Quil Lemons is the definition of young, gifted, and Black. The 24-year-old New York-based, Philly-raised photographer is known for riveting photographs that make onlookers buy covers and question thier own perceptions of queerness and masculinity. The images he’s shot have earned him a spot in Antwuan Sargent‘s New Black Vanguard of fashion and art photographers, among many campaigns and celebrated covers. When Lemons isn’t taking photos, other projects like this arise — a collaboration with Sky High Farm Workwear, a brand that donates funds to its sole beneficiary Sky High Farm which grows fresh produce to donate—a benevolent brand. The brand was founded by former Head of Communications of Comme des Garcons Daphne Seybold and artist Dan Colen in just last year in January 2022. The budding brand looks promising as they’ve already been collaborating with other brands and building a team with Lemons.
This will be Lemons’ first collaborative collection with the brand as their new Contributing Art Director. The capsule collection is entitled “Farm Boys Do It Better,” with the campaign being imagery and a video that is true to Lemons’ style of photography.
The collection’s name is mostly based on the pieces like their baby tees, zip-ups, and baseball caps. Lemons tapped into his own memories of his self-portraits while attending The International Center of Photography with bright purple and lime green colorways on fuzzy box cut cardigans and tie-dye swirls on the sides of high-waisted denim with raw hemmed bell-bottoms. All the pieces in the collection are reflective of what’s already part of Lemons’ personal style.
“The inspiration for the Quil Lemons for SHFWW collection stems from my desire to keep pushing the limits of photography and to challenge the understanding of what a photographer can be. Every photo I take expands my universe and invites you into my imagination. And while shooting fashion and editorial content, I’ve always thought about what I would make if I was the one designing the clothes,” says Lemons via press release. “I wanted to design a collection that felt like an extension of my wardrobe or the physical realization of my own fashion wish list. And so, this collection is deeply inspired by my art, but it also comes out of my love of fashion as a mode of self-expression—and also the knowledge that the only limits are the ones you put on yourself.”
“Farm Boys Do It Better” is available on skyhighfarmworkwear.com, shop-us.doverstreetmarke.com, and select retail stores.