In the absence of traditional pride festivities and parades, LVR celebrates WorldPride 2021 in the digital sphere alongside the queer voices and talents shaping style and fashion right now. In our first installment, we unravel the intersection between style and identity with two of our favorite style muses: Joel McLoughlin and Tyler Omeed Mazaheri. Allow them to guide you through their individual takes on dressing and discover their favorite style picks of the moment.
Tyler Omeed Mazaheri, Los Angeles
Let’s begin with how you get dressed. What does your process look like?
Over the years my wardrobe’s palette has gotten more fixed so nowadays my main concern when I’m getting dressed, is the silhouette. It’s funny, I have this industrial metal wardrobe in my room that has progressively turned into a decorative piece because when you look at it, it’s entirely made up of the same muted earth tones as the rest of my room — just in different cuts and textiles.
When I’m starting to plan out my outfit for the day, I’ll try and pick a piece that I haven’t worn recently and use it as a jumping-off point to build around. For example, I have this pair of olive green high-waisted Rick Owens trousers with a super exaggerated leg (like a 36”+ inseam). From there I’ll probably opt for a heeled boot to compensate for the length so I’m not tripping over them. Then, depending on the color of the boot, I’ll coordinate my accessories to match (belt, sunglasses, bag). After that, I’m just left to decide on my top/outerwear depending on the weather. Since the pants are high-waisted and the leg is exaggerated, I’ll generally go for a more fitted/cropped upper half to offset the bottom half. I’m all about balance in my silhouettes and elongating myself in whatever ways I can.
Can you talk about the intersection of your queer identity and your style?
As someone who from a young age never understood the necessity of a binary gender system, I’ve never seen why some garments are inherently ‘masculine or ‘feminine. I feel like you can see that today in the way I dress. I like to keep things as simple as I wear what I like, and if that happens to combine garments traditionally thought to be masculine/feminine, even better. As someone whose expression is fluid, it’s only logical that my style fluctuates between different variations of masculine/feminine in the same way I do.
On the topic of inclusive fashion, what does that mean to you?
I think ‘inclusive’ and ‘intersectional’ as concepts run hand in hand. When I think of ‘inclusive fashion’ I think of the standard of clothing we should be striving toward — a standard of design that is considerate of everyone across all lines of ability/anatomy/build. It is as equally considerate of plus-size bodies, trans bodies, and disabled bodies as it is with any other.
Which are your favorite designers on LVR?
I’ve definitely had to invest the time and find my core group of designers that I can count on. For me, those brands are: Ann Demeulemeester, Andersson Bell, Bottega Veneta, Comme des Garçons, Dion Lee, Jil Sander, Junya Watanabe, Maison Margiela, Marni, Martine Rose, Raf Simons, Telfar, and last but most certainly not least, Y-Project.
Tell us about your Pride plans this month
I’m supposed to be going to NYC in a few weeks for work so it looks like I may be getting to experience my first New York Pride. But other than that, I don’t have anything planned in particular. I’ve been loosely considering the idea of making an updated issue to a zine I shared for pride two years ago — titled ‘Say Your Prayers’ as it chronicled my journey coming out in a strongly religious household/hometown — but we’ll see if I can force myself to follow through haha.
Joel McLoughlin, London
Let’s begin with how you get dressed. What does your process look like?
What I wear each day depends on my mood. I usually gravitate towards one particular piece and think “I’d like to wear this today” and then build an outfit around that. I pride myself on investing in comfortable pieces — about 95% of my wardrobe is made up of comfortable clothing so I know that nearly every outfit I put together will be perfect for most days.
Can you talk about the intersection of your queer identity and your style?
Since I was a teenager I was always drawn to more unconventional ways of dressing, whether the pieces were in the women’s or the men’s section, I was never bothered by the labels just by how the garment made me feel when wearing it. Exploring my personal style is an ongoing journey but it’s taught me a lot about myself over the years — allowing me to wear whatever I feel comfortable in and express my masculinity/femininity and everything in between. As I’ve grown up my understanding of my own body and how I present myself as a gay man is ever-changing but my queer identity really empowers me mentally, it gives me the confidence to be myself and be proud of who I am.
On the topic of inclusive fashion, what does that mean to you?
To me, it means better representation and diversity in race, gender, and size. We’ve seen big strides over the past few years within the fashion industry but there is a long way to go. Consumers’ mindsets are very different than what they were 10 years ago — people are extremely interested in mindfulness and want the companies that they invest their money in to be responsible for what they put into the world, which is only fair.
Which are your favorite designers on LVR?
I have always been a die-hard fan of Balenciaga — circling back on my ‘comfortable wardrobe’. I think that’s why Demnas’s designs inspire me so much — they’re everyday pieces that are comfortable yet luxurious. I also love Ader Error, Maison Margiela, Martine Rose, Prada, Raf Simons… the list goes on!
What about your Pride plans this month?
I would usually go to the major cities’ pride events, however, they’ve all been rescheduled so that they can be carried out safely here in the UK. However, there are ways to support LGBTQ+ communities and artists this year online. Most of my friends in London are part of the LGBTQ+ community and I’ll be supporting them by sharing their work on my platforms. Back in 2019, I was part of the Pride parade in Manchester which was fun, to witness the amount of love and support for the LGBTQ+ community from the public is inspiring.
A special thank you to Joel McLoughlin (@gallucks) and Tyler Omeed Mazaheri (@tylermazaheri).
