Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, Leather, and Queer Community Seasonal • Summer 2021 free copy Pop Culture: LGBTQ+ Fashion Sustainable Fashion • Run The Crown • PWA/Friends for Life Bike Rally Also: Fiction, Travel, From The Heart, Horoscopes, Pride Supplement MEGA 30th EDITION CELEBRATION BLACK&BLUE MAJOR PARTIES WITH INTERNATIONAL AND MONTRÉAL DJS 30th ANNIVERSARY MEGA SHOW AT THE SUNDAY MAIN EVENT STAY TUNED FOR UPCOMING DETAILS! STAY SAFE! DESTINATION CENTRE-VILLE MONTRÉAL graphisme et vidéo multimédia TO BECOME AN OFFICIAL PARTNER, COMMUNITY rd EVENT PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATION, 3 EDITION ORGANIZED OR VOLUNTEER : BY [email protected] INCLUDED 2 summerplay! 2021 Pop Culture: Fashion Pop Culture: Fashion summerplay! 2021 3 From the Publisher Providing support and health promotion for people who are living with, affected by, or at-risk for HIV in the Four Counties of Haliburton, Northumberland, Peterborough and City of Kawartha Lakes www.parn.ca 705-749-9110 My relationship with fashion can going out, I just went for the slutty look (think Daisy Duke hot shorts). Then came likely be broken down into three the circuit party look, the track pants and parts of my life. baseball cap look, the gym bunny look, the leather look, and the businessman look. As a kid and young teen, dad was the one Now I guess my look is just a combination who shopped and approved what we wore of looks, or whatever I feel like. I don’t (for real). Dad comes from a very prim and follow labels, or trends; I go with the feel proper family, so I was the 9-year-old who and image I want to be viewed as. had to dress in suits, usually in brown and I guess that’s what I like about a lot greys. Two colours, that when I was young, of peeps in our community. A straight I swore not to wear again when I was girl friend of mine said that “men in the allowed to make my own choices. However, straight community all look like they were later in life I started liking brown and grey dressed by the same stylist”. If you call that again. “style”. LOL I’m kidding, I love my straight In high school I looked as if Duran Duran, guy friends. but she says “gay men and George Michael, Madonna, and Boyd queer peeps are more about individuality George had a kid. In college I looked like when it comes to fashion.” someone from a John Hughes film, I was Celebrate your individuality, whomever VERY colour coordinated, with colourful you may be. Happy Pride! belts that had to match my socks, or I @acocso would not go to school. Antoine Elhashem @acottawa Publisher Then I came out into the community, @acottawa [email protected] and during my early days of clubbing and 4 summerplay! 2021 Pop Culture: Fashion Pop Culture: Fashion summerplay! 2021 5 summerplay! In this issue From the Editor Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, Leather, and Queer Community Seasonal from PinkPlayMags 10 LGBTQ2S+Representation in Free • Summer 2021 Fashion – Aaron Rothermund Publisher/Creative Director: Antoine Elhashem 14 Goodbye Fast Fashion Editor-in-Chief: Bryen Dunn – Melissa MacMullin Art Direction and Production: Mychol Scully 23 Travel: Kingston, Ontario Contributors – Bryen Dunn Writers: Aaron Rothermund, Melissa MacMullin, Jon 29 Fiction: When You Get A Chance Pressick, Kelly Wilk, Tom Ryan / Robin Stevenson, – Tom Ryan / Robin Stevenson Bryen Dunn, Mychol Scully, Julie Antoinette Regular features 17 PRIDE TORONTO WEEKEND GUIDE Our 2021 Pop Culture editorial continues You Get A Chance, about the adventure 27 Hot Artist: Run the Crown – Jon Pressick with a look at how Fashion has been of two cousins making a road trip to influenced by LGBT individuals Toronto Pride, written in tandem by Tom 31 Community Cornerstone: Friendsd For Life Bike Rally throughout the years. Aaron Rothermund Ryan and Robin Stevenson. Our Hot – Kelly Wilk provides a detailed look back to the early Artist feature is with Run The Crown, a 33 In the City – Sherry Sylvain work of Chanel, Dior, and YSL, to the queer fashion line based in Toronto that 35 From the Heart emerging talent of Valerie Steele, Nina breaks down the barriers of gender. With – Mychol Scully Spade, Pierre Davis, and Rory Pozzolo. Community Cornerstone, we get an update on the revised 2021 PWA/Friends for Life 38 Spring Horoscopes In our second feature, writer Melissa – Julie Antoinette Bike Rally, which will take place in three Cover Pop Culture: LGBTQ+ FASHION MacMullin takes a look at how the Concept & Creative Direction Antoine Elhashem different cities as separate two-day events. Cover SK Dyment fashion industry is adapting to sustainable practices, aiming to reduce the carbon Be sure to check our quarterly horoscopes, footprint of production. She chats with and our event listings which remain mostly some of Canada’s innovative leaders in virtual, compiled by our Events Editor, the profession, such as Symone Sheane, Sherry Sylvain. The always inspiringFrom Creative Founder of Boii, Rae Hill of The Heart column is written by Mychol Origami Customs, and Blaine Lunsford of Scully, our Creative Director, who also Prairie Honey Creative. designs this publication for us. A special thank you goes to our cover illustrator, As pandemic restrictions continue to SK Dyment, who once again has created loosen, our Travel feature spotlights a colourful depiction of our community. Published by Websites Kingston, Ontario and the www.inspiredmediainc.com Finally, be sure to check out our special INspired Media Inc. Gananoque/1000 Islands area as a Operating INspiredcreative (www.inspiredcreative.ca), and www.thepinkpagesdirectory.com Pride Supplement for a listing of activities publishers of The Pink Pages Directory, PinkPlayMags, theBUZZ, and www.pinkplaymags.com perfect weekend getaway, that’s both The Local Biz Magazine. to make everyone feel proud. www.thebuzzmag.ca historic, and hip. From top notch dining President ................................Antoine Elhashem We’d love to hear from you. Please send comments, questions or General Manager ................................Kim Dobie any other matters to [email protected] and accommodations, to an abundance Enjoy the read! Advertising Consultants ............ Carolyn Burtch, Darren Stehle For advertising inquiries Counsel ................................Jerry Herszkopf Law of outdoor pursuits, and LGBT-friendly [email protected] Bryen Dunn Notice INspired Media Inc., its divisions, publications, the editors, authors, photographers, salespersons, graphic and Mailing address production artists shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to monetary or events, make it your destination of emotional loss or damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, by the information or claims contained Editor-in-Chief 205-1691 Pickering Parkway, Pickering, ON L1V 5L9 in this Publication. discovery. Our Fiction piece is titled When Furthermore the opinions of the writers expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the [email protected] To contact us publishers. 416.926.9588 Toronto 905.231.9722 GTA Full copyrights reserved. Any copying of material in this publication in whole or in part is prohibited and legal action will be taken, unless authorized in writing by the publishers. 6 summerplay! 2021 Pop Culture: Fashion Pop Culture: Fashion summerplay! 2021 7 8 summerplay! 2021 Pop Culture: Fashion Pop Culture: Fashion summerplay! 2021 9 Balmain was a leading practitioner of the ‘New and re-introduced pants to women with his stylish French Style’, the ‘Jolie Madame Style.’ Balmain ultra-suede suit. believed, “dressmaking is the architecture of American designer and activist, Bill Blass designed movement,” and his designs are remembered for luxurious garments made from intricate fabrics and sophistication and elegance. bright colours. Blass was a favourite of the First Lady, When Spanish fashion designer, Cristóbal Nancy Reagan and was credited with bringing back Balenciaga removed the waist, and widened the the cocktail dress in 1975. In 1976, Willi Smith and shoulders on the female form, he sparked a fashion- his business partner, Laurie Mallet launched the evolution. In 1955, Balenciaga designed the tunic fresh fashion label Williwear. He was the youngest dress, which later developed into the chemise dress. designer to be nominated for a Coty Award, and used Other postwar contributions included the high- his intersectionality to boost streetwear in American LGBTQ2S+ waisted dress, the balloon skirt, and the no-seam mainstream culture, paving the way for other Black coat, crafted from a single piece of fabric. queer designers including Christopher John Rogers, LaQuan Smith, and James Flemons. “Fashion fades, style is eternal.” - Yves Saint Laurent - Although fashions and laws change, the LGBTQ2S+ Representation in community cemented many styles and statements, Around the same time, Christian Dior exploded including influences of disco, S&M, and modern onto the Paris fashion scene flaunting luxury during drag. When the HIV/AIDS crisis hit America in wartime restrictions. Inspired by Balmain, Dior 1981, it marked a turning point in queer culture, as created the popular ‘New Look,’ which highlighted Fashion countless cherished muses, designers, partners, and cinched waists, and rounded shoulders. After Dior’s By Aaron Rothermund clients fell ill, or died. Fashion brands began to create sudden death in October 1957, Yves Saint Laurent charitable foundations, and speak out, emphasizing became the head designer and introduced the trapeze that gay rights are human rights. For the LGBTQ2S+ community, Bryan Brummell was thought to be the pioneer of dress in his first collection. In 1961, Yves Saint the movement. “Beau” as he was called by the Prince Laurent launched his own label with his partner and In 1984, John Paul Gaultier reimagined masculinity style develops in response to of Wales, was ironically famous for not wearing frilly lover, Pierre Berge. Saint Laurent outfitted women with his line of controversial skirts for men and lace, powdered wigs, and high heels.