Sleek 65

For our first issue of the new decade, Sleek wanted to put the concept of glamour under the microscope. It feels normal now to see a glamorous woman in fake nails and fashion that doesn’t attempt to look ‘dressed down’ talk about grooming and current affairs, but a decade ago, it wasn’t a combination of characteristics that many mainstream fashion publications endorsed. If you were born in the mid-Eighties, there was a real feeling that dressing up and indulging in glamour made you frivolous – something that negated intellect. 

Over the last few years, behaviours have changed and a new generation has transformed its attitude to glamour: now, people see it as an attribute, a platform or just something to enjoy. To gain a greater understanding about this shift in perception Sleek selected a group of artists, photographers and writers to pick apart the theme of glamour.

Research:
— Multifaceted artist Victoria Sin on subverting Western standards of beauty with portraits by London-based photographer Nhu Xuan Hua.
— Painter, performer, musician and Balenciaga muse Eliza Douglas on navigating the divide between art and fashion.
— New York performance artist Narcissister discusses how her visceral stripteases challenge ideas around femininity, race and glamour.
— Clifford Prince King casts his lens on close friends to express tender moments of blackness, queerness and beauty.

Features:
— Ed Atkins reflects on his personal image, smartphone addiction and how to develop a resistance to go against the grain.
— Feminist film theorist and filmmaker Laura Mulvey who coined ‘the male gaze’ in 1973, discusses her new book tackling trends in women’s cinema.
— Hussein Chalayan on teaching sustainability measures of garment production to the next generation of designers.
— Poet and critically acclaimed author Jenny Zhang reflects on glamour through the lens of her girlhood.
— Ruth Ginika Ossai captures this season’s womenswear, shot in London and styled by Theo White, in Glamour Girls.

— Jamie-Maree Shipton of @airtomyearth styles beauty.

Dimensions: 225 × 295 mm / 8.8 × 11.6”
Language: English
Year: 2020
Publisher: Sleek