Reframing masculinity: Male beauty influencers, hybridity, and the digital Pakistani diaspora

In this article, we examine how digital diasporas reconfigure Pakistani gender norms through the case of Adnan Zafar, known as Ken Doll Dubai. Drawing on Bhabha’s hybridity and Brinkerhoff’s digital diaspora frameworks, we investigate how Zafar’s engagement with beauty and feminised aesthetics subverts rigid masculine ideals, intersecting global beauty standards with local expectations. By positioning influencer culture within non-Western contexts, this study reveals digital ambivalence – where Zafar’s identity simultaneously challenges and complies with patriarchal and consumerist forces. This work extends current literature by illustrating how diasporic influencers negotiate masculinity beyond Western models of self-branding, inviting further studies on identity formation across diverse digital communities.