model: Andre Douglas - @Andre.Douglas
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
art direction by Tarrice Love
One of the models I was shooting told me that whenever he was at a casting or audition he always wore a hoodie. He would stand in front of the casting director and take the hood from his head, forcing them to look at his face. He told me his face was his strongest asset and he wanted to keep their attention on it. He was shorter and more muscular than the standard model. Most of the times, casting directors are looking for flaws...any little reason to say no.
model: Marcus Lloyd - @marky_mark13
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
art direction by Tarrice Love
I hate that the fashion industry lumped all the black male models into one category - acting like all black guys looked the same. I started shooting the black male models with hoodies to force the viewer to see the uniqueness of each black male model. Wearing a hoodie was like walking around with a frame around their faces.
models (clockwise from left): King Noire(@kingnoire_), Bo Pratt(@boprattinsta), Darius Dio(@dariusdio), Marcus McGaw(@iamjustmarcus), Michael Marrio, Ambrose Carter(@kingbrxseph), Bruck Tekle(@brucktekle), and Jason Danza (@jdanza)
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
art direction by Tarrice Love
The "hoodie shots" became my signature image for the black male models ... its the one fashion piece that was a fashion staple of every black man's wardrobe.
model: Rob Evans - @robjamesevans
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
art direction by Tarrice Love
model: Ger Duany - @ger_duany
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
art direction by Tarrice Love
After the tragic death of Trayvon Martin, a symbol emerged: the hoodie.
A simple hooded sweatshirt has become a representation of justifiable suspicion of negative behavior. so much so that a neighborhood watch volunteer in a Sanford, Fla. called 911 and told the dispatcher that he was following a suspicious looking young black man in "a dark hoodie, a gray hoodie" before he shot and killed 17 year old Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman, 28, says he acted in self-defense; he has not been charged with a crime.
models (clockwise from left): Geremy Alexander(@geremyalexander), Minkah Davidson(@minds_opolis), Ondre Glasco(@ondreglasco), Dominick Hill, Randy Bowden Jr.(@randybowdenjr), Aygemang Clay(@aygemang) Rhyan Atrice(@rhyguyfye)
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
art direction by Tarrice Love
Geraldo Rivera said on the Fox & Friends TV show that "the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin's death as George Zimmerman was." Rivera warned parents not to let their children wear hoodies — unless it is raining or they are at a track-and-field event. He said it sends a sinister signal.
"You cannot rehabilitate the hoodie," Rivera said. "Stop wearing it."
model: Brenton Julien Henry - @brentastique
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
art direction by Tarrice Love
The Trayvon Martin death changed everything. I began to notice that agencies would remove any image created with black guys wearing hoodies from the model's portfolio. The hoodie became a symbol of danger and made you instantly think of racism and Trayvon Martin. The topic of racism makes white clients nervous and uncomfortable and the modeling agents didn't want to intimidate them...
A Black/Hispanic guy wearing a hoodie means something totally different than when a White or Asian model is photographed wearing one. None of the agents said it directly but I noticed they nolonger used the hoodie pics...so I stopped shooting models of color wearing hoodies. I had to come up with another way to celebrate the uniqueness of their faces.
model: Lance Wilcox - @lancewilcox
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
art direction by Tarrice Love
I concur what you say here "I hate that the fashion industry lumped all the black male models into one category - acting like all black guys looked the same" The story of of my life and other black male models as well.
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