Hero at large
His name is Jalon Midlebrooks. But not long ago he decided to start going by "Nolaj." "I felt like I was living backwards, living differently from what I initially planned to," says the former IT student, who dropped his suit-and-tie uniform and corporate ambition in favor of more adventurous career and fashion choices. "Basically we go through different phases, Pokemon style," says the experimental music artist and budding wardrobe stylist. "Evolution is real, because I feel like I'm changing every day, and my appearance reflects that." Newly out of a "pirate-cowboy" period, he's diving head first into a "supervillain-superhero" phase.
Originally published in the Chicago Reader.
