His flat butt made him a natural for pants ads. He was black, but didn't appear threatening or intimidating to whites. That infamous debut photo shoot for Hyde took place at National Airport. Alan was told to be there at 6am to shoot at 7am. The photo ran in the Post's Sunday Magazine.
Designers come to town to with a few big name models for a show.
If you wanted a job you'd go and see if they like your look for their collection. That male was Alan Cephas. When Hyde wrote about the Lauren show in her column, she mentioned Alan as a local standout in the collection. After that article came out, department stores, Woodward and Lothrop, Lord and Taylor and Hecht's came a calling. Next came a catalog shoot for Montgomery Wards, followed by a series of liquor and clothing ad gigs.