Fashion & Trend: June 2022

Thursday 30 June 2022

Fashion with Trend

Does the term “retro” mean anything anymore? With each new style revival comes a contemporary twist, bringing about an era of fashion rich in never-before-seen individuality with a heavy dose of comforting nostalgia. Enter roller skating and its ever-flowing archive of groovy inspiration.

The sport has been booming since the onset of the pandemic when videos of roller skaters first took off on TikTok. Evoking a feeling of carefree joy during a period of uncertainty, the trend sparked a cultural resurgence and, needless to say, quad wheels have since been flying off the shelves. Despite the short-lived revival of other long-lost hobbies in 2020 — like bread-baking and crocheting — this activity has had an ongoing retro resurgence.

@marawa
Having a very unproductive week tbh. Hbu? I love you @A-Morir Studio 💎

♬ Is That All There Is? – Peggy Lee

Today, roller skating is a fashion phenomenon. The activity is wrapped up in sartorial sentimentality, with skaters recreating quintessential vintage looks and putting customized spins on avant-garde wheels. While the modern-day resurgence has brought forth fresh styles, the sport as a form of radical self-expression is nothing new.

@jelly.fits
THEY ARE THE CUTEST #foryourpage #summer #fashiontiktok #fup #viral #party #fypシ #JDSummerDrip #JDSummerDrip #outfitinspo #rollerskating

♬ GOOD OLD FASHIONED LOVER BOY – ok… but john deacon

Throughout history, the activity has provided a sense of solidarity among marginalized communities. That has carried through to today, where cities across Canada (and beyond) have online roller skater platforms and a burgeoning array of venues that preach a safe space ethos.

First invented in 18th century Belgium, roller skating took off in the Victorian era. For young women specifically, the hobby provided a means of escapism and agency during a time when they had little personal freedom and wore restrictive clothing.

Victorian England- Women Roller Skating (1880s) pic.twitter.com/YnQJkYEbYy

— Old Photos and Bacon (@OldPhotosBacon) October 6, 2014

Through the decades, roller derby became an important sport for queer women, and still holds special significance for LGBTQIA2S+ communities today. Roller skating has a distinct culture within Black communities as well, from the Civil Rights movement through to the emergence of Hip Hop.

In the ‘70s and ‘80s, roller skating ascended from sport to fashion statement, with footwear variations coming in an array of candy-coloured styles. Thanks to the era’s groovy aesthetics, roller disco rinks became popular hangout spots. And today, they’ve once again become a haven for fashion risk-takers.

@rxneexx
Who wants to go skating? #outfit #80s #80sfashion

♬ original sound – Adam

Retro roller skating fashion is defined by bell bottoms, halter tops, colourful patterns, fringe detailing and, of course, sequins. But the key to a killer roller skater wardrobe in 2022? Unapologetic individuality. The new wave of roller skating is defined by those who have historically been excluded from it in mainstream culture, which has centered white, thin bodies. Social media representation of modern roller skating is diverse, adding to its sense of freedom.

@fatgirlhasmoxi
#rollerskating on a Sunday is a vibe. #fypシ #fatskatelove #foryoupage

♬ Pretty Girl – Clairo

While it looks graceful, the balancing act requires major skill. As such, roller skating visuals are undeniably empowering. Brands like Moschino and Saint Laurent have included them in memorable collections. And they have been at the centre of many statement-making music videos, from Cher’s “Hell on Wheels” to Beyonce’s “Blow.” More recently, Margot Robbie has been spotted in retro wheels for the upcoming Barbie movie.

Margot Robbie and America Ferrera rollerskating on the set of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. 🛼💓 pic.twitter.com/M4PbyGtAJh

— Letterboxd (@letterboxd) June 27, 2022

Roller skating evokes a joie-de-vivre and theatricality that encourages the wearer to romanticize life. Who wouldn’t want that? With its colourful aesthetics and joyful associations, we’re riding into new-age roller skating with full force.

The post How to Channel the Groovy Roller Skater Aesthetic appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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Fashion with Trend

Fashion saved the lives of Dan and Dean Caten.

Twenty years before Dsquared2 was even an idea, the identical designer twins grew up in Toronto, where they experienced incessant bullying and harassment for being different, feminine and poor. “Together we weathered all the storms, always finding shelter in each other,” reflects Dean. “It wasn’t until we dipped our toes into the fashion world that we really felt our purpose and accepted ourselves for who we are.” So it makes sense that since then, the pair has infused community and acceptance into everything they do.

Dsquared2 designers wearing pride sashes — Photography courtesy of Dsquared2

Dsquared2 first opened its doors in Milan in 1994 but it wasn’t until the 2000s that the brand and the twins reached superstar status. They perfected maximalist mashups in their collections with ease and continue to effortlessly play with Western and biker references, while still showing a whole lot of skin. But tapping into queer pop culture has always been a priority for the Caten brothers. In the early days of Dsquared2 they designed over a hundred looks for Madonna’s 2001 world tour. “It meant everything to us. Growing up, it was pop-stars like Madonna who went against the norm, always being true to herself, that really inspired us to do the same,” Dean explains. Dsquared2 has since dressed Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Rihanna and a number of other celebrities beloved by the LGBTQIA2S+ community.

Flash forward to 2017 and Dsquared2 merged their men’s and women’s lines into one runway in an effort to overcome barriers set by gendered labels, “We believe the future is fluid, the world is changing and there is a new generation that is challenging the traditional views of fashion and gender,” says Dean, “There is a long way to go but this progress is a step in the right direction. To us, Pride is a celebration of expression and embracing all walks of life.”

While Dsquared2 has evolved over the years, it has always stayed true to the Caten’s “work hard, play hard” mindset. “Our collections mix and match different styles, combining sporty and glamourous, masculine and feminine,” Dan explains. Everyone is welcome to participate in this world, wear their clothing and, now, decorate their homes with the brother’s iconic designs.

dsquared wallpaper flowers and graffiti — Photography courtesy of Dsquared2

The duo’s latest project is Dsquared2’s first ever wallpaper collection. Pieces in the collection were co-created alongside LondonArt and are centered around different themes from the brother’s lives. From an enchanting fashion runway to a re-imagination of grandma’s garden, the Caten’s have put their life on full display. One wallpaper, called “Canadian Forest,” pays homage to the brothers’ upbringing, “Our Canadian roots will always be an important pillar and inspiration in our designs,” Dan says. “We take the rustic outdoors and mix it with Italian tailoring and all-out glamour.”

With so much of Dan and Dean’s life story focused around finding home and acceptance, it seems fitting that they would eventually want their designs to be a part of someone else’s home. “Our wallpaper collection is a new way to experience lifestyle and to tell our story,” explains Dan. Dean adds, “We want to be that positive reinforcement that allows people to feel sexy and confident however they choose to express themselves.”

The post Dsquared2 Wants Everyone to Feel Included appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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Fashion with Trend

Pride month welcomes us with colourful sidewalks, the strategically planned product launch and a month’s worth of rainbow washing. Even as many beauty brands are vocal in their support of LGBTQIA2S+ people and communities, the industry has been criticized for tokenizing queer and trans people. Beauty means so much to queer and trans folks — it is affirmation, it is visibility and, often, it brings out the truest version of ourselves. LGBTQIA2S+ communities are not to be bought; solidarity is not a monthly obligation and support for our communities goes beyond June. So, this month and beyond, let’s put our support in those actually a part of the community. See our recommendations for beauty brands founded and owned by LGBTQIA2S+ people below.

Boy Smells

Real-life partners Matthew Herman and David Kien created Boy Smells as a way to disrupt gendered beauty standards. What started out as a side hustle of mixing traditionally masculine and feminine scent notes together in their kitchen in Los Angeles has evolved into a line of candles, fragrances and clothing they have coined “genderful” as a rebellious way to be gender-inclusive toward their clientele. “When we started Boy Smells, we were in the process of unpeeling how we saw ourselves in the world and embracing a deeper, truer version of ourselves — our feminine sides — with pride in addition to the more prescribed masculinity that was expected of us,” reveals Herman. Even the moniker and the overall look of the brand hold major weight in untagging pre-existing norms. With “Boy” in the name and their pink packaging, Herman says they’re “purposefully poking fun at rigid gender identifiers and giving permission for both boys and girls to borrow from the other side of the binary.” Building supportive spaces that affirm gender choices and sexuality is crucial to the mental wellness of queer individuals, he adds, which is why, throughout the months of June and July during 2020 and 2021, the brand supported The Trevor Project — the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth — by donating $150,000. “This year, amid a myriad of political aggressions aimed at queer youth, we’ll be focusing our Pride efforts toward political activism, legal resources and education,” says Herman.

CitySoap

Claire Davis. Photography by Devon Slack

While sheltered at home in Toronto during the pandemic, Claire Davis maximized her downtime by starting her own cold-pressed-soap company, an idea inspired by her former chemistry professor. The beauty entrepreneur was pursuing her Master of Applied Science when she and her prof bonded over their mutual love of soap and concerns about sustainability, clean ingredients and what people put on their skin. “One day, I went to his office and saw soaps all over,” recalls Davis. “After our conversation, I was like, ‘I have to learn how to make soap!’ At the beginning of COVID, I just started doing research on it.” Fast-forward to today and CitySoap offers one-of-a-kind handmade bars that don’t strip the skin thanks to moisturizing Canadian-sourced ingredients like coconut and olive oils and soy butter. Davis also strives to avoid using plastic. And recognizing the powerful ability scent has to evoke memories, she’s very passionate about her comforting essential-oil blends. “Scents are an important aspect of my storytelling,” she says. “What’s the feeling of the scent? What does it bring up for you? What scent can you — as a queer person looking for comfortable and safe experiences — go back to? It’s so much more than just soap.”

Amoré Monét

Houston-based makeup artist Amoré Monét founded her eponymous vegan cosmetics label after she saw a need for “quality cosmetics brands that are Black-owned” and prioritize inclusion — a topic that’s especially important to her because her preteen daughter identifies as being gender fluid. “My daughter being a part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community is a major reason for me to always keep pushing,” says Monét. “Makeup is fun and can be washed off at any given moment. I don’t understand the stigma around it being for a specific ‘gender.’ If it makes you feel good, do it! A community of people feeling good about themselves is what I want.” With a focus on creating hydrating and long-lasting lip products, Monét works closely with her daughter to name and test lipstick shades. Plus, every June, the brand donates a portion of its sales to The Trevor Project, which has special meaning for Monét as a mother. “Our queer youth are four times more likely to commit suicide,” she declares. “We need a safe space for them.”

Peace Out

Enrico Frezza. Photography courtesy of Peace Out

After struggling to find easy-to-use and effective products to treat his acne breakouts, Peace Out founder Enrico Frezza set out to merge tech and skincare by developing his brand’s bestselling hydrocolloid patches. The award-winning bandage technology uses a cocktail of bacteria-fighting salicylic acid, retinyl acetate (vitamin A) and soothing aloe vera to treat zits. “I founded Peace Out because I saw a need for a skin-positive community where the effects of acne and other skin issues on mental health could be openly discussed without fear or shame,” explains Frezza, who knows all too well the psychological toll that acne can take. “I still struggle with the effects my skin issues have had on my mental health. It just doesn’t stop suddenly one day. It’s a journey.” What’s more, the San Francisco-based brand, which has expanded into serums, creams and balms, supports The Trevor Project, along with two other charities that rotate throughout the year; it’s currently helping humanitarian organization Save the Children in Ukraine and environmental charity One Tree Planted. “With every order placed on our website, customers have the option to add a donation to these causes,” says Frezza.

This article first appeared in FASHION’s Summer issue. Find out more here.

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Fashion with Trend

The first time Wang Newton dressed in drag, she was in a fedora and three-piece suit, dancing and singing to Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.” A business school major at the time, the now drag king was discovering the fun of reinvention. “I felt smooth and confident in a sharp suit while still wearing make-up,” she explained.

Drag is the historical backdrop behind our new affinity for gender-fluid fashion. By its dated definition, the art form is about wearing clothing conventionally worn by the opposite sex. And off-stage, genderless fashion has never been more en vogue — so much so that it’s not inaccurate to say that most of us wear some form of gender non-conforming clothes in our day to day lives (sans the social scrutiny cast on drag kings and queens). But history shows us that what’s considered masculine or feminine is all relative.

As far back as the 17th century, Persian men on horseback wore heels so that they could shoot bows and arrows while standing in stirrups. Western Europeans later adopted heels in order to appear more virile and masculine — the more impractical, the better.

It wasn’t until the 20th century that blue came to be associated with boys and pink for girls; it used to be the opposite — pink was for boys because it came from red, and was seen as a stronger and more aggressive colour, and blue was seen as a softer colour. But today, much like Newton, designers and fashion lovers are breaking free of such gender constructs one power suit at a time.

Between Gen Z’s defiance of tradition to runways that reimagine the concepts of menswear and womenswear (take Marc Jacobs Fall 2022, a futuristic collection of oversized garments, or Balenciaga’s Spring 2023 show, in which models wore gimp suits that obscured their faces and bodies), we’re living in an age of self-expression where gender becomes an abstract part of the equation. As far as celebrities are concerned, people like Prince, Freddie Mercury and David Bowie were publicly pushing the boundaries of these binaries decades ago, and today it’s the likes of Billy Porter, Harry Styles and Lil Nas X.

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But not everyone can participate in the trend equally. It’s riskier for artists of color, especially those identifying as LGBTQIA2S+, to openly dress in non-conforming ways. Whereas Harry Styles might be celebrated for his defiance of gender norms when it comes to clothing, for queer people of colour, the consequences of dressing outside the binary can mean put their lives and livelihood in jeopardy. That’s why It’s important to remember that the LGBTQIA2S+ community paved the way for today’s unabashed self-expression.

Gender-fluid fashion has been around for centuries but, in modern terms, drag got its start in the 1920s in drag balls in Harlem; however these balls largely excluded people of colour. So in the 1960s, Black and Latino queer communities starting “voguing” in drag competitions in an effort to be visible in the face of erasure within the LGBTQIA2S+ community and larger public persecution.

“It’s cheeky nowadays when cisgender celebrities are celebrated for throwing on a blouse or dress when queer people have been doing so for years and years,” says Scarlett Bobo, 2020 finalist in Canada’s Drag Race. “But it’s beautiful to see a wild array of humans trying on something else for a change. It used to be shameful for men to wear dresses or women to dress like men for whatever reason but now it’s celebrated in a way that’s normalized.”

Seeing drag performers on TV and boys in gowns on covers of magazines (à la Harry Styles for Vogue) can, in fact, be transformational for people of any age navigating their identities, but for young people especially. “If I had seen that when I was a child,” remarked Bobo, “it would have changed my entire life.”

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A post shared by Scarlett BoBo (@itsscarlettbobo)

Gender-fluid fashion not only brings queerness out of the margins, a significant move for a community that’s typically living in them, but even celebrates it. DJ, producer, and artist Velvet Code says that for LGBTQIA2S+ artists, the biggest problem is representation. “We are constantly marginalized and told that we are not good enough, that we don’t serve the broader pop culture and are not marketable.” This led Code to found So Fierce Music and the YOU DO YOU Foundation to help artists get a fair shot at success in the entertainment industry. Thanks to the popularity of RuPaul’s Drag Race, drag queens in particular have been able to access more of this mainstream success.

“Drag has broken many chains and barriers that were holding me back from being my true self and living my fabulous queer life to the fullest,” says Icesis Couture, winner of the second season of Canada’s Drag Race. “It makes me feel so free — completely free, more confident, beautiful, safe, [and] helped me become the person that I am.”

It wasn’t always this way. In the 1960s, when Russell Alldread performed as Michelle DuBarry, Canada’s oldest drag queen, the police would regularly harass the performers and check people’s underwear — men caught wearing women’s underwear could be charged. Despite having eggs thrown at him when he entered gay bars, Alldread persisted – an act of protest that went beyond clothing to affirm not only his identity, but that of many others. “The second you throw on a wig and heels for fun or for play you’re acting in protest with all of our queer legends behind you whether you like it or not,” remarked Bobo.

As Newton explained, “Every single time I dress as ‘Dr. Wang Newton,’ I am shaking up the established systems that define what persons assigned female at birth – or queer, or Asian — can and cannot do and should or should not say. Drag is absolutely subversive — every damn time.”

Drag is not only the breaking and re-writing of rules, but the questioning of why those rules exist in the first place. It shows us that this privilege to play with clothes in ways that defy gender has been, and is still, being fought for and won as no small feat, and sometimes with great consequences to those who dare to wear it — in life and on stage. As designers and those outside the queer community find the freedom in gender-fluid fashion, we would do well to remember its origins.

The post Who Can Wear Gender-fluid Fashion? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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Wednesday 29 June 2022

Fashion with Trend

Andie MacDowell is many things — an actor, a model and a mother of three among them. But “a confident cook” has never been on that list. So, during the pandemic, she decided to tackle her insecurities. “The woman I’m taking lessons from cooks for Brad Pitt,” she says, letting out a full-barrelled laugh. “I just love telling people that.”

MacDowell’s trademark South Carolina accent is utterly charming, and I’m immediately captivated by the delicate creases etched across her forehead and around her eyes as well as the salt and pepper curls tumbling loosely around her face. Not to mention, she’s wearing a head-to-toe bubble gum-pink ensemble: trousers and a button-down silk blouse topped with a belted trench coat. So chic. She’s absolutely stunning.

I’m chatting with the 64-year-old in a suite in Toronto’s Shangri-La Hotel. A L’Oréal Paris brand ambassador for an impressive 36 years, Andie MacDowell, who lives in Los Angeles, was flown in by the beauty juggernaut to host the Canadian edition of the annual L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth gala celebrating community change makers.

andie macdowell with her hair back in a loose bun, a white dress and red lips — PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF L’ORÉAL PARIS

Formerly a dark shade of brunette, MacDowell’s voluminous curls have been her biggest calling card ever since she burst onto the big screen more than three decades ago, becoming forever immortalized in ’90s classics like Green Card, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Groundhog Day.

But the American icon admits that before achieving success in Hollywood, she didn’t always embrace her natural texture. “When I moved to New York in 1979, I was straightening it,” she recalls. “Then I went to a salon and the stylist washing my hair said: ‘What are you doing? Don’t straighten your hair! You have great curls.’” I was so influenced by this person. I never fought [my natural texture after that].”

Fast-forward to today and Andie MacDowell has taken another leap toward self-acceptance by letting her silver roots roam free, a decision she made during lockdown that was influenced by the burgeoning grey hair movement she saw on Instagram. “When I started thinking about what I wanted to do, I would look to see what everyday people out there were doing — not famous people. That was inspiring for me.”

Clearly, the move hasn’t hurt her career. MacDowell has four film projects in the works plus the freshly released Netflix drama Along for the Ride, which she stars in with Dermot Mulroney.

It’s a destination that couldn’t have been a walk in the park over the course of her storied career, especially in an industry that has long seen aging as a burden — as a punchline, in fact — and told women they’d be over the hill at 40. “I always tell young journalists that when I turned 40, normal questions were ‘How does it feel to know that you’re not going to work anymore?’ and ‘How does it feel to lose your beauty?’” she reveals.

But Andie MacDowell says she sees attitudes shifting, due in large part to those coming up behind her. “I’m loving the younger generation because they recognize this and don’t like it,” she shares. “They’re very forward-thinking, inclusive and encouraging because they want to feel good about themselves as they grow older. I don’t feel like my generation felt empowered or emboldened enough to have a voice about things like this. I feel more supported and loved by the younger generation. They’re defining aging for themselves.”

Swipe through the gallery below to shop MacDowell’s go-to L’Oréal Paris beauty products.