Are you thinking about buying a watch? As a beautiful object and as a metaphor, the wristwatch may be the ultimate heirloom. It witnesses both the mundane moments and the milestones in our daily lives, and its design is an intimate expression of taste. Collecting watches is like embarking on a lifelong adventure; both vintage and new models, either of which can be rare, appreciate with changing trends — as do historically important timepieces or those with a celebrity pedigree. For example, the iconic 1962 Cartier Tank watch that belonged to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was sold for over $500,000 to Kim Kardashian at a Christie’s auction in 2017.

RELATED: Inside the Remarkable Coat Closet of a Vintage Clothing Retailer

Here are eight things watch collectors Dan Tanenbaum, Jeremy Ong, Pedro Mendes and Kat Shoulders and Katlen Schmid say you need to know before buying a watch.

1. Do your research

To talk shop about watch specs, learn the lingo pertaining to shape, finishing and balance as well as engineering: Think case size, thickness and crown, and know a tourbillon from a minute repeater. And bone up on a piece’s background. “Know the history behind it, get it checked out and don’t hesitate to pay a premium with a dealer,” says Dan Tanenbaum. “It’ll give you peace of mind and give the watch credibility.”

2. Know your size

Familiarize yourself with dimensions that work best for you. Kat shoulders, of the horology podcast Tenn & Two, advises that most vintage men’s watches from the ’30s and ’40s are particularly suited to women’s wrist proportions. Know thicknesses and dimensions, because brands like Rolex list case sizes (for example, 34 mm, 36 mm and 41 mm) as opposed to “women’s” or “men’s” on the label.

3. Get a few tools, and store watches properly for protection

A loupe and watchmaking repair tools like fine screwdrivers, a spring bar tool (for changing the strap without scratching the case) and a case opener are essential; try precision-made Swiss brand Bergeon’s wares. Make sure to budget for the fact that in order to maintain their mechanical movements, higher-end and vintage watches should be professionally serviced about every five years. Toronto podcast producer and writer Pedro Mendes stores his watches in display boxes so he can appreciate them while keeping them clean, free of dust and away from the sun’s damaging rays.

4. Buying a watch is best done in person

Unless you’re dealing with a reputable auction house or an horology dealer, vet significant vintage purchases (anything in the five figures) in person — especially with harder-to-find grails. Collector Jeremy Ong once flew to Manila to inspect a private seller’s Universal Genève Tri-Compax 222102 from the ’60s (a rare variant model nicknamed “the Evil Clapton”) before buying it.

5. Combine your interests

“If they include water or outdoor activities, there’s a whole genre of dive and field watches,” says Mendes. “And if they’re art deco or jazz, there are whole streams of watches that come out of that design aesthetic. For me, it’s satisfying to make those connections.”

6. Join a community to satisfy your curiosity

“I’ve met collectors from all walks of life, all bonded together by a common hobby,” Ong says of joining Instagram to share collection photos. “It gets your name out there, and I’ve made a bunch of new watch friends and also attained some pretty amazing pieces.” Podcast Tenn & Two’s Katlen Schmidt loves these personal connections. “More than the watches, the neat thing about this and any hobby is the people,” she says. “You make so many friendships.”

7. Know when to let go

Trial and error is part of collecting. As you grow more confident, you can swap and sell watches you’re less interested in to fund other pieces and trade up. “I think it’s always changing,” says Schmidt. “You can never say it’s your watch collection until the end of time.” Adds Shoulders: “I went through a major flipping phase — watches coming in and going out. I don’t regret it. I think I learned a lot about myself.”

8. Be patient

“You should never be in a rush, like ‘I have to get this tomorrow’ or ‘It’s my husband’s 50th birthday in a week,’” advises Tanenbaum, especially with hard- to-find models. “If you’re not in a hurry for it, you’ll get a great example — that’s true with the collecting of anything.”

A version of this article originally appeared in the Winter 2020 issue of FASHION magazine. 

The post 8 Things To Know Before Buying a Watch appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

What are the benefits of tarot?

Tarot assists with “shadow work,” essentially, examining the parts of ourselves we don’t like or were taught not to like because of societal, religious or cultural norms. “Once you start exploring tarot,” says Corsini, “you can begin to question those things. You start asking yourself: do I believe this? Is this something I still stand by?”

Note: Tarot is not fortune telling, nor is it astrology. Rather, it’s more of a confirmation of what you are already feeling, which can help people feel empowered in their decision making.

Can anyone use tarot cards?

Short answer: Yes. “Sit down and start pulling cards, and familiarize yourself with what’s coming up,” says Corsini. “The booklets that come with the deck are always very helpful, but remember that’s just a jumping off point.” For example, if you pull a card and it indicates something to you personally – go with that. Just because the card doesn’t precisely represent that doesn’t mean your interpretation is wrong. “Your intuition is going to guide you better than a booklet,” he says.

Corsini recommends any new tarot user attend a workshop; he offers them in both English and ASL on a pay-what-you-can basis). Podcasts are another great resource; Corsini likes Tarot for the Wild Soul with Lindsay Mack. Biddy Tarot courses and booklets are also a popular educational option.

How often should I pull tarot cards?

“When people begin on their tarot journey, I always tell them to set a limit,” says Corsini. “You will drive yourself crazy if you ask every question and are pulling 35 cards a day – don’t do that.” Create a ceremony for yourself once a week, max. Another good way to structure your tarot card readings could be every new and full moon (so twice a month) in 2022. “Pull cards for friends or relatives if you want to add more than one reading a week for practice,” he suggests. This is just a guideline for beginners, notes Corsini, who pulls three cards every morning – one each for his body, mind and soul – and asks, what energies am I working with today?

What other questions should I ask the tarot deck?

The answer to this will be very personal, however Corsini suggests the following to get started: where’s my energy best served right now? Where is my attention best spent? What do I need to let go of? What do I want to bring in? Is this good for me? Is this something that is in alignment with my path? Should I take action? What is the potential outcome if I continue to behave this way?

This year is a good time to ask questions in general, says Corsini. “There’s so much information flying around right now. This will lead people to question their beliefs, which is good, but then they can also be misled,” he explains. “Do your research, ask more questions, talk to your friends, talk to your communities and build new ones. Be open to conversations.”

The post How Tarot Cards Can Help You Get a Handle on 2022 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Originally an off-shoot of Métier’s corporate gifting program called Out of Office, the tightly edited line of “effortless uniforms” was rebranded in early March 2020 after the passing of Kleinberg’s grandmother, Sidia. “We were hit with the first COVID lockdown the same week that my grandmother lost her battle with cancer,” recalls Kleinberg. “It was a crushing, very challenging time. It was one of those moments where you’re like, Holy, what’s happening here? Who am I? What is my purpose?” 

Kleinberg wanted to combine the knowledge she had amassed as co-founder of the Coveteur (during which she raised funds from the 6ix god himself, Drake), running the fashion line (sold to big-name retailers like Barneys and Lane Crawford) she started at age 21, and building brands from scratch at her creative agency. She found herself grounded in the principles of legacy, honour and respect – the things her grandmother stood for.  “All of the past life experiences I’ve had with my grandmother, my mother and my career, I’ve incorporated into this brand,” says Kleinberg of Sidia. “We want to create products that make you feel liberated and like a million bucks, and surround you with a community rooted in this idea of multi-generational storytelling.”

Sidia, the brand, has found its niche selling matching sets (something beloved by Sidia, the woman) that look work appropriate, thanks to smart design choices like a wide-leg Palazzo pants, deep V-neck cardigans and lightweight ribbed fabrics, but have the chill comfort of a caftan (which, by the way, the brand also sells).

“Our minds are so bogged down with what’s going on in myriad ways in 2021, so we wanted something that was simple, refined, lounge-y and leisurely, but not schleppy,” says Kleinberg of the sets. “People are jonesing for this; no one wants to wear jeans in their own home, but they also don’t always want to be in this heavy Gildan sweatsuit moment.”

The first drop of Sidia Sets, which are made in Toronto, launched earlier this year and sold out in two hours. The second drop will feature four new shades: a rich charcoal grey (“quintessential for people who live in a cold climate,” says Kleinberg), a light oatmeal-y heather grey (“the colour looks a bit like socks you’d wear at camp, which reminds me of my past”), a deep green (“olive green is just as as universal as black”) and camel (“it hints that spring is coming eventually”).

The sets are currently available up to a size 18, with even more inclusive sizing on the horizon. “I’m here to create products that people can love and enjoy and just live their best life in,” says Kleinberg. “That’s something that’s been really exciting.”

Get a first-look at the Sidia Sets in the four new colour ways, available for pre-order on January 26th and set to ship in February, below. The drop will also reprise the original Sidia Sets in Cosmic Blvd (black), Acton (a light blue) and Sierra Madre (moss green). Mark your calendars now.

The post Millennial Brand Guru Erin Kleinberg Launched The Perfect Quarantine Uniform appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

1. Go for a walk

Sitting for long periods of time is uncomfortable (let’s call for a moratorium on Zoom meetings longer than an hour, shall we?), but it’s also bad for your health. Long periods of sitting can tighten hip flexors and hamstring muscles, affecting balance, and potentially contributing to lower back and knee pain. Break up your day with periods of movement, like a walk around the block. The upgrade: make your walk chicer, for no reason other than personal enjoyment, with an on-trend (and toasty warm) Parajumpers puffer.

2. Put things away when you’re done with them

You’ve been doing this since you were three. Time to upgrade your storage units with new cabinets, like the rattan-inspired ones above from IKEA, and storage boxes and bins. Home is now your office, your gym, your restaurant. It’s important to keep things clutter free. It will look more streamlined, but more importantly, according to CAMH, decluttering may also improve your mental health.

3. Reduce blue-light exposure

In the middle of a pandemic, it would be ridiculous to suggest you cut back on your screen time. Instead, try adding a blue-light shield to your device, like this one from SaveFace available at The Detox Market. (Read more about blue light and how it affects your skin here.) Made with four layers of tempered glass and antimicrobial silver ions it purports to reduce HEV blue light, reducing eye strain.

4. Make your morning coffee better

You are already making coffee every morning, why not stir in some collagen powder for a hit of protein? This one, from Canadian company Organika, boasts 9 grams of protein per serving, and is sourced from fish. (They have bovine and vegan-based options, too.) Start using it now and expect to see stronger hair and nails by May. (It takes about five months of daily use to see the effects.)

5. Take a probiotic

The microbiome in your gut is sensitive to stress, which, uh, we’re all experiencing a little of right now. “The gut microbiome is connected to the brain through the vagus nerve,” health psychologist Dr. Judith Andersen, PhD, told us. “Something that’s good for your body is probiotics.” Support your digestive and gastrointestinal health through eating probiotic rich foods, or make it even easier on yourself and take a once-a-day probiotic, like these gluten-dairy-and-soy free ones from Renew Life.

6. Try another form of CBD

If you’re someone who uses CBD and/or cannabis, consider exploring it in beverage form. While we aren’t making any health claims about this beverage, it’s a swap to consider in lieu of smoking.

7. Try a shorter workout

Remember when we used to attend hour-long boutique fitness classes? Yeah, us neither. We’re not sure if it’s because we’re out of shape or we’ve just learned to be more efficient with our time, but 10- and 20-minute workouts hit harder from home. The next time you’re trying to muster up the motivation to do a 45-minute class, try the great selection of short and sweet workouts – from HIIT to yoga to strength – on Apple Fitness+ instead. (Check out our full review of the new fitness platform for Apple Watch users.)

8. Upgrade your toothbrush

You brush your teeth twice a day (right?). Upgrade to a trendy electric toothbrush from direct-to-consumer Kevin Hart-backed brand, Bruush. The device boasts six cleaning modes (including a very satisfying tongue cleaning option) and ultra-soft bristles so its gentle on your gums. If you get on the refill plan, they’ll auto ship you new toothbrush heads every few months. So fresh, so clean.

9. Add another mask into your rotation

By now, we all know the importance of wearing a face mask to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. We also all know that you are supposed to wash them between each use. In reality, it’s easier to have a few different masks on hand than remembering to wash the one you own each and every time you leave the house (although that should not be that often in lockdown). These ones from Herschel come in a great range of colours, are super comfortable and features an adjustable nose bridge and ear loops for the perfect fit on every face.

The post 9 Wellness Resolutions So Easy, You’ll Actually Stick To Them appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

And what would a self-love pop-up be without sex toys? Expect a selection from sexual wellness brands like Dame and Buff Experts.

“With all that is going on in the world right now, our latest shop concept encourages our customers to pause and take a moment to focus on themselves. We wanted to take a different approach to the idea of wellbeing, whether it’s about looking good or feeling good, self-care, empowerment, and love are at the heart of our latest Pop-In@Nordstrom,” said Olivia Kim, vice president of creative projects for Nordstrom, in a statement. “I’m excited to bring our customers a modern, bold, and inclusive shopping experience designed to de-stigmatize pleasure and leave our customers feeling strong, confident, comfortable, and non-apologetic about self-love.”

The Self-Love Pop-In will be available from January 15 to March 14 in-store at Nordstrom CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver and Nordstrom CF Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto, as well as online at Nordstrom.ca. Below, get a first look at some of the products that will be available to shop.

The post Nordstrom Canada’s Latest Pop-Up Is All About Self-Love appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

The Toronto-based dermatologist is the foremost skin allergy expert in Canada. When doctors have a patient with an allergic skin condition they can’t crack, they send them to Skotnicki. She literally wrote the book on managing sensitive and reactive skin and eczema. “So many people have these issues and they’re like, well, I didn’t do anything different. Why do I have this now? Where is it coming from?” says Skotnicki of her motivation for writing the tome on reactive skin. Read on for some of her recommendations.

Understand what you’re dealing with.

“There’s a continuum between dryness, eczema and dermatitis,” says Skotnicki. While the terms are often used interchangeably, eczema is something you’re born with or genetically predisposed to having and dermatitis is something that you can cause from external measures, like over washing or being allergic to something you come in contact with. The difference between regular ol’ dry, flaky skin and dermatitis is usually itchiness and persistence, i.e. how often you are experiencing it. If it’s itchy and persistent, “that’s when you can say there’s actually inflammation, which is the dermatitis,” says Skotnicki.

Start by protecting your skin barrier.

Let’s go back to the fundamentals: skin is a barrier. When you overdo it with washing, are in lower humidity environments and are exposed to dry air, like from indoor heating, you decrease that barrier. “Change how often you wash and what you wash with,” recommends Skotnicki. Skin is acidic, so avoid high pH products like true soaps. (Some better options are CeraVe and Cetaphil.) Don’t use excessively hot water and keep showers short – and no soaking in the bath.

Try the product elimination diet.

Skotnicki’s product elimination diet is exactly like doing Whole30, but for beauty products. “I have people round up all their products,” says Skotnicki, and she doesn’t mean just makeup and skincare. Get your face products, body products, hair products and laundry detergents together, and then stop using them. Yes, all of them. Swap them out for products Skotnicki has pre-approved and use those, and only those, for two or three weeks. (For a complete breakdown of the product elimination diet and the products Skotnicki recommends, view her website).

After two weeks, start re-introducing products one at a time and watch for any signs of irritation. The people who don’t respond to this product overhaul are the ones who really need to see a dermatologist. (For example if you have a condition like eczema or rosacea, says Skotnicki, you often need to still treat that to decrease the inflammation.)

“The waiting list for patch testing, or to see somebody like me, is months in Canada,” she says. The product elimination diet helps weed out people without true allergies or skin conditions that are just over-using products. And even if you do have a true skin condition, try the product diet anyway. “When you get to see us and you have already done this product elimination it’s helpful,” she adds. “Then we know you may be allergic to something and we need to patch test.”

If your eyelids, neck and ears are affected, look at your shampoo.

“Those three areas are classic shampoo distributions,” says Skotnicki. It’s common to see irritant dermatitis from shampoo in those areas, she says, because that’s where it washes off, and because the eyelids and neck are some of the thinnest skin on the body, which means the skin barrier is lower, and thus skin is more reactive.

“A lot of recalcitrant scaly eyelids are from shampoo,” she says. “I see a lot of people from other dermatologists that say they’ve changed everything [product wise], and I ask, well, did you change your shampoo? And as soon as they do they go, oh my god, my eyelids just cleared up.”

She points to a large study published last year in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology that looked at contact dermatitis in men and women between 1996 and 2006. The study found that contact dermatitis caused by personal care products is increasing in both men and women, albeit in different spots on the body. “In women, the increase is facial and it’s often haircare driven and the increase in men is on the legs and trunk caused by over-washing.”

Reconsider your diffuser.

“We’re seeing eyelid dermatitis as a result of essential oils and diffusers,” says Skotnicki. “If you put essential oil into a diffuser and it collects in the air, especially if it’s a smaller room, it can potentially irritate your eyelids.” Another big factor is fragrance.  “There’s a lot of Instagram debate between chemists and perfumers that fragrance isn’t so bad,” says Skotnicki. “Fragrance is an irritant, which can lead to dry, flaky patches.”

As for me, I’ve swapped all of my products out for the below, which were all recommended on Skotnicki’s website. (I chose them based on what was available to overnight with Amazon Prime and things I already had in my personal beauty closet). It’s only been a week, but so far, so good.

1/6

Product Elimination Diet

Hydrating Cleanser

($15, Cerave)

Buy Now

2/6

Gentle Skin Cleanser

($13.50, Cetaphil )

Buy Now

3/6

Atoderm Shower Oil

($20, Bioderma )

Buy Now

4/6

Fragrance Free Shampoo

($16, Green Cricket )

Buy Now

5/6

Fragrance Free Conditioner

($16, Green Cricket)

Buy Now

6/6

Toleriane Ultra Fluide Sensitive Skin Face Cream

($35, La Roche Posay )

Buy Now

The post A Product Elimination Diet Could Solve Your Dry, Irritated Skin Issues appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

While the safety and efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy is still being investigated (and it is not approved by Health Canada for treatment of any mental health conditions), Ronan Levy, founder of Canadian mental wellness company Field Trip Health – the Toronto location of which has been selected as one of the trial sites for the study – points to previous studies that showed promise in the treatment for those diagnosed with PTSD. In a phase two trial conducted by MAPS, 54 percent of participants in the active treatment group no longer qualified for a diagnosis of PTSD after completing treatment.

It’s important to note that this is MDMA-assisted therapy, i.e. using the psychedelic molecule to enhance the work of traditional therapeutic techniques. Patients in the trial will work with therapists before, during and after the treatment.

“As with most psychedelic-assisted therapies, what MDMA does is enable people to look at their lives and see things from different perspectives,” explains Levy. “Very often, these mental health conditions are rooted in trauma or past experiences that people aren’t able to confront or process the emotions around. Psychedelics can enable people to more objectively revisit those moments.”

After using psychedelics, says Levy, there’s a period of neuroplasticity that allows for more cognitive flexibility to change outlooks and/or habits. He likens it to an analogy Michael Pollen makes in his book, How to Change Your Mind: “Imagine two ski tracks in snow,” says Levy. “The more you ski on those tracks, the more entrenched they become, but psychedelics come along and shake the snow globe. All of a sudden you have fresh powder on top of those ski tracks to carve new paths. In very, very simplistic terms, that’s how psychedelic therapies seem to have such profoundly positive effects on treating these mental health conditions.”

There is a particular urgency in finding treatments for anorexia nervosa, which has the highest mortality rate of any mental health disorder. “The trial is going to have significant impact on the quality of life for a number of people,” says Levy. “It’s why we’re so excited to be participating.”

The post Could MDMA-Assisted Therapy Help Treat Anorexia? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Here’s the full synopsis, as per Netflix: “As Lara Jean Covey prepares for the end of high school and the start of adulthood, a pair of life-changing trips lead her to reimagine what life with her family, friends, and Peter will look like after graduation.”

If you haven’t seen any of the movies yet (even if you think you’re out of the target audience age group), we highly recommend them as a feel-good option. “I think people are sick and tired of being angry, and sick and tired of feeling miserable,” Condor, who is now 23 years old, told Teen Vogue in 2018 about the resurgence of rom-coms.

“Especially right now, in today’s society, there’s lots to be angry about,” she added. “There’s lots to have negative feelings about, and I think that all of a sudden people are just tired of it. And they want to feel something positive. People want to laugh, people want to feel good. And they don’t sometimes right now, because it is a weird, weird world we’re living in. That’s what movies and television are supposed to do, right? They’re supposed to take you out of your reality [and] give you some relief.”

To All The Boys: Always And Forever will drop February 12, 2021 on Netflix. Watch the full trailer below.

The post WATCH: <i>To All The Boys 3 </i> Trailer Is Here appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Langdon has dedicated her life to mentoring and supporting Canadian designers, including some of the biggest names in Canadian fashion, like David Dixon. (She was nominated for the Order by Jennifer Ger, founder of Foxy Originals jewellery, another one of her mentees.) “I believe in Canadian fashion,” says Langdon. “I buy it and I pay full price for it. I tell people that if it’s made-in-Canada, it’s ethically made and high-quality. The designs are world caliber.”

As a former designer herself, Langdon developed relationships with retail buyers both in Canada and internationally, and leverages her experience to give others a foot in the door. “It really gives me that very unique perspective because I’ve been there, I’ve done it,” she says. “I know what designers need to survive and to succeed.”

Some of the hurdles Langdon helps Canadian fashion designers navigate are raising capital, getting into retail stores and finding dedicated consumers who are willing to pay more for quality, locally made items. “There are very few angel investors and financial backers in Canada who are willing to put money behind a fashion business,” says Langdon. “If you had $2 million right now to invest, where would you put it to yield the greatest return in five years? Between people investing in Toronto tech and Toronto real estate, what’s left for fashion entrepreneurs?”

Since 2018, Langdon has hosted an event connecting Canadian designers with big-name British retailers, like Harrods and Selfridges, at Canada House during London Fashion Week. One recent, pre-pandemic event saw Montreal denim company Yoga Jeans receive an order for £ 20,000 – a significant entry order for an independent brand.

“People are curious about Canadian fashion,” she says of the event’s success. “They’ve heard good things about Canadian design, and the royals wearing Canadian helped push it into the spotlight. I can’t tell you how many attendees said to me afterwards, ‘Wow, I had no idea you had this scope of talent in Canada. I’m really impressed.'”

Langdon is a Toronto-born, third-generation Canadian. Members of her Japanese Canadian family were placed in prisoner of war internment camps in British Columbia during World War II; her parents, she says, felt ashamed to be labelled “enemies of Canada.” For her to receive the award, says Langdon, is “truly a dream come true.”

“My mother told me about the Order of Canada when I was a kid, and I could just see the pride in her eyes as she was telling me about the amazing new honour Canada had created. In the back of my mind, I always thought what an honour that would be to make my mother so proud of me.” (Because of pandemic restrictions, Langdon has been unable to see her mother, who lives in a long-term-care home, to share the news.)

The Order of Canada ceremony, where recipients are formally awarded by the governor general, is on hold due to the pandemic, but will be held when it’s safe to do so. When asked who she’ll be wearing when she receives the award, Langdon laughs: “Canadian.”

The post Canadian Fashion Champion Susan Langdon Awarded the Order of Canada appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Vibe-wise, we consider it Glossier for grownups. “As I saw the clean beauty landscape starting to grow, I tried a lot of great products, but always felt like they were for a younger customer who was looking for newness and excess,” she adds. It’s makeup designed to make you look like you, minus the obvious sparkle.

The collection debuts with just seven products: Brow 1980, a buildable brow pomade, Shade Slick, a tinted lip oil, Flush Balm, a cheek stain Power calls “impossible-to-mess-up,” Clean Lash lengthening mascara, Day Glow highlighter and the Minimalist complexion stick and blending brush.

“We created Day Glow because I just couldn’t find a highlighter that was truly appropriate for daytime lighting,” says Power of the highlighter. To get a balmy sheen minus the glitter, Merit uses plant-based squalene, olive fruit oil, and an amino acid complex, which adds moisture to the skin.

The complexion stick, launching in 20 shades, is both a foundation and a concealer: use it how you wish. Acne-prone individuals will love that the ingredient list for the product excludes everything on L.A.-based celebrity esthetician Biba de Sousa’s “no” list of ingredients. (Some of the fresh faces she’s worked with include Miley Cyrus, Emily Blunt and Mandy Moore.)

Sustainability is another key tenet of Merit. First orders come with a reusable makeup bag (which easily doubles as a cute purse) while second orders onward ship with packing peanuts made from corn starch, which completely dissolve in water. Shipment boxes include 35-percent previously recycled material, and are fully recyclable when you are done with them.

If you’re looking for makeup you can put on after a year of makeup-free Zoom calls and still feel like yourself, try Merit. Click through the slideshow below for your first look at the debut Merit beauty collection.

1/7

Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick

($49, Merit )

“The Minimalist is incredibly unique and is the base for the perfect, no-makeup-makeup look. It has a your-skin-but-better finish that stays all day long,” says Power.

Buy Now

2/7

No1 Blending Brush

($39, Merit )

Buy Now

3/7

Day Glow Balmy Highlighter

($39, Merit)

“We created Day Glow because I just couldn’t find a highlighter that was truly appropriate for daytime lighting. And our Day Glow Highlighting Balm gives you a dewy, balmy sheen with zero sparkle. We achieved this by using plant-based squalene, olive fruit oil, and an amino acid complex to add moisture into skin so it isn’t just a surface effect.”

Buy Now

4/7

Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara

($34, Merit )

Buy Now

5/7

Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade

($31, Merit )

Buy Now

6/7

Flush Balm Cheek Colour

($36, Merit )

Power calls Flush Balm an “impossible-to-mess-up balmy cheek stain.”

Buy Now

7/7

Shade Slick Tinted Lip Oil

($31, Merit )

Buy Now

The post Meet Merit, Katherine Power’s Minimalist Clean Beauty Line appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Gigi Hadid

 

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A post shared by Gigi Hadid (@gigihadid)

Since having her first child, a daughter, whose name is not yet public, with Zayn Malik, Hadid has been spotted on multiple occasions walking around New York City stroller in hand. The style tips: the bigger the better when it comes to coats, and always add a hat.

Bella Hadid

 

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A post shared by Bella ? (@bellahadid)

Bella proves scarves are always a good idea.

Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwayne Wade

 

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A post shared by Gabrielle Union-Wade (@gabunion)

A sweatsuit is instantly dressed up when topped with a camel coat, a la Gabrielle Union.

Alicia Keys

 

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A post shared by Alicia Keys (@aliciakeys)

While this isn’t a recent photo of Alicia Keys, the style inspo remains: hoops, hat, black leather jacket.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

 

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A post shared by Rosie HW (@rosiehw)

Don’t overlook brown in your winter wardrobe.

Ciara

 

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A post shared by Ciara (@ciara)

In a full Moncler snowsuit, Ciara demonstrates that being warm and being fashionable are not mutually exclusive.

Victoria Beckham

 

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A post shared by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham)

Even the poshest of us all know that knitwear is the perfect work-from-home outfit topper.

Ashley Graham

 

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A post shared by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@ashleygraham)

Graham may not know what to do with her hands in photos, but ours are clapping for this excellent coat.

The post 8 Celebrities Giving Us Major Winter Wardrobe Inspiration appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

“Aside from tennis, my most treasured passion is fashion; and there is no brand more iconic than Louis Vuitton,” said Osaka, the reigning champion at the U.S. open, in a press release. “It is such an honour to work with Nicolas – he’s a designer I admire so much and we share a mutual love of Japanese culture and style. To become global brand ambassador is truly a dream come true for me.”

Osaka also shared this anecdote via Twitter: “Funny story,” she tweeted. “I first bought my mom a LV bag when I was 16 as a birthday present and it’s kinda been a tradition since. Do I call this a full circle moment? Yes.”

Ghesquière calls Osaka “exceptional” and a role model. “Her career and convictions are inspiring,” he said. “I am in awe of Naomi, she stays true to herself and doesn’t compromise on her values.”

Osaka, the daughter of a Haitian father and Japanese mother, is the first Asian player to hold the No.1 ranking in singles and the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam (of which she has won a total of three). She competes for Japan, where she was born, and will be the face of the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. Osaka currently lives in Los Angeles.

The post Tennis Star Naomi Osaka Is the New Face of Louis Vuitton appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Kim Cattrall, who played Samantha Jones in the original series, which aired from 1998 to 2004, and two movie adaptations, in 2008 and 2010, declined to participate. There’s no word yet on how her absence will be explained on the show.

In a 2017 interview, Cattrall suggested a non-white actress should be recast in the role, helping to correct the glaring lack of diversity on the original show. “It’s a great part. I played it past the finish line and then some, and I loved it. And another actress should play it,” Cattrall told Piers Morgan. “Maybe they could make it an African-American Samantha Jones, or a Hispanic Samantha Jones.”

Cattrall has also publicly stated that she and Parker were not the best of friends. Parker replied to an Instagram comment on the teaser trailer for the new show denying she herself did not like Cattrall. “No. I don’t dislike her. I’ve never said that. Never would,” she wrote. “Samantha isn’t part of this story. But she will always be part of us. No matter where we are or what we do.”

 

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We couldn’t help but wonder…will the show be the same without Samantha? Time will tell – but according to comments on our Instagram post, above, many of you will be watching the show despite her absence.

Where can you watch the Sex and the City reboot in Canada? HBO Max is, unfortch, not yet available in Canada, however, its shows are often licensed to Crave. Fingers crossed Canadians will be able to watch And Just Like That on Crave’s platform. We’ll update this post when we know more.

The post A <i>Sex And The City</i> Reboot Is Officially Happening appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

The couple has been together since 2011, and married since 2014. They share four children (North, 7, Saint, 5, Chicago, 3, and Psalm, 19 months), a beautiful-but-bizarrely-empty home heralded as an architectural wonder and the name West; Kim’s branding is heavily tied to her married name – her beauty line is called KKW Beauty, for example. Kim is also, reportedly, a billionaire, which may or may not factor into how shared assets are split.

Here, we look back at the major milestones in Kimye’s relationship.

Early 2000s

“I met him I think in 2002 or 2003,” Kim said of Kanye in the ten-year-anniversary episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. “He was recording a song with Brandy, and I was her friend. I vividly remember hanging out with him and then they did a video together, so I’d see him a few times. He was asking his friends: ‘Who is this Kim Kardajan?’ He didn’t know what my name was.”

“I just knew I wanted her to be my girl for a long time,” Kanye told Ryan Seacrest in a radio interview in 2013. “I remember I saw a picture of her and Paris Hilton, and I remember telling my boy, ‘Have you seen that girl Kim Kardijon?'”

2011

In a 2016 episode of Khloe’s now-cancelled Kocktails with Khloe show, Kanye revealed that he got a cellphone to try to convince Kim not to marry NBA player Kris Humphries. “I got a phone because somebody decided they wanted to marry Kris Humphries,” he said. “I wasn’t up to anything, and I looked on the internet and there was Kim Kardija with some extremely tall person. I was like, ‘I need to call her or something.'” Kim does marry Humphries, but breaks things off after only 72 days. (This is Kim’s second marriage and divorce.)

2012

Kim and Kanye (often called Kimye) make their relationship public and begin attending events together. In December 2012, they announce they are pregnant with daughter North West.

2013

Kanye rents out San Francisco’s AT&T park stadium to propose to Kim with a 15-carat cushion-cut diamond engagement ring by jewellery designer Lorraine Schwartz. The proposal is filmed for Keeping Up With the Kardashians. The couple attend Paris Fashion Week together, the first of many, and make their debut appearance at the Met Gala. Kim wears the infamous, and much memed, Givenchy dress.

2014

Kim and Kanye tie the knot in a lavish and well-attended (minus Bey and Jay) Paris wedding, and arguably kick off the trend for floral walls. Kim also gets her first Vogue cover: for the April 2014 issue, she’s photographed by Annie Lebowitz in a wedding dress with her then fiancé, Kanye, cementing the couple’s acceptance into the high-fashion fold. Balmain hires Kim and Kanye as models for its spring 2015 campaign.

2015

Kim is pregnant with the couple’s second child, Saint. Due to pregnancy complications, this will be the last child she is able to carry herself. (The couple’s two other children, Chicago and Psalm, are delivered via the same gestational carrier in 2018 and 2019).

2016

In October 2016, Kim is robbed and attacked in her Paris apartment. Ahead of the KUWTK episode that discussed the attack, Kim tweeted: “I have always shared so much & I’m not going to hold back when this was probably one of the most life changing experiences for me.” In November, Kanye is hospitalized and placed on psychiatric hold. Kim and Kanye field divorce rumours, but dismiss them. “Kanye was really cute,” Kim told her sister Khloe on an episode of KUWTK. “He was like, ‘So, this is what for better and worse means?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah. This is being a wife. This is what you got to do.'”

July 2020

In a tweet, Kanye says he has been trying to get a divorce from Kim. “I been trying to get divorced since Kim met with Meek at the Waldorf for ‘prison reform,” tweeted Kanye, seemingly referring to Kim’s 2018 professional lunch meeting with the rapper and philanthropist Clara Wu to discuss prison reform.

Kim responds to Kanye’s erratic tweets with a statement posted to her Instagram Stories: “As many of you know, Kanye has bi-polar disorder. Anyone who has this or has a loved one in their life who does, knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand. I’ve never spoken publicly about how this has affected us at home because I am very protective of our children and Kanye’s right to privacy when it comes to his health. But today, I feel like I should comment on it because off the stigma and misconceptions about mental health.”

“I understand Kanye is subject to criticism because he is a public figure and his actions at times can cause strong opinions and emotions. He is a brilliant but complicated person who on top of the pressures of being an artist and a black man, who experienced the painful loss of his mother, and has to deal with the pressure and isolation that is heightened by his bi-polar disorder. Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words some times do not align with his intentions.”

December 2020

While it was originally reported that the couple spent Christmas apart, sources told TMZ that they spent it together with the kids…and some seriously OTT gifts. Kanye reportedly gave Kim five new 2021 Maybachs, while Kim gave Kanye James Turrell pieces.

January 2021

Word leaks that Kim Kardashian has reportedly hired divorce lawyer Laura Wassar. Is this the year Kim and Kanye divorce? Stay tuned for the next episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians….

The post A Timeline of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s Relationship appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

A 2012 study published in Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that clothing can influence behaviour because it carries symbolic meaning. “When you put on new fitness gear, you begin to get into character like an actor putting on a costume for a performance,” sports psychologist Dr. Jonathan Fader told Shape. “As a result, you expect to have a better performance, making you more mentally prepared for the task.”

If you’re in the market for new workout gear, there is a slew of new leggings, sports bras and accessories hitting the virtual shelves this month. Nordstrom Canada has launched a microsite dedicated to its wellness offerings, which includes gear from Patagonia, Girlfriend Collective (like its highly rated sports bra) and Canada’s Arc’teryx. Joe Fresh debuted its Project Self campaign, dedicated to prioritizing yourself and celebrating the little wellness wins, alongside a vibrant new spring collection (watch Sasha Exeter model it for outfit inspo).

American digital-only retailer PrettyLittleThing has entered the Canadian market, which means Karrueche Tran’s 62-piece collection of neutral-toned workout and workout-adjacent clothing is now available to ship to Canada. For pre-and-post workout chill, there’s JW Anderson’s fashion-minded take on athleisure available exclusively at Net-a-Porter.

We’d be remiss not to mention Canadian brands Lululemon, whose wildly popular Align legging (the softest ones I’ve ever worn) are now available up to size 20, and Michi, who recently released a velvet workout set that makes moving your body during the winter months seem much more appealing.

Click through the below slideshow to see our picks of the best new workout clothes for 2021.

1/8

Best New Workout Clothes 2021

Infinity two-tone ribbed merino wool sweater

($757, JW ANDERSON)

Buy Now

2/8

in-story-vertical-6

Plus Black Contrast Sports Bra

($21 , PrettyLittleThing )

Buy Now

3/8

Quilted Zip-Up

($39 , Joe Fresh)

Buy Now

4/8

Mercury Velvet Longline Bra

($142 , Michi )

Buy Now

5/8

Align Tank

($58, lululemon )

Buy Now

6/8

Catalyst Front Zip Sports Bra

($98, Knix)

Buy Now

7/8

Paloma Sports Bra

($54, Girlfriend Collective)

Buy Now

8/8

Cover Tank

($78, Alo)

Buy Now

The post The Best New Workout Clothes For 2021 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Biossance Squalane and Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum

As global self care ambassador for Biossance, Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness got early access to this dark spot correcting serum, featuring 10 percent vitamin C and white shiitake mushroom extract. (The brand says this formulation is both stable and non-irritating.) After using it for a month, here’s what he had to say: “I’ve always had freckles .. [and I do like my freckles to show through] but they did kind of join together in my 30s to create pockets of melasma that weren’t there before.. and honey, it is breaking up! My skin is feeling bright, I am feeling gorgeous.” We’re sold.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter

Okay, this shade extension technically launched in December, but with the holiday fuss we wanted to make sure it had its moment. Hollywood Flawless Filter is not a foundation nor is it a disco-ball-esque highlighter, though you could apply it like it’s both of those things. It’s the perfect dewy lit-from-within glow and it now comes in 12 shades, including the new deep option above. Note: When picking a shade, you aren’t looking for an exact match with your skin tone (again, it’s not foundation). Everyone I’ve ever given this product to is obsessed with it. Do with that information as you wish. P.S. for eyeshadow fans, the brand also debuted Hollywood Flawless Filter Eyeshadow ($66) quads that offer the same smoothing, light-reflecting goodness.

Atelier Cologne Lemon Island Cologne Absolue

I can’t speak highly enough about Atelier Cologne, founded by genius nose Sylvie Ganter and her husband, Christophe Cervasel. Atelier Cologne scents are citrus-y and fresh with serious staying power, yet never overwhelm a wearer (or the room they walk into). Like nearly all of its fragrances, 92 percent of the ingredients in its latest launch, Lemon Island, are from natural origin. This one includes fair trade lemons from Rodrigues Island (a small volcanic island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mauritius), jasmine from India and a vanilla infusion from Madagascar. Parfait, non?

M.A.C Cosmetics Moon Masterpiece Collection

To fete the Lunar New Year, M.A.C has released Moon Masterpiece, a limited-edition Pop Art-inspired collection. The line features best-selling shades of the brand’s popular matte Powder Kiss lipsticks as well as a collectible, fish-embossed version of Double Gleam highlighter, which M.A.C.’s senior manager of makeup artistry, Regan Rabanal, says it will “keep you glowing from day to night.”

Three Ships Refresh Papaya + Salicylic Acid Cleanser

On January 12, Canadian skincare brand Three Ships will launch a new cruelty-free, 100-percent plant derived cleanser. Designed for combination-oily skin types, Refresh Papaya + Salicylic Acid Cleanser features papaya extract to balance and brighten skin, and aspen bark to tackle blemishes.

GOOPGENES All-in-One Super Nutrient Face Oil

In a video for the launch of Goop’s new daily face oil, Gwyneth Paltrow calls it “maybe the best product ever.” At the very least, she says, it’s her “favourite [product] ever, of all time.” She then goes on to say the Bakuchiol-containing oil (Bakuchiol is often referred to as a plant-derived retinol alternative) is like “heaven on earth” and that “you won’t believe the difference it makes in your skin.” And then she drops the bottle on her bathroom floor. The video cuts away before we know whether or not it smashes into a million pieces, but we’re sure GP can get another!

Maybelline New York Ultimatte Color Sensational Lipstick

Everyone loves a cheap and cheerful drugstore find, and this new launch from Maybelline fits the bill. Ultimatte is is a high-pigment matte lipstick available in ten shades. Expect a lightweight feeling: the formula boasts texture-blurring gels to ensure a smooth-looking finish – ideal for chapped and dry winter lips.

Guerlain Météorites Pearl Glow

It’s January in Canada during a pandemic, so it’s a safe to say you are likely in need of a little manufactured glow. This classic highlighting powder, now available in a limited-edition case, only requires you to swirl a fluffy makeup brush lightly over the beads, then sweep that over the high points of your face (cheekbones, bridge of the nose, Cupid’s bow). You will look at least 30 percent more rested on your next Zoom. Thank us later.

Rouge Dior Satin Lip Balm

Should all the aforementioned lipsticks not be your thing, we present this option. The first universal lip balm from Dior boasts a formula that contains 95-percent naturally derived ingredients and is totally sheer. Wear it alone or apply before any Dior lipstick to prep your lips. Hydration achieved.

The post The Best New Beauty Products Launching in January appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Lily Allen and Womanizer

British singer Lily Allen has been a vocal supporter of the Womanizer long before she became an ambassador for the brand in late 2020. “If I had to pick one vibrator above all others, it would be the Womanizer,” Allen wrote in her 2018 autobiography My Thoughts Exactly. “It can make you come in twenty seconds, or if you keep it going up there, it will reward you with ten orgasms in a row.” Now, Allen has her own hot-pink limited-edition version of the  clitoral stimulator out now.

Cara Delevingne and Lora DiCarlo

Model and actor Cara Delevingne is co-founder and creative advisor for sex tech startup Lora DiCarlo. Delevingne told Fast Company that working in the space was something she had “been thinking about for a very long time” and wanted to find the right brand to partner with. “I grew up pretty repressed and English in terms of sexuality,” she added. “That relationship that you have with yourself is the most important one in the world. And this is not just to do with pleasuring yourself, but it’s about exploration and loving yourself.”

Dakota Johnson and Maude

Admittedly, partnering with a sexual wellness company is not off brand at all for this Fifty Shades movie star. The 31-year-old actress is an investor in Maude, which bills itself as a modern sexual wellness company. Its non-intimidating, architectural vibrators are a favourite of Johnsons. “I love a good vibe, for obvious reasons,” she told Vogue. “But the pH-balanced Wash is wonderful. I am really soothed by the idea that a product I use on my body is helping my body be the best version of itself.” Canadians can shop Maude from Indigo.

The post The Hottest New Celeb Partnership Trend Is Sex Toys appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Her lightbulb moment came while using a small test strip to identify ketosis when she was on the keto diet. “I thought, they should have this for pregnancy tests,” says Rhind, who discovered strip pregnancy tests do exist and are often used in doctors offices and hospitals. “I realized there was a need to build a trustworthy brand with really high-quality products in a less wasteful, more convenient format where people can order them discreetly from their home.”

Enter OVRY. The Vancouver-based business offers pregnancy tests that are 109 times smaller and use 99 percent less single-use plastic than any midstream test found at the drugstore.  A small box of four OVRY pregnancy tests retails for $18 and a large box of 18 pregnancy test is $36.

Rhind says consumers are vulnerable when it comes to purchasing pregnancy tests. “I’ve been there. You go into the store and look at the cheap version and more expensive versions [of the pregnancy tests available] and just think to yourself, ‘I don’t care if it’s an extra $7, I want to work,’ but you don’t have the information that these tests could all have the same accuracy.”

It’s a common misconception, says Rhind, that the more expensive the test is, the better it is. “Largely, that is not true,” she explains. “Pregnancy tests are highly regulated and must meet high standards or they would not have clearance to be sold.”

Less expensive tests available at some bargain stores may be sold closer to their expiry date. This wouldn’t necessarily make them less effective, but you wouldn’t be able to keep the test on hand as long as others. (OVRY tests, which are manufactured in Canada and approved by Health Canada, have a 24-month shelf life from their manufacturing date, which is clearly marked on the packaging.)

Unlike midstream pregnancy tests, strip pregnancy tests need to be submerged into urine. When used properly, they have the same accuracy as midstream tests, says Rhind. OVRY pregnancy tests are 99.7 percent accurate and its ovulation tests are 99.2 percent accurate. The test strips are also ultra-sensitive, which means they are able to detect the pregnancy hormone HCG at a lower threshold, thus detecting pregnancy earlier than tests that do not offer this.

Since launching in late 2020, the range of people using OVRY has been wide, says Rhind. The biggest consumer has been people trying to conceive, naturally or through IVF, who are going through high quantities of tests. “Athletes who experience irregular cycles are another group we’ve heard from,” says Rhind. “They don’t know if they are pregnant or just training really hard.”

OVRY’s inclusivity has been by design. “We want to ensure we’re not excluding people that don’t usually get spoken to, but that our products are absolutely eligible for,” she says. “When you normalize non-gendered language, it sets the bar and encourages other businesses to follow suit.”

The post Canadian Startup OVRY Aims to Make Pregnancy Tests More Affordable & Sustainable appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Titled “B at 38,” the photos look back over Bey’s 38th year, which included: a romantic dinner on the beach for two (not pictured: Jay Z), playing in the sand with her kids and a birthday cake covered in icing bees.

The photos follow a video compilation released on New Year’s Eve, which you can view here, that included 2020 highlights we already knew about, like her multi-year Peloton partnership and releasing Black is King on Disney+.

“Cheers to a New Year Beehive!! 2020 divided us and united us. Most could not see loved ones and we felt too many loses, but we were united by our humanity,” Knowles-Carter captioned the video. “This year for me has been about celebrating joy, chasing happiness, and living in love.”

“As we all look forward and pray for new beginnings, my wish for you is that you honor yourself and those you love. Celebrate that you are an important individual who contributes to our beautiful collective. Here’s to a better and brighter 2021! Love, B.”

Bey opened up about her having her daughter, Blue, earlier this year in a cover story for British Vogue, saying “Something cracked open inside of me right after giving birth to my first daughter. From that point on, I truly understood my power, and motherhood has been my biggest inspiration. It became my mission to make sure she lived in a world where she feels truly seen and valued.”

See the new, very adorable family photos of Blue Ivy, Rumi and Sir Carter below.

The post Beyoncé Shares Rare Family Photos of Her Three Kids appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

“Makeup is an art and art is about happy accidents, not any one ideal of perfections,” said Halsey in a statement. “I always feel the most free when I am creating looks without following nay rules. The beauty industry has norms, but I want to encourage people to challenge those standards and allow things to be imperfect and fun.”

“Many of you may already know that I have done my own makeup for concerts, red carpets, magazine covers, and music videos alike for a long time,” she added, in an Instagram post. “It is one of my greatest loves, but I have always stood firm in the belief that makeup is about feeling cool—not looking perfect. I have worked tirelessly on this for years with an incredible team and i hope you feel my DNA all over it.”

The first About Face drop will include 40 products, from highlighters to lip crayons and eyeshadow sticks, all with a focus on high-intensity colour. The line was developed alongside the creators of Smith + Cult, Hard Candy and Goldie.

All About Face products are free of parabens, gluten and synthetic fragrances.  “I have an autoimmune illness, so I’m very sensitive to what goes on my face,” she told Byrdie, of her reasoning behind the formulation choice. “And a lot of my audience, they’re really young, and I just don’t want anyone putting stuff on their face that’s going to hurt them down the line.”

About Face will launch on January 25.  The line is currently available for purchase through the brand’s website – and yes, it ships to Canada (we checked) – and through a year-long partnership with Ipsy.

The post Halsey Unveils About Face Makeup appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

But thanks to the dismantling of discomfort around discussing mental health issues, it’s becoming less taboo to talk about the troubles experienced in one’s personal and professional lives. To inspire your own pursuit of calm and clarity, five creatives share how they’re managing, coping with and nurturing their mental health.

Adam Taubenfligel

Transcendental Meditation (TM) – a mantra-centric practice done 20 minutes a day, twice a day, to be considered effective – came to Triarchy’s creative director, Adam Taubenfligel, at the most opportune time. “I was having brunch with a friend in L.A. and complaining to her about how I just never seemed to be able to snap out of the way of life that I’d always known and that it wasn’t working for me,” he recalls. “It was the same complaints over and over again, and it seemed weird that I kept doing things the way I’d always done them and wasn’t progressing at the rate I wanted to.”

His friend mentioned that post-brunch she was planning to attend an information session about TM. “I felt that I had nothing to lose,” he says of why he decided to join her. It ended up being a moment of great impact, turning Taubenfligel’s attention inward – initially in a powerful, unpleasant way. “It’s brutal because the first few days of doing it, you’re purging so much stuff that it actually manifests physically and you feel it,” he says. “I almost gave up because I didn’t want to feel like that. It was horrendous. But then you get into a groove with it, and I’ve been doing it every day, twice a day, since then.”

Taubenfligel first tried TM six years ago and says that while he always does the morning meditation as soon as he wakes up, the recommended 4 p.m. practice isn’t always feasible given his packed schedule. “It’s hard to get into because you don’t think you can dedicate the time, but when you do, it really changes your output,” he notes. “The days when I do the 4 p.m. one, it is often more effective than in the morning—there are studies that show that 20 minutes of TM give you the same benefits as three hours of REM sleep. There are times when I’ll come out of the afternoon meditation and feel like it’s a whole new day.”

TM hasn’t just given Taubenfligel a renewed sense of time during his day to day and motivated him to pursue other personally beneficial choices, like elective sobriety; it has also driven him to add the mantra “Take a deep breath. Sustainability begins with mindfulness.” to the inside of Triarchy’s ethically crafted garments.

The courses that teach someone TM aren’t free, and Taubenfligel recognizes that this can be a deterrent. But he says that knowing how his money is spent – via the David Lynch Foundation, which manages TM teachings – makes it worth it. “It goes into their programming, where they teach TM in inner-city schools and prisons,” he says, highlighting that the foundation is also able to modify course costs based on someone’s income level. “To me, that’s money well spent because it’s going to the greater good.”

Trish Ewanika

In the early days of lockdown, Trish Ewanika was dealing with the reduced pace of her fashion line’s production as well as the recalibration of orders she had placed for her eponymous boutique. Unlike in the past, when she’d typically work a 12-hour day, reprioritizing meant she could explore different ways of tending to her sense of calm. “I made sure I was home before it was dark because the streets were empty and it was weird,” she recalls of the energy shift in the typically bustling annex neighbourhood where her shop is located in Toronto.

“I’d find myself at home at six or seven o’clock – when normally i wouldn’t be home until 10 or 11 – and wouldn’t know what to do with myself,” she says. “Like a lot of people, I thought a cocktail sounded like a good idea. I’d make one, put a few olives in a bowl and then sit down to read – something i also hadn’t had the quality or quantity of time to do before.”

Noting that she would have been travelling to Palermo, Italy, in may, Ewanika soothed herself instead by “picking up The Leopard by Giuseppe Di Lampedusa and some novels by Natalia Ginzburg.” Some of the effects of quarantining in Toronto also lent themselves to transporting her to a European destination, including the fact that bars turned into bodega-style storefronts and you’d see more people picnicking in parks. “I hope some of that stays,” Ewanika says of her fondness for a less hurried way of life.

Some of it will change, though, as the winter looms, and now Ewanika – who has returned to doing pilates classes to keep her strength and balance up – is pondering other ways for her mind to escape. “I’m thinking of going back to playing the piano,” she says. a friend who takes lessons inspired her to revisit this skill, which she first studied in her youth, and she says that unlike doing crochet (another suggestion from a friend), which is “too close to her work,” plonking away at the piano is something that will keep her mind occupied in a different way than work does.

Ewanika – known for her minimalist and largely seasonless designs – is also nurturing aspects of simplicity and slowing down when it comes to her work life. “Time isn’t ours to manage the way it used to be,” she says, highlighting how much longer things in her business operations take because of delays and virtual hiccups. “You have to give yourself a break on that account. now, I’ll pack up and leave at eight and say ‘it’ll just have to wait until tomorrow’ because my health and mental well-being override anything that feels urgent at the moment.”

Lauren Chan

“I started therapy around the time that I launched Henning,” says Lauren Chan, a New York-based entrepreneur in the plus-size space. “I decided to do it because I was very stressed out. It was also something that I had heard a lot of female founders talking about—the necessity of keeping yourself well when you’re running a business.” It also helped that in her circle, seeing a therapist wasn’t something to be shy about. “In New York City, it seems like everybody has a therapist, and it’s very normalized in a really beautiful way,” she notes. “Perhaps I notice this because I surround myself with progressive, creative people who want to be in tune with that side of themselves and have that aspect of wellness in their lives.”

She used two digital platforms – Psychologytoday.com and the app Talkspace – to find a mental health professional she felt she could trust and who would understand her. While she used to see her therapist at their office near Washington Square Park, quarantine has forced Chan’s sessions to move online for the foreseeable future; it’s a circumstance that initiates a helpful way of framing the many roadblocks one can encounter in a day. “I can’t control the timeline of when I’m going to physically be back in an office with somebody,” she says. Chan further highlights the ways in which seeing a therapist has helped her reconsider her approach to her work life, which she says had been causing her to lose “the ability to compartmentalize and cope in a lot of ways.”

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned through therapy is to be a little less forward-thinking and to reel back some of the ambition and competitiveness that comes from having a work personality like mine; it has helped me to be a little more considerate and to feel more level,” she says. “It ended up being great timing because now we’re in a massive slowdown in the fashion industry, and these tools, which I had been working on for almost a year prior to the pandemic, have been incredibly helpful,” she says about starting her sessions after kicking off her business in the fall of 2019. “I don’t know – and I don’t want to know – how deeply stress would have affected me during this crisis for small businesses over the past six months.”

Lesley Hampton

Toronto-based designer Lesley Hampton has relied on physical activity throughout most of her life to preserve a sense of determination, clarity and focus. “I started horseback riding every weekend at the age of seven,” she says, adding that when she moved from Canada to Australia as a teenager, she enrolled in a school that had an equestrian program. The mental and physical conditioning required for competitive sports proved useful during her adolescence and provided the self-starter spirit that she needed to found her eponymous fashion brand in her early 20s.

Hampton’s design work has been deeply influenced by her athleticism and her efforts to keep fitness part of her daily routine as her body changed. She says that navigating her feelings toward the typical visuals of what a “physically fit” person looks like is an ongoing obstacle. “Once I grew past the Xl size, it was harder for me to put myself out there in workout clothes,” she says. “It’s something i still struggle with.”

Musemo Handahu

As someone who lives their life on the internet, content creator Musemo Handahu has self-care practices that are intrinsically linked with her career. The Halifax-based fashion blogger, who has over 50,000 followers on Instagram, makes an effort to share how she mitigates the impact of not only the large-scale anxieties of 2020 but also more individualized issues.

“I’m really struggling right now,” she says about the restrictions that quarantine has resulted in. “Travel has always been my most important method of self-care, and not having that has started to take its toll on me. It doesn’t only boil down to seeing family and my best friends; travelling also allows me to experience really important moments of Blackness and Black culture. That’s important to me because where I live, there aren’t a lot of people of colour who are creatives. You can feel like the city is erasing you in some way. Now, I’m wondering, ‘What’s the next step for survival?’ And I wonder if other Black people who live here are feeling the same way.”

To offer insight into how she combats the feelings that come along with this notion of erasure, Handahu is candid about her coping mechanisms. She took up cycling in the summer and was pleased by the unexpected results. “Initially, it was going to be my form of exercise,” she notes. “But when I started riding my bike, it changed to just wanting to get some air. I’m not necessarily concerned about burning calories but about feeling some sort of freedom.” And in an Instagram post in late August, Handahu posted about “the things [she needed] to do to get through a day,” which included “cried – a lot” and “laughed – a lot.”

She divulges this information to give a more well-rounded perspective of herself on her social media feed—something she thinks her community is craving now more than ever. “I think people view me as someone who has a lot of confidence,” she says. “Being transparent about bawling my eyes out shows a level of relatability to my followers. I think we’re all tired of perfection – of always seeing these
put-together people and having this idea that they don’t go through things, when that’s not the case.”

Revealing her need for moments of levity is equally important to Handahu. “It’s about allowing yourself the grace to actually step away from something that’s over- whelming and giving yourself a moment to breathe – that’s what laughter represents to me,” she says, adding that she’ll hang out with a funny friend or watch a stand-up comedy show when she needs a mood-lifting break. “It’s me saying ‘Yes, the world is really screwed up right now, but I need to have a moment of joy. I’m going to take that for myself.’” Handahu notes that it’s important to remember that when you’re opting to take time for these moments, be they happy or sad, being purposeful about it is key. “You shouldn’t feel guilty for allowing yourself to step away for a bit,” she says. “We can’t always be carrying the burden of what’s happening in the world 24/7. It’s not healthy.”

The post How 5 Creatives Manage Their Mental Health appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Growing up, I adored glamour. My friends’ extra-curricular activities consisted of gymnastics and dance lessons, while mine were acting classes. I begged my parents to take me to casting calls. I watched Fashion Television faithfully every Sunday, sitting enraptured in front of the TV while Jeanne Beker lifted the veil and showed me a vision of what I hoped would be my future. I practised my runway walk, trying to emulate Naomi Campbell and Yasmeen Ghauri; perfected my photo shoot angles in the mirror; and waited impatiently for my big break.

It felt like it came when I signed with a modelling agency in my Southwestern Ontario hometown, but that break snapped when the aforementioned New York offer was rejected by my mom. I could understand her safety and schooling concerns, but I didn’t have a clear concept of what mental health had to do with anything. When I moved to Toronto a decade later and rededicated myself to my dream of modelling, I began to understand the connection.

Rejection and race are the two things that affected me the most. Choosing to enter the modelling industry knowing how notoriously cutthroat it can be is one of the wildest choices you can make, especially if you aren’t mentally prepared for it. When I was younger, not getting booked for a job stung, but I was always excited for my next chance. In my 20s, I had a much better understanding of what was at stake, so each failed casting call or agency meeting hurt more than the last.

Ultimately, I knew I was being judged by the very foundation of myself – the things I couldn’t easily change, if at all.

The most public thing about us is our body, but our relationship with it can be extremely private and complex. The realm of modelling only focuses on the public and makes no space for the rest; that’s a lesson I learned quickly. Standing in front of a potential agent or casting director and being told exactly how to walk – and then being poked, prodded and measured – was jarring for much longer than it wasn’t.

Placing a portfolio in front of a fashion gatekeeper and trying to decipher the look on their face as they flipped the pages twisted my stomach into knots. Sure, I could always change my hair, and the wizardry of makeup could give my face new angles and contours, but, ultimately, I knew I was being judged by the very foundation of myself – the things I couldn’t easily change, if at all.

My quietly competitive nature had been honed during my youth by playing basketball and running track and by attempting to exceed academic expectations. But modelling was different. I didn’t see how I could work harder or do better after losing out on a gig. For whatever reason, my face wasn’t right or my body wasn’t right or my walk wasn’t right, and the subjectivity of fashion meant that what one gatekeeper detested about me, another loved. Finding a quiet place in my mind to go to, where I allowed that subjectivity to free me instead of locking me into a mental prison of picking myself apart, required a lot of work. Sometimes it was just easier to join the chorus of judgment and level it against myself, too.

The journey to a more diverse and inclusive fashion industry has been a slow one.

The journey to a more diverse and inclusive fashion industry has been a slow one. I still remember the agency meeting where I was told “there’s already a Black girl on the roster” and the agent didn’t see anything much different in me. I later looked up that lone Black model, and aside from our shared height, we looked as different as two Black girls could look. I also remember the meeting where a potential agent told me that they could possibly work with me if I promised to stay out of the sun during the summer so they could market me as “exotic.” Like other physical attributes, my Blackness was something that would not change. In those moments, I felt defiant in how proud I was to stand out, and unlike with other rejections based on how I looked, it was much easier to chalk these ones up to a failing of the person sitting in front of me. I didn’t internalize them at all.

What did start to mess with me was when I booked jobs and saw how my Blackness was received. There was the shoot where I was requested to arrive with my hair in its big and kinky-curly natural state and then had to deal with deep sighs from the photographer when he couldn’t figure out how to shoot without cast- ing shadows over my face.

Then there was the Toronto Fashion Week runway show where I almost missed my first walk because the one Black hairstylist was on lunch break and no one else felt courageous enough to put my hair in a bun. Makeup artists who didn’t have my foundation shade treated me like I was an inconvenience, and I began to panic if I ever left for a gig without my own makeup bag. Clients wanted to look progressive by booking a Black model, but they didn’t know what to do with us. And I was hyperaware of how differently I was treated, compared to other models.

It became an odd mental space to be in, where I refused to apologize for my Blackness but felt like a lone fish swimming in an anti-Black ocean. Why did no one else see how wrong this all was? Why was it more acceptable for white and other non-Black industry folks to treat my Blackness like an annoyance than to make these spaces more truly inclusive? I really began to question my participation, because the anxiety before, during and after a job began to weigh on me.

After I became a mother, I questioned my participation even more. Getting booked for commercial campaigns where I played a “young mother” role always had me cast with a Black “father” alongside very-light-skinned or biracial children. Genetics is a funny thing – two Black people can produce children with various phenotypic qualities; however, these casting choices seemed more like a statement on acceptable presentations of Blackness than an acknowledgment of genetic variance. Was I being complicit in what felt like the erasure of children who looked like mine? My anxieties now didn’t just centre on how I felt about myself in the industry but also on what my children would think and feel when they saw images like these.

I refused to apologize for my Blackness but felt like a lone fish swimming in an anti-Black ocean

Pulling back from modelling helped me address the guilt I felt in those moments as a mother, quieted the anxieties around feeling like an inconvenience and helped me deal with the wounds the constant rejection had given me. It was a process of dismantling negative thoughts and replacing them with new positives about myself. It was a process of constantly empowering my own two daughters; I may no longer play the mother to little girls who get lighter and lighter in each subsequent photo shoot, but if this limited presentation of Black beauty persists in the Canadian industry, my daughters will need a buffer for their self-esteem.

Thinking back, I remember feeling that Jeanne Beker was giving me a peek into my future – one full of glamorous moments. But that glamour came at a cost that I couldn’t conceive of in my youth. Once I had the mental capacity to be able to better handle the challenges of the industry, I had aged out of the “ideal” of youthfulness. (Ageism in fashion is another discussion that needs to continue.) And while I thank the industry for giving me the experiences it did, I thank my mom –  and her seemingly excessive concerns – even more.

This article originally appeared in the November 2020 issue of FASHION magazine. 

The post As a Model, I Was Being Judged by the Very Foundation of Myself appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

As the world settled into varying stages of mandatory quarantine, everything in my carefully curated wardrobe – including my beloved collection of Victorian witch boots – began to feel all wrong. My closetful of monastic, architectural black dresses suddenly felt stifling and constrictive instead of stately and majestic, so they remained untouched while I rotated through three pairs of Lululemon leggings, laundering them only when they had accumulated enough cat hair to be considered repulsive. Despite skimming through a number of well-intentioned articles offering advice on “how to stay sane during quarantine” that suggested “getting dressed up” might add a shred of normalcy, and perhaps dignity, to one’s routine, I simply couldn’t see the point.

For as long as I can remember, fashion has been the organizing principle of my life.

In quarantine, there was nothing to get dressed up for. What good are all these shoes, I thought, if my social life is confined to Houseparty dates with my friends, our heads squished into little squares on my phone and the rest of us unseen? With nowhere to go and no one to share clothing with, it felt like a waste of time. The perennial question of what to wear – once a leading source of creativity and joy – all of a sudden held no thrall whatsoever.

For as long as I can remember, fashion has been the organizing principle of my life. Some kids are drawn to insects, baseball cards, dinosaurs or Disney movies, but my thing has always been clothes. During my childhood, I anticipated back-to-school shopping at Zellers with a feverish intensity. And once I started earning money at an after-school job, I spent hours performing complex search and rescue missions for vintage Ferragamo pumps and men’s Lacoste cardigans at the local thrift store. To this day, I’d rather spend money on clothing I can cherish than on intangible, ephemeral things like plane tickets or fancy meals. My wardrobe is a mirror in which I can gaze and see myself reflected exactly as I want to look. My closet is, in essence, a collection. Individually, each item is of relatively little value – a testament to my well-honed thrifting skills – but collectively my wardrobe is my life’s work. Numerous theories attempt to explain why people are drawn to collecting.

For me, clothing is a way to ensure control amid the cacophony

In his 1931 essay “Unpacking My Library,” scholar Walter Benjamin writes, “Every passion borders on the chaotic, but the collector’s passion borders on the chaos of memories.” He suggests that collectors are driven by the “thrill of acquisition” and that each new possession represents a means of imposing order on the chaos of the world. Psychoanalyst and art historian Werner Muensterberger, whose 1994 book Collecting: An Unruly Passion is considered the authoritative text on the subject, suggests that the impulse to collect begins when infants are first separated from their caregivers and glom on to objects such as teddy bears or blankets to placate their loneliness. Some adults, writes Muensterberger, never grow out of this habit. They continue to use objects as a way to quell the anxiety of operating in an uncertain world.

I can relate. For me, clothing is a way to ensure control amid the cacophony. Much like Muensterberger suggests, I’m an anxious person for whom uncertainty is in itself a form of suffering. But in the shelter of my closet, I’ve managed to create a miniature universe in which everything makes sense. Curating my closet allows me to exert control even when agency is otherwise hard to come by. It may sound neurotic, but it’s what works for me.

When COVID-19 struck like an errant lightning bolt, clothing no longer offered me the sense of security it had been providing for so long. There was no use pretending anything was normal, so I gave up the act. I abruptly relinquished my desire to dress like myself, denouncing structured garments in favour of soft, yielding clothes that grew and shrank with the contours of my body – almost more living thing than object.
Even pre-pandemic, my work-from-home outfits skewed more The Big Lebowski than Breakfast at Tiffany’s. But most days I had reason to change out of the frowzy duds and style myself into a creative character – like “Morticia Addams meets Texas oil heiress” or “art collector with an extensive collection of Black Flag vinyl.” Now, when I leave the house, my style is more akin to Homer Simpson in a flowy floral muumuu.

Now, when I leave the house, my style is more akin to Homer Simpson in a flowy floral muumuu.

After months of social distancing, I no longer wake up feeling like the natural order of life is in free fall. This is just the way things are. I remain resistant to anything clingy or too close to the body (a few attempted dalliances with rigid jeans have lasted less than an hour), but I’m slowly starting to find my old reflection again.

As I write this, I’m wearing a black-and-white-striped turtleneck underneath black overalls – a utilitarian look I favoured in the Before Times. I have yet to return to my beloved dramatic sleeves or Victorian witch boots, but my leggings are folded in a drawer, no longer an everyday item. For now, my style is precarious. But in my daydreams of dressing up again, I find resilience.

The post How I Lost and Found My Sense of Style During the Pandemic appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

As the editorial director of Paper magazine, where he interned in the early 1990s while still a fashion student at Parsons The New School, Boardman has been a fixture on the international style scene for over two decades. When he was younger, he was the only person he knew who had a Members Only jacket, and he splurged on a pair of Saint Laurent pants. As he acclimatized to New York’s vivacious nightlife scene, his signature style morphed into “a shell top or ladies’ blouse with some kind of hand-painted print” along with a chandelier necklace and pants that he had cut into clam diggers. The finishing touches were Pearl River Mart flip-flops “and a weird bag,” he says.

Today, Boardman is known for ensembles that combine casual items like Lacoste polo shirts (of which he purports to own hundreds) with dazzlingly tactile pieces, primarily of the sequined variety. It’s no surprise that Boardman, who was born in 1966, has a penchant for high-octane glamour. “I loved Bob Mackie, I loved The Carol Burnett Show and I loved Cher,” he says about the early influences on his taste for anything flashy. “I call my aesthetic ‘1960s Supremes in Las Vegas.’”

With its abundance of sequins, bugle beads and crystal-encrusted accoutrements, Boardman’s wardrobe could easily outshine the costume closets of many showgirls. Flashy shoes, cardigans, trousers, necklaces, brooches… If it has bling factor, Boardman will wear it; he owns dozens of embellished pieces by brands like Lanvin, Junya Watanabe, Dries Van Noten, Gucci and H&M’s Conscious.

However, there is one name that appears more than the others in Boardman’s closet. He has a growing stockpile of glittering delights made by London-based designer Ashish Gupta, including a customized match- ing shirt and bomber jacket emblazoned with his nickname, “Mr. Mickey.” Boardman recalls a show of Gupta’s that he saw during London Fashion Week; it was the designer’s Spring 2015 collection, which contained pieces featuring the faces of Kim Kardashian (before she became Paper’s internet-breaking muse), Kanye West and the members of One Direction – all made with sequins. “My brain was exploding,” he says.

Gupta has an unparalleled ability to create intricate and flamboyant designs, drawing influence from his ancestral India as well as pop culture references; his Fall 2017 collection contained pieces emblazoned with meme-able phrases like “More Glitter Less Twitter.” His mishmash of inspirations intrigues Boardman, who is himself a culture enthusiast. Boardman is also what you’d describe as a fierce fan of fashion – the resplendence and individuality of it all. “I worship anyone who’s committed to their look, whether that’s Rick Owens or Lynn Yaeger or Catherine Baba,” he says.

An obsession with the power of style and the persona has been a lifelong one for Boardman. He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, flicking through fashion magazines while in his preteen years. He fondly recalls his mother’s evening aesthetic in the ’70s, which included a floor-length vest, bell bottoms and platform shoes, and the first two purchases he ever made at Barneys New York: a Missoni sweater and an Emilio Pucci shirt. (Prior to that, most of his eclectic wardrobe items came from thrift shops.) And he remembers exactly what he wore on the first day of first grade: a pink shirt with monkey heads printed on it and maroon pants featuring a fish motif. Boardman truly relished any opportunity to make a fabulous statement. “When I was four, I asked to be Cinderella for Halloween,” he says.

Despite many of his fledgling fashion dreams being indulged, Boardman has faced challenges in living out his sartorial fantasies because of his weight. He’s a member of WW (formerly Weight Watchers) and works with a personal trainer and does yoga to stay healthy. One Chicago-based retailer has become his fashion fairy godmother. Ikram Goldman, whose eponymous boutique has become a favourite outpost for those seeking eye-catching designs, has been instrumental in teaching Boardman that with a little tailoring, the world can be his oyster. “She wanted to give me a present around Christmas one year,” says Boardman, but he couldn’t fit into anything in her shop.

After he pointed to a sparkly Proenza Schouler top and lamented that it wouldn’t work for him, Goldman replied, “Oh yeah?” Boardman did a fitting with a tailor Goldman brought in, and panels were added to the sides of the shirt. “It was a shock; it opened things up to me,” says Boardman. “Ikram has ordered extra fabric from Ashish and other designers for me, and she can make anything fit any person.”

The Proenza Schouler top that Boardman acquired from Goldman features prominently in a story that speaks volumes about his status as a style icon. “I was at this glamorous party,” he recalls. “It was an uptown thing – I was shocked I was even invited.” Boardman wore the shirt that night, with his tuxedo, and at one point realized that another guest, actress Liv Tyler, was wearing the same top.

“I prefer women’s clothes because they’re fabulous, not because I want to be a woman or have a gender issue,” he explains. The Tyler sighting made Boardman feel quite chuffed, but one of fashion’s most beloved stars would give him an even bigger boost that evening. When event and street-style photographer Bill Cunningham noticed Boardman’s ensemble, he immediately asked if he could take Boardman’s picture with another fashionista at the party. “He asked if I had seen Iris Apfel,” says Boardman, “and dragged me around to find her.” Afterwards, Cunningham sent Boardman a photocopy of the duo’s picture with a note written on it that couldn’t be more fitting: “This is fashion.”

The post Mickey Boardman Makes the Case for All Sequins, All the Time appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Athleisure has been a trend for years now, but it wasn’t leggings we were drawn to during lockdowns, particularly in the winter months. As Anne Donahue wrote in a 2006 essay defending sweatpants, yoga pants may be comfortable, but they offer neither coziness nor warmth – things we were all in desperate need of in 2020.

“I don’t see sloppiness or the abandonment of one’s stylistic brand – instead, I see liberation,” wrote Donahue of choosing to wear sweatsuits. “Liberation of fitted pieces that we all need a break from, and liberation from the self-imposed fashion police who condemn simultaneously looking and feeling comfortable.”

Looking to 2021, we’re not done with the desire for comfort just yet. Designers like Thakoon, Prada, Tibi and Balenciaga showed sweatshirts and sweatpants on the spring runways. If you’re in need of a fresh pair of sweatpants or a matching sweatsuit set, click through the slideshow below featuring options some of our favourite Canadian brands like Kotn, Knix, Brunette the Label, Sidia, Tkees and more, at all price points.

1/11

Reverse Terry Sweatpant

($88, Kotn)

Kotn is a Toronto-based Canadian brand.

Buy Now

2/11

Sweatpants

($88, Kotn)

Kotn is a Toronto-based Canadian brand.

Buy Now

3/11

Cozzzy Track Pant

($74, Knix)

Knix is a Toronto-based Canadian brand.

Buy Now

4/11

Mercer Oversized Fleece Jogger

($49.95, Dynamite)

Buy Now

5/11

The "BEST FRIEND" Crew Neck Sweatshirt in Classic Grey

($99, Brunette the Label )

Brunette the Label is a Canadian brand.

Buy Now

6/11

Acton

($198 USD, Sidia )

Sidia was founded by Canadian entrepreneur Erin Kleinberg.

Buy Now

7/11

The Sleek Pant

($163, Tkees)

Tkees is a Canadian brand.

Buy Now

8/11

Nicholas High-Waisted Sweatpants

($295 USD, G.Label )

Buy Now

9/11

THE THURSDAY ROMPER IN MIDNIGHT BLACK

($119 USD, Smash + Tess )

Smash + Tess is a Canadian brand.

Buy Now

10/11

Warm Down Jogger Soft Modal

($108, Lululemon )

Lululemon is a Vancouver-based Canadian brand.

Buy Now

11/11

Womens Original Sweatpant, Flaxseed Mix

($74, Roots)

Roots is a Canadian brand. 

The post The Sweatsuit Was the Undeniable It Item of 2020 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

AAKS

Akosua Afriyie-Kumi launched her line of vibrant hand-woven accessories after moving from Ghana to the United Kingdom and studying fashion design. “It was difficult to find a job after,” she says. The industry was saturated with hopefuls, and fast fashion still dominated. “I always wanted to start my own brand, but I didn’t know which direction to go in,” says Afriyie-Kumi. “I remembered that when I was a child in Ghana, we had lots of baskets. You would see a lot of weavers selling their handicrafts on the roadside. I started thinking ‘Why hasn’t anybody done something new with this?’ That was my light-bulb moment – to focus on this craftsmanship and these ideas and turn them into something someone in London or New York or Spain would appreciate.”

With some motherly nudging – “My mom would visit me in London and say ‘Why don’t you come back to Ghana?’” – Afriyie-Kumi began to formulate the idea for AAKS. “I started looking for weavers in the South,” she recalls of her return to her native roots.

“Through research, I realized that most basket weavers are based in the North.” After making the 10-hour trek, Afriyie-Kumi was able to connect with talented makers, and her team has grown from three to 30 as AAKS has caught the attention of an international audience. Mere months after the label’s launch, multi-brand retailer Anthropologie reached out to Afriyie-Kumi to carry her wares, and now AAKS can be found in various stores worldwide. A collaborative tote with the hip ready-to-wear label Rag & Bone launched in August.

It’s all a heady departure from AAKS’s humble beginnings. “I spent about two years under a tree, working with the weavers and developing my samples,” says Afriyie- Kumi. “Of course, it sounds so easy talking about it now, but it was so hard to begin. There was a language barrier, and trying to get my ideas into 3-D with the weavers was difficult. I was trying to do something a bit different.”

Weaving in Ghana goes back thousands of years. “I’m still doing research into how it all began and why it’s done,” she says. “When I speak to my weavers, they tell me it’s something they’ve been doing since they were young. Your dad is a weaver, your mom is a weaver, so you weave as a little kid. All the kids in the community can weave, but with training, they can weave something of a higher standard.”

Afriyie-Kumi has achieved such prowess in developing this kind of infrastructure that she was tapped to participate in the launch of a training program started by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and has since become a partner in the initiative. “They saw my work and thought ‘Perfect,’” she says. “I was working with weavers already so I could help them set up this new program.” The result was AAKS’s Weaving for Change line of home decor items.

Afriyie-Kumi acknowledges that her collaborative approach is time-consuming—even parallel to that of creating an haute couture gown. “In general, it takes about a week to make one product,” she says. “First, we have to source the fibres and transport them to the weavers – it takes three days or more before they even get the raw materials. They twist them, dye them and dry them. Then they begin to weave.”

Products are sent to AAKS’s studio for finishing before they are dispatched to a growing legion of fans. “Before I moved back to Ghana, there was a lot of talk about fast fashion,” says Afriyie-Kumi about what differentiates her designs – ones that have resonated even more greatly, she notes, since the Black Lives Matter movement felt a groundswell this summer. “I always remember that I never wanted to go into that market. I wanted to do something that was handmade. This is where my story began.”

Julia Heuer

Trained as a textile designer, Julia Heuer first learned about the Japanese dyeing technique of Arashi Shibori when she was an exchange student in Copenhagen. She was drawn to its simplicity and nearly instant gratification. “It’s exactly how I like to work,” says the Germany-based creative. “It offers very quick results, but it’s handmade.” It also affords Heuer and her team the ability to work in a satisfyingly-scaled-back way. “You just need a tube for wrapping the fabric and you can dye it in hot water,” she describes. No expensive industrial-sized equipment is needed.

Heuer’s adoption of Arashi Shibori (which was developed by Kanezo Suzuki as a way to create an all-over pattern on fabrics and is an innovation of the ancient Shibori method used as far back as the 8th century) means that she’s free from having a strong reliance on suppliers – and that’s certainly helpful given the global limitations on manufacturing and shipping presented by COVID-19 this year. “when you’re a textile designer, you usually depend on other companies to produce materials,” she explains. “with this technique, i can do it in my studio – I’m able to do it with my own two hands.”

The designer’s fall collection, titled Funny Animals, draws inspiration from the array of natural prints found on all manner of creatures. Heuer’s offbeat pieces combine digital prints and hand-painted fabrics, and there’s a moment of truth when you see how these effects are realized after the fabric has been given the Shibori treatment. “You have to see if the print works after pleating,” she says of the union between the hand-hewn plissé material and its artistic treatments. “When they work together, they create something new and give the resulting product a certain dynamic that makes it feel immediately right.” Sounds like the ideal kind of fast fashion.

Blu HummingBird Beadwork

“Beading is medicine,” says Brit Ellis, founder of accessory line Blu Hummingbird Beadwork. “It teaches and connects us.” Ellis started her practice after joining a beading circle facilitated by George Brown College in Toronto while she was a student there. “I grew up displaced from community,” says Ellis, who had virtually no ties to her Indigenous background while growing up. “When I was in college, I attended beading circles at the Friendship Centre. I felt a real connection with beading almost immediately.”

Ellis started her brand in 2014, and her creations incorporate both contemporary motifs (cartoon characters, the Toronto Raptors logo) and ones linked to her ancestry – her Moon Medallion pieces are particularly popular. “I’ve always felt really connected to the moon,” she says about why she began crafting the labour-intensive pieces, which can take up to 30 hours to complete. “And I wanted to do beadwork with moon imagery since I started.” Ellis’s attachment to lunar activity and its symbolic link to life cycles has a deeply personal resonance. “I struggled with infertility for about six years; I got very sick and had emergency surgery to remove one of my ovaries,” she explains. “It was a very confusing time. The teachings around Grandmother Moon really helped me feel grounded and connected. They helped me feel hopeful. The cycle and the renewal – it’s all very powerful to me.”

Ellis has explored other deeply intimate motifs in her beading, from human hearts to vulvas. “I’ve beaded a number of them,” she says, adding that many Indigenous community members have “received negative feedback when talking about sexuality and our bodies.” She says she feels fortunate that that has not been her experience. “When I was speaking with my elders about the vulva pieces, I got very positive feedback.”
Bridging generational traditions and practices with contemporary concepts is something Ellis finds deeply gratifying about her beading.

“My Indigeneity is tied to the past, present and future,” she says. “It’s all intertwined. So I memorialize the things that are of interest to me – like my appreciation for the art of drag – in a modern respect. Those things are just as valid an influence. They are a way for me to fully encompass and express – in a full-circle kind of way – my entire self as a Haudenosaunee woman.”

Larkspur & Hawk

“My love of foiling came from my love of antique jewellery,” says New York-based curator turned jewellery entrepreneur Emily Satloff, who founded her line of fine baubles in 2008. Satloff collects what she describes as more “esoteric” jewellery from as far back as 250 years ago, and she has become familiar with the technique of foiling, which involves “lining a closed setting with brightly hued, gold or silver metallic foils.” She was so bewitched by the effects – describing the interplay of light and colour as a “halo”—that she eventually decided she wanted to find a way to interpret the under- recognized technique in an updated way.

Satloff began to educate those who were curious about her antique foiled jewellery. “The more I heard myself talking about it, the more I had a burning private desire to design a bit of it for myself,” she says. But the revitalization of an antiquated technique requires plenty of research, and that wasn’t easy to do with this near-obsolete craft. “There’s no guidebook or recipe for foiling,” she says. “But I had been working with antique jewellery for so long and had seen it in all stages of disrepair, so I basically had a sense of the ways in which people were foiling 200 years ago.”

Satloff says that after she gained a sense of the basics behind the technique, she “played around with faceted gemstones and candy wrappers to see the effects” until she got the cut she was really looking for and then searched for a jeweller who was patient enough to work with her. She describes the foiling technique as “extremely laborious” and notes that because Larkspur & Hawk is a pioneering brand in terms of modernizing the practice, she – once a student – has essentially become a teacher. “Even today, when I start with a new workshop, I train the artisans on how to do things our way,” she says. “It’s not something they’re versed in…. One of the good things about working with an outdated art form is that we don’t have a lot of competition. But with the benefit of leading the way in modern foiling comes the disadvantage of it not featuring a mainstream technique that people immediately know about.”

This lack of awareness means there’s a steep learning curve for Satloff when it comes to customer education. “There is a misunderstanding of whether it’s fine or fashion jewellery, and it’s all fine,” she notes. “We use fine materials, and the pieces are handmade.” Satloff also wants to make it clear that she’s not replicating pieces from days gone by. “I never want to appear to be doing reproductions,” she adds. “If our work is mistaken for a Georgian piece of jewellery, I’ve done my job poorly.”

Osei-Duro

Founded by Maryanne Mathias and Molly Keogh in 2011, this line of contemporary essentials was inspired by Mathias’s travels to various regions of Africa and India – locales she visited while on hiatus from her former fashion label, Hastings and Main. “After getting frustrated with the design industry and wanting a break, i ended up travelling around the world and designing capsule collections in textile-rich countries,” she says. Upon returning to Canada, Mathias recruited Keogh to join her in launching Osei-Duro.

The brand primarily offers hand-printed batik clothing – pieces that are made by local artisans in Accra. (Mathias is based in her native Vancouver, and Keogh resides in Ghana.) Batik is an ancient wax dyeing technique that cultures across Africa, India and Asia have been employing for centuries as a means of creating artful garments and accessories.

“It takes a while for any designer or artist to find their voice,” notes Mathias. “We have experimented with so many different techniques over the years – natural indigo, plain dye, hand-weaving, factory-dyed fabrics, knits and more – and through feedback and experience, we found that batik was the aesthetic that shone through.”

To better educate customers about the labour involved in making an Osei-Duro garment and to give a face to the makers honouring their local artisan culture, the company boasts a stories pillar on its website. “Our brand is so process-driven; it’s one of the most exciting elements about it,” says Mathias. “The story behind the clothes can almost tell itself.”

The post 5 Brands That Prove Artisanal Is The Future of Fashion appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Soon, however, the hijab would seamlessly fit into my fashion and beauty regimen. In a quest to stand out in the suburbs of Western Canada, in a city where many people were South Asian like me, I found hijabs to match my clothes: in neon hues, bedazzled with sequins and in prints from cheetah to floral. My makeup matched these colours, and I swapped a hair routine for a hijab routine. (Yes, there were bad hijab days.)

About a decade later, at age 22 and in my last semester of university, I decided to stop wearing the physical marker of faith. As if I were a teenager again, I found myself learning things anew, from how to style my hair to how tied my perception of beauty was to the male gaze.

As a hijabi, I fantasized about all of the different hairstyles I wanted to try: wearing French braids, donning extensions and even dyeing my whole head purple. Ironically, the most avant-garde hair decision I’ve made to date is to let a friend bleach the ends of it in their bathtub one summer. Most days I simply wash my hair, haphazardly rub in some curl cream and hold out till I’m confronted with a frizzy pouf.

Despite these fantasies, I found it easy to embrace modest beauty and fashion trends, part of a growing but still novel industry in the mid- to late 2000s. I even started my own fashion blog in high school to document my outfits, which helped me connect with hijabi bloggers from Indonesia to Italy. One day while I was strolling the beach in Vancouver with some other friends who were also wearing hijabs, a woman came up to us. “You all look beautiful in that!” she exclaimed, pointing to our heads. “Just stunning!”

While I was basking in the glow of her compliment, one of my friends turned to our group and said worriedly: “See, this is why we shouldn’t even get our eyebrows done! The point of the hijab isn’t to attract attention to our beauty.” I nodded along with the others, confused. I knew that the hijab was worn as an expression of modesty, but what’s the harm in looking good? And what did plucking our eyebrows have to do with anything?

It was then that I began to understand why some people had left comments on my blog that were varia­tions of “Hijab is not a fashion statement!” These were among the first few questions I would have about the hijab and then later about women in Islam and eventually Islam itself – or at least the mainstream Sunni interpretation of it.

As my belief in the religion waned, the hijab began to lose meaning for me. My daily ritual of wrapping fabric around my head began to feel cumbersome – even irritating. I knew I couldn’t continue wearing it. I also knew that there would be repercussions and that I’d never look back.

The first day I stepped out of the house without a hijab, almost six years ago, the winter wind nipped my ears and blew my bangs in my face. I felt like everyone was staring, but of course they weren’t. I had matched my eyeshadow to my blue dress and wore dangly ear­ rings that, for the first time, weren’t peeking out from behind a scarf.

“Unveiling” – from colonial Algeria to present-day Iran – has long been seen as a liberating act to many in the West. Now that I’ve stepped from one world to the next, I’ve taken on new burdens. Becoming agnostic opened up a new world of dating and sex, and I soon became fixated on presenting myself so men would find me attractive.

As I try now, in my late 20s, to feel beautiful without validation from men, while at the same time shedding binary ideas from my Muslim upbringing about modesty and hypersexualization, my style and beauty looks are a combination of my entire past. Sometimes I wear short dresses with plunging necklines; other times I opt for shirts with a looser fit. Sometimes I do a full face of makeup; other times I’ll go bare. One thing hasn’t changed, however: how many different colours you’ll see me sporting at once.

The post One Writer Reflects on Her Decision To Stop Wearing The Hijab appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

The pair, who hail from Oshawa, Ont., began their joint hair journeys six years ago, back when Bowles (vocals, drums) and Comeau (guitar, bass, keys) first met and quickly bonded over their shared obsession with Canadian progressive rock band Rush. Their look developed out of necessity rather than an active decision, shares Comeau. “It was more about the fact that I had spent all of my money on guitars, so I didn’t have any left for haircuts.”

Their lengthy locks have become a trademark that creates an impact onstage and are as unforgettable as their “heavy, loud” music. “It’s a presence thing,” expresses Bowles, who identifies with the non-binary pronouns they/them and isn’t shy to enhance their cascading curls with wild outfits, body glitter and makeup. “When people see us, they’re like, ‘Wow, sick!’ They know they’re in for something interesting.”

Headbanging and hair whipping while shredding his guitar is paramount to Comeau’s showmanship. “It’s my only way of dancing because I’m standing and playing keyboards with my feet, so I can’t move around,” he explains. “Before touring ended this year, I’d almost built up some choreography: I had movements for each song.” And that feeling of hitting the stage to perform for a crowd? According to the duo, it’s like a time-escaping, transcendental moment that changes you, inside and out. “When the sound waves hit your body, you become bigger,” expresses Comeau, mentioning music and religion in the same breath. “It’s the same reason why people go to church or join sports teams – it’s to serve something that’s bigger than yourself. And I think that’s a huge part of human nature and societies. We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. That’s what Crown Lands represents for Cody and me. It is so much more than the sum of its parts.”

A greater mission is written into the band’s name. It’s a direct nod to territorial areas once belonging to the British Crown that were passed on to the federal or provincial governments – lands that Indigenous peoples traditionally occupied. It’s a blunt and powerful alias that compels the duo to create music that educates people about Indigenous injustices and Canada’s troublesome history. “It’s our duty to speak up about things that really matter,” states Bowles, who is half Mi’kmaq (an Indigenous tribe from the Atlantic region of Canada). And in the wake of a global chorus calling for a reckoning with anti-Black racism, policing and inequality, Crown Lands’s passion to raise marginalized groups is burning stronger than ever. “There’s a spiritual revolution happening, and we have a duty to be the soundtrack to it,” says Comeau. “As a straight, white-presenting male, I have a huge responsibility to be a good ally.”

Their 2017 song “Mountain” paints a picture of colonization and the damaging government-sponsored residential school system (an attempt to eradicate Indigenous youth of their cultural language and practices that caused long-term intergenerational problems among Indigenous communities). Then there’s “End of the Road,” which was released this year and shines a spotlight on the notorious Highway of Tears, a remote stretch of road in British Columbia known for the dozens of women and girls – mostly Indigenous – who have vanished or turned up dead in the area. To this day, most of these cases are still unsolved.

As much as this rock band creates music in the hope of sparking change, it has also become a potent outlet for Bowles’s mental health. “Music has helped me through so many hard times in my life,” they share. “It has helped me through major depression.”

Comeau, on the other hand, is quick to flip the script. “Listening to music helps a lot with mental health, but creating it can sometimes be super straining,” he says. Especially when you have to “tear your soul apart to write a good record” and hit the road for a whirlwind tour that pulls you away from loved ones for lengths of time – realities that are often not spoken about in the music industry. Comeau adds that he reached his lowest point this past February while recording Crown Lands’s latest creation, Wayward Flyers, a five-track acoustic EP. How did he cope? With weekly therapy. “It’s never the wrong time to get therapy,” he states. “Finding someone you can talk to? There’s no shame in that whatsoever. It’s been the best investment in my life – other than my guitars.”

Below, the duo unpack what their hair (and beard) routines consist of.

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Canadian rock band Crown Lands: Cody Bowles

Revive & Hydrate + Shea Butter Conditioner

($11, Maui Moisture )

“I only use conditioner in my hair because it’s so curly and thick and knots a lot. I apply this every other day in the shower.”

2/6

Catch the Wave Mousse & Leave-In Conditioner

($4, Aussie )

“On tour, I sometimes put some mousse in my hair if it’s feeling dry.”

3/6

Crowning Glory,

($30, Living Libations )

“I apply a leave-in conditioner concoction that I make. I use coconut oil with a blend of castor oil and this amazing oil that has nettle extract and some other really good stuff in it. I mix it all up with some water and go to town.”

4/6

Canadian rock band Crown Lands: Kevin Comeau

Curl Quench + Coconut Oil Shampoo

($11, Maui Moisture )

“I started my hair journey basically stealing Cody’s shampoo or conditioner on the road, and I
got hooked on Maui Moisture’s Coconut Oil line. I always shampoo and condition at night.”

5/6

Curl Quench + Coconut Oil Conditioner

($11, Maui Moisture )

“I comb my hair in the shower when I’m condi- tioning and let the con- ditioner soak in for a few minutes.”

6/6

Black Label Society Sonic Brew Premium Quality Beard Balm

($26, Mad Viking Beard Co. )

“For my beard, I use natural coconut and jojoba oils and a nice beard balm when I’m feeling fancy. This is the best one I’ve ever used.”

The post Canadian Rock Band Crown Lands Talk Hair, Music and Identity appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

As I got older, this process often became an exercise to quell social anxiety, and eventually, with practice, I could overcome any obvious nerves. Only in the isolation of COVID-19 did I realize that this ritual was integral to my love of clothes. The journey started with the thrill of coming across certain pieces, imagining all the possibilities of wearing them and then finally living in them. For me, that was the joy of fashion.

When there was suddenly nowhere to go, my relationship with clothing had to adapt to new circumstances. Though I have considered myself a collector for many years, my obsession reached a fever pitch during isolation.

My experience with resale websites goes back to my early days of thrifting; it is an expertise that includes knowledge about textiles and fashion history and understanding the difference between how much something is worth and what you’re willing to pay for it.

When there was suddenly nowhere to go, my relationship with clothing had to adapt to new circumstances

As time passes, sourcing items that meet certain standards of quality craftsmanship becomes more and more difficult – those with a discerning eye notice that some luxury houses are not manufacturing their clothes like they used to.

In the unsettled moments before bed, I opened the apps: Poshmark, eBay, The RealReal and Depop. With the possibility of physically going to stores largely out of the question, these platforms were my only outlet. The search, often like dating, was held up by the hope that something might come along that I wouldn’t want to miss. I scoured for hours, with a vague idea of what I wanted and the certainty that it must exist somewhere.

A few weeks into quarantine, I stumbled across a dress from the infamous Jean Paul Gaultier Fall 1995 Cyber collection, which is easily recognized by optical illusion-style dots that echo the curves of a woman’s body. Thanks to luxury vintage sellers like Pechuga Vintage, pieces from the collection have resurfaced; Gaultier’s dots have recently been seen on the likes of Kim Kardashian and Cardi B. I purchased the dress for $30, and the rush of serotonin that resulted from the thrill was the only vice I had left.

What started as a way to fill hours while isolating at home suddenly became filled with purpose.

My knack for describing garments has been honed by the eBay search bar, and my various watchlists are filled with items that are attainable, fantastical and, of course, so novel that one can only find pleasure knowing they exist. I’ll look for Bakelite handbags that resemble giant rounds of butterscotch or for archival pieces like the original Paco Rabanne disc bag from the ’60s (now re-released). I can scroll through countless pages to find specific pieces from collections that hold historical and cultural significance to me – my very own Criterion Collection of clothes. A $6,000 museum-quality set – consisting of a corset, a bustle skirt and a balloon-sleeved top – from Vivienne Westwood’s Spring 1996 show has been sitting at the top of my eBay list for over a year. Westwood’s designs that season mimicked the rococo style, with Watteau gowns and corsetry interpreted with her signature playful twist.

What started as a way to fill hours while isolating at home suddenly became filled with purpose. I bought floor-length dresses, bustiers and large ornate hats. As I showed my wares to friends over FaceTime, they would say “But where are you going?” It did not matter. I was preserving remnants of my former life through my wardrobe – a life that may no longer be possible in a post-COVID-19 world. I snapped up pieces from specific collections, always with the presumption that I could sell them if I wanted to; but the bliss I derive from having them in my closet is almost better.

As I showed my wares to friends over FaceTime, they would say “But where are you going?” It did not matter.

It’s not that I may one day have a place to wear them – it’s their association with the past that feels like a fantasy. What used to be an object filled with possibility is now a relic from an era long gone.

Away from other people, this obsession feels intimate and personal. Whether I am curating a digital museum or dreaming through my closet, I can surround myself with objects I find beautiful, and this gives me comfort in times of uncertainty.

When it’s possible, I will wear these clothes into the future to commemorate the beauty of the past.

The post I Have Nowhere to Go, but I’m Shopping Anyway appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

I’ve had multiple sclerosis (MS), an incurable chronic illness, for 19 years. For most of this time, I knew my life was going to be difficult, but I had faith in who I was and believed my diagnosis couldn’t change that. But as my disease progressed, slowly and insidiously, there came a day when MS was no longer just something I had (an illness); it was something I was (disabled).

The forces attempting to erode my sense of self went beyond what MS can do. Adding a cane and then a rollator, and sometimes a wheelchair, to my day-to-day look was not part of my insomniac dreams but an unexpected nightmare for my identity. I went from being able to pass as “normal,” where a stranger commenting on my appearance would likely be complimenting my red leather loafers or raw-silk turban, to feeling like I was wearing a sign inviting people to ask “What’s wrong with you?” or “Can I pray for you?”
For most of my life, my style was the first thing that spoke for me – a style I thought of as chic meets whimsical, never boring and always a little bit “look at me.”

When the effects of MS forced me to add mobility aids to my wardrobe, it suddenly didn’t matter how loud my statement necklace was; my disability was the first thing that spoke for me, and it had nothing good to say. I found myself shoving my rollator out of photos and surfing the walls and furniture at home rather than have my husband see me using a cane. I was convinced that looking fall-down drunk was still more appealing than looking disabled. Of course, my husband is no fool. I looked drunk and disabled – and probably a little stupid.

I wanted the world to keep seeing me the same way I saw myself. But even my vintage pink boa couldn’t detract from the pitying looks and inquiries that being attached to a rollator invites. People don’t believe you can be attractive, successful, sexual or even smart if you have a disability. I was freaking out and, for the first time in my life, unsure of who I was.

I wanted the world to keep seeing me the same way I saw myself.

It was during this self-indulgent existential crisis that I found myself strolling through my downtown Toronto neighbourhood when a guy about my age, wearing a natty fedora, walked toward me. Like me, he was using a cane. I noticed his drop foot, and I saw him notice mine. We gave each other knowing smirks as we headed in opposite directions. I ruminated over Fedora for days, thinking “That guy seemed cool; I could be friends with someone like that.”

And then it struck me. Like, duh, if that guy looks cool with a mobility aid, maybe I look cool, too. I realized that the key to accepting my new look – the mobility aid version of myself – was in seeing people who look like me looking better than me. So much of fashion is aspirational. How was I supposed to understand the potential beauty of someone with a disability without high-fashion examples to consider?

I turned to the internet in search of new role models. (Selma Blair’s red carpet moment at the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar party, when the actress appeared in a flowing Ralph & Russo gown with a customized matching cane, hadn’t happened yet.) The absence of stylish images of visibly disabled young women in mainstream media validated the negative associations I assumed were being made about me. I felt like I’d been excommunicated from the world of designer clothes and It bags that I loved so much.

I decided that I would not only stop being ashamed of my mobility aids but also celebrate them.

Coming to terms with my inability to walk unaided is an ongoing negotiation, but my North American birthright to superficial vanity and materialistic self-obsession is no longer negotiable. My new disabled identity isn’t going to keep me from my “look at me” outfits. I decided that I would not only stop being ashamed of my mobility aids but also celebrate them.

I sourced the best-looking devices I could find – no small feat considering that just about every industry has yet to recognize that people with disabilities have the same fashion literacy as the average consumer. The idea that disability is the only identity we’re entitled to is reinforced when the tools we need to help us move look so medical, devoid of aesthetic or individuality.

It is just another way to be human, and how can we not find beauty in that?

I found two companies in Europe (naturally!) that were making rollators that matched my vibe. Sleek and stream- lined, they had hidden cables, making them look more sporty than assistive, and they came in colours like Oyster White and Cloud Blue. I hired a fashion photographer to create the kind of images I had been looking for – for my own sake but also so I could litter them all over Instagram, knowing there had to be other people looking for the same kind of mirror I had been seeking.

Since my initial online searches in 2017, the virtual chronic illness community has expanded and social media has become a place where people with disabilities can see and be seen and are unapologetically taking up space. The landscape is changing, and the new fashion industry has started to take notice.
I used to be happy to pass as “normal,” but with 22 per cent of Canadians identifying as disabled, disability is normal. It is just another way to be human, and how can we not find beauty in that? In the end, MS didn’t make me change my style. It made me insist on my style, and my “look at me” attitude has never felt more powerful.

The post How an MS Diagnosis Affected My Attitude Toward Fashion appeared first on FASHION Magazine.