September 2020

Armed with Style

“Fashion changes, but style endures.” – Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

I miss real clothes!” This is what I inevitably screech whenever I find myself involved in a quarantine-related conversation. I’m two Monday-night grocery store trips away from stomping down the dairy aisle in five-inch heels and a red lip. Never mind that leggings and billowing T-shirts make it far too easy to ignore that you’ve developed a cheesecake and pinot habit. The first pair of jeans I tried on after months of vegetation took more than a hop, skip and a jump to pull up. And so, Beyoncé, I feel your pain.

Maybe fashion feels frivolous in the wake of all that’s happened over the last six months. But we’re inspired by the way pulling a favorite dress over your head can massage your mood, pull you back from the malaise and remind you of who you are. Or perhaps, you’d like to be someone else altogether today. Fashion says, as you wish. We couldn’t think of a more fitting time to recall the power of fashion and the power of feeling good.

As we look ahead to a new season (actually and metaphorically), let’s also peer back in time. Flip through our noticeably more robust issue and discover 12 pages of fall looks that evoke the funk and foxiness of the 1970s (Page 32). Was there a decade that better combined sophistication and cool? We’ll wait. Of course, we’ve used the era merely as fuel to light your present-day fire.

We can’t wholly escape to the beautiful clothes, though. We’re presenting Part II of our three-part “Evolution” series. The death of George Floyd on Memorial Day and the subsequent demand for justice and reform in all matters relevant to Black lives has made it clear that the status quo is no longer safe. In the first installment, we looked at policing and calls to defund the police.

In this issue, we unpack the idea of white allyship (Page 24). At first glance, white people joining the fight for equity feels much like a move in the right direction. But in a zeitgeist where clout and Instagram likes reign supreme, one wonders if, like a Kardashian in cornrows, the Black Lives Matter movement is being absentmindedly tossed on by some without any real connection to its roots. Is Black the new black?

Since COVID forced the world to halt on its axis some months back, musicians have been among the hardest hit, but creatives will create. Local hip-hop artist Miz Korona and bassist La’Nar “Kern” Brantley share how they’ve pivoted amid venue closures (Page 28). Speaking of, we consider ways in which we can boost our immune systems naturally (Page 12). We also check in on an upcoming exhibit from Science Gallery Detroit (Page 13), explore how artist Désirée Kelly melds genres to create a unique style (Page 16), plus much more.

Oh, and look out for a brand-new department, “Pop Art,” dedicated to recently released Black books, TV and film (Page 20). We’ve got your inspiration for the next time you’re feeling inclined to curl up with a good book or a fully charged tablet – after you’ve finished reading this magazine, of course!

Enjoy the issue.

Paris Giles, Senior Editor