Models Were Sometimes "Discovered" via Strip Clubs | Mental Floss
From the late 1980s to the early 20000s, photographers and scouts for Gentlemen's Quarterly magazine sometimes recruited their models from local strip clubs, especially in cities like Las Vegas, Miami, and New Orleans. These women brought a lived-in sensuality that was absent in many other fashion magazines at the time, and they were frequently featured in GQ's cover stories and pictorials. The concept behind this strategy was that strippers already had an established audience, so they would be more likely to purchase the magazine to see themselves on its pages. As one model who worked both in strip clubs and for GQ put it, "The girls who stripped and the boys who came to look at them often loved seeing their favorite dancers in print." However, the practice wasn't without controversy. Some people felt that hiring strippers to pose nude was exploitative, while others argued that it demeaned those who worked as professional models. Ultimately, though, it led to some memorable covers and photo shoots that helped change the perception of sexuality in mainstream media.
Though Gentleman's Quarterly (GQ) is known today for featuring celebrities and high-end fashion spreads, its origins are rooted in more modest beginnings. In fact, when it first launched in 1957, it aimed primarily at businessmen and covered topics such as sports and automobiles. It wasn't until the late '80s and early '90s that the magazine shifted its focus to include lifestyle and fashion content, with a particular emphasis on men's clothing and grooming. As part of this transition, photographer Howie Hood began scouting women from local strip clubs to appear in GQ's pages. He discovered several well-known models through this method, including Chloe Sevigny and Carrie Stevenson.
"They were just regular working girls," he told The New York Times in 2007. "But they knew how to work the camera. They had a certain sensuality about them that you don't see anymore."
This approach quickly became popular among other photographers and art directors working for the magazine. One famous example is a 1993 pictorial called "The Girlfriend Experience," which featured strippers posing as girlfriends of fictional male characters. Many of the women used their stage names instead of their real ones, but others, like Lizzy Taylor, went by their given names. According to model Lia Sophia, who worked both as a dancer and a model during this time period, "It was a great opportunity to make money while doing something I loved."
However, not everyone was happy with this practice. Some felt that hiring strippers to pose nude was exploitative, while others argued that it demeaned those who worked as professional models. In response, many models pushed back against the trend, refusing to participate or even speaking out publicly against it. For example, one group of New York City dancers protested outside Condé Nast headquarters in 1989, demanding fair treatment and better pay for their work. Eventually, though, the controversy died down, and the practice continued until around 2005.
Despite the criticism, GQ's use of strip club models helped to change the perception of sexuality in mainstream media. It showed that people could be sexy without being overly provocative or objectified. The models were often portrayed as confident and empowered, rather than submissive or victimized. And their presence on the pages of the magazine challenged traditional gender roles and encouraged readers to rethink what they thought about masculinity and femininity. As one critic put it, "GQ made sexiness more accessible to men."
In the end, Gentleman's Quarterly's reliance on strip club models was short-lived, but its legacy is still felt today. Many photographers continue to look for talent from unexpected places, such as social media or YouTube, to find new faces for their projects. But few can deny the impact that these women had on fashion and culture during their brief time in the spotlight.