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It's easy to see how Instagram handle Mr. Erbil gathered over 30,000 followers in less than a year: the young men featured on the feed are handsome, well-dressed, and expertly groomed.
Fashion may be the visual focus of Mr. Erbil, but it's far from the only one. The dapper men behind Mr. Erbil-- mostly in their 20s and 30s-- are part of a new generation of Kurds, who seek to use their social media savviness to promote a positive image for their home country, and to promote change. "We want to show the world we exist as Kurds, that we have our people, our culture, our land and our flag," one of the founding members explained to Voactiv. "It's a good way to introduce people to this."
The group, which now is about 30 members large, gathers regularly, but they hope to expand-- if they're able to raise money. According to Viactiv, "etiquette classes, a gentleman's club house, a model agency, barber, tailor and boutique fashion line are all in the pipeline."
Additionally, the group hopes to tackle women's rights. "Despite being renowned as a relatively tolerant society, Iraqi Kurdistan is in many ways still deeply traditional and patriarchal. And while a club for men, Mr. Erbil has a day where they post photos of inspirational Kurdish women. "Every Thursday we have girl inspiration, where we give shoutouts to girls who are doing good for the country," explained one member.""
Click through to see the beautiful images from this inspiring group!
