Queerness and Fashion in the Rural Caribbean

Carlos Rodriguez’s photographs elaborate on the unique styles of the fashion designer Jose Duran. Working in tandem, the two artists gather inspiration from a common territory: questioning traditional understandings of gender identity and representation. They both create new ways of interpreting sexuality markers inscribed in the body.

On this occasion, the photographer and fashion designer team up to style and capture in film the fierce essence of Scarlett Dosamantes — her name translates to English as Scarlett Twolovers. Scarlet is a trans beauty pageant-winner in the province of Moca, Dominican Republic. The images were taken in her Moca home, where she has garnered a great deal of respect and love from a community that wouldn’t traditionally understand trans experiences. These photographs of Scarlett have circulated several exhibitions in numerous galleries of the Dominican Republic.