So, as you might have gleaned from my body-positivity rant yesterday, I am: just barely on the right side of don’t-sit-next-to-me-on-a-plane level feminism. I am not: an internationally ranked style maven.
That said, a secret from TKOG’s vault? I used to be into fashion. Like, really, really into it. Through the last two years of high school, my only dream was to get a job on the editorial side of a national fashion magazine. I had Deep Thoughts about tweed. I owned thirty-seven pairs of pink high heels — one for every Shakespeare play (sorry, Titus, you don’t count), because y’all know I’m that kind of girl.
And while my personal attempts at style are abortive and embarrassing, I still feel a flutter when I see a woman in an exceptionally sharp suit or life-changing gown. Despite it all, I still like fashion. The good kind, that is. The art kind.
A phrase, coincidentally enough, that serves as the tagline for Laundry Magazine. The synopsis, loves: a digital and print fashion magazine based out of New York and Chicago, but with international coverage, featuring the work of established and up-and-coming designers, stylists and photographers.
Exquisite clothes! Worn by beautiful people! Shot against breathtaking backdrops! Check out a sneak preview of an image from the September mag:
Are you — are you a little bit in love? My high school friend Kelsey is one of the awesome crew who’s spent months sweating fashionably iron-rich blood to get this project out, and she gave me the low-down on some cool stuff in the September issue:
- A photo shoot with Chicago artist (Via NYC) Timothy Bergstrom, who is also designing a limited edition tee-shirt for LaundryMagazine
- Collaboration with some of Chicago’s young designers from the Chicago Fashion Incubator
- Coverage of the London College of Fashion’s top graduates
- Interviews with FIT/Parsons graduates
- 8 editorial photoshoots, shot in Chicago and New York, with the Chicago team being composed of entirely under 25′s
- Clothing for a shoot at the Indiana Dunes, handmade and tailored by the LaundryMagazine team
I know I don’t usually do shout-outs like this, but take that as a sign of my faith in the project. When Kelsey emailed me these pictures, I got goosebumps.
Plus, can we stop for a moment to think about the sheer ballsiness of the undertaking? Being an artsy dude in your early twenties so often feels like a world of No. There are no jobs, there’s no money, there’s no time, no more than a microscopic chance of success — wouldn’t it be safer and easier to get good at your awful desk job and bide your time until the world feels a little more yes-ful?
Except that will never happen. Not only does fortune favor the brave, but it’s got a pretty terse two-word rebuttal to everyone else.
So a tip of the hat, Laundry Magazine, for giving me a much-needed shot of inspiration today. You’re doing something brave, and beautiful, and — oooh, look, more pretty dresses!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
What do you MEAN TITUS DOESN’T COUNT?! (Or doesn’t count for pink heels, which I would GET.)
(Have I mentioned I work for a Shakespeare Festival?)
Gawd I love that last dress. It’d be fabulous with those pink heels, if you still had them.
Haha, well, I have to exclude one, obviously, and Titus was the first to come to mind. Although, to be fair, the only time I saw a production of it, I was so drunk that I may or may not have loudly sang “It’s business — it’s business time” during the rape scene…
Please don’t throw things at me! I swear I’m a Shakespeare fan in real life!
you know we were singing “business time” during the rape too, and I was one of the rapers, so it’s allowed. But madam, a lack of Winter’s Tale maybe, but a lack of Titus I cannot abide!
Oh my goodness, that was the first time I met you, wasn’t it? When we all drank lethal margarita and toasted to brotherhood in Russian before singing the Star-Spangled Banner?
Okay, on the strength of that memory alone, Titus is back in. Sorry, Winter’s Tale.
Have you tried signing up for The Cool Hunter? I love it. Great monthly email.
http://www.thecoolhunter.net/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Newsletters&utm_content=510971072&utm_campaign=USACoolHunterNewsletter3August&utm_term=Clickhere
fantastic! thanks for the tip!
wow. just wow. on so many levels. I’m so gonna stalk your friend and check this out. CONSIDER ME IN AWE