Ever since joining the Verse team in December, I could not get the conceptualisation of this shoot out of my head. I knew that for the Sex Edition I wanted to pull apart gender norms and make a statement – and I think that Nikki, Jake and I did exactly that with this photoshoot.
Inspired by Harry Styles’ 2020 Vogue cover, we pictured Jake in a dress (an act that really shouldn’t be so radical in today’s age) and I wore a suit. I have always found it puzzling that women acting or dressing like men is welcomed in society, and she will often be taken more seriously because of it. Yet, men must strictly stay within the confides of his gender norms or risk ridicule. This is a deeply misogynistic world view that we need to deconstruct.
In this shoot, these strict lines of gender were blurred completely, leaving Jake and I to be the individual, vibrant and multi-faceted beings we are.
Photos by Nikki Sztolc & Stephanie Montatore
Featuring Jake Yang and Stephanie Montatore
Words by Stephanie Montatore



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