Face Mask

Face Mask

Thursday, July 8, 2021

A Behind-the-Scenes Look At the Making of Chanel’s Fall 2021 Couture Collection

The pandemic caused the rise of many things — sourdough bread, Zoom, sweatsuits, rollerskating — but few could have anticipated the increase in popularity of handcrafting. Knitting, embroidery, cross-stitch, and other sewing kits were suddenly sold out on Etsy, and newly minted crafters flocked to social media to show their progress. While I have long been an admirer of the craftsmanship that Chanel brings to its work each season, after spending months in lockdown teaching myself how to embroider a single leaf, the Chanel Fall 2021 couture show hit very differently.

In an interview with Vogue, Chanel designer Virginie Viard revealed it took one of the great feather designers in Paris, Lemarié, over 2,000 hours to complete the incredible gardenia-strewn cardigan jacket (look 21, below) crafted from individual feather strands using expert handwork.

Chanel feathered jacket
An exclusive look at the making of the Chanel Fall 2021 couture collection. Photography courtesy of Chanel.

Viard also invited some of the most renowned embroidery houses Paris — Lesage, Cécile Henri, Atelier Emmanuelle Vernoux, and Atelier Montex — to emulate the 19th-century French Impressionists who inspired the collection. These painterly inspirations came together in a show characterized by artistic detailing and romantic fabrication. Like an Impressionist painting, the sequinned tweed coats appeared to be made up of paint strokes, while embroidered blouses and embellishments resembled splashes of paint.

An exclusive look at the making of the Chanel Fall 2021 couture collection. Photography courtesy of Chanel.

In addition to the artistic inspiration, the Chanel Fall 2021 couture collection played with duality. Opposites attracted in the most glorious ways on the runway as models walked with black bows on white dresses. Structured tweed jackets were paired with flowing ruffled skirts. And bursts of colour contrasted the ivory columns in the courtyard at the Palais Galliera.

Chanel bow
An exclusive look at the making of the Chanel Fall 2021 couture collection. Photography courtesy of Chanel.

The change of venue from the Grand Palais was a big shakeup for Chanel as it became an icon in its own right for the lavish shows the house’s previous designer Karl Lagerfeld used to stage. However, the new location was quite fitting as the Palais Galliera is currently hosting a retrospective exhibit focusing on Coco Chanel herself, and the icon acted as an essential inspiration for the current designer, Viard.

“It was when I rediscovered these portraits of Gabrielle Chanel dressed up in black or white 1880s-style dresses that I immediately thought about tableaux,” explains Viard in a press release. The most obvious example of this could be seen through the diverse silhouettes and waistlines. Skirts sitting right below the belly button quickly transitioned to whimsical, intimate-inspired empire waists, followed by a twenties-esque dropped silhouette.

Click through some of the most striking looks from the Chanel Fall 2021 couture collection below.

The post A Behind-the-Scenes Look At the Making of Chanel’s Fall 2021 Couture Collection appeared first on FASHION Magazine.



from FASHION Magazine https://ift.tt/2Uw2ThS
via babu31blog

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Balenciaga’s First Couture Collection in 50 Years Is an Ode to Its History

Balenciaga has officially re-entered the chat. After years of focusing on ready-to-wear, Balenciaga has made the bold decision to return to the world of haute couture for the first time in over 50 years.

“Over half a century later I see it as my creative obligation to the unique heritage of M. Balenciaga to bring the couture back to his house,” creative director Demna Gvasalia said in a statement. He went on to add: “Couture is the highest level of garment construction that is not only relevant in today’s mass-productive industry but even absolutely necessary for the survival and further evolution of modern fashion design.”

Gvasalia took the brand back to its roots — literally — as staples of founder Cristóbal Balenciaga’s original designs from the fifties and sixties were unmistakable. While the namesake designer was known for many things, his enduring legacy is the sculptural style he utilized in his designs for decades: Balenciaga loved to play with volume, avant-garde silhouettes and elaborate hats.


Enter the Fall 2021 couture collection, and the references are indisputable as models walked the runway in gowns resembling oversized coats, outerwear with extreme shoulder pads and shiny lampshade-like chapeaux. The most direct connection to Cristóbal Balenciaga’s legacy was the final look, a bridal-inspired white gown. Arguably the brand’s most famous creation, the single-seam wedding dress of 1967 was called a “marvel of form” by Vogue.

For his debut couture collection, Gvasalia also kept his eyes on the future of the art form and brought his trademark modern, streetwear edge. Denim and tracksuits walked alongside embellished gowns and long gloves, artfully combining the traditionally luxurious aesthetic of couture with zeitgeist-y street style.

However, it was ultimately the gender fluidity of Balenciaga’s newest collection that will cement this season in fashion history. In a space that has been dominated by traditional ideas of womenswear and femininity, the ultra-rarefied realm of haute couture has slowly started to include menswear. Each look that came down Gvasalia’s runway was bigger, bolder and more non-binary than the next. The menswear-inspired black suits that opened the show were followed by structural design statements, with the presentation culminating in a glorious bubblegum pink, gender-neutral coat.

Arguably the most anticipated show of the Fall 2021 couture season, the collection was shroud in secrecy, with Balenciaga even wiping its Instagram feed ahead of the show. The excitement surrounding the re-introduction of Balenciaga couture is due primarily to the creativity and artistry of Gvasalia. While it is undoubtedly a momentous occasion opening the proverbial doors after its founder shut them in 1968, this expansion is a perfect example of how the designer has breathed new life into a legendary brand. Since he joined the storied house in 2015, Gvasalia has side-stepped the traditional seasonal fashion calendar, released a collection via a video game, gotten “hacked” by Gucci and gone fur-free, among other unexpected moves.

Click through the gallery to see FASHION’s favourite looks from the Balenciaga Fall 2021 couture collection.

The post Balenciaga’s First Couture Collection in 50 Years Is an Ode to Its History appeared first on FASHION Magazine.



from FASHION Magazine https://ift.tt/2TKuZGf
via babu31blog

Black Creators Are Tired of Seeing Their Work Go Uncredited on TikTok

Since its inception, TikTok’s growth and popularity has been synonymous with the viral dance challenges found on the video-sharing app. But with each new trend comes a familiar cycle: Black TikTokers create dances, the dances are picked up by predominantly non-Black creators with large followings and go viral, and the creators of the trend don’t receive credit. And now, there is a Black TikTok strike in response.

In 2019, 15-year-old dancer Jalaiah Harmon (@jalaiahharmon) created the now-viral “Renegade” dance. The choreography was picked up by TikTok influencer Charli D’Amelio (@charlidamelio) who posted a video of herself performing it without crediting Harmon. D’Amelio is now one of the biggest homegrown stars on the app, and has even been called the “C.E.O.” of the dance. It took Harmon months to receive credit for the dance she created.

More recently, TikToker-turned-pop-star Addison Rae (@addisonre) appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where she performed a segment called “Addison Rae Teaches Jimmy Eight TikTok Dances.” Without giving credit, the influencer performed dances choreographed by Black creators with smaller followings, including “Up” created by Mya Johnson (@theemyanicole) and Chris Cotter (@cchrvs), “Corvette Corvette” by Dorien Scott (@yvnggprince), “Laffy Taffy” remixed by Fly Boy Fu (@FlyBoyFu) and choreographed by Indii (@17slumz), and “Savage” by Keara Wilson (@keke.janajah). After receiving backlash, Fallon later invited these creators to be on his show.

These are not isolated events, and Black TikTok creators are tired of seeing the erasure of their creativity on the app. Many Black creators have thus decided to boycott dance challenges as a response to their work being repeatedly taken without credit. Megan Thee Stallion’s newest song “Thot Shit” is backed with a catchy beat and filled with hype-up lyrics, making it prime viral TikTok dance material. But there are no dance challenges accompanying the song because of this boycott, dubbed #BlackTikTokStrike.

“#BlackTikTokStrike is yet another way for Black creators to make a stand and demand what they deserve,” creator Maya Cherry (@mayacherry10) tells FASHION. “Black creators are sick and tired of being the blueprint for so many trends, while white people get the praise, reward, and celebration they are unjustly due. The strike was a way for Black creators to remind everyone on this app just how influential they are, even though the app doesn’t want them to be acknowledged as such.”

@mayacherry10Genius. It’s called demanding the credit that is due 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 #blackcreatorsoftiktok #blacktiktokstrike♬ original sound – Maya Cherry

“As a creator myself, it sucks that we Black creators are not getting the credit that we deserve,” says Kareem Wilder (@wildnkrazykid). “I feel that a lot of what Black creators have done over the years have been looked down on by society, until a famous white person does it… then it becomes ‘trendy.’” As social platforms like TikTok grow, so do tangible rewards like media attention, more followers, and career-defining opportunities for creators.

Cherry says uncredited trends on TikTok can be equated with unpaid labour. “A white creator with a huge following could rehearse a dance they saw on the [app], record it, post it and ‘forget’ the dance credit tag. A month or two later, this creator could receive all kinds of press, opportunities and jobs based on that video they posted,” she says. “Now the original Black creator is missing out on what could rightfully be theirs. All because their work, the blueprint of all of this new success, was not credited to them.”

Suavae “Strawberri” McCauley (@ayostrawberri), agrees. “Being a person who is on TikTok, I realize how much work goes into creating content,” she tells FASHION. “It is not easy to be consistent with uploading TikToks every day and coming up with new ideas on how it can be entertaining. It is a job. So if you are working a job [as] a creator, and someone is taking what you created and monetizing it and you’re not receiving anything for it, then it is truly unpaid labour.”

Because of the #BlackTikTokStrike, no viral dances have been created to Megan Thee Stallion’s song, pointing to just how influential Black creators are on the app. This lack of dance content has not gone unnoticed.

@itsskeonluv29DC: @frickermicker so quirky Bestie🤪🤪🤪🤪 #fyp #fypシ♬ Thot Shit – Megan Thee Stallion

Cherry says this is not just a TikTok issue, but also a reminder of the appropriation of Black culture throughout history. She says she hopes the strike impacts TikTok’s algorithm, which has been called out in the past for silencing Black creators. “While I’m sure it’s reminding users all over the world of the impact Black people have on so many creative spaces, I think the most valuable acknowledgement and change would be from the app itself,” Cherry explains, adding that she wants to see Black creators amplified on the For You Page, TikTok’s never-ending scroll homepage.

As for those posting on TikTok, it’s necessary to credit the originators of the trends and dances you’re trying. “If you are posting a video that is not 100 percent original, give credit where credit is due. Mention the original creator in the beginning of your video, stitch their video instead of just creating your own, and for the love of God, tag the dance credit in the caption of your video, not in the comments,” says Cherry. “Do it intentionally and with authority,”

The post Black Creators Are Tired of Seeing Their Work Go Uncredited on TikTok appeared first on FASHION Magazine.



from FASHION Magazine https://ift.tt/2TEmBZ0
via babu31blog

Too Hot To Handle Season 2 Star Carly Lawrence Says the Show Gave Her Thicker Skin

Last spring, in the midst of the first round of COVID-19 lockdowns, the Netflix reality show Too Hot To Handle took the internet by storm. The hit show brings a group of attractive singles to a villa in a tropical destination under the guise of, well, partying and hooking up, and then reveals to them that they’re actually there to build deeper connections with one another without kissing, heavy petting, or sex. The premise of Too Hot To Handle is essentially “when you’re this hot, it’s really hard to not hook up.” And it makes for great TV.

Following the success of its first run, Netflix has newly released season 2 of the show with a fresh cast, different rules and so many plot twists. This time, contestants were brought to Turks and Caicos and told they would be on a show called Parties in Paradise, which, in retrospect, sounds too good to be true. After their first day of flirtatiously getting to know one another, the sex ban bombshell was dropped. Every time someone broke the rules, money would be deducted from the $100,000 prize pool. This did not, however, stop contestants from breaking them.

Too Hot To Handle
Photography courtesy of Netflix

One of the biggest rule-breakers on the show was Toronto’s Carly Lawrence, the only cast member from Canada. Right off the bat, the 24-year-old model formed a romantic (and physical) connection with co-star Chase DeMoor, but it wasn’t smooth sailing. The couple broke up midway through the show, and Lawrence then got together with latecomer Joey Joy, who was one of the cast members added later in the season to spice things up. Lawrence’s rebel personality, openness on-camera and turbulent experience on the show made her a clear favourite. The self-proclaimed “man-eater” chatted with FASHION about her experience filming during COVID-19, going through a breakup on camera, and her rule-dodging mentality.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Too Hot To Handle (@toohotnetflix)

How Carly got involved in Too Hot To Handle

Via Instagram, of course! Lawrence received a DM from someone who worked for the show, asking her to apply to be on Parties in Paradise (unbeknownst to her it was actually Too Hot To Handle). She made herself memorable during the interview process. “They did a 15-minute interview where they asked questions about your sex life and your dating life,” she explained. “It was nine in the morning and I was like, ‘How am I going to stand out?’ So I did a shot of tequila.”

It worked. What followed were months of on-boarding processes, including psychological testing, background checks and questionnaires, says Lawrence. The show was then filmed from November to December 2020.

What it was like filming a reality show during the pandemic

As one might imagine, it involved a lot of COVID-19 tests. “We were COVID tested before we went in the house, once we got to the house, and every other day,” she says. The camera crew and producers remained socially distanced from the cast, so the “cast bubble” was joined by a few people who were there solely to help them and offer support. “We had people around our age that were allowed to be in our bubble. They were the people that we could get Advil from, get water from, sit with, if we were sad they could hug us. Whereas everyone else was not allowed to come near us. They were technically a part of the cast, even though they weren’t filmed.”

Whether Carly had any idea before the big reveal that she was *actually* on Too Hot To Handle 

“I was so out of it! The crew had fake Parties in Paradise shirts on, they had a fake host — like, they did it to the nines,” Lawrence says. “I didn’t think I’d ever be cast for that big of a show. I think of myself as a weird dork, and Too Hot To Handle is a huge Netflix show. I just never would have imagined. Even on the plane there, I was like, ‘What am I filming?’ I guess looking back I was really dumb. I feel like most people probably could guess it if they were in my position and reading the contract, but I was just so out of it. I was just like, ‘I’m gonna go get wasted, party and meet hot guys.’”

How Carly reacted to the Too Hot To Handle sex ban

Not as terribly as one might think, considering she thought was on a show about partying and hooking up. “I actually didn’t mind the sex ban,” says Lawrence. “That didn’t really bother me as much as the ban on kissing, touching and heavy petting. I wouldn’t have slept around anyway, just because it is on camera.”

What went through Carly’s mind when she broke the Too Hot To Handle rules

Not the potential $100,000 prize, for one. “I honestly didn’t even care about the money, which is so bad. I started to by the end. But I realized that the process wasn’t about the money to begin with. It was about growing,” Lawrence explains. “For me, I was like, ‘It’s just money. I’m just gonna make out with everyone.’ I was having fun, and I wasn’t thinking about it. I didn’t care if I was going to get judged, because I knew I was going to be judged regardless.”

“Every episode that you see is genuinely me,” Lawrence adds. “Who wants to look at someone who’s not genuine online? It’s too fake and it gets boring. I could tell when some people weren’t being genuine on the show. I could see it myself, and it definitely comes through on camera.”

What it was like going through a breakup on camera

“That was a lot for me personally. You could see me crying and being upset — I was in my feelings, and I was really raw and open. Watching that back, it’s easy to judge yourself. I rewatched it a couple of times trying to look at it from the outside perspective,” says Lawrence. “But it hasn’t really affected my mental health in a negative way. People have actually been really nice about it online — a lot nicer than I thought they would be.”

Having such a challenging personal moment televised has also given Lawrence thicker skin, she says. “Before, I was so focused on what other people thought of me, what guys thought about me. And now I’m just doing my own thing. I’m not worried about how someone views me, or if a guy likes me. I guess I did change on the show, and I think my journey was really touched on.”

Now that filming’s over, Lawrence says she keeps in contact with fellow cast members including DeMoor, Joy, Nathan Webb and Melinda Melrose. All episodes of Too Hot To Handle season 2 are out now on Netflix. Warning: the urge to binge watch is well, too hot to handle.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

The post <em>Too Hot To Handle</em> Season 2 Star Carly Lawrence Says the Show Gave Her Thicker Skin appeared first on FASHION Magazine.



from FASHION Magazine https://ift.tt/36gt131
via babu31blog

Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Gigi Hadid Asks Paparazzi to Respect Her Baby’s Privacy

Supermodel Gigi Hadid is asking the paparazzi to give her baby daughter some space. In an open letter posted to Instagram Stories and Twitter on July 5, the new mom wrote that she is concerned about the media attention her daughter Khai is getting when in NYC.

Khai Malik was born in September 2020 to parents Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik. Hadid noted that while her baby gets to spend a lot of time out in open space on the Hadid family farm in Pennsylvania, she worries about the media frenzy that follows them in New York.

“As our baby grows up we have to realize that we can’t protect her from everything the way we wanted to and could when she was smaller,” Hadid wrote. “On our most recent visits to New York, she has started to want her sun shade lifted up (something she is used to at home) and helps herself to it! she doesn’t understand why she’s covered in the city, or what I’ve wanted to protect her from.”

“I also want her to see the most amazing city in the world + the beautiful and diverse people that walk down the streets of NYC … that is, without the stress of the media circus that comes with parents who are public figures.”

“I know the laws change from state to state, and I’ve seen some paparazzi photos of kids in NYC with their faces blurred — but, from asking around, I believe that that comes down to the integrity of the photographer, publications or fans sharing the images,” she continued. “I write all this to say: to the paparazzi, press, and beloved fan accounts, you know we have never intentionally shared our daughter’s face on social media.”

Paparazzi encounters with celebrity children — and their parents’ pleas to respect their privacy — are nothing new. Back in 2014, Kim Kardashian urged her followers to sign a paparazzi reform petition to protect celebrity children, which was later turned into California legislation. The laws require paparazzi to give children space when in the boundaries of personal and familial activity, including school, medical facilities, and all locations where a “reasonable expectation of privacy exists,” along with creating a “buffer zone” at the entrances/exits of these locations. It also amended the California Civil Stalking Law to include placing someone “under surveillance” in a way that causes “substantial emotional distress.”

But, as Hadid noted, these laws change state to state, and there are no such federal laws in place. Celebs have a tumultuous history with paparazzi and often deal with an ongoing invasion of privacy and even verbal harassment. When it comes to pap photos of celebrities’ children, the intrusion is often perpetuated by publications, fan accounts, and anyone who distributes the images.

Hadid said she and boyfriend Zayn Malik want to give their daughter as normal a childhood as possible, despite her parents’ celebrity status. “Our wish is that she can choose how to share herself with the world when she comes of age,” she said. “It would mean the world to us, as we take our daughter to see and explore NYC and the world, if you would PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE blur her face out of the images, if and when she is caught on camera.”

She said she understands it’s an extra effort but, “I just want the best for my baby, as all parents do … and I hope this can continue the conversation to protect minors in the media, even if they come from a public family.”

She ended the letter by thanking the paparazzi who have been respectful of her boundaries and have kept a distance from her while she is out with her daughter. “For a child, I can imagine that close or dramatic paparazzi frenzies must be overwhelming and disorienting … it still is as an adult that understands and deals with it often.”

The post Gigi Hadid Asks Paparazzi to Respect Her Baby’s Privacy appeared first on FASHION Magazine.



from FASHION Magazine https://ift.tt/36en7zo
via babu31blog

These Are the July 2021 Beauty Launches We’re Looking Forward To

With summer officially here, it’s time to retire your full coverage foundation and top-to-bottom face beat and replace them with bright colours, minimalist routines, smooth skin and deliciously summery scents. Introducing the July 2021 beauty launches we know you won’t be able to get enough of.

Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Pride Eau de Toilette


Jean Paul Gaultier’s latest fragrance launch, Le Male Pride Eau de Toilette ($115), is a loud and playful celebration of freedom, love and laughter. The exuberant blend of lavender, vanilla and mint in a collector’s edition rainbow flag bottle is just the thing to get the party started this summer.

Fenty Skin Buff Ryder Exfoliating Body Scrub

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by FENTY SKIN (@fentyskin)


Launching at Sephora on July 9, the latest from Fenty Skin is an exfoliating body scrub called Buff Ryder ($43), inspired by the exfoliating sands of beaches of Barbados where Rihanna grew up. Formulated with ingredients that gently slough away dead skin cells, like Barbados cherry, coconut oil, pomegranate, papaya, shea butter, pineapple enzymes and avocado powder, Buff Ryder reveals smoother, more polished skin after each use.

NYX Cosmetics Jumbo Eye Pencils


Want to get in on the bright eye makeup trend this summer? Look no further than NYX Cosmetics’ Jumbo Eye Pencils, available in 10 new shades. The ultra-smooth, super creamy formula is foolproof and easy to apply, in whatever way you choose. The best part? They’re only $7 a pop, so you can stock up on a few fave neutrals, plus some bold new shades.

Ash K Holm x Buxom Palette

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ash K Holm (@ash_kholm)


Celebrity makeup artist Ash K Holm, who is known for her work with A-listers like Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian and Megan Fox, has partnered with Buxom Cosmetics to release a limited edition eyeshadow palette ($51) featuring 12 shades (a mix of everyday neutrals and jewel tones). “Warm, neutral tones always make my clients feel like the best version of themselves. The jewel tones add just the right amount of colour and edge,” the makeup artist said in a statement.

Minori Beauty


On the hunt for a beauty brand that can satisfy all your makeup needs in as few products as possible? Meet Minori, a new brand by founder (and former well.ca beauty buyer) Anastasia Bezrukova that’s consciously formulated with minimalism in mind (Bezrukova is a certified Marie Kondo Consultant and KonMari method devotee), and made up of only the essentials. The just-launched brand’s lineup consists of four shades of lip gloss, two shades of blush and two shades of highlighter. “Everything we launch has to be really thought out,” says Bezrukova. “We’re not going to launch a new type of lip gloss every three years, so everything has to be an everyday staple. I see new brands every single day; it’s the nature of this industry. What I can do is make a difference by creating a brand that uses its platform to create a conversation around mindful consumption. I don’t even think of us as a makeup brand. We’re a lifestyle brand that’s going to drive this conversation to reach as many people through our blogs, through our Instagram, and creating that dialogue that I wish someone had with me when I was young.”

Estée Lauder Fleur de Peony Eau de Parfum

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Estée Lauder (@esteelauder)


The latest launch from Aerin, Fleur de Peony, is a fresh, fruity scent with hints of citrus, woody notes and (duh) peony. “I have always loved peonies. These beautiful flowers add a celebratory touch to any occasion,” said Aerin Lauder in a statement. “We used the pale pink peony on my wedding day for both the ceremony and dinner. The flower holds many special memories for me that I will never forget.”

The post These Are the July 2021 Beauty Launches We’re Looking Forward To appeared first on FASHION Magazine.



from FASHION Magazine https://ift.tt/3jMq6XI
via babu31blog