Larissa Loden

Mpls / St. Paul Magazine | Hidden Gems and The Ones to Watch

 
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This October I had the absolute pleasure of photographing the feature story for Mpls / St. Paul Magazine. Traditionally the fall story is about retailers, but with all that 2020 has brought to our attention through Social Justice, Activism, and a heated election, this year’s story required more depth. This was also one of the first editorial features I photographed since Covid changed everything this year in March and it felt SO good to photograph a story that held so much meaning and importance.

The three subjects that were a part of this story were Nicole Jennings of Queen Anna House of Fashion who has also started a community called Elevate & Amplify. The purpose of this is to raise awareness and allyship with Black-Owned businesses and also a space to have a conversation on how to be an ally in business. Next, we have Houston White, who is the wonderful human behind HWMR in North Minneapolis. Houston has recently raised $50,000 to expand his barbershop in North into more of a community space and coffee shop experience. He has also embarked on several collaborations with Target and Martin Patrick 3. Lastly, we have Larissa Loden who created the VOTE jewelry line to raise awareness around voting before the election. Her jewelry went viral and her activist heart matches this message.

It felt incredible to be a part of this story, but also to take the time and sit, listen and really connect with each of these individuals who are doing so much for our city and our world right now!

Below are some of my favorite images that were un-published. I love the mood and energy in all of them!