True Beauties

Myles' personal project "True Beauties" centers on the New York City chapter of House of LaBeija, a legendary house on the ballroom scene. "The House of LaBeija was founded in 1972 by Crystal and Lottie LaBeija as a response to the divisive politics of the pageant world, which was extremely racist at the time," he explains. "It was the first house in what would eventually become the New York City ballroom scene.

Images from the series were exhibited at Maison Kitsuné in Brooklyn and Paris. The project was covered by Paper magazine and Vogue, and WeTransfer featured it in its WePresent showcase. And watch Myles’ reel, in which he talks about what the project means to him, on WePresent's Instagram feed. In February 2023, the images were also installed as an immersive exhibition at Outernet in London, hosted by WePresent. 

Myles began the project in 2019, while he was working on his senior thesis at Parsons School of Design. Myles photographed members of the Miami chapter of the House of LaBeija and was eventually invited to become a member. He's been part of the House of LaBeija ever since.

"There is so much talent and endless potential within the ballroom community," he says. "Whether they are walking face, realness, or performance, everyone gives 1000% percent toward putting their best on display at the balls, and the competitive energy could be compared to any major sporting event. There is so much preparation, and the stakes are high."