Transgender Model Dressed As First Lady Michelle Obama On Candy Magazine – CUTE or OFFENSIVE?
Not that this is anything new for black models, Candy Magazine features a transgender woman as the first lady Michelle Obama.
Connie Fleming is seen in the photos above channeling her inner FLOTUS. Sporting her regal attire, the photos were photographed by Danielle Levitt and styled by Brad Goreski, former Style Director for Rachel Zoe, Inc.
As this is Candy’s fifth issue, publisher Luis Venegas plugs Candy as the first fashion magazine completely dedicated to celebrating transvestism, transexuality, crossdressing and androgyny in all their glory.
Dazed Digital spoke with Venegas and photographer Andreas Larsson about the issue, thoughts behind the photos and even some behind the scene teasers:
Dazed Digital: Can you tell us about the shoot with Jeanette showcased here?
Andreas Larsson: The concept is quite simply a weekend away with some friends in the south of France and I photographed us enjoying the time away. The house, Chez Jeanine, used to belong to Stephane Carcy’s grandmother, Jeanine Cabrol.Luis Venegas: I love Jeanette! I think he’s been in all five Candy issues published until now, photographed by Andreas Larsson, Benjamin Alexander Huseby and Brett Lloyd. I hope he’ll be again and again and again in the future issues… He’s a UK National Treasure and deserves recognition from Queen Elizabeth!
DD: What else are you excited by in the issue?
Luis Venegas: Many things as usual! There’s a great portfolio of snapshots taken by Nazi transvestites during World War II, Lady Bunny, never seen before images of Candy Darling, film director Xavier Dolan in drag, the return of 90s model Eve Salvail… But I especially love the cover story, which for the first time isn’t a super-popular star, but a fabulous, beautiful black transwoman channeling a politician who looks pretty much like Michelle Obama. I remember back in early 2007 when the Democratic Party’s nominees were narrowed down between two “controversial” stereotypes never before seen for presidency: a black man, Barack Obama; and a woman, Hillary Rodham Clinton. At that time, I thought, ‘when will the time come when these archaic walls break down and the White House will be occupied by, for example, a black, transsexual woman?’ At that moment I decided someday I would toy with this idea on one of my covers of Candy. Connie Fleming is the model and she’s done a fabulous performance, photographed by Danielle Levitt and styled by Brad Goreski.
