LGBTQ+ people have gradually, if inconsistently, been getting better representation in films in recent years. The Cannes, Berlin and Venice film festivals offer LGBTQ+ specific awards and according to a study by GLAAD, 13 per cent of films released by major studios in 2017 featured characters that identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer – this was, however, down by almost six per cent from the previous year. Given the success of Oscar-winning and nominated productions like ? and all of which depict LGBTQ+ characters with varying degrees of success; while most notably was criticized for its “straightwashing” of Freddy Mercury’s homosexuality – hopefully that figure is set to increase in 2019.

When it comes to the diversity of LGBTQ+ film characters there is still work to be done; queer characters of colour are even more scarce on screen. There are, of course, exceptions: and all made waves at international film festivals and awards ceremonies in recent years. To mark the arrival of Pride month in June, here is the edit of 10 LGBTQ+ films that have paved the way for better representation in cinema.

Moonlight (2016)

While the furore around the announcement of Best Picture at the 89th Oscars – mistakenly awarding , before quickly correcting to (above) – might have initially distracted from the film’s subject matter, it deserves to be recognised for its enduring relevance and impact. Based on a story by Tarell Alvin McCraney, it focuses on themes of race, masculine identity and sexuality, following a young man as he grows into adulthood. Director Barry Jenkins was hailed at the time as a talent to watch and has proved critics right more recently with , his award-winning adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel of the same name.

A Fantastic Woman (2017)

This drama, by Chilean director Sebastián Lelio, stars Daniela Vega as a trans woman (above) dealing with the sudden death of her older boyfriend, charting the transphobia she faces from her late lover’s relatives and the police throughout her grieving process. Vega’s acting debut was one of the standout performances of the year, and although she didn’t receive any nominations herself, the film won Best Foreign Language picture and Vega became the first openly trans actress to present an Oscar in the Academy’s 90-year history.

Paris Is Burning (1990)

Fans of the FX series – which premiered in 2018 – need look no further. The true inspiration behind the show lies in Jennie Livingston’s documentary , a documentary that captures the ballroom and drag culture of 1980s New York. Featuring interviews with the real-life key players of the Vogueing scene, including Dorian Corey and Willi Ninja, the viewer is schooled in queer terminology, much of which (see “reading” and “shade”) is now used in mainstream culture.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018)

Gay conversion therapy centres may sound archaic, but this story is set in relatively recent history (1993), featuring Chloë Grace Moretz as a lesbian teenager (above) sent to one such centre by her devout Christian mother. Assured direction from Desiree Akhavan not only brings out one of Moretz’s best performances, but more importantly sheds light on a practice that’s still prevalent today. A 2015 study conducted by Stonewall found that 10 per cent of health and care staff in the UK have witnessed colleagues expressing the belief that lesbian, gay and bi people can be ‘cured’ of their sexual orientation. Hopefully Akhavan’s work (along with the likes of Joel Edgerton’s (2019), based on American writer Garrard Conley’s memoir of gay conversion therapy) can help to change this damaging perception.

Nowhere (1997)

Sex, a 1990s wardrobe to die for and giant space lizards – those familiar with director Gregg Araki’s work will feel right at home with this dark comedy. In keeping with Araki’s other cult offerings, , and , ’s eye-popping visuals are matched by its outrageous dialogue and often explosive violence. Araki’s directing style may not be for the faint hearted, but it’s gained him a devoted fan base and several accolades. His 2010 queer sci-fi fantasy, , won the first ever Queer Palm award at Cannes for its contribution to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. More recently, in March 2019, he turned his hand to television with – an eight-episode sex-positive series set in Los Angeles that follows the character Ulysses as he navigates the world of dating and hook-up apps.

120 Beats Per Minute (2017)

Set in 1990s Paris, this French political drama (above) follows the early efforts of the Act Up movement – founded in New York in 1987, and Paris in 1989 – a reaction to the glacial response of governments to the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. The story is told via the blossoming relationship between HIV-positive veteran activist Sean (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart) and HIV-negative newcomer Nathan (Arnaud Valois), as they protest against corporate pharmaceutical companies and the French health service who are withholding vital medication. Powerful, immersive and often heartbreakingly sad, the movie stays with the viewer long after the closing credits and shines a light on the lesser known Act Up movement in Europe.

Pariah (2011)

From director Dee Rees, focuses on a young African American woman exploring her identity as a lesbian in NYC. American actress Adepero Oduye plays the lead, Alike, a burgeoning 17-year-old poet who develops feelings for her close friend Bina (played by Aasha Davis), but struggles with the hostility she faces from her family. Through a female gaze, the film not only considers the subjects of feminism and lesbian identity, but also self-worth and acceptance.

God’s Own Country (2017)

British film-maker Frances Lee’s directorial debut (above) tells the story of a Yorkshire sheep farmer, Johnny (Josh O’Connor), and his relationship with a Romanian shepherd, Gheorghe (Alec Secăreanu). Living with his aging parents and looking after both them and the farm, Johnny’s outlook is bleak; until the arrival of Gheorghe who injects a sense of vitality into his life, with affection and courage. Both actors hold the screen with powerful intent, nuanced gestures and little dialogue that speaks volumes. For his next act, O’Connor is set to play a young Prince Charles in the latest series of Netflix’s ; while Lee’s upcoming feature, , tells the story of 19th-century palaeontologist Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) and her romance with another woman, played by Saoirse Ronan.

Rafiki (2018)

The story surrounding Kenyan film-maker Wanuri Kahiu’s is as dramatic as the tale that unfolds onscreen. It’s basic premise – a lesbian teen romance set in a provincial Kenyan town – may not seem scandalous to some audiences, but it turned out to be a strong political statement. Days after it was selected for Cannes, the film was banned in Kenya – where homosexuality is illegal – by the Film Classification Board for its “clear intent to promote lesbianism”. Despite online trolling and threats of arrest, Kahiu refused to be silenced; the film debuted at the 2018 festival and, following a successful lawsuit against the Board, the ban was lifted briefly to screen in cinemas across Kenya for seven days, making it eligible for the 2019 Academy Awards (although it missed out on a nomination). Now, the 39-year-old film-maker is suing the Kenyan government for infringement of freedom of expression.

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of André Aciman’s novel captured the minds and hearts of cinemagoers around the world when it was released in 2017. Set against the backdrop of a long, languorous summer spent in northern Italy, the chemistry that develops between Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer) is so palpable that the audience feels every moment of frustration, desire, love and heartbreak along with them. But the story doesn’t end there. October 2019 will see the release of Aciman’s sequel, , which Guadagnino has expressed an interest in directing, promising to ignite the shared literary and filmic fandom once more.

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29th May 2019

Just last week, Net-A-Porter hosted the ultimate fashion retreat on the Peloponnese coast in Greece. The three-day escape celebrated its Jet-A-Porter vacation edit, with VIP guests proving that it is in fact possible to have a holiday and stick to your beauty and workout regimes, all the while looking like you’ve just walked off the streets of fashion week.

Nicole Warne, Georgia Fowler and Maria Borges were among the attendees welcomed to a sunset soirée overlooking the Aegean Sea. Following the event, Victoria Secret Angel Romee Strijd, who was also in attendance, revealed to Vogue her top tips when travelling – because the model sure knows a thing or two about long-haul flights. Strijd has spent countless hours flying to and from shows, fittings and photoshoots, so it should come as no surprise that she has a few jet-setting tricks up her sleeve.

When quizzed on how she survives a long-haul flight, the model says the answer is hydrating. “A super-rich cream, or even…a hydrating mask,” is key for your skin and to keep your insides hydrated, the model says “Drinking a lot of water, hydration is the most important.” If the plane’s dry air isn’t motivating enough to encourage you to lather your skin with love like you would at home, invest a little time into pampering yourself because being stuck mid-air is the perfect excuse to indulge in a little TLC.

Once you’ve landed, the last thing you generally feel like doing is completing an entire skincare and beauty regime, so don’t. Instead, take a leaf out of Strijd’s book and keep it minimal. The model tells Vogue her beauty essentials for a summer getaway are only “SPF from EltaMd, lip balm from Sisley, Cactus [and Ginseng] Hydrating Mist from Kiehls and The Rich Cream [from] Augustinus Bader.” Limiting the amount of products you travel with means less time spent in the bathroom and more time by the pool. It also cuts down on luggage space and allows you to let your skin breathe.

As for the model’s top tip when it comes to packing for a getaway? Pre-plan what you want to wear. “I love making outfits beforehand, so I take a day to try everything on, take a quick pic on my iPhone (and) put them all in a folder called vacation outfits. Saves you time,” she shares.

We all know the benefits of exercise are vast and varied, so it’s also important to give yourself time to fit in a little training while travelling. “Do [exercise] outside, bring bands, and jump rope,” says Strijd. “Do 30 minutes a day before breakfast so you can enjoy your day after.”

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Image credits: Meaghan Coles

On Tuesday May 28,  Australia had the pleasure of uniting with Australian wine producer Penfolds to present the Visionary Women Dinner, celebrating not only the launch of the Penfolds Tribute range and its 175th anniversary, and the beginning of Codes 2019, but also the achievements of local female entrepreneurs and South Australian women in STEM. In a beautiful coincidence, this year also happens to mark  Australia’s 60th anniversary. 

The event was held at the magnificent Penfolds Magill Estate Cellar Door in the heart of the Barossa Valley, and was attended by a selection of some of Australia’s most brilliant minds. The night began with a welcome from Edwina McCann (above), the editor-in-chief of  Australia, who spoke both of the long history of Penfolds and the admirable women who tell their story at  Codes every single year. 

The initiative of  Codes itself began from a desire to create a platform for female business leaders, and to help destigmatise the presence of women in technology. In her opening speech, McCann paid homage to the ground-breaking ideas that  Codes has inspired, and continues to spread. “Progress is being made,” she stated, “but we still have a long road ahead of us.” 

It was certainly a night to be remembered as guests and speakers alike were treated to a fabulous four-course dinner. CEO of BankSA Nick Reade, Penfolds senior winemaker Stephanie Dutton and Penfolds ambassador Zoe Warrington, each gave addresses about Penfolds and its 175 year anniversary. Guests then tuned into an on-stage Q&A panel moderated by McCann, which discussed the innovative ecosystems in Adelaide, and the future of winemaking. Scroll through the photos below to find out more about the evening.

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29th May 2019

Chanel, Fendi and the Karl Lagerfeld brand are joining forces to stage a one-night only special memorial event during Paris Men’s Fashion Week to pay tribute to legendary German designer Karl Lagerfeld, reports.

According to the publication the trio of labels — all of which Lagerfeld was the creative director for — will hold the event at the Grand Palais in Paris on June 20. The Grand Palais is a fitting place to stage the event, given it was where Karl Lagerfeld held many of the Chanel runway shows during his long tenure at the French fashion house, transforming the space into dazzling fashion fantasylands for each and every show.

The designer passed away in February this year aged 85, leaving behind an unparalleled fashion legacy and so it comes as no surprise that a special tribute is being organised in his honour. reports the tribute has been named ‘Karl For Ever’ and is being “staged by theatre and opera director Robert Carsen.”

Per , there will be three giant screens in the main hall of the Grand Palais which will broadcast various videos of Lagerfeld, along with “interviews with his collaborators in the worlds of fashion, art and culture.”

The videos will reportedly be just one element of the evening, with live dance, music and acting performances also slated for the memorial event.

“I wanted something full of life and unexpected,” Carsen told WWD, adding “He [Karl Lagerfeld] once famously said, ‘A funeral? I’d rather die’. He would have wanted it to be a joyful moment.”

This will be the first big tribute to Karl Lagerfeld, the designer was cremated in a private ceremony, reportedly leaving word that he did not wish for a public funeral.

“The memorial will be about Karl only: who he was, what he loved, what gave him his exceptional energy,” Chanel’s president of fashion, Bruno Pavlovsky, told WWD. “I am glad we could join forces with Fendi and [the] Karl Lagerfeld [brand] to create together an exceptional event that measures up to him, a tribute that truly celebrates the things he loved and that inspired him.”

The interviews for the memorial are reportedly currently being filmed in front of Lagerfeld’s library and reports the event will be by private invitation with approximately 2,500 guests expected to attend.

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29th May 2019

PROMOTION

“My mother is of Indian heritage, and jewellery is a big part of Indian culture and fashion,” Melbourne-based influencer Vydia Rishie recalls of her first jewel-related memories.

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“Growing up and being taken to Indian festivals and parties, my mum loved to dress us up in bold gold necklaces and earrings, dripping with intricate designs and gemstones. I remember the pieces being so heavy and uncomfortable as a little kid, but it really did teach me how jewellery not only finishes and adds character to a look but also holds a special connection to family and heritage,” Rishie finishes, noting as she’s gotten older accessorising needs to strike a balance between decorative and practical.

For Rishie, well-made and aesthetically pleasing accessories also double as markers of time and success – heirlooms she can invest in and hold on to that remind her of significant moments in time.

“I love that jewellery is so much more than just metal, each of my pieces from childhood to today signifies an amazing moment or person in my life. Jewellery that has been passed down to me or been given as a gift are beyond special and something that I can’t wait to hold onto and pass down to my own children,” says Rishie.

“A timepiece is something that’s very personal and a true mark of your style,” Rishie, who is busily building her budding empire, focused on her stylish pursuits by way of her namesake digital and e-commerce platform.

“The #MyCalvins trio watch is the epitome of fun and fresh, and the interchangeable bands mean that I can switch up my look throughout the week, from desk to dinner,” Rishie continues, noting a great timepiece is something every woman should have in her repertoire.

“Choose a hardware you wear often and use your core style as a guide to what you’ll wear for years to come,” says Rishie, who adds steel has been a staple for her for years. 

If a timepiece isn’t something you feel completely confident about styling into your day-to-day wardrobe, fear not as Rishie has been test driving a few pieces from Calvin Klein’s autumn/winter 2019 offering for you.

“Don’t be afraid to layer jewellery with your timepiece,” Rishie advises, adding, “more often than not, I love to wear my watch with a bracelet or bangle, paired with rings and delicate necklaces. It’s all about mixing and matching!”

There was a definite glint in the famous green eyes when Rihanna said, “Every collection will change – you’ll see that to come,” at the launch of the first release of her fashion collection with LVMH in Paris last week. We’ve come to expect surprises from Ms Robyn Rihanna Fenty – CEO and creative director of the Fenty enterprise – but what few knew last week was that she had another move up the super-long sleeves of her white jacket-dress: the reveal of her collection imagery, alongside photographs by Kwame Brathwaite, hero of the Black Is Beautiful movement instigated by African-American creative forces in New York in the 1950s and 1960s.

“When I was coming up with the concept for this release, we were just digging and digging and we came up with these images – they made me feel they were relevant to what we are doing now,” Rihanna tells . Among the now 81-year-old New York photographer’s archive, she came across a documentary about black female fashion activism in America – a group of young women, known as the Grandassa Models, who got together in the early 1960s in New York. “It was a really strange and powerful parallel,” says Rihanna. “And he gave me permission [to use the imagery], obviously that is a big deal.”

Intent on exercising fashion and beauty as a medium of empowerment and change against the dominance of white-centric popular culture, the Grandassa Models organised sell-out shows that reinvented super-elegant, high-style black beauty, African clothing references and natural hair. Critically influential, years before mainstream designers reappropriated and recast these references, the models were backed up by Brathwaite and his older brother, graphic designer Elombe Brath. All of them were integral players in the coming together of musicians, writers and politicians of the Black Power movement.

The backstory interweaves Rihanna’s personal Bajan history with wildly re-affirming connections between the past and her present. For starters, there is a close-to-home coincidence, she says: “Kwame Brathwaite is from Barbados! And, his last name is my grandfather’s name, which was my mother’s name before she was a Fenty.”

Rihanna points to a 1964 studio portrait of Nomsa Brathwaite in a high headwrap and spectacular below-the-shoulder earrings: “She’s his sister-in-law!” (Nomsa was married to Brath). Another photo of Nomsa shows her smiling in front of a map of Africa in 1968 – the time when the political and social movement was reaching out beyond America to support the struggle for liberation in Africa and the Carribean.

Another photograph, dated 1968, shows Grandassa Models at the Renaissance Casino Ballroom in Harlem on Garvey Day. In the background, a poster reads “Buy Black”. As soon as she began looking into in, Rihanna wanted to know more – cue more “digging” to turn up the fact, via writer and historian Tanisha C. Ford, that the Grandassa Models designed and made their own clothes. Aside from looking incredible, their radical reclaiming of African inspiration, elegant robes, headwraps and jewellery led to a wave of female entrepreneurship, creating self-owned boutiques and a whole community of black designers, stylists, hairdressers and makeup artists.

The through-lines to how Rihanna organises her world as a multi-hyphenate musician/performer/ fashion designer/beauty change-maker are hard to miss. How does she manage her music career alongside her massively successful Fenty Beauty business, the Savage X Fenty lingerie collaboration and now Fenty fashion? She laughs, leaning in: “Well, I work the time. I visualise Fenty as a hub, bringing in creative people. We travel together, we eat together, we’re always working. That’s how I want to keep it.”

In other words, she’s the digital-age, hyper-connected, 21st-century manifestation of exactly the kind of discipline-crossing way of working that Kwame Brathwaite documented. In bringing up his photographs for her legion of followers to discover, she’s re-establishing that connection; giving them the opportunity to be inspired by this progressive, elevated black cultural revolution that happened not so long ago, when music, fashion, beauty, art and politics overlapped, and everyone worked in unison.

“And here are the men who started the Black Is Beautiful movement,” Rihanna concludes, pointing to her last choice, a 1961 photograph of six slim-suited collaborators of the African Jazz-Art Society and Studios, set up “to reclaim jazz as the music of contemporary African traditions that should be controlled by black artists,” she explains. Kwame Brathwaite holds his camera at the back; Elombe is seated at a layout desk.

So, seeing Brathwaite’s work intermixed with pictures of model Debra Shaw and images of London, does Rihanna want people to discover a political message as they shop her latest Fenty collection? “Well, I don’t know if it’s so much as embracing the fact that people should be more aware,” she shrugs, smiling. “But definitely, we want people to see the parallels between what was then and what this is now, in a modern way.”

by Kwame Brathwaite, Tanisha C. Ford and Deborah Willis, is published by Aperture.

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Image credits: Getty Images/Courtesy of Fenty Beauty

For too long, makeup counters were inhospitable places for women (and men) of colour, such as myself. Conversations with salespeople were at times alienating, at worst insulting. “We don’t stock your shade,” I recall one person saying unapologetically. “That foundation should probably work if you give it time,” another informed me, rounded off with the parting words of advice, “Send an email to head office, maybe they’ll consider making your tone”.

When Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty line was announced in September 2017, I knew it marked the beginning of a dramatic sea change. With its sexy, traffic-stopping promo video starring Rihanna herself alongside a diverse cast of women – Slick Woods, Duckie Thot, Paloma Elsesser and Halima Aden – it was clear what Fenty stood for: a more inclusive cosmetics industry and representation of beauty.

Social-media users applauded Fenty Beauty and what it was offering so loudly that the beauty industry didn’t know what to do with itself. Almost all of the other brands rushed out new shades (read, darker) following the unveiling of the range of 40 that Fenty Beauty included. Makeup artist Ammy Drammeh, whose aesthetic is “real – more than natural”, uses the products on herself and her clients. She tells me that she feels inspired. “They are versatile and I use them in different ways, like highlighter and lipstick as eyeshadow.” When I ask Drammeh about the cultural shift that Fenty Beauty caused, she notes that “after Fenty launched its wide range of foundation everyone went crazy, I remember seeing the queues at Harvey Nichols. Shortly after that other brands did the same.”

Scarred by my previous encounters, my first foray into Fenty Beauty was ordering a lipstick (Stunna Lip Paint in Uncensored) and a highlighter (Killawatt) online, bypassing the hundreds of people queuing for their personal sessions outside Harvey Nichols, London’s department store that stocks the brand exclusively. When I eventually visit the Fenty counter, struck by how many black and brown women are having comfortable and open conversations with salespeople who know what they need and the audience they are catering for, I am convinced to buy a foundation. When I get home, I try it on and feel… normal. For a makeup brand to do that to someone at the age of 28 is a very big deal.

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A few months later, I go to the launch of a friend’s zine. Arriving alone, and very shy, I plan to read the zine in a corner and keep myself to myself. I arrive, marvel at the beautiful black and brown people in the room, feel suitably intimidated and take to my corner. I look up and a girl is staring at me from across the room. “Is that Fenty on your face?” she shouts excitedly – and after telling her yes, getting my highlighter and brush out and doing my best makeup artist impression on her, I now have a friend for life. One makeup brand has taken me, and many women like me, from feeling unseen by the beauty industry to feeling important and catered to, through 40 shades of foundation and 50 of concealer.

Fenty Beauty is a brand constantly evolving. At the beginning of May, a new range of products was revealed, then a week later, it was announced that Fenty Beauty will be stocked in Boots. What was once an exclusive range of products, only available in one of the most upmarket department stores in London, will soon be on the high street – furthering the Fenty Beauty mission statement that “women everywhere would be included”. Inevitably, social-media users were once again thrown into an excited frenzy, such is the “Fenty effect”, amazed at how a popstar can change the makeup game.

Fenty Beauty isn’t just about makeup, nor is it about Rihanna simply expanding her empire beyond music, underwear, or her recently announced fashion label, under luxury conglomerate LVMH. It’s a social movement, and has made other – and much more established – brands do better. In 2018, magazine named Fenty Beauty one of the most genius companies, noting that, “in only a year, Fenty Beauty has pulled off a makeover of the makeup industry”. When we think about the impact that beauty has on our society, there isn’t a word big enough to encompass that impact. It’s taken one young black woman, who cut her teeth in music, to bring inclusivity to the beauty industry, and to make a whole set of people feel seen in doing so.

Queenie

Image credits: Courtesy of Nike

What does fashion’s take on the football jersey look like? Ambush’s Yoon Ahn, Koché’s Christelle Kocher, MadeMe’s Erin Magee and Marine Serre have all put their designer spin on the functional garment, in collaboration with Nike.

Rather than dressing it up, these street style stalwarts – enlisted by Nike to design lifestyle collections to coincide with the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 (June 7 to July 7) – have gone back to the drawing board and paid tribute to the unifying power of sport.

“We take pride in standing up for our values and empowering women to have an equal opportunity in sport,” says Rosemary St. Clair, VP and GM of Nike Women. “[Nike has] over 40 years of championing the world’s largest community of female athletes – like Joan Benoit Samuelson, Serena Williams and Caster Semenya – on and off the field of play. Today, we are more committed than ever to use our brand as a catalyst – celebrating athletes, supporting sports and building the best product for her.”

Here, speaks to each of the four fashion designers about their concepts behind the collection, their favourite pieces and the power of sport.  

Ambush’s Yoon Ahn

“I wanted to create a universal piece for everyone to celebrate in,” says the Korean-American designer of her take on the jersey-turned-coat, teamed with a bra top, sported by Japanese footballer Risa Shimizu.

“I was inspired by the coat – a traditional Japanese, straight-sleeved coat, usually worn to festivals,” says Ahn. “Although we are celebrating the World Cup and the incredible female players, I believe it is just as important for the fans, for everyone – old, young, women and men.”

As well as highlighting the importance of diversity and culture, there’s a secret message in the jersey, too. “My Nike x AMBUSH® jersey has an inner pride message that reads: ‘Make each game your masterpiece.’  That’s exactly how I feel.”

Marine Serre

The LVMH Prize-winner’s signature half-moon print comes together with the Nike swoosh, forming the base of her capsule favourite: a jersey-turned-dress, teamed with a printed bodysuit. “I loved the idea of a garment that is adapted to the body that it dresses,” says the French designer. “So I concentrated on the natural shape of a woman’s body, allowing enough space for movement.”

Modelled by Adwoa Aboah, the bodysuit is screen printed using reflective ink, marrying form and function. “It is aesthetically a feat; and answers the functional demands of running in the dark or among traffic,” Serre explains. “I really like to do things like that – reusing archetypical references, in this case of sports garments, like reflective print, the tracksuit running archive and the construction in this piece – and then really transform and reorient the way they are approached.”

Koché’s Christelle Kocher  

Kocher’s dress and matching bra, crafted using the sportswear brand’s technical fabrics, are firm favourites thanks to their ease and energy. “I created this dress by reconstructing the soccer jersey around the female body, adding some very feminine elements, like lace, to sporty codes,” says the Paris-based designer.

“The idea was to give the feeling of movement and positive energy,” she adds of the design, worn by French footballer Marie-Antoinette Katoto. “It is a dress that can be worn by a girl who plays, dances or moves in the city.”

MadeMe’s Erin Magee

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Working with the United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT) crest was central to New York-based Magee’s design. “My first thought was I wanted this jersey to be sport first, fashion second. It’s meant to celebrate the incredible, victorious history of the USWNT, by drawing attention to the woman namesake of the iconic sportswear company itself: Nike, goddess of victory.”

As seen on American footballer Mallory Pugh, the jersey is based on the pitch-ready silhouette we all know and recognise, while Nike’s Classic Swoosh bra provided further inspiration, with both pieces crafted from Nike’s signature Dri-FIT technology. “This is a jersey that can be worn on and off the field; it’s true to sport and function. And it is the first time MadeMe has ever designed piece that can be worn at the highest level of play.”

Image credits: Getty Images

Close your eyes and think of any megawatt musical legend from the past century and you’ll likely be able to imagine exactly what they’re wearing. Mick Jagger in printed silks, Billie Holiday with gardenias in her hair, David Bowie in a glam-rock sequins, Blondie in sunglasses, Lil’ Kim in a rainbow-hued wig, a beehived Amy Winehouse in a mini dress. You get the picture, literally. Music has a look; sound has a style. So it’s little wonder that over the years the two worlds have become increasingly enmeshed, first with musical brand ambassadors becoming part of the fashion firmament and now with a generation of artists who have become designers in their own right.

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Take Rihanna: the first woman – and black person – to establish her own with LVMH, joining the ranks of Dior, Fendi and Louis Vuitton. There’s a symphony of others too: from Zendaya staging a Paris Fashion Week show for Tommy Hilfiger; to cult club icon Honey Dijon launching a brand with Comme des Garçons; and South Korean DJ Peggy Gou joining the ranks of Off-White (Virgil Abloh is a fellow DJ) with the launch of Kirin. Not to mention Kanye West’s Yeezy, now estimated to be worth US$1.5 billion.

Why is this happening now? Well, somewhere along the way of fashion becoming a multi-billion-dollar business, designers became rock stars themselves – think John Galliano, Gianni Versace, Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs – while their collections, advertising campaigns and beauty products, became their hit singles and albums. Back then, musicians were simply fashion ambassadors, available for a front-row seat or to star in said ad campaign, happy to endorse a product for the paparazzi. Now, they’re taking ownership of their fan base and creating the product, rather than just advertising it.

In other words, you can now follow Rihanna on Instagram, stream her music via Spotify, dress in her Fenty tailored denim, buy her cosmetics at Harvey Nichols and sleep in her Savage x Fenty pyjamas. All bases are covered (along with all skin tones – her Fenty Beauty foundation comes in 40 shades). With fashion becoming increasingly centred around direct-to-consumer ‘drops’, the music industry’s streaming model lends itself naturally to the disruptive spirit adopted by forward-thinking brands.

“There is no six-month wait, you get it when you see it,” Rihanna told at the launch of Fenty fashion in Paris, noting that her collections will be available to buy immediately at Fenty.com. “There’s no tease. You see it, love it and want it. And that’s because I’m like that, I want things right away.” Such a strategy is a first for fashion’s biggest, and perhaps most traditional, conglomerate. “I really appreciate that LVMH is flexible enough to allow me to have a different perspective on how I want to release things,” she added. “Mr Arnault [Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO, LVMH] is a very smart man and he’s open.”

Rihanna is bankable, no doubt, but her ascent in fashion resonates with a wider shift in consumer demand for diversity and inclusivity. It’s no coincidence that Rihanna, Kanye, Virgil et al, are all people of colour, reframing what it means to be a fashion designer — and tapping into the subcultural connections between music and style. They follow in the footsteps of artists, including P Diddy, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, who ventured into the clothing world to create for the same market, widely people of colour, which was all too often ignored.

There are also parallels in the creative process of putting together an album and a fashion collection. For Abloh, artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, a background in DJ-ing informed his approach to fashion, namely sampling classics and moving across genres to create something original and fresh. “DJing is like going to the gym, and doing the collections is the Olympics,” he told earlier this year. “DJing uses the same part of the brain as fashion design, you want to make a whole room of people come to the same consensus and feel enjoyment from it.”

Does it matter that the new wave of musicians-turned-designers can’t sew and didn’t study at Central Saint Martins? Not at all. “As consumers, we like to box people in, but the person who designed the iPhone could make a great architect and vice versa,” says Benji B, the Radio 1 DJ who has worked with Virgil for almost 15 years and is now Louis Vuitton’s official music director. He previously worked with Phoebe Philo at Céline, and notes how important music is when staging a show. “There is a history of artists not wanting to be restricted to one medium, and when I look at most of my interns they know how to use the music programmes but also how to use Photoshop or InDesign. You no longer have to exist in these linear streams of definition.”

For the millions of plugged-in fans of artists and DJs, it’s music to their ears.  

Image: Open pavilions make up the dining and bar space at the Wild Coast Tented Lodge.

Tucked away like a precious secret between the dense green fringes of Yala National Park and a boulder-strewn beach overlooking the Indian Ocean, Wild Coast Tented Lodge in Sri Lanka is an extraordinary confluence of glamour and grit. Imbued with a frontier-like sense of luxury, a thrilling sense of surrender to nature hums beneath every surface. A sign reads: “Elephants, leopard, crocodiles, wild boar, sloth bears & other denizens of Yala could enter the area around the Lodge, as there is no physical impediment to stop them…” Yes, this place is alive. Being here feels like dancing at the very edge of the world.

Image: The poolside dining room.

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This striking lodge is the newest star in a small but bright constellation of luxury hotels being nurtured into an upscale travel circuit by Malik J Fernando, managing director of Resplendent Ceylon, the hospitality offshoot of his family’s Dilmah Tea business. The passionate hotelier has kept each of his Relais & Châteaux-accredited properties — Cape Weligama, Ceylon Tea Trails and a new project underway in Sigiriya — deliberately intimate. “I believe small is beautiful,” says Fernando.

Image: Each Cocoon Pool Suite has a four-poster bed, bathtub and private pool.

It feels like the right approach on this teardrop of an island, which is blessed with the sort of abundant, nostalgic natural beauty that elicits whispered insider tips from the well- travelled set, but which is still finding its feet after the long and brutal civil war ended in 2009.

Image: In the bar, the bamboo shell ceiling structure is 
a focal point; the bamboo chandelier is inspired by stalactite formations in caves. Campaign-style furniture, including leather and mahogany chairs, sit atop a sandy quartz pebble floor.

Fernando’s latest project was conjured into being by interdisciplinary company Nomadic Resorts, with interiors by Amsterdam-based Bo Reudler Studio. Twenty-eight Cocoon Suites (eight of which have ‘Urchin tents’ for children) are clustered around watering holes and scattered across the bush in the shape of leopards’ paws. Four private- pool, beachfront suites are often visited by monkeys and, occasionally, thirsty elephants.

Image: A family of monkeys visit the private pool of a beachfront suite.

Spa treatments such as a sandalwood and turmeric-accented Island Spice Scrub await those able to tear themselves away from the central bar, dining and pool area. The dining is relaxed, with highlights including coconut-driven Sri Lankan curries, fresh local seafood and bright salads. Sundowners are seabreeze-addled, pastel-skied affairs, with the arches of the glowing pavilion creating a hypnotic sequence of vistas — salt-washed foliage, a mirror-like pool, the white-plumed exhalations of the Indian Ocean beyond.

Image: Local fishermen completed the bodice-like threading of the Cocoon Suite ceiling membranes.

Yala is known for the density of its leopard population, and safaris here can feel overwhelmed by other jeeps in search of the area’s most famous resident. Besides the option of heading into quieter blocks of the park, Wild Coast plans to open a leopard conservation station for valuable research in the first half of 2019. Fernando has also gained approval for an 810-hectare conservancy with strict ecological guidelines on access and activity.

Image: The bathtub in the Cocoon Suite has been handcrafted from copper.

The creative concept for the domed buildings unfurled organically, says Louis Thompson, Nomadic’s CEO, from the fantastic boulders dropped like a careless giant’s marbles along the shore. Local fishermen took over construction after an overseas contractor dropped out, and worked tirelessly under the tutelage of experts in steel and bamboo construction, as well as tensile membrane tensioning.

The lodge uses solar power, recycles water for landscaping, and features local materials such as teak and mudbrick bound with elephant dung. “If you use noble materials, you don’t need to finish them that much, really,” says Thompson. A tree that had to be felled has been cast in copper and suspended in the dining pavilion like an offering to the gods. “It’s a piece of solid local poetry,” says designer Bo Reudler.

While communal spaces clad in reclaimed teak shingles look almost to have emerged from the earth, the Cocoon Suites — all stretched membrane and porthole windows — appear to have floated down from some other exotic frontier. The interiors are a romantic marriage of safari style with what Reudler calls a “steampunk touch”, featuring four-poster beds, soaking tubs and bespoke military-campaign-style furniture that “references an era in which there were still worlds left to discover”.

The humble, bodice-like beauty of the stitching joining the tents’ interior membrane pieces fittingly echoes the fishermen’s artistry in threading their lines. “It’s not perfect,” says Thompson, with quiet pride. “If you look carefully, it’s full of imperfections all over the place.” Just like nature, really.

Visit: resplendentceylon.com/wildcoastlodge-yala