Homeless Man as Fashion Icon | Brother Sharp at Schema : more than ethnic

Homeless Man as Fashion Icon | Brother Sharp

My parents were watching the Chinese news last night and one particular story about a homeless man from China caught my attention. His name is Cheng Guorong, better known as "Brother Sharp," a title dubbed in Tianya, the most popular internet forum in China.

Ever since this photo appeared on the internet, "Brother Sharp" has become an instant celebrity. People were immediately taken aback by his "rugged good looks,"

"That frowning look...Ai yo! My little heart! Really so handsome!"
"China truly has innumerable handsome guys, Brother Sharp, you are truly too handsome."

For more ridiculous comments, check out ChinaSmack

Looks like everyone has disregarded the fact that Mr. Cheng is, in all aspects, a homeless person with a tragic past (his wife and father died in a car accident and he is a single father of two). Instead, people see him as the undiscovered Mr. GQ and have tried to reach out to him and, rather forcibly, have urged him to accept what he fervently refuses.

What I can't seem to understand is how homelessness, in all its sadness can possibly be seen as cool, handsome, or...fashionable?!

"When I... see the homeless, like, I'm like, 'Oh my God, they're pulling out, like, crazy looks and they, like, pull shit out of like garbage cans."

As quoted by supermodel Erin Wasson two years ago

And if you thought Wasson's comment was absurd, may I bring to your attention Vivienne Westwood's most recent fashion show in January 2010 entitled, "homeless chic." Apparently, she was inspired by the homeless people...who I suppose have an uncanny, i-don't-care-what-you-think kind of look.

Though you might be having an odd feeling of déjà vu right now, we're not talking about Ben Stiller's "Derelicte" line from that satirical film, Zoolander. That's right, folks, the film was supposed to be satirical, as in, a joke...ha-ha, but I guess Vivienne Westwood didn't get the memo...