Features — Page 18

Six Emerging Women Fashion Designers Defining the Modern Woman

March 17, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of the Fashion Institute of Technology

Fashion is more than decorative fabric draped over the body; it’s interwoven into society and bleeds into communities showing off the colors of modern life. Contextually, fashion has always played a significant role in women’s lives; fashion, women’s rights, and freedom of expression have long been factors in the struggle for independence.

The Museum of FIT’s exhibit titled “Women in Fashion” highlights designers like Coco Chanel, Louise Boulanger, Jane Régny, Jeanne Lanvin, and Elsa Schiaparelli, with each designer’s pieces uniquely reflecting the modern woman’s desires and needs. Coco Chanel is perhaps the most famous example as the exhibit writes, “She [Chanel] created an image of herself as a modern woman of style, dandyish in her simplicity, with a casual-chic that made other women look like over-dressed dolls. She created a prototype for the modern woman and positioned herself as the antithesis of the reigning male designers of the postwar era.”

Around that same time, Elsa Schiaparelli was creating pieces that were not nearly as understated but synonymous with French chic. According to Colin McDowell’s piece on Schiaparelli for Business of Fashion’s “Fashion History” series, “Schiaparelli was by no means beautiful, she had ‘esprit,’ and possessed an appearance of assurance that many women of non-conventional looks and leaders of taste and style, also had in a world where prettiness meant nothing. Even faultless beauty frequently took second place to strength of character in the admiration stakes.” Her surrealist fashion inspired by Picasso, Cocteau, Picabia, and Dali presented witty and daring fashion for the modern woman.

To celebrate Women’s History Month, Fashion Reverie is highlighting modern female designers who are creating their own definition of the modern woman!

Image courtesy of Paulina Russo

Paolina Russo

Paolina Russo is a Canadian fashion designer whose designs are meant to be moved in. Russo studied fashion at Central Saint Martins, where she developed what can be described as a moving sculpture aesthetic, inspired by her experience with Taekwondo and her love for crafting, construction, and deconstruction. According to her interview with Annika Lautens for Fashion Magazine, she says, “I started taking apart a lot of my old sports equipment and creating forms with it. I took my soccer sneakers apart and draped them until they reminded me of a corset. It created an armored look, and that’s what ignited the upcycling in my work.”

Russo’s designs are interlaced with society’s focus on sustainability and interest in new technology. She tells Fashion Magazine of her signature style called “illusion knitting,” which she describes as “a technique that creates a lenticular-like fabric [like] a holograph: When the material moves, a different image is revealed. It’s a process usually done by hand, but it’s very strenuous. So, I started working with these computerized knitting machines and developed programs that have the same effect but are much faster. Illusion knitting has become a staple within my brand.” Check out Paolina Russo’s designs on her Instagram, @paolina_russo!

Image courtesy of Stephanie Uhart

Stephanie Uhart

Stephanie Uhart is a London-based Chilean designer who graduated from Central Saint Martins with a degree in Fashion Design with Knitwear in 2020. Uhart designs for the striking and confident woman, combining shapes and textures with vividly toned “fluff” fabric. Her pieces are made for magazine covers and editorials in their unique nature; like Schiaparelli, Uhart’s designs are impossible to ignore. Check out Stephanie Uhart’s designs on her Instagram, @stephanieuhart!

Image courtesy of Di Pesta

Di Petsa

Dimitra Petsa is a Greek designer who pulls from the influences of the Earth’s waters, women’s bodies, and celestial beings to create pieces that explore female sexuality. Her work is for a modern woman who has let society’s shame around the female body float away down the river. She studied at Central Saint Martins and created “The Wetness Collection” for her graduate show, where she conceived her signature “wet look.” Petsa’s pieces are meant to tell a story, with the clothes acting as a poem as women turn towards “sentimental fashion” meant to evoke a strong emotional response. Check out Di Petsa’s designs on her Instagram, @dipetsa!

Image courtesy of Tia Adesola

Tia Adeola

Nigerian-born designer Teni ‘Tia’ Adeola was raised in London and now lives in New York. She graduated from the New School with a degree in Culture and Media and designs with the aim to rewrite the fashion narrative for people of color. For her fall 2022 collection, she shared her inspiration with Emilia Petrarca from THE CUT, “There was an uprising in my country [Nigeria] where the police were killing, kidnapping, and harassing the youth, and it was something I was very active in. So, I use graphics for the first time, and you see little jabs at the police, like, ”You were supposed to protect us.”

”The Renaissance has also always been the foundation of my inspiration, so even beyond the apparel, like the hair and makeup and the cast, I just wanted my audience to really immerse themselves in that sort of Black Renaissance narrative that I continue to push.” Another graphic altered Michelangelo’s Pietà to depict a Black Jesus and Mary showcasing her Black Renaissance narrative. While many of Adeola’s designs center around social movements, physical movement is also important, with a focus on textures, ruffles, feathers, and fringe. Check out Adeola’s work on her Instagram, @tiaadeola!

Image courtesy of Gogo Graham

Gogo Graham

Gogo Graham started designing when she realized that there were no other brands run by a transgender woman making clothes for other transgender women. Graham designs for herself and often models her own clothes, acting as her muse. In a piece for Interview magazine, Graham speaks with Hunter Schafer, fashion model, and actress on Euphoria, about her recent fall 2022 collection, “Home! Sweet Home!” Graham says, “The title of the show, ‘Home! Sweet Home!’ is the title of a track towards the end of Grave of the Fireflies, an ’80s anime film about these two kids in wartime Japan after the bombing of Kobe. It’s not necessarily about their story, but in that scene there’s this montage of the little sister playing dress up with objects in their home. A lot of the textiles I use are very commonly found home textiles, and there’s comfort objects like stuffed animals as accessories. There’s a lot of comfy cozy knitwear.” Along with highlighting her Japanese heritage, Graham featured transgender female models in her runway show. Check out Graham’s work on her Instagram, @gogograham!

Image courtesy of Miss Sohee

MISS SOHEE

Sohee Park grew up as an artist surrounded by her mother’s art studio. In 2020, Park turned her 2D feminine floral fantasies into a 3D graduate collection, “The Girl in Full Bloom.” Her work features traditional symbols of femininity like flowers, butterflies, and pearls to showcase her version of the modern woman. Her clothes are surrealist and sculptural for the glamorous, elegant, and fantasy-driven woman. On her Instagram, Park says that her most recent collection is “inspired by traditional Korean folk art ‘Minhwa.’ We reinterpreted different elements of nature through tableaus featuring traditional Korean colors and hand-embroidered animal motifs.” Focusing on sustainability, Park designed the collection using sustainable fabrics like the Abaca fabric, which is made from a specimen in the banana tree family. Check out Park’s work on her Instagram, @miss_sohee!

—Tessa Swantek

Award-Winning Fashion Stylist and TV Personality Gemma Sheppard discusses her role as the World’s First Metaverse Stylist with Roblox

March 10, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of Gemma Reynolds

Recently, Fashion Reverie published an article about the Metaverse to understand how the next virtual evolution will impact the fashion industry. The article, “Discussing Fashion in the Metaverse with Fashion Stylists Michaela Leitz and Deborah Ferguson,” is a think-piece meant to foster more discussions relative to the future of fashion and the role of the Metaverse. To understand the Metaverse more concretely, we reached out to Gemma Sheppard, a celebrity stylist and fashion guru who is the world’s first fashion stylist to join the Metaverse through a collaboration with Metaventures and Roblox. Sheppard has worked with highly revered designers like Tom Ford, Alexander McQueen, and Daphne Guinness. She has been involved in many facets of the industry for several decades and is certainly not one to fall behind a rapidly changing fashion landscape. In a press release for her new venture, she said, “I’m never afraid to evolve—call it the chameleon in me,” which is precisely the adaptive quality that makes her so successful in her styling work. In Roblox, Sheppard, or more accurately her avatar, will provide virtual styling services to players through virtual try-ons, look books, and styling showrooms. This spring, Sheppard and Metaventures will also stage the first Metaverse Fashion Week.

Join me as I talk with Gemma Sheppard as she discusses her insight into the Metaverse and details how real life will unite with virtual life. While the Metaverse still seems like a foreign concept to many, Sheppard grounds the idea in our current reality to help you understand what the future will likely become. With developments in e-commerce and pushes for sustainability, the Metaverse, for Sheppard, is quite a natural evolution. Sheppard also presents a unique and positive viewpoint on how our digital avatars will affect us in the real world.

Fashion Reverie: For you, what is the main difference between styling in the digital world versus the physical world?

Gemma Sheppard: In the digital world, people feel encouraged to be much more creative and freer to express themselves. I think this will be demonstrated by how people want their avatars to dress. Once someone’s style confidence grows in this virtual world, it will be fascinating to watch how it may spill over into the real world. Ultimately, I think people will start to embrace and mirror their alter-egos, which means a whole other level of fashion experimentation and confidence!

Image courtesy of Roblox

FR: Can you tell Fashion Reverie a little bit about your upcoming styling venture with Roblox?

Gemma Sheppard: I am extremely fortunate that in my role as Metaventures’ Metaverse Global Fashion Director, I have been given the freedom and incredible scope to explore anything and everything fashion-related in the Metaverse. The initial concept is still being finalized, so for now, I am keeping most of the details under wraps, but I love that it will give so many people access to a whole new world of fashion and beauty, a universe where fashion is ageless and all-encompassing.

FR: What is most exciting to you about the Metaverse and your styling venture with Roblox?

Gemma Sheppard: I will be working with some phenomenal brands that you will have already heard of as well as some new artists who are popping up in the Metaverse. Let’s just say the creativity between us all, now, is on fire and limitless! I particularly love that I am reconnecting archived designs and bringing them into a modern world and introducing them to Gen Z! This blend of fashion history and future is something that blows my mind.

Image courtesy of Roblox

FR: With many luxury fashion brands being at the forefront of the Metaverse, how do you think luxury fashion changes in a virtual world that is more inclusive?

Gemma Sheppard: Since the pandemic, how we go about our everyday lives has changed immensely. It’s made us look at different ways of doing things, and the fashion industry is no different. It has needed a shake-up for a while, and now is the time for change and evolution. In this virtual world of fashion, the garment can look like anything a designer desires with all the limitations normally imposed by market practicalities taken away. I’m passionate about sustainability, and brands will now be able to see behavior trends in the Metaverse that will help to more accurately understand quantities required and, therefore, reduce waste. Brands will be able to look at their archived designs and reissue them as Metaverse-only pieces. I’m also looking forward to exploring the idea of ‘concept drops’ based on demand in the Metaverse that can then play out in real life. Interestingly, recent data presented by e-commerce business Burga indicates that a monthly average of 28 mobile applications added Metaverse to their description, a 460% spike from previous records, which shows how Metaverse is going mainstream. We’re in the midst of a major fashion and lifestyle evolution, and it feels insane to be at the forefront of such excitement in my new role for Metaventures.

FR: On a broader note, aside from Roblox, many are noting the aspirational element of Metaverse fashion, mostly regarding size barriers. Do you think there could be adverse mental health effects in transitioning from the Metaverse to the physical world when people are an aspirational version of themselves in the virtual world?

Gemma Sheppard: I think the beauty of an avatar is that it can be your alter ego. In a world where there is a strong body positivity movement and gender fluidity conversation being had, this is a social playground of experimentation where we can explore different versions of whoever we want to be, which is incredibly liberating. We’re all used to expressing ourselves on social media using filters and retouched imagery—just look at the popularity of SnapChat. Where the Metaverse will be different is it fosters a world of non-conformity rather than encouraging us to conform to dominant social constructs. By allowing us to explore whoever we want to be regardless of race, sexuality, or gender builds inclusivity and empowerment. Some interesting research out of Stanford revealed that the way someone operates their avatar impacts their real-world behavior. Researchers discovered that the more attractive someone’s avatar, the more confident they were in the real world. There’s also an argument that by trialing new identities virtually will enhance our real-world empathy and ability to interact with others while also helping us better understand who we want to be.

Image courtesy of Roblox

FR: In your opinion, do you think the Metaverse is the future of fashion styling?

Gemma Sheppard: I don’t think it’s a case of one or the other. When e-commerce came in, everyone thought it was going to be the end of the British High Street, but the two have been able to work in conjunction with each other. That is the benefit of this virtual world. It’s an incredibly creative playground that we can use to showcase and offer things in a different way. Like anything, one can influence the other, and it’s exciting that we have another fresh, new way of expressing ourselves!

—Tessa Swantek

Black Designers Who Made a Mark in February 2022

February 26, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

In the United States, February is National Black History Month. There is no shortage of contributions Black people have made to society and culture the world over. With February also being the month when fashion designers traditionally present their fall/winter collections, the flag of Black creativity flies at full mast, and their creations are highlighted in the month-long celebration.

In July 2021, Brooklyn-born Haitian descendant Kerby Jean-Raymond, founder and designer of the Pyer Moss brand, presented his couture collection as a guest of La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Rather than present in Paris, Jean-Raymond showed his collection to the world from the grounds of the New York estate of Madame CJ Walker. His designs featured artistic interpretations of inventions by African Americans, layered over couture creations. A half-year later, we observe other Black creatives making a name for themselves within their designs.

Images courtesy of the CFDA

Dur Doux

Dur Doux is a luxury lifestyle brand launched in 2013 by mother-daughter duo Cynthia Burt and Najla Burt. Together they have created a brand that blends wearable pieces with edgier, more avant-garde elements. Their latest collection, entitled “La Nouvelle Mosaïque,” is a cornucopia of bright colors and bold patterns. Recently, Dur Doux launched a menswear capsule collection with fellow Washington, D.C. designer Andrew Nowell. Dur Doux Homme promises to add a menswear element as captivating as their womenswear.

Image courtesy of Mateo New York

Mateo New York

Mateo New York has recently been named one of the brands in the next iteration of Macy’s 2022 Icons of Style. Known for his women’s fine jewelry, Matthew Harris began his brand creating men’s pieces, and currently, he has expanded to handbags and home fragrances. Where Harris separates himself from his contemporaries is with his line of high jewelry. Utilizing solid 18kt gold and VS diamonds, Mateo New York’s high jewelry offerings are for the most fashion-forward yet discerning clients.

Images courtesy of CIse

Cise

The word “cise” (pronounced like “ice” with an “s” at the front) is Washington D.C. slang meaning to hype up. Launched in 2020 by Howard University alum Black Van Putten, the brand came into prominence with their “Protect Black People” and “Protect Black Women” bags. Expanding from accessories to apparel, CISE now offers casual clothing and will continue to grow their wardrobe options with a concentrated effort in the fall of 2022.

Images courtesy of Johnny Nelson

Johnny Nelson

If “knuck if you buck” were a person, jewelry designer Johnny Nelson refuses to wallow in Black tragedy but rejoices in Black triumph. His highly sought-after rings, earrings, and necklaces unabashedly celebrate leaders from the African diaspora—figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Marcus Garvey, Sojourner Truth, and Ida B. Wells. He also makes cultural references using motifs of the Black Panther Party, the Three Wise Monkeys, and a Mount Rushmore style four-finger ring of deceased rappers. Inspired by Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, and Brooklyn neighborhood jewelers of the 1980s and ’90s, Nelson draws inspiration from his diverse artistic and cultural experiences that merge punk, hip-hop, and spirituality. The line places a heavy emphasis on statement pieces that spark conversation amongst consumers.

Images courtesy of Claude Kameni

Lavie by CK

Grace. Opulence. Fash-ion!! Claude Kameni is a self-taught designer, and her Lavie by CK brand has taken the entertainment world by storm. Relocating from Cameroon as an adolescent, Kameni began sewing as a teenager and hasn’t looked back. Worn by Janet Jackson, Issa Rae, Iman, Beyonce, and Viola Davis, Kameni was recently chosen as WWD’s most influential Black designer to watch. Her creations bring forward traditional African textiles coupled with statuesque silhouettes and luxury fashion sensibilities. However, her masterful and vibrant creations aren’t just for women. Men cut an equally alluring figure in Kameni’s clothes. Be prepared, you will be stopped, and your photo will be taken while wearing Lavie by CK.

Images courtesy of McKenzie Liautaud

McKenzie Liautaud

May your chakras be aligned. Jewelry designer McKenzie Liautaud has spent over a decade joining the forces of metals and crystals and offering his creations to the world from which he finds inspiration. Led to create by his global travels, Liautaud ‘s jewelry collections are infused with international style yet, seem personally created just for you. His goal is to bring balance and harmony to the world to build a conscious brand. From earrings and necklaces to bracelets and rings, each Mckenzie Liautaud piece is beautifully handcrafted using ethically sourced precious and semi-precious materials. For spring 2022, Saks Fifth Avenue has introduced the Power Crystals collection on Saks Direct.

Images courtesy of voguerunway.com

Tokyo James

If you don’t know the name Tokyo James, you had better get used to it. Nigerian-British designer Iniye Tokyo James has been on the radar of fashionistas for the past two years. James began by creating genderless clothing combining the suiting expertise of Savile Row and the traditional fabrics of Africa. He has since evolved to create more fashion-forward garments while incorporating contemporary style statements. James’ creations are reminiscent of some of the great designers of the last century, but the trajectory he is creating is all his own.

Images courtesy of Salone Monet

Salone Monet

Feel comfortable in the skin you’re in. On the home page of the brand’s website, designer Salone Monet boldly states that nude is not a color! Her eponymous footwear line is void of the one thing designers use to stand out—bold color! Salone Monet offers shoes in six shades of nude, ranging from a creamy Jasmine white to a rich chestnut brown.

So why nude? Monet explains that since a nude shoe will match you, it will match everything you wear. The nude shades don’t interrupt the leg, making your legs look longer. And because you’ll go to this nude shoe time and time again, it’s a great financial option as it has a low cost-per-wear ratio. Your best investment is always yourself, and if this shoe is an extension of you, there’s no better choice.

—Carl Ayers

Discussing Fashion in the Metaverse with Fashion Stylists Michaela Leitz and Deboroh Ferguson

February 23, 2022 by admin 1 Comment

Image courtesy of Upsplash

Since Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook’s name change to “Meta” in October 2021, many are debating whether we are entering into the next era of the internet, namely the “Metaverse.” The Metaverse is difficult to conceptualize as it has not exactly materialized yet. The concept, at the moment, is best understood through video games like Fortnite and virtual reality software that acts as an indicator for the meta universe. According to Eric Ravenscraft for WIRED’s “What is the Metaverse, Exactly,” “It [the Metaverse] translates to a digital economy, where users can create, buy, and sell goods. And, in the more idealistic visions of the Metaverse, it’s interoperable, allowing you to take virtual items like clothes or cars from one platform to another. Right now, most platforms have virtual identities, avatars, and inventories that are tied to just one platform, but a Metaverse might allow you to create a persona that you can take everywhere as easily as you can copy your profile picture from one social network to another.” Essentially, the Metaverse would allow for us to live a digital life that blurs the physical and digital world. Many presume that the Metaverse stemmed from COVID-19 since our physical and digital world has merged through this time; however, the concept of digital personas and virtual reality have existed long before the pandemic.

Apart from virtual reality, digital personas have existed for quite some time now, especially amongst GenZ on TikTok. As Fashion Reverie noted in our piece titled “Global Youth Redefine Themselves Through TikTok Fashion,” “Youth users of the platform are able to construct their own fluid identity that is not restricted to gender, social class, or even time periods. This fluid identity is essentially their ‘digital aspirational persona,’ one where the users place themselves in every context that they want to be in without boundaries.” The Metaverse, in simple terms, seems to be a much more advanced evolution of these digital aspirational personas that already exist, just in the form of avatars. A study conducted in November of 2021 by the Business of Fashion titled “The Opportunity in Digital Fashion and Avatars” revealed that “approximately 70 percent of US general consumers rate their digital identity as important. 65 percent rate digital ownership as important, and 50 percent are interested in purchasing a digital asset (skins, digital fashion, digital avatar, NFT) in the next 12 months.” These statistics suggest that the average person, in the US, is willing to enter a new digital era.

Image courtesy of Balenciaga

The Metaverse has become synonymous with a “digital renaissance,” that fashion brands have already tapped into. The existence of virtual self-expression on social media has interlaced with the fashion industry for years. Fast fashion and rental fashion became popular partly due to Instagram influencers who feared outfit repeating while more avante-garde fashion can be worn on TikTok for a short form video, rather than in public. Luxury fashion brands are at the helm of digital fashion, especially Balenciaga, which presented its autumn 2021 collection, “Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow” via virtual reality Oculus. The collection featured armor-like boots, pants layered over pants, and NASA puffer jackets in a blend of casual and futuristic fashion. The digital world essentially allows for seemingly unlimited self-expression without physical waste. Fashion Reverie spoke with Michaela Leitz, one of the first professional fashion stylists of the Metaverse, about styling in the digital world. She comments, “In the digital world, people feel so much braver to express themselves through styling. You can be anything at any time. For example, if you grew up very conservative and were taught that showing skin is a sin, you can tap into the feeling of a sexier look in the digital world for the very first time, without getting judged or having feelings of guilt for your outfit.” Leitz’s observations as she styles in the digital world are in line with our observations of digital aspirational personas that have existed on social media, so Metaverse fashion amplifies this concept.

Images courtesy DRESSX

Leitz then tells us, “There isn’t much boring and conventional fashion available in the virtual world. The fashion in the virtual world reminds me so much more of avant-garde fashion crossed with urban street style and pure luxe. The inner princess in me would LOVE to wear a crown and opulent baroque dress all day. But in my everyday life, even I can’t channel my inner Marie Antoinette, where would I walk around like that? In the virtual world, it’s possible if I feel like it.” DRESSX, which is a brand-selling digital fashion rentals, sells pieces that range from glass-blown dresses and 3D printed art boots to gravity-defying liquid metal gowns and floating solar headpieces that reflect this sentiment. This type of avante-garde virtual fashion has major implications for the physical world as well. Fashion Reverie sees opportunity for relatively low-cost high fashion editorials using physically impractical virtual fashion that defies design barriers. This lack of barriers is what makes the concept of the Metaverse most exciting as the digital world blends with the physical world on an even larger scale in the Metaverse.

Fashion Reverie asked Deborah Ferguson, Fashion Director/publisher of CONTENTMODE Magazine and award-winning film Costume Designer, about how she believes the Metaverse will impact the future in fashion as much of her background is in experimental fashion. Ferguson grew up in London for most of her life and she tells us “There was music and art everywhere, especially through my college days at Saint Martins. It was all so intertwined, so radical, so experimental and so fearless. In the late ’80s, early 90s London, it was incredible because it was the perfect mix of young people not worried about anything and doing exactly what they wanted in fashion—something you could maybe find in Japan nowadays” Ferguson also worked with John Galliano as a design assistant in an environment where “the aesthetic had more focus on inspiration, researching and resources and knowing every period of fashion.” Ferguson’s thoughts on the Metaverse, like Leitz, centers around avante-garde fashion and new opportunities with less barriers. She says, “The Metaverse will quickly integrate into more online retailers. This will organically increase the demand for hard to wear and unusual clothing and accessory brands which one might see on their favorite recording artist or influencer. I also think as consumers are evolving into virtual relationships and experiences, we will soon be able to virtually rent a runway look for a social media selfie and or virtual encounters. I see it as a positive, empowering opportunity for those who may have the money but not the opportunity to experiment with their image.”

Image courtesy of DRESSX

Other than surpassing design barriers, the Metaverse is also expected to decrease size, income, and status barriers. Leitz tells us that she believes the Metaverse to be the future of fashion partly because “fashion weeks will no longer only be an event for the ‘fashion elites.’ We already have Balenciaga and Balmain having their fashion week on the Metaverse or selling NFTs. With brands having a Metaverse fashion week, everyone can be a part of it.” Of course, a guise of inclusivity is always something to be worried about relative to the fashion industry, and anything presented as a form of utopia is something to be wary about. Decentraland, a virtual world, is set to host a four-day digital fashion week from March 24th to March 27th with virtual shows, stores, and events.

Image courtesy of Decentraland

At Fashion Reverie, we have some doubts about the inclusivity on the platform and how it will impact fashion in the Metaverse and subsequently how that will cross into the physical fashion industry. When creating an avatar on Decentraland’s website, there are few options in terms of body shape, hairstyles based on hair type, and skin tone. This feels a bit antiquated since there should be legitimate fears that steps in the physical world made toward inclusivity in the fashion industry could be reversed in the Metaverse, despite a utopian facade. In other words, the erasure of different body types and industry status in the Metaverse is regressive rather than progressive. This fear, however, is simply speculation as the Metaverse has not yet materialized fully.

This debate mostly revolves around the presentation of avatars in the Metaverse, which is not a concrete concept yet. If avatars can be made to look completely life-like as we see in video games like Death Stranding or in digital fashion presentations like Balenciaga’s “Afterworld,” then progression in the fashion industry is entirely feasible. Leitz, who is an advocate for plus-size inclusivity in fashion via her “Plus Size Experience Podcast,” says “the Metaverse brings so much potential in terms of just being accepted the way we are. Let’s also think about someone who is born in the wrong gender. This person can live on the Metaverse the gender she/he or they would like to live and is not being judged for that. And that can give you a really big confidence booster also in the real world. Of course, it can bring a negative mental health effect especially for people who already suffer from body dysmorphia. But I am convinced that it just matters who you surround yourself with, also in the virtual world.” She also points to the influence of media and celebrities in the physical world that have created this beauty standard in the physical world, implying that these influences would not be as present in the Metaverse.

Image courtesy of Balenciaga

Luxury fashion has long been synonymous with exclusivity based on a consumer’s physical size, wealth, and social status. With luxury fashion brands being at the forefront of the Metaverse, it is difficult to understand what luxury fashion becomes when it is far less exclusive. Additionally, what does fashion marketing in the luxury sphere become when it is no longer demographic based? While these are questions that cannot readily be answered, they signal the possibility that fashion, at least in the Metaverse, will center around innovation and creativity which should be placed at the core of fashion. Leitz seems to believe that the Metaverse will just exacerbate the marketing that has started to become popular over the past few years—marketing that targets hyper specifically rather than broadly. She says, “The new luxury will come from small brands that listen to the needs and wishes of their audience. As mentioned before, the fashion will be more ‘ready-to-order’ or completely designed based on the customers’ wishes. If I want luxury fashion in the future, I will simply go online, try on the designs, and get the clothes exactly made within my measurements. I am looking forward to the day that clothes off the rack are not the fashion standard anymore.” While Fashion Reverie also hopes that standards in the physical fashion industry do not transfer to the Metaverse, there is no way of knowing until we enter the Metaverse. See you there!

—Tessa Swantek

MODELS TO WATCH for the Fall 2022 Season: The Freshmen and Some Returning Sophomores

February 11, 2022 by admin 2 Comments

“I look at it all through the models…

The boys who were always picked last in PE class … they are now the first (and only) choice for Fashion Week runways.” —Chad Thompson

For this third edition of “Models to Watch,” we resumed the conversation we started back in August 2021 with casting agents Chad Thompson from Communa-k (communa-k.com), and Maurilio T. Carnino of MTC Casting (mtccasting.com). Chad and Maurilio are among the fashion industry’s top casting agents in the US and Europe. Chad and Maurilio spoke with Fashion Reverie about the direction modeling is going in and who we need to be watching this season.

The topic of diversity was one of the first subjects we touched on. Both agents concur that brands are still going to embrace diversity going forward this season as the campaigns and shows they’ve been working on reflect this cultural shift. Maurilio points out that diversity is a way for designers to reach out to their customers.

Maurilio is following castings for the fall 2022 season in New York and Milan but is sitting the show season out. Instead, he has focused his energies on a campaign OTD (On This Day) for John Varvatos’ new brand for men and women. “The first is out and we just finished shooting the second one. It’s younger than the John Varvatos brand [presents]. John likes to use the term ‘unisex,’ which is more elegant, not gender-bending.”

This is right in line with the much talked about “new masculinity.” Models, celebrities, and kids on TikTok have adopted a gender fluid look that had a big moment when singer Machine Gun Kelly opened and closed the Dolce & Gabbana fall 2022 menswear show on January 15. Maurilio continues, “Vuitton was really pushing boundaries in that direction. It’s a moment where we want to explore everything in diversity; the customer wants to be represented.”

The women’s boards are also undergoing changes. Maurilio opines on what fashion is currently looking for from female models. “There isn’t a specific nationality that is in vogue now, what appeals is confidence. What makes for a perfect girl? The measurements, yes, they are super important, but if the confidence is there, it overrides it. Models like Mica Arganaraz have it all.” The same goes for male models, such as Cherokee Jack who is 6’ even (two inches shy of the ideal runway height). Plus-size girls, he believes, should have their own platform if the designer is interested in making the clothes for them.

Chad has observed “new energy on the runways,” namely creativity with the outdoor location show venues like Proenza Schouler’s show at Little Island at Pier 55, and Rodarte’s show held in a West Village courtyard. Although most castings are still virtual due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Chad told Fashion Reverie, “Things are heating up again now that we have some live shows to look forward to in the coming weeks.” This season, he’s been doing more traveling to see models as clients are very much on board with seeing vaccinated talent, and in New York, most of the models are fully vaccinated. Los Angeles and Elite Toronto (now that the Canadian border has opened) are big feeder agencies for girls who come to New York. Maurizio also finds the castings to be a little more open than last season due to designers taking precautions. Fashion houses such as Gucci do COVID-19 testing before the castings even begin.

Yet another change is that the pace of a model’s career has also slowed down, a far cry from the frenzied pre-Pandemic pace when models needed to book a dozen top shows to have a successful season. Agents are employing a “velvet rope” method of growing a promising model’s career; the model only does a few select shows to avoid overexposure in the crucial first and second seasons. Tindi Mar (one of Chad’s models from last season) walked for Altuzarra in New York and Alberta Ferretti in Milan. This approach has led to some models having an extended “first season” of one year, rather than a mere six months. Consequently, Chad and Maurilio named some of the same models they had their eyes on in August. This is notable because, pre-Pandemic, many models didn’t survive more than one season. Maurilio concluded our conversation by remarking on Naomi Campbell, a model with seemingly endless longevity. “Naomi will never go away, being on the runway makes her feel alive. Maybe she will become the next Grace Coddington as Grace did—[transitioning] into a magazine editor.”

And now, meet our class of fall 2022 — the freshman with some returning sophomores mixed in.

THE WOMEN

India

Instagram: @india.sampson – 1.5k followers

NEXT Model Management

India Sampson just graduated from high school. She is an example of the success of the velvet rope approach agencies are using to cultivate a model’s career. Last season, she walked for the exclusive Tom Ford show. India was a model Chad suggested to photographers for test shoots. “Testing is a good tool to see who’s good and who’s popping. India came through on a test and her height is in the range.”

Image courtesy of Instagram

Aubrey

Instagram: @aubrey3rin – 1.4k followers

Wilhelmina

Aubrey Hill hails from West Virginia and began her career with long hair last year. Like models before her, a haircut helped propel her career forward, as it famously did for supermodel Carolyn Murphy in the 1990s when she cut her hair into a pixie for the Prada show and instantly became a supermodel. After the New York shows, Aubrey walked in the high-profile Gucci Love Parade show on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Image courtesy of One Management

Aviana

Instagram: @avi_ously_ – 6.6k followers

Muse Management

Aviana McClish is an African American model whom Chad describes as recently having grown into herself. She has walked for Bibhu Mohapatra and Tom Ford and has the elegance of a young Sade.

Image courtesy of Instagram

Pricela

Instagram: @pricela.pj – 5.6k followers

Ethos Model Management

Chad saw Pricela Januario at a casting and soon after she worked with him and Greg Lauren in Los Angeles. She has also worked with Maison Martin Margiela. This Berlin-born and raised model has roots in Mozambique and is an emerging artist.

Images courtesy of Instagram

Mika Arganaraz

IG: @micarganaraz – 375k followers

DNA Models

Mika is Maurilio’s favorite female model. “It is all personality with Mika.” Though Mika has been on the scene for several years, Mika is still a favorite of fashion designers and brands.

This Argentinian beauty has swiftly risen to supernova star status and is ranked as an “Icon” on models.com. She has a multitude of campaigns in her credits including Zara and Chanel. Mica covers all the bases and has strong editorial runway credits such as a cover with Vogue Ukraine and ID Magazine. As for runway shows, Mika has walked for Chanel and Versace, to name just a few.

THE MEN

Cherokee Jack, returning Sophomore

Images courtesy of Instagram

IG: @itscherokeejack – 20.6k followers

Ford Models

Cherokee Jack is doing very well in the editorial sphere. Maurilio finds him to be an interesting case because although his 6’0” height limits his exposure for the runway, his hauntingly beautiful face makes him perfect for editorial work.

Hudson Primo

Images courtesy of Instagram

IG: @hudsonprimo – 2k followers

IMG

Chad is enthusiastic about newcomer, Hudson Primo Schaetzke, who has the prestigious Louis Vuitton virtual show under his belt. His other credits include the Helmut Lang look book. Although he’s young, Hudson’s face is notable as it already has character, despite his youth. Add his long hair and mustache, and the combination is arresting.

The Vuitton show that took place in Miami served as an incubator for a lot of other new male talent, namely Aashish Takur and Joshua Navarro, who both have the multicultural look and long hair the agents say clients are focused on this year.

Aashish

Images courtesy of Instagram

IG: @aashishrthakur – 1.1k followers

ONE Management

Aashish Takur is from India and has started off strong, also having done the Miami Louis Vuitton show.

Edem Oueslate

Images courtesy of Instagram

IG: @edem_oueslate –1.6k followers

Boom Models

Edem is a compelling mix of Turkish and Albanian parents and was born and raised in Italy. He’s shot the Louis Vuitton look book and has an exclusive agreement with Bottega Venetta.

Joshua Navarro

Images courtesy of Instagram

IG: @nastynavvs – 2.3k followers

Like Hudson and Aashish, Joshua has also walked the Louis Vuitton Miami show, and Gucci Love in Los Angeles. He did his first show in Milan, Philip Plein fall 2022, on January 15.

Niccolo Geuna, returning Sophomore

Images courtesy of Instagram

IG: @011.nico – 1.5k followers

Elite Milan

Niccolo was one of Maurizio’s selections from last season who has done very well since then.

The handsome seventeen-year-old did Sandro in Paris and Jil Sander (he had the third look before the finale look), and Vogue Portugal. He continues to be requested and will come to New York for the summer for editorials and advertising work.

—Vivian Kelly

New York Fashion Week Fall 2022 Season Preview

February 10, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of firsclasse.com

In case you are not aware New York Fashion Week (NYFW) fall 2022 season is just a few days away!! Like the past few fashion weeks, this fashion week will be a hybrid fashion week.

No longer an experiment based on the current health pandemic, global fashion week is now a necessity. At NYFW masks are mandatory as well as documentation of COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots for staff and models. Recent COVID-19 negative tests or COVID-19 vaccines are necessary for attendance to NYFW. And because of this many fashion designers/brands are opting for digital presentations.

Opting not to show at fashion weeks is something that many brands have adopted for several seasons. In late January, Tom Ford decided not to show at NYFW fall 2022 season. Versace opted out showing during men’s fashion week in Europe and Thom Browne cancelled his show at NYFW.

Still, other brands shoulder on. NYFW stalwarts Christian Siriano, Brandon Maxwell, Prabal Gurung, Proenza Schouler, Carolina Herrera, The Blonds, Gabriella Hearst, Cynthia Rowley, Jason Wu, Alice + Olivia, Eckhaus Latta, Altuzarra, Son Jung Wan, and Herve Leger will present live shows. Bibhu Mohapatra, Anna Sui, Anne Klein, Pamella Roland, N. Hoolywood, Badgley Mischka, Vivian Hu, and Dennis Basso have chosen digital presentations for the fall 2022 collections.

Fashion Reverie will be front and center bringing our viewers all the goings-on at NYFW. Hopefully, this will be the last season of hybrid shows because nothing substitutes for live shows. Keep your fingers crossed!!

—William S. Gooch

A 2022 Fashion Reverie According to Influencers, Stylists, Designers, and Photographers

February 1, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of nylon.com

With a new year comes new aspirations, and in the fashion industry there is much to aspire to. The fashion landscape is changing with each passing year as many consumers, especially Gen Zers, are choosing to shop second hand as they love the treasure hunt in searching for unique one-of-a-kind items. This shift in shopping habits is drastically changing industry values, especially those regarding sustainability. Similarly, many designers and creative directors are pushing for ethical manufacturing, diversity in teams, and higher quality pieces. This desire to return to “slow fashion” will likely persist in 2022. While some look to an aspirational future in the new year, others look for a resurgence of the past. The global pandemic has altered how those in the industry work, leaving those affected longing for the past. Photographers and stylists, for example, whose careers mostly rely on in-person contact, have had to adapt to working in entirely new ways from Zoom photoshoots to virtual fittings.

Fashion Reverie sought out several people in the industry to answer one question: “if you could live in a true fashion reverie in 2022, what would it look like?” to understand a wide range of desires, both personal and industry-wide, for fashion in 2022. Read below for input from content creators and designers to stylists and photographers!

Image courtesy of Instagram

Diego Leon (@dandyinthebronx)

Diego Leon created his blog, Dandy in the Bronx, in 2014 following a career as a dapper preschool teacher. His following has grown to over 40,000 people who look to his blog for tips on being impeccably suited by keeping shirts tucked, socks up, and seams straight. He has long advocated for tailoring, especially since he is 5’7” and wants to help all men have perfectly fitted outfits to wear. He also wants to make menswear accessible to everyone as shown by his partnerships with Wardrobe, and Amazon. With his eye for accessible classic menswear from head to toe, Diego Leon’s fashion reverie is set in a sustainable future.

“My fashion dream world would be that tailors and cobblers would be more mainstream. This would lead to a more sustainable world as people would just get their clothing made to measure and encourage people to repair their clothes when needed. This would also make people appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into tailoring/crafting and people would understand the prices for these kinds of things.”

Image courtesy of Instagram

Tayla Santos (@taylasnts)

Tayla Santos is a Boston-based, faith-driven fashion influencer. For as long as she can remember, she has always loved fashion; however, she’s come to realize that as much as she loves shopping and putting together outfits, what she really loves is using fashion to tell a greater story. She mixes elements of fashion, styling, and photography to create an aesthetic that captivates her audience of over 35,000 people on Instagram, Pinterest, and her blog, Tayla’s Closet. Her style is timeless, chic, and casual in neutral colors of coffee and cream, so, her fashion reverie is set in a minimalistic haven.

“When I first started out my career as a fashion and style content creator/influencer, I was known for my neutral toned capsule wardrobe. Over the years, I have collected more and more items and my wardrobe has become oversaturated with trendy pieces that it became difficult to get ready in the morning. A true fashion dream for this year would be to get back to a capsule wardrobe, get rid of a lot of unnecessary trendy pieces and focus on styling more chic and timeless looks.”

Image courtesy of Instagram

Taylor Reed (@treedfl)

Taylor Reed posted his first TikTok “get ready with me” about two months ago, and since then he has garnered a following of over 200,000. Reed tells us, “I got into creating fashion content to document my favorite clothes, which are mostly gifts from friends, vintage pieces, and other meaningful garments.” Sustainability is hugely important to Reed as his Levi 550s, which he gets dry-cleaned to keep their shape, often lays the foundation for each outfit. He then pairs a classic piece with high quality, ethically sourced garments like his Dijon-colored Deus Ex Machina jacket, Carhartt hats, screen printed tees from friends, thrifted polo sweatshirts, and passed down items from his family. As an environmental health student, many of his videos show him getting ready for classes. He also loves being outdoors, which his clothing often reflects, as he tells us, “I love rock climbing, mountaineering, surfing, and just being outdoors in general.” It is no surprise, then, that Reed’s fashion reverie is set in a world focused on nature and sustainability.

“A fashion reverie for me is one where the garments I wear are as functional and sustainable as they are aesthetically pleasing. I’d love to be able to look as good while I’m hiking and rock climbing as I do on the street.”

Image courtesy of Instagram

Thermal Taveras (@callthermal)

Thermal Taveras is the head fashion designer for WHENSMOKECLEARS, an Atlanta-based fashion brand. The brand’s roots are in jewelry as the jewel encrusted “Radiant Heart” is their signature piece and is at the heart of each collection. Last year, WHENSMOKECLEARS debuted their first ready to wear collection called “Welcome to the Underworld” mixing regal styling with casual streetwear pieces. In their upcoming collection, the brand will be presenting a collection showcasing innovation in evening wear staying true to their roots in jewelry and streetwear. With high quality pieces that dazzle most under the runway and retail lights, Taveras’ fashion reverie is set in a universe where retail powerhouses reemerge.

“My fashion reverie would be where fashion retail returns with the excitement that got me into fashion.”

Image courtesy of Instagram

Rachel Gilman (@rachelgilman_)

Rachel Gilman is a NYC-based fashion stylist who began her career as a design assistant to Betsey Johnson which blossomed into assisting stylists Lori Goldstein, Patti Wilson, Alex White and Aleksandra Woroniecka, Fashion Director of Vogue Paris. Gilman has since styled for several major publications from Vogue Ukraine, Glamour US, Interview, M Le Monde, Dazed, and The Laterals to Harper’s Bazaar KZ, ContentMode, Elle Mexico, Flaunt, Teen Vogue, Elle Vietnam, GQ South Africa, and PAPER among many others. Some of her celebrity clients include names like Dua Lipa, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Amandla Stenberg. As a stylist, her job was greatly affected by the pandemic, so her fashion reverie is set in a pre-pandemic world.

“My fashion dream is pretty simple but feels very far off- I would love to come to set without fear of getting sick, to be able to see faces again, and to create magic with nice teams.”

Image courtesy of Instagram

Roshan Moayed (@roshanmoayed)

Roshan Moayed, photographer, has worked with a variety of clients, especially locally in Houston, Texas. In the fashion realm, he has worked with notable figures like Alan Gonzalez, fashion designer and host of Project Runway Redemption. He also worked with Chasity Sereal, who is currently one of four finalists on Project Runway season 19. He has also done commercial photography jobs with NYX and CZAR by Cesar Galindo. While his work has been featured in Goji and Ignite Magazine, Moayed’s personal fashion reverie revolves around high fashion brands and publications so his work can reach a wider audience.

“That dream would probably consist of commission shoots by big brands in the industry like Prada, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. Of course, being asked by major publications to shoot editorials would also be a dream like Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and W amongst other publications, of course. My reality is much more humbling, so I get my work where I can find it. I’ve shot some fashion designers here in the local market in Houston, Texas. I’m quite happy with the people I’ve met and the connections I’ve made.”

—Tessa Swantek

The Beijing 2022 Olympic Games: An Ever-Evolving Skating Fashion Story

January 31, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of thetodayshow.com

The 2022 Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing, China from February 4th to February 20th. While there is a lot of uncertainty about where one can watch and who can get into the venues to spectate, one thing is for certain—all eyes will be on the skating costumes, on and off the ice. Figure skating, also referred to as “ice dancing” has long-been one of the most watched of the winter events, certainly for the beauty and skill of the routines, but also for the drama of the outfits. Skating competition outfits have long had the reputation of being “over the top” and cheesy.

Images courtesy of houstonchronicle.com and espn.com

Who can forget former Olympic champions Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski’s dazzling routines and the costumes they wore when they made skating history? Johnny never disappointed when it came to his choice of costumes. Fashion designer Stephanie Whitmoyer describes Johnny as “A showman at his core, and a performer. One of my favorites is the all-red outfit he wore for the 2017 Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park’s annual Tree Lighting Skate-tacular. The head-to-toe look, including boot covers, was fiercely bold, a perfect refection of his personality and skating style.”

While Johnny’s TV partner Tara Lipinski is not as over the top, she can hold her own when it comes to her costumes. In line with many of Tara’s fans, Whitmoyer calls-out the cobalt skating dress the then fifteen-year-old skater wore when she won the 1998 Olympic gold medal. Says Whitmoyer, “Hands down, the cobalt dress she wore was the most impactful; the sheer rhinestone sleeves that appeared to glisten every so softly were a beautiful complement to her dazzling performance.”

Images courtesy of projectrunway.com

Let’s fast forward to the recent “Project Runway” challenge held in November 2021, in which competitors were tasked to create an outfit for Johnny and Tara to wear to the Olympics, when they will commentate for NBC as the network’s primary analysts. The duo has been working together since 2013 and have two Olympics under their belts working the commentary booth. The winning looks were created by Anna Zhou (Lipinski) and Brian “Bones” Jones (Weir). Both outfits are white and indicate a shift away from loaded-on sparkle to a more minimalistic and streamlined look for the category. Whitmoyer also took this approach when Fashion Reverie asked her to sketch a few outfits for Tara to wear to the Olympics. Whitmoyer says that she is happy that fashion is finding a more meaningful place in the skating world. “Tara, Johnny, and “Project Runway” are paving way for this change. I personally would love to see an inclusion of outfits that are not so costume-y; maybe an elegant jumper or sexy romper.” The designer proposed three different looks for Tara: a white chiffon romper, a black jumpsuit and a Swarovski crystal wrap mini dress. The jumpsuit’s lace top is toned down with a triacetate/polyester bottom. Although the jumper is of a minimalist design, the rhinestone buckle belt gives it the requisite show-biz flash.

Johnny and Tara are outspoken about the costumes they wore while competing. Says Johnny, “My favorite was my 2006 Olympic short program costume where I portrayed a dying swan. It is so special because my dreams came true in front of the world on Olympic ice for the first time in that costume. Also, I wore a red glove that was meant to resemble a swan beak.”

Tara’s “Walking on Sunshine,” yellow dress with a silver sunburst on the chest was a crowd-pleaser and one of her personal favorites, which she shared on a video for Cosmopolitan. The dress she wore when she won the gold in 1998 though, was the cobalt blue sparkler Whitmoyer mentioned earlier. Tara revealed that she sewed on one of the glittery paillettes that fell off her idol, Kristi Yamaguchi’s costume onto her dress for good luck. While she is wearing a more minimalist look as of late, she confesses to “still loving a bit of sparkle.”

As for the performers in the upcoming Games, there is a clear divide when it comes to stylistic choices between Team ROC (Russia) and Team USA. According to www.olympics.com, ROC will bring eighteen skaters to the Olympics, led by world record holder Kamila Valieva. If Kamila’s past costumes are anything to go by, we can look forward to a lot of sparkle and drama from Team ROC.

Image courtesy of olympics.com

At the other end of the style spectrum is sensation Nathan Chen, skating for Team USA. His outfit choices are a dramatic counterpoint to Kamila Valieva’s. He’s performed in a sleek unitard designed by Vera Wang devoid of sequins that gave him the clean athletic look of a speed skater. The New York Times’ Jere Longman wrote, “White lines on the chest and arms give form to his two quad jumps and powerful, angular movement” which further emphasize that skaters are athletes above all else.” Johnny Weir is on board with Nathan’s spare look. “It’s perfect for him. He’s passionate. He emotes all the way through,” “He can reach the top rafter of a building. Ultimately, that’s what an artist has to do; you have to sell to the cheap seats.”

What is for sure is that the “Project Runway” challenge has served to highlight the two distinct fashion directions we’re seeing in the athletes’ costumes. Add in the usual drama of intense competition and you get an extra dose of entertainment to look forward to when the skaters finally step onto the ice. Until then, we’re waiting with bated breath to see what these two talented athletes and the rest of their teams will wear in Beijing.

Endnotes: Although Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski will wear the winning outfits from the “Project Runway” competition on their Winter Olympics broadcast, the dynamic duo won’t be going to Beijing. Instead, they will be broadcasting remotely from NBC Sports headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. On January 21, NBC announced that most of its commentators and hosts will not be traveling to Beijing due to China’s zero-tolerance policy toward those testing positive for the coronavirus and the rising number of cases.

—Vivian Kelly

Casual Instagram and Its Effect on GenZ Fashion Culture

January 26, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of TikTok

For over the past five years or so, Instagram has been a haven for the lover of visual appeal and aesthetics. A fashion influencer whose pointed-toe footsteps often grace Parisian cobblestone on the way to a terrace cafe could naturally adopt a “Parisian aesthetic” Instagram feed, while an influencer in New York City wearing an effortlessly chic outfit as they walk down 5th Avenue could do the same. With the neutral tones of coffee and cream and the perfect formulaic VSCO filter, both influencers can adopt the same digital persona with practically the same viewer perception, albeit one more aspirational than the other. This meticulous curation and focus on aesthetics; however, has been criticized following heavy influencer marketing on the app, as content began to be viewed as disingenuous as it seemed every woman was having her “Emily in Paris” moment. 2022 has ushered in the supposed antithesis of curated Instagram with “casual Instagram,” defined by photo dumps and content that more closely mirrors reality.

Image courtesy of inputmag.com

The push for less curated, more authentic content had been steadily increasing since 2019, mostly throughout the US, and in 2020 and 2021, the pandemic amplified this mindset on a massive global scale catalyzing this shift to “casual Instagram.” Input Magazine describes casual Instagram as, “low-effort and haphazardly put together—hence the term ‘dump’— the gallery posts can be widely attributed to the events of 2020. As a result of the pandemic, which fueled a year of loss, grief, and overall melancholy, curating an Instagram feed has become a practice of the past. During quarantine—when no one had any Instagram-worthy events to attend or dress up for—photo dumps became especially popular.” The desire for casual content could have also escalated due to the popularity of TikTok, known for its authentic content where viewers often get closest to seeing other’s real life. This is not to say that TikTok isn’t curated, but its short form videos don’t allow for as much of a focus on an aesthetically pleasing grid.

TikTok creators, in particular, have had the most to say about the concept of “casual Instagram,” with many debating whether it really is the antithesis to curated/performative Instagram. In a viral Tiktok, Akili Moree, who has a background in the entertainment industry, compares curated/performative Instagram to scripted TV, whereas casual Instagram is like reality TV. He says that “reality TV, like casual Instagram, isn’t reality but it attempts to convince the viewer that it is real life.” Moree and video commenters all refute the idea that casual Instagram is less performative or less curated. Comments all echo similar sentiments with one user writing, “My casual dumps are the MOST strategic omg,” and another writing, “I just don’t get ‘casual insta’ because it’s still so curated. It’s just less glam.” Ethan Glenn, for example, creates men’s fashion content on Tiktok and created a video compiling some of his Instagram photos telling viewers to start ditching their Instagram aesthetic. Still, Glenn was met with several comments telling him that his “casual” content is viewed as an aesthetic in and of itself.

Image courtesy of TikTok

One of the tastemakers for “casual Instagram” is Emma Chamberlain, an internet personality and Louis Vuitton ambassador, who is credited for the 2017/2018 movement towards casual YouTube wherein messy buns, teddy coats paired with gray sweatpants and Ugg slippers, and burping on camera was not only normalized, but trendy. There was and still exists a certain level of privilege needed to retain popularity on casual YouTube. In other words, many note that there is a certain privilege in not being widely viewed as gross by society for burping on camera or looking what many would deem as messy because of a creator being viewed as attractive. This is not to say that Chamberlain hasn’t been criticized, or that her content isn’t deserving of major accolades, but it is to note that she has been widely accepted as one of the most well-known internet personalities, works alongside several high fashion brands, and interviews celebrities for the 2020 Met Gala, whereas others would not be given the same accolades for the type of content she creates.

Casual Instagram is no different. On January 6th, 2022, Chamberlain posted a photo dump with two of the photos certainly showing realistic content—one photo is of her ripped nail while another shows three bloody band aids on her marble countertop. There is again, privilege in something this hyper realistic still being widely perceived as a casual aesthetic rather than just boring or simply disgusting.

The same topic of privilege is also prevalent when looking at how social media culture, particularly casual Instagram, which has affected fashion culture. In the same way that Emma Chamberlain’s casual YouTube had every teenager and woman wearing a teddy coat and messy bun, casual Instagram has also impacted fashion trends. Attempting to look casual yet fashionable, women seem to be opting for basic pieces with a twist—a black long-sleeve cotton top with side cutouts, leggings with a slit hem, jeans with an asymmetrical button closure, or a white tee shirt with an open back. These basics are often paired with a version of a Nike Air Force 1 or slides with socks. This trend in fashion is best evidenced by Abercrombie & Fitch’s rebranding. Almost every item on the website is a twist on a basic garment to create pieces that are trendy, but also basic enough to potentially exist in a wardrobe for a very long period. This focus on basics means that many women are spotlighting their hair and jewelry which accounts for the increased popularity in salon blowouts using a Dyson Airwrap and stackable gold jewelry. Matilda Djerf, another fashion influencer, heads this trend as she often layers basic pieces paired with bouncing blonde hair as the main fashion statement with gold hoop earrings, a silver watch, and a gold Cartier bracelet, which is a piece that is anything but casual even though she makes it look effortless.

Image courtesy of businessinsider.com

Like casual Instagram, Abercrombie & Fitch is trying to be inclusive, and in some ways is successful, but not everyone feels included. The fashion that defines casual Instagram does not require a user to be thin or conventionally attractive to participate, but it is true that women who are deemed thin and pretty are most widely followed for dressing this way. This concept, however, has existed in fashion forever and is not exclusive to A&F or casual Instagram; however, both in their attempt to be perceived as reality, like reality TV, can sometimes be even more deceiving. Business Insider’s Hillary Hoffower and Dominic-Madori Davis note in their article titled Abercrombie & Fitch is cool again, after years as the most hated retailer in the US, because it caught up to what millennials and Gen Z want, “younger generations also care about building a ‘capsule wardrobe’ to be more sustainable, buying a few items of good quality that will be seen as timeless as the endless cycle of fast fashion prevails. A spokesperson said the company is looking at making its practices more sustainable, telling Insider the brand knows there is still more work to be done.”

Image courtesy of businessinsider.com

Like Abercrombie, casual Instagram fashion does in fact promote a much more sustainable wardrobe which is a major shift from the plethora of fast fashion on performative Instagram. In terms of fashion, this signals a shift in a wonderful direction for 2022 which Fashion Reverie is looking forward to!

—Tessa Swantek

Fashion Reverie’s Top Articles of 2021

January 10, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

2021 was a very challenging year. There were some great fashion moments and some fashion events and moments that were sad. Still, all in all with all the things that are going on and with the speed of change 2021 was an interesting year.

Below you will Fashion Reverie’s top fashion stories of 2021.

Image courtesy of LVMH

Virgil Abloh

Perhaps, the top fashion story of 2021 was the unexpected death of Virgil Abloh. Virgil Abloh was one of the most acclaimed black fashion designers of his generation. In his very short 41 years, Abloh was one of the few black fashion designers to ever helm a major European fashion house. And at the time of his death, Virgil Abloh was the creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear and the creative director of his own fashion label, Off-White. Abloh was also a frequent collaborator with Nike and Avian.

In July, Abloh was promoted to a new position with the auspices of LVMH, giving him the latitude to work across LVMH’s 75 brands. This position made Abloh the most powerful and prolific black executive in the fashion industry

Abloh helped usher in an era of fashion, a fashion that blended street style with luxury. As a proponent of this new hybrid, Abloh’s fashion collections not only spoke to what modern consumers wanted to wear but blended the worlds of art, commerce, political thought, and diversity.

Image courtesy of amazon.com

Chanel N°5’s 100 Anniversary

Is there a fragrance more iconic than Chanel N°5? On the 100th anniversary of this famous perfume, taste makers and fashionistas around the world look back at just how N°5, the first scent created by a woman, has stood the test of time.

Described by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel herself as, “a women’s fragrance that smells like women,” this perfectly blended bottle of perfume is anything but ordinary. Crafted by Ernest Beaux in 1921, Chanel N°5 Parfum was designed to be a reflection of Gabrielle Chanel’s personality. As described by Chanel, the fragrance exudes femininity and radiates a floral richness composed around ylang-ylang and neroli followed by mayrose and jasmine rounded out with smooth sensual, Bourbon Vetiver, sandalwood and vanilla. This revolutionary scent, breaks away from the single-fragrance perfumes popular in its day and adds layers of complexity thanks to its unprecedented use of aldehydes, making it the first abstract fragrance in the world. N°5 quickly became the tipping point that ushered in the modern era of perfume, forever changing the fragrance landscape.

Linda Wells, founder of Allure magazine, explains in an interview on thezoereport.com, “I love the way Chanel No. 5 invented an entirely new fragrance, bottle, and expression. The handsome, restrained, almost masculine bottle was revolutionary at a time when decorative cut crystal was the norm among expensive French fragrances.” The look of the perfume has changed very slightly over the years, always honoring the classic juxtaposition of a complex fragrance encompassed in a simple bottle.

It catapulted into the mainstream spotlight again in1954, after Marilyn Monroe famously confessed that she wore a few drops of this iconic scent to bed. While you may be channeling Coco, Marilyn, or one of the dozens of celebrities who love and proudly wear N°5 over the past 100 years, you won’t be wearing the exact same fragrance. To stay relevant with evolving tastes, the fragrance has changed slightly over the years. Each Chanel house perfumer, with the exception of one, has reinterpreted the classic perfume slightly. Today there are 5 different interpretations on the market. According to NPR currently, 1 bottle of Chanel N°5 is sold every 30 seconds.

Image courtesy of hypebeast.com

Pyer Moss Fall 2021 Couture

The most anticipated runway of Paris’ Fall/Winter 2021 Haute Couture Week was arguably the Pyer Moss show. Haitian American designer Kerby Jean-Raymond was invited by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (the governing body of French fashion) to present his first couture collection as a guest member of the organization. As such, Jean-Raymond became only the third American (and first black American) designer to be designated a true couturier and present a collection as part of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, with Main Bocher in the 1930’s and Ralph Rucci from 2002 to 2009, and again in 2019. But true to form, Jean-Raymond, ever the social activist and creative outlier, did things his way. Rather than take his collection to Paris, he brought Paris to New York. He displayed his first couture collection of 25 looks in an extravaganza that celebrated Black excellence and ingenuity and highlighted Black culture and community.

Black history was incorporated into every element of the presentation, from the venue to the theme, to the soundtrack, to the after party. The setting was Villa Lewaro, the Hudson River suburban estate of Madame C. J. Walker. Walker is credited as America’s first female self-made millionaire.

Twenty-five looks, all inspired by Black inventions and modifications. Some looks had obvious references, like Garrett A. Morgan’s traffic light and Lyda Neman’s synthetic hairbrush. Others were more fashionably abstract, like Thomas Martin’s fire extinguisher and Walter Sammons’ hot comb.

Image courtesy of vogue.com

Vogue Paris Becomes Vogue France

In this excellent article, associate editor Tessa Swantek examines Conde Nast name change of Vogue Paris to Vogue France which has caused some outrage by many francophiles. Swantek also carefully examines the state of fashion publishing in the this very timely article.

In this piece, Swantek contends that the French daily morning newspaper (Le Figaro), argued that the decision reflects Anna Wintour’s pushing American “woke” values onto other countries, writing “The colossal losses of the publisher Condé Nast in recent years against a backdrop of digital transformation in the sector have led it to a new strategy of ‘sharing of content’ for all its newspapers international. In summary, each title is now coordinated by a single head linked to a country, under the leadership of the indestructible Anna Wintour.”

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Free Your Mind editorial

Because of the COVID-19, it has been two years since Fashion Reverie has been able to produce a fashion editorial. Still, the desire to produce a new fashion editorial was always front and center in the minds of the Fashion Reverie staff.

We finally accomplished our goal by produce a new masculinity editorial based on some the new gender neutrality trends we were experiencing in menswear. Fashion Reverie examines and highlights a more expansive perspective on masculinity. After all, a real man knows who he is and marches to the beat of his own drum. Be that a masculinity that is expressed in bold color, lots of jeweled embellishments with a nod toward glitter and glitz.

So free your mind and the rest will follow. Did En Vogue say that?

Image courtesy of Netflix

Costume Designer Jeriana San Juan Talks about Her Work in Netflix’s Miniseries “Halston”

Fashion Reverie had the unique opportunity to interview Jeriana San Juan on her work as wardrobe supervisor on the Netflix documentary “Halston.” Halston’s story once again appears on screen in a new biopic miniseries on Netflix. Respectfully titled “Halston,” this miniseries stars Ewan McGregor and is produced by critically acclaimed television producer Ryan Murphy.

No film about a legendary fashion icon can be complete without impeccable detail to the garments used in the production. Jeriana San Juan, the brilliant mind behind the wardrobe in this miniseries. Fashion Reverie simply had to find out how she recreated this era of fashion history.

New York Fashion Week (NYFW) has not been the same since the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, many industry professionals soldier on in the hopes of presenting new collections and expanding their consumer base.

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Kevan Hall Spring 2022

Fashion Reverie was fortunate to experience Kevan Hall’s return to NYFW. There was one show that was a jubilant explosion of bold color and excitement with a nod to the tried and true. Kevan Hall’s spring 2021 runway show was that show, a show that projected toward the future, but stayed grounded in what still works.

Attended by many of the fashion industries’ hallowed, seasoned professionals, Hall gave viewers and will continue to bestow on his consumer base silhouettes and design aesthetic that will always be in fashion. Hall carefully eased consumers back into a world of sophisticated elegance and glamour, without forcing that consumer to consider design aesthetics that they not quite ready for.

Image courtesy of vogue.co.uk

Lady Gaga Flashback

Lady Gaga has been on the public radar for almost two decades now. And when you look back at Gaga’s career, her trajectory is documented by her fashion choices. Celebrity Style Editor Tijana Ibrahimovic did a great job highlighting Lady Gaga’s fashion choices as they related to her career progression.

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Fashion Flashback: The Top Ten Memorable Olympic Fashion Moments

2021 was a very unusual year. And nothing was more unusual than having the Summer Olympics in an off year. Originally scheduled for 2020, the COVID-19 health pandemic movie the Summer Olympics to 2021. Our Features Editor Vivian Kelly curated a fantastic article that highlighted great Olympic fashion over the last several Olympic seasons. From Florence Joyner’s hooded track unitards in the Seoul Olympics to figure skater Surya Bonaly’s over-embellished skating outfits to the sparkly unitards of rhythmic gymnasts, Vivian Kelly demonstrated that the Olympics is not just about athletic pursuits but also fabulous fashion.

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The Rise of Romanticism and Sentimental Fashion

One of the things that we pride ourselves at Fashion Reverie is our ability to take on nuanced and detailed fashion subjects. Though we are living a pandemic extended moment, the fashion industry still creates beautiful garments that evoke fantasy and romance. Fashion Reverie Associate Editor Tessa Swantek curated an incredible article on the roots of romantic fashion and how that design aesthetic had evolved over time.

American fashion’s shift back to romanticism is best evidenced through the Costume Institute’s statements about this year’s Met Gala. This year, the gala is based on the Costume Institute’s two-part exhibit: In America: A Lexicon of Fashion and In America: An Anthology of Fashion. Andrew Bolton, the curator in charge of the Costume Institute states, “Over the past year, because of the pandemic, the connections to our homes have become more emotional, as have those to our clothes. For American fashion, this has meant an increased emphasis on sentiment over practicality.” Echoing the movement away from rational classicism of the 1800s, he also states, “Taken together these qualities will compromise a modern vocabulary of American fashion that prioritizes values, emotions, and sentiments over the sportswear principles of realism, rationalism, and pragmatism.”

William S. Gooch