Table of contents for September - October 2020 in OUT

MAKING A SEPTEMBER issue in the fashion industry is a heady task filled with endless photoshoots and, if you believe The Devil Wears Prada, a lot of backstabbing bitches. We found a way of rising to the challenge by tasking a guest editor to do it for us! First, we brought on photographer Alex La Cruz to shoot supermodel Valentina Sampaio, Victoria’s Secret’s first transgender model (page 46). We’ve long wanted to give her a fashion issue cover but because she was quarantined in Brazil with her family, and flying wasn’t an option, we commissioned our first Zoom photoshoot. Shipping cases of designer clothes to Valentina to model wasn’t possible and she chose to model sans clothing. I’m not saying it’s the first nude shoot we’ve done in Out’s history…

When you decide to (or have to) travel again, why not inject some color into the experience with some seriously chic personalized luggage? ROAM lets you be the designer with its line of fully customizable premium luggage — you choose the colors of the panels, handles, wheels, even the stitching. There are over a million possible color combinations. Seriously. The company also has a heart, which it showed this past June when Roam helped sponsor Gay Travel’s Virtual Pride event that ended up reaching over 14 million people. Plus, each piece of Roam luggage is handcrafted to order in the U.S., so your purchase will do its part to give our suffering economy a little boost.…

Alissa Petee and Aveena Mathew Alissa Petee and Aveena Mathew’s first date lasted three and a half hours. The two chatted over burgers while Petee sipped from her gin and tonic and Mathew drank an old-fashioned. In October 2019, when the pair finally married in a tearful ceremony, Petee reflected on the date. “There are things we can only know for sure in retrospect, but I swear that on our first date a little part of me breathed a sigh of relief and said, ‘Ah, there she is,’” she recalls. “‘You found her.’” The ceremony itself came after a 10-month engagement and incorporated Mathew’s Indian heritage. Though Mathew’s family did not attend the emotional event due to their religious beliefs (she came out to them during the engagement), she honored…

This portrait series was taken in mid-March, the week Los Angeles was placed in quarantine due to the global pandemic. It was my last group gathering before lockdown, and I am grateful it was with these angels. This portrait series highlights the faces of the queer, trans, and nonbinary Chinese diaspora I am privileged to share spiritual and artistic community with. I had the pleasure of meeting Aus Wang (she/her), an actress, model, and musician, during a casting session last year. I wanted to collaborate with her because she has the most incredible energy and instincts as a performer. My second angel is Jasmine Lin (they/them), a performance artist, dancer, and movement facilitator. I find their work so inspiring, and we have bonded over shared interests in unearthing queer characters…

How does a single razor from OneBlade Shave manage to marry extreme closeness with stunning design? By engineering impeccably honed metals and essential parts that provide shaving accuracy, effortless movement, and luxury—that’s how. At first glance, yes, this razor is indeed glamorous. But then you put the razor in your hand, flick the rock-solid pivoting head, start shaving, and suddenly realize that this, friends, is the last razor you’ll ever use. Ever. This is your dad’s safety razor on 21st-century steroids. Popping in the dual-edge single blade is effortless. This was the real test for me because I don’t like handling blades — and the tiny, proprietary “recycling bank” for changing is truly a genius accessory. Whether opting for OneBlade’s Core Razor or going all in with its Special Edition…

JOSE ARROYO “I have always seen myself as an artist or illusionist rather than just a photographer, since an image is an illusion of reality,” says Arroyo, a Los Angeles-based photographer who curated a special photo series this issue inspired by Tom of Finland (page 76). This particular shoot saw him experimenting with water, LED lights, and of course, corsets. Currently, the photographer is working on a new series focusing on men’s relationship with their genitalia. He’s also looking to experiment outside of the studio. “I’m constantly challenging myself,” he says. “I want to get out of the studio and create a series shot at Joshua Tree and the Mojave Desert.” (@JoseArroyoPhotos) DESIRÉE GUERRERO Desirée Guerrero is a Los Angeles-based writer and associate editor at Out whose writing focuses on…

PRESTON MAX ALLEN is a man in transition. The playwright, composer, and “dedicated cat father” recently made the switch from penning musicals like We Are the Tigers to writing a so-called “straight” play. The transgender artist began working on Modern Gentleman at the same time he started transitioning, but the story is not a memoir disguised as a play. The evolution of the project mirrored Allen’s own growth and transition as a writer. “I work much more [on] musicals — plays are new to me, and I didn’t necessarily take myself seriously as a playwright for a while,” he admits. “So I kind of just let it sit on my computer and would check in and edit it every once in a while to catch it up to what I…

Who knows who this year’s annual holiday will bring out, but more than 50 celebrities have come out as LGBTQ+ already this year. Heck, 18 celebs came out during Pride Month alone — and we’re still celebrating. Here are some of the highlights. SEBASTIÁN VEGA Sebastián Vega became Argentina’s first openly gay professional basketball player when he came out in an Instagram post. “The most beautiful thing of all is that nothing has changed — on the contrary, it has changed for the better,” he wrote. “If I had [come out] five or six years ago, I don’t know if society would have been ready. People are becoming more aware.” TAYLOR SCHILLING The Orange Is the New Black star confirmed her sexuality and her relationship with girlfriend Emily Ritz during…

Valentina Sampaio is one of the most in-demand models out there. In the last five years alone she’s booked multiple Vogue covers and appeared in projects for Victoria’s Secret and Sports Illustrated, making history every step of the way. Over the span of her short career, Sampaio has bounced around the fashion world — shooting in London, working in New York, and walking fashion shows in Milan. She was just getting started when the pandemic caused the world (and the fashion industry) to stop. Now back in her native Brazil, the trailblazing model is mostly twiddling her thumbs with family in the fishing village she was raised in. “It’s always amazing to come back home and stay close with [my family] and spend time with them,” Sampaio says on a…

“It’s very rare to find like-minded, sane people in L.A.,” according to Gigi Goode. That’s a point reiterated by stylist, creative director, and Goode’s sometimes collaborator Marko Monroe, who made his name nationally as a stylist for Lizzo. In the West Coast city, Goode says, it can be difficult to tell people’s intentions. The relationships you think you’re growing can turn out to be something different entirely. But with Goode and Monroe, their synergy is abundantly clear. “I definitely made friends, or what I thought was making friends, with some people who ended up being not such great people,” Goode says of her first year in the city. “But with the House of Avalon what you see is what you get. They are really just these kind people who want…

CHRIS K. FAWCETT, whose two-person band The More includes guitarist Alex Topornycky, actually researched band names before choosing The More, but missed that it was already the name of a British heavy metal band from the 1980s. No matter, this duo is the one people will remember, especially after Tidal picked The More’s first video for their official Pride playlist. Since New York City shut down due to the pandemic, The More has been making music at home. With the band’s new EP, Heart So High, Fawcett says he’s “gone more personal, melodic, and structured than the first single and tried to take current pop elements and present them in interesting ways while keeping it moody and chill. I like fresh sounds. My favorite artists simply don’t sound like anything…

My face and I love essences and emulsions. They provide a terrific value by infusing the skin with healthy doses of vitamins and absorbable nutrients while also toning and tightening the skin in preparation for what comes next. Lighter and similar in form, emulsions and essences are basically pared-down versions of more dense lotions and moisturizers. But don’t underestimate their capabilities or confuse them with toners. Instead, think of them as the gas pedal for the rest of your skin care products, regulating how much or how little to use. In an ever-crowded skin care marketplace, we’ve learned to layer our skin care routine with vitamin C and brighteners during the day, toggling peels, acids (AHAs), and retinols by night. Whether you’re using a sculpting cream or sleep mask or…

In late August, I was told that Out magazine — a publication I once soaked up as a closeted teen, fantasizing about my one-day authentic gay life — not only wanted me to guest edit their fashion issue, but creative direct the cover shoot with me on the cover! Ricky Martin was on last month’s. How did I even get here? Well, for one, I never gave up. No matter how many times the world came for me. In 2018-2019 I went through breakups with both my business partner and fiancé. Baja East was in severe debt, I was broke, and through it all, I publicly pretended that I was still “thriving.” Fashion is all about image, and image was all I thought I had left — leaving me empty,…

There’s never a bad time to experiment with back to school clothes. Today, it’s more important than ever to be creative while you’re Zooming classes or having virtual sessions with other coeds. Our favorite brand this season is Dsquared2, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary with a luscious collection of fake furs, overcoats, western jackets, and skinny jeans. Since twin brothers Dean and Dan Caten founded Dsquared2 in 1995, the brand has expanded from its menswear roots to become a fully realized global lifestyle brand with women’s wear, beachwear, children’s wear, and scents, added into the mix. With that variety it’s a breeze creating a style that looks great on campus, on Zoom, or at home. Over the years, the brand has worked with celebrities like Cher, Madonna, Rihanna, Jennifer…

Coming out isn’t always easy, but when you do it October 11th our entire community has your back, for National Coming Out Day. We can all remember the anxiety, the indecision, the fear we felt before finally taking the first step and telling someone, anyone, that we weren’t quite on the straight and narrow. That it often turns out better than we expected doesn’t deny the fact that it can end badly. So, making that statement can be scary, which is why National Coming Out Day is so important. The annual celebration began in 1988, on the anniversary of the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. It started first in 18 states before growing to 21 states. It’s now celebrated nationwide (as well as in seven…

Creative Direction Scott Studenberg and Shea Couleè Production Ashley Gutierrez Production Assistant Paris Nelson Styling Kat Typaldos and Shea Couleè Stylist Assistant Sam Cook Scott/Grooming Florido Basallo Grooming Make Up Sarah Tanno Drag Make Up Shea Couleè Shea/Hair Edward Sizzahandz Assistant Tony Soto Photographer Assistant Aaron Morgenstein Retoucher/Retouching Bast Digital Shot At The Dream Factory LA Studio We were thrilled when these two visionaries agreed to take part in this series conceptualized by Scott Studenberg. Of course, Shea Couleé, a fixture in Chicago nightlife and the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 5 (they first appeared in Season 9 of Drag Race), showed up and showed out. Channeling Cindy Crawford and k.d. lang’s 1993 iconic Vanity Fair shoot for our second cover in this issue, the two creatives…

Ancient global healers, old world spas, and modern-day medicine men have always used oils for wellness, massage, and treating skin afflictions. But until recently, we would’ve done anything and everything to avoid oil on our faces. Even while I was showcasing facial oils as moisturizers more than a decade ago, I knew there were only a handful I’d actually use. Fast-forward to 2020. Oils — for the body and the face — are now de rigueur and here to stay. From batik shops, numbered batches, and local master blends to the most exclusive retail outlets, oils have been perfected at cosmeceutical levels. Skin science has advanced so rapidly that they’ve found ways of micro-infusing serious plant-based ingredients that can dissolve brown spots, dry up blemishes, soften wrinkles, tighten saggy neck…

With many gyms across the country still closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping active and fit has been a challenge for most of us. As a fitness and nutrition coach, being in the gym is a huge part of my daily routine. In the beginning of the pandemic, I dreaded the thought of this routine being interrupted, forcing me into home workouts. But I adapted and created a new daily regimen, which ended up being quite productive and enjoyable. Often, we resist change. Learning to adapt to things that are out of our control can be the difference between success and failure. Here are five things you can do to stay in shape and avoid gaining the infamous “COVID 15” (in pounds). Fire Up That Kitchen Ditching the takeout…