look book

The Brooklyn Artist in a ‘Lesbian Cowgirl’ Outfit

Z Behl
Z Behl Photo: Bobby Doherty

Z Behl, Artist

What kind of name is Z? I was given the name Elizabeth, and when I was little I couldn’t pronounce my L’s, so I just called myself Z, and my parents were okay with it.

Where are you from? I grew up in Tribeca — all my friends were kids of artists and musicians, and people didn’t lock their doors. But I have some critical thoughts about growing up there: It wasn’t a terribly diverse place, and there wasn’t really exposure to anyone who hadn’t made similar choices. But, you know, my parents tell me stories of going down to where Hudson River Park is now, and there was kind of this beach, and they’d do acid there along the Hudson River, and that sounds to me, like, I don’t know … heaven?

Lightning Round
Neighborhood:
Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Today’s look: “Lesbian cowgirl.”
Roommates: One. “My boyfriend. We got together in New Orleans; we made out through the skylight of my 1983 diesel Mercedes.”  
Favorite restaurant: Ear Inn. “I get the steak and mashed potatoes.”
Hair color: “I use Sun In and the cheapest, strongest, lightest blonde hair dye.”

*This article appears in the June 29, 2015 issue of New York Magazine.

The Artist in a ‘Lesbian Cowgirl’ Outfit