Matthew Brookes Shoots 'FAME' , Storying Young People's Artistry For Mixte Magazine SS2019

Mixte Magazine shares their Spring/Summer 2019 issue with the cover story ‘FAME’. Models Estella Boersma, Lameka Fox, Naomi Chin Wing, Niko Traubman, Tianna St. Louis, and Zhengyang Zhang join dancer Calvin Royal III — all styled by Bill Mullen.

Matthew Brookes captures the talented crew inspired by the 1980 movie ‘FAME’, an American teen musical drama film set at Manhattan’s New York High School of Performing Arts. Young men and women auditioned for coveted spots in the notoriously difficult to enter high school, known then for giving an incredible opportunity to young talents from across the socio-economic spectrum.

The school, now known as Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, was not the actual site of filming because the New York Board of Education was unhappy with the script. The film tackled many difficult topics besides the audition process, touching issues such as homosexuality, abortion, attempted suicide and illiteracy.

The closest references in today’s world are probably the Parkland students, who have emerged as such an enormously talented, articulate group of teens grappling with such big, critical topics led by gun violence.