Day 1 reflection
Tutorial reflection
The line
Charles Jeffrey 10+
Building Building
Flower
Mind Map
10 x 10
Masculine
Codes:
● leather biker community is a subsection of the gay community.
● Tight short shorts read as explicitly queer
● Lord belt speaks to the religious trauma a lot of gay men have.
● Hairy muscular model looks attractive and is a stereotypical ‘daddy’ type
The leather biker aesthetic situates the image firmly within a specific subsection of gay culture, one historically rooted in hypermasculinity, rebellion, and chosen brotherhood.The tight, shorts function as an unmistakably queer visual code, enhancing the erotic gaze and reclaiming the male body as an object of desire.The “Lord” belt introduces a layer of irony and tension, subtly referencing the religious trauma experienced by many gay men and the lasting impact of moral shame.The hairy, muscular model embodies the archetypal ‘daddy’figure, a celebrated stereotype within gay culture that signifies authority, protection, and sexual confidence.
Feminine
Codes:
● Feminine looking model - referencing the fem community
● The deep cut and tight corset style clothing traditionally feminine - shows the reclamation of the fem side of queer culture
● The pose is a ‘man spread’also highlighting that he still has masculine sensibilities
● The pose is also very sexually open, with a direct gaze drawing the view in.
The image centres a feminine-presenting model, referencing the fem community within queer culture and challenging dominant hierarchies of masculinity.The deep neckline and tightly corseted silhouette draw on traditionally feminine modes of dress, reframing them as tools of empowerment and self-possession.This softness is deliberately counterbalanced by the wide, grounded ‘manspread’pose, which asserts physical confidence and retains masculine sensibilities.The openly sexual posture and direct gaze invite the viewer in while maintaining control, presenting femininity and masculinity not as opposites but as coexisting forces within queer identity.
Sex
Codes
● Direct gaze is attractive and seductive
● The tattoos add a sense of danger and intrigue
● The posing, getting undressed feels like we have caught the model in a pre intimate moment, it's not explicit but the moment just before.
● The low lighting also makes it feel intimate and seductive.
Power
Codes:
● HavingAmanda Lepore, a trans woman who is overtly feminised, in a position of power over a white man flips social constructs and societal norms on its head.
● HavingAmanda dressed in a more vintage silhouette but sexualised shows how sex can be used as power.
● With her posing on the phone it adds a nonchalonce to her power
Cinematic
Codes:
● I love the feel of the high gloss and narrative structure of a cinematic editorial- can really feel the story
● Feels like we have interrupted a moment between two men in the bathroom, trying to act nonchalant and intimidating.
Drama
Codes:
● Muscular strong man with facial hairdaddy type
● Direct gave intimidating and dramatic
● Nude posing has power
● Its sexual but not intimate, its dominant and powerful
● Danger to the the image
Glamour
Codes:
● Location of shoot suggests lux hotel
● The pearls around the neck, the stockings and the fur coat, feel like a reference to early hollywood glamour. Mixed with the leather underwear and knee high platform boots its unmistakable queer.
Codes: ●
Queer
Seduction
Codes:
● This image feels sexually free
● It feels intimate and caught in the act
● The look of the one models almost feels like we are being asked to join
Vintage/Nostalgia
Codes:
● The image feels like it is a modern twist on the 1930s male archetype.
● It feels modernised and feminised by adding the pop of red latex gloves.
● The image also feels very powerful and commanding.The addition of the cigarette feels like the is a glamour and sophistication to the posing and narrative.
5x5
Sexual Narrative in Menswear
Codes:
Collab with only fans- sex work is normalised and accepted within the gay community.
Gym locker room- can be seen as a historically discreet and sexual place for gay men/ gay men go to the gym to get big to be attractive to other men.
Tom Of Finland x Trashy Clothing
TOM OF FINLAND x FAKBYFAK
Branding logos
This logo feels like the chester me. Although it is slightly more dramatic and queer it still feels more conservative than i want to be
I feel like this logo represents my NewYork self. It feels strong, dark, dramatic and sexual. I feel like it represents my brand as a queer man and how i want to be seen within the industry. I do want to tidy it up as it does feel a bit busy and not very luxury
After removing a part of the B the logo now feels like highend luxury and queer, while still keeping the dark dramatic and sexual nature.