#19 A/W 2018

Plastic Dreams #19

Open Minded02-03

On the Road04-61

Mindfulness62-63

How to Live Together?64-67

Open Vibes Girls68-73

Entranced Earth74-75

Fashion Unplugged76-77

Trans-formation78-83

Melting Pot84-87

Pure Luck88

direction Erika Palomino

editor Patrícia Favalle

coordination Rodolfo Beltrão

graphic project and art directing Gabriel Finotti

coordinationRodolfo Beltrão

design assistant Timothé Gourdin

revision Cícero Oliveira

translation Duda Trindade

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collaborators Alexia Von Igel, Ana Flávia, Ana Pinho, Ariel Bernardes, Bia Amaral, Bill Macintyre, Bruno Rezende, Carlos Rosa, Edson Luciano, Fátima Sosa, Gael Sonkin, George Krakowiak, Giuliana Mesquita, Grazih Oliveira, Heloisa Muniz, Hick Duarte, Jake Falchi, Laura Artigas, Lucas Rehnman, Mangaba, Melissa Baseman, Naelson De Castro, Niege Borges, Otávio Almeida, Paula Borghi, Pedro Pinho, Priscila Paciello, Robert Estevão, Silvia Nascimento, Victor Affaro, Vivi Bacco, Vivian Whiteman e Wesley Teodoro

2 ÖPĒN V ĬB£§

Know the basis of the winter 2018 theme of Melissa: a true invitation for us to face life in simplier and more affectionately manner

OPEN MIND

by ERIKA PALOMINO

3 Open Vibes is more than a collection. It is an invite to a change of attitude. This winter 2018 the idea is to uncomplicate. The theme is inspired in the (super) urgent necessity to reconnect, deaccelerate, and face it all more lightly. If out there, things seem confusing, in here we are at high spirits, open minds and warm hearts.

The I-ching, Chinese book that serves as a guide to interpret the world around us, explains the universe as being made of five types of energies, represented by natural elements that interact amongst themselves, in a constant cycle. They are: metal, water, wood, fire and earth. This flux is life. On this path to understand ourselves, and even try and relax, the proximity with nature is essential. The idea is not to drop everything off and live in the woods, but to manage a balance of natural versus urban, from the social and cultural related issues to this secular dispute. From the East, we are also inspired by the wisdom of the Japanese mentality of wabi-sabi, that cultivates the beauty of imperfection, the search for simplicity and essence - of things and living beings.

It is all there in the new collection Open Vibes winter 2018, that has a lot of comfort, of sporty, of a clean design, of defined lines, that also treats of a new femininity, while it approaches the genderless trend - products that reflect these questionings and its interactions.

On this path of discoveries and of the search for self-knowledge, so important for the construction of a better society for all, is the conscience of what we are and, mainly, of what we want to be. For that, the big deal is the way we relate, and making the experiences we live in a process as rich as diverse.

Alexia wears dress GIULIANA ROMANO t-shirt FOREVER 21Helô wears pants MINHA AVÓ TINHA jacket PAULA RAIAMelissa wears sweater ADIDAS dress HELÔISA FARIA

ON THETo show off the new ÖPĒN VĬB£§ collection, we traveled to the Atacama desert, in Chile, the perfect scenery to connect with the extraordinary force of nature

photo HICK DUARTEstyling GEORGE KRAKOWIAKbeauty ROBERT ESTEVÃOart direction GABRIEL FINOTTIcreative direction ERIKA PALOMINOexecutive producer MANGABAcoordination RODOLFO BELTRÃO

models ANA FLAVIA (FORD), ALEXIA VONIGEL (FORD),MELISSA BASEMAN (WAY), HELOÍSA MUNIZ (SQUAD),GAEL SONKIN (PRIME) e ARIEL BERNARDES (JOY)image retouch BRUNO REZENDEfashion producer BIA AMARALbeauty assistants CARLOS ROSA e OTÁVIO ALMEIDAphoto assistants EDSON LUCIANO E NAELSON DE CASTRO

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Alexia wears shorts ALCAÇUZ dress AIR MELISSA ESPADRILLE + JASON WU

Ana Flavia wears jacket MINHA AVÓ TINHA t-shirt B.LUXO skirt FROU FROU MELISSA BE II

Melissa wears skirt ADIDAS ORIGINALS blouse MINHA AVÓ TINHA jacket ZHOI bag MELISSA WALLET

Alexia wears dress GIULIANA ROMANO t-shirt FOREVER 21 MELISSA VIVIENNE WESTWOOD ANGLOMANIA + MELISSA DOLL

Melissa wears t-shirt B.LUXO skirt COVENMELISSA PREPPY

Ariel wears blouse A MULHER DO PADRE pants LEVI’S PARA FROU FROUMELISSA BILLY CREEPERS

Melissa wears body FILA x HAIGHT dress COVENMELISSA GIRL SANDAL + JASON WU

Helô wears full look MINHA AVÓ TINHA MELISSA CREATIVES WEARABLEand MELISSA POSSESSION

Melissa wears top AGUSTINA GUTIERREZ

Helô wears pants TOMMY HILFIGER blouse MODEM MELISSA CLASSY HIGH

Melissa wears pants DIANE VON FURSTENBERG belt ANOTHER PLACE top AGUSTINA GUTIERREZ MELISSA ENERGY

Gael wears jacket LEVI’S pants FARMMELISSA DESERT BOOT PHYTON + BAJA EAST

Helô wears blouse MINHA AVÓ TINHA skirt TOPSHOP MELISSA BEND

Ariel wears pants LEVI’SHelô wears blouse MINHA AVÓ TINHA skirt TOPSHOPMelissa wears shirt A MULHER DO PADRE skirt LETAGEGael wears blouse FOREVER 21 pants COTTON PROJECT

Alexia wears synthetic leather jacket B.LUXO Melissa wears blouse COVEN skirt ADIDAS ORIGINALS jacket ZHOIAna Flavia wears coat MINHA AVÓ TINHA shirt B.LUXO skirt FROU FROUHelô wears coat LACOSTE    Ariel wears blouse PRIMITIVE SKATEBOARD

Gael wears coat COTTON PROJECTMELISSA CREATIVES WEARABLE

Alexia wears coat HUMANS AND ALIENS boxer as shorts HUF MELISSA FULLNESS

Ana Flavia wears coat MINHA AVÓ TINHA MELISSA BACK PACK + THE CAMBRIDGE SATCHEL CO.

Helô wears coat PAULA RAIA pants MINHA AVÓ TINHAMELISSA ZEN

Ariel wears blouse A MULHER DO PADRE pants LEVI’S at FROU FROU

Melissa wears shorts ANORTHER PLACE blouse DEBORA MANGABEIRA coat MONCLER MELISSA MAR SANDAL

Helô wears dress B.LUXO MELISSA BILLY CREEPERS

Melissa wears blouse COVEN skirt ADIDAS ORIGINAL jacket ZHOI MELISSA BROGUE HIGH

Melissa wears blouse DEBORA MANGABEIRAshorts ANOTHER PLACE

Gael wears pants COTTON PROJECTshirt ACERVO

Helô wears coat HANGAR 33 skirt FROU FROU blouse MINHA AVÓ TINHA MELISSA VIVIENNE WESTWOOD ANGLOMANIA + MELISSA BRIGHTON SNEAKER

Melissa wears pants HELÔISA FARIA body COBE shirt MAZE SKATESHOPMELISSA SOUL

Alexia wears blouse DEBORA MANGABEIRA pants B.LUXO MELISSA PRANA

Ana Flavia wears body A MULHER DO PADRE and MELISSA + ASCORDINHAS

Ana Flavia wears body A MULHER DO PADRE shirt AMIR SLAMA pants LEVI’SMELISSA VIVIENNE WESTWOOD ANGLOMANIA + MELISSA FLOX

Helô wears sweater ELESSE skirt B.LUXOMELISSA FUSION

Melissa wears sweater ADIDAS ORIGINALS MELISSA CUTE BAG

Ana Flavia wears top FOREVER 21 coat BURBERRY skirt NOVO LOUVRE MELISSA BELIEVEMelissa wears sweater ADIDAS ORIGINALSdress HELÔISA FARIA

Alexia wears top TOP 21 pants ADIDAS ORIGINALS MELISSA IN THE FLOW

From the first hours of the day until the pink sunset, the sunlight works as a guiding thread for the trip, drawing moments and landscapes of volcanoes, lagoons and stones

Alexia wears top FOREVER 21coat BURBERRY

Melissa wears sweater ADIDAS ORIGINALSdress HELÔISA FARIA

Ana Flavia wears shirt MAX MARAtop FOREVER 21 pants ANOTHER PLACEMELISSA BELIEVE

Ana Flavia wears blouse B.LUXO

Helô wears shirt MAX MARAHelô wears shirt MAX MARA

Melissa wears jacket LUPO pants ADIDAS ORIGINALS MELISSA COMFY

Alexia wears skirt MINHA AVÓ TINHAbody FILA X HAIGHT MELISSA SHIFTAriel wears jacket LEVI’S pants LEVI’S

Gael wears pants COTTON PROJECT MELISSA ULITSA Ana wears skirt and blouse B.LUXO MELISSA ULITSA SNEAKERHelô wears body BEN_12345678910

Alexia wears body FILA X HAIGHTMelissa wears jacket LUPOAriel wears jacket LEVI’S

Helô wears blouse TOMMY HILFIGER pants FOREVER 21MELISSA ENERGY

Ana Flavia wears blouse HUMANS AND ALIENS skirt NOVO LOUVREMELISSA BELIEVE

Ana Flavia wears polo shirt MINHA AVÓ TINHA shorts OCKSAGael wears cape BEN_12345678910Helô wears body BEN_12345678910Melissa wears dress CAJÁ Alexia wears blouse MINHA AVÓ TINHA

*Some products may change color or may not be available for sale

Melissa wears dress CAJÁ

Protected by the stars, together with the fire, we live unforgettable experiences, pure emotion and good vibrations

Alexia wears blouse MINHA AVÓ TINHA

Who has never had the sensation of leaving the house and thinking: “How did I get here?”, or ordering your favorite dish in a restaurant and, when you come to it, the food is over, but the impression is like you didn’t eat it. These are some examples of situations where your body is present, but the mind scrambles to other preoccupation or distrac-tions, such as the smartphone. It is like we are living in auto pilot spending the hours of the day semi-conscious.

Unfortunately, this lack of attention to the pres-ent, to what we are doing at that moment reach-es more and more people of all ages. The good news is that a lot of health professionals that study the mind are developing techniques to awaken this total attention to the now, which is the case of the hyped mindfulness.

“The state of mindfulness, full attention, can be defined as a mental condition contrary to living unaware or always too reactive to the stressings of everyday. The main methodolo-gies for the development of this practice are exercises derived from some meditative actions that use the body itself (breathing and body sensations) as anchors to train attention”, explains Malu Favarato, who is taking her masters in Collective Health at Unifesp, and

is responsible for the Clinical Evaluation Nucleus at Centro Mente Aberta - Mindfulness Brasil.

The activity got to Brazil in 2015, and there are several initiatives to lead mindfulness to SUS’ patients (the governmental health system’s patients), who have less financial conditions to go to study centers. “In Brazil, the concept was brought by pioneers that studied abroad. It is us, psychologists, who started to insert the practices in the public health Brazilian system”, explains Daniela Sopezki, the first Brazilian to get certified in the Breathworks method - an English mindfulness school. She is also a Doctor in Collective Health from Unifesp.

But is mindfulness for everyone? No. In extreme cases of anxiety and depression, the procedure is not indicated. Malu, from the Mente Aberta center, explains: “It is important to pay special attention in the case of patients with intense and acute symptoms, or in special conditions, like with people with schizophrenia. In this cases, the recommendation is for the follow up with a health professional, besides a certified and competent Mindfulness teacher. ”

According to specialists, the vantage of living in the present in an intense way is the minimal irritation with the problems that cause the

text SILVIA NASCIMENTO

62 MINDFULNESS :typical everyday nuisances, like traffic, a inharmonious professional environment, family troubles and a turbulent academic life. The sensation is of a more sustainable wellness state, with psychological (more re-silience, positive attitude, functional decision making) and physical reflexes (minor harmful stress effects in our vital functions, such as in imuno and inflammatory responses).

IT IS NOT MEDITATION

The full attention practices have no religious background and can’t be defined as meditation, warns Daniela Sopeski. “Midnfulness is not meditation. It is an apprenticeship that can happen absolutely whenever. It is the conscience of being present in the moment - but in which moment? Any of them! Every time is an opportunity to be mindful”.

The excesses of the use of technology also has been causing damage to people’s per-ception. When going to sleep, during meals or driving, the cellphone has been replacing the focus on the real present for digital en-tertainment, and this is considered a fugue resource for those trying to escape reality. Tech isn’t the enemy, the important thing is to know who controls who.

“Mindfulness helps in the first moment of this conscience taking: do I use technology useful-ly and consciously? What is it bringing to my life? The practitioners notice the pure autom-atisms, like taking out the cellphone without conscious intention, the phobia of being with-out battery, the unquietness of spending hours unplugged. They also start to dialogue, to in-teract in social media and with the resources in an optimal manner, appropriating this tool, for it to aggregate something that is truly need-ed and not what the distracted and used mind says we need”, finishes Daniela.

illustrations LUCAS REHNMAN

bring your mind to the now

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64 HOW TO LIVE TOGETHER?

The exodus to smaller cities and community villages is getting more and more common – an alternative lifestyle that began in the 1970s and gains new forms to attract millenials

1. Rita Retz in front of her house-atelier in Botucatu, folowed by images of the building’s interiors

Two small humming birds get filled with glee with the landing of their mother in the nest near a small lake watched over by dragonflies. A jabuticaba tree exhibits numerous fruits and attracts collarless dogs running through a fenceless space. The cars on the dirt road are heard in between long whiles. In this bucolic scenery, a designer connects her cell-phone to the internet and does business through email.

Two years ago, Rita Retz moved to the neighborhood of Demétria, at 13 km to the center of Botucatu, in inner São Paulo. After a season in the capital to study the visual arts, she decided to put together her home-atelier where she was born and raised. “Here I can con-centrate better to create and I’m close to my family”, she mentions. Rita is part of the first generation of people stablished in the place founded by Dutchmen in the end of the 1970s. “When I went to São Paulo, I though everybody was good”, she remembers, laughing.

A hippie vibe can still be felt in the neighborhood, but quietly. “Maybe that happens on account of the sense of collectivity, of the proximity and the respect for nature. Every time someone is going to the city, for example, they send a message to the WhatsApp group of inhabitants just to offer a ride”, she justifies. In the green area of the neigh-borhood you can find houses of bold architecture, wifi networks and a branch of the stablished pedagogical Waldorf school, that attracts students of all so-cial stances, including from outside the urban perimeter. The designer appre-ciates the chance to live between the country and the city: “They are comple-mentary worlds”, she reflects. In Rita’s case, the DNA for a tranquil life came from birth, but this tendency is at a high among those who rethink the frenetic lifestyle of the big metropolis.

There are those who incorporate the healthy and ethical habits towards so-ciety and nature even while living in big cities, but there are those who risk an

even more radical change, like that of Fernanda Hari who, at 26, with a gradu-ate degree in Administration, left for the ecovillage Osho Rachana, at the city of Viamão, 16 km from Porto Alegre. “I was brought up to be competitive, to guaran-tee my living”, she says.

It all started to change when she became interested in meditation and, four years ago, began to prefer travel destinies in which she could be closer to the envi-ronment. At this moment, she faces the new living as an apprenticeship. “I didn’t schedule a going back date. There is a side of me that says I won’t be here forever. That might change. I’m experi-menting a new way to live”, she explains.

There, she works in the community (of over 70 inhabitants) and promotes courses and livings. However, she warns that the most attractive point in this lifestyle is the relationship with people. “Here there isn’t much space to live a character - they see you all the time”, she warns.

The biologist from Rio Diogo Alvim questioned himself about moving over a decade ago. “Is there just one way to lead life? Do you have to graduate in a profession, find a job, plan a family and work hard to keep the standards?”. For him, the answer was no! And then, the alternative was to employ friends and found the ecovillage Terra Una, in small Liberdade, in Minas Gerais.

In his routine, Diogo splits himself between the career of teaching at the local school and the village activities. “It is an experience that is been going alright, but we’ve been through many phases”, he confesses.

In the address co-live 16 inhabitants, that live both in individual and collec-tive houses. Even though the image of the redemption of urban life figures in the contact with nature, he debunks the cliche citing American author Diane Leaf, writer of the book “Creating a Life Together”: “Life initiatives in communi-ties usually end before three years. The

secret to longevity is the collective commitment”, he punctuates.

If in small scale it is already hard to share, imagine in a commercial center. Urbanists from all around the world are already testing viable solutions. One of the most visible theories at the moment is the “New Urbanism”. “We start to no-tice a common interest for changes, and what tends to happen”, pointed out the architect Peter Calthorpe during his TED Talk. Among the proposed resolutions by the group is the idea is to remake the rural areas in the margins of the cities, and, then, re-approximate nature and the urban environment by bringing the food producers closer to people and build joint areas in which commerce, service and residency mix, prioritizing walking or biking, reducing pollution and offering more human contact. “The way we build cities demonstrates what kind of humanity we want to be”.

The former advertiser, and now project facilitator Nathalia Manso, 30, enlarges the specialists choir. “I’ve been trying to change my lifestyle. Reduce consum-erism and prioritize organic food grown closeby. When you eat better, you spend less money and produce less trash. Oh! I also produce my own deodorant”, she says. She is also part of the group that opts to share a house with more peo-ple - Nathalia shares her home with two friends. “There are even families with children that choose to share their residencies. The old student houses are a reality for the contemporary adult life”.

In the end, the directives to bypass the problems of using collective spaces will be found though experience and a lot of availability to co-live. After all, as archi-tect Paulo Mendes da Rocha said: “We built a city so we could talk”.

2. Rita Retz during work at her house-atelier

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These are women that got into the spotlight thanks to their own life projects. Averse to differences, that often determine social patterns, Juliana Luna, Bruna Arcangelo, Eliane Medeiros, Talitha Barros, Amanda Rhara and Nina Weingrill bet in an unorthodox style - with plenty of personality and good vibes - to conquer a voice among the “ordinary ones”. The result may be seen in the success this team imprints everywhere: from wearing afro-turbans as part of building up self-esteem to the journalism diffused by children and teenagers in the outskirts of São Paulo, through the study of flavors and cultures that gather up a multitude of followers.

SILVIA NASCIMENTOANA PINHO

LAURA ARTIGAS

NIEGE BORGES

ÖPĒN VĬB£§GIRLS

by Silvia Nascimento

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69 JULIANA LUNA

She is one of the most influent Brazilians on Instagram, consults for brands that want to know more about black culture and travels a lot. Juliana Luna has no attachment to material stuff, at least, not like before. “The spiritual values freed me from consumerism. Now I stop and think about what I really have to have. In my body, there is only a manifestation that my spirit has already felt, that was already processed in my emotions; if I didn’t take care of it, there is a direct effect in my physical body”, ex-plains the cultural ambassador, who teaches women to wear turbans, and also cared for the refugee team during the Brazilian Olympics. “It is im-portant to be present in ourselves, because it is possible to see when some-thing is not balancing out in our spirit. Being spiritual is being human.”

Ease in the inner gaze

by Laura Artigas

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70 BRUNA ARCANGELO

For three years, Bruna Arcangelo Toledo changed her life radically. She dropped off of her job as a clothing designer and gained the world with her camera. “I started with registers of my quotidian as a curiosity. One day, I threw it all in the video editing program and, when I came to it, I had spent seven hours working”, she recalls. The epiphany, added to the insatisfaction with life restricted to four walls, lead her to spend her savings in trips and beat her shyness to make her videos available. The choice came with a price: “Learn to live with instability”, she warns. From fashion, she brought her acute aesthetic sense, and today she is one of the great bets of the cable channel OFF. After a journey through Australia, Bruna already draws her next destinies - Ethiopia, Hawaii and Cape Verde.

The world is yours

by Ana Pinho

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71 ELIANE MEDEIROS

Sense and sensibility“We are looking for someone with your profile”. For Eliane Medeiros, the message from an agency from São Paulo was a surprise. From Tocantins and living in Goiânia, the model - who is also a music expert and studies art direction -, she had never seen a Brazilian fashion campaign with someone with vitiligo. She accepted the invitation and, in 2016, she became the star of an astounding success. Her photos went viral and got compliments from the public. “People look for every little thing to point out that you aren’t standard”, explains Eliane. “But we are in a period of breaking paradigms and making social transforma-tions - and my weapon is just my image”, she finishes.

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72 TALITHA BARROS

In 1999, Talitha Barros took a chance during a university strike to help a sushiman. The decision changed her life. “I felt I wanted to be a cook and never changed my mind.” She was a French and Italian cooking chef before opening her own place, Conceição Discos, in 2014. “One day I asked myself what really represented me. I gazed at the city to understand myself later”, she says. She studied the roots of São Pau-lo, such as immigrant plantations, to create a menu based on history - there are innards, sausage, condensed milk pudding –, and a place that offers a new relation to it. “I get emotional when I see people on the steps on the street and with food on their lap. People from São Paulo aren’t all that serious”, she laughs.

The boss

by Laura Artigas73 ÉNÓIS

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Amanda Rhara and Nina Weingrill believe in communication as a transformative agent. In 2009 they opened Énóis, a journalism school for youngsters from 16 to 18 years old, preferentially from the hood. The project already has 500 alumni whose ideas can be found in big media outlets. The book “Prato Firmeza” (Cool Dish), a gastronomical guide of the hoods of São Paulo, created by the school, was nominated for the Jabuti Award (the most important of the editorial market) in the gastronomical category. “It was one of the students that insisted on writing it”, recalls Amanda. The school now intends on diffusing their methods. “Because journalism makes you have conscience of the things you don’t know”, point out the duo.

Straight from the hood

porAnthropology and the visual arts: the perception of what surrounds us through a more sensible gaze

PAULA BORGHI

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Other natures, other cultures, new ways to look at the world and live in peace

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EARTH1. Ganimedes, 2016, Zé Carlos Garcia

2. Pássaro, 2010, Zé Carlos Garcia

3. Alísio, 2012, Zé Carlos Garcia

4. Rubber sitck used in Exaustas, Marcone Moreira

5. Wooden stick used in Exaustas, Marcone Moreira

To talk of things that surround us with a gaze that looks to understand what is natural can take us to automatically see its opposite, meaning what is artificial. Why not, then, broaden this spectrum and think nature in opposition to culture? In a conference in Paris, in 2007, and recently published in “Other natures, other cultures”, (34 Editor, 2016), the French anthropologist Philippe Descola questions how man organizes the world through the difference from that which is natural and that which is cultural.

If on a first moment we can understand nature as all that exists in the world without intervention from the human hand (oceans, mountains, forests…), culture is all that is affected by it (artworks, laws, tools, cities, languages…). In another moment, it is possible to observe that much of what surrounds us is natural and cultural at the same time.

For example, the wooden club used in the artwork “Exaustas” (Extenuated), by Marcone Moreira, is a natural object, a thin wooden stick found in the woods in Maranhão. This piece of wood, however, is a club used by women there to extract the seed of the babaçu; it exerts, then, a technical activity, and, therefore, cultural. In this case, the object isn’t only characterized as cultural for being an artwork, because before being seen as an artwork, it already had a cultural function for being a work tool.

Going beyond, Descola incited this idea of the Western man as protagonist of culture, questioning the parameters that define human (us) and non-human (plants, animals and objects). According to his experience as ethnographer with the indigenous Achuar people, in the Equatorial Amazon, and, after, as an anthropologist comparing indigenous people from other continents, the

scholar criticizes our way of treating animals and plants as non-human, meaning, non-creators of culture.

Giving an example, a series of studies on indigenous people that understand plants and animals as people or subjects, the French anthropologist presents us to humanity through its essence, and not in virtue of physical aspects. According to the author, for the Cri (indigenous to the North of Québec, Canada), the difference between animals and humans is a mere issue of appearance, an illusion of the senses based on the fact that the bodies of the latter are a kind of fantasy, which they dress when humans are around, to deceive them about their true nature.

In parallel, we can think of the piece “Cabeça de Porco” (Pig’s Head), by Zé Carlos Garcia, in which a pig’s head is operated on by the artist through a surgical-sculptoric process that turns the porcine features into human. A contemplative object, that is also served to the public as food, a work of art that invites us to reflect on what exactly is human, because by eating the pig’s head we are eating its image/idea of a human head.

In this sense, Garcia, through the visual arts, and Descola, with anthropology, incite us to rethink our way of conceiving the relation of humans with animals and plants, our place as the only ones capable of creating culture - they propose we look at nature not only as a source of resources we can take advantage of, but that, for being human and creators of culture, we realize we are connected to it.

We are motivated to see the “soul” of nature and stop treating the world as merely a source of richness and look for new ways of living together.

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FOR A MORE UNPLUGGED FASHION

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In a moment of tension and paranoia rising to hostility, fashion proposes a truce. Not to stifle or hide the obvious, but for a necessary relaxation moment. In truth, it is more than that; a truce that asks to be followed by a change of perspective is in the air.

The creative moments of some brands and designers, and legitimate askings of a certain young public pave the way. Unwind from some visual commandments and bonds, broaden the spectrum of identity and search for healthier, non-destructive identity expressions are on board.

The idea is that this distance from the gel battle of opinions, even if not permanent, will make us look at life in another way, seeing what can, in fact, proportionate happy, relaxed moments. In these situations, clothing can’t oppress or repress; it’s got to participate.Trends born from punk, in the “fuck fashion” vibe, make a special return. The anxiety about labels, body and

clothing standards are out, giving way for a more unpretentious fun. Comfort, a very particular styling and the valuing of already existent pieces are the central ideas in this movement.

The aesthetic codes, of course, are part of a broader scenario, that has been fed and in- habited by discussions connected to real life and the aspirations and problems of the youngsters and their crowds. Changes on the gaze on gender, status, mental health, virtual vices, bullying and community are everyday on our brains and hands, connected both to the net and to our everyday affectionate connections. Peripheral thrift shops, local micro-brands, actions between friends and other alternative formats complete the scene and write new histories.

Among brands of the high-fashion circuit, boho is still one of the styles that connects the most with issues like detachment, specially since

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VIVIAN WHITEMANbyTrends now include meditation, female symbology and the boho aesthetic

it’s directly linked to the hippie movement. Chloé is a brand that has been making its business based on this aesthetic. The arrival of its current designer, Natasha Ramsey-Levi, shot up the new in the brand repertoire, without changing its focus. In the most plastic version, it reminds us of the festival-chic looks. In a more ample way, it embodies a certain “no worries”, that connects to other aspects of the current moment.

If you put on boots, they can take on roadbeds and mud as if they were made for walking. Maybe outside, maybe on a big trip inside, a self-acknowledgement trip. In a way, the Summer collection of the brand J.W. Anderson is all about that. Themes such as “mindfulness”, the re-connection to values of human reference and the need to be out of the rut, the stress and the media chaos are in the designer’s speech. In São Paulo, Paula Raia also echoes the need to slow down, and looks for roots in certain

sacred aspects that historically, socially or intuitively have been connected to femininity.

For women, the issue of body freedom has been bringing down oppressive patterns and leaving everyone more comfortable. Bikinis and lingerie for all types of bodies, new plus size brands of varied style, campaigns with a diverse casting. The flux grows, and the market can’t turn back in front of strong demands.

Even the reign of “contour” and heavy make up, at least those dedicated to covering up all and every natural mark, are outdated. Make up gain vibes of fun and expression, it becomes less bureaucratic and more given to colors, shiny textures and creativity.

To breathe is necessary. An to unwind a bit from the looks of the day and of the run for it-pieces, it-bodies and it-fake lives also doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

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The gender discussion has been gaining space in our realities, and the industries of fashion and art have been shown to be more inclusive. Here are some stories of people reflecting of being and resisting

Brazil has been opening space, advancing in the cause and starting discussions that used to be taboo and top secret. On the top of the list of countries that kill more transsexuals in the world, here, fashion and art may be seen as allies.

“El Día Que Me Quieras” was the name chosen for Ronaldo Fraga’s collection that, in October of 2016, put 28 trans women on stage at the São Pedro Theater at São Paulo Fashion Week. The same name baptized Ney Galvão’s shop, where the designer created a space of resis-tance against prejudice in the countryside of Bahia in the 1970s.

In the beginning of 2017, Casa Um was inau-gurated, a space to offer safe harbor for young LGBTQ+ that were thrown out of home by their families, though out by Iran Giusti. There, fash-ion is seen like a personal expression and run-ways and workshops for training in the sector take place.

Also in February of 2017, the Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio was the first transsexual to be on the cover of Vogue Paris, a few months after being on the cover and on the main spread of Elle Brazil and being one of the stars of the collection Fly Grl, by Melissa. Following her

lead, at 21, the beautiful Marcela Thomé (see the pages ahead) stood out on the runways of an important beach wear brand, Lenny Niemey-er, from Rio, in August of 2017. Alexandre Her-chcovitch, both in his homonymous brand and at À La Garçonne, always threaded the subject naturally since his début.

One of the changes so far include the agency Squad, that takes on models off the current standards and defies them. Alina Dörzbacher is one of those names. From Rio Brilhante, Mato Grosso, she came to São Paulo to find hap-piness - and she did. Renata Bastos is a per-former and one of the legends of the São Paulo nights. By day, she is a press assistant, proving it is possible to trail two distinct paths. On her turn, the actress at Teatro Oficina Wallace Ruy also shines on screen on the series “Call Me Bruna” (“Me Chama de Bruna”), that narrates the life of Bruna Surfistinha. In 2018, Canal Brasil will air the mini-series “All Forms of Love” (“Toda Forma de Amor”). Gael Badaró was also discovered by Squad when he was still on his publicity producer career. He caught (the wel-comed) boom of trans visibility at fashion and has been on many campaigns. He says he feels free and no longer labeled as a trans man, but seen as a human being. The times - thank God! - are changing. And we want more.

TRANS-FORMATION

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“The gaze over the world is profoundly true. I feel very enriched by my trajectory, and seeing where I am now makes me satisfied. I cried a lot to be here. I learned to be happy to keep myself alive”

“The transformation in loving and existing. I am my own desire, the will to exist, to love, to be seen and respected. Magic that does come true. When we discover ourselves as trans, the first magic happens inside and we bring it to the real world. We build our castles not with sand, but with life and love”

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“I fought with the mirror for a good while in my life. Until I knew me. Since I was little, I saw I was different. But I didn’t know why. Time passes... I found myself in a soul that didn’t fit my body. The change was necessary for me to feel complete. Being complete is priceless”

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“Only anthropophagy unites us, feeding of each other, of that which is dif-ferent or beyond me. With all the pleasures and sorrows, my life is, and always will be, real and honest. I don’t lack the courage to be how many I want to be, and, sometimes, I even forget the order of things. Never losing the gift to find new possibilities, wounded and healed by my ignorant and brilliant courage to live, (re)exist and be the main character of my own story”

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“Gradually I began to let go of my career for not feeling well with my body. Today, after a year in hormones, I feel totally free to be who I truly am. I am no longer labeled a “trans man”, but, as I always wanted, I’m a human being. I think it is extremely important to have the knowledge that we are all equal. Genitals do not define gender”

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MELTING POT

In Brazil we have a foot in the sacred and another in the profane - and it

is from this mix of believes and love that faith comes from around here

text SILVIA NASCIMENTO

My aunt Doracy has a beautiful altar right in front of her house. As soon as the visitor gets in, it is impossible for that corner not to be the first thing noticed in the room of blue walls. A huge painting with Yemanja’s pale image, with long hair, Monalisa’s style, is the background for a table where there is a Buda; a sculpture of Our Lady of Aparecida; a Bible (with the flyer from the last mass usually used as page-marker); a bunch of arruda leaves; some belongings of relatives who have passed away; a Seicho-No-Ie calendar on a old preto-velho statue; some candy for the erê (child spirits worshiped in the African-Brazilian religions); a bit of oil brought from an evangelical cult by the neighbor and a glass of water.

Brazil reflects in its spirituality all of these cultural aspects, of a country with different ethnical groups sharing the same territory. It is part of being Brazilian to respect the faith of the other and even to incorporate it - temporarily of definitely. This is not an eccentricity of my aunt Dora; who has never heard of an atheist turned spiritist when sick, of an evangelical who did a charm to heal a child, of the candomblé adept who does Buddhist meditation?

If nature is a conductive path for something bigger, like spirituality, Brazil is truly blessed, as Gilberto Gil says. And the natural richness of the country present proprieties of millennia-old cures through leaves, water and minerals. From

this recipe there also arose other doctrines practiced by those who mix Christianity and paganism or catch a ride on the African cults with an Indigenous vibe.

When we talk of Brazil’s native people, those who were here before the others, our imagination remits us to the charms of the forests, to the dance trance and, more recently, to the use of Ayahuasca tea by the adepts of Santo Daime (that has also been used as a treatment against drug addiction and severe depression). The drink served in coffee pots by elders in white ornamented clothes is a mixture of Amazon plants, used in shamanic rituals in the regions of Acre, Peru and Equador. There would be prejudice to rule out the scientific character and knowledge of the healers from the woods, but magic is there.

Those who travels to the beach to commemorate the end of the year always ends up seeing the Umbanda and Candomblé rituals. The offerings to Yemanja, queen of the sea, are as traditional as the fireworks. The African side of our spirituality, the axé (peace - present even in the grey and brutalist São Paulo), carries elements of diverse cultures in its ceremonials, also filled with food, dance and incorporated people speaking tongues we hardly understand.

Happy are those who know of the abundance of the myths of the Orixas, with narratives and characters worthy of a Hollywood movie. Knowing your patron saint is almost as interesting as knowing details on your sign and understanding your horoscope. The orixa that reigns over you has colors, favorite flavors, a day of the week better for business or love, and archetypals very much compatible with their sons. In my case, I’m guided by Oxum. I have a more maternal side, like beauty, love to cook… I have in me many of her characteristics - that are that of a female Orixa, with the difference that I’m not a fan of the golden color.

People who “incorporate the saint” always fascinated me - my mother is one of them. The medium incorporation is the sum of a part of magnetic energy around us and that divinities also possess. The guides are illustrious ancestors, that even from “the other side”, show themselves as caring to those who are still around.

Back to my aunt Doracy, I think it important to speak of Kardecism, a spiritual precept that dialogues best with religions that believe in the after-life. A piece of clothing from my passed grandmother is always with my aunt when she misses her. It is the belief that death is only a change in planes. Tradicional Kardecists use only prayer to get closer to “spiritual friends”, but there are other philosophies that aggregate the use of water, of candles and of chromotherapy for treating and healing bodily or soulful illnesses.

The rituals are activities that please Brazilians because they make the religious activities, in a sensorial field, more complete than praying. Being it through Wicca, Candomblé, Umbanda, in the Indigenous tradition or in meditation, it is part of us to trust a little in that which is invisible. We are a people of a lot of faith and we like that which we cannot explain. As says Father Logunwa, with whom I take consults when psychoanalysis doesn’t resolve my internal chaos: “There is no recipe for the perfect ritual. If you offered eight roses instead of twelve, it doesn’t matter, as long as your faith is sincere. That is what the other side wants to see, your truth”.

collages GABRIEL FINOTTI

My story with Melissa started in my teenage years, when I fell in love with my first pair, a Magic. It was love at first sight! When I started to see the details of every collection, I realized there was a different connection! My love for Melissa isn’t only about the number of pairs that I have (or how beautiful they are). It is in the good things they have brought me, moments only other Melissa aficionado understand. By the way, Melissa aficionados are crazy, right?

I have a little thing called luck, and it brings me unforgettable moments. In one of those, I went to São Paulo to visit the Melissa Gallery along with a lot of friends super into this giant Real Plastic tribe. It was a unique sensation, butterflies in my stomach from beginning to end.

What a place! One of the most fabulous locations I’ve ever been to. In this specific day, I was wearing the Be model, which is the absolute most comfortable one, besides being cute (I love it the same way I do the Beach Slide, OK?). Melissa for me is this: it is love, it is dream, it is surprise. How many times have we heard, and, certainly, said: “Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it buys you a nice pair of Melissas!”?

And it all began in a casual encounter. What I didn’t know was how much that would be determinant in my life. If I could create my own Melissa, it would have to have a super-empowered vibe, with something that relates to the feminine universe, with this cool surreal color theme.

I want to learn more and more about Melissa, find out what other Galleries around the world are up to, talk to people who feel this passionate and broaden the legacy! In 2018, I wish to connect to all of that which brings good vibes into my heart, after all, I have the best friendships thanks to the brand. So, gang, never stop believing! @olhosverdesue

PURE LUCKGrazih Oliveira is 22, from Pernambuco, a student of Social Services, a blogger in love with music, photography, books, movies and, most of all, with Melissa

by GRAZIH OLIVEIRA illustrationNiege Borges

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