Rob Karttunen

Finding your style is all about what you find erotic, exciting, cool. As a trans man, I find freedom in the hypermasculine with a femme edge

Placed 29th

in their group

We would like to thank you for supporting Rob Karttunen in this years competition. Your participation allows us to empower the Elton John AIDS Foundation in their mission to end AIDS for everyone, everywhere.



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What makes your style stand out?

I’m very inspired by the early 2000’s and candid streetwear paparazzi walks. My style stands out because I pull from a wide variety of men I find attractive to make myself into my own dream man. My go-to lately has been cargo shorts, leather jackets, Henley shirts, converse. Basically how punky straight guys were dressing 15 to 20 years ago. At the same time, I wear eyeliner and carry a purse because I love it and I will not wear anything I don’t love, which is what makes my style stand out.

What’s your dream fashion moment?

I would love to represent classic American fashion: Von Dutch, Ed Hardy, Converse, Levi’s. I am very inspired by the UK and George Michael during his Faith era, when he was rocking these extremely butch and queer - wide-brim baseball caps, big hoop earrings, fringe leather jackets, tight Levi’s jeans, sneakers.

What would you do with $20,000?

I would donate a partial amount to a fundraiser for displaced Palestinians, which to me is a no-brainer and moral imperative. After that, I would use the money to create a film about transgender gay men and share our very experience with the world, because it’s something I’ve never seen represented before and representation like that would’ve changed my life as an adolescent.