“Fashion Week castings are awesome, but the added bonus is beefing up the Pokédex,” said male model Andrew Sherman while visiting the W magazine offices on the first day of the men’s shows. If you haven’t heard, Pokémon Go has taken the world by storm since launching in the app store on July 6th, surpassing Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat in terms of usage time. Yes, even the fashion world is trying to catch ’em all. And male models are currently walking all over the city for castings, fittings, and shows, allowing them to catch more Pokémon than most. Here, five models share their secrets to success.
1
Chase Hill at IMG Models:
“I was at a casting and I saw a bunch of guys playing it, so I downloaded it. I live in the West Village. I caught my first one near NYU. It was Bulbasaur.”
Photo by Biel Parklee.
2
Andrew Sherman at IMG Models:
“Fashion Week castings are awesome, but the added bonus is beefing up the Pokédex. I live in the Financial District. I’ve noticed a lot of bug and water-type Pokémon because we’re close to the water. I’ll walk around the city, but I’ve also found that if you get on a slow bus at night, you’ll find a lot of good ones. I heard about the app a year or two before it came out. I had to get into Australian iTunes to get it. I was super hype.”
Photo by Biel Parklee.
3
Christian Plauche at VNY Models:
“I haven’t been playing it as much as I want to because I’ve almost died a couple of times. I’m like, ‘Oh shit, I shouldn’t be walking around and playing it.’ You need someone to walk with you who’s aware of their surroundings. I’ve loved Pokémon since I was five. I used to collect all the cards and if I got good grades my mom would get me a pack. It just never faded. There are lots of grass and earth Pokémon in Bushwick, which is where I live. I’m really lazy; I just try to see who I can catch while drinking a beer in my living room. I should walk around more.”
Photo by Biel Parklee.
4
Logan Boone at Soul Artist Management:
“My roommate and I go out at night and try to catch Pokémon. I caught a Magmar in Bushwick.”
Photo by Biel Parklee.
5
Teddy Solomon at Ford Models:
“I’m staying in Chinatown right now. I downloaded it the first day it came out. The first one I caught was Charmander. I walked around with three or four of my friends. On the way back from my castings in an Uber, I was catching a lot because I was moving so fast.” Photo by Biel Parklee.
