Since early teenhood, my taste has been driven by the competitive nature of masculine social dynamics. I think coolness informs our lives to a significant extent, even though it’s so often dismissed as just an abstract concept. Indulging in coolness, Dollhouse is an endearing look into an elaborate game of dress-up.
These photos recognize the value that we apply to social statuses, documenting my friends’ outfits in our New Jersey hometowns. Our style is sad and severe, as a result of comparison-driven insecurity. Defensively, we seek shelter in carefully organized clothing, ranging from dirty hiking boots to fake Balenciaga. The dark clothing disrupts the tradition of pastel athleisure that we’re used to seeing in these suburban and rural scenes. Confronting our local fashion etiquette in this way is a cathartic experience that muffles our internal discomfort through the illusion of social dominance.
Even though they’re posed, I consider these nonfiction photographs. They embrace the process of taking fit pics, documenting an important ritual in contemporary fashion culture where people take pictures of each other’s favorite outfits to share on social media. Like late 20th century family photos, my friends and I stand for the camera, eager to see the result. Our reserved body language carries surprisingly vulnerable undertones, demonstrating how these straight-forward, yet performative, types of poses are sometimes the most revealing.