Most grandfathers need help turning on their smartphones, let alone posting a picture or a video to an Instagram account. But 63-year-old grandfather Irvin Randle is using social media to create a pretty serious side hustle.
If you haven’t already heard of the Houston-area second grade math teacher, it’s likely your mother and your aunties have. Randle (aka #MrStealYourGrandma) has become one of the hottest fashion influencers on social media with a following of men (and women) who love his smooth style.
In an interview with CBS News, Randle says he started sharing pictures of himself on Instagram because he wanted others to see his carefully curated outfits. What began as a few likes turned into a phenomenon. Randle currently has over 1.1 million followers on Instagram and nearly 2 million on TikTok. And his fans are loving his looks.
“The look from head to toe is swag on steroids 🔥🔥” wrote one commenter on a post of him out on the town in an all-black ensemble.
The mild-mannered second grade teacher by day is family man who has been married for nearly 40 years, but he says his swagalicious alter ego gets released when he gets in front of the camera.
“Something in me turns on and I have a swagger in me that comes out like a beast,” he said.
Randle’s massive following has led to partnerships with brands like menswear company Stacy Adams. These days he says he makes more from brands who pay him to wear their clothing and accessories online than he does from his day job.
But while he may have Instagram and TikTok mastered, in true grandad fashion, there is one social media platform that he hasn’t quite figured out yet.
“I have a Twitter but I don’t know how to tweet,” he told CBS.