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Photograph by PORUS VIMADALAL
Meet seven Canadians who have overcome shyness, bullying, insecurity and exclusion to become confident with their inner and outer selves.
“The diversity of our cover stars and their experiences is an example of the breadth of fashion stories we want to tell,” Bernadette Morra, FASHION’s editor-in-chief, explains. “We are not just interested in what people are wearing. We want to delve deeper into how clothing, accessories, hair and makeup makes them feel. Almost all of our cover stars have felt excluded or insecure at one point or another. And they have all found personal empowerment through a strongly developed sense of style.”
Get a sneak peek at what they had to say on style, self-acceptance and breaking stereotypes below:
VIVEK SHRAYA on her style philosophy
“You have to allow yourself to make fashion faux pas—to take those risks—to actually figure out what works and what doesn’t. What seems like a faux pas now might be considered avant-garde in a few years.”
DONTÉ COLLEY on breaking down stereotypes
“I feel that before—rewinding to five years ago—dressing in women’s clothing wasn’t acceptable, especially for a black male. A lot of the shopping I do is in the women’s section. Honestly, it doesn’t matter where you shop as long as [the clothing] speaks to you.”
LADYFAG on the rise of inclusivity
CHER BAI on discovering her strength
“At first, I felt very pressured to buy a purse because it was trendy, even if I didn’t like it. But now, I feel like I can be me. You have to stay true to yourself. Nowadays, everyone is a blogger and they shoot in similar places and have similar feeds with similar tones to their photos. Your strong suit is that no one is you. You have to be you.”
ALEECE WILSON on loving her natural self
“It’s hard to put into words how it makes me feel to have my natural hair. I feel more like myself. I feel more in love with myself. It’s like I was never myself until now. It feels amazing.”
CHRISTINA SCHMIDT on her personal style mantra
“It’s about embracing everything and not being scared. Never care what anybody thinks. I know that’s such a simple thing to say, but, really, you could be styled by the best stylist in the most expensive outfit and there’d still be somebody who doesn’t like it. As long as you feel good, that’s all that matters. When you feel confident, people notice that more than anything.”
ELIZABETH MITCHELL on shifting perceptions
“If I can in some way be a positive role model for anyone, including myself, I’m down. Twenty years ago, women would come up to me and tell me to dye my hair; now, young girls come up to me and say they love my grey hair.”
Styling by LUCIA PERNA. Creative direction by GEORGE ANTONOPOULOS. Art direction by DANIELLE CAMPBELL. Hair and makeup by SUSANA HONG FOR P1M.CA/ARMANI BEAUTY. Hair and makeup assistants ARIELLE PARK, KAILA BAKER, ROMY ZACK and SIERRA ELLIOTT. Manicures by LEEANNE COLLEY FOR P1M.CA/TIPS NAIL BAR. Fashion assistant POUYAN REISDANAEE. Photography assistants ARASH JAHROMI and SAISHI XU. Interviews by BERNADETTE MORRA, ODESSA PALOMA PARKER and PAHULL BAINS.
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