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FUTURE FORWARD RETROGRADE
A trip through dystopia, looking towards vintage fashion to save our Earth’s future.
Photographer Torso
Fashion by Shibon Kennedy
Guest curator James Veloria
Sejahri: ISSEY MIYAKE top, MATSUDA pants, MIU MIU scarf, ANN DEMEULEMEESTER dress (worn around neck), BABY  

For this issue’s spread, Fashion Editor-at- Large Shibon Kennedy drew inspiration from how the fashion industry has contributed to the ongoing ecological crisis our world faces. “In considering the future of fashion, there needs to be a greater focus placed on upcycling, recycling and repurposing clothing — a higher cultural premium, so to speak, placed on vintage fashion. We have to find ways to engage viewers and consumers in inspiring and interesting ways,” she states.

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Kennedy enlisted Collin James Weber and Brandon Veloria Giordano of Chinatown NYC vintage treasure trove James Veloria to assist in curating the shoot’s styling: “They do an amazing job of showing vintage it in a truly special way. They present styling ideas and creative concepts comparable to things I see straight off the runway.” Bringing on queer collaborators was a must as well — “I’m a champion of the community and it is also a big part of what James Veloria represents” — and so was linking up with Torso to handle photography: “I wanted it to feel a little futuristic and strange, but still totally remarkable. Their work is so synonymous with that.”

What resulted was a photo essay that carries dystopian vibes while also gesturing towards the future of what fashion could be, and how it can potentially interact with our changing environmental landscape in a healthier way. “There are so many brands, online and Instagram stores out there that are changing the perception of what vintage is and can be,” Kennedy exclaims, “and they’re embodying the future of fashion: finding old, and making it look really cool, contemporary, unique and completely new."

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DeVonn: MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA sweater (worn on head), JEAN PAUL GAULTIER jacket, ANN DEMEULEMEESTER top  
DOLCE & GABBANA blazer, pants, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER bustier, cardigan, CHRISTIAN LACROIX tank,  
Kayaira: ALEXANDER McQUEEN dress, top (worn as mask), VIVIENNE WESTWOOD dress, PRADA corset, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER jacket, STEPHEN  
Kayaira: top (worn as mask), STYLIST’S OWN cords STEPHEN SPROUSE tights, VINTAGE gloves, FUTURE OZBEK shoes, PRADA corset, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER jacket, ALEXANDER McQUEEN dress, VIVIENNE WESTWOOD dress, Kayaira  
DeVonn: MIU MIU scarf (worn as mask), JEAN PAUL GAULTIER cardigan, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER wrap cardigan, MATSUDA top, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER skirt, DOLCE & GABBANA leggings, STYLIST’S OWN cords  
DeVonn: MIU MIU scarf (worn as mask), JEAN PAUL GAULTIER cardigan, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER wrap cardigan, MATSUDA top, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER skirt, DOLCE & GABBANA leggings, STYLIST’S OWN cords  
Posted: December 06, 2019