dapperQ is proud to present our annual Pride edition of He Said/We Said (HS/WS) on Autostraddle, featuring masculine gender bending style that will stop you dead in your tracks.

For a quick refresher on the HS/WS series, check out creatress mastermind Anita Dolce Vita‘s plan behind the HS/WS magic:

“The models fashion their very own looks – I give the inspiration, they give the interpretation. They come to the shoot camera ready: hair, make-up, their own clothes, accessories and props. I didn’t want the series to reflect how to recreate menswear from an individual stylist’s point of view. It’s always a wonderful surprise to see what each model came up with and all of the different translations of the same inspiration.”

Photographer Yuri Darius, along with Anita Dolce Vita, selected the Berluti Spring 2014 menswear collection for inspiration.  Here’s what Yuri had to say about the experience as a HS/WS photographer:

“I was thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of He Said/We Said. I’m an Artist and Photographer with a dream to create and show the beauty in our community. It was great meeting and working with others who share the same vision, creativity and expression as me.”

Inspiration

Interpretations

Narice/blackbeauty

Preferred Gender Pronoun: Fe(male)
Occupation: Law enforcement
Outfit:  Glasses, Bergdorf. Shirt, Saint Laurent, Bergdorf. Vest, Dolce Gabbana, Bergdorf. Belt, Vince Camuto, Macy’s. Men Shoes, Cole Haan, Macy’s. Watch, Breitling Chronographs. Breitling. Ring and Bracelet, Tifffany’s Co.
Song that best describes your look:

“Work Bitch” by Britney Spears

Whose wardrobe would you raid?

Usher

Where are your favorite places to shop?

Armani Exchange

What accessory/article of clothing can you not live without? Why?

My wallet because it has everything I need in it.

Monet/Mo

Age: 27
Preferred Gender Pronoun:  Out of convention I use she/her, but I really don’t care. I like blurring gender lines as much as possible.
Occupation: DJ/Grad Student
Outfit: Blazer, Macy’s. Button-down, Express. T-shirt, H&M. Necklace, Good Wood. Bracelets, H&M. Pants, Levi’s. Shoes, Steve Madden.
Outfit sobriquet: 

Mellow Breeze

Song that best describes your look:

“Smooth” by D’Angelo

Whose wardrobe would you raid?

A mix between His Royal Flyness, Pharrell and British singer Sam Smith. I’m from Virginia Beach so Pharrell is a hometown idol and I admire how he seamlessly fuses the skater and dapper looks. I’m also in love with Sam Smith’s style right now. The tailored suits with a buttoned up shirt and no tie are simple, classy, and definitely my kind of look.

What accessory/article of clothing can you not live without? Why?

I’m a BIG shoe person. It doesn’t matter if it’s a sneaker or dress shoe, I’m very very particular. My outfit isn’t complete until I have the right pair of shoes.

Hutch

Age: 25
Preferred Gender Pronoun:  They. Anything well-intentioned on the masculine side, really.
Occupation: Barista extraordinaire by day, wine connoisseur by night.  Also running Advertising Sales for the New York-based queer arts magazine Posture and serving as a board member for Brooklyn Pride.
Outfit:  Hat, New York Hat Co.  Haircut, Kazz of Filthy Rich Barber Shop. Shirt, Topman. Suspenders, The Mobile Vintage Shop. Pants, Topman.  Shoes, Johnston & Murphy.
Song that best describes your look:

“Feelin’ Myself” by will.i.am

Whose wardrobe would you raid?

Sean Avery of the New York Rangers has a solid wardrobe.  I’d definitely take it off of his hands.

What accessory/article of clothing can you not live without? Why?

I’ve got a pair of high top Timberlands that stayed in the box for two years before I broke them out.  They’re now completely worn in and swagged out three winters later — definitely a staple of my fall/winter wardrobe.

What were your favorite moments from the shoot?

I enjoyed learning some swag tips throughout the day from Cam on how to keep your cologne game tight.  Mo dropped some wisdom over post-shoot brunch, specifically about wearing heels before 10:00 AM.  It was great to get up and take some pictures, but the best was the down time talking during breaks and over brunch.

Abena (Cameron) Campbell

Age: 25
Occupation: Co-founder, Never Too Much Ent. (Instagram: prettylezboiswag)
Outfit: Hat, H&M. Button-down, H&M. Cropped pant, Uniqlo. Shoes, RAG.
Song that best describes your look:

“We Own the Night” by The Wanted

Where are your favorite places to shop?

My favorite places are H&M, Uniqlo, Brooklyn U.S.A, RAG.

What accessory/article of clothing can you not live without? Why?

My sunglasses because I feel they add swag to any look.

What did it mean for you on a personal level to be involved in a project like He Said/We Said?

This project enabled me to be the first in my family to do something different.

V

Preferred Gender Pronoun:  V, V, V’s!
Occupation: Law student, 350.org fan-boy
Outfit: Blazer, ASOS. Scarf, thrifted. Shirt, Salt Valley. Pants, ASOS. Shoes, Aldo. Hat, street vendor in Thailand. Belt, thrifted.
Outfit sobriquet:  

On an Airplane Over the Sea / He Said, V Said

Song that best describes your look:

“Supergeil” by Der Tourist feat. Friedrich Liecthenstein

What accessory/article of clothing can you not live without? Why?

I always have one very simple accessory that I feel naked without. It used to be a necklace with a wind turbine that my old work got off Etsy for me before I left Minneapolis. Often I wore it hanging low and no one even knew it was there, but I needed it to feel fully dressed. Now, it is a simple sterling silver ring that I got on the street in Bangkok on my last night of living there. I suppose they both carry a fairly significant meaning — taking home or all my memories with me, everywhere I go, or something like that. I attach meaning, memories, feelings to many of my clothes, which can be good and bad. I guess having something like the ring is a sort of safe bet; no matter the day, no matter the outfit, I have the ring.

What did it mean for you on a personal level to be involved in a project like He Said/We Said?

Everyone has a process of coming into the self, of coming to own all that is bounded up within the limits of our bodies. Like many, I’ve been able to become comfortable in my skin in large part through exploring changes in my day-to-day skins – my clothes. But there’s still a small cultural pushback, and it sits with me as some uncomfortable sense that my skin is slightly confusing or illegible to others. Getting to step up in front of a camera and model the clothes that I see so many scrawny English boys modeling all over the Internet and billboards was a really cool step forward in the process of pushing past limits of cultural legibility and continuing to own my skin. I really appreciate the opportunity to participate and mostly appreciate that He Said / We Said exists. It’s a wonderful example of the affirmation that representation in the media can induce. And it inspired me to keep adding to this representation!

Taniesha/T.

Preferred Gender Pronoun:  She/her is fine. I get called sir at least twice a week so nothing really phases me.
Occupation: Case Manager for a non-profit family and men’s shelter (NANA’s House/Pop’s Place) on Long Island
Outfit: Scarf, hi-jacked from a friend. Blazer, Lane Bryant. Tuxedo Shirt, Best Tuxedo. Watch, Nautica. Belt, Perry Ellis from Burlington Coat Factory. Pants, Avenue. Shoes, Lucio Ricci (Men’s), Burlington Shoes.
Whose wardrobe would you raid?

Dwight Howard for sure. Swag and style for days and he isn’t afraid to mix it up.

What accessory/article of clothing can you not live without? Why?

I’m a bit of an accessory fiend but there are three things I absolutely must have: a statement watch, a bow tie, or a pair of suspenders. Generally, I am wearing at least two of the three or I feel incomplete. Clothing wise I always keep my closet stocked with crisp button ups and a wide variety of jeans. Even such a simple combination can make you feel casually dapper.

What did it mean for you on a personal level to be involved in a project like He Said/We Said?

I think for me it meant a lot to be asked to be a part of this shoot for multiple reasons. For one, sometimes I feel like I check a lot of “other” boxes:  Person of color, lesbian, masculine-of-center, and plus-sized to name a few. Because of that it’s often times hard to look around and see people who look like me and that I identify with. So being able to partake in this was a chance for me to show and represent a lot of what I am. The fact that it also happened to showcase the dapper sensibility that I have come to love was simply a bonus. After a lifetime of having to conform to an image of femininity that weighed on me like a suit of armor, I cannot express how empowering it felt to be embraced and celebrated for my authentic self.

What were your favorite moments from the shoot?

My favorite moments were probably exchanging travel war stories in the ordeal to get to the shoot that morning. It was definitely a dedicated bunch. We ranged from gridlock night rides from Long Island to all-nighters from CT to cabby mishaps in the city. In the end, though, everyone seemed pretty stoked to be a part of the experience. Second to that was when V and Hutch went full Tarzan and hopped up in the cherry blossom tree for a set of photos. #impressed.

Credits

Yuri Darius, Photographer

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