Masculine Glamour explores inherently gendered clothing and the result of crossing these traditional yet arbitrary boundaries. These boundaries have developed through decades of advertising and media designating suits for men and makeup for women. The message is that suits are reserved for strong, successful men and makeup is reserved for women attempting to improve their appearance.
A quick internet search of 1950s makeup ads yields an array of female models and slogans associating product use with immediate beauty. According to this Glamour article, the first man to star in a Maybelline campaign came only in 2017. The lack of representation across the industry places a strong gender designation on a product that can be used on any person of any gender.
Using vibrant makeup on a masculine, male-performing model comments on the lack of male representation in the beauty industry, attempting to blur the arbitrary line drawn between these gendered items. Suits and makeup shouldn’t be reserved for a specific gender, and freedom in appearance shouldn’t be reliant on traditional norms.
Photos by Gavin Aleshire
Modeled by Michael Palermo and Jorge Escobar
Makeup by Lydia Sears
