Serpentwithfeet Recreates Out's Controversial Tom Ford Cover

This summer, Out enters its 30th year with over 300 printed issues. Here, we revisit and re-create 10 covers — celebrating them for what they were while reimagining them for newer audiences.

Of Tom Ford’s three Out covers, November 2007 was undoubtedly his most controversial — and remains 
one of the most talked-about in our history, given the nudity of some of the interior shots.

“You don’t work with Tom Ford. You work for him,” recalls Aaron Hicklin, editor in chief at the time. “In 2007 he was reentering the fashion world after crashing out at Gucci, and this cover was meant to convey the bruises and scratches he’d endured in the process — a fighter who was able to pick himself up and get back in the ring for another round.”

While Serpentwithfeet may have bruises, they haven’t been showing as the singer fights his way into the music industry. With two albums out and a tour this fall, the performer perfectly melds experimental R&B with heavenly vocals for deeply soulful tracks.

SERPENTWITHFEET is wearing a HUGO BOSS Suit VINTAGE Jewelry and Broaches as Cufflinks 
Hair JENN LAGRON 

Creative Direction MIKELLE STREET mikelledstreet.com @mikellestreet
Assistant MILAN GARCON @milangarcon
Photographer MYLES LOFTIN mylesloftinphotography.com @mylesloftin
Photo Assistant Light Tech EVADNE GONZALEZ @evadnegonzalez
Photo Assistant ANDREW ESPINAL @andrewespinal and JIN JIN
Digitech MERLIN VIETHEN and JOSH ROBINSON
Production Director TIM SNOW @snowmgz
Production Manager STEVIE WILLIAMS x2production.com @beingstevie of X2 Production Production
Assistant TOBY TEITEL @toby_teitel
Video AUSTIN NUNES austinunes.com @austinunes
Creative Conception STUART BROCKINGTON, ANNA CARIAS, MIKELLE STREET
Hair JENN LAGRON jennlagron.com @jennlagron
Makeup ALANA WRIGHT alanawrightmakeup.com @alanawrightmakeup
Makeup Assistant JUSTIN LENTZ @justinlentz
Stylist LATEEF ABDULLAH lvteeflateef.com @lvteef_

Related | Nyle DiMarco and Chella Man Are the New American Idols

This article is part of Out's July/August 2022 issue, appearing on newsstands July 12. Support queer media and subscribe — or download the issue through Amazon, Kindle, Nook, or Apple News.