Meet 'SIGNIFIED' Co-Producer Anna Barsan (VIDEO)

For some, tomboy isn’t a phase to be outgrown. It is a home to be joyously returned. That’s what radiates from these new photos of Anna Barsan – filmmaker, photographer, visual artist.

When asked about the journey to such self-assured style, Anna told me,

“I explored all over the fashion and gender spectrum, finally coming back to this place where I was when I was little, that was natural for me before I knew what gender expression was. It’s an in-between, androgynous space where I am whatever I want to be and whatever I want to be is okay. “

Inspired by Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Paul Newman, she likes to “keep it simple, keep it classy. “ Her suit is a women’s Thom Browne, tailored to more hang more like the designer’s menswear line by cuffing the pant leg, narrowing the leg, and adjusting the jacket so it doesn’t narrow at the waist. Her shirt is by Thomas Pink, and her glasses by See. Both the shoes and tie are vintage.

This is a big week for Anna and Jesse Levandal who are launching a glorious new webseries called SIGNIFIED, highlighting the work of queer identified individuals who are fostering, enriching and sustaining vibrant and diverse communities.

SIGNIFIED from anna barsan on Vimeo.

Anna and Jesse “…hope this series will serve as a catalyst to begin the long but necessary journey in holding one another accountable, in joining forces, in exercising our social responsibility to queer communities, of color communities, immigrant communities, trans communities, and many more. The urban space is where our journeys collide and hopefully where our solidarity can take root.”

You are invited to the launch at Guggenheim Lab that I gotta believe is going to be one of the most important events in NYC this year. The free event will include highlights from Season I and a panel with interviewees. I’m kvelling over this project because it is the most well-produced queer multimedia effort I have ever seen. Bonus? It purposely advances a diversity of queer perspectives that defy broader notions of one “gay community.”

Editors Note: These photos of Anna are by her brother Blake Barsan. They are part of a larger shoot she did for dapperQ that we will be publishing in the coming weeks.