Month: December 2020

Yoshitomo Nara: Life is Only One

One of the most enduring philosophical conversations is Hobbes’ and Rousseau's debate of whether a man is inherently good or inherently evil. This debate can be found – in its purest form – in children. They can be cute, naïve, and innocent, but often equally destructive and cruel. This duality of both good and bad is what defines most of our childhoods, and that duality can be found in the mischievous, yet cherubic children illustrated by Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara.

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Glynn Turman: Glynnaissance Man

Can you name an actor or actress that has a career spanning over 50 years? The list isn’t very lengthy, so of course finding someone whose career spans over 60 years will be an even shorter one. One gentleman who has been able to achieve such a long career and be able to display an amazing amount of range along the way has been Glynn Turman. Very few people have been able to work not only as long, but as diligently as Turman has. Very few people have been able to share the stage with cinematic royalty like Cicely Tyson, Ruby Dee, and Sidney Poitier. Then manage to stick around long enough to work with Chris Rock, Angela Bassett, Bernie Mac, Chadwick Bozeman, and Viola Davis. Not too many can be mentioned in the conversation about black pillars in Hollywood, but Turman embodies that very title. 

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Denali White Elk: Native Style

In 2004, Fashion Designer Charm Logan attempted to gather a lineup of all-indigenous models for her fashion show, Fashion Nation. After discovering that there were simply not enough Indigenous models signed to talent agencies, she had to scout aspiring actors and models in First Nations communities. In 2019, fifteen years later, another fashion designer named Leslie Hampton attempted the same thing for her Toronto Fashion Week debut, only to find that, once again, agencies just did not have enough Indigenous models, so she also had to scout for models in native communities. Though both these cases took place in Canada, the same rings true in America. The unfortunate truth is that there is a notable lack of Native American representation in the fashion industry, especially modeling, which means someone like Denali White Elk being featured on the cover of Vogue Italia is a surprising headline.

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Ernest Alexander: The Prep Look Culture Fashionisto

The way we dress is a conscious decision we make. It is a clever way to declare who we are, what we are about, and what societal class we belong to. One look that has always communicated class, style, prestige, and education is the preppy look. Adopted after preparatory school uniforms, the prep look is a style that is never a fashion faux pas. This look of wealth and success is usually a pair of loafers or boat shoes, Oxford button-downs, some chinos, an argyle sweater, a woven leather belt mixed with Nantucket Reds mixed in. Clean. Fresh. Relaxed.

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