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Handsome Homeless Man in China Becomes Internet Fashion Icon

The photograph shows a starkly handsome Chinese man walking with a model’s measured gait, and wearing a rag-tag but well co-ordinated overcoat on top of a leather jacket. His eyes peer into the middle distance, in what one fan described as “a deep and penetrating way”, and he strides confidently forward. But this is no catwalk model. This is a homeless man in the city of Ningbo. And now a band of web followers are calling him the coolest man in China.

His good looks and bohemian dress sense have won him thousands of online fans after a resident of Ningbo posted a picture online. Web users in China have called him the “Beggar Prince”, the “Handsome Vagabond”, and, most often, “Brother Sharp”. One commenter wrote in response to a picture comparing him to a look from the latest Dolce & Gabbana show:

“Look at him wrinkle his brow … nothing needs to be said … sexy … ”

And another:

“He doesn’t really look like a beggar, more like a vagabond. The quality of this person’s tops are all not bad, a down jacket, cotton jacket, even a leather jacket inside, and though they’re a bit dirty, they’re all in good condition, not the kind that beggars find from the trash.”

The rumours surrounding Brother Sharp’s true identity persist. Some say he is a university graduate who lost his mind after his girlfriend left him. Others have blogged about how they sought him out and tried to help him find work or to go back to his family, but that he appeared frightened and cried out without speaking.