Streetwear 101

Hi ZonERz,

Over the last five years (yes I’m turning 25 soon, officially going to the wrong side of age), I’ve found my personal style evolving from “Show off/ designer hungry/ 90’s model poor imitator/ form-fitting everything” to a cooler vision of clothing. This has for sure something to do with the fact that I feel better in my own skin (even though there is still a long way to go on that topic). But I think that, most importantly, it stems from the recognition of the magnetism that an “aura of individual cool” has on other people. I’m not a law of attraction expert, but it’s hard not to argue that the more you embrace what makes you unique while being very aligned with the Zeitgeist of the moment, the more people will be interested in what you have to say and will pay attention. It’s a sweet balance between being your goofy self and knowing the cool language of the moment.

That is also why I developed a fascination for the cool kids (Instagram famous or not). Those people that you bump into in the street thinking “Wait, you look fascinating”. It sounds creepy (I guess my own “unique” trait is that I am a variation of creepy after all) but it comes from a very good intention of figuring our that cool juice they seem to be cooking.

ANYWAY, that is why in this series I want to touch base with you on those pieces/ trends/ locations/ anything in between that make me feel a bit fresher (and hopefully will make you feel fresher too), so that we can become the coolest kids on the block together.

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Streetwear 101

In that first article, I wish to touch base on what I love about streetwear. It has over the years become a large inspiration and a fair part of my wardrobe.

Since I was a child I remember having a huge resentment for formal dressing: it was uncomfortable (ballerinas, in particular, giving me countless blisters), definitely not convenient to go outside and play. I think it never really changed because formal workwear and corporate dress code give me anxiety today.

I found that streetwear particularly resonated with me these past few years because it was aligned with my musical tastes (leaning towards rap, hip hop music). More specifically I love the large confidentiality, or rather the selected communication surrounding product drops.

Case in point: when I am riding the subway, I feel an extreme sense of pride when I spot someone with a very fresh pair of sneakers (an exclusive collab, that not many people know about), and I actually recognize the shoes. I find it brilliant to be under the impression of belonging to a group of shoe connoisseurs who share an exciting bit of sub-culture.

Also, streetwear is the most exciting “genre” of fashion today. First, the absolute freedom brands like Supreme, Kith, Palace get in terms of how they want to present themselves (everything surrounding their brand image) makes everything they do unpredictable, thus very exciting. Their creative juices are much less constrained than the stories“traditional” designers serve their customers with. It doesn’t mean that the streetwear brand itself is diluted in crazy marketing/ collabs/ events that have nothing to do with the core message it tries to convey: less straight forward doesn’t mean incoherent.

Holding and encouraging that kind of creative space is what allowed those brands to blur the lines with the luxury industry (Versace x Kith, Supreme x Louis Vuitton for example), with the construction world (DHL x Vetements , IKEA x Off white)… The colliding of those worlds was unthinkable a couple of decades ago. Plus the obvious humor those brands instill in their collection is quite refreshing when couture oftentimes comes up as very stiff and serious.

I know the price point of some of the merchandise is ridiculous for the quality, but I keep being fascinated with all the WTFesques stuff they come up with (and the occasional: “You look SO cool” when you happen to wear an exclusive Supreme T-Shirt doesn’t hurt … ego).

Here is thus a non-exhaustive list of my streetwear starter pack, so you can nerd on sneakers in your free time (as you should!):

(1) What to wear?

- Start slow: cool sneakers will almost always do the trick.

Get educated on Jordans (their numbers, colorway, collabs …) and you’ll already feel part of the gang.

If you want to take it a step further follow @sneakertrkr on IG to be the know-it-all, and see how much your fresh kicks are worth the resell market on StockX (app or desktop).

- A bucket hat. Because that’s what the cool kids are wearing (and I bought one, so please make me feel validated)

- Cool printed t-shirts and shirts (the short sleeves kind). Tealer makes amazing prints, Garçons Infidèles is the coolest brand if you have a bigger budget.

- Check out these other brands (that are not your usual sportswear attire, nor Yeezy): Kith, Fear Of God, Palm Angels, Bape, Walk in Paris, Wasted Paris amongst others.

- As for places to shop, if you are in Paris I’d recommend: Nous, Graduate Store, Structure Paris, After Drop, The Next Door, Starcow Paris, Vos

(2) What to read/ hear/ follow

- Highsnobiety/ Highsnobiety sneakers, Hypebeast — to have all the burning tea on streetwear culture

- BOF and the BOF Podcast — if you are a nerd and a know it all (guilty)

-@Clara.Berry and @BillieEilish because … Kweens. You’ll get inspiration from the best of the best

Mad love …

HI ZoNErZ

This week, I thought I’d introduce a new series on the Medium page. If you know me IRL you know that I love myself a good artist. Being a highly sensitive and emotional person (a trait that for a long time I’ve been ashamed of, but that is for another article eheheh), I have a very strong response to any artistic production (music, paintings, movies, etc).

One of my favorite pastimes is to watch videos or listen to podcasts of creative people describing their work or to forcefully make my friends listen to my current favorite music/ see my favorite painting/ read my favorite book so that we can share our experience afterward.

However, if you know me, you also know that I have zero relevance in the mundane world to actually be able to interview those people and ASK THEM HOW THEY MAKE MY HEART BURST WITH ALL THE FEELINGS OMG. But when life gives you lemons, create a medium account and imagine what those interviews would look like am I right? That is exactly what is happening here: me asking my questions to a Genius without expecting any answer for the time being.

I kick off the series, with Frank Ocean because for the past two years Blond and Channel Orange have been the soundtracks of my emotional life. I was first introduced to “Nikes” in 2017, at a time when most parts of my life felt like hell on earth. My “love” life was pretty chaotic too but a guy managed at the time to convince me that I wasn’t as lonely as I felt (and then turned out to be quite the douchebag). Picture the hottest day of summer in Paris, 11 PM, getting cozy in a small apartment in the center of the city after having sipped way too many Caipirinhas out. I remember exactly how the room smelled like hot concrete and how all the neighbors had their windows opened, creating an enchanting calm background noise. Then I remember him standing by the window lightening a cigarette, looking through his phone, smiling at me, and putting “Nikes” on. If you know the song, you know that dude KNEW what he was doing. Needless to say, after the first verse, I was completely smitten. Since then, every time I listen to the song, I am transported to this exact moment, which is both delightful and extremely painful (shout out to all my melancholic kweens out there).

To this day, from all the artists I have listened to over the years, Frank Ocean moves me the most. I cried my eyes out on “Self-Control” and “Futura Free”, and fell in love with all the strangers I bumped into while listening to “Ivy”. I am now quite the regular listener and have obviously a sweet spot for Channel Orange, but also all the singles that have dropped recently (“Lens”, “Moon River”, “Provider”, “Biking” …).

I always figured that if I were to meet Ocean it wouldn’t be a planned encounter (a bitch can dream). I’d completely serendipitously sit next to him in an Uber pool (yes, Frank Ocean is loaded but he is so cool that he still takes Uber pools) after a night of feeling lonely in a crowd. We’d discuss his music and life in general while staring at the fading street lights and feeling the pulse of the city awaken by the desperate energy of restless party people (told you I’m an emotional wreck).

Here are the questions on my list:

Why is “swim good” nowhere to be found anymore?

I mean, I know there is a copy on Vimeo, but still. We NEED that original gold nugget on Spotify for God’s sake.

How do you “see” people so well?

This is an important one. I have had the impression that more than with a lot of artists these days, people who listen to Ocean’s songs relate/ feel strongly about them. Pick any of his tracks, and I can assure you it will take you back to an event that occurred to you. If you need proof, just check out the comment section of any of Blonde’s music video on YouTube. Ocean captures very raw emotions that he then “packages” in a very timely and modern way thanks to his melodies and poetic lyrics. The spectrum of emotions he works on is quite wide and comprises romantic love, brotherly love, loneliness, heartbreak, despair…The result is undoubtedly sentimental but it hits emotional states that we go through rather accurately (read, it’s not overly romantic and unrealistically touchy-feely to the point where it sounds fake). It means that he is able to both understand human nature in what it universally has (dem feelings) and to also understand it in the context of our current era (dem melodies/ lyrics). That is complete genius. I want to know everything about how he does this magic.

Who were your muses?

This one really has me intrigued because behind most great artists’ work lies another person who inspired the feelings they are conveying to the universe through their production: the love triangle between Gainsbourg, Bardot and Birkin, the platonic relationship between Yves Saint Laurent, Betty Catroux and Loulou de la Falaise, the collaboration between Jackson Pollock and his wife Lee Krasner …

It makes sense: you can’t feel affection, heartbreak, intense sadness, lust without it being triggered by somebody else. However, with a muse, there seem to be something more to a “usual” relationship you might develop. Violence, a risky, toxic even deadly component that when used in the creative process turns the work of the artist into a masterpiece. That is this ugly, negative feeling that replicates the intensity of the human experience and makes it, in essence, beautiful.

That is why I want to know who “Ivy” is and who the person behind “Thinking about you” is. Who makes him lose his “Self-Control”? Those seem to have been love interests of Ocean’s, but he also has been inspired by people who he didn’t seem to want to get into the pants of, which makes those relationships all the more interesting. Who is the gender-fluid person who sees on both sides like “Chanel”? Who is the one that is getting away and that Ocean wishes “God Speed” to? Again, so many questions!

What do you think about social media?

I like to imagine that Ocean would have a deeper answer than every social media star ever explaining Instagram “is so not real”, or how it “seriously harms your mental health”. Those trendy digital-hygiene claims are usually posted without any real analysis, plus the “woke” content-creator who posts these, is usually still heavily using social media platforms to gain attention and sell products (what a time to be alive).

Don’t get me wrong, Ocean is popular on Instagram (even though he is not the one to post that often), but it seems that his presence on social media is much more restrained and curated than other people in the music industry (Cardi B, Kanye West — I know it’s an extreme case — …). From a business standpoint it’s very odd in the current landscape to see someone so embedded in pop culture and so popular NOT telling you to “Swipe Up” in their insta-stories every two seconds. Broadly speaking, his entire persona is surrounded by an aura of mystery: he barely communicates on his drops, the last publicity he took part in was his cover on the latest issue of Dazed Magazine, and his remarkable appearance at the Met Gala this year (wearing all black classic Prada when the theme was Camp, again: Genius).

From a personal standpoint, he seems to have voiced an opinion on the effects that social media might have on relationships via his “Facebook Story” skit on Blonde. But yet again, it wasn’t his direct opinion (the voice talking had a furious French accent) and the story is quite vague, leaving the listener a lot of room for interpretation. For instance, you don’t hear both sides of the story to properly decide if you consider the girl went full-on PMS hormonal crazy (it happens even to the best of us), or if the guy was shady from the beginning. I’d like to understand exactly what his message at the time was and how his opinion might have grown over the last two years.

Will you marry me?

IT’S FRANK OCEAN, I have to at least try.

If you’ve read this far, congratulations! I’d be more than happy to discuss those questions with you even more on instagram (@Leleyluminati or @Warzone_xx). Shoot me a DM and let’s get emotional while listening to those tracks and realize our youth is passing us by … Getting us in a perfect mood for #MentalBreakdowwnMonday hehe.

Mad love ❤

Ok ZonErZ,

Fresh start, first article and already advocating for something big. I’ve always had a very deep love for all things fashion. I consider it a high form of art, and, more importantly, a very useful way to express myself (I know, cliché, but true). If you know me, you certainly know that I am big on glamming, aka making a conscious effort to put together an outfit, hairstyle, and makeup. I’ve been made aware over the years that if dressing up in the most what-the-fuck-costumes in pre-school is considered lovely, as an adult wanting to channel your inner 70’s vibe by dressing full disco style, or going vampy with an all-black outfit and a dark lip (I did both of them) is often frowned upon and considered “trying too hard”. However, I firmly believe that glamming is not half as shallow as it seems.

On my “style journey” I’ve even come to the realization that I would be more present when I had spent some time thinking and planning my overall look. To my mind, it creates a narrative and allows to almost step into a character. It amplifies the experience of what I am doing to the point where I can remember quite precisely the parties/ meetings/ events/ dates I went to because I remember my getting-ready process and the clothes I chose to wear. The look I put together acts as an analytic and storage extension of my emotional self.

However, the magic only happens if I really commit to the process and am daring enough. That is why, to me, it’s such a shame that such few people are willing to glam/ admit (to themselves or to you) that they care. I feel like a fashion risk-taker in my social demographic environment, namely young business/engineer school graduates who live in big cities. There seems to be a real disconnect between glamming and being considered deep enough to be worthy of being taken seriously.

The overall message that was passed on to us by business schools and the corporate world often was : “don’t be too daring, too fashion, too glammed, don’t look like you care too much about your look, that’s shallow”. Example, French business school parties dress code: your association polo, close to no makeup, and a very careless look because the more you look like your trying to be glammed and the less cool you are. Another example, corporate world (outside of the fashion industry): a silky blouse, not too short of a skirt and maybe if you feel stylish on Friday, throw on a pair of Stan Smiths. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with wearing a hoodie or dressing corporate. However, if I tried to buy into those “uniforms”, I’ve come to a point where they bore me to death if I’m honest. Now, dressing with way less boundaries and more freedom than I used to (the unemployment and me working in fashion has played a big part in that freedom I’ve got to say), I’ve been told by several people looking me up and down, or just going shopping and bumping into a piece that seem to be going out of their comfort zone “I CoUlD NevER WeaR ThAT!”. BITCH, GUESS WHAT, YOU CAN! Everyone should!

Considering we are all going to die from global warming in 20 years or so, not wearing the risky dress/ shirt/ shoes you want to wear is pointless. More seriously I deeply think that our day-to-day lives are depressing enough to have a boring wardrobe that refrains us from expressing who we truly are.

To combat the normcore uniform and wake up your inner 5-year-old who had 0 issue coming to school in a full princess outfit, here is a to-do/ to-think list to integrate or (re-integrate) glamour in your life and unlock the emotionally more intense experience that comes along.

(1) I know that work is work and it’s complicated to do your thing and show up with a full-on goth glam at a meeting with your boss. However, there are some instances when you can peacock. Seek occasions to “create a moment” with your look, and actually pull it off. I was watching a Vogue video with @ElsaHosk the other day where she was explaining her take on creating a red carpet look. Besides being absolutely jaw-dropping gorgeous and looking bomb in everything, she has this very refreshing way of going all-in when she goes on the carpet. She tells a story, mimics an inspiration from her manicure to her dress. And the rationale behind it is always deeper than “I just wanna look sexy for the photographers” (even if when you pull off something you love, you look DAMN HOT). Next time you attend a party, think of a story you want to tell, of the persona you want to be and GO FULL SPEED. Who cares what the others think. You’d be surprised by the positive response of people around you once you embrace that glammed/ peacocky side of yourself: it’s way easier to compliment somebody that has committed to a particular style and wings it than somebody who just tries “not to be ridiculously out of the dress code”. If you want inspiration on how to go all-in and pull it off it with confidence, follow @jvn, @tanfrance, @jaredleto (now one of the muses of Gucci), or just go to a gay party and look at how the club kids unapologetically own their looks. It’s quite refreshing.

(2) STOP THINKING FASHION HAS RULES. I wear extra glam maxi dresses to go to do groceries sometimes. I am deeply interested in corporate strategy but I also have a passion for makeup artistry and can blend eyeshadow like a pro. I am a crazy sneaker-head and streetwear fan but I also love wearing 10-inches heels and am regularly moved by couture. Your job, your status, your friends do not define your style. You don’t have to restrain yourself to a particular expression of what you are. People tell you to dress for the part, let your closet be the expression of all the roles you want to play in your life. Explore a full spectrum of garments/ styles and don’t limit yourself to a definition of what others expect you to be. Most importantly dare to be adventurous and take risks: there is no such thing as a fashion faux-pas, and being overdressed is only a matter of perspective.

(3) Relaxing about rules on fashion also means you shouldn’t shame or judge others on what they are wearing. It doesn’t mean you have to like it, but rather looking at it with curiosity and interest. Honestly, it would make everyone’s life way easier.

(4) Don’t think that going all-in on the glam or caring about your looks is shallow/ expensive/ solely aimed to “fashion people”. I urge you to listen to what @SophieFontanel (former fashion editor @Elle) has to say about elegance in the numerous TV appearances she did. Her Instagram, celebrating life, beauty and, most importantly, day-to-day elegance, is a breath of fresh air. It defines perfectly how that seemingly useless effort on styling can transform your life and make you feel better. Aesthetics is an element that defines humanity and enables us to tweak reality in order to instill some magic in it: we’ve done it since the beginning of time. I’ve recently read a lovely novel by Eric Emmanuel Schmidt advocating for the necessity of rituals, beliefs, and story-telling in day-to-day life. I couldn’t agree more. Human condition is shitty enough not to at least try to trick it, reshape it, tell a story, create the unexpected and manifest the invisible like an artist does. What better way to do it than with what you have on hands at all times … yourself.

Mentions

@tanfrance (insta)

@JaredLeto (insta)

@Jvn (insta)

@SophieFontanel (insta)

@Elsahosk

Felix et la source invisible — Eric Emmanuel Schmitt