There are many things to love about about Canadian television broadcaster and etalk co-anchor Tyrone Edwards, from his magnetic ability to ease celebrities into candid conversations to his drive for speaking out publicly on behalf of the Black community. But one thing you simply can’t miss are the incredible dreadlocks (commonly referred to as locs) that reach past his shoulders. It’s a natural hairstyle rarely seen on-air.
The Toronto-bred pop culture aficionado began locking his hair more than 10 years ago — only a short time before landing his dream job on MuchMusic. For Edwards, locs are a protective hairstyle (one that keeps ends tucked away, encourages hair growth and doesn’t require chemicals to create) that he has long thought of as cool for his afro texture. But he admits that during his early television audition days, he hesitated going forward with his now signature look as well as his multiple tattoos. Why? For fear of adding to the systemic biases already stacked against him and jeopardizing his chances, he shares. “It’s crazy for me to even say this, but I didn’t lock my hair or get tattoos for a long time because I thought, ‘I’m already a big Black man, and if I add the dreadlocks and tattoos, who the hell is going to hire me for a job — much less a job on TV?’It wasn’t a matter of me not loving my Blackness. I just knew where our society was, and searching for a job as a Black man with dreads didn’t sound like a smart approach.”
It wasn’t until after several failed TV auditions that Edwards decided to relinquish those arrogant stigmas and societal pressures and embrace locs — a hairstyle that he says has allowed him to come into his own. “I really believe there is a lesson here: I locked my hair because I was done trying to get on television and just months later I got a cold call from MuchMusic,” he says. “Once I decided to be my true self, that’s when the universe granted me that blessing. I love my hair. It means a lot to me.”
Loc maintenance 101
Edwards is no stranger to showing up for hair and makeup only to be greeted by ill-trained pros. “I’ve never been on a set where the hair is catered to me and the hairstylist knows anything about my hair,” he shares, adding that for years he would come prepared with his own products. After earning some pull in the biz however, Edwards now brings his own squad to set, like his longtime hairstylist, textured hair expert Nakisha Straker. Here, Straker shares the go-to steps and products she uses and recommends to keep Edwards hair looking camera ready.
Every four to six weeks, Edwards will go see Straker to retighten his dreads and receive a deep cleanse, since locs require a lot of oils and moisturizing products on the regular to keep them looking pristine. “Using oils is always a good thing because with textured hair, it takes forever for natural oils to slip down the hair shaft and moisturize the hair. And the longer your locs are, the drier they become, making them susceptible to damage,” Straker explains. The stylist starts out with shampooing Edwards’ hair with a clarifying shampoo followed by a moisturizing shampoo, she says.
Straker then applies a leave-in conditioner before tending to loose new growth at the root using an interlocking method that’s done with a crochet needle. She then moves onto palm rolling (a hand technique to keep locs compressed) from mid-lengths and ends.
This nourishing, oil-based hair pomade is Straker’s go-to for palm rolling locs, and a product she has Edwards use at home in between his salon visits. “I tell him to take a dime-sized amount, emulsify it in his hands so it melts and rub it into his hair.”
To avoid dryness, unraveling and breakage, locs shouldn’t be washed too often at home in between salon visits. Instead, “using a rosewater spray every two to three days is good for keeping the scalp refreshed and clean,” says Straker.
A common conundrum with natural hair, especially when in loc form, is that the hair tends to collect visible fuzz. “Brushing locs with a boar-bristle brush helps remove lint and brings out natural shine,” says Straker, adding that tying hair up every night with a silk or satin scarf will stave off fuzzies, too. Wrapping hair before bed also keeps locs from drying out.
Supermodel, self-esteem advocate and FASHION‘s November 2020 cover star, Winnie Harlow, is adding yet another title to her bio: judge on the fashion design competition Making the Cut.
In the second season of Making the Cut, hosted by Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum, the hosts and guest judges finds themselves in Los Angeles with a whole new roster of designers on a quest to create the “next big global brand.” Harlow, 26, will be helping discover them, alongside legendary fashion disruptor, stylist and Moschino designer Jeremy Scott. There’s no premier date for the upcoming season yet but like the first, viewers will be able to stream the series on Amazon Prime Video.
Photography courtesy of Reegan Smyth/Amazon Prime
Amazon has said that “additional surprise judges” will be making cameos throughout the season. While the last season took place in New York, Paris and Tokyo, it’s unclear if this season will stay in one location, given the current global pandemic.
A diverse group of 10 talented entrepreneurs and designers will be battling it out to become the next household name in fashion. But it’s so much more than just designing — the winner will need to helm a viable company, and foresee the future of fashion.
The winner will receive a mentorship with Amazon Fashion and $1 million to invest in their own brand. Lovers of the show will be able to shop the show’s winning looks on Amazon Fashion’s Making the Cut Store. Season one saw designers creating high-fashion runway looks as well as more accessible, ready-to-wear outfits while frequently collaborating with fellow competitors. In one episode, they were challenged to build looks out of leftover fabric.
Photography courtesy of Reegan Smyth/Amazon Prime
“Designers need to keep making this poetry that we can fall in love with,” Klum told FASHION last year. “There needs to be every day stuff, and there needs to be some special pieces that keep us dreaming.”
For the series, Klum and Gunn select from a pool of people who already have their own clothing labels. Aside from being witness to the birth of a brand-new mega-company, viewers are also treated to a course in what it takes to be a successful designer. “I hope that they cease looking at fashion as being all about sewing,” Gunn told FASHION when discussing season one of Making the Cut. “There’s a larger rubric of components that are so critical to being successful.”
Harlow first made waves in the fashion world when she was a contestant in the 2014 season of America’s Next Top Model. Known for embracing her autoimmune disorder and skin condition, vitiligo, the Canadian-Jamaican style star has modelled for big-name brands like Nike, Victoria’s Secret, Marc Jacobs and Moschino.
But her start happened right at home in Toronto after her friend encouraged her to go to a casting call for the annual Fashion Art Toronto event. A sales associate at La Senza at the time, Harlow wasn’t sold on the idea. “I thought I should at least try,” she told FASHION in her November 2020 cover interview. “I got off work one day and took a bus to the casting; I was in a ton of shows that week. It was encouraging, and I’m really happy that I listened to my friend.”
Tate McRae isn’t new to the spotlight. At just 12 years old, the Calgary native was a finalist on the TV dance competition, So You Think You Can Dance. A music aficionado, McRae took her singing talent to YouTube shortly after that, sharing original songs and covers that quickly gained popularity on the platform. Four years later, she appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last month singing her track “You Broke Me First,” the video for which McRae filmed with her iPhone taped to the front of her car during the pandemic.
A self-proclaimed old soul, McRae’s mature songs about love, heartbreak and relationships defy her age. She’s adamant that just because she’s young doesn’t mean she has nothing important to say. She keeps up with her Gen Z counterparts by constantly releasing videos for her 5 million and counting followers across her YouTube channel and TikTok account, and maintains her cool-girl status by sporting a freshly dyed money piece (no side part here). Now, she can count herself as part of a roster of talented creatives like Billie Eilish, Daniel Caesar, Megan Thee Stallion and Jessie Reyez as Apple Music’s Next Up artist this month.
“I’m not as cool as you think I am,” McRae tells me with a sincere laugh when we meet over Zoom, looking away from her screen as if to hide from that very awkward feeling of someone calling complimenting you. Here, the “All the Things I Never Said” singer talks where she finds her inspiration during the pandemic, dealing with loneliness and how age means nothing when it comes to making music.
You filmed the video for your hit “You Broke Me First” on your iPhone. What was that like?
It’s perfect; it was our most low-budget video. Like, five bucks? It was all in the rush of the moment. We had [just returned] home after the pandemic broke. Me and my friend went up to a rooftop [and we] taped [my phone] to the front of my car. We were up there for maybe 10 minutes. I just started walking, playing the song out of the car windows, while they were driving backwards. It ended up looking way cooler than we thought.
It works. People really love a stripped-down music video.
It’s super real. You can literally see me reacting to my song on my face.
You performed on Jimmy Fallon recently. That must’ve been a career highlight for you so far.
I love him. When he and his team reached out, I freaked out. And it was also super cool because I got to perform with my favourite people, Tristan and Finley, my best friends since I was really young in the dance world.
It sounds like a full-circle moment for you and your friends. Does it even feel like work for you?
Me and my dance friends have been doing some cool stuff during the pandemic, and we’ve been able to reunite after three years. It’s fun — I call it work, but it’s not at all. If I wasn’t working right now, I’d probably be doing the same thing.
Do you ever get stage fright at all?
The interesting thing is I don’t get nervous for big things. I don’t know why this happens, but I will get like, puke-nervous when I’m going to do a presentation at school or go fill up my gas, but if I’m about to go on Jimmy Fallon, I am stress-free. It’s very weird. My parents always make fun of me. I’ll be a wreck for the simplest things in life, and just not affected by cool things.
What’s it been like working and making art during COVID-19?
It’s definitely been interesting. I’m not a fan of Zoom sessions, but have to do them every day. You have to adapt because you can’t hear anyone, ever. It’s always glitchy, always in and out. You just have to go with it, because it’s a hard process. I’ve been stripping back my writing team — it’s easier than having a million different people on a call.
Have you had to look in different places for writing inspiration, given all the isolation this year?
Usually I’ll be with my friends and I’ll observe everything, and grab emotions from that to write my songs. But now I can’t see any of my friends, and I have nothing to grab from. I’ve been trying to push where I get inspiration from — photos, quotes, things I see online. And that feeling of literally just being in your house and analyzing every part of yourself. That’s what I write about.
Photography courtesy of Morgan Cox/Apple
Alone with yourself and your thoughts can be a hard place to be sometimes.
There are definitely new emotions that I didn’t have before being trapped in [my] house. There’s a lot of inspiration that has been taken away. Without interaction, I feel like [I] have no idea what to write sometimes. It’s the worst feeling ever.
You write about a lot of serious stuff that some people might say you’re too young to know about.
That’s probably one of my least favourite things that someone can do, judge me based on my age. A 17-year-old and 30-year-old both have their own lives. No matter how much time has passed, it doesn’t mean you don’t have the same relevance. I feel like I’m an old soul; people always tell me I’m a 50-year-old trapped inside [my body]. Everyone’s brains work different. I’m super observant. I’ve written songs that I feel like people [older than me] relate to. That says a lot about what I have to say. You can’t put an age on a writer or an artist.
What’s it been like having to balance your friendships and career, especially during a pandemic?
I thought I was getting a grip on it. I have great friends and I’m seeing people I work with, and then the pandemic broke and I was like, ‘I am so lonely.’ I have a close group of girlfriends who I saw at the beginning of the summer, and now not at all. I’m a pretty social person, and my energy is affected a lot by that.
You’re going on tour soon, if all goes according to plan. Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
I always say The Weeknd and Post Malone are two huge dream collaborations. Ariana Grande would be cool.
How does it feel to be Apple Music’s Up Next artist this month, following in the footsteps of so many incredible artists?
It’s one of the coolest things I’ve done. I’m really stoked about working with Apple. I mean, it’s Apple. It’s an honour, and it’s cool to be able to just push my creativity and make more content. They also have the resources to be able to create some cool documentaries and videos.
You’re on TikTok all the time. Are there any trends you’re loving right now?
I love the dance challenges and those crazy makeup looks where [people] recreate their entire faces.
Spring is fast approaching, and it seems we’re finally beginning to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. That said, it would probably be a good idea to revisit your wardrobe sometime soon, especially if you’ve been spending every waking hour of the last 12 months donning the same old pair of sweats or PJs. Luckily, UK luxury fashion retailer Harvey Nichols has everything you’ll need to give your closet that much-needed refresh.
This season saw designers leaning heavily on positive colour palettes, namely yellow—perhaps a nod to the brighter days ahead. Minimalism and clean lines also appeared in several collections, by way of boxy jackets at Jacquemus, structured wide-legged trousers at The Row and sleek A-line midi skirts at Bottega Veneta. And, of course, the humble bike short proved that it’s here to stay for the foreseeable future.
To help you get started on your closet update, we’ve rounded up some of this season’s best designer pieces available to buy now—and wear forever. From candy-coloured mules to throwback baguette bags, effortless cardigans to oversized blazers, here are 10 wardrobe must-haves we can’t get enough of.
Take it back to basics with the minimalism trend; look for clean lines, simple shapes and muted colour schemes. We’re especially in love with this boxy, oversized blazer by France’s golden boy Simon Porte Jacquemus.
Elevate your house shoe/slipper game with a pair of comfortable designer kicks. These leather Alexander McQueen sneakers feature a thick rubber sole for maximum comfort and can be paired with essentially anything in your wardrobe.
If you didn’t get your hands on a pair of bike shorts last summer, no sweat: they’re still a trending style. Instead of a basic black Spandex pair, look for versions made with luxe fabrics and finished with flattering seams, like Live The Process’s Cosmic shorts.
Call us nostalgic, but we can’t get enough of this iconic late-’90s/early aughts handbag style. Look for versions featuring classic textures in unexpected colours, like By Far’s neon yellow croc-effect Baby Amber.
Yes, the cardigan is still going strong, with designers and brands offering up their own takes on this classic knit piece. This pink wool-alpaca blend cardigan by Nanushka features a sharp collar that complements its otherwise slouchy shape.
Various brown shades, like sand, camel and khaki were spotted on the runways this season. To ensure this subdued shade looks anything but drab, opt for pieces boasting sharp cuts and feminine shapes, like this gorgeous loose-fitting camel maxi dress by Vienna’s Petar Petrov.
You can always count on a classic handbag to elevate any outfit. Saint Laurent’s Kate shoulder bag in black leather can be dressed up or down, and features the French house’s signature gold logo plaque for a luxe vintage feel.
Yellow, from neon to mustard, was undoubtedly the go-to colour on the runways this season. Pair a solid bottom with a lemon-lime-hued tank top, like this silky version by Opérasport, for an instant mood booster.
Transitioning to real pants after months of working from home in sweats may be quite the adjustment. Enter: the wide-leg trouser, like this classic twill pair by Eudon Choi. They’re sleek enough to appear pulled together, but comfortable enough to feel at ease.
Slip into a pair of luxe mules this season, like Bottega Veneta’s puffy Lido style. Beloved by the fashion set and celebs alike, these heels—equal parts chic and casual—come in a variety of hues, but we’re partial to bubblegum pink.
Sadie Sink began her career as a child actor — though you’d never know it. Elegant and refined, and with the poise of a Hollywood veteran with decades of experience under their belt, the now-18-year-old actress is best-known for her role as Max in the Netflix hit (an understatement, to say the least), Stranger Things. But she began her career on Broadway, as the lead in the 2013 revival of Annie. From there she went on to appear opposite Helen Mirren in the Tony-nominated play The Audience in 2017 before joining the cast of Stranger Things.
Today, the actress adds a new title to her CV: luxury makeup brand spokesperson. We sat down with Sink over Zoom to chat about her new role as the face of Givenchy Beauty’s Le Rouge Deep Velvet lipsticks, her newfound appreciation for makeup experimentation, what she’s been up to during quarantine, and what it’s been liking growing up in the age of social media.
Photography courtesy of Givenchy Beauty
On adopting a more experimental approach to makeup
“As I’ve gotten older I’ve become more comfortable experimenting with different makeup trends and doing bolder looks. Makeup was something that had to grow on me; I never really had an interest in it at a really young age. It wasn’t until I started having to wear makeup for press events that I started getting into it. Makeup was something I was intimidated by at first but as I was getting ready for more and more red carpets, doing more press events and photo shoots, I learned a lot more about the beauty world and fell in love with the artistry of it. Fashion has always been a way for me to express myself but we’re now entering into this new era where makeup and beauty are another way people can really express themselves. I’m really excited to dip my toes into it even more in the future.”
On the role of beauty in the age of social media
“I have a lot of friends who watch YouTube makeup tutorials and at one point I watched some, too, and tried to follow along and failed horribly. It’s really interesting to see how social media and the beauty world are merging and you have so many sources of inspiration on [platforms like] YouTube and Instagram. I don’t personally use social media a lot, so I like to get inspiration from people I meet in the real world. But it’s really incredible how far along the beauty world has come in terms of its relationship with social media and all the resources that are available to people.”
Photography courtesy of Givenchy Beauty
On newly acquired quarantine hobbies
“I started journaling everyday during quarantine and I’ve continued that now that I’m back at work. I’m a person who likes to plan and think ahead. I normally like to know what I’m doing months or years in advance, but COVID taught me to take things day by day, and taught me that nothing is certain, so it was a good lesson to learn.”
On her dream travel destination post-COVID
“There are so many on my list. I don’t think I’d go back to a city I’ve already been to. I’ve always wanted to go to Amsterdam. Or maybe Greece. I’ve been watching a lot of Mamma Mia.”
Last night’s Golden Globes may have essentially amounted to a three-hour Zoom call, but the WFH-ness of it all didn’t stop the celeb guests from going full glam. And while last year’s ceremony was a bit more focused on climate change (the 2020 Golden Globes took place while the devastating wildfires raged in Australia, prompting urgent calls-to-action to serve our planet better), a few celebs did opt for more sustainable options when getting dressed up for the evening last night.
Jane Fonda, who was on hand to accept the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement, has been vocal about her vow to to never buy new clothes again for a couple of years now, and last night was no exception. The outspoken activist donned a sleek cream pantsuit that she pulled from her own closet, and completed the chic look with metallic Sarah Flint pumps and Pomellato earrings.
“We spend too much money, we buy too many things, and then we get rid of them,” the 83-year-old explained on The Ellen DeGeneres Show last week. “We try to develop our identity by shopping, right? We gotta stop all this consumerism.”
Bryce Dallas Howard, one of the show’s presenters, also had sustainability in mind when picking out her Globes look. The actor-director sported a shimmery ombré Temperley London dress which she had picked up from the online consignment retailer The RealReal. She paired the sequinned dress with magenta pumps by Alexander McQueen that she had previously worn on a press tour a few years ago.
“As many of you know, I love the sustainability of consignment fashion and often find secondhand pieces for press,” she wrote on her Insta. “When I found out I was presenting at the #GoldenGlobes, I immediately went back to my tried and true friend, @therealreal!”
And while neither January Jones nor Kiernan Shipka were officially involved in the night’s festivities, that didn’t stop the former Mad Men stars from having a little fashion fun of their own. Jones kicked things off, pulling out a red Versace gown she previously wore at the Globes a decade ago. The actress shared the fun pic on her IG, writing: “10yrs later and it still, (sorta), fits.”
Shipka, who played her on-screen daughter in the critically acclaimed series, followed in Jones’s footsteps and found the adorable plum Papo d’Anjo dress she wore herself at the same ceremony back in 2011. “I heard we’re putting on our Golden Globes looks from 10 years ago,” the now 21-year-old wrote. You know what they say: Like mother, like daughter.
Awards season is officially upon us, and while this year’s events look different than the usual weekend-after-weekend red carpet extravaganzas we may be used to, we have to give it to the stars — and their glam teams, of course — for still pulling out all the stops when it comes to beauty looks. Whether they joined the celebrations from the comfort of their home via Zoom, or showed up to the socially distanced 78th annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony, celebrities made it abundantly clear that the show must go on. And so, we present the Golden Globes 2021 beauty moments that we’re still thinking about this morning.
The category is: grown-out, one-year-without-a-trim, somehow-still-luscious eleganza. The winner? Jared Leto, of course. We’d expect nothing less from the actor whose hair we’ve been collectively drooling over for years.
Makeup artist Porsche Cooper used Chanel makeup (including the Rouge Coco Bloom lipstick collection, launching next month) to achieve Andra Day’s enviable glow, gorgeous gold eyeshadow and glossy red lip. Proof that sometimes the most classic looks can be the most striking.
Have you ever seen a blunter bob? We’re still not over Rosamund Pike’s razor-sharp ‘do, which — as Trixie Mattel says — probably requires a trim “every six days.” Well worth the upkeep, we’d say.
Makeup artist Terrell Mullin used Armani Beauty products to achieve Cynthia Erivo’s stunning nude lip and purple cat eye. The unexpected combo of purple paired with Erivo’s eye-catching neon green Valentino Couture gown made this a knockout moment we won’t soon forget.
Gen Z may have sworn off side parts for good, but Anya Taylor-Joy’s deep side part and long, cascading hair — courtesy of hairstylist Gregory Russell — is glossy, glamorous and the perfect complement to her slinky green Dior gown.
Hairstylist Randy Stodghill used Phyto products to achieve Angela Bassett’s sleek, show-stopping braid that seemed to never end (and who would want it to?).
