Miles (art director for Marc Jacobs and graphic designer for Coppola’s Marie Antoinette). She took some pictures and is now working on a short film on Sean. I also sent him over to the Sean John’s fall menswear show casting during Fashion Week this past February, but they told him they were looking for only black guys… oops. A few weeks ago Sean called and told me that he was spotted by a scout for an extremely well-loved contemporary artist (and New York Magazine cover boy) and they are doing a project together with Sean as the subject. You never know, Bruce Weber could be calling next!