dapperQ’s He Said/We Said has been on the road, documenting queer style in Philadelphia and Cincinnati. We’ll be back in Cincy shortly, but in the meantime we have returned home to catch up with some of New York City’s finest dappers.
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 Maria Del Naja, along with Anita Dolce Vita, selected the Hardy Amies spring 2015 menswear collection as inspiration. Here’s what Maria had to say about the inspiration and overall experience:
I can’t tell you how excited I was to have the opportunity to participate in this month’s edition of DapperQ’s He Said/We Said series! I gravitated toward the Hardy Amies spring 2015 fashion line because I loved the natural colors and the blend of patterns. I also felt that the line had a wide enough range of looks to allow that queer sense of individuality to shine through in whatever interpretations our models put together.
It was such an honor to work with all the models (especially Nicole Johnson who saved the day at the last minute)! Since many of the models are good friends of mine, I knew their personalities were all quite different, and I was certain their interpretations would be eclectic, unique, and highlight their different styles. None of them disappointed! Several people mentioned that this clothing line was a step outside the box from their everyday wear, and I couldn’t have been more pleased with the inventive ways they chose to interpret the look of the collection.
Personally, I appreciated the opportunity to contribute to a series that I follow, regularly, online. I’ve read many incredible, beautifully photographed installments of He Said/We Said since the series began, and a handful of the past photographers have been particular inspirations to me throughout my continuing learning process. It will be quite a thrill to be included in the dapperQ archives along with other photographers I’ve long admired.
I’d like to particularly thank two models, Jess and Andrea, who flew from California and Colorado, respectively, to participate!
Inspiration
Interpretations
From left to right: Jess, Devynn (chair), N. Johnson, Andrea
Devynn Emory
Age: 34
Occupation: Professional Dancer/Choreographer and Massage Therapist
Outfit: Shirt, Topman. Vest, altered thrift store find. Blazer, Vintage Buddy. Pants, H&M. Shoes, JCrew.
Outfit sobriquet: Daddy’s Pipe
Song that best describes your look: “O Come and Walk Along” by Daniel Higgs
Whose wardrobe would you raid?
1991 Nuno Bettencourt
Where are your favorite places to shop?
Topman, I. Goldberg, thrifting
What accessory/article of clothing can you not live without? Why?
My leather belt. You never know when it will come in handy…
What did it mean for you on a personal level to be involved in a project like He Said/We Said?
I appreciate the variety of masculine genders this project supports. I’m not much of a dandy, so the 2015 menswear line we were asked to replicate was not at all my typical attire. It was fun to have an additional layer of playfulness to work within the performance of gender stereotypes.
What were your favorite moments from the shoot?
The singalong to Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” or coming up with jokes so we could find an authentic smile.
N. Johnson
Age: 32
Occupation: Engineer // Instagram @nic_at_nite_
Outfit: Hat, Christy’s. Peacoat, John Varvatos. Blazer, Scotch & Soda. Sweater, Gap. Pants, J. Crew. Shoes, Aldo.
Outfit sobriquet: “Winterized.” We were styling looks from a spring collection in late fall, I flipped the look to a darker color palate and added some layers and warmth.
Song that best describes your look: “Poinciana” by Ahmad Jamal. This style interpretation reminds me of one of my favorite jazz recordings. While the inspiration is very much a modern take on typically classic, more formal pieces, the hat brings a much more jazzy feel to it. It very much reminds me of the stylings of the jazz greats of the 1950s and 1960s jazz greats.
Whose wardrobe would you raid?
Victor Cruz. Not only is he one of my favorite football players, but he also happens to be from New Jersey, and has awesome dapper and street style.
Where are your favorite places to shop?
J. Crew, of course! P’s and Q’s (Philadelphia) and The Brooklyn Circus are also a couple of my favorite shops.
What accessory/article of clothing can you not live without? Why?
- My J.Crew pinstripe soft heather twill button-down shirt – this shirt is slim cut, fits perfectly, is a deep blue which goes with 95% of my wardrobe. The best part is that it is super soft and feels like I’m wearing (dapper) pajamas.
- Urban Knit Wool Blend socks – they are warm yet breathable, thick and super comfy. There are few things that I dislike more than for my feet to be cold.
- Tsovet Military Style SVT-GG42 Watch – This watch is distinctively rugged, well-made and versatile enough to go with just about any outfit from business to casual.
What did it mean for you on a personal level to be involved in a project like He Said/We Said?
I am always grateful to be able to represent our community because the more visibility we have, the more impact we will have in encouraging others to be themselves. This also gives us greater visibility within the mainstream fashion community as we continue to make an impact.
What were your favorite moments from the shoot?
My favorite moments from the shoot were the group photos. It is always fun to collaborate with a group of people that you don’t know to put together a cohesive shot. We had to figure out something that fit everyone into the shot and made it look like we knew each other and were having a conversation, so we started telling (purposefully bad) jokes. Mine were pretty bad.
Andrea Gibson
Age: 39
Occupation: Spoken Word Artist, Co-founder of Stay Here With Me.
Outfit: Rain Coat, Vaute Couture. Button Down, thrift store. Sweater, American Apparel. Pants, thrift store. Shoes, American Apparel.
Outfit sobriquet: Teal Gay Running from Rain and Love
Song that best describes your look: “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” by Boy George
Whose wardrobe would you raid?
Ellar Coltrane
Where are your favorite places to shop?
Thrift stores in the Midwest
What accessory/article of clothing can you not live without? Why?
Green baseball cap I bought from a hardware store. It makes my brain feel like it’s getting a hug.
What did it mean for you on a personal level to be involved in a project like He Said/We Said?
I love queering up anything. It felt great to queer up a fashion line, a barber shop, and a church Sunday all in one hour.
What were your favorite moments from the shoot?
Freezing my ankles off and pretending to not be freezing my ankles off, made me feel like a real live super model, minus the airbrush.
Jess Voss
Age: 35
Occupation: Owner of Jamber Wine Pub in San Francisco: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Outfit: Button-down, Ben Sherman. Sweater, H&M. Jacket, 21 Men. Pants, Benson NYC. Shoes, Timberland Boot Company.
Outfit sobriquet: All Day.
Song that best describes your look: “You & I (Nobody in the World)” by John Legend
Whose wardrobe would you raid?
Adam Levine
Where are your favorite places to shop?
H&M, 21 Men, Nordstrom and Local Independent Shops.
What accessory/article of clothing can you not live without? Why?
My hat collection. I wear my chef’s hat in the Jamber kitchen and once I’m off the clock, I’m ready for a night on the town without having to style my hair.
What did it mean for you on a personal level to be involved in a project like He Said/We Said?
It’s a comforting and proud feeling to be involved with a project that’s a safe and supportive place to explore and showcase my androgyny.
What were your favorite moments from the shoot?
Meeting good people, our barbershop dance party, and selfies.
Credits:
Maria Del Naja, Photographer
Wow what a bunch of CUTIES. Ahhhhh. I especially loved Devynn’s style, which was completely delicious in colors and textures and just EVERYTHING. I may have started drooling in a non-creepy way. But yeah, all of these models are so cute I can’t stand it. *hides my face and dreams of shopping*
Saw the link image and thought “hmmm the human on the far left kind of looks like Andrea Gibson”, clicked on the link and saw the group shot “OMG IT IS THEM BE STILL MY HEART”
Also now I really want to go to the Jamber Wine Pub. And a vest.
This is such a bunch of really attractive people, what.
I also love that really successful queers are shopping at H&M and 21 Men, which is reasonable for my poor college kid budget. I’m so here for looking really super fine on any budget.
Daaaaaaamn! I want to look like all of these amazing people!
I’m trying to decide if following the social media links for Jess is simply supporting a member of the community or a precursor to internet stalking/fangirling…fine line, Jessie, fine line.
It could also be an indicator of some sort of name narcissism, but I digress. :p
That last one of Jess inspired me to add some tweed to my wardrobe.
I love that N. Johnson is wearing pearls in their ears. It’s dainty turned dapper.
I’m just gonna, er, go and steal their hat now…and maybe their gloves…and coat…
*peacoat…
These outfits are so cool. As soon as it gets cool enough, I am totally going to try and recreate them. I love the colours and the combination of texture and pattern.