SLUG Style: Jaemen Cobb

Jaemen Paul Ho’Opukaekalamakahikina Cobb, also known as Miss Jae (she/her), is one of Nuanua Collective’s Youth Ambassadors. In addition to her activism work in the LGBTQIA+ Pacific Islander community, “your favorite local Utah doll” is also a model, making appearances on local runways across Salt Lake City. Keep up with her impactful work (and looks) on Instagram at @jaemencobb. 

Every month, SLUG Style features a distinct member of the community and asks them why they do what they do. Exploring more than just clothing, SLUG Style is an attempt to feature the people who give Salt Lake City flavor through personality and panache.

What are your stylistic influences? This could be a band, decade, fictional character — anything. 

From a very young age, my mom was my idol — I’ve always been super close with my mother.  Her style [and] beauty was something I always admired and I hoped to one day be a Y2K baddie just like her — clear silver glasses and all! Oh y’all, don’t even get me started on her lip liner combo — it had me in a choke hold for the longest [time.] Still has me to this day! Out of all my stylistic influences, my mom’s has always been the most special to me for sure! To name a couple others, I would definitely say the dolls/trans community — they stay the blueprint of hyper-femininity and serve it down in every city. I love seeing what the girls are giving and just how expressive and captivating we are! Another thing that influenced my style a lot was my love of Bratz Dolls. I’ve loved them and their hyper-feminine fashion since I was young. It’s so crazy to think about going from being just a little boy playing with those dolls to becoming the real-life doll you dreamed of having as a child! It’s so crazy — talk about fierce!

Could you briefly explain your work with Nuanua Collective and what it means to you?

I am one of  the youth ambassadors for Nuanua. Shout out to my other youth ambassador, Sina Bracewell — love you, sis! Nuanua is a community collective established in 2019. We work to create space for our LGBTQ/MVPFAFF (An acronym to describe gender-diverse Pasifika identities) and QTBIPOC communities, specifically in Utah. Nuanua gives [people] a chosen family, a space for community members to reclaim their identity and a safe space for many of us who pioneer through this close-minded red state. This work means everything to me — not only is it something I wish I knew and had as a child, but it’s also so magical and powerful seeing our communities show up for each other and create a space that’s for us and by us. It’s truly something I know our LGBTQ+ ancestors that have passed would be beyond proud of, and it grounds me closer to my community, to myself and most importantly, to my culture.

What are your interests or hobbies? What is the hobby or interest that you have that no one would realize to ask you about?

My interests and hobbies would definitely have to be fashion, music and queer and trans rights advocacy. I also love a good thrifting moment! I love club scenes and trashy reality TV shows, like Baddies on the Zeus network. POSE FOR ME, NATALIE NUNN!

A hobby or interest that no one would realize to ask about is that I actually love to sing. I used to take vocal lessons growing up and I also sang in a church gospel choir with Gladys Knight when I was younger called Saints Unified Voices (SUV) Choir. Also, you can find my silly singing videos on YouTube from when I was younger. Everyone had that era, right? Or was it just me?

Do you feel that your expression of style is a political statement? Why or why not, and why is that important to you?

Yes! I feel like just being a trans woman of color is political in America enough, sadly, so adding my cuntyyy style to that or a mini skirt — maybe even freeing the nipple — is just the ultimate walking political statement. I stay having people break their necks in my hometown trying to figure out who, where and what I am, and it’s always just a kii to me.

Are you always “on” or would someone see you at the grocery store, for example, with less elements of your style?

I’m definitely not always “on.” There are times you’ll see me running quick errands in a chill outfit with a bonnet and some shades, or something that looks like Adam Sandler himself dressed me for the store. But I always have some lip gloss and liner on and a light curl to the lashes, OKAYYY!

What is one item in your closet that you can’t live without?

A short mini skirt!

How has your involvement in the local fashion community (modeling on SLC runways, etc.) influenced your style? Is there anyone in that community that serves as a standout inspiration to you?

Modeling in SLC has had a really cool influence on my style. I think I’m still learning so much and taking in as much as I can from local shows and designers — seeing how they imitate shapes and use them to tell a story in a piece of clothing or just how different silhouettes can accentuate bodies differently. I just love it and I wanna see and learn more and more!

Naming one standout inspiration to me that I love and adore in the fashion community (and people who are standout inspirations to me just in everyday life) is hard because I have so many, but I’ll name a few: Tracey “Africa” Norman, Dominique Jackson, Erica Duvall, Octavia St. Laurent, Marsha P. Johnson, Shalom Harlow, Aaron Rose Philip, Colin Jones, Kumu Hina, Vermine Haws, Trey Rayne and Jakey Siolo. I know that’s a lot of people, but I mean it when I say that all these people have truly left a beautiful influence on my life, and there are so many more people that inspire me to keep being me that weren’t mentioned!

You’ve modeled for a lot of local designers. How have you refined your modeling skills and gained confidence in front of the camera/large audiences?

Well, thank you! It’s truly been an honor and a beautiful experience — not easy, but my journey has just started and I can’t wait to grow more and more! Something that has helped me gain confidence in front of the camera and in my modeling skills is definitely practicing in my room alone. Sometimes when I’m doing glam, I’m sitting by the mirror just practicing different types of  facial expressions and poses. I also learn as I go, watching others around me who also model, looking for anything they do that could help me be better! 

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would those be? 

FEM DIVA DOLL. 

How has your personal style evolved over time?

I’ve definitely gone through many eras of fashion and styles, searching to find what really spoke to me and felt right to me. Thank goodness I don’t wear tie dye anymore! That was an era. I just have always been someone that loves to switch up my style or try different aesthetics to see how I can put my own twist of Miss Jae couture [on it] and just have fun expressing my queerness through fashion!

If you could give a piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

Little Jae, a word of advice from me to you would be to never feel ashamed of your differences and to embrace them because they are a big part of what makes you so special and what makes you YOU. Keep serving cunt cunt cuntttttt!

Read more SLUG Style features:
SLUG Style: Mariel Croft
SLUG Style: Chloe Akira