FROM THE ARCHIVE: Sugar Daddy
Some editorials age because they capture a specific moment. Others remain interesting because they never quite belonged to one.
For this edition of From the Archives, we return to SUGAR DADDY, originally published in PERIOD Issue 148 in April 2020. Shot largely in stark black and white, the story placed Lucas Conrad in a world where classic menswear collided with something sharper, stranger, and much more playful.
Photographer Brandon Jameson approached the portraits with an almost confrontational simplicity. Tight crops, direct eye contact, hard tonal contrast, and an intentionally minimal setting keep the attention squarely on the model. One frame moves in so close that the image becomes almost abstract, reducing the portrait to an eye, skin, and expression. In another, Conrad appears wrapped in bold stars and stripes, transforming familiar Americana into something much more fashion-driven.
Then comes the cover.
Against the monochrome interior story, the SUGAR DADDY cover explodes into color: orange tailoring, circular red-tinted glasses, and an exaggerated white turtleneck create an image that feels eccentric without losing its polish. It is exactly the kind of contrast that made the editorial memorable. Traditional menswear codes are present, but nothing is treated too reverently.
The styling by Taylor Emerick pushes that idea throughout the story. Tailoring, knitwear, graphic pattern, metallic texture, and unexpected accessories are layered together in a way that feels deliberately excessive. The result sits somewhere between classic portraiture and character study.
Looking back at SUGAR DADDY now, what stands out most is its confidence. It was not trying to make menswear quieter or safer. It allowed fashion to have humor, attitude, and personality.
And years later, that is exactly why it still deserves another look.
CREDITS
Photography: Brandon Jameson
Model: Lucas Conrad
Wardrobe Styling: Taylor Emerick
From the Archives is part of OFF THE PAGES, where PERIOD revisits standout editorials, cover stories, and defining moments from the magazine’s past.
