The Fun of Experimenting With Cultural Fashion

Before I was emancipated at 16, I often threatened my parents with running away to live on a Native American reservation. Creating the look was easy. There were enough stores in Brooklyn offering just the right trinkets; I thought the look was quite romantic.

I envisioned myself sailing off into the sunset, on a horse of course, and ending up living on this big stretch of land with others who accepted me for who I was. But I didn’t have a horse, nor did I have any idea how to get to the reservation or whether or not they would even accept me.

The point is that the lure of this unknown culture was intoxicating. The belief that a change of clothes would turn me into someone who belonged on that reservation began to make sense to me as I grew older and experimented with different fashion styles.

When I was younger it was kind of like cosplay, and you’re playing a part. But when you’re finally in the right “costume” it’s no longer a costume because you feel at home, and you are at home authentically. And that’s when you know who you are.