Far more aesthetic than project, exploring gender-neutral themes is something that I’ve been interested for a long time. I consider Helmut Newton to be a major influence, and his work with androgyny in fashion in the ‘70s has always stuck with me. Unlike Newton, however, I am less interested in the eroticism of androgyny than I am in what makes up the person inhabiting this aesthetic.

I don’t intend to present myself as any kind of authority on gender identity, but have been carefully listening to friends and colleagues that want to collaborate on work that isn’t firmly rooted in “the male gaze” or styled in an overtly feminine way. To ensure this, I tried to exert as little influence over styling choices of the subjects as possible.

“I like the wine, not the label.” -David Rose, CBC’s Schitt’s Creek.

This quote was meant to encapsulate a character’s pansexual identity, but it always hit me as a much broader statement of acceptance of oneself. Being able to create that opportunity and what its meant to some of these people has been heavily encouraging.

So this felt like the right way to approach it even without having all of the contextual answers. Like much of my work, it was about allowing others to explore their own hearts and minds in the safe space that I’ve cultivated in my studio. It has been a constant in my personal work to collaborate over directing people, so finding how that worked in a whole new realm was super exciting.