Robert Irwin has swapped his Australia Zoo khakis for designer duds, becoming a runway model for a night.
The 20-year-old wildlife warrior strode the catwalk at Melbourne Fashion Festival on Wednesday night, drawing applause from the audience as he pulled out a handful of Zoolander moves.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Robert Irwin appears on runway at Melbourne Fashion Festival.
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Irwin appeared as one of the models at the Suit Up Runway, showcasing fashion from Australian menswear designers including MJ Bale, Dom Bagnato and Godwin Charli.
Irwin modelled a blue velvet suit, an all-black ensemble and a white tuxedo with black blazer and waistcoat, grinning widely for the mass of cameras assembled at the end of the runway.
When the images appeared on Instagram, fans were ecstatic, saying Irwin was a natural.
“Obsessed!” one fan wrote.
“Robert is so handsome!” wrote another.
“He slayed the runway,” added a third.
Irwin clearly enjoyed his time in the fashion spotlight, later sharing pictures and video of his runway moves.
“Never imagined I’d be walking the runway, but here we are!” he wrote.
“Wow, thanks for an amazing night Melbourne Fashion Festival!!”
Although most social media users seemed to love Irwin’s catwalk turn, there were a few fashion snobs who thought his moves were “cheesy”.
“He needs to dial back the energy while modelling. Does he realise he’s wearing a suit and should behave like a gentleman?” one person griped.
But the complaints prompted others to hit back, saying some critics were examples of the “tall poppy syndrome”.
“What do they call it in Australia?” one fan wrote. “Tall poppy syndrome?
“He is SUPER talented.”
The Irwin family is incredibly popular in the United States, and several American news outlets ran stories of Irwin’s runway appearance.
“Irwin, who usually spends his time hanging out with crocodiles, kangaroos and other wild animals, wore three different suits for the show,” Good Morning America reported.
“Though he did his best to remain serious while showing off the various looks, he couldn’t contain his excitement and flashed his megawatt smile for the flashing cameras.”
And while Irwin may be a relative novice on the runway, it’s not the first time he’s modelled fashion for a camera.
Early last year, he featured in a campaign for Hard Yakka, and he has also appeared in fashion shoots for Stellar and Australian Women’s Weekly.
In July 2022, the then 18-year-old wildlife warrior posted the photos from a Stellar magazine shoot to his 3.4 million Instagram followers.
“Well this was definitely something different, being asked to feature on the cover of Australia’s Stellar Magazine!” he said.
Irwin stunned with a smouldering pose as he leaned onto a car while posing for the cover.
His usual messy blonde locks were gelled back in a “sharp” new look for the conservationist.
Fans and friends went crazy for the new do, commenting and sharing on social media.
“Well howdy doody handsome lad,” singer Amy Shark said.
One fan observed how “all of a sudden little Robert is now a man”.
“What in the GLOW UP???” said another.
More recently, Irwin wowed fans with a feature in Australian Women’s Weekly, again gracing the cover.
This time around Irwin wore a pale blue shirt and white trousers.
Again, fans loved the photographs.
“Great shot,” one follower wrote.
“Such a gentleman!”
“Upstaged by a man,” joked celebrity trainer Michelle Bridges, who was also featured in the issue.
“Well, it is Bob Irwin.
“I can totes deal!”
