Age with flair
Houston schoolteacher Irvin Randle, 54, goes viral as #MrStealYourGrandma.
Before he became an internet sensation, Irvin Randle was just a well-dressed elementary school teacher in Houston.
The 54-year-old often posted selfies on his Facebook page of his slim-fit, trendy looks and garnered likes from friends who admired his style. Then in late June, some of his photos were shared on a fashion blog. He doesn’t even remember its name.
The images were quickly snatched up by other blogs and websites, and somewhere along the way Randle was dubbed #MrStealYourGrandma for his style, good looks and swagger.
Within 24 hours, Randle had gone viral.
The Houston Chronicle, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Essence, the Daily Mail, Huffington Post and hundreds of other news outlets around the world posted his photos. He had more than 800 messages on his cellphone and more than 600 Facebook friend requests. His Instagram followers grew from 300 to 132,000.
Randle says he found out about his viral fame from his daughter, Jessica Randle, 24, who lives in Los Angeles with her 6-monthold son. She called to say he was “trending on Twitter,” then had to explain to her dad what “trending” meant. (Randle also has a son, Marcus, 27, who lives in Seattle and has a daughter, 4.)
Other friends called, emailed and texted that he was about to “break the internet.”
“I was amazed at first,” he says. “Now, I’m overwhelmed.”
At the recent Essence Festival in New Orleans, Randle was flanked by two bodyguards as hordes of women tried to take selfies with him and touch his salt-and-pepper beard. His “celebrity” status got him backstage, where he rubbed shoulders with singers Patti LaBelle and Maxwell, actress Kim Fields and Oprah Winfrey.
Randle blushed when LaBelle turned to him and said: “You’re the internet guy. Bless you.”
Though his comfort zone is in the classroom teaching thirdgraders at Dogan Elementary, Randle says he’s enjoying the spotlight. He also appreciates being a style role model for mature men.
“I’ve always dressed like this. I’ve just been wearing things a little tighter, that’s all,” he says.
About five years ago, Randle started working out in the gym regularly because he didn’t want to be the “old, out-of-shape guy.” He especially wanted to be active for his two young grandchildren.
“They motivate me and make me want to push harder,” he says. “My hair may recede, but I’m going to keep my body together as much as I can. I want to live a good, long life, and taking care of myself is crucial.”
Randle, an only child, was born and raised in Houston’s Third Ward and South Park communities. His mother, who now lives in Pearland, worked at the old Sakowitz department store, and his great-grandmother took him on shopping trips to Battlestein’s department store downtown. Both stores closed in the mid1980s, but the retail experiences helped Randle develop a keen sartorial eye. His dad was a sharp dresser, too.
A graduate of Sterling High School, Randle attended Prairie View A&MUniversity for three years until his father pulled him out of school for failing grades. Randle acknowledges he partied too much. He finished his undergraduate studies at Texas Southern University, then earned a master’s degree in education from Prairie View A&Mand is working on a second master’s in curriculum and instruction there.
Randle worked for an airline before turning to elementary education in 1996; his specialty is reading. He taught at Blackshear, Gregg, Cornelius and Peck elementary schools before joining Dogan in the Fifth Ward.
“I love every moment of teaching, and I treat the children like they are my own, ” he says.
Peck Elementary principal Carlotta Brown says not only was Randle an excellent teacher but inspired students to dress better.
“He was always very dapper and stylish, and the children took notice. His students were mannerable and cordial, and they always had their shirts tucked in.”
But Randle’s trendy style was sometimes a little much for the classroom, Brown adds. She recalls a pair of knickerbocker pants Randle wore to work. The pants gathered just below the calf.
“I just had to remind him the children are very impressionable,” she says with a laugh.
Randle has become a style guru for many of his followers. Fit, he says, is the most important thing — and having a good tailor, such as Angel Alterations on Cullen.
He’s a trendy shopper and frequents stores including Zara and H&Mand the online site Asos.com.
“I’ll go buy a suit from K&G or Suitmart and take it to my tailor and have her trim it down to make it tight. Everyone thinks it’s a designer suit.”
Now, as far as his social media moniker, Mr Steal Your Grandma, Randle says he’d much prefer a different one.
“I don’t know why they are calling me that. I much prefer the aunties than the grandmas. They are much sassier.”