Here's Why Models of Color Matter

Here's Why Models of Color Matter

Photo Credit: Glamour UK, photographed by Pawel Psyz

About five months ago, designer Zac Posen broke his silence on one of the most controversial matters in the fashion industry-- diversity. Not only did Posen share an encouraging post on Instagram, but his Fall Ready-to-Wear 2016 collection consisted of many models of color including Aya Jones, Grace Bol, Cindy Bruna, and Riley Montana.

#BlackModelsMatter #womanofcolormatter #Diversity is what makes the world beautiful and inspiring! #NYFW #FW16 @cfda bag by @ash_chew

A photo posted by @zacposen on Feb 13, 2016 at 3:19pm PST

Anyone unaware of what goes on in the fashion world may be a little confused by this issue. Diversity and the representation of people of color in the fashion industry has been a very long, tedious struggle. If we were to watch any major fashion show in the 90s, we would notice all the models would be white except for perhaps one (i.e. Naomi Campbell). Today, progress is readily apparent but still is nowhere near where it should be, as around 80% of models casted at New York, London, Milan, and Paris Fashion Weeks were white (see chart below).

Photo courtesy of The Fashion Spot

Of course, Posen is not the first to address this issue, nor is he the last. Let's take a glimpse at the models themselves and how they're addressing the way they are represented.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Maria Borges: This Angolan beauty requested not to have to wear a weave for last year's Victoria's Secret Show. She says she felt nervous and apprehensive as she was forced to wear extensions at previous VS Shows, but she got the approval. She related the excitement to her fans in a tweet shortly after the good news: "Are you ready for the 2015 @VictoriasSecret fashion show?! I'll be rocking my Afro hair this year for THE show!” She later advised girls nervous about their natural hair to be strong and believe in their beauty.

Photo Credit: Ape Production

Liu Wen: Of course, we could not neglect China's first supermodel, who also happens to be the first Asian model to walk for Victoria's Secret and has many other firsts to her name. We think Liu's quote to NY Mag pretty much sums it up: "People probably think I'm cute because I have dimples and am friendly and always smiling. But beauty is different. In Chinese, people say I have 'chi ze', which means aura or a strong sense of presentation. It's not about my look. It's about confidence. I think this is what people see."

Photo Credit: Glamour UK, photographed by Pawel Psyz

Neelam Gill: Neelam proves to us once again that being beautiful doesn't have to correspond with being white. She told Teen Vogue that "Fashion reaches all different ethnicities, and the market is so wide now that customers truly aren't going to be just one skin tone." She is the first Indian model to ever be used in a Burberry Beauty campaign.

In the end, we couldn't agree with Zac Posen more. Diversity truly makes the world beautiful and inspiring for all of us.

Meet Breya Monaye: Style Blogger, Model, Poetess, and Activist

Meet Breya Monaye: Style Blogger, Model, Poetess, and Activist

                                           Model: Breya Monaye 

                                             Photographer: Chalisa Singh    

Breya Monaye is a style blogger, model, poetess, and activist who uses her platform to tell her story and connect with women around the world. Her passion for fashion sparked in the 8th grade when she started becoming more experimental with her school uniform. In the upcoming years, she completely fell in love with fashion and realized that it was something more than just a hobby. For Breya, fashion was all she had when she struggled with issues of insecurity. She used fashion as a way to focus on the positives things about herself and her body. As she gained more and more self-confidence, she got bolder and bolder with fashion. Her biggest inspiration when it comes to fashion is Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. Breya strives to bring storytelling through her fashion choices and focuses on empowering women.

In today’s look, Breya is rocking a multicolored dress from Zara with her simple black strap heels, alongside her emoji bag adding a playful element to her attire with a bold, solid color. Below are some photos that photographer, Chalisa Singh, recently shot with her!

Ten Artists To Add To Your Summer Playlist

Ten Artists To Add To Your Summer Playlist

Over the course of the last few summers I've found that most of my best memories are associated with a soundtrack that continually made its way into my ears over the course of the season to make each summer unique.  With summer 2016 well underway, it's necessary to make sure that every Spotify playlist contains the perfect songs to set the mood for any future beach trips, road trips, pool parties, lazy Sundays, or commutes.  Here's ten artists I'm listening to a lot of this summer and who's songs I'm hoping make their way into your playlists ASAP.

1.  HONNE

• Location:               Somerset, England
• Latest Release:    "Good Together" (Single)  July 12, 2016.
• Sounds Like:          The one girl who you saw leaving the train right as the doors were closing on you in London at 11 P.M.  You fell in love, hard.  But you’ll never see her again.

Listen To:

"Someone That Loves You"

"Warm On a Cold Night"

"The Night"

2.  LANY

• Location:               Los Angeles, CA
• Latest Release:     "kinda" (EP)  24 June, 2016
• Sounds Like:         Exactly how you would imagine Hollywood to sound

Listen To:

"WHERE THE HELL ARE MY FRIENDS"

"ILYSB"

"Walk Away"   

3.  Coast Modern  

• Location:               Los Angeles, CA
• Latest Release:     "Guru" (Single)  May 20, 2016.
• Sounds Like:         A beach trip on acid.

Listen To:

"Guru"

"Animals"

"Hollow Life"  

4.  Hippo Campus

• Location:               Twin Cities, Minneapolis
• Latest Release:        "South" (EP)  October, 2015.
• Sounds Like:         Coffee for the ears.

Listen to:

"South"

"Suicide Saturday"

"Bashful Creatures"

5.  Jez Dior

• Location:               Hollywood, California
• Latest Release:        "Forever" (Single)  May 20, 2016.
• Sounds Like:         That dimly lit restaurant that serves the best steak but you’re pretty sure has dirty money tied to it.

Listen to:

"Love Me To Death"

"Old No. 7"

"Leather"

6.  Blackbear

• Location:               Los Angeles, California
• Latest Release:        "Bleach" (EP)  June 17, 2016.
• Sounds Like:         When you realize you've spent the last hour and a half in the shower.

Listen to:

"Idfc"

"N.Y.E."

"Grey L.A."

7.  Skizzy Mars

• Location:               Manhattan, New York
• Latest Release:        "Alone, Together" (Album)  April 8, 2016.
• Sounds Like:         Driving home from a date that actually went well for the first time in 17 months.

Listen To:

"Pay For You"

"The Come Down"

"Alcoholics"

8.  Devon Baldwin

• Location:               Oakland, California
• Latest Release:        "Ring of Fire" (Single)  February 25, 2016.
• Sounds Like:         Driving on the 110 Freeway through Downtown Los Angeles at 2 A.M.

Listen To:

"Lungs"

"Refuse"

"Knock You Down"

9.  The Lumineers

• Location:               Denver, Colorado
• Latest Release:        "Cleopatra" (Album)  April 8, 2016.
• Sounds Like:         Going camping and missing your ex as you lay under the stairs and realize you might be alone forever.

Listen To:

"Ain't Nobody's Problem"

"Angela"

Slow It Down"

10.  Brand New

• Location:               Long Island, New York
• Latest Release:    "3 Demos, Reworked" (EP)  July 12, 2016.
• Sounds Like:         The 14 year old version of yourself right after experiencing your first heartbreak and finding yourself smoking your first cigarette at the park at 1 A.M.

Listen To:

"Sic Transit Gloria ... Glory Fades"

"The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows"

"Limousine"

The Issue of Emotion

The Issue of Emotion

Sitting around a table with family this past summer, the topic of music came up. Surrounded by adults at least twice my age, if not more, I listened to the conversation. Eventually, my favorite question in the world was asked, as I had hoped it would be: “What music do you like?” A friend of my uncle’s, a middle-aged man, posed the question as a sort of a challenge. No doubt he was lying in wait to mock whatever the modern youth liked, ready to scoff at the “lack of sophistication of kids these days." Aware of the oncoming criticism, I answered honestly. Hearing my answer, he scoffed before asking with a snarky laugh, “You like that band? Their music is so depressing. So angsty. Are you a happy person?” I didn’t really know how to reply. I laughed sheepishly and let the conversation go on without me.

What got under my skin about this man’s comment was how quickly he wrote me off as “angsty” and unhappy. So often have teenagers been classified by adults as “angsty” or “moody” that we’ve been conditioned to feel ashamed about being upset. We’re embarrassed to talk about our stress, sadness, or frustration because our elders have drilled into us not to be “mopey” or “self-pitying."

Any emotion we experience is “just hormones” and simply a melodramatic exaggeration of a real feeling. Anything we worry about or get angry about is merely another example of a teenager being “dramatic” or “seeking attention."

In class a while ago, I was asked to complete the phrase “The world is...” I finished it with “unfair”. I was thinking about Syrian refugees sacrificing everything while people like Donald Trump sit on their billions making fools of themselves. I was thinking about how single parents who work so hard still must spend hours at multiple minimum wage jobs to support their families. When I told the class my answer, my teacher responded, “So angsty! It’s okay, you’re a teenager.” My frustration at the imbalanced world was boiled down to a moment of hormones, as if what was unfair was the amount of homework I had to do or that my parents wouldn’t let me go to a concert.

And even if a teenager's emotions are shallow or vapid, they still feel very real to them. It's completely unfair to tell a teenager to "just stop worrying" about what people think of them or to "just get over" a breakup, because even if those emotions seem invalid to someone older, those feelings are still very real to the person experiencing them. Just because the emotion is not as mature as it could be does not mean that it is not worth considering. Imagine if adults disregarded the feelings that they deemed unimportant of other adults. The world would be a very indifferent place. But when it comes to teenagers, it seems it is perfectly alright to not only write off a teenager's feeling, but actually degrade them for having it. We are shamed for having feelings that the adult world does not account worthy.

I’m tired of being labeled as a melodramatic teenager. I feel things as acutely as any adult does, and I believe my peers do too. Yet somehow my emotions are consistently shortchanged by those older and “wiser” than me who think any expression of sorrow, upset, or anger is merely a chemical reaction. To my fellow teenagers I say: keep on feeling. Write that “angsty” essay, play that “depressing” song. Embrace your feelings. They are valid and important. They are what make you human. And no one should make you feel bad about that.

Big Star: The Most Underrated Band in America

Big Star: The Most Underrated Band in America

photo credits

Think of the music scene in 1972.  ‘Exile On Main Street’ by the Rolling Stones probably comes to mind, as well as David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust phase. But what about ‘#1 Record’? The first record by the band Big Star, members Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Jody Stephens, and Andy Hummel ironically was not the #1 record of it’s time. It didn’t come anywhere near the success of their contemporaries like Clapton, Deep Purple, or either of the previously mentioned bands.  

‘#1 Record’ was raved over by critics, with Rolling Stone saying, “it’s just exceptionally good” and, “No. 1 Record is one of the sleepers of 1972”.  Yet, because of a lack of distribution and advertisement, the record failed to climb the charts and capture the ears and hearts of the public like it did critics.

            

Today, most kids can name at least one Zeppelin song, or at least can recognize some Rolling Stones songs when they’re played for them. Countless bands since have imitated their high-powered rock sounds, with only a very few matching the icons in skill and talent. Yet, despite the fact that almost no one can recognize the song “Thirteen” when it comes up on a Pandora playlist, Big Star’s influence is everywhere in modern alternative and indie rock. Their song ‘In the Street’ was covered by Cheap Trick and became the theme for ‘That 70s Show”, and the mesmerizing guitar riff in ‘Thirteen’ can be seen in hundreds of acoustic love songs like ‘The Girl’ by City and Color. Bands like Nada Surf, Wilco, and R.E.M. would not have even existed had Big Star not paved the way 20 years beforehand. The Replacements even have a song named ‘Alex Chilton’ that pays homage to the frontman. Big Star predicted the rise of indie-rock and power-pop decades before the genres hit the mainstream; had their albums come out in 1992 instead of 1972, everyone would still be singing along to their music.

            

photo credits

Big Star captured how easily the teenage mental state can go from “Get me out of here/ I hate it here” (‘Nighttime’) to “Wish we had a joint so bad” (‘In the Street’) to “I’m in love with a girl/Finest girl in the world/Didn’t know I could feel this way” (‘I’m in Love With a Girl’).  Whether Chilton intended to so purely capture the mind of an 18 year old or not, he succeeded with such class that no other band has come close to doing the same thing. Big Star sings about first love, first lost love, and small town boredom among other things. They acknowledge all of the normal clichés that surround such themes, yet take it a step further and bring a depth and complexity to it that set the stage for songwriters today.

            

I don’t enjoy being the person that gasps when someone says they haven’t heard of an album or an artist. Yet I do enjoy making people listen to an album that so easily could’ve come out of 2016 yet was made when most of our parents were in middle school or high school. It is soft and timeless and takes me to a familiar, safe space. Listening to it has changed the minds of so many of the people around me and I highly, highly recommend it to anyone who even remotely enjoys music.

The Characteristics of a Problematic Community

The Characteristics of a Problematic Community

Words by Brindy Francis

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As you already know, the world has been veering off track for a good while. A dangerous man may become our president, mass murders are occurring left and right and lives are being taken for no apparent reason. I, of course, can not state that I am a victim of these events, but I can state that I am here to point out the good and evil and to stand with those victims.

So, the question is: ‘Why are all of these terrible things happening?’ There is no simple answer, but there is an audience. Your community is what contributes to these disasters. Human beings are the ones making these decision. Nothing is an accident. Your opposing side is good in another being’s eyes. In order to make a change, do not only question why it is happening. Protest it. Get involved and make a difference. You have a voice, so please use it.

Yes, I’ve been there as well. Your family members find it annoying how much politics show up on your Facebook feed. You have the right to stand up and fight, even if that is through a little share button. Ignore that aunt who had a bit too much wine because she will eventually find something else to nag at you about.

Although I encourage everyone to fight for what is right, violence is the most problematic solution. One can have an opinion without spreading it with brutality. It is great to bicker about one’s beliefs, but the problem is, nobody is listening to the other side. Instead of working on educating others, people are throwing it in each other’s faces and sparking up a riot. The world is struggling to understand that violence, savagery and force will not get the word out. It will create hatred and calamities.

My good friend, Lilly Glennon, and I had a conversation about this topic. She brought up the idea of fighting fire with fire. She said, “The one thing we are lacking is love, and using violence to ‘preach’ this love is like bombing for peace.” This can be applied to almost any situation. Whether that be real bombs or simple debates, you must understand what you are doing before doing it.

Something that always causes friction is when certain people make statements without being educated on the topic. I encourage everyone to become educated. Set up the New York Times notifications, subscribe to newsletters via email, make a deal with yourself to read one article a day, etc. Understand what is going on in the community and attack it with all you’ve got (with an open mind).

A great way to be involved is attending community events: protests, rallies and petitions. Many couldn’t care less about politics. This is understandable, but I believe it is because they are unaware. This would be titled innocent ignorance. It is extremely important to know what is going on in the world around you. Everyone must be updated on issues and create real, personal opinions. We need opinions. We need debates. This world does not need any more followers. Everyone has the power to be a leader if they stepped out of their comfort zone.

There are many characteristics to a problematic community, but you, personally, are strong enough to alter this disarranged planet. Attack these topics head on, but with no intention of hurting anyone else. We are a community and we must act like one. It does not matter what you qualify as in this populace. Your religion, race, job qualification, and class does not define you and it does not define the people around you. We must join together and stand strong in order to make any difference.

Reaching Truth: What Glamorizing Mental Illness Really Does

Reaching Truth: What Glamorizing Mental Illness Really Does

Photo by Michelle Heppner | @michelleeheppner

Anxiety is a thief; an unwelcome stranger who knocks on your door any hour of the day. Whether you are expecting it or not, it will let itself in and wreak havoc on your abode, causing shortness of breath and the feeling of an anvil eternally resting on your chest. 

We, as humans a part of a society, treat real criminal break-ins with serious caution and detest. So, why is it when anxiety, and mental illness in general, trespasses into our lives, we sometimes romanticize and glorify it in hopes of coming across as “poetic”? When music, film and art is created to glamorize mental illness, rather than to magnify the serious effects of it, the light is removed from those who are in critical need of help. This also causes some doubters to believe others use mental illness as an attention grab, which also puts those living with mental illness at risk because they are reluctant to step forward.

There is a difference between occasionally feeling anxious and having an anxiety disorder. A disorder is constant and disabling, causing someone to feel like they are drowning in fear and panic everyday. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders - the most common form of mental illness in the U.S. - directly affects 18 per cent of the American population, never mind the percentage of those who feel the effects as a bystander to someone who they know is living with an anxiety disorder.

Often, we make lighthearted jokes about mental illness. Common ones include saying things like, “My OCD is acting up again,” when we neatly square-up a stack of books. Or, “I’ve eaten so much ice cream today; it’s depressing.” Although these expressions seem harmless, they only add to the stigma of mental illness, and are typically said by those who don’t understand its real effects. 

In American culture, glamorized cases of mental illnesses can be perceived through social media, movies, music, photography, art, etc. These cases misconstrue mental illness to make it seem appealing and beautiful, when acknowledging how someone living with a mental disorder feels, is tossed aside. With mental illness being glamorized in the media, we are also wrongfully taught how to comfort and assist those in need of a helping hand.

I believe the most important thing to remember is, if you are not personally going through it, you will never fully understand it, consequently you have limited say in the matter. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America says only one-third of people living with anxiety disorders receive help. This statistic is shocking, considering anxiety disorders are highly treatable. The question is, if anxiety disorders are as simple to treat as they say, why are people not reaching out for help? Among many possible reasons, the one that typically stands out is because patients fear they will get grouped in with the few who pretend to have a mental illness in order to receive sympathy and attention.

Mental illness is not a trend, so let’s stop glamorizing it like it is one.