WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

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(drums)

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- I'm Zach Miko and I am the first

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Brawn model for IMG models.

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Yeah, I was big all growing up.

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I actually still have nightmares

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about being dragged to the husky section

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when I was a kid.

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I don't know why but for all big guys

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that's a word that will mean

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something different for
the rest of our lives.

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When I was growing up I
felt like I didn't belong

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because of my size.

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And I learned to compensate in other ways.

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I tried to funny, I
learned to play guitar.

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You kinda find other reasons
for people to like you

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other than the way you look.

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I'm an actor and one day my acting manager

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was talking to a friend who was actually

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a makeup artist who worked at a studio

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and they said they were looking

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for a plus size guy and
they couldn't find one.

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I got a text message
from my manager saying

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how big is your waist?

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And I was like why would
you wanna know that?

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(laughs)

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And then I told her

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and then I was in there

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for a test shoot an hour later.

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And then later that
week I had my first gig.

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And it was fun.

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It was great.

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I enjoyed it.

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I got a lot of press for being

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on the Target website.

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It was the first time my
body type had been shown.

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Not just by them but by
a mainstream retailer.

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So a lot of people got very excited

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and started talking.

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And I was very lucky that I've embarked.

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IMG models actually found me on Instagram

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and sent me a message.

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A couple days later I was in the office

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with not just Ivan but the head

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of the men's and woman's fashion board

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and different managers and PR.

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And I was like this is incredible.

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I guess this is for real.

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And I still was very overwhelmed by it

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until Ivan started
talking about diversity,

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and inclusion, and evolution,

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and his dreams for not only for IMG models

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but for the whole fashion world.

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It hit me right in the heart and I knew

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that it wasn't fake.

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This was a real movement
that we're trying to do

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in the fashion world.

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Brawn is the new distinction
for big and tall men.

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It's all about taking the positive aspects

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of what being big and tall
is and highlighting that.

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The same that the women's
division is Curve.

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Before this you kinda find pieces

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that you really like and
then you wear them a lot

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because you know they fit.

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You see your typical male models

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and everybody has a washboard stomach

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and a perfect V shape.

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You grew up thinking
that was the only thing

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that it actually can be.

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And I learned to love myself
and my body through modeling.

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And I'm really hoping to
do the same for others.

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I think my main message as a model

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is that if I can get even a couple people

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to feel good about the way they look,

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not what they think other
people want them to be,

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but how you look right now is beautiful,

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is attractive, and is valid.

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Cause I know that's a feeling
I didn't have for a long time.

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(guitar music)

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(static)