The Book by StyleCircle Vol. 3: Human Futures

THE BOOK

BY STYLECIRCLE

ISSUE THREE

THE BOOK

BY STYLECIRCLE

LETTER FROM

THE EDITORS A

s we sit here and write this letter, it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come. What started as a small but ambitious student blog has grown into a small empire of a student organization. We’ve gone from Art Director and Writer / PR assistant to a President/ Vice-President duo on a fashionable journey that’s been nothing short of amazing. In a few short years, StyleCircle has gone from covering the coolest style at Toronto Fashion Week and simple holiday DIY’s to global coverage of fashion news and know-how and maintaining a poised and critical perspective of the fashion industry. Over the last 3 years we’ve both watched StyleCircle advance beyond the virtual world and into the real one, by way of The Book by StyleCircle.

Speaking of the virtual world, we’ve accomplished a lot there too. This year we successfully completed a design overhaul of stylecircle.org. The new design provides a refreshing and captivating website experience that elevates the StyleCircle brand. We launched a critical fashion podcast, StruggleCircle

by StyleCircle in collaboration with Ryerson’s student radio station CJRU. In it, we explored challenges facing young fashion professionals in the industry.

We also we introduced new, student focused video content by way of our recently launched YouTube channel. This

year we accomplished a lot as a team and looking back on our tenures here, there is a lot to be proud of, and thankful for.

In our much-anticipated third issue, we’ve drawn upon the strengths of our previous issues, and amped up our pillars of diversity, innovation and fashion activism. Each and every page of this magazine has been thoughtfully conceptualized from font to folio to bring you the best of the young creatives in Toronto and beyond.

Our third issue triumphs under the theme of Human Futures; our vision for a future that is less about the cold inhumanity of mechanics and artificiality and more about the innovation and rebirth of human rights and representation. To our devoted team, this issue (and this year) would not have been possible without your efforts. We are so excited to present you with this year’s publication.

MASTHEAD President/Editor in Chief: Print Luke Severin

Vice-President/Editor in Chief: Digital Naomi Brearley

Vice President: PR

Vice President: Marketing

Vice President: Events

Print Art Director

Digital Art Director

Anna Evans

Emmett Charuk

Joanna Lupker

Alicia Churilla

Krizia Peluso

PR

Caeleigh Sims

Graphic Designers

Aankshika Bheem Amy Ryan Nicole Tinker Roy Luo

Marketing

Alex Anisman Daniel Bosco Jessica Fess Julia Milligan Mahtab Abghari Olivia Lemieux Marly Bromstein

Photographers

Beatriz Sartorius Emmett Charuk Gabi Macias Holly Chang Jared Miller Joanna Ho Katya Katnelson

Events

Copy Editors

Azmina Syed Monika Zerbe Janelle Patrick

Yasmin Momeni Naomi Brearley

Assistant Art Director

Emilia Miranda Indiens

Writers

Daniela Ponzo Ellis Matthews Emily Bartosiewicz Emily Haibeck Harrison Clarke Kelsey Adlem Leah Chan Marly Bromstein Natalie Robin Natasha Jorge-Moore Sarah Cho Shayna Sujanani Tori Hopgood Ubah Guled Vanessa Smikle Victoria Zander Yasmin Momeni

Print Directors

Emily Bartosiewicz Mahtab Abghari Aankshika Bheem Beatriz Sartorius Naomi Brearley Olivia Lemieux Marly Bromstein

Contributors

Anna McCorriston Sienna Ebbinghaus Alia Youseff Melissa Dunphy

Podcast/ YouTube

Naomi Brearley Anna Evans Caeleigh Sims Daniela Ponzo Ubah Guled

08 14 18 22 26 28 32 38 46 48 28 30

Reimagine Form Faces of the Future Gen Z: The Final Generation Red Light Catch Me if You Can NOREPLY Something’ s Not Right Here Human Futures - Cover Story The Limitless Nature of Fashion Technology Retrofuturism Stuctured Beauty Is the Fashion Industry About Fabric or Fabrication?

62 66 68 72 76 78 80 84 86 90 94 98

Bored with Binaries An Abstraction of the Familiar This is MY Diversity A Future Underwater Nihil: Made by Society Urbanites Dear Millenial Les Bouquets Femmes Sisterhood Feminine Masculinity What’s Next?

Sponsors

REIMAGINE FORM /,rēi’majen · fôrm//

by joanna ho and beatriz Sartorius this is a series of photos that explore the concept of human futures by envisioning what fashion may become in a postmodern society. this is presented by featuring three focal garments that are reduced to basic elements of shape, proportion, and line which are then contrasted by harsh projections.

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designs by joanna ho. photos by beatriz sartorius. makeup by barbara palacio. models: camila aguirre, nicole melamed & nick pearson.

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Faces of the Future

Words and Photos by Holly Chang Models: Chloe Christian & Madelaine Violi (NEXT Canada) Makeup and Hair by Lacey Day Styling by Emmett Charuk

A

s an individual of mixed race you are constantly challenged and faced with adversity. Individuals attempt to categorize you based on assumptions they have about race. The assumption that you can be only one. One clean box; one simple category. In being mixed race, i.e. having parents from two (or more) different ethnic backgrounds, you exist in a space that is neither one nor the other: not black, not white, but somewhere in between. This is an issue given that it is human nature to search for categories and clean delineations. It is a natural human instinct to want to place everything under a label that is easy to understand and approach. But here’s the thing about human identity: there is nothing easy or approachable about it.

In a socio-political time where the term “identity” is being attacked and unpacked, from gender and sexual identity, to racial, physical and religious identity – the categories by which we have traditionally “organized” humanity are rapidly disappearing. In an effort to find sense and solace in the upheaval, many individuals ill-informed on the topic of race rush to find the easiest box to fit you in. To satisfy their own uncertainty they ask: “what are you?” not recognizing that a) the answer is human, b) it really isn’t any of their business, and c) the question they just asked is the most loaded one of all. It is also important to remember that this question typically only gets thrown at those individuals who don’t “look” entirely one ethnicity, thus insinuating that to exist along an ethnic spectrum isn’t acceptable.

According to author Naomi Zack, this racial binary is understood through the asymmetrical kinship schema, where essen-

tially “having one black relative somewhere down the line is a sufficient enough condition to be considered black, but in order to be considered white, your family’s entire lineage must be white” (1994). This schema therefore implies that one’s racial identity is determined in terms of the purity of their blackness or whiteness; thus leaving mixed race people completely out of the equation, categorizing them as “impure” (Zack, 1994, p.164). Zack’s evaluation therefore disallows the existence of mixed race individuals within the racial binary logic not only because it does not acknowledge a spectrum of ethnic composition, but it also assumes that mixed race people only have two races: black or white. One’s ethnic background can be composed of a myriad of races, and those races aren’t just black and white. Mixed race can be any combination of races: half black half white, half Asian half white, half black half Asian, etc. Being mixed race does not necessarily insinuate that you are half something and half something else; backgrounds can be more than two diversities.

Because of all of this (and more), as a multi-racial person navigating the fashion industry, let alone the world, talking about diversity and representation is a constant hot topic due to the lack of it. From ready to wear to haute couture runways, print to digital advertisements, commercials to billboards, the prevailing identity is white. This is not to say that all fashion brands lack diversity; but for the majority, they do. In an industry that considers tokenism to be sufficient medicine for lacking inclusion,

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finding a reflection of you in fashion as a mixed race person is challenging. In 2018 it’s downright disheartening. According to W Magazine (2017) autumn 2017 saw a record-breaking amount of diversity, 30.4%, in fashion print ads. The fact that we are ecstatic about this marginal figure is appalling; but progress has to start somewhere.

So in thinking about diversity and the identities of mixed race people as we think about what a better human future might look like, it is important to remember that the experiences of mixed race people not only need to be acknowledged, they need to be authentically included in every stage of the change-making process.

Fetishizing a race to make it relatable, placing one non-white model in an ad campaign alongside 20 white models, or including a few stick-thin coloured women on the runway is not going to make impactful sustainable change.

At a time when the world is being acknowledged as more diverse, the fashion industry has a huge opportunity to enact meaningful change. Despite the slow pace of changing perceptions between average every-day people, the media is capable of providing authentic platforms for these discussions to be shared and embraced. If fashion genuinely embraced a visual landscape of diversity it would not only create a holistic and inclusive environment, but it would trickle into other industries, multiplying the impact. Fashion has the ability to incent change on a massive scale and although most change happens slowly at first, if we keep pushing forward, hopefully diversity will be fully embraced in the future.

Fetishizing a race to make it relatable or accessible is wrong. It makes an individual seem somewhat novel or exotic because they are visibly more than one background. Because the world is becoming more diverse there is an assumption that the perceptions would change, that there would be more acceptance; but people seem to struggle accepting and providing a platform for diverse individuals. If the industry embraced diversity, it would create a holistic and inclusive environment.

This fashion landscape would foster inclusivity as well as creativity which would hopefully bleed into other industries. Fashion has the ability to make a change and its happening slowly, but hopefully diversity will be fully embraced in the future.

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z Gen

The Final Generation

Please welcome the generation responsible for shaping our future.

Words by Yasmin Momeni Graphic by Dani Keko-Aranilla

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t feels as though for the past decade there has been a continuous stream of articles chronicling he ways in which Generation Y (a.k.a Millennials) have unleashed their wrath of unconventional ideas on the world. “Ruining” entire areas of society with their dependence on technology, disrespect for traditional systems, and who could forget, their outrageous sense of entitlement. Though the Millennial generation is the most researched generation in history, the focus has shifted to the next generation: Generation Z. Generation Z encompasses anyone born after 1995. They are identified as socially conscious, entrepreneurial, community-oriented and practical. In today’s society, Generation Z is the symbol of change and evolution. Although the majority of Generation Z falls under the age of 18, tremendous expectations have been placed on their young shoulders.

Social Networks The era of Steve Jobs gave birth to the popular Millennial stereotype; the self-absorbed, technology obsessed individual, who can’t take their eyes off their phone. Steve Jobs created the iPhone and dropped it into the middle of our adolescence, leaving our generation to discover the novelty that was the 21st century Internet on a 3” by 6” screen.

What did we expect would happen?

When Generation Z came out of the womb, the iPhone was already there.

Technology is nothing new to them.

They have grown up with technology at their fingertips and have been raised by equally tech-obsessed parents.

Technology has had such a massive impact on their upbringing so far that they are alternatively dubbed iGen children. From a young age, they have been extremely tech savvy, recognizing the digital realm as a useful tool rather than a void for which they can howl into.

Whether social media and Internet savvy is seen as damaging or empowering, it is undeniable that the digital world is rapidly

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evolving, and the younger generations that master these changes are going to have profound impacts on the world of business in the future. The online world is being fundamentally shaped by the young people of today. It is considered a primary tool for not only verbal, but also visual communication. The fact that Generation Z was raised with the Internet has led to higher rates of media literacy compared to the Millennial Generation.

If you automatically know what I mean when I say the terms, “personal brand” or “aesthetic” you are embodying the impact of the Internet on you.

These terms would hold their wight within the creative class without the help of technology to foster new visual identities. A key-defining feature of Gen Z is their Internet usage patterns and their unique use of social media as a second language. I’m not talking about

“A key-defining feature of Gen Z is their Internet usage patterns and their unique use of social media as a second language.”

updating their daily Facebook status’ as Gen Y currently does. Quite the opposite, according to the New York based agency, Sparks & Honey, where 25% of 1317 year olds deleted their Facebook accounts altogether in 2014. What I’m referring to is an entire generation that has garnered a deep understanding of creative applications like Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat and how they can be used to create and communicate in different ways than ever before.

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According to the same study from Sparks & Honey, 81% of Generation Z uses social media. Additionally, 25% of those same users said they would need to fly in order to visit most of their social network friends. Gen Z has not only embraced social media as an outlet to express themselves creatively but as a means to connect them to people from around the world. Social media has become this generation’s tin can telephone allowing them to be constantly connected to friends both online and offline. So, while screen time has increased indefinitely, the way in which technology is being used has changed drastically from that of previous generations. Widespread global connectivity and networking is now one of the primary functions of the Internet.

Flexible Futures According to the Brooklyn-based digital agency Big Spaceship, 80% of Generation Z considers being creative an important aspect of their daily lives.

For the first time in history, an entire generation has grown up completely embracing this creative culture and is actively allowing it to shape their future. What we have here is an entire generation embracing the idea of innovative entrepreneurship; of building a life for themselves that they are able to control and direct. Unlike so many of their parents who work in environments where everything is decided for them, this generation desires financial security in addition to the independence that comes with entrepreneurship.

A study conducted in 2016 by Mintel, concluded that 61% of high school students compared to 43% of university students, want to be an entrepreneur rather than an employee.

Students are witnessing first hand that traditional education paths do not guarantee the same success they used to.

Generation Z is completely redefining traditional systems, proving that older traditions do not always mean better.

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These are intelligent, driven individuals who are ready to prove to the world that they can defy rules and expectations by using new methods to craft their futures. This realization that the job market is different than it was for their parents and even for their older siblings has influenced them to become intensely driven and focused. Fewer teenagers from Gen Z are taking gap years before university with the intention of pursuing greater ventures that will allow them to survive in this uncertain economy.

Brand Connectivity This concept of creativity and authenticity is not only shown in the way Gen Z produces content using social media, but also by how they respond to it. In an interview with Forbes Magazine, WhoWhatWear co-founder Katherine Power unpacked some of the ways in which Generation Z is different from older generations. As a businesswoman, Power has been paying close attention to the ways in which technology use has shifted with each new generation and has altered her business strategies accordingly.

Obsessee, Power’s new venture, is an example of that shift that caters to the new ways that Gen Z utilizes the web.

Obsessee is the latest in a slew of content destinations from the team behind WhoWhatWear for “cool young girls” where everything from culture to music to fashion is covered. They proudly advertise that they are committed to “kind, cool, and honest content that enriches and inspires their readers and followers”. Unlike WhoWhatWear’s previous brands, Obsessee exists solely on social media managed by a team of editors who create exclusive content for their Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr and Twitter pages. Sorry Gen X, that means no www. homepages with never-ending drop-down menus.

If the gap between the content producer and consumer feels too large, there is no feeling of connection or transparency. Authenticity has become a

priority for this generation. It’s all about creating a relationship with the brands they support and the celebrities they admire through Instagram and Snapchat.

Never before has a generation demanded the kind of transparency from brands and influencers that Generation Z does.

This generation is too well informed about the falsities of the advertising industries as well as the repercussions of blind mass consumerism. Their desire for authentic connections does not end with celebrities and corporations. Generation Z want to feel that ‘one to one’ human connection with everyone.

The generation of inclusivity and relatability; the you-can-sit-with-us generation.

There is an overall idea of togetherness and acceptance coming from this group of people who are unapologetically themselves, whatever that might be.

Gen Z distrusts big brand advertising and marketing and prefers

“Gen Z distrusts big brand advertising and marketing and prefers to be related to on a more personal level.” to be related to on a more personal level. Those glamorized high-fashion images that us Millennials grew up looking at are now being rejected in favor of raw, untouched images - think Glossier’s Body Hero campaign. The ideal image has shifted from “heroin chic” Kate Moss in the glossy pages of Vogue to images of women of every size and background. Gone are the days of out of reach ideals and unrealistic standards. This generation would much rather see one of their friends in an

advertisement targeted towards them, and why not? It’s something that is attainable, it’s within reach - it’s real.

In terms of marketing, brands will have to change their strategies if they want to retain Gen Z loyalty. We already saw that shift beginning to happen with the end of the Millennial generation wanting everything from their phone cases to their socks personalized. Even I plead guilty to owning more than one item with my initials on it. Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with wanting to feel like I was being considered, especially now when we are living in the midst of a fast-fashion epidemic. It is no longer enough for brands to speak down to their customers; the days of authoritative voices telling us what we are expected to be are gone. In the buyer-seller relationship the power has shifted to the buyer, who is actively voicing what they want and expecting to be catered to, not forced to conform.

It’s undeniable that technology is a massive part of our daily lives, but it’s also playing an unimaginably large part is shaping the lives of the future. That being said, it’s important to remember that our lives are not meant to be centered around a small piece of metal and glass.

Though it does not seem that Generation Z needs to be told that. They already understand the importance of human connection and real life experiences.

This next generation has a significant global reach where their opinions are shaped by access to all of human history, as well as future information at their fingertips that will guide them to the future. Isn’t it a wonderful thought that amid the current chaos of today’s world there exists an entire generation of young individuals who deeply value themselves and the well-being of society?

This is a generation that is focused on the importance of creativity, the advantages of technology, and the celebration of diverse and complex societies. This is Generation Z. Their time is now, and they are more than ready to be heard.

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red light Photos by Emmett Charuk Makeup and Hair by Olive Grey Fashion Styling and Direction by Kelsey Adlem Models: Jessica Fess & Olivia Lemieux

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Words and Photos by Mahtab Abghari, Model: Tara Omidvar

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ashion has been moving faster than ever lately. Trends flash before our eyes and we don’t even get a chance to see if a specific trend matches our sense of style or not. In the past when we wanted to state that a piece of clothing was out of style, we would probably refer to it as “So last year”.

That phrase has almost lost its meaning nowadays. Last year’s fashion is not only considered ancient, a new variance of last year’s style might have even made a “comeback”. Each trends’ lifespan is becoming shorter and shorter. By the rate things are going now, who knows how fast trends will come and go in the future. This photoshoot was done to symbolize how as time goes by, trends change faster and maybe in the future there will be no distinction between different trends. Fashion will seem like a string of styles that are moving so fast that they resemble a photo taken of a spot of light. Everythingmoving so fast that all you can see is the path it has created.

The word trend in itself might not exist anymore. Only a trace of what was will remain, and that too shall dissolve into the abyss after the slight light it has shown disappears. Maybe the future of fashion is a future of no specific trends. The cycle in which fashion repeats itself will become a never ending loop of intertwined styles that repeat themselves at a very high speed. The photos have been taken in a way so that the movement of light forms pieces of clothing or accessories as a way to symbolize this idea.

“In the future fashion will seem like a string of styles that are moving so fast that they resemble a photo taken of a spot of light.

Everything moving so fast that all you can see is the path it has created.” twenty-seven

NØREPLY

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Photos by Aniek Stroeken Models: Lotte Knippers and Jean-Michel Mabruki Mussa

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fter a two week trip to Paris, France in the spring of 2017, designer, Anna McCorriston (@anna_canada) made up her mind that her next career steps in the fashion industry would be in Paris. She took to online career forums of every major fashion house in Europe to make the dream happen, sending out countless applications for the next available position. Shortly thereafter, she received a flood of rejection letters in return, 33 coming from “La Direction des Ressources Humaines, Christian Dior”, or, noreply@dior.com.

She did make it to Paris, but not for a job at a fashion house.

Instead, she landed an internship at BOYHOOD, a newly launched streetwear brand, where she worked closely with the brand’s designer, Benjamin Brouillet. There, her love of streetwear was born.

The experience of receiving the noreply@dior.com letters sparked within her a fascination with failure and the beauty found in resilience. She combined this fascination with her latest experience in street fashion to create her own high-concept streetwear brand, entitled, NØREPLY. The brand aims to help its wearers find creativity in the valleys of life. The aesthetic inspirations for the collection can be found in 1970’s boxing media as well as retro video game graphics.

NØREPLY’s first commercially available products will be a ‘merch’ collection of logo graphic tees and hoodies, set to be launched with it’s e-commerce destination in April.

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SOMETHING’S NO N WORDS & ILLUSTRATIONS BY AMY RYAN

B

y typing something as simple as “problems in the fashion industry” into a search engine, we are met by a cascading cabinet of articles outlining fashion’s most negative implications. The discussion surrounding fashion’s severe impact on the world around it is evolving and ongoing. Modern writers waste no time in calling out the superficial and entitled industry for its detriment to the environment, human dignity, physical and mental health, and social progress.

Perhaps ironically, the majority of these critical articles are usually written by people who have never worked in or studied fashion. They are typically outsiders looking to call bullshit on things they have never had first hand experience with.

Ever since we can remember, people have jumped at the opportunity to criticize and mock fashion. Fashion is constantly berated for being too exclusive and catty and filled with people who are just having fun, as opposed to doing serious work. Fashion design is generally less respected as a method of study compared to business and engineering, despite the fact that fashion employs businesspeople and engineers. Fashion is plagued with one of the worst track records for environmental pollution, waste and ecological destruction. They are scorned in the media for abusing human rights, labour laws and exploiting youth. The promotion of unattainable beauty standards have caused a mental health epidemic among youth and the championing of whiteness as the highest standard of beauty is doing nothing to promote a more diverse and inclusive future. That took me fifty seconds to write.

And while these aforementioned behaviours are incredibly negligible and require serious disruption (hint hint: future fashion innovators), fashion is still worth $2.4 tril-

lion globally (McKinsey & Company, 2018) and employs more than 60 million people worldwide (Fashion United Business Intelligence, 2014). Fashion is one of the fastest growing educational industries, as it sees hundreds of thousands of people entering fashion related post-secondary programs annually (Business of Fashion, 2017). It is also one of the most innovative and forward thinking creative sectors.

The fashion industry, like many other creative sectors, is misunderstood. It is also more powerful than it seems. Innovations that occur in fashion often trickle vertically into other related sectors. Every day innovations that stem from fashion are reshaped to change the way other industries do business. Fashion also has the ability to change people’s perceptions about age-old traditions, as was the case when Gucci, Tom Ford and Versace all announced they were discontinuing their use of fur (Shannon, 2017). When changes like the abandonment of fur come from the top down, it is more likely they will be adopted (Encyclopedia of Fashion and Clothing, 2005). Gucci’s move to denounce the inhumane practices of fur production not only reignited an age-old discussion of ethical production, but it signaled a shift away from corporate neutrality (Business of Fashion, 2018). Stella McCartney too has collaborated with scientists to develop chemical based textiles that replace the need for animals in the leather production process (Stella McCartney, 2018). New York based Model Alliance and the CFDA are currently attempting to eradicate model abuse and sexual harassment by implementing fashion week codes of conduct that have been backed by Condé Nast (Friedman, 2018). These are just a few prominent examples, but every day, on every scale fashion is creating the change that is necessary to move the whole world forward.

“If the industry was so terrible, with no positive repercussions, then why are there millions of people staring a career in it every year?”

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NOT OT RIGHT HERE. HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE FASHION IN 3 WORDS? Revolutionary. Impactful. Expressive.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU’VE NOTICED IN THE INDUSTRY? This industry is changing everyday but we don’t notice unless it’s a major change, from designers working with bloggers to a major change such a including more diversity in the industry. Some changes are slow but they are slowly becoming more and more effective. Major changes are what we’ve all been waiting for.

WHAT ARE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY? I think fashion is a space where people can have fun and express themselves through articles of clothing.

WHAT ARE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY? Definitely the lack of diversity and equality. The industry definitely isn’t where it used to be, which is great, but there is still a far way to go. British Vogue is an amazing example of positive change as they went from having a predominantly white

team, to appointing the first African male Editor in Chief, Edward Enninful. The negatives are slowly decreasing and I can’t wait to see the change continue.

WHAT CAN OTHERS DO TO PROMOTE CHANGE? People that have big platforms can make a huge impact if they started to discuss important issues.

People definitely do listen to what others are saying. Especially now. You see younger generations looking up to people on these platforms and listen to what they have to say, sometimes repeating them. Everyone looks up to someone so even talking about an issue that’s important to you can get one person’s attention and make a small change; whether that’s in relation to fashion or something else.

WHAT IS ONE CHANGE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN 10 YEARS? I just want the change that is happening now to continue and grow and finally become permanent.

Diversity and equality in fashion is something that should just be expected, not desired.

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE FASHION IN 3 IS THERE ANYTHING YOU ARE DOING TO ACTIVATE CHANGE? WORDS? I’ve recently had an idea for a shoot, not so much Innovative. Powerful. Expressive. regarding the fashion industry, but something that hits close to home regarding my ethnicity. My idea WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU’VE NOTICED IN THE INDUSTRY? is to use interracial couples, taking photos of them The diversity of models. Growing up, most of the in everyday settings, waiting for the bus, or doing models represented were tall, thin, and blonde. the dishes together. I know it won’t be a huge leap Being half Asian and half European, I never forward, but I’m hoping that I can at least spark a really felt represented in media or fashion imagery. conversation about relationships between different Today we are seeing growth in the representation backgrounds. of models of different ethnicities and sizes in the media. I feel like that has given me and others WHAT IS ONE CHANGE YOU WOULD more of a sense of belonging within the industry. LIKE TO SEE IN 10 YEARS? I would love to see female photographers gain WHAT ARE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF THE the same amount of respect men do. There are a FASHION INDUSTRY? lot of influential female photographers out there, For me, fashion is important because I can express but it’s always the same men that shoot all of the myself and create my own identity on a day to day campaigns, covers - everything. I hope that more women become empowered within the arts and basis. It gives others around me a sense of who I begin to make a name for themselves. am, and who I want to be.

AZIN NASIRI Student Blogger www.styleofnasiri.com

LEAH CHAN Student Photographer leahchanphotography.com

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BOBOLA OLAYINKA Model Chantale Nadeau/Ciotti Models

JILLIAN VIEIRA Fashion Editor thekit.ca

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HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE FASHION IN 3 WHAT CAN OTHERS DO TO PROMOTE CHANGE? WORDS? Continue raising awareness about certain issues.

Dynamic. Experimental. Beautiful.

You can’t expect change overnight so it’s importWHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU’VE ant to be persistent until you see the results that you want. Also, hit problematic companies where NOTICED IN THE INDUSTRY? There is a movement towards more inclusivity and it hurts--in their pockets. Try to boycott them to diversity in the industry. It is also nice to see peo- the best of your abilities. As for casting directors, ple taking a stand against abuse with the #MeToo producers, and even photographers, showcase new and unique people in your work. I can’t count how movement. many times I have scrolled through a photograWHAT ARE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF THE pher’s online portfolio or Instagram page only to see the same kind of models over and over again FASHION INDUSTRY? Fashion has the power to make you feel so good without a drop of diversity. about yourself. Modeling has helped me to appreciate my uniqueness and cherish a lot of unique WHAT IS ONE CHANGE YOU WOULD LIKE things about myself that I had originally been tak- TO SEE IN 10 YEARS? I would love to see brands and companies engaging for granted. ing in more real diversity. Nowadays, it’s easy to spot brands engaging in tokenism, or jumping on WHAT ARE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE the “diversity bandwagon” just to avoid backlash.

FASHION INDUSTRY? At the same time, the industry can easily ruin your I want to know that a POC, trans, plus-sized, or self-esteem. It is easy to get lost in a world of beau- model with a disability was used in a campaign betiful people, strict weight and size expectations, and cause that brand actually believes in representing so many other pressures. It is possible to fall into a everyone; not just because they want to fill a quota. dangerous pattern of comparing yourself to others and questioning your self worth.

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE FASHION IN 3 been ahead of the curve when it comes to inclusivity and diversity. When fashion is done right (i.e.

WORDS? democratically), it has the opportunity to inspire Muddled, but Evolving and Energetic. and ignite human creativity. With that said, there are WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU’VE a million ways that fashion needs to do better. The industry needs to reflect all the people that engage NOTICED IN THE INDUSTRY? The advent of the Internet. When I first started in with style and clothing, which is to say everyone. the industry, websites—let alone social media—always came second to print. It’s a totally unimag- WHAT ARE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE inable concept today. Not only have people’s appe- FASHION INDUSTRY? tites for how they consume content changed, their With the above said, there are a million ways that appetites for the kinds of content they consume fashion needs to do better. The industry needs to have changed. It’s a constant game of keep-up and reflect all people with style and clothing. that’s one of the reasons you have to really want a WHAT CAN OTHERS DO TO PROMPT piece of this industry.

CHANGE? WHAT ARE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF THE FASH- Always demand more! Make your voices heard. I think a lot of change happens when thoughtful ION INDUSTRY? I think the positive and negative effects of fashion conversation occurs. If you expect better from your go hand in hand. As a medium, fashion’s always media or the industry on the whole, let them know.

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HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE FASHION IN 3 WHAT CAN OTHERS DO TO PROMPT WORDS? CHANGE? Evolving personal expression.

On a grassroots level, if we get those in our personal circles (like friends and family) involved with things WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU’VE like more eco-friendly materials and practices, or NOTICED IN THE INDUSTRY? more inclusive and ethically based clothing, that can The generational ideologies and priorities between ripple and have more people being environmenMillennials and Baby Boomers. The push for pro- tally conscious and aware of their actions. In turn, gression and more ecological and consumer con- they can further influence those around themselves. scious designs from the younger generation seems Finding a way to challenge and speak up against the to garner a surprising split between the older gen- toxic idealizations that society has created when it eration. comes to beauty and body standards can also have a BIG impact on the fashion industry. How designers WHAT ARE POSITIVE and consumers treat and view The push EFFECTS OF THE FASHeach other, forces the designers ION INDUSTRY? to sit up and actually pay attenfor progression The fashion industry has cretion to the fact that society is deand more ated a lot of positive impacts manding proper representation on every level from what I and changes to match that. ecological and can tell; personally it’s helped consumer conscious WHAT IS ONE CHANGE many people like myself express themselves and their YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE designs from the identity more comfortably IN 10 YEARS? younger generation Reducing or eliminating such with a creative outlet that is more universal than people heavily enforced gender roles seems to realize. It’s also helped create and stereotypes within fashion, garner a surprising such as “girls only wear lace and imagery and unity within different cultures, countries, repink” or “boys need to wear split between the ligions and fields (such as namanly patterns or shapes.” It’s tional traditional dress from ingrained so deeply into our soolder generation.

China, or the practice of indiciety that’s bled into fashion, sogo dyeing from Japan). ciological dynamics and beliefs and politics. We need to blur the hard set of lines WHAT ARE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE of binary gender expression and recognize that limFASHION INDUSTRY? iting people so tightly and with harsh repercussions It’s created another avenue of classification and results in toxic masculinity, misogyny and gender stereotypes through elitism and accessibility to- performance expectations. wards different designs and materials. It’s ultimately evolved into a capitalist and consumer driven in- HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE WITH SO dustry where demand outstrips supply and leads MUCH INFLUENCE COMING FROM JUST to shortcuts in quality and at the cost of those in- ABOUT EVERYWHERE? volved in the production process. The high demand It’s honestly really challenging to still stay creative has created another avenue of (what I personally within this industry and field and all of its issues feel is) paid slavery with sweatshops and child la- throughout. Although, I find it helps to decompress bour. It’s also created unhealthy and wasteful prac- and have time for self care and recharging. It certices within every level of the industry and bled into tainly helps too, to surround myself with concenconsumer behaviour due to a growing cycle of sup- trations of specific inspiration (one particular artist ply and demand happening at an increasingly faster or medium or theme), so as to not overwhelm my rate. The real challenge for new designers entering senses and brain with input. the field is learning how to address these concerns.

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CAMERON VINDUA Student Designer @cameronvindua

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HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE FASHION IN 3 WORDS? Creative. Innovative. Passionate .

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU’VE NOTICED IN THE INDUSTRY? We can’t reinvent the wheel, but we can innovate and build upon what is already there. It’s very similar to technology in that way. The textile industry is a great example of how innovation has allowed for huge changes in the fashion industry, with new fabrics being created all the time.

AMBER WATKINS Fashion & Wardrobe Stylist www.amberwatkins.ca

WHAT CAN OTHERS DO TO PROMPT CHANGE? Shopping local is always a great idea, and if that’s not feasible on your wallet, then get involved in other ways. Repost great work that you see (giving them credit of course), attend fashion events and learn about the designers who live in your city.

They need your help in creating brand awareness, and that starts with their cities and country knowing WHAT ARE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF THE who they are, following their progress, and championing their success.

FASHION INDUSTRY? Fashion is both art and commerce. Artistically, fashion allows for creative expression to inspire and WHAT IS ONE CHANGE YOU WOULD LIKE to tell a story through wardrobe. Couture runway TO SEE IN 10 YEARS? shows demonstrate the skill and artistry that is re- I would love to see the Canadian government have quired to transform models into walking master- more funding set aside to support the fashion inpieces. Economically, the fashion industry requires dustry, including university and college grants, suba huge work force. It creates jobs globally and sidized programs to allow new and emerging designers to hire employees to grow their business, brings in big money. and promotion of skills training to reignite the texWHAT ARE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE tile and manufacturing businesses in Canada. Why do all of my vintage pieces say “Made in MontreFASHION INDUSTRY? The idea that influence is more valuable than talent al”, “Made in Toronto”, but now it’s so much more is definitely an undesirable trend happening right difficult to find those labels? It’s time to get that now. Artists and models suffer for this battle where business back to our country, stimulating econoInstagram followers hold more weight than expe- my, creating jobs and allowing Canadian designers rience or creativity. This diminishes the standards to stay inland with their manufacturing instead of for quality work and allows people who are less being forced to go overseas. qualified set a lower bar for what good work should look like. Also, fast fashion has created a demand that feels bottomless - not to mention it’s incredibly “I think there’s an wasteful. The fashion calendar has become bom- apprehension to being barded and designers are forced to keep up, often at critical of ourselves, our the cost of creativity IS THERE ANYTHING YOU ARE CURRENTLY DOING TO ACTIVATE CHANGE? I love to support local and Canadian designers through my styling work. We have so much talent right here, and it’s important that Canadian fashion artists support their own industry. I also encourage honest, open dialogue when I am talking to my colleagues. I think there’s an apprehension to being critical of ourselves, our industry, and our image on a global scale. Toronto/Canada is still a very young market in fashion. We are the little sibling trying

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to keep up to the bigger, more established markets.

The only way to activate change is to know what needs to be fixed.

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industry, and our image on a global scale. Toronto/ Canada is still a very young market in fashion. We are the little sibling trying to keep up with the bigger, more established markets.”

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Fashion is everywhere.

Whether you acknowledge it or not, clothing and what we choose to wear exists in everyone’s everyday life. Even making the choice to “not participate in fashion” is a fashion choice. You may not be interested in fashion news, or designers, or trends, but fashion takes up large real estate in the lives of everyday people. Changes in fashion impact the rest of the world in many ways and therefore part of its duty is to continuously transform and innovate the way things are done.

Fashion is expected to creatively generate new ideas, new ways of thinking and new ways of business.

To ignite change in this space we must continually be open to evolution.

To truly know where the world’s problems lie, we must listen to those who experience them first hand and support the work of innovators in those fields.

For generations, the disdain shown

towards fashion resulted in a profound lack of understanding of how fashion impacts business, the environment, politics, and ultimately the human experience.

In acknowledging the transcendent nature of fashion we have unearthed a lot of skeletons in the closet. But what we have done at the same time is unearthed a myriad of opportunities for growth and improvement. So although more should, and can, always be done, sparking a conversation between the creators in this field is the first step in implementing anything useful. Supporting the innovations that are already happening will only bring us closer to shaping an industry that is less detrimental to us all. Each day we contribute to the betterment of our industry, is a day we contribute to a better human future. Hopefully these Canadian innovators inspired you to start your work towards this future, today.

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Photos by Emmett Charuk Makeup and Hair by Olive Grey Creative Direction by Emmett Charuk & Luke Severin Garment Design and Styling by Hiddy Lee, Celia Lees & Sharon Wong Models: Aiko Marie Gonzales (Elite), Christina McLeod & Miriam Keita (B&M) Assisted by Jared Miller, Emilia Miranda, Olivia Lemieux, Naomi Brearley, Gabi Macias & Alicia Churilla

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THE LIMITLESS NATURE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY

by Vanessa Smikle

TO WHAT EXTENT CAN FASHION PUSH THE HUMAN FORM? AND HOW WILL TECHNOLOGY CATALYZE THE FASHION EXPERIENCE?

T

he future has always been depicted as heavily mechanical with an increasingly close relationship between human and machine. Human life is often depicted as reliant on technology but the future of the human form is not always considered. Human form and fashion are interdependent and so, as technology continues to transform the human body, technology and fashion will be intrinsically

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linked. In today’s fashion industry, we see an exploration with technological and interactive textile fibres. Many even consider fabric textiles as a second skin. On that note, where can we imagine the human form in the future? There’s also a need for new ethical and sustainable design approaches with growing social and environmental concerns across the globe. So, where can technology lend its hands?

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urrently today, we see cosmetic plastic surgery quickly coming to new heights. We see artificial organs and transplants in the health care system becoming more mainstream. With new technological advancements that enhance and alter the human form, what will the human body transform into? Where are we currently heading? What will the physical transformation of the human form be 100 years from now and more importantly, how will this transform fashion?

The robot-metal and moon suits stereotype of fashion’s future seems off-putting. It’s very literal sense of fashion technology is limiting, and offers little room for creative exploration, which is what fashion is all about. Technology is and continues to extend limits when it comes to art and design.

The future of fashion through technology can extend to new high performance, sustainable fabrics, new draping techniques, advanced design techniques, 3D printing, and new ways of showing collections to the world. More recently, Dolce and Gabbana replaced models with drones to showcase their new Fall/Winter 2018 collection of handbags at Milan Fashion Week.

Some designers relish their old school design practices where others are more open to exploring new futuristic approaches. Although there is a timelessness to designs that reject futurism, designers who are using technology in their work seem to have more possibilities to manipulate the human form. Stella McCartney, for example, rejects traditional forms of fashion design and has developed new and innovative ways to develop textiles without the same animal-dependent processes of the past. She is currently exploring how bacteria can naturally dye fabrics instead of using common toxic dyes. A few other methods currently being explored are bio-fabricated leather, synthetic spider silk and food-based fabrics (just to name a few). Fashion always seems to juxtapose between the mainstream and unconventional. In the last five years, fashion publications and designers have explored body positivity and diverse representation of the human form more than ever

before. However, in the past ten years, new medical technology has been used to surgically enhance the human body to idealized forms. As the fashion pendulum shifts between natural representations and idealized human perfection, it seems that the industry may head to a new height of body exploration and manipulation through these tech advancements.

Evidently, with new technology, there’s also new space for professionals and enthusiasts to explore fashion design and manipulate the rhythm of form. New textile designs allow designers to create pieces that transform the body in unconventional ways, making garments protrude, distort, and stylize bodies (such as the work of talented and innovative Dutch designer, Iris Van Herpen).

The future of technology is a scary entity. It is unknown and new technology will always feel alien. Fashion technology is just the same. It may seem distant and with certain designs’ manifestations feeling far off, however, it’s exciting to understand the limitless sensation of using technology in this industry. The human form will continue to be explored with new design approaches, which will inevitably create new original and unprecedented collections and ideas.

While current advanced technological methods for fashion design are unattainable for most new designers, the future of fashion is leading a new method of creating sustainable work and limitless art innovation.

Anticipating that fashion technology becomes more mainstream for young designers, it is hopeful that designers will have the chance to experiment using technology in their work and catapult their style and careers. The hope for greater incorporation of technology in fashion grows with the development of modern technology.

Technology will transform the methods in which art is made but it will, more importantly, transform the possibilities of the human form and the representation of it across all channels and media.

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/RETROFUTURISM /RETROFUTURISM /RETROFUTURISM

Take a minute to envision what the year 2060 might look like. While it’s a great deal away, and things tend to change at a lightning speed, surely you can come up with some kind of prediction as to what the future might hold. Do you see robots and flying cars? Given the inventions coming out of technology today, this vision doesn’t seem so impossible. Maybe you see intergalactic communities? Maybe you have an optimist’s view, seeing brighter days ahead, with world peace and a solution to climate change. Or maybe a pessimistic side of you has a clear sight of doomsday.

Now, while in your theoretical time machine, take yourself back to the 1960’s. This was a foreign world to the 2018 we’re now familiar with. The Berlin Wall was still standing, you could buy a Thanksgiving turkey for less than a dollar and the role of the domestic housewife was ever so prominent. Ask anyone in the 60’s what they thought 2018 would look like, and, oddly enough, their ideas wouldn’t be so different from your own. Flying cars, high-tech designs, robots, and hopeful solutions to their life’s dilemmas.

As we live in the digital age, our modern day illustrations of technology are a more accurate hypothesis of what the future’s technology might actually look like. Unlike the far-fetched and flamboyant designs of the 60’s and 70’s, our ideas of technology are minimal and follow suit to Moore’s Law. While innovation becomes more powerful internally, it becomes more sleek externally.

Meanwhile in the 60’s, technological inventions were at a height of novelty, giving it not only an air of exoticism, but also major excitement at society’s disposal. Technology, in addition to the groundbreaking events occurring in the world (don’t forget the Apollo 11 mission to the moon in 1969) inspired several fantasies about the future. Society was wondering: that if these occurrences, once seemingly unfathomable, could happen, what would happen next? This opened the door to a limitless future and whole new world of possibilities. Today we look back to this ideology as a movement called retrofuturism - a slightly contradictory term in which both “retro” and “future” intermingle. This defines us, in the future, looking back at the people of the past anticipating what will be in that future we’re now in.

Retrofuturism is fascinating because of this paradoxical predicament it creates. This sort of cyclical movement of thinking represents a hopefulness in humankind of the past, and nostalgia in humankind of today - but tension exists in the oxymoron that

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Words by Emily Bartosiewicz Visuals and Art Direction by Alicia Churilla Hair and Makeup by Nicole Weitsel Models: Anouk Brouwer, Vanessa Smikle, Clare Peterson & Iman Munier

A hopefulness in humankind of the past, and nostalgia in humankind of today.

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is “retro-future”.

Natural human instincts, in times of crisis or hardships in the present, tend to think of either the past or future for consolation. I often catch myself thinking fondly of the good old days - times of being a kid, where my biggest problems were losing my favourite toy, or even reminiscing over previous chapters of my life. But with nostalgia, there’s always this underlying sadness in the knowledge that one can never go back to the way things once were.

Contrarily, futurism depicts a reverse effect of nostalgia. It’s working towards something that’s going to be much better than where you are now. It is motivating, a race for the finish line, but unlike nostalgia, it is something unknown and unpredictable. This lack of definition can also be unsettling.

Retrofuturism is very much a medley of nostalgia and the future. It’s manifested in varying creative industries, such as visual arts, architecture, advertising, fashion, interior design, music, and more. The first thing that comes to my mind as a clear reference is thinking back to the old Hanna Barbera cartoon from 1962, The Jetsons. It depicts this cookie-cutter family 100 years into the future, living in a futuristic, Googieinspired utopia, with flying cars and a robot maid.

Elements of retrofuturism embellish the styles of the 60’s and 70’s with science fiction themes.

Oftentimes we’ll see mod-style clothing and modernism, inspiring post-modernism, Googie and Populuxe, within architecture and interior design. The earth-toned colour schemes and ostentatious, eclectic styles would be found in imagery of retrofuturism, as well as the open-concept interiors that gained popularity in the 70’s. Essentially, anything notable from these decades were presented as they were, while decorated with yet-to-be invented technology. However, interestingly enough, the styles of design weren’t depicted as something that would change in the future, but rather it was the technological advancements and societal differences that illustrated the predicted transformation.

One could assume this was the case because design at this time was already so futuristic. Modernism as a movement defied anything of the past, and even the present. It was all about the future - the clean and simple lines and geometric shapes found in the architecture and interiors, and within the boxy mod, but also skintight alienesque styles of fashion.

Modernism itself was a prediction of the future, but ironically, we know it as part of design’s history.

As future-viewers, to see modernism in conjunction with technology that hadn’t been invented (and in many cases, have still not been invented) at this time represented gives us something that is deliciously kitsch. A retrofuturistic collage can be so compelling to look at because it’s a completely contradictory image for our minds, putting objects and ideas

parallel to each other when we know very well that in reality they wouldn’t exist.

It plays with our conscience in a similar way to Surrealism. Much like Surrealism, retrofuturism illustrates something exaggerated, almost humorous in its fictionalized glory. Themes of technology, outer space, and high speed transportation unfamiliarly juxtapose those styles we know of the 60s and 70s. That’s where this peculiar tension evolves.

Consider looking at an image of a woman in a beehive hairdo, dressed in 60s mod-style, driving her children to school in their flying car and Jupiter in view of the horizon. There were no boundaries for this movement. It was in all corners of artwork, collages, and advertisements, presenting imagery that was colourful, hyper-futuristic, extravagant, yet highly unrealistic.

But all the same, it was visionary. retrofuturism presented the future that never was, but might someday still become. This circling tension of past and present plays a parallel to the world of fashion and its historic influences.

We’ve seen in all seasons the influences of decades before us - the 70s, 80s, 90s - all showing their faces in bell bottoms or shoulder pads that hit the runway every so often. Fashion itself is always making forecasts on the future, giving reason as to why Autumn/Winter collections are presented nearly a year beforehand.

Perhaps technology works as a motif in everyone’s future vision to represent something bigger.

When considering history’s greatest technological inventions, they all have been created for the sole purpose of relief or solution.

Technology makes life that little bit easier, and perhaps that’s why people, both in the 1960’s and 2018, see technology in the future. It’s that hope that the world is going to improve from what it is.

This flicker of hope is not something that has gone away. It’s existed in the 60’s, the 70’s, the 90’s. It exists today in 2018. Technology will always be in the future - it’s constantly developing, and that’s part of the craft. But on a deeper level, this can be a metaphor for humankind. Humans crave improvement. While society as a whole has gotten so far from where it once was, the room for progress is still there. 2018 shows us that hope for something better exists in global issues such as income inequality, terrorism, extreme poverty, lacking diversity, and an imbalance between genders.

So I’ll ask again - and I encourage you to let your imagination run as wild as those in the 1960’s - what do you envision the year 2060 will look like? Perhaps the future shows us newer, greater, and stronger technology. Perhaps it means no more wage gap or stabilizing global inequalities. Perhaps the future really will be female. While I’d like for it to lead to some more pivotal change, whatever it may hold we can be sure that there will never be a shortage of hope.

2018 shows us the hope for something better exists in global issues such as income inequality, terrorism, extreme poverty, lacking diversity, and an imbalance between genders.

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STRUCTURED BEAUTY

Inspired by the rise of feminine power, aiming to combine the softness of classic femininity with the structured power of the feminine future; makeup is now the primary form of feminine expression.

Photos by Gabi Macias Creative Direction by Jessica Fess Makeup by Karin Kaya Models: Jaden Fess & Issabella Leigh

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Is the Fashion Industry About Fabric or Fabrication?

Words by Ellis Mathews, Illustration by Aankshika Bheem

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M

illennials are obsessed with the Internet. We know it, we get it; we live it. Could we be addicted? We already know it’s true (Eror, HighSnobiety, 2017). More specific than the Internet obsession is the obsession with social media, and most notably Instagram. For Millennials like us who consider themselves part of the fashion set, there is no time of year where Instagram beckons to us louder than during Fashion Month. The beginning of New York Fashion Week marks the start of a month-long crash course in the latest and greatest trends that will be guiding our sartorial inclinations until the next wave of shows take over our lives, and feeds.

During this time our Instagram timelines are sprinkled with fashion influencers like Aimee Song and Danielle Bernstein who notoriously don the most covetable (and expensive) trend pieces, while chronicling their lack of sleep and terrible diets via Insta-stories.

But the thing about experiencing fashion month through Instagram is that opinions are easily generated, and are most often based on 5 seconds or less of visual interaction. Comments on influencer’s posts skyrocket to the hundreds mere minutes after being posted, giving very little time for thoughtful digestion and critical thinking. Having a viewpoint is one thing, and social media has absolutely democratized the way in which consumers participate in high fashion. But having the tools to intelligently engage is quite another. With social media at our fingertips anyone privileged enough to own a digital device and have access to the Internet has the ability to text a friend, tweet a meme or post about anything their heart desires. Keen fashion followers, more specifically, have the opportunity to contribute their own opinion – intelligent or not – before they even get out of bed.

This participatory attitude that has emerged is the new way the fashion industry is functioning and thriving. Fashion has fully embraced bloggers and fashion-lovers-turned-mini-celebrities. Gone are the days of only actresses and anonymous models gracing the covers of magazines. Now, to sell copies in a waning print industry editors are tapping Insta-influencers like Chiara Feragni to boost newsstand revenues. Fashion is increasingly falling into the hands of these bloggers, thus making them a key cog in the fashion machine. Many have argued that the advent of the “fashion blogger” has democratized fashion consumption (Tarov, Fast Company, 2015), and

that their presence provides a newfound authenticity to an otherwise shallow industry that thrives on falsehoods. But is the fashion blogger that much more authentic than traditional industry marketing? Is what we are being fed truly more “#real” and “#unfiltered” than what secretive editors and buyers of the past used to provide through the glossy pages of magazines?

Before Instagram, the fashion industry lied in the hands of a few elite members: designers and buyers, creative directors and editors. These “cooler than thou” insiders (Tarov, Fast Company, 2015) determined what was cool, and in, and now. Magazines dictated; we bought. There was a level of comfort and prestige created in this process because it was assumed to be developed with careful thought, research and analysis. But now it seems the industry lies in the hands of amateurs who have created their own professional platforms.

Fashion blogs and websites are now in the millions, and ironically, many of fashion’s largest influencers don’t even blog in the traditional sense. In 2016 Alessandra Codinha, Vogue’s Fashion News Editor, along with other Vogue editors, touched on this when discussing the bloggers attending Milan Fashion Week. They critiqued the purpose of bloggers and the fact that they don’t really serve anyone anymore. Codinha remarked “...how funny it is that we even still call them “bloggers” as so few of them even do that anymore. Rather than a celebration of any actual style, it seems to be all about turning up, looking ridiculous, posing, twitching in your seat as you check your social media feeds, fleeing, changing, repeating” (Vogue, 2016).

Other words like ‘pathetic’ and ‘embarrassing’ were used in their descriptions (Vogue, 2016). They weren’t entirely far off.

What is it that these bloggers actually do, and what credibility do they bring to their positions of immense power? On the one hand they are masterminds of social media analytics, marketing and brand strategy. They are calculated and direct with what they choose to post and with whom they choose to work. Their follower counts and ability to generate engagement makes them a perfect avenue for the sale of products. But on the other hand, their endless supply of luxury gifts, their all-expenses-paid brand vacations, and their disconnect from reality makes them difficult to relate to, and if you have a brain, difficult to trust.

The entirety of an influencer’s power lies in the hands of their audience. An influencer’s brand revolves around selling the life-

“Is fashion really as authentic today as it was 10 years ago before the discovery of fashion influencers and individuals who took up fashion blogging as a hobby?”

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style associated with fast fashion and high end ready to wear.

Their ability to treat luxury ready to wear pieces like trendbased commodities makes their lives so covetable you cannot help but keep watching, clicking, liking. But this is inherently problematic as their treatment of luxury fashion has actually created a lifestyle that is so unattainable, no normal person can ever come close to emulating it. This not only creates an unrealistic idea for what is attainable in the real world, but it also creates an incredibly unhealthy standard for what real life looks like. Constantly promoting a lifestyle that is financially out of reach for the majority of North Americans, pressures people into living lives where they spend well beyond their means, and on things that don’t have sustainable long-term value. The constant gifting from brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Chloé, degrade garments that were once revered as superior in quality, artistry and craftsmanship, and equates them to throw away pieces only sufficient for achieving an on trend look. They are living a fast fashion lifestyle at a luxury price point that realistically, only the world’s 1% can achieve.

In addition to the unrealistic financial goals influencers teach their followers, there is a social factor that is seriously impacting people’s mental health.

In an attempt to match the quality and prestige of the influencer lifestyle, young people living in the real world become obsessed with perfecting their own narrative online. Many times it has detrimental effects on their health and safety.

Deaths related to ridiculous selfie attempts may not directly be on the hands of these bloggers, but they certainly are part of the industry that forces teenagers to feel like they need to behave this way. From 2015 to 2016 the number of selfie related deaths rose from 39 to 73 (MIT Technology Review, 2016), demonstrating that people perceive the promoted ‘perfect lifestyle’ as an achievable reality. Blogger Aimee Song has even talked out about how social media and the need to come across as perfect online is taking a toll on her own mental health. She is an actual blogger for goodness sakes!

Now many of you reading this may feel yourselves jumping to the defense of these influencers because your daily interactions with their content make the relationship feel reciprocal. You may think that your unique slew of influencers are original and have a unique point of view; and to some extent you are right.

No two bloggers are ever “exactly” alike, but what needs to be factored in is the glaring fact that these high gloss women

with their “unique” points of view are actually marketing tools for the brands that endorse them. For million-dollar-babies like Aimee Song, Chiara Feragni, Danielle Bernstein and Michelle Phan, these women are not their own person anymore, despite the fact that they all started out with very real points of view.

Today with their million plus followers, they are the mechanism by which brands sell you products. Their perfectly curated feeds and cutesy Insta-stories are a brand’s way of bombarding us with their story, logo and latest collection without it feeling like a sale at every stage. Brands that receive the most exposure are the ones with the biggest marketing budgets, because lord knows these women don’t get out of bed for anything under $50,000.

In an attempt to make these sales seems as authentic and inadvertent as possible, many influencers engage in what we like to call the high-low-bullshit matrix. They wear garments worth thousands of dollars that are gifted, and then buy the likes of Zara, H&M and others on their own dimes. In mixing and matching these high and low pieces influencers are grounding themselves to us. If they have the same H&M sweater as me, they must be just like me, right?

Wrong. Companies rely on the idea of native marketing because it is based around the concept that “real people” are promoting their favourite products. It also builds a false sense of dialogue between the participating parties where the customer / follower watching feels as though they are being directly spoken to.

In reality, they are just being sold to and the influencer on the other end does not know who they are. This form of advertising is much cheaper for brands than buying traditional ads, and it is more effective because it feels genuine to the average person (Kessler, 2017) and thus increases their likelihood of actually making a purchase. In the process, followers are made to believe that they are active participants in an exclusive and fashionable online community, when in reality, they are just another follower on a spreadsheet that ensures a blogger’s next #ad.

There is no denying that social media has been instrumental in reshaping how the fashion industry functions. Models today are selected for runway shows based more on their follower count than their walk. Magazines are more concerned with generating clicks by publishing celebrity gossip than they are about pushing the envelope of critical thought. The front rows of every fashion show are filled with phones.

According to a study from 2014, 75% of luxury brands were using social media to directly connect with con-

“A blogger or influencer’s brand revolves around selling fashion and the lifestyle associated with both fast fashion and haute couture .”

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sumers, making this the dominant form of marketing for haute couture brands today (Albane, 2017).

Social media is generally viewed as fake and clinically curated.

Instagram especially is associated with promoting a ‘perfect lifestyle’, a concept that is far removed from reality. As these influencers rely on their social media platforms to develop their career the question of authenticity arises. If haute couture designers, who are associated with prestige and artistry, are linking their brand image with these commercial promoters, is the fashion industry becoming a purely commercial industry, losing its artistic quality?

Entry barriers are at an all time low in our current climate so we should probably get used to seeing influencers at all of the important fashion events of the season. The distinction between professional and amateur is even becoming blurry as influencers with no formal education in a facet of fashion are becoming technical experts in the optimization of webbased platforms. Their ability to connect with a niche market and strategically convince you that what they are promoting isn’t an advert is something many formally trained marketers still haven’t mastered. But despite their exceptional trickery, their influence on the industry is dangerous. Their ability to convince people they are normal human beings has had toxic impacts on the mental health of young people to the point that medical professionals cite social media use as a primary factor in youth related mental illness, depression and social anxiety. 90% of young adults today use two or more social media platforms on a daily basis and due to this being such an impressionable age, there is high-risk of developing severe anxiety disorders (Vannucci, Flannery and Ohannessian, 2017). A study was done with a diverse group of young adults resulting in the discovery that the higher the daily social media use the stronger the correlation with anxiety symptoms (Vannucci, Flannery and Ohannessian, 2017). These trends are also closely linked with Professor Davey and his discussion of social isolation and FOMO (fear of missing out) that is increasingly becoming apparent in the majority of young adults who participate in social media (2016). The introduction of the live feature on a number of widely used social media platforms is negatively encouraging FOMO and in the fashion world, this feature is commonly used

among influencers to show off the latest designer collections.

Social media has allowed for anyone to pass as ‘qualified’ in the fashion industry. The industry is shifting fast and the line between high fashion leaders and low fashion leaders is on the verge of becoming blurred for good. It’s hard to deny that these bloggers have created a successful empire for themselves from considerably humble beginnings. However, there is a lack of authenticity to their brand because it’s been sifted through a million different filters. A paradox has formed where we can recognize the curation that goes into building a personal brand, potentially from experience with our own social media, but we choose to believe it anyway. With social media platforms like Instagram promoting the ‘perfect lifestyle’ through capitalist driven influencers, can we really completely invest in the fashion industry of today? Or, should we throw caution to the wind knowing full well the industry isn’t as authentic as it once was?

“Haute couture has always been recognized as desirable and out of reach to the average person but, with this new form of connection between producer and consumer haute couture has, in a way, become normalized.”

Cited Works:

1) Albane, A. (27 Jan. 2017). Luxury Brands and Social Media Marketing - Dos and Don’ts. Talkwalker. Retrieved from www.talkwalker.com/ blog/top-luxury-brands-social-media-analytics 2) Davey, Graham C. L.(15 Dec. 2016). Social Media, Loneliness, and Anxiety in Young People. Psychology Today. Retrieved from www. psychologytoday.com/blog/why-we-worry/201612/social-media-loneliness-and-anxiety-in-young-people.

3) Eror, A. (13 April 2017). Are Instagram Influencers Bad for Fashion?

Highsnobiety. Retrieved from https://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/04/13/ fashion-influencers-instagram-social-media/ 4) MIT Technology Review. (15 Nov. 2016). The Number of Accidental Deaths from Taking Selfies Is Rising Dramatically. MIT Technology Review.

Retrieved from www.technologyreview.com/s/602862/data-scientists-chartthe-tragic-rise-of-selfie-deaths/ 5) Newstex (2017). Marketing roadmaps: Influencer marketing landscape 2017. Chatham: Newstex. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy. lib.ryerson.ca/docview/1888938172?accountid=13631 6) Taroy, D. (10 Nov. 2015). How Instagram is Democratizing Fashion. Fast Company. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/3053382/how-instagram-is-democratizing-fashion 7) Vannucci, A., Flannery, K. M., & Ohannessian, C. M. (2017). Social media use and anxiety in emerging adults. Journal of Affective Disorders, 207(Complete), 163-166. Retrieved from http://resolver.scholarsportal.info/resolve/01650327/v207icomplete/163_smuaaiea 8) Vogue Editors. (25 Sept. 2016). Ciao, Milano! Vogue.com’s Editors Discuss the Week That Was. Vogue. Retrieved from www.vogue.com/article/milanfashion-week-spring-2017-vogue-editors-chat.

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Bored With Binaries:

Are Diverse Gender Identities The Key to The Future?

G

irls wear pink; boys wear blue. A concept I could never fully grasp growing up with a closet overflowing with blue jeans, tracksuits, and sport uniforms.

As I aged, the complexity surrounding gender identity, and its corresponding ideals deepened. The world around me – the media, the fashion industry, my friends, and my family – all commanded a strict gender regime. It enforced that masculinity and femininity were contrasting opposites, without the possibility of sharing any similar traits or characteristics.

It’s a dichotomy that limits true individual expression, and identity. If we play our cards right, we can use the exploration, and celebration of diverse gender identities to open a door to innovation and liberation; not only in our wardrobes, but in the way we interact with ourselves and the people around us.

Gender itself is complex – it acts as an institution,created by social constructs that dictate what it means to be male or female. It infers that gender is rooted in your sex given at birth – meaning it is unchangeable. Meanwhile, the contrasting concept of gender fluidity flies in the face of this restriction.

While fluidity and ambiguity aren’t new concepts – people have

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been defying views on gender since the notion was constructed.

Now more than ever we can expect the acceptance, awareness, and celebration of diverse gender identities to increase. Look to fashion, pop culture, and the media – virtually everywhere we look there is a tangible increase around the discussion of gender identity. In the Greater Toronto Area alone, gender boundaries are being demolished through new and interesting ideas that not only celebrate diverse gender identities, but embrace creativity – giving gender fluid, two-spirit, intersex, and other gender-queer identities the respect they deserve. Local retailers like Muttonhead – with two locations in Toronto located in Queen Street East, and in Roncesvalles – create unisex garments that completely ignore gender constructs. These garments not only make the concepts of fluidity more accessible, but representations like this play a crucial role in pushing the boundaries of gender. Retailers like Muttonhead are leading the way for positive local and tangible change, but they are not the only ones. Genderless fashion in Europe, and the U.S. have already helped expand cultural ideals surrounding gender.

The future of gender reform may be moving towards the

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Art Direction by Daniel Bosco Photos by Jared Miller Models: Ally McJannet, Boman Reid, Blair Savage and Daniel Bosco

By Daniel Bosco

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“We can look forward to a society in which gender will no longer confine – but instead liberate.” blurring, and de-censorship of gender ambiguity. When gender is seen as a malleable form, it will give us the freedom to be our true selves – without fear of persecution. We can look forward to a society in which gender will no longer confine – but instead liberate. The eradication of limiting social constructs may just be the push we need to make individuals more creative, innovative, and open. We can make a un-gendered future

a reality – understanding, embracing, and responding to the possibilities of an un-gendered future should empower us to find a way to express ourselves to make us ultimately feel fulfilled.

In the end, it is human diversity and intersectionality that will power creativity. Liberating movements in fashion, popular culture, and society as a whole – diverse gender identities are ultimately the key to a diverse and fulfilling human future.

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Written by Victoria Zander Photo by Gabi Macias Illustration by Katya Katlnelson Creative Direction by Katya Katnelson Model: Lindsay Morrison

An Abstraction

The abstraction of the human body is nothing new. Art and fashion have historically shown the human body transformed and distorted in one way or another. Now, more than ever, technological advances are making sure that the opportunity to enhance the physical body is constantly at our fingertips.

When defining the abstract, typically the first connection will be to abstract art; the type of art that is unrecognizable as any representation of our external reality. A distorted picture of something familiar. The most general idea of abstract art is linear and organic forms working together to express something – whether it’s a feeling, a sound, or a physical item – in an imaginative way that defies convention. The freedom of art without the rules of realism is appealing as a form of art that can be used to fully express oneself, and isn’t that most often also the case for fashion?

Fashion as a physical expression of the self has been one of the driving forces of fashion’s progression through the years. From the tricolour dress of the French revolution, to the experimental designs of early twentieth century expressionism, to the rise of punk-rock streetwear in the 1970’s, fashion has historically been a tool to express the emotion of both the time and the person. In more recent years, the line between fashion and art is becoming more and more blurred, largely thanks to the world’s increasing ability to integrate technology into fashion. By blending fashion, robotics, and wearable technology, the doors to new uses of fashion – both practical and artistic – are being thrown wide open for designers. From this follows the evolution of abstract fashion, where the physical body becomes a medium for all new kinds of expression. The idea of “clothing” has begun moving

Of The Familiar away from traditional iterations; as abstract fashion shows, the typical human shape does not need to be visible.

Collections such as those by Rei Kawakubo often transform the figure in a way that the human underneath can be recognized, but the basic structure, the form typically associated with the human body, is distorted. The use of technology in fashion has opened up a whole new scope of possibilities when it comes to fashion. Suddenly dresses glow, fabric moves on its own, and all of these new possibilities create new ways for fashion to be interpreted by designers. New types of electronics and programs can create those linear and organic forms of abstract art based on a song or a movement to give fashion a deeper meaning or way of expression to the wearer. Unfamiliar

“Body adornment through fashion and technology are quickly becoming art forms which showcase a new voice in fashion where the body is reconsidered and reimagined.” materials and strange new forms allow for much more interpretation of what fashion really is or what it can be. As technology driven fashion trickles into more mainstream fashion outlets, the types of garments that are being consumed are of a whole new expression of the human form than ever seen before.

Abstract fashion as art, too, is

becoming more and more mainstream, and the way that the body is transformed into something entirely different than its natural shape seems like a modern evolution of historical body-altering garments such as corsets and bustles. The difference now is that the alterations to the body are straying away from the essential human details. Designer Dani Clode embodies this leap into the unfamiliar perfectly with her prosthetic creations, which gives the wearer a third thumb. Historic body-alterations stopped at padding the skirt to make one’s hips look wider, or cinching the waist to seem smaller, but in this new age of fashion, anything is possible and what’s to stop anyone from changing human features to something inhuman?

The boundaries of fashion are being pushed more and more every day as the shapes that are put onto people’s bodies, and the way they are being put there, can transform them into an obscure, inhuman being. Playing with art on a living, breathing form creates so many opportunities for further expression of individuality and identity.

Body adornment through fashion and technology are quickly becoming art forms which showcase a new voice in fashion where the body is reconsidered and reimagined. This movement away from the traditional, away from the need for clothing in its usual sense represents a view of fashion as not just something to clothe the body but really something more than clothes, something that is bringing art to life. By transforming the familiar and recognizable body into something obscure, fashion is becoming more of a way to express an identity than it ever has before. Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder and now is the time to behold the future of innovative beauty in new and exciting ways.

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By Sienna Ebbinghaus This is MY Diversity is a project that stems from research into the lack of diversity found in women’s modeling and its affects on the self-representation of women of colour. This project was co-designed with a group of models of colour, who were all interviewed about their experiences in the industry. The models chose their own hair and makeup, as well as their styling, in an attempt to portray a diverse group of women of colour as accurately as possible. The goal was to photograph them in a way that they didn’t see or feel represented in the fashion industry today. I want to raise awareness for this often under-acknowledged problem and try to create a movement towards change.

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Words by Alex Anisman Photos by Pegah Pievandi Creative Direction by Alex Anisman and Marly Bromstein Models: Angela Zhang, Nick Crawford & Amanda Danishevsky

How will our earth further shape in its ever evolving structure?

When originally faced with the words “Human Futures” many ideas hit the surface of Alex’s mind. While constantly being inspired by icons such as Petra Collins, Alex wanted to channel her artistic expressions while inducing a vulnerability to the piece.

With specific ideas in mind, Alex thought, “what will humans be like in the future?

How will they interact? What types of materials will come into play? Will there be any materials left”? The lack of water and resources in general was also a topic of discussion that she wanted to touch upon. This is why she decided to create the concept around human interaction in the depths of water with the interplay of materials (or lack there of). With that, the piece drew upon themese of cultivating love, desire and madness. With limited resources available, how will humans manage to survive without essentials, such as water? While working alongside both Marly Bromstein and Pegah Peivandi, their creative juices flowed in sync with one-another capturing the perfect story while ensuring the direction was clear. Special thanks to the ever-so beautiful human beings Nick Crawford, Amanda Danishevsky and Angela Zhang.

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CONSUME NOTHING LEAVE NOTHING BEHIND.

NIHIL:

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Words by Joanna Lupker Illustration by Kylie Shuparski

I

n a world of artificial intelligence, technological dependence, and constant consumption, society can take one of two forms— utopian or dystopian. As the reflection of the world faced with black mirrors draws closer, we anticipate the answer to the question: what fate lies for a world such as this?

Our story begins with a young girl who, like many others, is forced into adulthood by the constraints of a wasteful society. The Deleted, as they are known, constantly struggle under those who think not of the repercussions of their actions—The Saved. It is no secret that the privileges of The Saved rely solely on the suffering and scrounging of the less fortunate Deleted, although knowledge of this is hardly enough to change this unrighteous system. After a rushed, unsatisfying breakfast, the young girl opens her closet to the few hanging pieces she owns and routinely grabs the same thing she always wears on Thursdays.

She fastens the side seams of her trousers and decides to attach a hood on her vest—the gloomy skies held the promise of rain. Her closet is mostly bare, as are the closets of all The Deleted. This is because they have to sell most textiles to collection facilities that distribute them to high-end manufacturers and anything of lesser quality they are permitted to keep for themselves. The majority of these leftover textiles go to those of The Deleted who need it most to repair homes and furniture, and what remains is used to construct clothing. Before heading out the door, the young girl cannot resist the urge to check on her little secret stash of

precious goods. As a rummager, her job is to report her material findings to the leading textile company in the city and turn them in for inspection. She is a diligent worker, yet sometimes her dedication waivers and she takes small precious scraps for herself.

Looking over her collection, she once again hopes for the day when the habits of The Saved drives them into an irrevocable disaster of overconsumptio. Her plan to restart her father’s garment upcycling business from her small, but promising collection of textiles could become reality.

A few minutes late for her shift, she hurriedly kisses her sleeping mother who had only come home after a long night’s work a few hours earlier. She hustles out of the house and takes her usual route to the trains. Seeing the city whiz by, gradually shifting from the poverty stricken dwellings of the Deleted to the pristine palaces of the Saved, never fails to make her blood boil. Along the ride, the only thing that gives the young girl solace are the clear blue skies that always seemed farther and farther away from her small town. She hops onto the platform before the train comes to a full stop and sneaks down the hidden path that she always takes to work.

This less traveled route often yields secret treasures that help grow her stock. She picks up a few scraps to clean off and keep for herself— and hears a crash. Shouting and panic follow. People rush to her direction and, instinctively, she runs into the crowds.

As she arrives at the plant, smoke fills her eyes and fear fills her heart. She has made eye contact with a familiar face.

“What happened?”, she stammers. “The generator…someone shut it down”, he replies. “As soon as it went down, The Deleted took to the rest of the plantation, destroying everything. Some of us joined in, but most people scrammed.”

In disbelief, the young girl looks at the fuming generator. It was the powerhouse of the whole textiles operation.

She knew other workers were also tired of the hierarchy the textile industry enforced, but she didn’t know it would get this bad so soon. Full of disgust for the wasteful, dirty, unethical life surrounding her and her loved ones, she suddenly she realizes that this was the moment she was waiting for. She grabs the boy’s hand, picks up

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a sack from the floor and starts stuffing it with materials. He does the same and together they run off with the potential to start a clean, sustainable, equal society.

This narrative is based on the founding principles of NIHIL — a brand conceptualized by Ryerson Fashion students Leanne Grant, Kelsey Lammers and Kylie Shuparski. After examining current habits of overconsumption and disregard for environmental consequences along with the newest trends and latest technology, they came to a frightening conclusion. This theorized narrative begins in a post-apocalyptic setting in an artificial intelligence dictatorship. From there Grant, Lammers and Shuparski postulated a future that aligned the power of design and social conscience with the current technology and the humanistic rights of society and found NIHIL to be the answer.

NIHIL translates to mean “nothing”. The brand name speaks to the recycled textiles used to create this fashion collection and the purposeful refrain from participation in machine-made fashion.

Thus, nothing is created from nothing, and leaves nothing behind. The tagline “made by society” refers to the opensource file sharing of the designs which are made available to consumers so they can produce the garments themselves. It also urges the population to take responsibility for the state of crisis in this dystopian world and provides them with an action to work toward solving the problem. This design solution won the opportunity to be developed in further partnership with the Fashion Zone. Lammers and Shuparski are currently working on the logistics and production of their pieces. Currently they are experimenting with a no-sew construction method and are designing 3D printed clips to hold the seams of each garment together.

Thus, each piece is modular, which allows the consumer to style the garment to suit a wide range of occasions, rather than consuming whole new garments. The outcome is eagerly anticipated. These designers are thoughtfully considering the clothes of the future to create nothing from nothing. But until then, we must all remember that our habits have unintended consequences and we should strive as consumers to leave nothing behind.

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URBANITES

By Melissa Dunphy, Models: Allison Dunphy & Dawnelle Stretcher URBANITES explores the theme of overtaking and this sense of coming to power conceptualized through the takeover of urbanization. A juxtaposition of both the modern and the established illustrate a contrast of both rural and urban. This thought-provoking series highlights the expansion onto pastoral land and its consequent implications.

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X years from now, promise me one thing promise me that your happiness won’t depend on the ping, the phone won’t ring, forever.

PHOTOS

CREATIVE

Eventually batteries deplete, chargers obsolete the only charge to complete, you is the charge of your bare feet, brushing on carpet as if you were five. Electricity in its most natural form before the rejection.

POETRY

Before the power held in our hands, had the power to strip man, of the power you will lack.

Press the power button but screen remains black.

Marly Bromstein

Marly Bromstein

Amanda Danishevsky

MODEL

Denise Wolpert

Failed you.

Find acceptance: yet allowed you to uncover how you fall back on the truth, youth is the power with no depletion over time.

Find acceptance: to cure you of aging there is no word nor line, when old age is seen as a due date, change the deadline.

Find acceptance: Promise that your worth will be searched, to age is not aging if your youth is unhurt.

Promise you’ll accept when your sights no longer twentytwenty in the year of twenty, seventy one.

Mindfulness, minding the tick, tocking, forgetting 21st century was changed by the millennium.

I promise if you promise that your ability to witness gravity’s toll on wise skin is your ability to feel the power of allowing life to be lived in.

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Electricity in its most natural form before the rejection.

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I promise if you promise that your ability to witness gravity’s toll on wise skin is your ability to feel the power of allowing life to be lived in.

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Art direction, photography, styling, illustrations, and words by Emilia Miranda Idiens

“L

es Bouquets Femmes” aims to capture the biological nature of female bodies that is often forgotten through bodily commodification and search for perfection. The use of movement and colour are the dominant mediums that have been used to explore this idea. The goal is to represent the female as the essence of a corresponding flower. These botanicals have been digitally illustrated to imitate the photographic compositions, and have been carefully selected to parallel the colours, movements, and personalities of the women. In turn, by creating this relationship between the photographs and the illustrations, the botanicals become personified and are given a human-like animation.

By finding the botanical essence in the women and the

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Models: Naomi Dolan, Ruby Lewis & Roan Curtis

human essence in the botanicals, “Les Bouquets Femmes” represents a holistic relationship between humanity and the natural world. The representation of the women or “femmes” as flowers is thus intended to humanize her, since the flowers are personified. Although the women are labeled according to their corresponding flower types (along the top), the intent is to challenge traditional female objectification by renaming each flower with a word that describes traits, often disregarded in the representation of women (along the bottom). By creating a duality between the women and the flowers, two living organisms, “Les Bouquets Femmes” reminds us that biologically, humans are tied to nature, and that their botanical or “natural” essence should not be forgotten.

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sisterhood

BY ALIA YOUSEFF

I’ve been photographing my sisters for nearly a decade. They were always my go-to test models when I first picked up a camera in my teens, and now, years later, I still photograph them before starting any new photography project.

What started out of convenience grew into a passion of mine, and now some of my favourite portraits I’ve ever taken are of my sisters. It might be how free I feel with them, how much I love them, or that our bond helps them feel comfortable in front of the lens, but whatever “it” is it continuously amazes me.

Although my list of subjects has grown exponentially since the days when we all lived in my parents home, I always make it a point to take them out for a session when I visit home in the suburbs of Vancouver. When I shoot with my sisters I don’t need any frills. I can bring them out to a vacant field at sunset and it becomes pure magic. Looking back at their photographs I can see them growing into women and I realize my hobby has become a chronicle that I plan to continue for the rest of our lives.

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A vacant field is

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s pure magic

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Feminine Masculinity

By Olivia Lemieux, Model: Evan Webb

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“It is fatal to be a man or woman, pure and simple; one must be woman-manly or man-womanly... Some marriage of opposites has to be consummated.”

- Virginia Woolf (1929).

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WHAT’S NEXT?

BY HARRISON CLARKE

Being a young creative is not always easy. Laying the groundwork for a career in a demanding and often exclusive field while attempting to succeed in school can have its challenges. Not to mention the additional stress brought on by attempting to hold a part or full time job. In an industry like fashion or the arts, one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is getting your work, and yourself recognized amidst a saturated sea of like creatives. Social media has made it both harder and easier to succeed within the creative class. On the one hand it is easier now than ever to find inspiration and make connections, while differentiating yourself from the pack is one of the hardest. In an attempt to provide some guidance (both for myself and you, dear reader) the interviews to follow feature eight young creatives hustling in different industries within Toronto. Their insights shed light on the tribulations and triumphs experienced when attempting to navigate their dynamic and creative careers.

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S

ydney Wong is a graphic designer and visual storyteller living in Toronto, Ontario. Her work blends technology with art to create heartfelt, bright and unique experiences.

How would you describe yourself and the work you create?

I guess a really big thing about my work is that I really like pastel shades, I find them really calming and beautiful to look at. It wasn’t until first and second year that I started experimenting with Photoshop and Illustrator for assignments then it started being kind of a stress relief thing. Now getting into the last year of my degree I was thinking if that’s something I really enjoy how can I monetize it and how can I pursue a career in it?

Where is the next place you want to go with your work?

Right now where my mind is going is starting my own business and taking the year after school to explore that avenue and at least say ‘I did it and I tried it’.

What are some challenges you’re anticipating for the future of this business?

There’s always that fear of failure, especially with taking your own entrepreneurial route. It’s not as secure and steady as going for a full time 40 hour a week position. But right now I’m in the works of establishing partnerships with others with similar goals and visions and do it more as a collective than by myself. I think having more people will make it easier.

Technology is such a huge part of our lives, what is your relationship with it and how does it play a role in how you make your work?

It’s definitely something that’s constantly evolving, if we were to look at the past decade things like visual branding have become more a necessity.

What do you think about this huge incorporation of tech into marketing, and how does it affect you?

I think it’s really cool, now businesses are changing things all the time, they want to have pop-ups in the middle of Dundas square, they want that thing that goes viral and that thing is normally along the intersection of tech and art.

What are some advantages and disadvantages

young creators like yourself will face going into the industry?

Starting with disadvantages, a lot of it would be pay. I think a lot of industries don’t understand how much work goes into specializing in a certain creative field. Businesses now want one person to run social media, be a videographer, be a photographer and do graphic design when I think all of those roles should be given to people that dedicate a lot of time to specialize in each.

In terms of advantages there are a lot of jobs and there are going to be a lot of jobs that don’t exist yet. I’m confident that most people will probably be able to find their way into the industry, even if there are a lot of people doing the same thing, their styles are going to be different.

There’s a pressure on young people to get their name out there as soon as possible, where do you think that might come from?

I think social media plays a huge factor for sure. For myself it’s sometimes really stressful to come across profiles of people who are younger than me and appear to be more ahead of the game, you kind of psyche yourself out.

How do you deal with that?

I think it’s in recognizing that if this is something I love and really want it to happen I just need to keep working towards it. If you don’t try, it absolutely won’t so I have to at least give it a shot.

What advice would you give to other young creators such as yourself?

First, towards students, something that I wish I was told earlier is that you’re going to get assignments that you won’t like but try to take it and turn it into something you’d actually be proud to put in a portfolio, even if that means changing something or going the extra mile, just do it. Another thing is to use your connections, I think it’s really easy to fall into a box where you feel like you have to compete with people, but there’s so much beauty that can come out of collaborating, encouraging or trying to learn from that.

Nicholas Facchini is an independent filmmaker living in Toronto, Ontario who aims to learn as much as he can with each new piece he

creates. His film ‘No Lemon Policy’ won Audience Choice at the 2017 Take 21 Film Festival.

How long have you been making videos?

Pretty much since I could take the family camera I was making stuff. A lot of the videos I was making when I was younger was like fan stuff, I was planning to make a Predator short film.

When did you see yourself transition from fan videos to original films?

Probably after I got declined from film school. I had to do a video for the application, I kind of planned it but I didn’t really get ready for it. After I didn’t get

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in I was kind of heartbroken, then I decided I didn’t need to go to school to make something.

Social media sites have made it possible for content creators to constantly put work out there, putting an emphasis on getting your work noticed and sharing it as widely as possible. Would you describe yourself as one of these creators?

No, I definitely take my time with stuff. I just want to make stuff that I like that I hope other people like, I’m always like quality over quantity. I’m an annoying perfectionist, every little detail has to be what I want it to be.

I don’t want to make a video every month. Every time I make a video I want to make a huge step. Every time I tackle a new project I think how much can I learn from this. Some scripts I’ll throw to the side just because I won’t learn anything from it. It’s good to keep going at stuff until you find the one you’re really into.

What’s your relationship with social media?

I feel like it’s a great tool for marketing cause now there’s more ways to get your stuff out there than before. There are people and opportunities you would have never gotten otherwise. The negative is that you’re in a sea of so many other people, which started the ‘click-bait’ wave.

People are just making very obvious lies

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to get clicked on. I don’t even hashtag my photos, it feels way less magical when it’s thrown on to you.

What are some new challenges that filmmakers, such as yourself, of this generation are facing?

All the money goes towards films that aren’t art films, now there’s a huge divide between what wins best picture and what wins at the box office. I realize there’s types of movies that’ll get you more popularity than the things I’m doing but I don’t want to do what everyone else is doing.

The Humming Magazine is a bi-monthly publication which wants to hear “what makes you move and what gets you feeling animal”. In every publication The Humming showcases the work of a variety of young creatives, all thanks to its editors Jenny Dallan, Mathea Harris, Yasmine Hassen and Carleigh Campbell.

Is it important for you ladies that young creators have a space to work on themselves and work with each other?

Jenny: I think so, I think fostering a seed of something in somebody is so important. The purpose of The Humming is to create a community.

Yasmine: That’s why we like throwing events and community outreach kind of things to connect, empower and have them empower us.

What are some challenges and advantages that you see young creatives going through?

Yasmine: I think a lot of young creators are students and finding that balance is the hardest thing, because you want to be creating stuff but you also want to be a good student. You want to value your art but in our society school is so important and can really be the basis of having a successful life.

Carleigh: The biggest issue for me is the image that people need to uphold of being artistic, which isn’t necessarily always important. I think a lot of people have created art for the sake of seeming like something. What’s so important with The Humming is to break away from this mask that you kind of put on. We don’t want the tropes that are necessarily what’s happening now, we want honesty when you’re contributing.

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Mathea: It’s important for people to understand that you don’t have to be trendy, you don’t have to act like anyone.

What is your relationship with the aspect of social media where people do, as you say, put on a mask to be a part of a trend?

Yasmine: That’s something that we kind of fell into when we got more interest, we were like ‘okay we need certain deadlines, we need to post this many times a week, and have a certain style’. At that point we kind of lost the passion and had to regather ourselves and talk about why we started this and to stay true to it.

Mathea: We came to thinking ‘why have we fallen into the typical-trendy-ways of how people are posting’, we realized we need to come back to ourselves and voicing what’s important to us. I think in that way we’re separated from other magazines because it makes us more relatable instead of saying ‘this is our high horse’.

Carleigh: Looking back to when we were at the beginning it’s been such a journey learning to navigate social media. It was basically a cloud over us, of how we posted, I remember making schedules of when we would post. Now we’re so less scheduled and I feel so much more comfortable in the magazine and we post whatever we want.

When people see honesty, they’re inspired to be honest themselves and that’s what we want to represent when we post.

What is one of the biggest things you have learned from the beginning?

Mathea: Your roots are so important, understanding yourself is so important in order to accept other people’s work and points of view.

Jenny: I think it’s really easy to get lost along the way when you’re busy trying to get people to notice you and come off a certain way, but we created the project

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for a reason and if we stray from that and do something else then what’s the point?

The original intent is still so important and we go back to that but we had to learn to go back to that.

What do you all want to see more of from content creators going forward?

Yasmine: I think people need to make their work intersectional and accessible.

Make your art for the people and our communities, not for the sake of commercialization or the rich.

Jenny: The rejection of art for the individual. Moving forward we need to think about art not as, “I’m an elite, art school grad, and I’m going to make this super conceptual work and put it in this white washed gallery.” Let’s think of art as for the people and for the community as a way to empower.

What is one thing that you think our generation has to offer to the creators table?

Carleigh: I think our art is different and that’s what should be celebrated; the difference in our generation and in our culture. I’m thinking of what the next generation will have to say about our art, did we do anything innovative, did we do anything better?

Unlike is fronted by designer duo Denise Martin and Claudia Cimini, two young creatives in Toronto, Ontario. The duo creates custom made denim, both creating new pairs and making specific pairs to order for customers, most recently shown off at popup shops at The Drake General Store and Mogo Lounge.

What inspired you both to come together to make Unlike?

Denise: We both have a desire to create something and both coming from an art background it’s kind of hard to think of a way to make money off of art itself.

We both liked fashion and art was very important to us and we just wanted a way to merge the two.

Do you find the monetization you make off the work plays a large part in what you create?

Claudia: Not necessarily, I think we’ll always narrow down our ideas and think we’re getting a bit too ambitious.

Denise: And we love that but also since we both worked retail, we’re aware of this reality of who are we selling this to and who the customer is.

What are some of the ways in which you distance yourself from other labels?

Denise: Sometimes we do think of that, although there are denim brands and sustainable brands hat have a similar aesthetic and style, we constantly try to ensure our work is unique.

How important is it to you guys to have your own aesthetic in the fashion industry?

Denise: It’s very important to me because nowadays you look through Instagram and there’s a billion different accounts that are on it and one thing you don’t want is to fall through the cracks of someone looking at your photo and saying “I’ve seen this before.” We also don’t force the aesthetic, it kind of happens. Our photographer has a great eye and kind of just gets us so the pictures we have are also kind of her vision, but it works out with our style.

Claudia: I think it’s important because that’s how we make the things we do and we’ve always discussed having our own aesthetic especially since everything we make will not be the same because we’re not always using the same cloth or the same material. I feel like as artists we kind of have a thing about us where we already know what we do and don’t like.

Through an art program you kind of develop this skill of what to see and what to look for and how you can take it and make it your own.

Denise, you touched on Instagram and billions of accounts. What is your relationship with social media and the role it plays in your branding?

Denise: In terms of our Instagram I wanted it to be more organic. I do like using hashtags because it’s a great way to create community for sustainability and responsible denim making.

Social media has become hugely incorporated into fashion, how are you responding to that?

Denise: I think it’s great! I think shopping is way easier for everybody, accessibility is way easier.

What is one thing you’d like to see more of from creators of this generation?

Claudia: Fun! That’s one thing we always talk about when creating stuff. I love to have fun with things because we’re in this world and we’re always serious and talking about really big problems.

Denise: More creativity. The difference between her and I is she likes the drama and making things flashy, whereas I like to be more simple but I like to find the creativity in things. When I try to shop nowadays there’s nothing that I see that’s original, I see everyone selling the same things. I want new ideas.

What is one advantage and one disadvantage you see young creatives facing as they go into the fashion industry?

Claudia: A disadvantage is knowing the right people and getting yourself out there, and that’s something we need to get more comfortable with. I would encourage people to get themselves out there, you want to be noticed.

Denise: The disadvantage of being in Canada is that if you’re not working in the U.S. I feel people don’t care as much about what you’re doing, there’s a very small community of creators here and sometimes that community can be snotty and not want you to be a part of the club.

What advice would you have to other creators?

Claudia: Have a clear vision!

Denise: Make as much stuff as you can whether it’s bad or good, because making is how you get better.

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