Real Red

A photo series by photographer 
Sebastian Alexander 
creative director Taliek Jeqon 

In 2025, fashion is no longer just a statement—it’s a declaration. A protest. A celebration. 

Red, long associated with passion, danger, and revolution, has taken on new meaning in our community. It is no longer just the color of visibility—it’s the hue of perseverance.

 
​Silk moves like us. Bold yet graceful. Resistant yet soft. It doesn’t shrink when the world stares—it shines harder. Together, red and silk form a language of liberation.

 Silk as Freedom

​"Silk refuses to be boxed in. It’s fluid. Genderless. It catches the wind and moves on its own terms—just like me." says Taliek. In Sebastian’s lens, silk dances around Talieks body  refusing to obey binaries. Silk is a rebellion against rigid definitions. It allows us to move with grace, and to float above the limits the world tried to impose.The way Taliek stare back at the camera—not for approval, but as a warning: This isn’t just fashion, It’s not just fabric.—it’s innovation.It’s a renaissance.

 Working alongside visionary photographer Sebastian Alexander, Taliek and him wanted to recreate a shoot done by leriya lee. ​

​Sebastian’s lens doesn’t just capture images—it captures moments in time. Alexander capturing Taliek essence, the world had no choice but to see him—clearly, beautifully, and in motion.

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A post shared by Taliek JèQon (@taliekjeqon)

Working with Sebastian, every shot the team crafted was intentional—silk wrapped tightly around the chest, then cascading open at the waist to show the V-cut built silhouettes of discipline.

Red is not a quiet color, Red has become a badge of endurance and  In 2025, Black LGBTQ+ men are redefining masculinity through softness. In Sebastian’s portraits, red cloaks Talieks body like armor. But this armor isn’t rigid or harsh—it flows, it breathes. It doesn’t blend in, it demands attention.

The energy we carry in every space especially as Black gay men says we’ve fought, but we’ve also healed. We’ve learned to be soft without losing our strength in a world that still tries to make us invisible, red silk makes us undeniable. Gay men are no longer dressing to fit in—They’re dressing to take up space, they are are: survivors, lovers, artists, innovators living in full color. Let red silk remind you: you’ve always been powerful.

#RedSilk2025 #BlackQueerFashion #SebastianAlexander #QueerStyleRevolution #VisibleAndVictorious