Nadia Masri: Navigating through the ugliness to find the untold beauty

Nadia Masri: Navigating through the ugliness to find the untold beauty 

I’ve known of Nadia Masri since I was 16 years old when I first dipped my feet in the fashion industry. As a confident, strong, and determined fashion blogger, she felt wise beyond her years. I would see her at all of Toronto’s Fashion Weeks events supporting the designers and wearing the latest designs. I watched her start her own blog, cofound a social media app, create her own magazine, and become the CEO of a company called ‘Perksy’. Being a young and accomplished woman, she seemed like the perfect candidate for an ‘Oh George!’ interview.

I had always dreamed of working for a magazine; the editing, styling, and putting together photoshoots appealed to me. More specifically, I wanted to know more about the organizational process it took leading up to a photoshoot and what happened afterwards, before a series of images went to print. Her magazine ‘Birdcage’ never launched because of hardships and financial matters, but regardless, it didn’t make her three year project any less impressive. I wanted insight from someone, from my perspective, who had a variety of experience of navigating through the ugliness of the fashion world to find the untold beauty. 

Nadia is currently living and working in New York City. However, being from Toronto she was home for a couple weeks and agreed to meet me for coffee. Immediately she was inviting and happy to share all of her experiences and ideas. I could tell right off the bat that she has a knack for the business industry and was extremely goal oriented, which was inspiring to someone like me who is new to the industry and in their second year at George Brown. 

After we ordered coffee and made ourselves comfortable, I was able to express my interests within the fashion world and more specifically, her Birdcage Magazine project. My first question revolved around why she chose to create her own magazine, rather than work for one. Her answer was big and bold and what really peaked my interest was when she said, “I wanted to create something with a more human look and feel.” Something that focused on people, rather than just products and fashion. “I wanted to do something bigger, something real and meaningful, and I felt like I wouldn't be able to get that anywhere else.” Knowing how judgmental and cliquey the industry can be I admired her determination, especially starting it at a young age of 23. The fact that she wanted to write about people in fashion who are making a difference rather than just spewing upcoming trends and printing pretty pictures was so inspiring. 

There was no such thing as a “typical day” for Nadia, because each day was different, bringing a brand new challenge. Being a creative type myself, I liked that each day for her meant meeting and working with new people and fighting challenges that she had never experienced before. She even expressed that as one of the more exciting components to her job; the diversity of the work, everyday working on something new. However, that being said, she expressed the downsides of the job were managing a million things all at once and mainly by herself. If something didn't get done on time, she was the only one she was letting down. In the end, we discussed how that can be tiring and taxing on a person, taking on so much all by herself. 

This launched me to ask what personal qualities a person needed for this job. Nadia immediately answered with “grit.” Followed by grit, she lists that, resilience, perseverance, and immense passion are all important and play a part in overcoming the trials and challenges that come with running her own magazine. I listened to her answer and told her that I thought it took courage as well. She laughed and definitely agreed, trying to remain humble. 

Listening to Nadia refer to the fashion industry as a “dog-eat-dog” word, isolated, and lonely, resinated with me. Not knowing the lay of the land, she faced a bundle of challenges. She experienced hardships with everything from logistical operations and distribution rights to publishing legalities. She states, “There's a reason why 9 out of 10 new magazines fail, and it's not for a lack of talent, passion, or good content. Logistically, it is hard.” She went on to say that she was extremely passionate, but the job was all-consuming. She eventually brought on a team for the components of the job she wasn't an expert in. Instead of taking off some of the pressure, it added stress to different areas, like the management of her new team. She was now a boss, the responsibility had transferred within the magazines dynamic. This confirmed the notion that instead of becoming a fashion entrepreneur, I would much rather start by joining a team; to be able to collaborate, delegate, and learn from other people.

Being a topic of conversation in class regarding the decline in demand for this job, I was interested to hear her take and perspective on the issue. Even though I had an idea of the answer, given that we are moving into a more digital and technological age, with the internet and social media at our fingertips. Her answer was somewhat expected, being that there is a decline in print media and magazines. However she added that digital media has increased fashions accessibility, which has increased consumption of content, in turn popularizing the industry even more. This has boomed the market for fashion startups, online media companies and blogs. If anything this answer motivated me to keep up with my social media presence and use it as an outlet for my passion for fashion, and maybe even start a blog. 

As our interview was winding down, I wanted to lighten the mood and ask who her favourite person or person’s to work with had been. Her answer was Stephen Jones. She told me that he had worked with amazing designers like Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gaultier and was most excited about the fact that he used to make the hats for Princess Diana. Apparently Jones only had amazing things to say about Diana and told stories to Nadia about his experiences of working with her. It just goes to show that the fashion world is vast and has endless opportunity to work with inspirational and creative people if you work hard enough to get there and make the most of all your experiences along the way. 

My final question was if she had any advice to give someone who is starting out in the fashion industry. Nadia told me to immerse myself in areas that align with my talents, passions, and values; learn as much as I can through various internships and people within the industry who I respect; and remain loyal to myself and remember my own goals. I believe that this is great advice for a person just starting out, to remain humble and not get caught up in the politics and vapidness of the fashion industry.

I learned a great deal from Nadia in just a short amount of time. Although I do not plan on starting my own magazine this interview offered me a tremendous amount of insight into the fashion industry and what it takes to make it. I admire her ambition to create something of her own and am inspired by her actions. I feel as though Nadia was the perfect choice to be my interviewee, she is knowledgeable, determined, goal-oriented, and definitely has grit.

Pressed for time and need money as a student? This may be the answer needed.

Fashion Journalism Interview Piece

Pressed for time and need money as a student? This may be the answer needed.

            As all of us students know, going to school in general is expensive, let

alone in Toronto. Running from class to class trying to squeeze in time to eat can get extremely exhausting and very costly. Most of us are so busy getting a part-time job is almost laughable at how incompatible it is to our weekly schedule. However, what if there were ways to make a good amount of money, use your knowledge of fashion, and work whenever you want?

            One of my friends Harrison Feltham does exactly that. By going onto websites that buy and sell designer, street, and miscellaneous clothing it opens up a whole new world of possibilities. For the past few years he’s been going online, particularly to a website called ‘www.grailed.com’ he puts the art of buying and “flipping” clothing to use. First a little background, ‘grailed’ is a website particularly for men all around the globe to buy and sell their unwanted clothing, particularly expensive clothing. Everything from Gucci to college sweaters and all in between you can browse through thousands of posts to find that particular piece you always wanted. Most see it as a way to improve their own closet, however for some such as Harrison, it’s a great way to make money if you know how.

           

            It’s worth noting that it isn’t as easy as signing up and buying whatever you see then selling it a few days later. After doing this for a few years Harrison has learned a lot about where the money can be made and what to look for, “it takes a lot of time to build up your understanding of how it all works. I’ve honestly lost a good amount of money on things I really thought would be able to sell back high – you really need to kind of study it to understand what to look for, what’s selling and why it’s selling.”  Fashion students in general can learn a great deal about trends happening now, this can also transfer over into helping in the future. You have the possibility to meet people who may be a contact in the future – “I’ve sold clothes to a ton of people, there was one guy I sold something to who was a tattoo artist who kind of travels everywhere, we stayed in touch and now whenever he visits Toronto we get to catch up. Then there’s another guy who worked at this store in Yorkville I bought something off of and through him I almost got my internship for last summer so you really never know who you can meet and what doors can open up.”

            With so much time being spent on school, it’s very hard for students to find the time to make money to support themselves, however, with this aspect of the fashion industry it’s very flexible. “Whenever you have even a few minutes to check what’s going on you have potential to make money. Some stuff you really need to know is if something has the potential to sell at higher than you paid for it, I look at it kind of like the stock market in a way. Then on the other aspect you can post something up and just sit back and wait for offers to come in. It’s so simple when you know what you’re doing, just takes a while is all. For anyone looking to start I’d definitely say before you even start buying stuff to sell I’d take time and just make note of what’s selling cause’ I know personally, I’ve lost a good amount of money on things I just didn’t know enough about at the start.”  

            One little detail that I picked up whilst researching was the reusability of the clothing on this website. The fashion industry as a whole has a big reputation for waste and pollution due to the waste. This website shines a light on reselling and repurposing clothing, mostly expensive clothing as well. Many designers have tried to bring light to the issue of waste in the industry with runway outfits, clothing lines, and many other things. I believe that this whole ‘buying and flipping’ part of fashion helps to alleviate some pressure on the wastefulness of the fashion industry. By recycling the clothing, it adds more possibility of older clothing to be re used or possibly up cycled.

            With a little work, anybody can make a little extra money by following something that interests them and gaining some knowledge along the way, possibly even making some connections. There are many upsides to buying and flipping clothes, especially with the addition of recycling and re using clothing instead of tossing it away as we do so often these days. You can feel good about selling your unused clothing, make some money for school, and be environmentally conscious. With so many upsides to buying and flipping clothing, it’s almost like a secret with the low amount of students who really do it.

           

Joshua Emmanuel: Designing the Future Trends for Canadian Men’s Fashion

Toronto-based company, Kollar Clothing, sends a clear message to everyone: stand out and be true to yourself. “Kollar clothing is ready to wear avantstreet clothing: bring traditional streetwear tendencies to high-end refined/timeless clothing” reads the eponymous website. The customers know who they are or who they want to be, and their clothing is an extension of that vision.

Born in 2011, David Kollar (founder) went out to fill the void in the Canadian men’s fashion industry; “we were born out of the want to make clothes for those that think differently, regardless of industry; whether it be in fashion, music, art, film, etc. We salute the people that aren’t satisfied with “normal”, that want to challenge the status quo & be different”. As oppose to high-end designer brands and fast fashion stores, Kollar is set apart from their competitors because of their exceptional quality at an affordable price. However, by 2016 it was difficult to distinguish between Kollar Clothing and their competitors because of being stuck with the trend of the past. It isn’t until 2017 that Joshua Emmanuel interned and shifted the vision of the brand.

Joshua Emmanuel, current George Brown student, is one of the designers of Kollar Clothing that has helped change the path and made the brand bigger than ever. I had met Josh in the halls, before his current job, and we had immediately clicked. Simply from one conversation, it became obvious that he had goals that many people, including myself, could not even fathom the idea.

 Josh began his internship at Kollar in late 2017, working as an assistant. It was not until the beginning of 2018 where he began to put in hard work and perseverance into creating mock-ups and designs of clothing and shoes, in which he ensured every little detail was perfect to a T. “If it weren’t for my hard work that I spent hours on end, I wouldn’t end up where I am right now,” says Josh. And it shows. Going from production factories to making technical designs in and out of work, Josh sets out to achieve his end goal. 

As a student and designer, Josh talks about the difficulty of balancing the two. “The key of balancing school and work is setting a primary focus,” he says. “I can’t do both at the same time or else I burn myself out. Multitasking is just a way of saying I can do multiple things at the same time with mediocre end results. But in the end, it’ll all payoff”. However, on the other side of the coin, “the opportunities I get from working with Kollar is crazy! Collaborating with tattoo parlors and getting sponsored by companies at concerts and clubs is something I never thought would happen. But it all comes with sacrifices and prices.”

“Every member of our team wasn’t satisfied with the traditional norms of success & decided to pave our own path, and so we want to be the brand that you think of to keep you looking your best while you pave yours”. This statement from their website struck a chord to me; it is this that makes Josh and Kollar work so cohesively yet effortlessly. Although the brand had troubles with keeping in with trends, Josh and Kollar Clothing had the common vision of non-conformity when it comes to fashion. The blend of avant-garde and streetwear is a common trend now, but Josh has helped the brand reinterpret the Canadian men’s fashion trend. The ugly of disproportionate, oversized, draping clothing and the beauty of complementary styling makes the entire collection flexible and cohesive. Josh pushes the envelope further by experimenting with different textures, fabrics, patterns, and technical designs that really makes Kollar stand out from their competitors. In their latest collection (Spring/Summer 2019), male and female models walk down the runway in men’s clothing. The message was clear: this is meant to be worn by anyone and everyone, challenging the gender norms. The collections they deliver clearly set a vision that all members of the team see in the same eye. 

Black Market Sales in a Burgeoning Dark World

Black Market Sales in a Burgeoning Dark World

Looking at the impacts the black market has on luxury retail, and society.

With the insurgence of online shopping; brick and mortar retailers are scrambling to keep their customers shopping in-store or at the very least their own online platform, but what if they aren’t just competing with legitimate businesses? What if there is a 2.7 billion dollar per year industry for retail goods obtained in a less than pristine manner. These people make up 20% of the luxury black market through in-store thefts. These thieves come into a store with not only their specific objective but also what’s known in Loss Prevention as Booster Bags, these are bags lined with tin foil to block the electromagnetic waves and shield the thief from getting caught by the security panels.  This merchandise may be sold on the Black Market or possibly resold into the Grey Market and brought back into legitimate retailers. The Grey Market is the reselling of over-bought, or underperforming stock being resold to discount retailers for a fraction of their previous price, this information is also not shared with the original designer. This is the case when someone finds Gucci at Marshalls or Nordstrom Rack for 100$, and the brand has not consented to this markdown. 

I wondered with the heightened demand (up 5% from last year) if Mark Mazzos the Loss Prevention and Audit Manager at Holt Renfrew had noticed a similar increase in organized retail crime. Mazzos disagreed, he believes as long as there is an opportunity for money to be made there will be people who create micro-businesses selling contraband goods, and that the increase in luxury sales will not affect these illegal reseller businesses as they are already working overtime. He jokes that they are very hardworking fraudsters, I do wonder however if the increased proximity to luxury goods is driving the market instead of hindering it. With this theory in my back pocket, I was shown several surveillance cameras of opportunists (as Loss Prevention calls them) these types of thefts make up the remaining 80% percent of the 2.7 billion lost per year. One of the bolder videos I saw was that of a man last Christmas walking into a Gucci store with a GAP shopping bag, he started off as a customer, but then no one greets him, no one pops their head in the store… nothing. At this point you can quite literally see his mind racing with ideas.  A few seconds later he builds up the confidence and takes the opportunity and steals one of the purses on the table and proceeds to shove it in his GAP bag before promptly leaving. 

I’m in fashion school, I even work in retail and yet I have never firsthand seen anyone steal such an expensive item, and to get away with the crime is shocking,  especially with so many cameras in store! Mazzos goes on to say that you will see much more organized retail crime in high volume, high traffic malls like Vaughan Mills, Eaton Center and Yorkdale rather than opportunists like this man. 

As I mentioned in the past I was never concerned with theft, I felt it didn’t concern me and if someone wanted to cheat their way to some kind of grandeur or access then that’s their business and right, as long as they aren’t hurting anyone.  I’m also of the mind that Jean Valjean (Les Misérable) acted within his right as a hungry human when he stole the bread, but I guess even more than that I believe that everyone has a right to the resources of our earth and that ownership is an odd concept altogether. It’s a conflicting concept for me, as such a ravenous consumer of all things while also being a closeted socialist; but even I can’t argue that these fraudsters (as they are most affectionately known) affect good, hardworking people in many ways, Mazzos says that our insurance and credit card rates are where they do the most damage to our personal finances. On a larger scale, however, the black market makes it incredibly difficult for the government to calculate national income and this accounts for an underestimation, which leads to incorrect uses of government monies. This lost revenue in taxes can and has destroyed countries especially when the black market becomes emboldened to work more obviously in the public eye. 

As for stimulating demand for luxury goods, I believe this is a valid argument; contraband goods reach customers that they normally would have priced out, these customers will then add to the number of people on the street wearing the brand, which as we all know is just free marketing. I once tracked down and bought an Aritzia sweater because I saw a girl shopping at French Connection wearing it (shout out to 2010)! I am constantly seeing friends, classmates, and complete strangers decked out in designer clothing and I’m certain that most of them are saving to afford it. Sometimes the need for designer fashions that I’ve seen styled online or in person are just too strong and I find myself maxing out another credit card for that delicious pair of boots or jeans which I have way too many of anyway. Of course, not everyone is on the bandwagon of consumerism but I feel confident to say that most are (thank you Instagram influencers). It’s hard keeping up though, especially with inflation rates growing faster than pay raises, our government decided to postpone the increase in minimum wage and Chanel is hiking up its prices by 6% in 2 days!  You definitely will not catch me buying contraband, if I’m honest its mostly because I wouldn’t know where to look but online shops like Vestiaire make it easier to buy designer for less, the clothes are supposedly pre-loved but I’ve bought enough off there to know that I’m probably inadvertently lining the pockets of the black market, or maybe it’s the grey market? In this situation I’m uncertain but either way, I hardly ever shop retail anymore. 

My final thoughts are that 1. I’m probably going to have to get a second job to afford to shop retail 2. The black-market sucks!  And 3. The luxury retail world is being destroyed (for department stores) through secondary sellers such as Vestiaire and the black market. 

Ugly Beauty: What're You Looking At?

Ugly Beauty – What’re You Looking At?

Ugly beauty is making waves in the fashion world, but just what is ugly beauty? Ugly beauty is the act of using apparel that does not normally fit into the standards of what is acceptable. Ugly beauty has started to climb in popularity in the fashion world, and is blurring the lines of what is and is not permissible in fashion.

When you ask yourself what ugly beauty consists of, you must first ask yourself what the standards for regular beauty are. Clean cut clothes, shiny jewelry, perfect makeup and a colourful wardrobe are the first things that come to mind, and ugly beauty is all about changing that up. Ill-fitting clothes, abstract designs that morph and manipulate your silhouette, dented and stained jewelry, and makeup that makes you do a double take. These are all things one should be considering when looking at ugly beauty.

When looking at ugly beauty one must understand the difference between ugly beauty and non-conventional fashion. Non-conventional fashion is about using pieces that are not intended to fit into the outfit or style, but still making it work with statement pieces, while ugly beauty is about using garments or styles that are generally not seen as fashionable or beautiful, and styling them into outfits that are coherent and display a message.  Some examples of non-conventional fashion would be wearing clashing colours, loud accessories, or loud patterns in order to make an outfit work – making yourself stand out while still having a coherent and presentable outfit. When one is thinking about ugly beauty they should be using garments that are generally unflattering, unique and send a message. Some examples of this would include extremely distressed clothing, wearing an outfit that drastically alters the silhouette of the wearer, or wearing makeup that accentuates features that are generally not sought after.

Ugly beauty has seen a breakthrough in popular media in recent years. Designers such as Rick Owens, Demna Gvasalia, Rei Kawakubo and others are utilizing these looks and aesthetics more and more in their runways and every day designs. Gone are the days of the stereotypical runway model – it is time for ugly beauty to shine. While ugly beauty becomes more and more mainstream, it opens up more potential for people to enter the modeling industry, as well as the increased accessibility of joining the fashion world, as ugly beauty is much more forgiving than conventional fashion is.

         I sat down with runway enthusiast and aficionado Olof Hofner and asked him some questions about his thoughts on ugly beauty and how it has affected pop culture, as well as runways and modeling.  “Ugly beauty is definitely becoming more mainstream than before” Olof tells me. “The classic conservative beauty of old has changed into a more attainable look”, and furthermore, he believes that “Ugly beauty has impacted runways in a positive way, I feel like it’s more approachable, more attainable”. Olof has been an avid runway fan for many years, and he believes that the changes have been happening more frequently, and he welcomes the wave of ugly beauty in high fashion. Olof believes that because ugly beauty is becoming more and more mainstream, that it opens up more opportunities for models and other people to get into the fashion industry, as you no longer need to fit a certain aesthetic or body type, but rather they are looking for more unconventional looks.

             Ugly beauty is also having a major impact on the makeup artist field. No longer are makeup artists required to stick to a specific palette, but rather now they have much more creative freedom and are able to flex their creative muscles without being shunned from their industry. Unique and innovative makeup looks are coming into popular media, which is excellent for the industry as it opens up more opportunities for growth, as well as to show your skills.

While ugly beauty has had a large impact on the fashion world, there is still the problem of marketing these looks to consumers. The issue with ugly beauty and its marketability is that the designers job is to make garments look good on models, and to get sales based on consumer preference. When articles of clothing are conventionally ugly or don’t fit the preconceived image of beauty, it makes it much harder to get sales. When ugly beauty is absorbed by mainstream media and designers, it removes part of the uniqueness from the idea of creating ugly beauty. Instead of standing out from the crowd aesthetically, you are more likely to look like somebody else because of similar outfits, makeup or accessories. Ugly beauty loses part of its charm when it is being marketed, as it is no longer about uniqueness and using everything at your disposal to create an outfit that you love, but rather is about wearing what is hip, leading to it becoming more conventional and less unique.

              To conclude, ugly beauty has its pros and cons for being in the fashion industry, but I believe that the expression of ugly beauty is good for the end goal of fashion, as well as self-expression, as it allows for a much more inclusive range of designers and consumers to arrive at their end goal of achieving the look and aesthetic that they are working towards achieving.

Veganism: Should you? Should you not?

Veganism: Should you? Should you not?

A dive into a lifestyle that might change your mind about vegans

Ugly beauty, ugly fashion, and the ugliest of them all - in many people’s eyes – ugly food. Many of us might not think about this topic but it can pop up and linger in the back of our minds from time to time. Should I be vegan? Should I not? Is this jacket vegan? Is my makeup tested on animals? There are so many different opinions on veganism and a tremendous amount of beauty, fashion, and food brands that are not vegan. Many of us do come to terms and realize that eating a vegan diet, wearing vegan clothes, and using vegan products is actually a very fulfilling way to live, but most also do not know why or how to become vegan. Regarded as a peculiar and high-maintenance lifestyle choice, veganism is marketed as a lifestyle that can make an exceptional difference in our lives both physically, mentally, and environmentally. But it is also marketed and approached in a way that if you aren’t vegan, you are almost looked down upon in some cases.

Coming from a non-vegan, I believe the future is veganism if you can’t switch your diet to zero animal products the first thing you could start out with is your changing your beauty products and clothing to vegan and no animal testing. Many of us (and me) find it very hard to figure out a way to live our day to day lives strictly eating plant-based and raw foods, but in the words of host, blogger, and local vegan chef, Lauren Toyota, “it’s really about eating the same foods that just happen to be plant-based”. Creamy pasta, a snatched makeup look, and a boss wardrobe – you can have it all whether you are vegan or not -  but what’s most important to know is that you can have those things when you are vegan. You are creating a lifestyle for yourself that does, in fact, help the environment as well as your health. Many people do not think about what goes into creating a leather jacket or that bottle of moisturizer. Nine times out of ten brands market their products as vegan, but are in fact not and may come into contact with animal by-products whether it is testing or used in the making of that products.  

Aside from beauty and clothing, the main part in becoming vegan we all know is the food you eat. We may think that when you are vegan you are eating food that has no flavour and won't fill you up, but according to Lauren Toyota, “vegan food is changing and becoming a lot more accessible, less intimidating, and more palatable”. Most people feel that if you do become vegan you won't be able to go out for dinner or figure out satisfying ways to cook at home. With our generation now, we have technology at our fingertips and with that power, we really don’t have an excuse to change our lifestyles, unless you simply do not want to or you might not know how to. If you are on the other side of the spectrum if you want to, but don’t know how to. There are so many books, movies, and websites like Lauren Toyotas blog “Hot for Food” that is a space where she strives to shatter the popular misconceptions about veganism.

It’s about knowing the facts, how’s, and doings of this lifestyle before pulling the trigger and switching. First is the research, if you truly are interested in changing, its best to know the pros, cons, and neutralities of this lifestyle.  According to the non-profit organization, AARP, some pros from vegan diets are lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, increased antioxidant intake, as well as promoting great self-control. When drastically changing your diet you will of course experience some disadvantages and the AARP states that some cons are a loss of essential nutrients and vitamins, radical change is weight, and unrealistic expectations all of which many people can control.

It’s always easier said than done, but when you know the facts and research you might just need that extra push to do it like Lauren Toyota needed. “The main challenge was figuring out what to eat so that I felt satisfied and not empty” she stated. It’s about trying to find balance when eating clean but also wanting to feel satisfied when eating a vegan diet or living a vegan lifestyle. After researching, there are so many resources and ways to take part in this mini revolution and after writing this feature piece, I may take part in it as well. Be open minded and don’t shy away, not every vegan forces people to change, it’s about knowing the facts that might change your mind.

Service Pieces Fall 2018

How to Break Up with Your Eyebrow Lady by Stephanie Ordanis

Da Pubes by Sara Anuseva

Dark and Dismal vs Lavish and Limitless by Catherine Robertson-Bailey

Break The Cycle Without Breaking... by Patrick Bull

Ugly Beauty: Ugly Ingredients by Nicole Viccica