The new live-action film Cinderella is coming to Amazon Prime Video on September 3, and what better time to break out your own glass slippers? (Ones that fit, of course.) As cities start to open up more and more after COVID-19 lockdowns, newfound opportunities to celebrate have been abundant, from weddings and bachelorette parties to birthdays and baby showers. And a pair of clear heels is the ideal footwear when it comes to special occasion dressing — consider the transparent footwear a new neutral.
The clear shoe trend isn’t new, but it remains popular among celebrities, consumers and fashion enthusiasts alike, seen everywhere from the runway to the high street. From cult-favourite brands like Amina Muaddi and Cult Gaia to footwear classics such as Aquazzura and Jimmy Choo, brands are offering fresh takes on the modern glass slipper that elevate the look beyond the lucite “going out shoes” that were ubiquitous around 2019. The glass slipper of 2021 has updated materials like nude mesh and holographic silver and embellishments like pearls and crystals — think Cinderella with a sexy twist.
Whether you’re attending an haute wedding in a castle setting or an upscale dinner that calls for cocktail finery, click through the gallery below to find your perfect pair of modern glass slippers.
James Jones’s breathtaking variety of regalia — the term for a powwow dancer’s outfits and accessories — would have sat unseen for over a year if it weren’t for TikTok. Better known as @notoriouscree to his three million followers, the Edmonton-based dancer has been breaking out his grass, hoop and fancy dance attire on the social media platform, often explaining his moves and clothing styles to a rapt audience. Part of Jones’s online appeal lies in how he inserts powwow into TikTok’s other trending routines, like the Hold Up and Blinding Lights challenges; it’s also in the visual attraction of his colourful outfits, which until recently would have typically only been seen offline on the powwow trail.
Powwows are capital-E events for Indigenous communities, where we gather to eat bison burgers and Indian tacos and shop from artisan-focused markets. And at the centre of it all is movement. Kicking off with a Grand Entry — which is led by elders and military veterans—those present (including kids decked out in mini-sized regalia) assemble in a circular arena to the beat of the host drum; afterwards, monetary prizes are awarded to the best performers in various stylistic categories.
Some people travel from powwow to powwow across North America; when social distancing meant that we could no longer gather in such spaces, the most dazzling part of these events gained presence on social media instead. Stepping, jumping and spinning while alone in homes, in empty fields and parks and on roads, Jones and others have forged a new trail via Instagram Reels, TikTok and dedicated Facebook groups. And their popularity has, naturally, given them the reach to inspire others.
Nikita Kahpeaysewat (@nikitaelyse). Photography by Devin Featherstone.
Nikita Kahpeaysewat (@nikitaelyse) appears on the platform in beaded regalia made by her mom, Chuckie Nicotine. The collaboration is a journey that the two have been on together. Kahpeaysewat says the majority of her family are residential school survivors, including her parents; despite Kahpeaysewat’s distance from traditional cultural practices growing up, seeing these performers dressed in their special attire on social media stirred something inside of her and made her want to take her dancing online, too. “When I decided that I wanted to dance, this surprised my parents as they didn’t grow up traditional either,” she says. “Since then, my mom and I have learned how to bead and sew. She has become quite the artist, and I get to inherit these pieces made by her, which I will pass on to my daughters and they will pass on to theirs.”
The most personal part of her collection is her cape, which took six months to complete. It boasts contributions from many family members, including her adopted mother, Tina Whitford, and other matriarchs. Kahpeaysewat’s regalia also includes otter furs that she wears on hair ties; these furs were sent by a family in Idaho because she reminded them of their late daughter. “It brings me peace to know that my dancing has 3helped others,” she says.
In fact, one of the first things Kahpeaysewat and Nicotine learned upon entering the powwow world is that regalia has a spirit. It is the dancer’s responsibility to take care of that spirit, says Kahpeaysewat, and to take care of others, you must take care of yourself. Teachings also say that your feelings will be transferred onto whatever regalia item you are creating.
James Jones (@notoriouscree). Photography by Norman Wong.
For his powwow wardrobe, Jones turned to well-known regalia makers Michelle Reed and Estrella Palomec Mckenna, who created the beadwork on his hoop and fancy dance pieces. Reed, who is from the Lac du Flambeau Band of Ojibwe and lives in Upper Michigan, researched videos of Jones before starting to make his attire, paying attention to his moves and the movement of his regalia. She also looked at photos of the items, such as bustles and accessories like headbands, that he would wear with each outfit.
Also taken into account: fit preference and the ever-important colour choices. For his hoop dancing regalia, for example, Jones wanted to use the colour turquoise to represent the land and the sky (the hue also symbolizes protection) and fire colours like orange, yellow and red because they represent the life that the sun brings.
Reed, a dancer herself, has made regalia for hundreds of people, and, as with all ceremonial outfits, no two looks are the same. She gets to know every client and learns about their clans, their communities and what they want to represent with what they’re wearing; once she has a feel for that, she asks for the creative freedom to make these special pieces.
A recent order for a men’s grass dance ensemble included a yoke, aprons, pants, a shirt, suspenders, moccasins, cuffs, a neckpiece, a headband and side drops — which should give you a sense of what these outfits can involve. Reed also rolls her own cones for jingle dresses. Every time you roll a cone, she notes, you put a prayer inside it. “There are a lot of different ways to make regalia, and I love that people have their own ways of putting that medicine into each piece,” she says. “Many people are taught that how you feel when you’re making these pieces is very important — that they have to put good feelings into each piece.”
Michelle Chubb (@indigenous_ baddie). Photography courtesy of Michelle Chubb.
Michelle Chubb (@indigenous_ baddie) — a 23-year-old member of the Bunibonibee Cree Nation who documents how she crafts her own regalia for her 400,000+ followers — notes that for the creation of her first jingle dress, she selected a red fabric with gold tones. “Red is the only colour that spirits can see,” she explains.
Chubb says that wearing her jingle dresses makes her feel powerful and like she’s a part of something: “In the city, you feel alone, but when you go to the rez, people look at you differently because you live in the city. In my regalia, I feel at home.” It’s worth noting that the jingle dress dance itself is a healing one, with the sound of the cones bringing prayers up to the creator.
It’s perhaps because of the significance of these outfits that there has been some pushback about featuring and explaining regalia through channels like TikTok. Jones says that he has received many questions from all generations of Indigenous people about whether he and his peers should be highlighting it there; he has also been accused of using his culture for clout. Yet he says he understands where these feelings are coming from. “We have to remember that for a really long time, our dances, songs and ceremonies were outlawed,” says Jones. “There’s a lot of shame that people still hold to this day, and that’s why I think it’s really important to hold your head high and share your good medicine with people — especially with those who are reconnecting with their culture.”
These online appearances have also become a part of how dancers like Jones and Chubb draw attention to urgent issues within Indigenous communities. This past spring, Chubb danced jingle for a video clip that features text describing the purpose of Canada’s residential schools in light of the gruesome uncovering of the remains of 215 children at a residential school site in Kamloops, B.C. Jones put on his hoop dancing regalia to educate his viewers and pay his respects beside a tribute, by Haida artist Tamara Bell, composed of a symbolic 215 shoes placed on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery. “We dance for the ones who never made it home,” his TikTok video reads.
Dan Simonds, co-founder of the Facebook group Social Distance Powwow, says that its social media presence has touched everyone from youth to elders, who often thank the group’s founders for bringing powwows into their homes, which, in some instances, are retirement homes. It has saved lives, says Simonds. “Youth have brought a lot of humour and laughter, and that’s what has gotten people through this pandemic,” he explains. “Early on, we got messages that people were considering ending their lives and our page gave them hope and kept them around; the impact of bringing positivity is something that you just can’t measure.”
Jones feels that his posts are healing as well. “When I started doing it, I asked for guidance,” he says. “All my mentors said that it’s a good thing to share, especially in the times we’re living in. We say that to dance is to pray and to pray is to heal. So, having a platform where we can still put on our regalia and dance — it feels good to do that.”
Silk Laundry is the latest brand to recognize that their designs don’t have to be segregated by gender with the launch of their first gender-fluid capsule. Plus, as customers continue to become more comfortable shopping IRL again, a slew of boutiques are popping up across the country, including Céline, Grace Loves Lace and Denim Society. Read on for more of this week’s fashion news.
Silk Laundry introduces Mixed Dressing, a gender-fluid collection
Photography courtesy of Silk Laundry
“This is not a men’s collection, this is not a women’s collection. This is Mixed Dressing,” explains Silk Laundry’s founder and creative director Katie Kolodinski in a press release. She is referring to her brand’s latest collection that has taken a handful of pre-existing styles and reimagined them for a wider spectrum of shapes and sizes. It’s quite the evolution for a label that began by designing silk slip dresses for women.
Cult favourite bridal shop Grace Loves Lace comes to Canada
Photography courtesy of Grace Loves Lace
Australian-bred Grace Loves Lace has just touched down in Canada. The brand-new showroom — perched within a glass atrium — opened its doors on August 26 in the heart of downtown Toronto’s Distillery District and offers a completely authentic bridal shopping experience. Canadian brides-to-be can finally see, touch and try on the inclusively priced gowns, all while enjoying the comfort and personalization that is embedded in the brand. “In many ways, it’s all about creating a truly Australian vibe — laid-back living at its finest, which we know Toronto loves,” said founder and creative director Megan Ziems. Visit graceloveslace.com to book a complimentary appointment and experience the new showroom.
RW&CO.’s new campaign features extraordinary Canadian talent
For fall 2021, RW&CO. has appointed nine Canadian ambassadors to front their Rise Up campaign. From Canadian Olympic medalists Andrew De Grasse and Jennifer Abel to other talents including Manjit Minhas, Lane Merrifield, Hamza Haq, Michaella Shannon, Ingrid Falaise, and Melissa and Sacha Leclair, the ambassadors will aim to inspire Canadians to take on whatever challenge comes their way. The campaign, which includes each ambassador’s unique story and has a focus on resilience, is available to watch online now.
Denim Society launches an innovative pop-up in Montreal
Photography courtesy of Denim Society
Canadian denim company Jeaniologie inc. has just bridged the gap between the online and in-store shopping experiences. This week, the company opened a high-tech Denim Society pop-up in Montreal’s Carrefour Laval, where customers will have the opportunity to shop various looks from company-owned brands on display (including Bauhaus, Foxy Jeans, Dnm.Works, No Logo and Slacker), as well as on the company website via giant touch screen tablets. This space will also be outfitted with custom digital lockers for online order pick-ups, plus a drop-off bin for hassle-free online returns. The shop is now open and expected to run through October 2021.
Céline opens its first standalone boutique in Canada
On August 27, French fashion house Céline opened its first boutique in Canada. In accordance with Hedi Slimane’s direction of the brand, the salon is appointed with sleek black and white fixtures, and punctuated with vintage furniture. Fittingly nestled within Yorkdale Shopping Centre — home to the country’s largest collection of luxury brands and designer boutiques — customers will find the brand’s latest accessories and ready-to-wear pieces available for purchase.
There’s a new lip mask in town. It’s a part of Belif’s Aqua Bomb collection, best known for its hydration-boosting moisturizers and sleeping mask. The Overnight Lip Mask harnesses the soothing properties of centella asiatica (known as cica), shea butter and madecassoside, ingredients that work to smooth and hydrate dry and chapped lips while you get some shut-eye.
Charlotte Tilbury turns to cryotherapy-inspired skincare
Charlotte Tilbury harnessed the power of cryotherapy (the use of extreme cold to combat the signs of aging) and facial acupuncture to create her two latest products: the Cryo-Recovery Eye Serum and Cryo-Recovery Face Mask. The goal was to perk up tired-looking skin, including the puffiness and premature lines and wrinkles often brought on from a lack of sleep. The eye serum features a cooling metal applicator while the reusable silicone mask has cooling beads to help retain the cold, and acupuncture points that you can massage. These babies will bring you one step closer to smoother, firmer and more lifted skin — no medi-spa appointment necessary.
SPACE NK lands at The Bay
Photography courtesy of The Bay
The Bay has expanded its beauty offerings with a new partnership with premium beauty retailer SPACE NK, offering an assortment of prestige beauty buys from 17 coveted brands. The selection includes favourites from labels like Sunday Riley, Boy Smells, Kevyn Aucoin, R+Co and By Terry. That means that you can get your hands on cult fave products like Susanne Kaufmann’s Oil Bath For The Senses and By Terry’s Baume De Rose Lip Balm on thebay.com. Later this fall, the brands will also be available for purchase inside three flagship locations in Toronto (Yorkdale), Vancouver and Montreal.
Sol de Janeiro’s drops the Brazilian Crush Collection
If you’ve had the pleasure of sniffing Sol de Janeiro’s Bum Bum cream, you know that the brand knows how to make a delicious-smelling product. Over the years, it has bottled up scents like the iconic Cheirosa ’62 with notes of scented caramel, pistachio and vanilla. The Brazilian Crush Collection features four of the brand’s distinct cheirosa scents: Cheirosa ’62, Cheirosa ’40, Cheirosa ’30 and Cheirosa ’79. Each one is inspired by a moment or muse in Brazilian culture and a number that represents the year. The mists come in 240 mL bottles so you can keeping spritzing well past summer.
Indigenous skincare brand Wildcraft has just released two new deodorants in the scents Lavender Sage and Lime Bergamot. The natural deos contains ingredients like magnesium, kaolin clay and antibacterial essential oils that work double duty by reducing odour and absorbing moisture. Meanwhile, coconut oil and Vitamin E help nourish the skin. The deodorants are free from baking soda, aluminum and fragrance, and are made in small batches at the brand’s studio in Toronto.
Braids have become seriously popular this summer. With influencers and celebrities embracing them more than ever before, plus the fact that countless stylists were locked down for months on end, perfecting their crafts, they are everywhere. Braids have always been a staple in the textured hair community but, like with many style and beauty trends, each generation puts their own spin on things. Now, a new crop of braiders are adding their own 2021 flair to traditional braided styles.
Social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest continue to be a source of inspiration but it’s TikTok that has become the go-to destination for those looking for a little braid inspiration. Here we’ve rounded up 10 of our favourite TikTok creators to turn to when searching for new braided styles to try.
For passion braids and baby hairs styled to perfection: Follow @yingabby
This Washington, D.C. hairstylist gets our number one spot because of the impressive variety of styles she features on her page. She is adept at all styles of braids, but impeccable passion and feed-in braids (or stitch braids, as they are often called) at ground-grazing lengths are where her true talent shines through. Most importantly, @yingabby lives by the rule that no braid up is complete until your baby hairs are slicked and styled flawlessly.
For Coi LeRay-inspired braids: Follow @slayedbyesete_
If you’ve been following the latest braid trends religiously, chances are you’ve probably run into a few (hundred) TikToks with people rocking jumbo box braids curled at the ends. The style recently shot to popularity after budding rapper Coi LeRay began wearing them, and we’ve since seen stylists like @slayedbyesete_ offer up their own interpretations. Not only does she execute the style easily, but her parts are so clean you could eat off of them.
For the tidiest feed-in braids on TikTok: Follow @braidsbykayy
This Buffalo, New York-based TikTok creator has perfected the art of feed-in braids. While her page features a fun assortment of styles, her talent for creating feed-in braids is truly enviable. Not only does @braidsbykayy nevr shy away from colour, she experiments with patterns and parts, too.
For styling tips for long braids: Follow @certified.jesss
Knotless box braids look beautiful with little to no styling. In fact, part of their appeal is the fact that they require minimal maintenance. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean the style couldn’t use a refresh from time to time. When you are in the mood to change things up, @certified.jesss has got you covered. Her page is full of fresh takes on traditional single braids, from space buns to interesting ways to incorporate scarves.
For the best soft loc inspiration on TikTok: Follow @itsthacatshow
TikTok creator Nyaisha has many talents and creating captivating tutorials showing the process of installing soft locs is one of them. Her page is brimming with different lengths, sizes and colours of the increasingly popular style. If you’ve been obsessed with the look of locs but are weary of the commitment they require, @itsthacatshow is a must-follow account for natural-looking soft locs that look like they’re growing out of your scalp.
For some of the neatest and longest braids on TikTok: Follow @doseofdena1
This TikToker lives by one rule and one rule only: the longer the better. Look to her for inspiration on achieving glamorous floor-grazing box braids in fun colours that compliment every skin tone. With some of the neatest parts on TikTok, @doseofdena1 is a small dose of perfection.
For a wide variety of styles: Follow @braidzbyrenee
If variety is the spice of life, then @braidzbyrenee is the spice of TikTok. This Mississauga, Ontario-based hairstylist has a little bit of everything on her page. From box braids to jungle braids, if you’re looking for protective styling there’s a good chance you can find it on her TikTok account. With aerial views of her precisely parting hair, it’s also a great place to start if you’re looking for tips on how to get those razor-sharp parts.
For easy and comprehensive tutorials for every style of braids: Follow @dsybhair
TikTok creator Daniella (who goes by @dsybhair) has some of the best braiding tutorials on the entire app, point blank. Not only does she alternate between using mannequin heads and her own natural hair as a model, you can find everything from fishtail braids to stitch braids on her page.
For different lengths and colours of knotless box braids: Follow @knotlessgang
This Toronto-based hairstylist has all her latest client work on display on TikTok for us to marvel at. No matter the length, texture or colour, if you’re thinking of getting knotless box braids, it’s likely @knotlessgang has a video depicting a style you’ll love.
For complex parts and styles: Follow @braidsbykamesha
@braidsbykamesha is perhaps one of the most innovative braiders on our entire list, expertly pulling off intricate and complex designs in an assortment of styles. From tribal braids to diamond-parted box braids, if you’re looking for a style that will make people stop and stare in awe, this is the only account you need to follow.
Now here’s some creative fare to truly get behind: the recently released Open Source Fashion Cookbook, a critical and inventive title that presents an inclusive and intimate approach to eco-conscious design. It features essays by sustainability thought leaders, including Céline Semaan and Aditi Mayer, and a host of thorough how-to instructions for making upcycled garments based on patterns from brands like Ræburn, Chromat and BrownMill.
The “cookbook” is the brainchild of Angela Luna and Loulwa Al Saad, co-founders of New York-based genderless label Adiff. As an activism- centric read, it affords the chance to better understand the colonial roots and capitalistic structures that have enforced — and continue to reinforce — the myriad problematic ethical and environmental aspects of the fashion industry. Yet, as both the book and the brand exemplify, they’re issues we can attempt to course correct.
“Sustainability has always been a priority for us, but we didn’t really take our work into the realm of upcycling until 2018, when we were part of the CFDA’s Elaine Gold Launch Pad Program,” says Luna about confronting Adiff’s product output and contribution to the aforementioned systemic problems. “That’s when it became obvious to us that our system of donating product to help refugees and giving people solution-based garments was, in a roundabout way, further contributing to issues like climate change.”
Since this paradigm shift, Luna and Al Saad have continued to finesse Adiff’s operating model and amplify the “why” behind its thoughtfully crafted pieces, like a genderless reflective vest that is produced in a facility that employs resettled refugees. In tandem with this purpose-driven refinement, the duo devised the idea for an approachable, instructional book that would highlight the voices of people working in the sustainability space as theorists and activists as well as creatives whose work is similarly value-driven.
In a particularly unprecedented gesture, the book’s contributors dive deeply into the concept of “sustainable creation” by teaching readers how to make an array of wearables, such as Adiff’s blanket jacket, Assembly’s shirtdress, BrownMill’s patched sweatshirt and Chromat’s Mikito suit. “We’re trying to bring things a little closer to the customer,” says Luna, adding that a second edition of the book, which will feature more pieces by an even broader range of brands, is already in the works. She notes that as sustainability has become more of a crucial concept within the style space, consumers are being inundated with information that can be hard to interpret and apply to their own daily wardrobe choices. “You can make the items in the book yourself using materials you already have, which is empowering in terms of understanding the process a bit more,” she says.
“True sustainability goes beyond consumerism,” says Al Saad, pointing to a swell in the launch of fashion lines that boast an eco-friendly philosophy. “It’s about shopping less, using what we already have, upcycling and taking a cue from traditional practices such as mending and repairing. That’s what everyone was used to doing back in the day, before sustainability was rebranded as a marketing buzzword.”
Along with its “360-degree view,” thanks to its range of voices, the book addresses a key quandary of sustainable design: the persistence of ingenuity. “The fashion industry as a whole isn’t going to go away,” says Luna. “Designers are always going to want to create new things. But by open-sourcing their designs, they can continue creating new things without great expense to the planet and garment workers…. From a brand perspective, it’s important for designers to think about other ways of spreading their aesthetic and vision than just selling a specific product.”
There’s also the fundamental truth that to tackle fashion’s — and the greater world’s — harmful architecture, we must all band together as one. As Al Saad illustrates with a nod to one of the book’s essays (by Otto von Busch), which begins by comparing mindfully made finery to homemade confectionery: “Fashion is best when it’s shared. And that idea emphasizes our goal, which is to democratize sustainable fashion and share it with everyone.” In that spirit, bon appétit.
Check out a few of our favourite recent haute upcycling moments here:
Photography courtesy of Imaxtree
Photography courtesy of Imaxtree
Photography courtesy of Imaxtree
Photography courtesy of Imaxtree
Photography courtesy of Imaxtree
Photography courtesy of Imaxtree
Photography courtesy of Imaxtree
Photography courtesy of Imaxtree
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Botter
Disused umbrellas from famed maison Piganiol were sourced for the brand’s Fall 2021 menswear collection.
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Viktor & Rolf
The duo’s Spring 2021 couture season has an “old is new” charm thanks to the use of archival fabrics.
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Marine Serre
Bedcovers, carpet materials and household linens are featured in the French creative’s Fall 2021 pieces.
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Balenciaga
This Spring 2021 coat composed of shoelaces gives new meaning to “getting your kicks.”
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Coach 1941
Purses from the ’70s were employed in the creation of outsized tote bags this season.
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N Palmer
Vintage shirts and scarves create the patchwork pieces in the debut offering from this London label.
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Stella McCartney
Sexy spring frocks were brought to life with fabrics from the designer’s vault.
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Collina Strada
The New York brand partnered with The RealReal to procure select materials for its Fall 2021 offering.
