Photographer Emily Lipson joined forces with designer/stylist Joe van Overbeek to examine the ways deconstructed fashion mirrors how queers are reshaping society today. By definition, the word "deconstruct" suggests stripping away at standards to unearth hidden truths — an act that's equally radical on the runway as it is on the streets, where the LGBTQ+ community has put forth a focused effort to redefine what's normal.
"In an era of fashion defined by alternative beauty sensibilities, deconstructed clothing finds a new relevancy inside the emerging queer narrative," Lipson and van Overbeek said. "The way these clothes reject the convention of construction, they make the suggestion that untraditional clothes are best suited to an untraditional body. This implication makes the clothes themselves inherently queer, as the form reject the guidelines of the body to such a degree, gender can hardly be considered."
Check out the duo's photo project, below, which highlights the work of rising Chicago-based designers and investigates how seven different models use personal style to deconstruct social norms.
Photography: Emily Lipson
Styling: Joe van Overbeek
Models: Brandy Alexander, Brian Brigantti, Julissa Yasmeen Ramirez, Chris Colton, Cory Walker, Samantha Brown & Magnus Aleksander-Harstrup
Clothing: Maria Beniaris, Olivia Woodward, Alex Magnus, Joe van Overbeek & World Wrong