…Monster

LEAK NYC (American, founded 2018) Louis Dorantes (American, born in Guatemala, 1990) “Carnage” ensemble, 2024 Black nylon-spandex knit and black synthetic mesh  Courtesy of private collection

Louis Dorantes founded LEAK NYC as a platform for recontextualizing notions of feminine and masculine expression in contemporary culture. This ensemble explores the idea of male-presenting bodies wearing fabrics that have historically been associated with women. Dorantes’ genderless expressions of refined lingerie have become clubwear staples, particularly among the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick’s POC (People of Color) nightlife culture. LEAK NYC's affordable prices coupled with Dorantes' friendship with local sex workers have established the brand as an accessible and welcoming resource for non-binary OnlyFans creators and gogo dancers.

Hushidar Mortezaie (American, born in Iran, 1972) “Superbug” ensemble, 2018 Black upcycled polyester fleece printed with polychrome ink, embroidered with hand-painted polychrome sequins and polychrome bugle beads, and trimmed with white paillettes, black ostrich feathers, black coque feathers and red reflectors. Courtesy of Hushidar Mortezaie

With his “Superbug” ensemble, Iranian-American designer Hushidar Mortezaie offers commentary on the marginalization of queer Muslim communities and compares their treatment to that of insects, and monsters. The ensemble was created for the exhibition The Third Muslim: Queer and Trans* Muslim Narratives of Resistance and Resilience at San Francisco’s SOMArts Cultural Center, and later reused for Tomorrow We Inherit the Earth (The Queer Intifada), an experimental production performed at CounterPulse Theater in San Francisco, which focused on a post-apocalyptic queer Muslim uprising against imperialist struggles.  Both its textile and silhouette are informed by the Iranian children's folklore tale, Auntie Roach, the Shi'ite Condolence theatre, Ta'zieh, and banners from the mourning season of Muharram, a tradition marked on the first month of the Islamic calendar where no warfare occurs. For Mortezaie, the ensemble carries personal meaning, symbolizing his relationship to Middle East victims affected and damaged by the ‘superbug’ HIV/AIDS.