Being a male model in Malta comes with a host of misconceptions attached. Add an element of sexuality and your twin brother into the mix, and things get even more complicated. Johnathan Cilia discusses society’s prejudices with model Dyan Azzopardi and photographer Steven Vella.

“Sometimes I’ll release my work on social media, and the first comments I get will be, “Steve, why do you only shoot guys?”

Fashion photographer and budding director Steven Vella sighs across from me; Dyan Azzopardi, a male model and frequent collaborator, shifts in his seat.

“It makes me excited to hear what people think,” he continues. “I know people from the industry, friends, colleagues and everyday people and the nature of the comments I receive when I post photos online can be ridiculous.”

Steven’s particular style of black and white fashion photography is not only striking, but usually takes the lesser-chosen path of focusing on males.

Seemingly a minor detail, Steven and his collaborators in Malta quickly found out that, while women might get the short end of the stick in many industries, in the fashion photography industry, things are a bit different. 

“The approach in Malta is heavily focused on the sex. If the models are men, there is the misconception that they are necessarily gay, or that they are two gay people promoting that scene,” says Dyan pointedly.

Dyan’s been involved in enough photoshoots to know what to expect from certain parts of society. “But then, there are those who understand what we are doing, our artistic and emotional side. For me, the weirder the idea is for a shoot, the better. When I approach a shoot, as long as the photographer gets what he wants, I am ready to do it.”

Dyan’s portfolio shows how true he is to that statement; having worked with major brands like Diesel, Levis, and Calvin Klein, he has also done shoots dressed in women’s clothes (not unlike Jaden Smith’s recent modelling of Louis Vuitton’s upcoming womenswear line), been covered in feminine makeup for other parts, and even done shoots with his twin brother Nicky with taglines like ‘Brothers in Love’.

Clearly, there’s a lot of room for haters to jump in. The fact that Dyan and his brother are both taller than average and feature sharp bone structures (their mother is Dutch) probably makes them seem even more alien to the Maltese sensibilities.

“I’m comfortable shooting with my brother. It’s definitely an advantage when modelling; I know how he will react and we can read other easily. The more comfortable you are as a model, the better the shoot is going to be,” explains Dyan.

With the heavy sexualisation of the modelling industry and the afore-mentioned prejudices when it comes to gender, I can only imagine what some people in Malta would say to seeing some of Dyan and Nicky’s more boundary-pushing shoots.

“When it comes to images with a more ‘risqué’ theme, many people do not know how to react. They make it obvious that they are feeling uncomfortable, maybe even ashamed, but they cannot put a finger on what is driving these reactions. At the end of the day, why is it shameful? They see sexy male models and they feel uncomfortable. Maybe they consider the shots as too sexy, too revealing… at least, that is what some of the viewers have claimed,” says Steven exasperatedly.

“When I shoot, I’m looking for sincerity; for an honest – not polished, not airbrushed – more real look. Some people are scared to see a real photo with a real face. And then, some people are scared of more mundane things, such as seeing a photo of a male model with his butt showing,” Steven laughs.

However, Steven insists that the obvious sexuality comes with hidden meanings, with interpretations that can vary according to the viewer.

“Take the shot of Dyan in his underwear,” he says, referring to a shot where the male model is, indeed, scantily clad. “It is not just a sexy photo that stops there. It tells a story. I used that photo to launch my website and, when I see it, I feel as if though I am undressing myself to reveal my real artistic vision. The goal not to look sexy. I want other people to see their own stories in my shots. Some will see sex; others sexism; and others still, masculinity.”

Storytelling is a big part of Steven’s work. Looking for a genuine look and then developing it with his story and vision is what he aims for in his shoots, whether they feature male or female models.

“I have key elements to my shoots. Then, when I arrive on set, I let them loose. I try to give the models a new perspective. Even for the audience, for people to get a feeling from a photo, you need to give the people a story. But, sometimes, it’s hard to turn the models into actors; I try to push the models towards exploring a character, explaining the boundaries and elements to the character, and I try to mesh them together,” the photographer explains.

I want other people to see their own stories in my shots. Some will see sex; others sexism; and others still, masculinity

“For one particular shoot, the female model was a rather innocent young woman. As it turned out, she was required to play the role of a stripper in a music video. She kept thinking of what her mother and society might think of her and couldn’t feel at ease, at first. But I pushed to get her past those boundaries, to get the shot. That is and that’s what it’s all about.”

Ironically, a video of a naïve woman acting like a stripper is likely to be better received better by nearly everyone, compared to a photo of two brothers showing fraternal love for each other.

I ask Dyan if he sees any difference between male and female models.

“Basically, there’s no difference. But there is a greater demand for females, both in Malta and abroad. There’s also more competition for the women. The female modelling scene is growing locally; there’s a lot of choice, different styles, catwalk models, photo models…  One problem is the lack of height, of course. As for male models, the industry is still lacking, somewhat. There are male models out there, sure, but there are many who lack confidence.”

“And a lot of male models don’t know what look they should aim for. They imagine that they need to be pumped up, to make the grade,” Steven adds.

This feature appeared in the Sunday Circle

These somewhat technical replies explain the divide between the perception of fashion as seen by someone who is involved in the scene and a layperson. Where Steven would see a shy, short female model who needs some ‘work’, Maltese society would see an attractive woman with the right amount of skin showing. And the opposite applies. Where Steven would see a beautiful, artistic shoot of a male model, Maltese society would see something distasteful.

“I would love for people to believe in the concept behind our work,” says Dyan. “It’s not just about the picture, but few understand that. I don’t even think it’s about being pretty – what matters is that you have the look. One has to dare to be different. And, if you are doing it differently, you are doing it well.”