Clare farmer Padraig Howley puts his spin on some of Zara’s more questionable campaign shots

On a mission to get fit, Padraig Howley has taken the internet by storm since he first set up his Instagram account back in late February. Quickly cementing his status as the country’s newest national treasure, he’s been the cause of many a smile over the past few weeks with his latest escapades bringing more of the same.

The man behind the account “Sing and Step with Padraig”, he captured hearts when he decided to share his journey to getting fit and healthy online with others. Committing to going vegan for 21 days, he’s inspired people to consider incorporating more plant-based meals into their diets too. Also rallying the public to get their daily 10k steps in, he’s come to be quite the motivator and has amassed over 83 thousand followers in just a matter of a few weeks.

However, while one might afford Padraig the luxury of letting his newfound fame go to his head, the reality is that you’d be hard pressed to find anyone more humble than he. Proving that he definitely doesn’t take himself too seriously, his most recent posts have been less food/fitness-related and more fashion forward. Turning is attention to the Zara website, the proud Clare man took it upon himself to recreate some of the retailer’s more questionable poses – of which there are plenty. Just one look through their catalogue of campaign shots will tell you that.

Often photographing models in an array of suspect positions, many of the resulting images do little to actually display the items that they’re supposedly meant to be selling. Putting the Sing and Step spin on some of the classics, his home versions are as good as if not even better than the originals. Take a look for yourself below.

A much-discussed topic in my personal WhatsApp groups, the Awkward Zara Instagram account is another constant source of joy on that front. And it seems even they have given Padraig’s efforts the seal of approval, leaving a comment under one of his posts and writing, “we really hope you DO make more”.

He may have been joking when he said, “Paris fashion week here I come”, but I wouldn’t rule it out just yet Padraig