Grace Ahlbom shoots and Jason Rider styles Elliot Page in the new M Le Magazine du Monde June 2023 cover story.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Grace Ahlbom’s earliest introduction to photography was through documenting her friends skating off home made jumps and making zines through a xerox machine. The subjects of her minimalist portraits are often lithe teenagers with battle scars from skateboarding. “I like romanticizing the idea of growing up as a boy,” said Ms. Ahlbom, who came out as a lesbian in college. “In high school, I just felt so repressed. I wish I did more of what I actually wanted to do instead of conforming.”

Elliot Page, the first man to come out as transgender in Hollywood, could be considered the perfect subject for photographer Grace Ahlbom due to their shared advocacy for non-conformism and being true to oneself. Both Page and Ahlbom have actively engaged in promoting acceptance, understanding, and representation of marginalized communities through their respective artistic mediums. 

Alongside MAP’s photographer Grace Ahlbom and stylist Jason Rider, hairstylist Matt Benns (CLM), makeup artist Frankie Boyd (Streeters) and set designer Alicia Sciberras (CLM) also worked on the shoot.