Styles & Profiles: “Thriving and Surviving” with M.L. Thompson
PHOTOGRAPHY LaQuann Dawson
NAME M.L. Thompson
AGE 24
OCCUPATION Poet, Editor, and Graduate Student at The New School
NEIGHBORHOOD: Bushwick
M.L. Thompson’s Instagram handle is @dreamyuncle, and that is a pretty accurate description of his style. “I sort of have an old man aesthetic,” M.L. told me as we sat across the coffee table at our photographer’s (and M.L’s boyfriend’s), apartment and studio. Look at his outfits and you can see for yourself: M.L. artfully mixes old man essentials like corduroys, caged sandals, and Casio watches and turns them into looks that are truly his own- dreamy, one might even say.
LOOK 1: “BODEGA BOY”
JACKET: Thrifted
BAG: Calvin Klein
T-SHIRT: Thrifted
JEANS: Thrifted
TURTLENECK: H&M
SHOES: T.U.K.
ON THE FIRST LOOK:
“This look is versatile. I would go to a concert, go out, or teach in this outfit. I really love denim because it’s flexible but also is something I reach for naturally. I also love wearing denim on denim. This necklace was first piece I got when I moved to New York. I got if for Afropunk!”
“In Brooklyn the Black queer community is out here, surviving and thriving! We are telling stories and serving looks. We are pumping on our way to the deli and flipping our hair on the C train. We are crying at home and voguing at Papi Juice. We have sustained ourselves and our space, while continuing to build in ways that make Brooklyn easy to call home. I am from Ohio, but Brooklyn is definitely my home.”
ON FIRST STYLE MEMORY:
“Sitting in the mall for hours on Saturdays, waiting for my mom to finish shopping. She loves clothes and shoes, and she is definitely who influenced my interest in style the most. My mom has always had the flyest coats and bags. She would flex at every Parent-Teacher Conference.”
ON WHAT STYLE MEANS TO HIM:
“I use style to embody whatever energy is working out on me the most. If I am feeling like Rihanna, or like staying in bed, or like strutting around the city, my outfit communicates what is kneading in my chest. Style is a language, and I am not speaking to anyone but myself most days.”
LOOK 2: “PRINTS FOREVER”
COAT: Thrifted
PANTS: Urban Outfitters
SHIRT: Thrifted
WATCH: Casio
SHOES: Converse
ON SECOND LOOK:
“Prints are fun. I like to incorporate prints into looks to reflect my energy and my mood. I love a statement coat that’s good for flexing during the fall— you can go out and also look timeless. I also like a bit of randomness. I like to throw a bunch of items together and see if they work. This is definitely one of those looks.”
ON FAVORITE PLACES TO SHOP IN BROOKLYN:
“My boyfriend’s closet is where I frequent most, but Goodwill as well. Both just always seem to have what I need.”
ON WHERE HE DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM:
“Black women and femmes are giving me the most life right now! I love what I see a lot of them doing with silhouettes, colors, and skin. I also draw from my childhood, those ideas of play. I want to have fun with my clothes. One of my favorite routines is dancing and singing SZA while I decide what I want to wear for the day.”
LOOK 3: “VERY BLACK”
SWEATSHIRT: The Very Black Project
SHIRT: Thrifted
PANTS: Urban Outfitters– Cut and added safety pins
SHOES: Doc Martens
TIGHTS: H&M
ON THIRD LOOK:
“I like to go to all black if I have an event and don’t want to think a lot. I like this crewneck because I can dress it up or down. The lettering describes me and where I come from. It communicates visually what I can’t necessarily communicate verbally. Andre Singleton and Justin Fulton make their t-shirts and totes out of their apartment. Plus, they’re New School alum. I found out about them on Instagram.”
ON WHAT HE WOULD BUY IF MONEY WERE NO OBJECT:
“A time machine, so I could get prints from any time period.”
ON WHERE YOU CAN FOLLOW M.L.:
INSTAGRAM: @dreamyuncle
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