A slew of dark-haired New Yorkers in black leather jackets flooded Brooklyn’s Maria Hernandez Park on Sunday for the latest in a growing list of look-alike contest—this one focused on former One Direction member Zayn Malik.
The celebration of chiseled jawlines and smoldering gazes drew One Direction fans and dozens of contestants, each armed with perfectly teased hair and a brooding demeanor. But, alas, there could only be one winner: Shiv Patel, 29, of Queens.
Patel entered the contest after years of friends insisting he bore an uncanny resemblance to the British crooner.
“I was like, maybe I’ll go,” he told BKMAG moments after earning his gold medal. “I didn’t even come to this park. I went to another park by accident, but then I ran over here. I came in with the idea that I might just be a spectator.”
Patel channeled the Malik of “Pillowtalk,” when the artist was in his early 20s.
“It’s so cool to see the energy of our city for things like this,” Patel said, “everyone coming together and just having a good time.”
Since his win, Patel has gained several hundred social media followers.
“This definitely adds to my lore—going viral has been fun, and maybe I’ll use this momentum,” he said.
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The event was co-hosted by Malik superfan Jaz Arnold, who said she wanted to create a space for people to connect and enjoy themselves.
“Zane is my favorite member of One Direction—well, past member—and he’s really hot,” she said. “I really just wanted to see who would show up.”
There weren’t any explicit rules or even criteria for the contest—as long as contestants arrived by 3:30 p.m., they could participate. While the crowd waited for each Malik doppelgänger to hop onstage, the singer’s music blasted from a speaker, and some audience members took part in a Malik trivia contest, a correct answer earning them a dollar.
Look-alike contests popped up all over the country after a Timothée Chalamet-inspired event took over Washington Square Park last month, with Chalamet himself making a surprise appearance. Since then, there has been a Harry Styles contest in London, a Jeremy Allen White contest in Chicago, and now Brooklyn’s celebration of Zayn (and people who look like him).
“I feel so good right now,” Patel said as he took pictures with his—or, rather, Malik’s—fans. “This was the ego boost I did not need!”
The post Meet the Winner of Brooklyn’s Zayn Malik Look-Alike Contest: ‘The Ego Boost I Did Not Need!’ appeared first on Brooklyn Magazine.
