Arabian style

It was a busy week in the fashion world. In keeping with her enduring focus on sustainability, Stella McCartney delivered her Fall 2021 lineup with a fantastical presentation of fashionable animals. Also aiming to make the future of fashion a little greener, Allbirds added hemp fabric to its roster of natural materials for their new summer line. Plus, Afterpay is blurring the lines with a genderless shopping platform. Read on to find out more about what global changemakers are doing to make the fashion world a better place.

Stella McCartney’s Fall 2021 collection is a direct nod to animal cruelty

Enter a world where animals and humans coexist as equals with Stella McCartney’s Fall 2021 campaign “Our Time Has Come.” This dream-like display of stylish animals rewilding in London (wearing McCartney’s Fall 2021 clothing, of course) communicates a message that animals are our equals. Think: … Read the rest

Despite the ongoing closure of queer spaces throughout the country, drag is popping up in venues all over, from straight cowboy-themed bars to libraries, bowling alleys, and cruises out on the ocean. The surge in popularity of the art form over the past decade has helped create — and in some cases, re-energize — drag scenes across Canada.

Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver may be Canada’s best-known drag hubs, but there are vibrant, captivating performers all over. As Winnipeg’s Prairie Sky puts it, “Drag happens anywhere queer people have a closet and a mirror.” With Pride Month in full swing, FASHION spoke to drag artists from five Canadian cities to learn more.

Winnipeg

 

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Treaty 1 is home to one of Canada’s most exciting drag collectives, The Bannock Babes. Rather than a drag family, which is a … Read the rest

To the unfamiliar eye, navigating shein.com is kind of like getting lost in a carnival maze. The flashing deals, the promo pop-ups and the overwhelming amount of subheadings all contribute to the unique experience of using the e-commerce fast fashion site.

Shein’s clothes are cheap — like, really cheap. With countless options and low prices (they have dresses starting at $4), Shein is a magnet for the fast fashion consumer. They’re also never short on merchandise: between 500 to 2,000 new items are listed on Shein’s website every day. It’s a sad yet perhaps unsurprising truth that within this constant influx of new styles are items allegedly copied from smaller, independent creatives. The retailer’s most recent accusation of Shein stolen designs comes from designer Mariama Diallo, founder of Sincerely Ria, a luxury women’s clothing line.

On June 11, Diallo posted a thread of tweets calling out the fast fashion brand … Read the rest

Several weeks have gone by since Chrissy Teigen’s history of online bullying was exposed to the world, and in typical celebrity fashion, she’s come back with a lengthy apology letter. “I want you to know I’ve been sitting in a hole of deserved global punishment, the ultimate ‘sit here and think about what you’ve done,’” Teigen wrote in a statement posted to Medium and Instagram on June 14 acknowledging the old tweets in question. “I was a troll, full stop. And I am so sorry.”

The model and TV personality built a career by crafting a very specific persona on Twitter. In the early 2010s, she used her social media-savviness to make a name for herself on the app. As Vox points out, Teigen fit the “cool girl” archetype: a common trope that depicts a woman who embraces traditionally masculine activities (like drinking beer, eating with abandon, watching sports) while … Read the rest

Dr. Jill Biden is many things — an educator, author and First Lady of the United States. But we didn’t know she was also a supreme trolling expert. While stepping out during a G7 appearance in Cornwall, U.K. on June 10, Dr. Biden took the opportunity to send a message to the world and perhaps more specifically, former First Lady Melania Trump.

Her choice to wear a black and white polka-dot dress by American designer Brandon Maxwell was of note given Trump’s preference for sporting luxury European brands instead of those based in the US of A. But it was Dr. Biden’s jacket by French brand Zadig & Voltaire that caught everyone’s attention thanks to its more overt messaging about something universal and much needed at this point: Love.

The studded wording embellishment was reportedly Dr. Biden’s idea, so let’s also give her props for reworking … Read the rest

Emilio Pucci x Supreme did a menswear drop

Streetwear aficionados with a love of colour and print should be doing a happy dance right now with the release of the collab between Supreme and Emilio Pucci. The assortment includes a water-resistant nylon jacket and pants, a silk smoking jacket, shirts, hoodies and accessories including sunglasses; some looks are already sold out, naturally. Each boast an archival Pucci print: Tulipani, first seen in 1965, and Fantasia from 1970. And much like the Italian house’s vintage items, all are sure to become instant collector’s pieces.

M.I.A.’s eyewear collaboration with Parley for the Oceans is here

Heralded as “the first luxury collection to use 100 percent of net proceeds to protect islands and oceans,” the design union between musician and activist Maya Arulpragasam — a.k.a. M.I.A. — and ocean protection network Parley is now … Read the rest

Evio’s new lip serum supports domestic violence safe houses

 

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Female-founded Canadian beauty brand Evio’s latest Hemp & Peppermint Lip Serum does more than nourish lips. Alongside the launch, brand founder Brandi Leifso has initiated a letter campaign calling for Canadian domestic violence police unit funds to be reallocated towards underfunded support organizations. “Like many others, it wasn’t the police that helped me when I was experiencing an abusive relationship. It was the safe houses and domestic violence support organizations who took my fear seriously, provided me with a safety plan and helped me heal,” said Leifso in a statement. “The government needs to reallocate funds to organizations who are doing meaningful work on the ground and saving lives.” Those who order the Lip Serum — available in both a clear and tinted shade — … Read the rest