Corinne Bailey Rae’s radical reinvention
“Black people matter, Black spaces matter, Black objects matter,” reads a sign at the entrance to the Stony Island Arts Bank. The grand, 1920s building, a former bank in Chicago’s South Side neighborhood, was crumbling and abandoned before artist Theaster Gates salvaged it from demolition. In 2015, he reopened it as an art and community space that houses […]
What happened to Playboy?
“As I am leafing through vintage magazines in the Playboy office, I am reminded of the Colosseum in Rome.” For 032c Issue #43, I investigated the history, influence and agility of Playboy, an American legacy brand that is “more successful than ever” now that its famous magazine has folded. You can now read the full […]
Romance in the age of algorithms
“As phone screens feed us displays of affection and proposal planners put on the perfect show, Cassidy George considers how inflated expectations of intimacy put pressure—and a price tag—on modern day acts of romance.“ Click here to read my full essay for INDIE magazine’s New Romance Issue.
Mermaids, sirens and the fashion imagination
“We are all aware of the importance of hydration, but fashion has been drowning in its own aquaphilia as of late. Peruse through SSENSE or Farfetch and you’ll see the sea everywhere: Sea-shell bras from Blumarine and Dsquared2, fishing-net-inspired knits from Marni, starfish earrings from David Koma and Loewe’s conch dress —marine motifs are no longer limited to the confines of the “vacation shop.” […]
Brutalismus 3000: “The secret ingredient is controversy”
“If Berlin’s music scene had a Bonnie and Clyde duo, it would be Victoria Vassiliki Daldas and Theo Zeitner, who are better known collectively as Brutalismus 3000. Unlike their power-couple predecessors, Daldas and Zeitner don’t rob banks. Instead, they have raked in millions of streams and amassed eyebrow-raising record sales while subtly trolling the industry. As […]
What’s behind fashion’s obsession with metallics?
The latest essay in my ON TRENDS series unpacks why high shine fabrics, shimmering textures and all-over sequins are taking over runways, red carpets and sidewalks—day and night. “2023’s must-have accessory? Protective sunglasses. Given the current state of fashion, we are all officially at risk of being blinded by shine. Sequins, crystals, lamé, gloss, satin […]
NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND: slime fetish
The next installment in my series Notes from Underground is a sartorial, biological and philosophical investigation into the world of slime, in response to Prada’s SS2024 show. With the help of a digital subculture of enthusiasts, slime has undergone a significant cultural rebrand since 2017. Slime is no longer something we fear –– it is […]
Lil Uzi Vert for 032c Issue #43
For the cover of 032c’s CULTURE CRISIS issue, I spoke to Lil Uzi Vert about their seven months in rehab, the thinking behind their gender-neutral pronoun change and what we can expect from their upcoming album, The Pink Tape. Click here to purchase the summer issue of 032c.
Karol G keeps it authentic
“When Karol G appears in my window, she is the quintessential image of the Little Mermaid. The Colombian superstar’s bright red hair is long, wavy, and wet, and her glowing skin looks like it was just sprayed with sea mist. Her love of the fantastical creature is well known—at her concerts, fans in red wigs […]
Raye talks ‘Escapism’
“Shortly after the release of her debut album, My 21st Century Blues, the British musician Raye posted a TikTok with the caption “I find myself in a great position,” an inversion of a line (“I find myself in a shit position”) from her breakup anthem with 070 Shake, “Escapism.” The song, which has been used in […]