Literary fame is usually measured by bestsellers, Pulitzer Prizes, and Late Show appearances. But New Yorker staff writer Patrick Laden Keefe has reached a level of celebrity that perhaps most of his literary peers never thought possible. He was a fashion model.
A few days into the new year, J.Crew posted a photo on Instagram of Mr. Keef modeling the brand's zip-up Harrington jacket, knee-length trench coat, and suit and tie. Some of his outfits, such as a trench coat over a navy suit and a brown-spotted tie, are very reminiscent of “The President's Men,” giving the 48-year-old Keef the image of a traditional hard-nosed reporter. There is.
Although Mr. Keefe described the swipe-and-miss modeling job as a “lark,” he's not the first high-profile New Yorker to model for a fashion label and a mall-bound fashion label. In 1989, Joan Didion, then in her first year writing for The New Yorker, modeled with her daughter Quintana Rue in a Gap ad. Wearing matching black turtlenecks, the pair looked like the chicest beatniks on the block. Ms. Didion was advertised simply as an “author.”
On Instagram, below Mr. Keef's image, J.Crew writes in the lofty — though certainly accurate — words that he is “an award-winning staff writer at The New Yorker and a New York Times bestselling author.” It describes him. His non-fiction book about the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Say Nothing, has been made into a Hulu series.
Indeed, Mr. Keef's literary integrity seemed to be central to his appeal to J. Crew. “In some shots, he's holding a New Yorker magazine in his hand,” Keefe said. He was willing to pay for his employer. “If there's a world out there where I might find future readers in such an unusual format, I'm looking forward to it,” he said.
Fashion brands, especially these days, often employ civilians as brand representatives. Just last year, popular Italian brand Miu Miu sent 70-something retired doctor Huilan Qin down its runway, and Loewe tapped Sue Kroll, head of global marketing at Amazon MGM Studios, in an ad.
Aimé Leon Dore, Drakes, and J. Crew have used hairstylists, costume designers, professors, podcasters, and advertising executives in their marketing campaigns. The idea seems to be that professional models with bright smiles and genetically blessed looks are too sophisticated.
But a man by trade? Now, it's someone the audience can relate to. Additionally, for those who know Mr. Keefe, there is no doubt that he is ambitious.
When it comes to Messenger's credibility, it doesn't matter that Mr. Keef has been wearing J. Crew all his life. “The oldest piece of clothing I have and still wear is a J.Crew sweater that my mom bought me in the '90s,” he said. “For me, it's not that difficult to wear an Oxford shirt and corduroys.”
When Keefe stepped in front of the camera, the reviews were enthusiastic, if brash. “Another sign that you are truly successful in magazine writing,” a tweet from a journalist colleague read. In the comments section of J.Crew's Instagram post, the word “icon” was thrown around along with the photo. Another comment was “hot”.
Here, in an edited and condensed interview, Keef talks about this career turn, what he thinks about the reaction it's garnered, and whether the J.Crew thread needs to be maintained.
What made you break out as a model?
I know a guy named Chris Black who works with J.Crew. He doesn't fully understand his ability to work with them, but he does. And he recommended it to me.
Did you have to clear it with someone at The New Yorker?
I received an interesting note from Michael Goldsmith, my book publicist at Doubleday. I hadn't told anyone about it, but he looked at the photo and said, But no, I didn't talk to anyone at The New Yorker.
So why do you think J.Crew cast you?
It's a genre that asks what would happen if you let an ordinary person do something, or what would happen if someone who wasn't a catalog model did something like this. They didn't get Daniel Craig, so it was like, “Okay, who's next on the list?”
Joan Didion once appeared in a Gap ad, so did you feel like you were doing Didion here, following in the lineage of New Yorker writers who appeared in mall brand ads?
I don't think I realized that about Didion. I wish I had aspirations high enough to justify it in such terms.
How did you feel when you stood in front of the cameras at the trial?
To my surprise, it was fun. Some of this is simply a reporter by temperament. If you find yourself in a completely new situation, I'll chat with people and ask them about their work and life. Mostly I was talking to my stylist and talking to the man who spent more time on my hair than anyone else in my life.
But I probably wasn't able to provide the full range of facial expressions and poses that you would get from someone who has experienced this.
Did you have any opinions regarding the styling?
There were a few things I refused to do. I've never been one to wear brightly colored sweaters tied around my neck.
So how close are these photos to the actual outfits?
The funny thing about this whole experience is that I barely leave the house at this point. I've been working on a book for the past year, so when I'm not doing interviews, I wear the same corduroys and hoodie every day at home. I was pretending to be the person I would be if I left home. They kept giving me ties, and even though I hadn't worn a tie since well before the pandemic, I had the muscle memory of knowing how to tie one.
What was the reaction like?
My children mock me relentlessly. Even though I'm not necessarily good at photography, I think I did a good job of taking pictures.
Have you kept your clothes?
I did that. My son is almost as big as me and is now the proud owner of every shirt I wear in the photos.
In addition to the free gingham, did you also get paid?
yes. That was enough to count as a nice gesture. But I'm going to keep doing my day job.
So, will a modeling agency ever come knocking on your door?
Up until this point, it had been a deafening silence.
