MILLERTON — Vemilo walks into Irving Farm wearing a chic blazer over his shoulders, a red fedora, and his own signature scent called Vetreus, a woodsy blend that carries the air of high-end fashion.

A regular at the coffee shop, the baristas already know his order — lavender vanilla chai in his own mug. The order suits him. Everything about Vemilo is curated, intentional and unapologetically him.

“Being a young, Black, gay man in a small, white town, people often mistake me for being from the city, but I was born and raised here,” he said proudly. On Main Street, there’s no mistaking him. Vemilo’s runway-ready style makes him look as though he’s stepped straight out of Vogue or Rolling Stone.

Often clad in a long wig and high heels, Vemilo continually fields questions about gender. “I don’t identify as a trans woman, and I don’t want to be a woman, but I have this feminine energy that I’ve always wanted to nurture,” he said.