As someone who grew up in a big city, the “mysterious unknown” wasn’t the chaotic bustling streets or the daunting skyscrapers dozens of stories high or the miles of concrete populated with every possible walk of life. The “mysterious unknown” was everyone else’s backdrop: the clean, tranquil scenery of the American suburb.
I’d imagine dogs tethered to trees, quintessential bicycles abandoned on lawns, and the unwavering scent of freshly cut grass. I’d daydream about my imaginary suburban crush: the quiet, long-haired boy who lived a few doors down. I’d see him at school (though never in class), hidden under a tree smoking cigarettes, or stretched out on the bleachers napping, or whizzing past me on his BMX. On the rare occasion he did speak to me—perhaps at the block party where, out of boredom, he forced himself to open his mouth—his attempt at conversation usually involved some obscure band or foreign film made a lifetime before he was born. Certainly a film no one we knew had ever seen.
But behind his angst and puppy-eyed pretension, he was much like this fictionalized version of myself: lonely, lost, yet still hopeful, lazily floating about the black tops and greenery, waiting out the years that moved like molasses. It’s here, in a middle-of-nowhere utopian prison, we’d contemplate our suburban adolescent dreams. And perhaps imagine another “mysterious unknown” down the road, past the next small town.
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On Alex: Toga Virilis Paisley Printed Pocket Tee in beige, Shinya Kozuka High-Waist Digital Printed Jeans in black/white, and Gosha Rubchinskiy x Vans Sun Printed Slip-On Sneakers in red. On Nina: Gypsy Sport Camo Denim City Cap in blue/light blue, Carven Logo Dress in jaune, Dorateymur Munise Nappa Leather High Heel Slip-Ons in white. Photos by Matthew Kelly; hair by Evanie Frausto at Bumble and Bumble; makeup by Jenny Atwood Smith at NARS; Alex Barna from Wilhemina and Nina de Raadt ![]()
On Alex: Hartono Ari Sheer Striped T-Shirt in white, Tigran Avetisyan Elastic Waist Trousers in blue, and Opening Ceremony Slip-On Platform Sneakers in black. On Nina: Kiko Mizuhara for Opening Ceremony
I’d imagine dogs tethered to trees, quintessential bicycles abandoned on lawns, and the unwavering scent of freshly cut grass. I’d daydream about my imaginary suburban crush: the quiet, long-haired boy who lived a few doors down. I’d see him at school (though never in class), hidden under a tree smoking cigarettes, or stretched out on the bleachers napping, or whizzing past me on his BMX. On the rare occasion he did speak to me—perhaps at the block party where, out of boredom, he forced himself to open his mouth—his attempt at conversation usually involved some obscure band or foreign film made a lifetime before he was born. Certainly a film no one we knew had ever seen.
But behind his angst and puppy-eyed pretension, he was much like this fictionalized version of myself: lonely, lost, yet still hopeful, lazily floating about the black tops and greenery, waiting out the years that moved like molasses. It’s here, in a middle-of-nowhere utopian prison, we’d contemplate our suburban adolescent dreams. And perhaps imagine another “mysterious unknown” down the road, past the next small town.
On Alex: Toga Virilis Paisley Printed Pocket Tee in beige, Shinya Kozuka High-Waist Digital Printed Jeans in black/white, and Gosha Rubchinskiy x Vans Sun Printed Slip-On Sneakers in red. On Nina: Gypsy Sport Camo Denim City Cap in blue/light blue, Carven Logo Dress in jaune, Dorateymur Munise Nappa Leather High Heel Slip-Ons in white. Photos by Matthew Kelly; hair by Evanie Frausto at Bumble and Bumble; makeup by Jenny Atwood Smith at NARS; Alex Barna from Wilhemina and Nina de Raadt 
On Alex: Hartono Ari Sheer Striped T-Shirt in white, Tigran Avetisyan Elastic Waist Trousers in blue, and Opening Ceremony Slip-On Platform Sneakers in black. On Nina: Kiko Mizuhara for Opening Ceremony