This Pride Month, we celebrate how identities come together through joy and intimacy. Featuring stylist Alljahni Mack and model Tonoia Wade, we capture the fleeting moments of love that is shared between the couple.

Photography and styling by Rasaan Wyzard, photographed at The William Vale Hotel.

The slow burn aspect of our relationship is something that is most special to just us, we spent months hanging out daily and coming together to just sleep at night before ever being intimate. We had a very genuine friends to lovers storyline.

Alljahni:

My identity has evolved in a way that I am able to view situations inside and outside of my relationship through a more analytical lens while still balancing my own emotions.

Being with Tonoia has taught me to lead with a more proactive approach to life.

I’ve always been an emotional individual and while she’s never made me feel like that was wrong, she has shown me alternative ways to express myself just through her own acts of kindness and patience.

Tonoia:

I think my identity has evolved and been afforded the space to grow due to the honesty that love requires. I am stronger, more expressive, and more vulnerable person because of it. It makes me happy to be in a mental place that is softer—something so intellectually and morally demanding such as loving another person is the greatest experience a heart can transcend through. I love you Jahni.

A daily ritual that we’ve come to enjoy is taking long walks at any time of the day or night that are sometimes 2-3 hours long, and always after big meals. More recently, we’ve also been setting aside little intervals of time to just breathe and meditate before leaving the house and leading our spontaneous lives.

We laugh everyday, all day together
It’s usually Alljahni making Tonoia laugh. (allegedly)