Fashion Fix 001: Diversity Reports, Acrylic Nails, and We Mourn the Shopping Mall

Dara and Alek Wek. Photo: Ethan James Green/Courtesy of Helmut Lang via The Cut

1. First some humor. Do you know Japanese comedian Naomi Watanabe? She is a monumental hit in Japan whose claim to fame is Beyonce impersonations with full wardrobe and dance choreography. She was tapped by Vogue.com to do a makeup tutorial and the footage does not disappoint. The video is part comedy and part useful makeup tutorial. [Vogue.com]
    
2. Should Fashion Brands Run Like Magazines? This is the title and thesis question of author Emilia Petrarca. Her interest in the subject was piqued with the announcement of Helmut Lang hiring their first editor-in-residence, Dazed & Confused editor-in-chief Isabella Burley. In addition Shayne Oliver, of Hood by Air, will join the staff as a guest editor. [The Cut]
    
3. Did you know nail art and acrylic nails used to be considered low class, ugly, and cheap? That is, of course, when it was mostly attached to black identity. From Jackie Joyner Kersie to R&B group SWV, acrylic nails were a part of a culture that has changed rapidly in the last 10 years. Writer Brooklyn White dives in on the changing social history of acrylic nails over at Bitch Magazine. [Bitch Media]
    
4. The fate of shopping malls is bleak; some scholars and pundits think it is millenials' fault while others believe the western fashion system reached too high for too long. Dan Bell, a Maryland native, reflects on his experience with Owings Mills Mall, about a 30 minute drive from Baltimore. It is a sad story but worth the read for the dialogue between Bell's experience and writer Steven Kurutz's observations. [New York Times]
    
5. There are revolutions and disruptions happening in fashion all the time. It is our job to highlight them the best we can. The most disruptive are governments and designers in Africa who want to invest in their respective countries' fashion system and help it to grow. This could potentially strengthen most African countries' economies as many are seeking financial independence from foreign entities. The Ethiopian textile and apparel market has grown by about 51 percent in less than a decade. [Africa CGNT]
    
6. Oscar Wilde, famous It-Boy and thinker, a fashion theorist? Yes, indeed! Oyster Mag recently found a "long lost essay" he wrote entitled the "Philosophy of Dress." This article highlights the need to disseminate more knowledge about material culture and theory because this article was never lost. Fashion historians have been referring to this particular work for ages. ["Philosophy of Dress" via Archive.org]
    
7. Premme is here: A new fashion line by plus size fashion bloggers Nicolette Mason and Gabi Gregg is so coveted there are rumors it has sold out in a matter of a couple of days! Read on to find out more about Mason and Gregg, as well as see the collection. [Refinery29]
    
8. The Fashion Spot, a website known by old school fashionistas, has always been an open source way to find fashion news and vintage magazine scans. Within the last two years, however, their editorial staff has leveled up by offering even more insight and not hiding it behind a pesky pay wall. This year, they have come out with a diversity report looking at 2016, that looks at fashion's representation of race, age, gender, and size. [The Fashion Spot]
    
9. Dior finds ways to stay relevant in the fashion system and that does not always mean by innovative design. Business of Fashion directs a video of young female interns on their journey to become business insiders. There is a surprise: many of the interns have studied outside of the fashion industry and hope to make an impact in their industries through cross training with Dior's executive and design staff. [Business of Fashion]
    
10. Have you had enough of discussing appropriation? We haven't, and neither has Teen Vogue. Author Shammara Lawrence takes the Jenner/Kardashians to task for their repeated monetary gain from a culture that does not belong to them. Lawrence articulates her commentary with all the receipts your heart desires. [Teen Vogue]