“As a response to Ai Weiwei: Unbroken, the New Ho Queen takeover of the Gardiner Museum aims to explore what it means to be Undivided; We want to explore the effects of the QTBIPOC diaspora coming together and how this cultivates opportunity for ‘safe’ spaces, artistic expression, and expanding one’s chosen family.
As an expression of this sentiment, May Truong and I wanted to capture community members at large in their rawest, unedited and honest physicality. We photographed 42 QTBIPOC folx, and merged their faces without editing, skewing or morphing. The final result of combining two faces into one emphasizes our physical diversity, but also our physical and proportional similarities. This is emblematic of our diversity in gender expression, and the spectrum of our sexualities, while humbly acknowledging our shared experiences as queer people of colour.”— John Thai
Our culture constantly feels the need to perfect the female body image rather than celebrate the realistic nature of its imperfect beauty. More often than not, this distorts her image and overshadows her true identity. But when a woman knows who she is and what she can bring to the table; there’s nothing more powerful than that.
CREDITS
Art Direction, Nuhad Haffar-Orsini. Styling, Jess Mori. Hair, Helen Kenny. Makeup, Robert Weir. Set Design, James Reiger and Nuhad Haffar-Orsini. Lighting Tech, Valeria Myronenko. Photo Assistant, Jocelyn Reynolds. Styling Assistant, Katie Demois. Makeup Assistant, Christina Fiori. Hair Assistant, Allison Griffin. Set Assistants, Lara Al-Goul and Nadine Haffar. Models, Truth Alexis, Taranee Herrera
In a world of constant connectivity, we are seeing an alarming trend among countries who are alienating migrants geographically, socially, and politically.
Our own experience with migration has allowed us to understand the duality that encompasses it. Refugees inhabit a space that exists somewhere between the past and the present; the foreign and the familiar; turbulence and stability. Our series of photographs highlights some of these existing juxtapositions, while capturing the varying lenses through which refugees and migrants are viewed.
Art direction: Nuhad Haffar-Orsini / @nustud.io
Styling: Nelly Akbari / @nellyakbari
HMUA: Christina Fiori / @christina_fiori
Models: Damaris @kneelbeforeyou1 and Gat @gatkong at B&M Models @bnmmodels
Production Assistant: Nadine Haffar / @nadine_haffar
YOHOMO celebrates Toronto’s LGBTQ community with Sarah Tai-Black, Bonbon DiSpenser, James Baley, Phil Villeneuve, Armand Diego and Miss Moco.
George&Co is a content studio and consultancy based in Toronto. We help brands tell stories that matter to women.
After what seems like an eternity of flustered-housewife commercials and sex-sells stereotyping, women are no longer in thrall to Mad Men trying to sell us a stale ideal of womanhood. Social media has radically changed the way women communicate, organize and advocate and the industry, at last, is responding: Public transit ads now project images of women in all different shapes, colours and sizes, and cosmetics brands produce makeup in 40 skin tones instead of eight shades of white. A generation of mom blogs has decimated the myth of all-bliss-all-the-time motherhood. Women’s Health vowed to stop using “Bikini Body” and Allure dropped the term “anti-aging.” Social media has pushed women’s own voices to the forefront and their patience for tired old marketing tropes about what they should want is pretty much gone. So, what is the secret to what a woman wants?
Surprise! There’s no secret. Everyone is a little different.
But here’s a good place to start: Ask her.
#WineWednesday, a creative collaboration between @studiowyse and @maytruong_photography.
Art directed by @studiowyse. Assisted by @ashley.tomlinson.
Talking about money doesn't have to be taboo. What if we spoke more about the numbers that keep us up at night? What if we shared stories about the cash we spent well, and not just the moments we regretted?
Director: May Truong
Post Production: Victory Social Club
An ongoing project created by Anshuman Iddamsetty to normalize the fat brown body with help from select creators of colour.
Director + Editor: May Truong
Music: Graham Bertie
Gabrielle Boucinha of @oldcéline - an Instagram dedicated to highlighting the Phoebe Philo tenure at Céline. With 134k followers and counting, @oldceline is a testament to the significance and impact of Philo's reign.
CREDITS
Styling, Armand Digdoyo
CREDIT
Art Direction and Styling, Diego Armand. Hair and Makeup, Claudine Baltazar.
"The Outsiders", based on S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age novel, is a series of tableaus that prompt us to reflect on experiences of racialization, gender, youth, belonging and representation.
CREDITS
Art Director, Stephanie Cheng. Editing, Maureen Grant. Hair and makeup, Kristjan Hayden. Styling, Diego Armand. Actors, Zoe Olsson, Jerrise de Jaun, Kathleen Camaya, Pamela Garces, Khanh Van Vo, Frances Lim Fat, Nuds Swangsang.
A series of re-creations based on my own experiences and memories from adolescence. Memory, culture and the diaspora create an entirely new reality of layered experience, where the struggle to find one’s identity is constantly colliding with what is expected.
CREDITS
Actors, Jade Wong, Queenie Ha, Dat Tang. Assistant, Helen Yousif.
CREDITS
Styling, Diego Armand. Hair, Kristjan Hayden. Makeup, Claudine Baltazar. Set Design, Christina Yan. Assistants, Sam Pierre, Julia Whitmann, Andrea Lee.
CREDITS
Art Direction, Nuhad Haffar-Orsini. Styling, Nelly Akbari. Hair and Makeup, Robert Weir. Photo Assistant, Valerie Soo. Model, Tayemi @ Ciotti.
New Ho Queen is collective that celebrates Asian Pride. It creates safe spaces and a platform for the Asian LGBTQ community to be seen and heard. It was an honour to create these compelling portraits that show the diversity and beauty of Asian Queers.
CREDITS
Art Direction, Talle Tian. Styling, Jessica Luffman. Hair, Vanessa Garland. Makeup, Arielle Park.
Maylee Todd is a creative powerhouse. She is a musician, installation artist, 3D Mapper, feminist and adventurer. She was photographed at The Great Hall in Toronto.
CREDITS
Art Director and Stylist, Diego Armand. Hair and Makeup, Kristjan Hayden.
CREDITS
Editorial Director, Andrew Sardone. Art Director, Ben MacDonald. Styling, Georgia Groom Hair, Sarah Amson. Makeup, Claudine Baltazar. Photo Editor, Rachel Wine
