Remember the infamous Jeffrey Campbell Litas? The polarizing platform heeled boots were all the rage in the 2010s, and now a renaissance of sorts is upon us. Some might attribute the trend of taller statement boots to our (however slow) recovery from a period of social and economic hardships — after a year and a half (and counting) of the pandemic, everyone is ready to go higher, bigger and brighter when it comes to footwear, and fashion in general.
The return of ’90s/2000s fashion is bringing with it the iconic platform boot, taking inspiration from The Spice Girls, Bratz Dolls and other pop culture fixtures of that era. Most recently, a street style shot of Olivia Rodrigo in a pair of red patent Naked Wolfe platform boots took over the interwebs, confirming the resurgence of the trend.
Now it’s your turn! Here are some of our favourite platform boots for the Fall 2021 season:
Scorpio season, we meet again. And delightfully so. If you have any passionate Scorpios in your corner, look no further because we’ve got a list of gifts scored for this mystical, hard-to-read zodiac sign.
Treasure their obscurity with an organic-shaped clutch, ultraviolet nylon loafers (very Willy Wonka), or a lumpy and speckled mug. They’ll surely love to adorn their home in some eccentric textiles, like Okej’s Green Squiggle rug or a quilt from artist Cristina Martinez that wraps up the entire spectrum of Scorpion emotions. Happy cry? Sad cry? We’re not sure either.
Free flowing and taking to abstract shapes like the element that rules them — water — this zodiac house will love to connect with a little H2O. Think an immersive bath kit for relaxing in their lair, McQueen’s skull umbrella for splashing around in nature, or a playful one piece to hit the hot springs this winter.
Tap through all of our favourite gifts for Scorpios below.
Excuse me for stating the obvious, but the COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything. From socially distanced IKEA shopping to Bumble’s new vaccination indicator, the virus has forced us to adapt in ways Back to the Future could’ve never imagined, including with our clothing choices.
After being trapped indoors for months, most of us have realized that we either own too much clothing or not enough pieces that actually make sense with the changes to our daily schedules (hello, loungewear!). We’ve also become hypersensitive to touch, not just from others, but to subway handles, grocery carts and, yes, the clothes on our bodies. Should we immediately do laundry after running errands? What’s the risk of sitting on the sofa in the same outfit we wore on public transit? Is it safe to try-on pants in a fitting room?
Because of this, brands have been forced to seek creative alternatives and adapt to the ever-changing times. Canadian label Nonie is one example. The designer has recently announced it will be relaunching its apparel with “antiviral, fully recyclable, sustainable with ZERO microplastic release” material. The first item in the new lineup is an updated version of the Meghan Markle-approved trench coat.
If you’re thinking, “What is antiviral material?” You are not alone. Similar to the first time we heard of oat milk (I’m still slightly mystified at how you can “milk” oats), we have a lot of questions. Luckily, Nina Kharey, founder and creative director of Nonie, and Dr. Daniel Foucher, a chemistry professor at Ryerson University, are here to help.
What is “antiviral” material?
Nina Kharey (NK): Simply put, a material that is resistant/effective against viruses.
Dr. Daniel Foucher (DF): The term can be a bit confusing. When we think of antivirals, we think of pharmaceuticals that are used to treat virus-borne diseases. An effective antiviral coating resists the build-up of a virus on its surface and kills on contact.
One important distinction is that these antiviral coatings on textiles are more permanent — they are in the fibres of the material, robust and do not wash off. It’s different from something like Lysol, which is a biocide (poison) that is absorbed by the virus and a short-term solution as viruses can build back up on the cleaned surfaces.
Photography courtesy of Nonie
How does it work?
NK: At Nonie, we use nanotechnology to fuse silver and carbon ions into every fibre of the fabric. This not only keeps the garment clean from bacteria but also discourages the growth of the virus, bacteria and odours in the material.
DF: What we believe occurs is that the antiviral coating presents a positively charged surface to the bacteria or virus. The phospholipids [a type of molecule] in the virus’s outer cell layer are negatively charged, and these materials are attracted to the surface and pinned down, much like a magnet. The phospholipid layer eventually breaks down because of this attraction, and the virus dies.
Is it actually effective?
NK: Yes. The latest testing with the SARS-CoV-2 virus was conducted by researchers at the Doherty Institute, simulating the real-life interaction of small aerosol droplets contaminating clothing. A sample fabric was exposed to a known concentrate of the SARS-CoV-2 virus for 30 minutes, and was then measured for remaining infectious viruses. The fabric sample treated with the advanced technology showed no infective viruses left after 30 minutes. The results show a SARS-CoV-2 virus reduction of 99.99%.
DF: It has been previously theorized that a similar treatment could work to weaken the defences of the viruses within the Coronaviridae (SARS-Co-V2) family, ultimately leading to viral deactivation. The virus is airborne and spread by people coughing or touching surfaces: This is called fomite spread. If your textiles in your hospital room are treated with an antimicrobial/antiviral coating, they will deactivate (kill) the virus on contact. But cleaning is also required!
In the age of fast fashion, TikTok shopping hauls and #OOTDs, we’ve come to associate style with an (overly) well-stocked wardrobe. Unspoken social media rules tell us that once an outfit is posted to one or all of our many feeds, we are never to be seen in it again. This culture inevitably plays into a hot-button issue in the fashion industry: the overproduction and overconsumption of clothes, one small solution for which may come via digital fashion. Zero10, a tech startup brand, is creating clothing exclusively for online spaces, and its efforts may address one piece of the waste puzzle by changing the way we think about clothes, instead of asking us to wear less. Launching on October 21, Zero10 is an iOS application that uses augmented reality (AR) technology to simulate garments from various brands onto users’ bodies. Made from pixels instead of textiles, digital clothing is giving the fashion industry a small but desperately-needed push towards sustainability.
Photography courtesy of Zero10
In line with fashion’s continued merging of the digital and physical worlds, Zero10 allows users to try on clothing in real time via phone cameras, and post their digital ‘fits to social media. Using cloth-simulation technology, the app replicates the natural flow of fabrics to create a life-like effect.
Along with encouraging users to try on garments virtually (à la Cher in Clueless), the app can place digital clothes on previously-taken images uploaded from photo libraries. And with the app’s wardrobe feature, users can purchase and store their favourite looks. All of this can then be used to create social media content.
Photography courtesy of Zero10
Zero10 will be collaborating with fashion brands, emerging independent designers and artists on new drops, which will be revealed within the app. Collections are released every two weeks, as reported in WWD, and items are usually priced at around US$1 to US$20. For the launch, Zero10 told WWD it will be offering 12 unisex digital items for free from brands including Ksenia Schnaider, ZNY, AV Vattev, Florentina Leitner and Ttswtrs.
For those who are always searching to produce fresh fashion content, digital clothing is an eco-friendly option. The dressing method involves no textile waste, so users can buy a trendy item and wear it once without contributing to landfill disposal. Plus, it’s more affordable than physical clothing, and makes attaining luxury items more accessible. With items capped at US$20, Zero10 is producing high-end pieces at fast fashion prices, without the environmental waste. It also breaks down traditional barriers of size exclusivity in luxury fashion, as digital clothing can fit any body size.
Photography courtesy of Zero10
While digital fashion has been around for years — most commonly used in video games like Sims or the early aughts online game Stardoll, which involved dressing and buying virtual clothes for digital avatars — there seems to be a growing market for digital fashion in the physical world. Take NFTs, a digital method of artistic expression that has been increasingly embraced by notable figures in the industry. By creating a medium where physical bodies and virtual style can meet, digital clothing may be the future of fashion content.
Halloween always offers up the perfect excuse to get a little adventurous with your look. Regardless of whether you have plans to wear a costume, you can still have a little fun with your nails come spooky season. Since we recognize that a neon orange pumpkin manicure might not be a great wardrobe fit post All Hallows’ Eve, we gathered some of our favourite on-trend Halloween nail designs that you won’t need to hide with a pair of gloves come November 1.
We may be used to seeing this classically chic pattern on glam sunglasses and other accessories, but it has officially migrated to your nail beds and we are not mad about it. Not only is this marble effect very on-trend, but the mix of dark browns, black and orange tie perfectly into Halloween season in a modern and clever way. Get the look with CND’s new Candlelight shade and Phantom, a deep brown-black.
Metallics — one of the easiest, goes-with-anything nail looks — are back. Adding some gold spiderweb details is a great way to elevate any nail look, whether you want to add a little scare to your weekly nude mani or take it a step further with a black or merlot base shade. No time to hit the salon? Go faux with these chic limited edition stick-ons from Kiss.
For those that want festive tips without having a full on jack-o-lantern motif, this deconstructed spin is likely right up your alley. The bonus? These artsy abstract swirls and swipes are probably one of the easiest negative space trends to replicate. There truly are no rules when it comes to re-creating this style and you can use as much or as little of each colour as you wish. Get the look with this perfect pumpkin shimmer and moody black polish.
The French manicure may be back, but this is not your mom’s square white tips. Instead, this Halloween nail design is all about experimenting with new shapes, colours and designs, and this black ombré effect can easily transition from evening Halloween party to morning video call. If, like most of us, you don’t have an incredibly steady hand or the time to create nail art with such detail, you can easily take this look to the next level with these celestial-themed nail stickers.
For those who won’t give up their nude nails no matter what, this minimalist look might just do the trick. The almond shape adds a chic finish and the deep maroon drips could be blood, or another cool design accent that will still give you that seasonal pop of colour. The key to a look like this is the contrasting matte base, so get started with a matte top coat before adding any accents.
A Halloween nail design for those who don’t love Halloween
If you avoid scary movies, costumes and Halloween festivities at all costs, you can still get in on the spirit of the season with this sweet-as-candy nail look. This fun and playful manicure may inspire you to add a friendly ghost to your favourite pastel, floral or other all-seasons nail look. Casper, is that you?
