ISSUE 007
DECOLONIZING OUR ASPIRATIONS
END OF YEAR REFLECTIONS & LOOKING AHEAD
originally released 30 December 2020
In some ways it feels like January 2020 could have been yesterday - without traveling, celebrating special occasions, and seeing friends, it doesn't really seem like much has happened. And yet, it simultaneously feels like the world has changed dramatically. It seems surreal that we've lived through nearly a year of a pandemic, more than six months of a mass sociocultural reckoning, and a neverending election. A year ago, I had no concept or ambition to build a space like REVISIONARY. I had always taken the approach "creating change from inside (the industry)." This year, I recognized that the "inside out" approach hasn't really been working that well. The systems of racism and bias are too deeply entrenched to effectively dismantle from within.
Perhaps most telling is the fact that most brands have made no real changes in the aftermath of being called out in June. In a cutting "how it started versus how it's going" meme, Diet Prada takes specific note of Anthropologie to expose how brands' solidarity statements were entirely performative. And while I unfortunately can't access this WWD article, the headlines are enough to confirm that this superficiality is an industry-wide assessment: "This year's leading activists in fashion say performative activism may have won out over real progress on diversity." These companies are treating racial equity like a fashion trend - hoping that we'll get bored and become disengaged after a few months. I hope they're wrong. Speaking on this topic in The Guardian, Kim Jenkins argues, "racism and discrimination aren't something that dissolves once you tire of it, or once it's out of the headlines. I am waiting to see what evolves over the course of 2021 and 2022...I remain optimistic because companies should know that they will lose oxygen and relevance if they still can't grasp cultural intelligence.”
Looking forward towards 2021, this Fashionista piece is a great read, compiling responses from more than 30 fashion and beauty industry professionals on what they're seeking in the new year. One of my favorites was a quote from Samhita Mukhopadhyay (Teen Vogue), who shared hope that in 2021, "we truly live the lessons we learned in 2020." This sentiment is echoed by Callia Hargrove (Backstory), who also shared disappointment that some of the energy for creating change in the industry seems to have died down, and hopes that momentum towards building more equitable spaces will resurge in the new year.
When it comes to REVISIONARY, I'm excited to explore a lot of new ideas in 2020, from continuing grow and nurture this community, to experimenting with ways to build out the website shopping experience. The Holiday Shopping Guide was a fun first trial, and I'd love to know what you thought about it and whether it was useful to you. Please feel free to email me with any quick thoughts, and/or let me know if you'd be willing to chat about it sometime next week! In the meantime, Happy New Year!
Here are a few of my favorite items in the Holiday Shopping Guide, from brands that we haven't featured before:
Latasha Lamar is a sustainable jewelry line handcrafted in Brooklyn, New York. The brand's founder, Latasha, finds inspiration in the beautiful imperfections of nature, and strives to infuse this spirit into her work through free form shapes and uneven textures. Her creations are composed of ethically sourced gemstones, recycled sterling silver, 10K and 14K gold.
Use the code REVISIONARY25 for 25% off of any products at Latasha Lamar including our favorite Adella Ring, featured in the Holiday Shopping Guide.
The Qi offers beautiful teas that tap into the vital energy and healing power of whole flowering herbs. Founder Lisa Li was inspired by the herbal teas she drank with her grandmother as a child - she later reconnected with whole flower herbs as an adult, gaining a greater understanding of their holistic health benefits and energetic value.
Use the code RITUAL15 for 15% off of the Daily Ritual Set, featured in the Holiday Shopping Guide - or shop the entire collection and use NEW YEAR to get $20 off of a total order of $100.
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