“We have been conditioned to think ginger men are ugly and weak. I wanted to flip this on its head and present the redheaded male as the ‘ultimate’ alpha male”. (Thomas Knights)
by Matt Peake | 16th October 2014
Last night, The Conran Shop welcomed the official book launch of RED HOT 100, which took place in Chelsea. RED HOT 100, a collection created by photographer Thomas Knights, celebrates red-haired male beauty and challenges negative ginger stereotypes, RED HOT 100 features men from all over the globe, including Olympic gold medallists, actors and top models. Following the success of the initial launch in London in 2013 and its subsequent New York exhibition in Lower Manhattan, RED HOT mania has attracted huge attention from all over the globe.
The book features famous faces such as Vampire Diaries actor Daniel Newman and Olympic Gold Medallist Greg Rutherford. RED HOT has been gaining increasing momentum and helping break misconceptions of men with red hair. Thomas Knights, the man behind the concept, is a fashion photographer and music video director who has his own impressive portfolio. His work has featured in Vogue Italia, Dazed and Confused, and Marie Claire. He’s also worked with Marina and the Diamonds, Labrinth, Rosin Murphy and Maya Jane Coles.
Knights is a natural redhead himself and has personally experienced the negative perceptions that come with being ginger, and he grew up feeling ashamed of his red roots. With RED HOT, Knights has devised a photography and video concept that re-defines the perceived image of the redheaded male. The men showcased here are masculine, chiselled, cool, and proud of the way that they look. The men featured in RED HOT 100 will be the new icons for what will hopefully be a new positive rebranding of ‘the ginger’.
For many years Western culture has put the ginger female on a pedestal, leaving their male counterparts outside of the limelight. Only a few of years, there were few London modelling agencies with red-haired male models on their books, and red-haired actors were hugely underrepresented in TV and film. However with the popularity of RED HOT campaign, and celebrity ambassadors like Prince Harry, Damian Lewis and Eddie Redmayne, it seems that public opinion is changing.
RED HOT 100 book launch was hosted at The Conran Shop. The shop currently has 10 stores across the world, founded by Terence Conran in 1974.The Conran Shop has grown to be one of the leading lifestyle retailers in the world offering an exciting and unique hand-picked blend of gifts, furniture, lighting and home accessories. The Conran Shop is constantly evolving bringing iconic classics, exclusives, vintage style and contemporary design in an aspirational and stimulating environment. In 2012, Jasper Conran was appointed Chairman of The Conran Shop and has since embarked on a successful transformation of the business.
The book priced at £49.99 for the hardback edition can be bought via the RED HOT 100 website: www.redhot100.com or alternatively on The Conran Shop website, www.conranshop.co.uk.To buy other RED HOT 100 merchandise, go to www.redhot100.com/shop which features Art Prints, Posters, Vests, T-Shirts, Shampoo & Conditioner and the Red Hot 2015 Anti-Bullying Calendar.
To learn more about RED HOT 100, check out their website: www.redhot100.com. Don’t forget to ‘Like’ them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/redhotonehundred.
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