Month: February 2021

It seems there is a point at which even the most ardent sweatpants devotee breaks rank. Perhaps it was the smattering of temperate late-fall days or the stultifying relentlessness of WFH life, but suddenly all the cozy, plush, fleecy piles in shapeless silhouettes were anathema to me. The cognitive dissonance I’d felt marveling at the sheer volume of variously shaped outside shoes and the riot of shrewdly cut frocks in my closet no longer seemed absurd and profane. Call it a circadian rhythm, call it desperation, but I could not get over this pent-up kinetic energy, this need for catharsis, this unslakable desire to get a ’fit off, to dress at someone.

Courtesy of the designer.

As life became startlingly, stunningly precious, the notion of saving a look, putting a piece on ice, seemed hideously antiquated, laughably miserly—and altogether beside the point. It is, no doubt, a privilege to be alive, to be healthy, to have a Maslow’s hierarchy of needs so satisfied that the body and mind crave to be viscerally moved by something as auxiliary to survival as clothes. But this is precisely where I found myself, and it seemed I wasn’t alone. I missed getting dressed for an audience—and based on the spring 2021 collections, designers missed dressing us for one.

Courtesy of the designer.

That came across in the mashed-together archival Franken-jackets at Marni; the frenzied, clashing prints and textures pleated and layered at Chopova Lowena; the engorged, swagged sleeves, hems, and pants at Loewe. Everything was gloriously impractical, hyperbolic, outsized as if to ward off predators, and larded with embroidery, painted florals, animal prints, and vividly candied hues, almost as if fashion itself were in heat. Designers, in a kind of collective Rumspringa, seemed determined to shake it all off in utter opposition to the coiled vigilance of lockdown.

Courtesy of the designer.

“You want some zaniness, you want to look extra,” says designer Michael Halpern, who forwent the traditional runway show for a film that featured first responders in London wearing his collection. Soaring, metallic pleats wafted at eye level, as a black-and-pink globe dress festooned with ingeniously spiked feathers affirmed this lust for outward projection. Dressing up like this “is an act of defiance,” he says. “You don’t want to continue from this place of fear.”

(It also bears mentioning that these intricately embellished pieces don’t just catch the eye, but ensure the livelihoods of many. “We’re supporting textile mills, seamstresses, button producers,” Halpern points out. “What’s not relevant about happiness and jobs?”)

EMMANUEL MONSALVE

Few can be more readily relied upon for a shot of dopamine to the neck than Christopher John Rogers, a red-carpet mainstay and CFDA darling adored for billowing satin with the kind of color saturation that throbs. “It’s important, especially now, to find ways to make yourself as happy as possible,” he tells me, emphasizing that it’s precisely the lack of events that should make the ritual of dressing for dressing’s sake that much more personal. “I don’t believe in saving pieces for a moment,” he says. “I’m inspired by people who use clothes as clothes, even though they happen to be spectacular.” Olivia Kim, Nordstrom’s vice president of Creative Projects and Home, shares this sentiment. “I’ve always loved this idea of being overly dressed up for mundane errands,” says Kim, who now finds herself breaking out her fanciest frocks for pedestrian tasks. She recently wore a red velvet Comme des Garçons dress with paper-doll proportions to sift through avocados at the grocery store.

MediaPunch/Shutterstock

Yolk

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$18.39

As we get ready to emerge from quarantine, so many of us are feeling the urge to tap into the uncorked giddiness of fashion again. It’s less about consumption or louche ostentation, and more about the unequivocal playfulness of wanting to wear everything you love all at the same time. Halpern crystallizes this phenomenon neatly in two words: “Grey Gardens,” he says, acknowledging his inspiration for wearing gobs of jewelry at home to watch The Crown. “Sometimes you want that.”

Mary H.K. Choi’s third novel, Yolk, is out now.

This article appears in the March 2021 issue of ELLE.

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The joint efforts of Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons have not gone unnoticed. The very opposite, in fact—they’re all anyone can talk about. Since the announcement [hyperlink https://www.elle.com/fashion/a31067150/raf-simons-prada-co-creative-director/] of their co-creative director titles in February 2020, right before the COVID-19 led to global lockdowns, the runway has drastically changed. Their debut collection last September came with quiet fanfare, the only kind that can follow a digital show previewed at home, but their blooming partnership continues to flourish. Prada’s fall-winter 2021 collection gives us something to be excited about.

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In a post-show Q&A that followed the runway video, Team Prada brought the world together when everyone feels so far away. Hosting a digital roundtable (one that looks much chicer than your typical Zoom meeting), the conversation sat Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons alongside fellow creatives, including actress Hunter Schafer, director Lee Daniels (who hired Prada to recreate Billie Holiday’s outfits for his film The United States vs. Billie Holiday), and self-proclaimed Prada addict Marc Jacobs (“Prada-ness is Ms. Prada,” he states in the video), in a chat that spanned fashion as a form of storytelling amidst a global pandemic to collaboration in the arts to the newfound responsibilities in the fashion community. “Being involved in all the matters from diversity to gender,” Ms. Prada says, “you really have to be proactive, responsible.”

Courtesy of Prada

Courtesy of Prada

The collection itself is a mashup. We once again witness their two brains at work. Ms. Prada’s subversion of femininity and ’70s graphics is seen through the lens of Simons’s futuristic cuts, most noticeable in the silhouettes of oversized shoulders and heavy suits that pull away from the body. It’s an outerwear-heavy collection, bound to create future heirlooms. Sequins and faux fur cohabitate with Prada’s signature Re-nylon textile, now in the form of modern parkas, clutched by the models like pearls. Printed jacquard knits are reworked as leggings, turtlenecks, catsuits, and even bags. Unsurprisingly, it’s the accessories that stand out on the runway. Simons revisits the glove-pouch combo that seems fit for street style, even if those streets are the ones you stroll on your daily quarantine walk. Our favorite item? The heavy-hoofed boots that are practical only in that “Prada-ness” way: slightly impractical to the untrained eye, but cult-worthy nonetheless.

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This is Texture Talk, a weekly column that deep dives into the dynamic world of curly hair, from crowns of curls that are free flowing to strands that are tucked away in a protective style.

For the past handful of years, there has been a steady emergence of natural hair on designer runways and red carpets, in ad campaigns, and on TV — and that’s a very beautiful thing. In a world where, for so long, Eurocentric hairstyles, from straight and sleek to loose, styled curls, dominated the public spotlight, seeing natural hair — which has been a political battleground for decades — as “en vogue” signals that the beauty industry has widened its narrow standards.

But as natural hair becomes more accepted in these high-profile spaces, a glaring dilemma has been exposed behind the scenes: stylists ill-equipped to work with highly-textured hair. The root of the issue? A lack of curl education. The disparity begins in beauty school and then filters up to salons and professional sets, ultimately presenting itself in the form of discriminatory hair practices disguised as ignorance.

Despite the army of hairstylists on deck, backstage during Fashion Month can be a breeding ground for natural hair discrimination. “That’s probably one of the worst and most public areas that you see it, and [one of the ways] racism is showing up in the fashion industry,” notes hairstylist Stacey Ciceron, a textured hair expert and educator.

Ciceron, who has styled for runway shows during New York, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks, stresses that insufficient curl knowledge, plus the underrepresentation of Black hairstylists who understand the complexity of afro hair, makes way for traumatizing experiences for models of colour, scenarios that force mouths to be kept shut and heads down. “If you’re a Black model and your hair must be done, you don’t have a choice. There can be three or four people on you at one time just pulling, tightening — trying to do whatever,” describes Ciceron. “Models feel like they can’t even speak up in order to keep their jobs.” And in many cases, it’s not unusual for models with natural hair to be left completely untouched, which feels like a cop-out knowing the variety of styles that can be achieved with afro hair. “That’s the other [end of the] spectrum because [hairstylists] don’t want to deal with it.”

For Canadian model Crystal Rowe, trusting her natural hair to pros on gigs is always a risk, which has led to taking hair matters into her own hands before showing up to work. “It’s actually better that I do my hair myself because it can get damaged on set with hairstylists trying to do something. The products they use are not good for my hair and things like that,” she reveals. “Until I feel like the industry has really changed, I’m going to continue doing it at home.”

Prepping her hair at home pre-job is a norm fellow local model Truth John understands well, too. In fact, the widespread lack of textured-hair knowledge even led John to chemically straightening her afro strands. “I was relaxing and texturizing my hair because it was easier for hairstylists to deal with,” she admits. “Once you’re in the industry, you realize that not a lot of people know how to deal with your hair.”

To fix this problem, Ciceron underlines that industry decision-makers, from fashion designers to beauty brands, need to support more hairstylists of colour behind the scenes. But it’s not solely about ethnic diversity; it’s about diversity in skill. It’s every hair professional’s job to learn to style Black hair. “I’m not saying they need to specialize in highly-textured hair. They need to learn how to do it — the same way they learn how to do everything else,” she expresses. “Let’s do our part [as hairstylists] to make sure that everything is better moving forward.”

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“That’s when I realized, I was holding on to a Roberto Cavalli outfit and throwing away my relationship,” Carrie Bradshaw mused on Sex and the City while fighting with Aidan. He needed closet space, she needed couture. We know the outcome of that doomed relationship, because the choice should never be made between men and fashion. But Cavalli outlived it all, even if there is a flimsy reboot in the making.

You know a Cavalli dress when you see one. With a penchant for outlandish prints and a predilection for hypersexual silhouettes, the brand is known for its cheeky mix of Barocco overindulgence coupled with the overindulgence of the 2000s. Celebrity and cultural allegiances were forged between the brand and style icon Jennifer Lopez, with Kim Kardashian more recently sourcing her vintage wardrobe from Cavalli’s rich archives.

But Roberto Cavalli does not exist in a vacuum. Founded in 1975, well before the height of the ’90s Italian runway invasion, Cavalli has since established itself as a brand with staying power. It was helmed by both Paul Surridge and Peter Dundas, respectively, in the past five years. When Fausto Puglisi was named its new creative director in September 2020, the hope was to rebuild the brand from the ground up. The brand is intrinsically tied to the extravagance of the post-millennial era, but Puglisi wants to bring its 2000s aesthetic into our 2021 world.

“Okay, let’s rewind. Let’s write a new book. This is a preface,” Puglisi told me over Zoom.

With animated gesticulations that lend themselves well to a virtual chat, Puglisi said he understands the gargantuan task at hand. He doesn’t aim to rewrite the brand’s history—”It’s important to respect the DNA of a brand”—but he wants to bring it out of its famed archives and support a modern approach to dressing. In his debut collection for the fall-winter 2021 season, dubbed “Season Zero,” he’s marrying the past with the present. We see obvious nods to Cavalli classics in animal prints and a standout, bias-cut dress inspired by one worn by Cindy Crawford. The gown Aaliyah wore to the 2000s MTV Music Awards is now strapless but features the same feathered slit. Denim, which Cavalli is known for, is reinterpreted in a sandblasted, wide-legged pant. A section of the collection is unisex, an important shift for Puglisi’s revisioning of the iconic label.

“It’s very democratic and demographic,” he says. “What I’m trying break the boundaries of age, skin, culture. They live together, a masculine suit with a ultra sexy frock. It’s important that really the Cavalli woman is all the woman. I mean, really, I can’t stand people saying it’s sexy or it’s not sexy, it’s conservative or not conservative.”

Getty / Courtesy of Roberto Cavalli

Read on to for Puglisi on his personal triumphs designing during the pandemic, the legacy he intends to uphold, and his thoughts on Generation Z.

On Redefining Cavalli’s legacy

We are talking about a brand which is famous for its strength, powerful, power, imagination and eccentricity. It’s connected to Diana Vreeland, to Tony Duquette. Cavalli is connected to the 2000s. It was Carrie from Sex in the City talking about Roberto Cavalli and it was J-Lo for Cavalli and Sharon Stone for Cavalli. It was the Golden Globes and the MTV awards and the party at Central Pad, the Cannes Festival.

It’s a challenge because this brand is still extremely alive in the mind of the people. In the past five years they didn’t really have the strategy, probably, that a brand like Cavalli deserved. So it’s a strong challenge but I’m putting all my energy and efforts to make this [shift] happen. I tried to design a collection that tried to talk to different kinds of women, so take off the flashy colors, work with different skin tones. I believe that I have a deep responsibility to be able to talk to different kind of customers, which is my goal.

On creating during a pandemic

The world that we are living in is constantly sucking your blood, your energy, and it’s asking you to give more and more and more. I’m a dreamer. There are so many people in the world that want just to travel, travel just to make selfies, and they don’t see anything where they are. I believe that there are people that can stay home reading a book trying to create their own fantasy. I’m like this. There was something selfish with my situation [during the pandemic]. It was a moment to challenge myself. It was about me as person, as human being, and I started to cook. I took my time not to design, not to create, but to listen to music, to read a lot, to watch the movies I like and to calm down a little bit. It was a moment to reflect.

Then I found Cavalli. Amazing people, a great team. Creating his collection was very energetic, because in Italy our people suffered. They’re still suffering. But there is hope. It’s beautiful.

On Gen Z’s relationship to style

There is this section [in my collection] which is genderless. What I believe about the younger generation is that they don’t like things that are too obvious. I can wear my boyfriend’s jacket, you can wear your girlfriend’s pants. We are living in a society that is very fluid now. There are not any kind of segments. Everything is very connected with the young generation most of all, who are extremely fluid, which is fantastic, because my generation was not like that. The young generation is proving that they’re able meet the super sexy with the coolest flat babouche to stay home or to go out.

On mindfully designing for 2021

I wanted to take the kind of flashiness off Cavalli because we’re in a pandemic. It’s a moment which is very sad for the world. I didn’t want anything that was too flashy, but I want it to be eccentric, which is different. I wanted different kinds of feminine attitudes because a woman today doesn’t need a designer to tell her to wear this design—a woman can mix and match herself.

On the future of fashion

What we need is less consumeristic proposals. We need to reflect a lot about the products. We need to reflect a lot about the quality. We need to spend more to spend less on clothes, because if you spend $1,000, I’m saying just to say, $1,000 for five t-shirts, or you can buy two for $1,000 and they stay forever. They’re made respecting the human craftsmanship, which is extremely important.

I’m not a doctor, so this is depending on what our scientists are saying, but I believe that after the vaccine, I can’t wait to have you in Milan and I can’t wait to come to New York. I can’t wait to share with the people I love and respect, the journalists, the buyers, the clients. Fashion was born as a community. I only can pray and hope that everything will come like it used to be in terms of people together. People want to go out, about to share opinions, to share love, to shake hands again. We are all animals. We were born to be together. So absolutely, we’ll go out again.

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The brand that paved the way for natural, lit-from-within beauty is officially closing its doors come September 2021.

Becca Cosmetics, the brand responsible for see-them-from-space highlighted cheekbones, is the latest company to be hit hard by COVID-19. On February 24, the influential beauty brand announced it would be closing come September 2021.

With a statement shared on Instagram and its website titled “Glowing with Gratitude,” the brand lamented the devastating impact the pandemic has had “on everyone around the world on many levels,” and encouraged Becca lovers to continued to “keep illuminating your true selves.”

“At Becca, an accumulation of challenges, together with the global impact of COVID-19, has sadly been more than our business can withstand, and we have had to make the heartbreaking decision to close down the Becca brand at the end of September 2021,” the statement reads. “We believe in you, and we believe that the beauty inside you is the light you share with the world. We are confident that the spirit of Becca will continue to live on through all of you.”

“Please keep illuminating your true selves. Light your own paths and push your limits. Share positivity and light the way for others as you make an impact on this world. Own your light on your own terms.”

Fans are heartbroken over the news, taking to Instagram to voice their undying love for the brand.

Makeup artist Allan Avendaño commented: “Thank you always for the support you’ve given to all the artists. You will be missed. I can’t imagine my kit without you so I refuse to let that happen.”

Another fan wrote: “But you guys invented highlight. The end of an era. #champagnepopforever.”

The end of an era, indeed.

Becca Cosmetics, founded in 2001 in Australia, was one of the first brands to leverage the power of social media influencer marketing. Its complexion-inclusive, cruelty-free products appealed to the new age of natural, lit-from-within beauty; a major shift from heavy looks that dominated the better part of the 2000s.

The brand saw considerable growth in 2015 when popular makeup YouTuber Jaclyn Hill started talking about it on her channel shortly before the launch of Becca’s hugely successful Champagne Pop Collection. Champagne Pop, a highlighter in the collection, sold 25,000 units within just 20 minutes of going online. Hill went on to release her own line with the brand the following year. Their campaign was launched entirely on social media.

Acquired by Estée Lauder Companies — which also owns big-industry brands like Smashbox, M.A.C and Dr. Jart+ — for $200 million in 2016, Becca maintained strong relationships with influential people, like Hill and actor Barbie Ferreira, and collaborated with its own customers to make a name for itself as a trusted brand with beloved products.

But last year, Estée Lauder Companies announced a huge reduction in their workforce worldwide, effectively laying off about three percent and closing from 10 to 15 percent of their stores.

Although Champagne Pop will become a makeup artifact with collector’s-item status by the end of this year, the brand has had an incredible impact and spearheaded the natural beauty trend that will definitely live on past the pandemic.

Songs, memes, and listicles have all been known to go viral—but a sweater? After Harry Styles wore one of JW Anderson’s patchwork knit pieces and fans began re-creating it en masse on TikTok, the designer decided to release the pattern and instructions to the public. The idea, Anderson explains, was “to help promote this idea of craft and making during a period when everyone was stuck at home with nothing to do.” His theory as to why an art form with definite granny associations has taken hold with Gen Zers and millennials? “People are looking for connection,” the designer says, “and not just via their phones.”

Indeed, the craft movement that has bubbled up in recent years—from the resurgence of quilting via designers like Bode to the rise of handmade crochet at Altuzarra and Isabel Marant—has exploded during quarantine. Perhaps you’ve seen someone you know breaking out their knitting needles and yarn on Instagram, or curling up in their own hand-dyed sweatshirts. As Anderson makes clear, craft offers a way for us to connect—whether to the hands of its makers, age-old traditions, or simply our own humanity. Knitting, crocheting, quilting, and even weaving are making a major comeback, not just on social media, but in the realm of high fashion, where handmade fringe, tie-dye, and beading have hit an all-time high.

MARIE ROUGE/Courtesy of Chanel

For spring 2021, Fendi showed artisan-made bobbin lace, quilted satin, lace-embroidered linen, and fisherman-woven willow. At Valentino, caftans, little jackets, sweaters, and cape dresses were punctuated with delicate crochet and macramé, and creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli reworked embroidered flowers atop lace. Delicate handiwork is always on display at Chanel’s annual Métiers d’art show, where the house’s artisan partners showcase their extraordinary talents, but the brand has doubled down on craftsmanship lately. This summer, it’s scheduled to open a new multistory space, Le 19M, that will bring together 11 Métiers d’art, comprising about 600 artisans—allowing Chanel closer contact whenever it requires their expertise.

NATHAN CONGLETON/NBC/GETTY IMAGES

Slowing down has given us “an opportunity to reconnect with the little things,” says Carlotta Oddi, founder and creative director of Alanui, the Italian luxury knitwear brand. “We’ve been able to direct our attention to details. Something that in a normal busy lifestyle, most of us cannot do.” This season, she dreamed up embroideries from India, crochet cardigans and shirts, and handmade raffia bags and AirPod cases. “The hand is so important to me,” she says. “It is what gives a soul to our pieces.”

Adam Katz Sinding/Fendi

As it turns out, fashion-conscious women are flocking to the soulful qualities of craft with as much enthusiasm as the knitters on TikTok, and are seemingly just as content to buy as to DIY. Natalie Kingham, the fashion and buying director at MatchesFashion, rattles off best-sellers: Gabriela Hearst’s hand-knit cashmere; Bode’s patchwork jackets; Marques’ Almeida’s homemade repurposed fabrics; Vita Kin’s vyshyvankas, or traditional embroidered shirts, from her native Ukraine; and Lauren Manoogian’s homey knits. “Handcrafted pieces have a sense of individuality,” Kingham says, “and the connection to something that is lovingly made feels personal, which is more important now than ever.” Roopal Patel, fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue, notes that with stay-at-home recommendations in effect late into last year, “it’s no wonder that designers returned to crafts and techniques that originated from doing just that—staying at home. There’s something nostalgic and comforting about handmade items, which is what makes them so appealing to customers in our current environment.” Patel is particularly drawn to Hearst’s crochet gowns and Brunello Cucinelli’s knits, with their handmade touches.

Courtesy of the designer.

The tactile feeling of a lush, hand-knit sweater or an embroidered top provides a bit of comfort in an increasingly unpredictable and progressively digital world, where even socializing takes place onscreen. Sitting down with a pair of knitting needles and fluffy merino yarn sparks a deeper connection than mindless scrolling ever could.

This article appears in the March 2021 issue of ELLE.

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This is My Story, a series dedicated to creatives of colour and their paths to success.

“We’re on the verge of something big, massive, huge. We have the opportunity to be a part of one of the most transformative times in history, a moment in time that can be remembered in history books as people who truly fought for change,” said etalk co-anchor Tyrone Edwards in a virtual TEDx talk that streamed live late last year. Called “My Trauma is Not a Trend,” the fifteen-minute video shows the Canadian television personality, whose career began in 2011 as a host for MuchMusic and progressed to E! then etalk, speaking candidly about the world finally seeming to wake up to anti-Black racism in the wake of George Floyd’s death in police custody in May 2020.

“I never thought I’d see this chance for change in my lifetime. In fact, I spent many years building up a wall around me to protect me. Building up a tolerance to mistreatment and harassment just to get me through. So as much as this excites me, it also terrifies me — because my trauma just cannot be a trend,” he goes on to say, opening up about his worries that the momentum of the collective outcry, which erupted through protests and black squares dominating social media, will fizzle as many wait for life to return to some sort of pre-pandemic normalcy.

This isn’t Edwards’ first time speaking out publicly. The powerful TEDx talk, which sees the broadcaster dive into some of his daily realities and struggles as a Black man in society, came after the pop culture reporter’s incredibly emotional and viral moment on The Social mere days after Floyd’s death during a segment on men’s mental health and the pandemic. While being interviewed, a tearful Edwards expressed his pain and outrage over the systemic racism and violence Black people continue to experience, and his boiling frustration that those outside of the Black community around him don’t seem to express the same level of anger when injustices occur. Since that raw moment on national television, Edwards’ clout has been on a much-needed rise within the entertainment industry, and we’re all here for it.

Below, FASHION caught up with Edwards to talk about his latest co-anchor role, breaking free from fear to pursue his dreams and what’s on his horizon.

On his role at etalk…
“I’ve taken this seat as the co-anchor of etalk and the timing is just impeccable. Yes, we’re an entertainment show, but now that I’m un-muted, I can bring so much more to the table and talk about things that matter: anti-Black racism, mental health, mandated masculinity and what that looks like today versus what it did before. I love that my journey as an individual, my journey as a man, has prepared me for this very moment that I’m in right now.”

On his career journey and learning to never stop dreaming…
“Initially, I had a very particular, very niche dream: I wanted to host RapCity on MuchMusic. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and I did that. I was literally living the dream almost to the point of it being so exciting that I felt guilty because the older you get, when you look around, you realize how many people aren’t. I also come from very humble means and my mother and my aunt taught me how to be satisfied and not want for everything. When you don’t have much, you have to learn how to make do with what you have and be grateful. So when I got the RapCity job, I felt guilty to want for more, to dream for more. But time on the job led to more access (bigger celebrities, bigger experiences), and eventually what ended up happening was I built up the nerve to dream again by doing some personal work to become a better version of myself and to realize why I was thinking the way I was. A lot of it had to do with me just thinking like a survivor. But I realized, ‘Hold on. I’m not just surviving anymore. Now it’s time to thrive. Now it’s time to build. Now it’s time to think about dreaming again.’ So I did, which has helped me grow in front of the camera over the last couple of years. It’s also made me a better reporter and host in general.”

On what’s next…
“I’m a community guy and one of my legacy pieces is going to be free walk-in mental health clinics for youth. Right now, I’m an ambassador for the Yorktown Family Services Mental Health Walk-In Clinic near where I grew up and the numbers are unreal in terms of the need for mental health services, how they’re being received and the positive impact that they’re creating. But I know that getting mental health support is not something that is easily accessible — or even a reality — in a lot of neighbourhoods like the one that I grew up in. And what that really comes down to is neighbourhoods being underserved. Like the neighbourhood that I grew up in: There’s nothing wrong with it; it’s just underserved.

“So I want the walk-in clinic to be replicated throughout the city where it’s needed: In all other underserved neighbourhoods that are lower income or have a lot of single-income homes. I’m no doctor, but I truly believe that mental health is linked to rising crime rates and people going in and out of jail. A lot of times, these are people who have issues that have never been diagnosed. People that could really use some support but never get it.

“It wasn’t until my twenties before I started to realize that it wasn’t weird or weak to speak to someone. That I didn’t have to feel ashamed or lesser than. I didn’t think like that when I was 17. I even remember my first [therapy] session and getting into my car afterwards and driving away. I was like, ‘What the hell? That’s a luxury! No wonder rich people do that stuff. I wish I could afford to do that every two weeks.’ Because it is a luxury to be able to talk so someone and have them work through things with you professionally and without biases. And it’s not about just about going when you’re at your worst. It can be preventative. Your mental health is the most important thing.”

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When you think of Fendi, a lot comes to mind. The storied Italian house has a legacy that transcends house codes, without hard definitions, set by the Fendi family and Karl Lagerfeld’s tenure. The addition of Kim Jones as creative director in 2020, who presented his debut collection during the last couture season, extends the tradition of keeping it in the family.

“The Fendi family are women of intellect who work hard–and that’s what I wanted to celebrate,” Jones notes in the brand’s press release. “A powerful dynasty”—and an impeccably dressed one. Shades of camel are sumptuously layered in contrasting textiles. Boucle wool trenches are draped over rich suede and silk blouses delicately monogrammed with Lagerfeld’s namesake logo, the “Kaligraphy” monogram. A house known for its furs, a standout piece is a woven herringbone coat edged in fringe. Silk rosettes and printed marble are lingering details from his premiere Fendi show. Delicate knitwear is presented in coordinating sets, continuing the sweater-bra trend we’ve seen explode over the past few years. Under the direction of Silvia Venturini Fendi, the runway also launched a new bag silhouette, the Fendi First, alongside familiar icons like the Peekaboo and Sunshine Shopper.

Courtesy of Fendi / ALDOCASTOLDI

Courtesy of Fendi / ALDOCASTOLDI

“I’m taking the amazing, strong women who I both know and work with, and listening to their needs,” Jones states. “There’s a usefulness to the collection.”

The neutral palette is a collection of separates to create a full wardrobe for the Fendi woman, who could pull together an outfit by blindly plucking anything off this runway. It’s a practical approach to dressing, one that reflects the times without sacrificing the opulent nature of fashion itself. We’re still in the process of fully understanding the scope of Jones’ point of view as a womenswear designer, but it’s clear that his first ready-to-wear collection is sexy and strong, clean and wearable.

“Fun isn’t always just about bright colours,” Jones says. “It can be about really luxurious self indulgence, which pleases the person wearing it more than anyone else.” In other words, treat yourself.

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From a new sneaker style by Canadian brand Zvelle to a collab between Sporty & Rich and Clarks Originals, here’s what you need to know.

Ready to get a leg up on your look? February has presented a wealth of new footwear options from the first sneaker offering by Toronto-based brand Zvelle to Native’s “algae-infused” shoes. Plus, you can currently pre-order the Fall 2021 boot collaboration between Anna Sui and Vancouver’s John Fluevog. There’s never been a better time to get your kicks!

Zvelle introduced a new sneaker called Rayna

Coming hot off the heels of several other launches in the last year, Toronto-based footwear and accessory brand Zvelle has dropped its first sneaker, which comes in eight colourways from metallic to monochromatic and more. The Rayna’s look is a mix between a charming ballet flat and a soft sporty ’70s running shoe — an ideal combo for anyone whose on-the-go look needs a lift these days. The handcrafted-in-Italy styles are limited run (pardon the pun), so make your move fast.

A capsule offering from Sporty & Rich and Clarks Originals is now available

For its first footwear collaboration, Sporty & Rich — the athleisure label launched by Canadian creative Emily Oberg — has teamed up with British brand Clarks Originals. Three versions of Clarks’s classic Wallabee shoe are offered up in shades of merlot, cream and pastel blue; hues sure to put a spring in your step. The styles are made by a German tannery that works with the reforestation-focused organization, the Kikonda Forest Project, and feature a rubber sole made from a renewable source.

“To me, the Wallabee embodies the sort of genderless image that I always try to incorporate into Sporty & Rich’s aesthetic,” Oberg said in a press release about the launch. “It perfectly ties together elegance and casual styles — not a dress shoe, but not quite a sneaker either. And the history of the shoe within ’90s culture has also made it a versatile icon to all different groups of people.”

Cougar debuted a range of pieces boasting a design by Jill Malek

Home décor designer Jill Malek has lent her artful, minimalistic style to an array of Cougar’s popular Kensington Chelsea rain boots. The pattern uses reflective details meant to capture the essence of “rain catching the light,” transforming the boot’s utilitarian vibe into something playfully elevated. “Consistently inspired by moving forms in nature, it is my mission to create pieces that promote a sense of calm and fluidity in our hectic world,” Malek said in a statement about the collaboration. “Partnering with Cougar has enabled me to bring the story of translucent rain to their amazing rain boot, while also allowing me to experiment with their new and innovative materials.”

The Fall 2021 Anna Sui x John Fluevog collab is available for pre-order

If you caught the digital launch of Anna Sui’s Fall 2021 collection during NYFW last week, you may have noticed she’s continuing her work with Canadian brand John Fluevog. And for the first time, fans of the fantastical synergy between Fluevog and Sui are able to pre-order select pieces from the collection. In this case, the Odlum brogued Chelsea boot — a slip-on style that comes in two colours of a charming berry and floral motif. Pick your pair now for expected delivery in May (who doesn’t love something to look forward to these days?), and get the extra satisfaction of knowing 10% of sales will go to The Bowery Mission, an organization close to Sui’s heart.

Native Shoes dropped more styles made with repurposed algae

Speaking to its “goal of giving 100% of shoes an end of life solution by 2023,” Vancouver’s Native Shoes just relaunched its selection of Jefferson Bloom Archive pieces in ocean-inspired colours. Fitting, as they’re made with material that uses Rise by Bloom technology; according to a press release, the process removes toxic algae from waterways and this harvested matter is then “fused” into the upper of the shoes.

Vans and Opening Ceremony have partnered on their first global collection

For their new capsule collection with Vans, Opening Ceremony founders Humberto Leon and Carol Lim have created interpretations of the streetwear brand’s iconic checkerboard motif. You’ll find a tactile take in the offering’s two quilted sneakers in addition to leopard and snake-print styles. The collection also includes apparel and accessories, so indulge in wearing a head-to-toe look if you dare.