‘Kiki’ the movie is about the lives of young LGBTQ people of colour who participate in the spectacular Kiki balls that give the performers a safe and empowered space to enact various modes of gender expression.

The Kiki scene was created within the LGBTQ youth-of- color community as a peer-led group offering alternative family systems. The scene has evolved into an organization with governing rules, leaders and teams, numbering hundreds of members in New York and across the U.S and Canada. Run by LGBTQ youth for LGBTQ youth, it draws strategies from the Civil Rights, Gay Rights and Black Power movements.

I photographed some of the spectacular performers at the NYC premiere of the movie in Harlem

Last week I spent a morning up on the roof taking photos for Jocks&Nerds magazine of the ever suave August Darnell aka Kid Creole. The man has so much style from top to toe. He has co written a musical called Cherchez La Femme with my great friend Vivien Goldman, about ‘the pursuit of happiness ..the smell of success ..sibling rivalry .. ‘ and more set in New York and the Caribbean in the 1980’s. Performances from May 20-June 12.

On a cold day in February Lucy Tupu and Eric and I spent the day photographing Lucy’s gorgeous furniture line on the streets of New York City.  Originally from New Zealand Lucy’s ‘Flax’ collection is inspired by traditional Samoan weaving techniques combine Paul Smith plaids and  bright jewel like hues. Go check out Lucy’s ottomans, daybeds, rugs and lighting at the ICFF show at the Javits centre May 14-17

Rough Trade was started in 1978 by Geoff Travis, he had a small record label and a very cool record store/local hangout off Ladbroke Grove. I shot many of their bands including The Raincoats, Red Crayola and Stiff Little Fingers.

Now they have a huge store in Williamsburg and a new magazine. The cover story (above, featuring a great portrait by photographer Gudrun Georges) for their first issue is an interview with Vivien Goldman (who gave me my first job shooting a band, Siouxee and the Banshees in 1978) and myself. In fact it is more of a chat about how two friends grew up during the punk and hip hop eras and what we are up to today.

Time flies and Vivien and I are still great friends both involved in music and culture.

The Raincoats rehearsing in their London bathroom 1981

South London Kid 1979 for cover of Stiff Little Fingers single from ‘Inflammable Material’