How Fashion Erased the Politics of Streetwear
In an industry with a majority of white voices, a trend is just white acceptance, and luxury streetwear is no exception.
All posts filed under: Fashion
Think: Is Fashion Worth Fainting For? Yeezy Thinks So
Fashion Week kicked off today with Kanye West’s Yeezy fashion show at Roosevelt Island in New York City. The infamous rapper turned designer turned Kardashian turned Taylor Swift’s nemesis decided to showcase his new collection with models standing under the blistering sun for over an hour. It was just a matter of time until one of them collapsed and one did. Not that fashion hasn’t seen its fair share of ridiculousness, but West has taken it to the core of labor rights. The working condition of models is one of the most controversial issues the fashion industry has had to battle for years. Canadian model Coco Rocha has been an advocate for The Model Alliance, a non-profit that pleads for the fair treatment of models, especially with measures regarding weight, age and schedules. Yet, Yeezy forces models to stand in the sun with no protection and no water for hours just to serve as props for his performance. No apologies followed. The industry was outraged: Sad to say but we have a bunch of idiots …
Wearing Black Makes Me Happy
We all do something to feel powerful. I dress in black. It’s one of the most distinctive characteristics of my personal style, aside from wearing a leather jacket (black, of course) and red lipstick. Although it wasn’t always the case, my mornings have become prettier, easier and more inspiring since I started wearing black as armor. This phenomenon started in January 2015 when I moved to Madrid, Spain to study at the Complutense University. Because of the low temperatures, no one cared about trends and it no longer mattered if my coat and boots didn’t go together. So, during my first month in Madrid, I substituted my red trench coat for a navy and black one I got at the Zara sale in hopes to simplify my mornings. The constant travel also contributed to this change. You can enjoy the not-so-routinely routine of planes, buses and trains crossing all over Europe way better when you don’t think about what you are wearing. But, my mother taught me to never let style go, so I instilled …
Portraits of Badass
The word ‘badass’ has multiple connotations. Many associate it with superheroes; others only visualize a woman who can break someone’s face during a fight. But, during the inception of this website, I always envisioned the women around me. I have quite the group of friends. I call them the ambitious tribe, a collective of women who might not even know each other but influence who I am and contribute to each other’s lives without noticing. To me, that’s badass. Sisterhood is badass. Lifting each other, instead of competing, is badass. Yes, they appear to be wearing leather jackets and their expressions scream ‘Boss!’. But, there is a vulnerability to them because, no matter how put together we always try to appear on camera, our true selves always come out. What you see here is all of them reacting to one simple direction: be your own boss. Badass is being comfortable in your own skin and loving yourself. Or at least working on it. – Raiza Irizarry, 22 Badass, to me, is being a strong, independent, creative, …
The Boots Have Fallen Out, Now What?
They were perfect. They are still perfect. Soft faux leather contrasted with golden zippers and an attached leather band that added height to their flawless figure. Even though they were made for kids, it felt like they were meant to be with me. And so, I did not give two fucks when the sales clerk condescendingly commented: “These are kids shoes”. You would think that since I was the one paying for the $50 kids shoes that she wouldn’t make such a comment, but sales associates, I’ve learned, can be super judging. It’s crazy that they look completely unrecognizable now. My feet have molded their shape in such a way that they feel custom made. The soles are so thin I can feel the warmth of the floor when I walk around. There’s a rip on the side seam of the left shoe. The shoeshiner can no longer mask the obvious signs of color deterioration. As much as I never wanted to give them up, I had to because walking into a meeting with them …
London Town
Photographed in May 2015 by Raiza Sophia Irizarry. London, UK.
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