Love Letter from Sunny - The Stripper Duality

DRAYA wears bra and cardigan GUCCI, earrings AREA. CALI wears swimsuit, necklaces, earrings, and belt CHANEL, bra AREA, rings and long chain SWAROVSKI.

I find peace in the strip club. Heart shaped ankle tattooos, nipple piercings, pink light hitting Fenty Body Lava sparkling skin as dramatically thick eyelashes flutter. G-strings and bikinis in highlighter yellow light up women of every shape, size, and skin color. Rubber bands and dollar bills litter the floor, the smell of Victoria’s Secret body mist aka “hoe spray” fills the air.

My name is Morgan, some people know me as Sunny. For the past three years, I’ve lived two separate lives– working in fashion during the day, and as a stripper by night. As I’ve gotten older and developed my sense of self, I’ve thought deeply about why I’ve chosen to split my life as if it were being lived by two different people and still feel like I’m hiding one half. Through this self discovery, I’ve learned how my life experiences are actually a source of strength and creativity. For me, being a stripper has been a form of self expression and liberation. It’s given me the freedom and confidence to dress however I want, express my sexuality, dance and create art.

DRAYA wears dress SAINT SINTRA, earrings SWAROVSKI, rings and bracelet GOSHWARA. CALI wears top, earrings, crystal thong AREA, rhinestone thong WIEDERHOEFT, rings and necklace SWAROVSKI.

Dedicated to the dancers, best friends, and house moms. 

Love, Sunny

DRAYA wears bra and cardigan GUCCI, earrings AREA. CALI wears swimsuit, necklaces, earrings, and belt CHANEL, bra AREA, rings and long chain SWAROVSKI.

M: Tell me how you guys met.

C: I saw her in the bathroom mirror and I was like, “oh my god, she pretty!” so I was like, “you’re so beautiful” and she was like, “thank you!” and that was that.

D: Then I was crying over my ex boyfriend and she was the only person to come into the bathroom and genuinely ask me if I was ok. So after that we were friends ever since.

C: Connected.

M: What are you manifesting right now?

C: My dreams of becoming an actress.

D: I’m manifesting modeling. Getting a car. Moving back to the city.

C: My dreams are all I’m focussing on right now. I don’t wanna be in this job forever.

D: I ain't gonna lie if I was a doctor I'd be in this bitch in my free time! 

C: I was thinking if I'm an actress and shit, I still wanna come up here and and people be like, "Hey Astrid, you on that show!" And then I get the big ballers and shit. 

DRAYA wears bra, cardigan, panties, and stockings GUCCI, earrings AREA, shoes TALENT'S OWN. CALI wears swimsuit, necklaces, earrings, and belt CHANEL, bra AREA, rings and long chain SWAROVSKI, tights FALKE, shoes TALENT'S OWN. 

M: If someone tipped 10K what would you buy?

D; Someone already did that. And I saved that shit!

C: I would save it too.

D: After that I just started putting it towards rent. You want another pandemic to happen? Watchu gon’ do sell some ass?!

C: I’d buy my mom a ticket to Italy.

M: What’s your go-to look for work?

C: Classy and sexy.

D: Lingerie. Black, white, or red.

C: She’s more lingerie, I’m more like.. Bikini.

M: Favorite song to dance to?

C: I have a lot of songs! I like "Vete" by Bad Bunny and I like "Luxurious" by Gwen Stefani.

D: "You Know My Body" by Capella Grey and DreamDoll. And I like a couple Tory Lanez songs or a Tyga song.

C: Or 2 Chainz. *starts singing*

M: What’s your favorite fragrance?

C: I wear a lot of Dior. But my favorite is the Gucci. The Gucci Guilty.

D: It’s that Dolce & Gabbana perfume that I wore when I first started. I had the roll on at first, the light blue one. It reminds me a lot of Cool Water, that’s an OG perfume. But then I started doing the hoe spray with that shit.

M: Have you ever felt like you had to hide the fact that you were a stripper?

C: Yes of course. But now I’m starting to just be like whatever. This is what I do. People who always have something to say are the ones who judge. I didn’t want to be judged. People look at us like nobodies, they degrade us because of what we do, not knowing that we’re just like them. I’m happy though, cause this is my job but this isn’t my life. Some people work differently, but now I’m just like hey you either take it or you fuckin’ leave it.

D: I didn’t have to hide it from my peers or my friends. I think I manifested my life. I used to be like to my teachers, “I don’t give a fuck, I don’t care about school Imma’ fuckin be a stripper.” My mother knew when I was dancing at 17 in Baltimore.

C: I told my mom I was a dancer. I was tired of hiding what I do. I was like, “Mom, I dance” and she was like, “You know how to dance?!” When she started seeing the money I was bringing in she was like, “Oh hell yeah!” And now she be like, “When you goin to work?!” She’s my pimp.

D: Yeah every time Cali gives her some money she be like, “that’s it?”

C: As long as my mom know I don’t care. I’m having fun, I can drink. I can let loose. I can take a break.

DRAYA wears dress and bag BALENCIAGA, glasses GENTLE MONSTER, earrings ISABEL MARANT, ring and bracelet GOSHWARA. CALI wears coat BOTTEGA VENETA, swimsuit ISABEL MARANT, glasses GENTLE MONSTER, earrings GOSHWARA. 

M: Tell me about the first time you put on lashes.

D: My sister had a pack of lashes. I had to be like 15 or 16 years old. And she was like, “Let me put these lashes on you!” And I was like, “Hell nah them shits is long as hell!” And she put them on and I fell in love. And she put them on with hair glue! With that stuff you can cry, you can be on a rollercoaster, you can flutter them all you want to, they is NOT leaving your eyelids. After that I’ve never not worn eyelashes.

C: When I started dancing I didn't wear makeup. And then I learned here. 

M: What’s the luckiest night you ever had?

C: One night I had this guy come and we were just vibin’ out. He was a really cool guy and he took me and another couple of girls to a room. We were talking and he’s like, “Where you from?” I’m like, “California” and he’s like, “I’m from California!” And I’m like, “damn I haven’t been there in a while cause I got a warrant out for my arrest.” And he’s like “I got a good lawyer for you.” And I swear to god I called his lawyer and he got my warrant out. I was like THAT was crazy. And I was in that room for three hours just poppin’ champagne. So that was a lucky night for me.

D: I’m not gonna lie I made a lot of money this one night and we didn’t do shit. This motha fucker was so rich. And he had stacks of hundreds, I was like, “I need all that sir.”

M: What did you think when I asked you both to do the shoot?

C: I was SO EXCITED! You didn’t ask me you fuckin' told me. You was like, “We doin this shoot?!” I was like, “Sunny whatchu talkin’ about.” I was excited about the photoshoot but I was more excited that you picked us. That made my heart melt. I’m like you could have picked anybody else!

M: I could see you guys had a special connection.

D: If she wasn’t my friend..

C: No seriously, we are so compatible.

D: Even though I piss her off all the time. She love me! That’s how I know a motha fucka love me.