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A future education and career in the fashion industry was inevitable ever since I was two or three years old, when my mother let me play with the pearls inside her bottom drawer and I mumbled my first “big” word – “jewelry”. As a passionate fashion communication student at Ryerson University, I am eager to further develop my portfolio, apply my skills and learn more about this wonderful industry.

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WARNING, THIS ISSUE CONTAINS DANGEROUSLY AMAZING CONTENT AND MAY BECOME ADDICTIVE.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELLEN VAN BENNEKOMSTYLING BY BAS GROEFSEMAHAIR BY MAIKEL PIQUÉMAKE-UP BY LIEKE SYLVESTER AT OOZAGA AGENCYMODELS: MARK AT ROCKET GARAGE, HIS BAND HOODOO CHARM AND MARJOLEIN SPUYBROEK

A BUNCH OF BLACK DEPRESSED CLOTHES TOGETHER IN A SHOOT

TOP BY RIANNE SUKLONGSLEEVE BY OVAN ABDULLAH

FASHION IN NON-COLOURS

WHICH IS ENDLESSLY FASCINATING, EVEN THOUGH IT IS JUST BLACK AND WHITEJust as much as a little black dress differs from an opulent white wedding gown, black and white illustrate other opposites as well: light and darkness, bride and groom, good and evil and – essentially - life and death.

BLACK AND WHITE’S GHOSTS Some things have always been the same: a statement written black on white is valid, black is beautiful, white is virginal, and someone who has a black-and-white way of thinking is just not that smart. Black and white are the extremes of our colour spectrum and that is why they are so suitable for extreme statements. In the history of Western art, black has been used in many different ways. Whether used to address gloomy issues such as melan-cholia and post-war depression or taken to a higher level of abstrac-tion, it has always been a strong statement. Like Kazimir Malevich, the Russian modern painter, whose ‘Black Square’ on a white background dared to stand out against the colourful expressionist pieces of his time. It was quite a bold statement, especially in 1915. The Op-Art movement of the 1960’s also would not have happened without black and white. Take as an example Victor Vasarely and Bridget Riley, who produced black and white compositions with an intricate visual language. A style of visionary strength was coined. Today this value is reflected in fashion, graphic or industrial design, where black and white and especially their combination still stand for purity and stark abstraction.

PLUS AND MINUS About time to look behind the visual surface, where there is a whole cosmos of cultural traditions. Obviously, the perception of the two ‘non-colours’ is not the same in each culture. In any European society, you would probably be turning in your grave if people were showing up for your funeral wearing white. Nothing like that in Africa: black is celebrated as being the colour of joy, whereas white is the inconvenient colour of mourning and sadness.

Yet a different connotation: in the Hindu culture the members of a family dress in white when someone dies, in order to express their joy and relief for a dead person transcending to the next level of reincarnation. What a joyous contrast to our psychoanalytically advanced Western world, where we have terms like melanophobia - the phobic fear of black.

AMBIGUOUS MEANINGS Colour psychologists have been researching the ever-lasting popularity of black and white. It is common sense that back in our early roots of human mankind, one was dependent on the fast recognition of changes in order to react and save lives. White on black being the highest contrast possible and therefore easy on the human eye makes perfect sense then and now, so no wonder that today still, the combination is used to communi-cate important messages and instructions.

Black is either sad or elegant, sometimes both. Black is the colour of Coco Chanel, the colour of the night, the colour of funerals and grief, death and decay, at least in Western societies. In contrast, art, design and of course fashion connote a certain conceptual force with black and white. Values like elegance, timelessness and a high level of theo-retical consideration are attached to them like a second skin.

SEX SELLS, COLOUR TOO! From an aesthetic to a physical view: black and white are no actual colours, just the absence or presence of light. Still, what makes it so intriguing for designers to work with colours that are non-colours? Black and white represent objectivity, abstraction, and conceptual thinking. Looking at the duo in this light, it is no surprise that it is the most avant-garde and conceptual fashion designers of today who prefer black, white and grey over purple, yellow and green. I’m thinking of names like Gareth Pugh or Rick Owens, who have been push-ing this contrast at a high level of imagination and abstraction. In the grey area of high street fashion, though, every spring collec-tion inevitably coughs up a whole range of pastels, followed by the ever-present bold colour blocks for summer. It may seem fresh and

up-to-date, but in the end it is nothing but a sales strategy. When-ever the H&M’s and Zara’s of the world decide to have black and white on their racks, it is probably because these non-colours sell well in accordance to the current trends. Colours are being picked depending on mainstream trends and fashion tendencies rather than independent aesthetic standards. Opportunistic fashion, so to speak. Quite in contrast to that, independent fashion design-ers like Pugh or Owens barely ever show any colour at all in their collections in order to give space and attention to their much more sophisticated designs. It appears that the more refined the aesthetic scope of a fashion designer or brand, the more independent the use of black and white.

TIMELESS STYLE Take for example Rad Hourani, whose collections do not only show what fashion is all about in 2012, but are also a leading force in futuristic fashion design. His unisex clothes simply are not subject to fashion with its seasons, crit-ics, trends and followers. They are above this system and present themselves as a stream of pure, undiluted fashion visions. Obvi-ously, the refusal to use colour and the turn to such an idiosyncratic style gives attention to a more detailed and implicit form of fashion poetry, a refined cosmos. In that sense, the highly imaginative approaches of Rick Owens and Gareth Pugh have a unique and, therefore, truly independent way of using black and white. Which may refer back to Malevich, whose black square certainly did not speak to a big audience.

WE HAVE TERMS LIKE MELANOPHOBIA - THE PHOBIC FEAR

OF BLACK

TEXT BY ELFI SEIDEL

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JACKET BY BAS KOSTERS, HOTPANTS BY INDIVIDUALS, SHOES BY PLEASER

DEATH BY FASHIONAN ARTICLE ABOUT A FABULOUS MUSE WHOSE EXTREME OBSESSION LEFT HER BANKRUPT BUT RENOWNED

Marchesa Luisa Casati is without doubt one of the most outrageous women who has ever been alive. Her sole purpose in life was to be a living work of art. She would wear feathers, furs and wigs. She used snakes, cheetahs and parrots as her accessories. In the beginning of the twentieth century she was a muse to all the big artists in Europe and she continues to inspire – including the TIGER DRAGON SLAYERS from the Underworld as her fascination with the beauty of absurdity took on a completely different dimension.

TEXT BY SUZANNE VAN HEERDE

OH LA LA Imagine a woman enter-ing a room, small snakes around her neck instead of a mundane necklace, feathers in her hair and the space starts to sparkle due to the light her beaded dress projects back into the room, all eyes are on her. She is the type of person that immediately evokes a tumble of fantastic thoughts. Who is she? Where does she come from? What does she eat? Where does she sleep? What is her choice of poison? She is infamous for her extreme sartorial style and her ability to embrace the role of muse. It is blatantly apparent she was born to do just

that. Various artists immortalized her in all creative disciplines. One in particular was Man Ray. At the time he was an unknown twenty-one-year-old photographer living in Paris. He met Casati one evening and she requested a portrait immediately. He made a double exposed version that multiplied her eyes three times. Casati saw the image and gasped in sincere excitement at the way that he had captured her soul! It was the launching of his career and the rest is history. Casati also maintained a close relationship with one of the first couturiers,

Paul Poiret. He was in charge of creating her daytime wear, outfits such as a black pantsuit covered in bright emerald green jewels and pearls with an enormous black hat that had long feathers masking her face. She preferred to wear an emerald green wig to complement her embellished attire and naturally glittery green eyes.

ARTY PARTY In order to stimulate her progress as a work of art she chose to create her dream world. In the heart of the city of Rome a palazzo was built to fulfil her desire. A black and white contrast ruled the interior; coloured marble floors formed the eyes of a peacock feather; Venetian mirrors and museum-like spaces held her most precious work of art: herself. As an animal lover she started collecting pets: Siamese, Persian and Syrian cats and a black and a white greyhound to complement the interior. Two velvety bronze tinted deer as mascots guarded the entrance to the pala-zzo whenever Casati was at the premises. As one would enter the hall, the sweet smell of exotic incense seeped through while a golden and bronze installation of birds wel-comed her guests with mechanical sounds of chirping. A fountain below that dripped its drops in complementary manner to the music. A sensational experience.

BLOODY SEXY It was she who took her two pet cheetahs on diamond studded leashes for an evening stroll along the canals of Venice, covering her naked body with a floor length fur coat only. She could be seen lying in her own gondola that two servants, dressed in velvety suits with powdered wigs on their heads, gently paddled through the canals of Venice. With a parrot perched on her shoulder and her hand stroking her pet monkeys, spectators cheered as Casati passed.

It was she who had wax mannequins that were rumoured to contain the ash of past lovers as permanent guests at her dining table. It was she who hosted lavish mas-querades at her palazzo along the water in her garden lit by Chinese lanterns, nude servants dripping in gold waited on the guests, black birds and albino peacocks flew around and exotic flora perfumed the air. All the greats were present: Cecil Beaton, Léon Bakst and Sergei Diaghilev, to name a few. And it was also she that stopped her driver while on her way to a party, asked him to kill a chicken and dripped the blood on her arms because she fancied the pattern the drips seemed to form as they rolled down her skin.

FOR ART’S SAKE Her ostenta-tious lifestyle and accompanying ex-penditures were fatal. By 1930 she had amassed a personal debt that in our time could have saved a European bank! All her personal possessions were auctioned off - rumour has it Coco Chanel was one of the bidders. Luisa fled to London, roamed the streets and stuck feathers that she found in her hair, reminiscing on her better days. She died at the age of seventy-six from a cerebral haemorrhage. They buried her in her favourite leopard fur coat and together with her stuffed pet Pekinese dogs. All Marchesa Luisa Casati wanted was to be a living work of art. And that she was.

IT WAS SHE WHO HAD WAX MANNEQUINS

THAT RUMOURED TO CONTAIN THE ASH

OF PAST LOVERS AS PERMANENT GUESTS AT

HER DINING TABLE

MADE US WANT TO SEE SOME BIZARRE LUXURIOUS ITALIAN PIECES LIKE KILLER HEELS AND NEON PINK FUR #SHOOT#

TIGERDRAGONSLAYERSFROMTHEUNDERWORLD 51

ONE NIGHT STAND The initial idea came by Conor Burson, a Canadian, who is a guy that will party till they hammer the very last nail in his coffin. After five years working for an advertising job, he transformed his garage into a coffee shop called ‘Grizzly Espresso’. With every new addition to the original menu, juices, hotdogs you name it all, he threw a party to bring together people and celebrate life, ideas and creativity with other people together. The ‘Grizzly Collective’ is a com-munity where anyone is welcome. It is basically about anti aristocracy, anti pretentious; all they want is unity, rawness and creative culture bundled up in one night and ever-changing, random locations through-out Melbourne. “Call it underground or what you’d like but it is definite-ly not a club and it is remained the way it has because people respect it. We’ve never intended to segregate ourselves or the events of the Grizzly Collective to a single subculture. The Scenesters, Indies, the Hipsters, Homies, the bearded Rock n Rollers, the corporates or the clean cut aristocrats. You’re pretty much always invited if you can bring an idea to the table, a laugh to the bunch or better yet a crowd to surf on.”

OH BOY… Next to Conor this project involves Leon McKay, a Kiwi, “who is an extremely interesting brother with wild ideas and the most infectious laugh and a professional snowboarding background“. Then the dark skinned Australian, Josh Lynch, an intelligent gentle-man who is a bit of a batman and avoids the limelight, but when the

night gets pumping you will see him beside the speaker taking in every musical note and enjoying it. Last but not least Steven Boon, from Bali, Indonesia, who has a fashion design background and since moving around in a few countries and landing in Australia he had the chance to meet thousands of people, so he is always trying to bring and unite these people. All four are working successful jobs and look at various things for inspiration. “Everything from music, fine arts, alternative cultures and more than anything people. Nothing more power-ful than an idea that has come of age“, like the ‘Grizzly Collective’. They had a vision and made it happen, they all have their input to the project and “make sure it’s something other people are yet to experience“. The essential core of this idea is that there is no façade, no bullshit like you find it today in other nightlife spots around the world. This concept was not made to make money; it was brought into that world to conjure about ideas with as many people as pos-sible in one spot, in one night without limits.

WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS The ‘Grizzly Collective’ is now developing into a concept that creates these gatherings every now and then at different locations throughout Melbourne. Taking this idea one step further was the ‘Grizzly house’, which “has a story of its own but that another tale for an-other time.“ This extraordinary spot is located in Fitzroy, a part of Melbourne. “It’s a such a developing area of the city where at times it’s hard to tell the difference between the hipsters and the junkies, but now all types from wealthy corporates, profes-sional athletes and the young artists reside and explore in the area.“ This movement presented a great chance for Conor and his three friends to take the garage one step further and buy a house in that area and converted it to their own style. It is defi-nitely something people have not experienced yet. “There’s no sense of pretentiousness and once you enter the place you immediately know what you’re in for; a serious night of celebration and meeting those and idea swapping with those who are there to do it with you.” The crowd that is invited to these outstanding events is not informed by promotional activity, as they rather have minimal promotion. “Invites are all grass roots. Word of mouth.” The collective do not ask people to join for a night-out, they just tell what is going to happen in the privacy of their home.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME For those who have previously attended these gatherings, “ask us religiously what they should expect from the next event, whether it’s a garage coffee shop turned into a bar with expensive chandeliers and where the DJ decks play beside a station-ary coffee machine, or an entire living room and kitchen which has been blacked out from top to bottom and white murals painted by silent artists and action figure concept creators”, and these life size images are lit alive by a single storing black light. No it’s not a nightclub. It has a life span of one single night and from there forth it finds rest in our minds and another location is chosen for the next grizzly gathering. Whenever you are in Melbourne, find the four boys and be excited for whatever wicked spot they transformed in the future, one thing is for sure; it will be a night you never forget.

TEXT BY ISABELLE SPORLEDER PHOTOGRAPHY BY KLAWSSS.COM

This collective is not just like any other community you have ever been invited to before. The ‘Grizzly Collective’ is a community where everybody is welcome and brought together in a gathering of like-minded people, who meet, converse and share a night in a monthly event they won’t forget. Conor Burson, Leon McKay, Josh Lynch and Steven Boon are the four guys behind this concept, who convert any spot in Melbourne into a nightlife community exposing a ‘unity of minds and celebrating bodies’.

THE GRIZZLYCOLLECTIVEA COMMUNITY, A CO-OP AND THE MOST-WICKED EXPERIENCE IN MELBOURNE RIGHT NOW

those are some

cool party people, the grizzly’s are

on the right

NO BULLSHIT, NO FAÇADE. CREATIVE MINDS MEETING IN A GARAGE, TRANSFORMING INTO A CRAZY PARTY.THE GRIZZLY COLLECTIVE BECAME OUR FAMILY FROM THE UNDERWORLD, SHARING THE SAME VISIONS AS WE DO.

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SHARED KINGDOM

FASHION SHARES ITS KINGDOM

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“Death is unpredictable and not overly affected by fashion seasons

or trends”

“When we die we give birth to a new life. We are literally held in the lives of others”

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Birthe Weijkamp, a girlie girl who likes to talk a lot, “but I know what I am talking about, so that makes me sound very intelligent”. She is a freelance fashion curator, which she does next to her full-time Art history study. Studying is only a minor part of her life, as she tries to make as many exhibitions as she can. We thought, whom better could we ask than her about fashion? In fact she talked so much that this is a monologue of all her intelligent thoughts put together.

INTERVIEW BY MEREL VAN DER TOORN AND IMAGE BY BIRTHE WEIJKAMP

She Starts About Fashion… “Fashion is an important way of capturing time. Like the costumes of drama films can make or break the idea of reality, the costume is always there. Fashion is time, on-going time, it will always go on. It will probably never stop and we will always look back on it. Most things we wear now are retro. Things may seem new, but if you look closely, it is really very similar to what they did 50 or even 90 years ago. When people say, ‘oh its so 80’s!’ they don’t realize that the 80’s were reviving the 30’s/40’s, so, its not particu-

larly 80’s, but more 2010s doing 80’s doing 40’s. Fashion will always look back. Basically, this is the essence of postmodernity, looking back and doing something with that. Fashion is really a postmodern thing. You can find the essence of this in the eclectic style in the 19th century arts, when they openly combined different styles. The reviving of styles isn’t always done so openly and conscious and it also takes time to realize that you are reviving things by using them for modern things, appropriating them to our time.

Placing fashion in context: a monologue by fashion curator Birthe Weijkamp

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“I USUALLY GET INFLUENCE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD”

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“I ALWAYS FIND IT KIND OF EMBARRASSING

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Back in February 1988, Vogue’s “Point of View” column constantly alluded to the “right” style. Pants in this category were “narrow over the hip, softer and wider through the leg,” while jackets were “longer, sharply tailored...often graphic in its design,” hemlines were short, the proper color was green and the best accessory a scarf.

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Twenty years on and the diktats of

Elle’s March 2008 issue advises readers to stock up on cargo pants, mannish trousers, skinny jeans,

or gypsy-inspired camisoles. And, while the apparel list seems rather

extensive, every proper fashionista’s list of must-have shoes also includes sculptural heels, wedges, gladiator sandals, ballet

When it comes to fashion in 2008 the only prevailingtrend is that there are no prevailing trends. From excess to minimalism, free-spirited ingénue to tailored sophisticate—and everything in between—designers are mining just about every culture, decade and mood to create a distinctly “anything-goes” aesthetic.

a trend is,” says Ben Whyman, writer and lecturer at London College of Fashion and arts editor of Issue One magazine. “It’s safe to say the ‘80s were the age of the Yuppie and the New Romantic, while the ‘90s were about grunge on the streets and minimalism on the catwalks. But in these tight economic times, designers and shops are desperate for customers, so they’re offering up lots of mini-trends within trends to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. It’s hard to pin a season down to a single idea anymore,” he adds.

In this absence of a clear-cut sartorial zeitgeist, “Designers are focusing more on their own brand identities, despite what everyone else is doing,” explains Stephanie Meyerson, Director of Youth Culture at trend resource agency Stylesight. “Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Prada—all have an unwavering sense of

evolution that, though great for creativity, has made the editor’s

It’s not just designers who are contributing to the end of boldface trends, however. Armed with broadband and blogrolls, consumers, too, are rejecting the commandments of the editorial elite, taking inspiration from peers around the world to craft their own personal interpretations of style. Rather than buy into one trend from head-to-toe, like the “preppy” or “punk” movements of decades past, consumers

like a DJ does with music. It’s now common to see stylistic

blouse coupled with Alexander Wang’s grimy cutoffs and

knee-high gladiator sandals.

but the current difference is the result of access. The boldness

the creative enclaves of London, New York and Paris. We’re now seeing this kind of independent dressing everywhere from

market in Perth to a gig in St. Louis or a lounge in Prague.“With the rise of ‘fast-fashion’ retailers, consumers have an overload of trends to choose from,” explains Meyerson. “They ingest so much information from magazines, internet and TV that they’re able to quickly digest the trends, buy what they want and style things in a unique, smart way. Not to mention the economy is making us think twice about each purchase, which brings a natural creative consciousness back to fashion.” Adds Whyman: “The consumer is now so savvy that they choose only what’s right for them and their lifestyle. I think this is the fundamental difference from 10 or 20 years ago, when people were more likely to loyally buy into one designer’s ethos.”

In the run-up to the spring/summer ‘09 collections, we’ll be taking a closer look at how

from the role of retailers in its shortening life cycle to

media in its proliferation. We

show season rolls around, but hopefully there will be a little more context to the chaos.

The fashion industry has always been driven by experimentation and creativity. Until recently, however, everyone who lived outside the major style hubs never saw it—their only exposure to fashion came from shopping malls and the pages of Glamour. “The whole point of magazine editorial is to present a cohesive vision,” explains Julie Fredrickson, founder of fashion blogging community Coutorture. “That’s why traditional media is conducive to fashion that is very distinct and holistic. New media is now providing a more effective venue for niches, subgroups and outliers in fashion to promote their vision.”

Fashion big shots and rising stars alike are now accessible to the masses in a way they never have been before. Thanks to sites like The Cobra Snake and fashionista.com, even those who aren’t part of the industry know who Jessica Stam is and what she wore to the Beatrice Inn last night. Browsers can learn about emerging designers on Project Runway and

concepts and new ideas, but who may be several seasons away from a mention in the mainstream glossies. As a result, designers and consumers are both drawing from different

advertiser-driven print publications. It’s no surprise, then, that this widespread exposure has led to a barrage of micro-trends.

Another major cause for this mainstream fascination with fashion is the fact that consumers see it come to life on real people, rather than through the intimidating, unattainable magazine ideal. “When you see people on street style sites, you may actually have a lot of what they’re wearing in your closet—or at least enough so you can go out and buy a top or bag to get the look, with your own personal twist,” explains Chris Kensler, editorial director of social networking site www.stylehive.com. “With glossies, it’s all about brand new things that cost a lot of money, styled by a professional, on a six-foot-tall 17-year-old—a vision that’s out of reach for most women. It’s still nice as a fantasy, but it’s getting marginalized into

a niche in the marketplace.”A third factor behind the unrelenting trend torrent is the sheer number of new media outlets fighting for recognition. In the daily quest for original content, bloggers and pundits pinpoint and discuss emerging trends much more rapidly than ever before. “The very nature of blogging means that nearly any topic, from shiny leggings to fall florals, will be picked up. Bloggers are constantly searching for original content in an increasingly crowded space,” explains Fredrickson. Just look at the blogosphere tizzy heralding the rise of the purple moccasin

after Sartorialist Scott Schuman posted four street snaps illustrating the trend in question—nevermind that few of us have seen anyone sporting them in daily life.

Some may argue that, in this word-of-mouth climate, the fashion editor’s role is obsolete. And yet many new media professionals disagree, arguing that consumers seek guidance and advice in such a noisy marketplace. Even social networking sites like Stylehive are under some degree of editorial control, but, according to Kensler, they simply act as funnels for what

identify trends from what our users are actually wearing. But while fashion magazines are closing their issues three months ahead of time and are ultimately guessing at trends, we show you who’s wearing them right now.”

Of course, the ffects of new media can’t be discussed without also mentioning the effects of the new retail model. Retailers and designers now have to churn out more material than ever in order to satisfy a press that’s hungry for headlines and a public with an insatiable appetite to buy. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly which came

fashion news cycle.

“THE FASHION INDUSTRY HAS ALWAYS BEEN DRIVEN BY

EXPERIMENTATION AND CREATIVITY.”

76

“WHO KNEW ITS

DEATH WOULD

COME SO FAST.”

Over the past few years the fashion world’s two-

season model has been cranked up to lightning speed.

Designers now churn out up to

winter, holiday, resort and summer, all of which are immediately imitated

by fast fashion retailers such as Topshop, H&M, Zara and Forever 21.

no wonder that the boldface seasonal trend has become a relic of the past.

Eveline Morel, owner of EM & Co. boutique in Los Angeles, has noticed

she explains: “There’s a pressure among retailers to constantly give consumers something new. [Consumers are now] very sophisticated and trend-aware, especially because H&M and Forever

to everyone. Fast fashion brands are able to pinpoint up-and-coming trends and react very quickly to them. There’s a higher expectation for small retailers to keep up with all the options.”

According to Morel, this need to keep up with micro-trends has forced boutiques to buy less—and less often. She continues: “Although most major labels and European brands still stick to a twice-yearly schedule, many emerging designers—especially in the US—are now sending deliveries every few months. A lot of buyers are starting to move toward a one to three month schedule, and are buying less since it’s hard to commit to large orders when you don’t know where the season is going to take you.”

Julie Fredrickson, founder of fashion blogging community Coutorture, echoes this point: “The triumph of micro-trends over all-encompassing seasonal trends has more to do with delivery schedules than anything else. The two-season system is essentially defunct as designers are pressed to keep consumers stimulated with new goods. In that sense, there isn’t room for an overarching vision because the schedule has accelerated so dramatically.”

While independent retailers are still deciphering the ever-changing nature of micro-trends, online boutiques are inherently better equipped for the challenge. “Online retail allows for a quick turnaround and access to collections as they arrive,” notes Sarah Curran, founder and CEO of my-wardrobe.com. “Customers who don’t live near a major city can still have access to the season’s must-have pieces and most desirable brands—many [customers] even ‘cyber-stalk’ their favorite online

newest pieces.”

Just like the fast-fashion retailers and their trendspotting teams, online retailers are able to react almost instantly to the next micro-trend bubbling under the surface. Curran observes: “The front page of the site and our e-mail campaigns allow us to present themes and trends on a regular basis—and we’re able to quickly evaluate and change them depending on what our customers respond to the most.” In a sense, online retailers have become new media outlets themselves, broadcasting the newest shade of black faster than a traditional retailer can say “Who Wore it Better?”

Despite the rise of micro-trends and their impact on the rest of the industry, the current economic slowdown may prove fast fashion isn’t as invincible as it seems. According to a recent report by JP Morgan, non-food retailers are being

costs in a decade, which may lead to higher prices for the consumer. If the day comes when that tribal-printed maxidress can no longer be purchased for less than a margarita, shoppers may become more discerning about which trends they buy into. And, by virtue of natural selection, this could ultimately lead us back into the headline trends of yesteryear. Until then, consumers will continue to be spoiled with choices—and we’ll do our best to keep up.

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Wanderlustfashion show

April 13th and 14th, 20114:00 pm and 7:00 pm

At the Arcadian Court401 Bay Street, Toronto OntarioTickets on sale for s15

menswear and eveningwearpresented by the Ryerson Universityschool of fashion

289 200 8888

urban athletics

109 broadway avenue new york city urbanathletics.cany

urban athletics

emily swift emily.swift@uathletics.cavisual director urbanathletics.ca

urban athletics

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