Andrej Pejic
Encyclopedia
Andrej Pejić is an androgynous Australian male model
.
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
. He has one older brother. His mother, Jadranka, is Serbian and his father, Vlada, Croatian. His parents divorced shortly after his birth. During the Bosnian War
, he moved with his mother, brother and grandmother to a refugee camp near Belgrade
, Serbia
. When asked if he found his childhood difficult, Pejic said:
After the 1999 NATO bombings
, Pejic's mother felt unsafe and decided to leave Serbia. The family moved to Melbourne, Australia as political refugees when Pejic was eight years old.
and his ability to successfully model both male and female clothing.
In the Paris fashion shows of January 2011 he walked both the men's and women's shows for Jean-Paul Gaultier
and the men's shows for Marc Jacobs
. In May 2011, Andrej's magazine cover for the New York-based magazine Dossier Journal - in which he is pictured taking off his shirt with his long blond locks in curlers - was ruled too risqué by US bookstores Barnes & Noble
and Borders
, which covered the image with an opaque sleeve. Concerns were expressed that customers would mistake him for a topless woman.
As of September 2011, he ranks no. 18 on the models.com Top 50 Male Models list, and he was ranked no. 98 in FHM
magazine's 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2011, an 'award' that caused controversy with a transphobic subtext that was removed from FHM's website.
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
.
Early life
Pejic was born in TuzlaTuzla
Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 1991 census, it had 83,770 inhabitants, while the municipality 131,318. Taking the influx of refugees into account, the city is currently estimated to have 174,558 inhabitants...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. He has one older brother. His mother, Jadranka, is Serbian and his father, Vlada, Croatian. His parents divorced shortly after his birth. During the Bosnian War
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
, he moved with his mother, brother and grandmother to a refugee camp near Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. When asked if he found his childhood difficult, Pejic said:
After the 1999 NATO bombings
1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
, Pejic's mother felt unsafe and decided to leave Serbia. The family moved to Melbourne, Australia as political refugees when Pejic was eight years old.
Career
It has been reported that he was scouted just before his 17th birthday whilst working at McDonald's, but he has also stated he was scouted at a swimming pool whilst still in high school in Melbourne, Australia. He is notable for his extreme androgynyAndrogyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
and his ability to successfully model both male and female clothing.
In the Paris fashion shows of January 2011 he walked both the men's and women's shows for Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean Paul Gaultier , born 24 April 1952 in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne, France) is a French haute couture fashion designer. Gaultier was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010. In the past, he has hosted the television series Eurotrash....
and the men's shows for Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for Marc Jacobs, as well as Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, with more than 200 retail stores in 60 countries. He has been the creative director of the French design house Louis Vuitton since 1997...
. In May 2011, Andrej's magazine cover for the New York-based magazine Dossier Journal - in which he is pictured taking off his shirt with his long blond locks in curlers - was ruled too risqué by US bookstores Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
and Borders
Borders Group
Borders Group, Inc. was an international book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company employed approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores....
, which covered the image with an opaque sleeve. Concerns were expressed that customers would mistake him for a topless woman.
As of September 2011, he ranks no. 18 on the models.com Top 50 Male Models list, and he was ranked no. 98 in FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
magazine's 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2011, an 'award' that caused controversy with a transphobic subtext that was removed from FHM's website.
Further reading
- Williamson, Charlotte. "Andrej Pejic: Who's that boy?", The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, 20 February 2011, accessed 8 March 2011. - Hauck, Brigitt. "Andrej Pejic: The man modelling womenswear", BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 24 February 2011, accessed 8 March 2011. - White, Belinda. "Jean Paul Gaultier shows Andrej Pejic the love", The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, 27 February 2011, accessed 8 March 2011. - Article in the Huffington Post, January 2011