Friday, 28 June 2019
Fashion with Trend
What is the web-o-sphere angry about this week? From yet another instance of cultural appropriation at the hands of a Kardashian to eyebrow-raising words from the Dalai Lama, here’s everything you need to know:
Kim Kardashian Announces New Innerwear Line Called Kimono
THE STORY: Earlier this week Kim Kardashian revealed her new line of shapewear—sorry, “solutionwear”—for different sizes and skin tones, perplexingly named Kimono. It was reported soon after that Kardashian had applied for a trademark of the word “kimono” (as well as “Kimono Body,” “Kimono World,” and “Kimono Intimates.”) In a matter of hours, Twitter was flooded with outraged posts protesting the line, hashtagged #KimOhNo.
THE REACTION:
Nice underwear, but as a Japanese woman who loves to wear our traditional dress,👘 kimono, I find the naming of your products baffling (since it has no resemblance to kimono), if not outright culturally offensive, especially if it’s merely a word play on your name. Pls reconsider
— Yuko Kato (@yukokato1701) June 26, 2019
#Kimono became the principal item of dress for all classes and sexes in Japan from the 16th c. and is still a symbol of Japanese culture. Discover real kimono here at the V&A: https://t.co/uq0TnFHdLh#KimOhNo pic.twitter.com/xfb4UnFbiv
— V&A (@V_and_A) June 26, 2019
The year is 2039. A child is asked what a kimono is. They reply with "Kim Kardashian's shapewear range."
And there begins the gradual erasure & dilution of the kimono's rich cultural history for future generations. One of many reasons why trademarking it is NOT OKAY #KimOhNo
— Sayuri Standing (@sayeliz) June 27, 2019
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE: Considering kimonos are an ancient, traditional Japanese garment dating back to 794 AD, Kardashian attempting to co-op the term for herself is in pretty poor taste. Particularly for those who wear the kimono or for whom the garment is an integral part of their culture and lifestyle, it’s easy to see why they would blanch at its 21st-century association with a line of Spanx-line innerwear. It’s also impossible to address this issue without pausing to consider Kardashian’s previous history of cultural appropriation, or the fact that she doesn’t seem to have learned anything from her past mistakes. In a statement to The New York Times, Kardashian says that the name was meant to be “a nod to the beauty and detail that goes into a garment,” which means she’s actually comparing her body-smoothing underwear to a rich, ornate symbol of cultural and sartorial heritage. She also said that she has no plans “to design or release any garments that would in any way resemble or dishonour the traditional garment,” which just goes to show that she doesn’t seem to realize that merely naming the line after the kimono, and attempting to erase Japanese context from the term in the pursuit of wordplay, is disrespectful in itself.
Air Canada has a bad week of customer relations
THE STORY: Earlier this week, the friend of an Air Canada passenger, Tiffani Adams, took to Facebook to relay Adams’ horrifying ordeal waking up in a pitch-black airplane with not a single person on board. Her friend had fallen asleep on her flight from Quebec City to Toronto and confoundingly, not a single person—not a co-passenger nor a crew member nor a flight attendant—had woken her up when it was time to deplane. A few days later, another passenger tweeted about how her sister had been verbally abused by a racist co-passenger, while airline staff stood by and took no action.
THE REACTION:
You love your passengers so much you lock one of them on a plane alone for hours after it landed. A while ago you added baggage fees, now do we have to pay to get off the plane?
— John Smith (@johnsmith101978) June 24, 2019
@AirCanada how can it be? Who is a customer? Do you really care for your customers? Or they are mere passengers? So sad.
#aircanada pic.twitter.com/gsehnrtHSu— NGOMDUM Marcel (@NGOMDUM) June 24, 2019
I don’t know what’s worse: apathy of your fellow passengers or @AirCanada who think this will just go away. Let’s not let that happen @GurpreetNarwan
— Sanj Srikanthan (@SanjSrikanthan) June 25, 2019
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE: It’s sadly not uncommon to hear about racist incidents aboard airplanes these days, which more often that not, result not in the abusive person being removed from the aircraft but the person they were abusing. In this case, Air Canada allegedly offered an upgrade to the young British citizen who was called “a 9/11 bloodsucker” by a Canadian woman, which is a good move on their part. But considering their fine print says that if a passenger is “being abusive, offensive, threatening, intimidating, violent or disorderly,” employees do have the right to “refuse to allow the passenger to board,” the incident is really something they need to investigate further to see just how it was handled by their staff, and how similar incidents should be handled going forward. When it comes to the incident with Adams, well, there isn’t much of a precedent for that one, so the chances of them getting away without an explanation for the bizarre occurrence are pretty slim, and Air Canada passengers do have the right to hold them accountable until they do.
Dalai Lama says any female successors must be attractive
THE STORY: In an interview with the BBC, the 14th Dalai Lama was asked about a comment he’d made previously about what he expects of a potential female successor: “She must be attractive, otherwise it’s not much use.” Given the opportunity to clarify what he meant by that statement and why it might be considered offensive, he instead doubled down: “People prefer not to see a dead face.” When pressed on it by journalist Rajini Vaidyanathan, who said, “A lot of women would say that’s objectifying women. And it’s about who you are inside, isn’t it?” he responded, “Yes I think both. Real beauty is inner beauty. It’s true. But we human beings… I think appeal is also important.”
THE REACTION:
Having to cancel the Dalai Lama is about as 2019 as it gets https://t.co/VHUPNRJSdF
— Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) June 28, 2019
The Dalai Lama said a female successor would have to be hot. We are so far past seven in the seals of the apocalypse department https://t.co/h3EL5CXtwk
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) June 28, 2019
“Oh, ALL men are trash?? What about the Dalai Lama??” https://t.co/PUZ9ekQyPz
— Amir Talai (@AmirTalai) June 28, 2019
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE:
The Dalai Lama is supposed to be the most spiritually and morally enlightened amongst us, and the fact that he can—in the same interview—criticize Donald Trump for having “no moral principle” and then say unattractive women aren’t of “much use” is peak 2019 irony. If he held the same view for male Dalai Lamas—that attractiveness was a prerequisite—well, it would still be weird, but we do talk ad nauseam about politicians needing to be “charismatic” or “likable” so perhaps it would’ve been easier to let slide. But specifying that that was strictly a requirement for potential female successors, well, that exposes a sexist and patriarchal mindset we had blindly believed the Dalai Lama was well above.
The post Everything That Upset the Internet This Week appeared first on FASHION Magazine.
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Fashion with Trend
Do you ever rest your head at night, toss back and forth under the covers, and think: “I have been going to bed every single night since the day I was born. Why is falling asleep still so hard?” At those moments, when counting sheep just won’t cut it, you might consider handing over all the cash in your wallet in exchange for a peaceful snooze. A full night’s rest is one of the pleasures in life that money can’t necessarily buy — though the pursuit of it has the potential to set you back thousands.
Bedtime has become a multi-billion dollar industry. As social media pushes us to achieve ultimate self-care—and as the world around us becomes increasingly chaotic—we’ve retreated to cozy, safe spaces. We surround our beds with lavish candles, Egyptian sheets, REM tracking devices, white-noise machines and gadgets that pump lavender oil into the air. Chasing flawless sleep is, ironically, exhausting.
However, there is some value to the products being pushed onto us via podcast ads, Instagram influencers and colourfully designed subway banners. Money is being pumped into research on mattress technology, snore-solving devices and ambient sleep tracks (like Headspace’s “Cat Marina”) in hopes of selling consumers a scientifically better slumber. Here are some of the modern sleep aids currently on the market, and what exactly they’re going to cost you.
The Millennial-Friendly Mattress
A sweet sleep starts with a solid (or rather, springy) foundation. Over the past few years, millennial-focused brands have reshaped the marketplace for mattresses: they’ve cut out the middleman by putting beds in a box, and have sold a generation the idea that mattresses can be cool. Casper wasn’t the first company to do it, but they’re the name you’ll likely think of first.
If you listen to podcasts or follow any sort of influencer on Instagram, you’ve come across Casper. Their clever use of content marketing has positioned them as a cultural touchstone for all things sleep and comfort. For a while, Casper—like most direct-to-consumer bed brands—only sold foam mattresses. In response to the growing customer demand for a little springier, Casper recently launched two new hybrid mattresses, which combine the embrace of foam with the support of steel coils to create a more resilient, responsive, supportive and breathable sleep surface. It’s the reimagined mattress, reimagined.
What it costs: $1775.00
The Personalized Pillow
Pluto takes the Gen X-savviness of Casper and applies it to customized pillows. By having interested customers complete an online quiz, the startup promises to identify the cushion that’s best suited for each individual’s sleep style. “Our proprietary model and pillow designs take a more scientific approach in which we create and personalize pillows to you based on your body stats, how you sleep, and your preferences,” explains founder Susana Saeliu. “This algorithm continues to improve with more orders and customer feedback.”
What it costs: $85.00
The 25-Pound Blanket
Drape a weighted blanket over your body and feel the tender comfort of a cocoon. The 10 to 20-pound sheets filled with pellets, balls, or chains and covered in fuzz trigger deep touch pressure stimulation, allowing your brain to release feel-good hormones like serotonin and oxytocin. With your stress eased, your eyes will soon shut. Plus, it’s a lot harder to reach for your phone when the weight of a toddler is holding you down.
What it costs: ~$200.00
The Smart Snoring Solution
This device is for the person who might be sleeping next to you, and for the good of your relationship. Unlike sticky nose strips and anti-snoring chin straps, Nora keeps you quiet without sacrificing your sex-appeal. The system includes a wireless mic, which sits on the snorer’s nightstand. When it hears your start to snore, Nora uses an “Expander”—which is essentially an air pump and an inflatable device that goes under your pillow—to gently shift the position of your head, stimulating your neck and throat muscles and opening your airways.
What it costs: $329.00
The Snoozy Sleepcast
Swap your nightly Netflix for something a little more mindful. Headspace, a popular meditation app, recently started producing “sleepcasts,” a nighttime audio series that promise to sweet talk listeners into a peaceful snooze. Sign up for an annual subscription, and you can fall asleep to a varied selection of ambient sounds with soothing voiceovers. The app features more than your typical campfire, rainforest and waves on the beach—though it includes those sounds too. More unique options include “Midnight Laundrette,” “Hummingbird Bungalow” and “Cat Marine.” The combination of purring and boat motors is sure to spark some fascinating dreams.
What it costs: $95.88 / year
The Lulling Lamp
Casper recently took a short jump from beds to bedside tables. Glow lights, described as the”magical light for better sleep,” slowly dim when it’s time for bed, and then gently mimic the rising sun as they turn on the next morning. The bedtime/wake-up ritual can last between 15 minutes and one and a half hours, and can be customized using a companion app. You can stop reaching for your phone when you suddenly wake at 3am in need of a glass of water, and instead, gently shake the Glow to activate a dim light that self-adjusts to the brightness of your bedroom.
What it costs: $140.00
The Sleep Tracker
You think your eight hours of shut-eye will have you well rested for the day ahead. But then, you wake up reaching for an x-large cup of caffeine. Each night, your body cycles through different sleep stages: light sleep, deep sleep and REM. Fitbit’s tracker uses sensitive motion detectors to measure your time spent in each sleep stage, to help you understand the quality of your sleep.
What it costs: $199.99
The post Can You Buy Your Way to Better Sleep? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.
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Fashion with Trend
Summer means lots of things: barbecues, pool parties, pedicures, and a whole lot of skin exposure. Without the camouflaging comfort of jeans, suddenly ashy, scaly legs require some immediate attention. Ditto for limbs and other areas that could benefit from a bit of glow. With a mix of superstar new products hitting shelves and a few old standbys, we’ve compiled your essential list of products for gleaming summertime skin, from scrubs to oils, self-tanners and more. (Sunscreens are a topic all their own—for more on that, see here.)
The post 9 Body Products For Glowing, Gleaming Summertime Skin appeared first on FASHION Magazine.
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Thursday, 27 June 2019
Fashion with Trend
It’s a store that’s ‘not for everyone.’ Highly curated and off the wall, WDLT117 is now open just south of Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood. Inside you’ll find an array of eclectic clothes and accessories from brands like Kuboraum, Paco Rabanne and Bao Bao. Guests were welcomed to an opening cocktail that featured portraits of notable Toronto personalities from fashion photographer Adam Katz Sinding.
One of Canada’s most beloved TV stars Yannick Bisson (Murdoch Mysteries) celebrated a double birthday with wife and producer/actor Shantelle Bisson at the One Eighty in Toronto. On the notable guest list: Jonathan and Drew Scott (Property Brothers).
Luxury ready-to-wear designer Jonathan Simkhai held an event at TNT to showcase his F/W19 collection. Simkhai, who just dressed Karlie Kloss for her (second) wedding to Josh Kushner, was in attendance. And fresh off their co-chairing of the Butterfly Ball, Cleophee Eaton and Candice Sinclair played co-hosts.
Finally, this year’s Mad Hot Ballet gala raised over $1.2M for the National Ballet of Canada. The desert-dream-themed gala opened with an incredible set of performances (one in particular by Xiao Nan Yu, who retires after 22 years with the NBC at the end of this season) and concluded with a gala dinner by Sash Simpson, served on stage at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Rana Florida and Rochelle de Goias served as co-chairs for the event, which was attended by nearly 2000 guests.
Photos by Ryan Emberley and Kennedy Pollard
The post Social Snaps: Jonathan Simkhai, WDLT117 and More appeared first on FASHION Magazine.
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