Diversify - Vol 1 (GTA Fashion Magazine)

TABLE OF CONTENTS About Diversify Letter From the Editor Our Story Cultural Fashion Disability & Fashion Sexuality & Fashion Mental Health & Fashion Grief & Fashion

a b o u t

d i v e r s i f y

Diversify - to make diverse or composed of unlike elements. Simply, one that is unlike other elements diversifies its environment. With multiple fashion-based avenues developing in Los Santos throughout the past year, Diversify as an independent fashion magazine aims to represent an alternative and non-commercial approach in the fashion world centred in the city of Los Santos.

Diversify is an independent Los Santos-based alternative fashion, culture and arts magazine. The magazine aims to empower the alternative, opinionated and otherly people situated in Los Santos city through the medium of fashion. Fashion has the ability to change and shape culture and personal connections.

A WORD FROM FAITH, OUR EDITOR IN CHIEF September is the month when Diversify establishes as an independent fashion magazine in Los Santos. To begin, the conceptualisation of Diversify as a fashion magazine originated from Los Santos' lacking representation for those with alternative fashion preferences. Evidently, there is no particular way to define fashion or to represent one's style. That said, Diversify aims to represent alternative styles, cultures and art that are differentiated from the current modelling industry in Los Santos. As a fashion magazine, we do not represent modelling agencies, nor are we a modelling agency. We aim to represent alternative fashion, art mediums, and diversified casts.

We want to challenge our readers with commentary, photography, and art through each quarterly edition of the magazine. We want to ask our readers: What do you view as an expression of fashion? Can fashion be marketed in association with a particular cause, or does fashion associating with a world issue condescend its initial purpose? And lastly, how does your sense of style correspond to Los Santos as a city?

F A I T H ' S

S T O R Y

As the editor-in-chief of Diversify, I want to acknowledge that the proposition for the magazine originated from the diminished diversified classes, and groups represented in the current fashion industry. As a black woman in the fashion industry, I have encountered the first-hand experience of dismissal from casting calls and modelling agencies due to my ethnicity. Therefore, I want to offer opportunities for models deemed too unconventional for Los Santos' fashion industry.

Alternative aesthetics associate with negative connotations throughout Los Santos - often perpetuated by stereotypes.

Noticing this phenomenon - I felt inspired to highlight alternative, artistic and niche aesthetics; initialising through a temporary commercial lens.

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Considering the career setbacks that I have experienced as a black model I empathize with other models being pigeonholed into a niche, token categorisation. Although current brands in Los Santos are diminishing these barriers, I began the project of Diversify as a love letter to those considered unmarketable within the industry - to be recognized for their understated talents. Therefore, the magazine aims to offer those without platform accessibility to communicate their artistic expression without pressure, and without labels.

A L O R A ' S

S T O R Y

As one of the primary photographers of Diversify, as well as my own involvement as one of the founders, it has been the greatest honor to live a dream, and make it a reality. A dream in the depiction of diversity, through the inclusion of those roles that don’t fit in the fashion, breaking the mould of what is expected in the current fashion industry, exposing it to different ethnicities, broadcasting their fashion whether it be cultural, or individual to a mainstream spotlight.

I’ve been fortunate not to experience firsthand the cruelty, and dismissive treatment of ethnicities due to being white-passing, however through my cousin, family, and friends. The inspiration was always there, and this project has been a work-inprogress in the background for some time.

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However, with the loss of my father this year, and my brother in 2020, it was that push to make them proud. I carry their energy and apply it to my work.

Acceptance of my own ethnicity, my own sexual being, and my own self-worth, and I think by being both a photographer and a model in this magazine, I was allowed the opportunity to prove the growth I’ve had. Diversify means a lot to me. It is my baby; it has been the greatest bonding experience with Faith, as well as opening my personality, and friendships with new people. I am grateful to be apart of this project.

CULTURAL FASHION

"This colored counterfeit that thou beholdest, vainglorious with excellencies of art, is, in fallacious syllogisms of color, nought but a cunning dupery of sense; this in which flattery has undertaken to extenuate the hideousness of years, and, vanquishing the outrage of time, to triumph o'er oblivion and old age, is an empty artifice of care, is a fragile flower in the wind, is a paltry sanctuary from fate, is a foolish sorry labour lost, is conquest doomed to perish and, well taken, is corpse and dust, shadow and nothingness" —Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

DISABILITY & FASHION

Disability & Fashion

"Just be, you say. Be where? Be here, be how, be nothing. There—have you inhaled. The fragrance of being?

Be watching. The lady with the green cane. Walk walk. Stumble stumble. That's walking for you. Walk walk.

Stumble stumble. That's writing for you. Walk walk. Stumble stumble. That's life. A slow walk. A slower walk. A stop walk. Walk walk. Stumble stumble. Stop. How many gardens. How many leaves. How much living. Before life becomes being. Just being. Just seeing? The lady with the green cane. No big words – Just a stumble.

Somewhere. As she walks."

—Fran Gardner

Vodka Ki y Princess

Sexuality & Fashion: An Interview with VKP Fashion embodies sentiment of selfexpression. It is an outlet to express to others who you are. But, what happens when your sexuality is repressed by societal norms, and you are unable to express to the world your authentic self? For women, the answer is simple: Sexual objectif ication is an innate instinct, and not crucif ied when women are sexually objectif ied through a male lens. Women, however, may be socially crucif ied if they sexually objectify themselves, or express their sexuality through artistic means.

"Fashion and sexuality are both as important," says Vodka Kitty Princess.

"Shopping sprees and waking up naked next to the man I love bring me the same level of joy."

Fashion and sexuality act as stressrelievers and outlets of selfexpression. With one's expansion of their knowledge of sexuality and fashion, the scrutiny that those experience through these forms of self-expression can further diminish in its quantity.

Sexuality is its own aesthetic, one that is meant to elicit sex appeal, and to sell the fantasy of a particular gaze to its audiences. However, sexuality as a concept and state of being has the opportunity to empower individuals beyond their minimized, and marginalized states in society.

SEX WITH KITTY "In this world, everyone's sexy. It's not about looks that are arousing," resumes Vodka Kitty Princess. "You can be sexy wearing a turtleneck, reciting poetry.

You can be sexy while pole dancing."

Continuing, Vodka states: "Sex is just like fashion because you gotta f ind your own self in it. Following someone's else's schemes make you appear unnatural," aff irms as a statement to def ine in simple words - one's natural selfexpression is their best self-expression.

The def inition of sexuality and fashion quantif ies by the person, and factors into one's day-to-day life. "Follow your heart," says Vodka. For those that are still discovering their sexuality, and their sense of fashion; do not def ine yourself by label. Def ine your sense of style and sexuality through the calling of your own heart.

Mental Health & Fashion: An Interview with Heaven Ainsley

"It [fashion] ... is a perfectly natural step to build our selfesteem and improve our mood through fashion."

Clothing def ines a sense of control in ourselves, projecting one's selfexpression beyond arbitrary fashion labels and inconsistent fashion trends.

Heaven reflects upon the choice of specif ic clothing aesthetic as an “empowering sense of body image” and as an act to improve one’s self-esteem. “The process of choosing clothes means that we’re in control of ourselves and creates an empowering sense of body image which comprises our thoughts, feelings and perception about ourselves. In this context, it is a perfectly natural step to build our selfesteem and improve our mood through fashion," says Heaven.

Most certainly, fashion influences our mental state. Patterns, colours aesthetics, and so forth dictate and enhance one’s mood. With the selfexpression of fashion indicating one's mental state, how does fashion influence an individual’s mental health? We, at Diversify, interviewed Heaven, an experienced nurse, and model, to further an understanding of the associated themes between fashion and mental health.

Now, she notes, fashion influences one’s mental health - ensuring as a mask to negative and positive feelings that oftentimes affect a person’s selfesteem. She explains, that putting together an outf it acts as both a positive and negative outlet to project one's state of being, and that fashion influencing mental health is a nobrainer.

"Fashion influences our mental health beyond a shadow of a doubt. We recurrently wear set pieces of garment to pretend to be someone we aren’t, bringing about feelings of anxiety and uneasiness, but there’s a positive effect, too," states Heaven.

Clothes impact an individual’s selfesteem and are manufactured to curate an image of well-being in people's self-perceptions. While anyone can follow trends and simultaneously express the depth of their characters through fashion, Heaven states: "Similarly, clothes can be crafted with our well-being in mind. Switching up our looks and dressing up on a day-today basis can help us drastically feel comfortable in our own skin, as can stepping out of our comfort zone where dressing up can have good consequences wherein others can compliment you over it which pays your mind a good favor.”

Fashion curates an image for an individual to def ine their mental state, through the self-expressions of aesthetic choices. A statement of empowerment, stability, and emotions; fashion manifests an ability for one to possess autonomy in their lives as expressed by Heaven in her f inal interview statement: “Tackling mental health issues can be quite tricky and demanding but the right article of clothing can be the difference between a downpour of emotions and stability."

“ I n

o r d e r t o r i s e F r o m i t s o w n a s h e s A p h o e n i x F i r s t M u s t B u r n . ” ― O c t a v i a B u t l e r , P a r a b l e o f t h e T a l e n t s

G r i e f & F a s h i o n

“ D i v e r s i t y i s b e i n g i n v i t e d t o t h e p a r t y ; i n c l u s i o n i s b e i n g a s k e d t o d a n c e . ” ― V e r n a m y e r s

“ E a c h p e r s o n m u s t l i v e t h e i r l i f e a s a m o d e l f o r o t h e r s . ” ― R o s a p a r k s

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF FOUNDERS MODELS Faith Labelle

Alora & Faith Labelle

Rosemary "Vodka Kitty Princess" Clarke Heaven Ainsley Piper Labelle Elliot Byers Paulina Martinez Faith Labelle Alora Labelle

PHOTOGRAPHER Alora Labelle