For decades, the alternative scene has been an escape from conformity and a safe space for total self-expression — whether you interpret that through music, clothing, or makeup. It's where you can listen to Bauhaus, the Cure, or My Chemical Romance, take makeup inspiration from Siouxsie Sioux or Avril Lavigne, and wear all black to your heart's content without public ridicule. Yet, in spite of projecting a "come one, come all" attitude that takes in every misfit, the community has a long way to go before becoming truly inclusive — especially of Black and brown people.
With Olivia Rodrigo's "Vampire" dominating the charts, a "Twilight" TV reboot in the works, and FX's "What We Do in the Shadows" earning near-perfect critic approval ratings, you might say we're in the midst of a vampire renaissance.
It's true: vampires are once again having their day in the sun (metaphorically, of course), and their reign doesn't stop at Hollywood — they've also sunk their teeth into the beauty world, and they aren't letting go anytime soon. From the blood-infused "vampire facial" to its body-lifting counterpart the "vampire breast lift," it seems there's no shortage of cues taken from the undead to go around. Even real-life fangs have entered the chat.
The year is 2012 and you're scrolling on Twitter when you come across a series of photos of Kim Kardashian that stop you in your tracks. In them, she is giving her followers a peek behind the curtain of her makeup routine — revealing the contouring, highlighting, and baking process of a beauty look by makeup artist Scott Barnes.
These in-progress shots would change the course of the beauty industry forever — giving rise to the now famous "Instagram face." From them on, millions of makeup enthusiasts worldwide began carving out their cheekbones, baking their undereyes, and creating the illusion of a thinner nose via highlighting. And yet, while Kardashian fanned the proverbial flames, drag queens lit the match.
There are two things known to be true about body modifications: pain and permanence. They're part of what makes piercings and tattoos so exciting — and yet, the more you look into it, the less painful and permanent they're becoming. If you're scared of the pain, you can ease the burden of a tattoo needle with numbing cream. If you're worried about regretting a tattoo, you can opt for a semipermanent version that fades in a year or laser away a permanent piece. Similarly, you can always take out a piercing. Having that choice to go back, within reason, can make it easier for people to take a chance on a body modification knowing a reversal is feasible. That's where earlobe reconstruction surgery comes in.
Manifestation is exceptionally powerful. It may seem like total malarkey if you don’t believe in it, but even hardened skeptics must admit there’s something to be said about putting your intentions into the universe. Daniel Bailey, known to the fashion industry as Mr. Bailey, manifested his success in streetwear when he got his first tattoo at the age of 15.
I, like many, grew up on "The L Word." The series centered around a group of lesbian and bisexual-identifying friends in LA and subsequently shaped my understanding of what it meant to be a queer woman. It showcased how queer women interacted, how they presented themselves, and ultimately how they signaled to other women that they were queer. Then again, it was very much a program of its time — as indicated by Shane's low-rise jeans, Papi's fedoras, and the gross mishandling of Max, a character who transitions from female to male during the show.
What do Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Ryan Ashley and a slew of RuPaul’s fabulous drag queens have in common? They’ve all been dressed in Nina Kate’s custom latex creations. Kate is one of the top latex designers in the world, creating couture garments using one of the most unpredictable fabrics known to man.
With over 1.2 million followers on Instagram, Jazmina Daniel has the most famous pout on social media by a long shot. Born in Australia and discovered in Los Angeles, Daniel has quickly become a household name in the world of Instagram makeup. However, there’s far more to this influencer than meets the eye. At the age of 14, Daniel was diagnosed with a brain tumor and put her life as a normal teenager on pause.
Over the last decade, tattoos and tattoo culture have been a major source of inspiration for fashion designers. From the recent rebranding of Gucci to the tried and true Ed Hardy clothing line, many big brands pay homage to permanent body art through seasonal trends. The latest name to create a clothing collection with strong ties to tattooing is known as TTSWTRS (or Tattoo Sweaters).
If you were to look up the word ‘influencer’ in the dictionary, you’d automatically be redirected to Monami Frost’s Instagram. With an impressive 1.5 million followers on Instagram and 630K subscribers on YouTube, Frost has changed the way the world thinks about tattoo culture. But the Frost empire doesn’t stop with social media, she’s also the CEO of a successful streetwear line. We got the skinny on how this media maven does it all, while also raising her 8-year-old daughter.
Move over Victoria, it’s time for a new lingerie brand to steal the spotlight. We’re sick of seeing the same impractical designs and unattainable beauty standards duplicated a dozen times over on the catwalk. Now there’s finally a brand that showcases styles that are as comfortable as they are trendy. Chonies proves that a girl doesn’t need a padded bra or a lace garter to be hot—but that she can define her sex appeal on her own terms. Take a look at how L.A. designer, Mandee Bence, created every tattooed girls’ favorite panties and what made her decide to take a stand against society’s’ standard of beauty.
I started designing accessories when I was just out of high school. I would vend at Warped Tour, Bonnaroo and other music festivals to get my gear in people’s view. I started to send out pieces to publicists and my items have been worn by Ke$ha, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Chloe Bridges, Victoria Justice, Lauren Jauregui and many other successful women in the music industry. From there, we transitioned to clothing and the rest is history.
For Project Runway's 17th season, the show made majors changes upon returning to Bravo. First and foremost, supermodel Karlie Kloss replaced Heidi Klum as the host. Second, designer Brandon Maxwell and Teen Vogue editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth joined Elle editor-in-chief Nina Garcia on the judging panel. Last but not least, season 4 winner Christian Siriano became a mentor to the designers throughout the season.
What stayed the same was the talent of the contestants, with a variety of heavy hitters showing their stuff throughout the competition. However, it was NYC's Garo Sparo, Fort Lauderdale's Sebastian Grey, and Santa Fe's Hester Sunshine who were selected to show their collections at NYFW. Take a look at our interview with finalist Hester Sunshine and tune in to see who takes the title on June 13th at 9/8C.
You need talent and drive to stand above the crowd in the barbering industry. Sophie “Stay Gold” Pok certainly stands out, she’s spent the last decade rising to the top of the pack. We sat down with the clipper wielding superstar to learn why she leaned into a career as a barber, how travel has made an impact on her role as a teacher and what’s to come in 2020.
For the past decade, fashion brands have been heavily inspired by tattoo culture and have incorporated flash on both fabrics and skin. Recently, designer and creative director Jeremy Scott pulled inspiration from popular tattoo trends for Moschino's Pre-fall collection, which paid homage to 90s NYC hip-hop.
