Merpeople

Written By: Lilly Miller

This shoot was inspired by a video essay by Lindsay Ellis about queer coding in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. In its broadest sense, the story is about someone who doesn’t feel comfortable and is takes risks to live the life they dreamed of. This relates to the life of nonbinary youths, feeling like they're in between two set categories when in reality they’re somewhere in between. The styling focused on the self-expression of the models, wearing articles that best expressed their gender identity. The flowy fabrics and element of water hints towards the fluidity of gender and gender expression. The cool, muted tones and classic silhouettes allowed for the avant-garde makeup to take the spotlight. The sparkly, pearl-encrusted makeup brings the fantasy element to the shoot, highlighting the models' natural beauty and playing into the editorial aspect of this shoot. In a world of ever-growing acceptance and wonder, there has never been a better time to explore new ways of expression, through clothing, makeup, etc. With this shoot, we hope to further exposure and normalization of non-binary individuals.