Charlee Fraser wears pieces by Ngarru MiimiPhoto: Sonny Vandevelde; Make-Up Director: Jennifer Horsley / MECCA; Hair Director: Richard Kavanagh / REDKEN; Creative Director: FNFD

Australian Fashion Week started in a way it never has before—with a Welcome to Country, a ceremony held by First Nations elders, welcoming guests to Gadigal land. For the first time, a smoking ceremony— with burning eucalyptus leaves and a traditional dance by the Muggera dance company—was accompanied by fashion, with three Indigenous models, all newly signed to IMG, wearing designs from First Nations labels.

Wearing a jumpsuit from Aarli, wearable art from Penny Evans, a Ngarru Miimi dress, and scarves from Rujaki designs, models encircled the smoking leaves—a powerful visual symbol that signaled the milestone moment of change this week could be, with fashion as the central medium.  

“What an incredibly important pivotal moment for us as a nation to recognize that the First Nations fashion industry existed before this moment. To understand that we are the beginning of the fabrication of the fashion industry, we have to recognize the past,” said curator of the clothes Grace Lillian Lee, an Indigenous artist and designer herself from Cairns and founder of newly established organization First Nations Fashion + Design (FNFD). The clothes won’t be shown just once: They are part of FNFD’s runway show of eight designers and will then live on in an exhibition at Sydney’s Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) exploring Australia’s cultural connections to eucalyptus, Eucalyptusdom, starting July 1.

The runway show is the first-ever all-Indigenous show on, to be followed by a second the day after by Indigenous Fashion Projects. They are not the only firsts. This year Fashion Week coincides with National Reconciliation Week, created to foster understanding and connection between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, and MAAS has just announced the appointment of its first-ever director of First Nations, Emily McDaniel.

Australia has never fully tapped the potency of its history in a fashion setting this way—all 60,000-plus years of it. Many participating in the week see the potential for the understanding of Australian fashion to change, which has only been driven further by a growing awareness thanks to movements like Black Lives Matter.

The finale of the First Nations Fashion Design show at Australian Fashion Week Photo: Getty Image

This season try textures, unexpected flourishes, and dramatic silhouettes.

Model: Mayowa Nicholas; Hair: Allie J For Bumble And Bumble; Makeup: Chiho Omae For M.A.C. Cosmetics; Production: Nathalie At Kranky Produktions; Prop Styling: Gerard Santos. 

One day, we’ll show off fits in real life again, even if it takes a little re-learning along the way. The Highsnobiety Summer Style Guide is here to help, ensuring that lightweight pieces still result in heavyweight looks.

Cities across the globe have passed the one-year mark since the first Corona lockdown. For many of us, those past 12 months have been spent largely indoors and in WFH footwear. Rotations have dealt out sandals, slippers, and, well, nothing at all. When we finally emerge back into the light of the real world this summer, shoe acclimatization might not come easy.

Enter — the advanced summer shoe.

Basically, it's a natural meeting point of WFH comfort and the world's continued obsession with hike-ready sneakers. Still slip-on and still laceless, advanced summer shoes offer you help up from the couch, preparing you for the real world by equipping Vibram soles, Contragrip, and beefed-up durability. Your ugg slipper is running scared.

From Diemme down to Salomon, we’ve picked out some favorites from the category we're calling advanced summer shoes. Labels clearly recognize the heightened requirement for this type of footwear, too, with a wide range of new hybrids on offer, featuring everything from clog/ sneaker marriages to no-back wellies.

Scroll and equip your advanced summer shoes. 

BEAMS x Keen Unseek SNK Sandal

Uneek SNK Sandal

Beams x Keen

A sock-like upper that hugs your forefoot. Exposed sides for maximum breathability. Climbing-inspired rope detailing that adds structure without the weight of a traditional upper. Toggle laces for easy adjusting. These are just some of the myriad reasons why the BEAMS x Keen Unseek SNK Sandal is one of the most advanced sneakers you’ll be able to get your hands on this summer.

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Diemme Maggiore Slides

Maggiore

Diemme

Diemme is an Italian label that specializes in mountaineering footwear. Here, Diemme sticks some outdoor prowess, namely a Vibram Fast Trail sole, on a step-in slide.

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Salomon x and Wander

Speedcross Sandals

Salomon x and Wander

If you haven't seen the latest Salomon x and Wander capsule, go check it. Alongside scuba-like sneakers and poncho raincoats were these fire Speedcross sandals. That sole means business.

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Rombaut Boccaccio 2 Clog

Boccaccio 2 Clog Bunny

Rombaut

Hands down one of the wildest clogs I've ever laid eyes on.

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Hunter Play-clog

Play Clogs

Hunter

How'd you make a welly summer-ready? Well, chop most of it off. That's exactly what welly expert Hunter did when coming up with its Playclog.

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adidas x HYKE AH-003 XTA Sandal 

AH-003 XTA Sandal

adidas x HYKE

Love everything adidas has done with Japanese label HYKE so far, and this season's releases live up to those expectations. Where are you going? 7-Eleven or the moon?

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Acne Studios Bolzter

Velcro Sneakers

Acne Studios

The Bolzter continues to be one of the best things Acne is putting out right now. This beautiful monster combines the best qualities of sneakers and sandals and is absolutely perfect for a summer spent enjoying new freedoms (hopefully).

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HOKA One One Hopara Sandals

Hopara

HOKA One One

It's a HOKA running sneaker, just not as you might know it.

Want to keep browsing? Head to the Highsnobiety Shop for more products that we love. Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase.

BETTMANNGETTY IMAGES

My salon helped to mold me into the woman I am today.

BY STARR SAVOY

The Black hair salon has always been a familiar place to me. After struggling to do my hair herself due to my tender-headedness, my mother took me to the beauty salon. I spent my first time at the salon in tears, screaming in agony as I got my hair braided. Hours later, I begged my Mom not to go back, but still, she took me every other Saturday. I would think of it as a “Mommy and Me” day—my brothers typically stayed home, and these outings were the few days a month I had my Mother all to myself—but I still didn't realize yet the vast impact that going to a Black salon would have on my life. 

We would spend roughly six to eight hours getting our hair shampooed and styled. My mother would get her usual short haircut with finger waves or spiked curls. I would get a press and curl until I was older and discovered a leave-out sew-in. Days at the salon were full of listening to “grown folk business,” watching countless Tyler Perry plays, and flipping through endless issues of Jet.

The salon was always filled with laughter, but sometimes people needed to cry it out, too—which always led to an outpouring of love. Throughout my 10 years going to that salon, I learned about forgiveness as I watched two older women reconcile and cry in each other's arms. I learned about giving back as I watched a first lady of nearby church purchase food for a homeless man, who stayed near the salon, after getting her hair done.

Living in a rural area in Kentucky, the Black salon was the only place where I would see successful women, outside of my Mother, who looked like me.

Living in a rural area in Kentucky, the Black salon was the only place where I would see successful women, outside of my Mother, who looked like me. I saw women soldiers, entrepreneurs, and professionals wearing suits with heels. Watching them inspired me to dream big about becoming a powerful woman, a woman who wears her confidence openly, is courageous and selfless, and able to withstand any obstacle. 

The hair salon taught me about beauty and fashion as well. I learned about skincare products as a Mary Kay representative sold me my first facial cleanser. I learned makeup tips and tricks as I watched a makeup artist perfect clients’ faces. I learned about fashion as I watched clients come and go with Michael Kors and Coach bags, which would of course turn into me begging my Mom for the same one later. The beauty salon became more than a place to get my hair done; it became my teacher.

A selfie from the day I went to hometown beauty salon and got stitched straight back feed in braids.

In 2016, I packed my bags and went off to college. While in school, I stopped going to the beauty salon as much. I quickly learned that getting your hair done is a luxury; as a college student without a job, going to the salon every two weeks wasn't something I could afford. I started embracing my natural hair. After endless failed attempts of twist-outs that resulted in a high puffs, not getting my hair done professionally took a toll on me. I went into a hair depression. 

So I started getting protective styles from a local braider, usually at their house. But even though my hair was styled and I felt more confident, I still missed the culture that the my home beauty salon provided. 

After graduating, I moved back home with my parents. I was due for a new hairstyle, so I scheduled an appointment with a beautician in my hometown. On the day of the appointment, I walked into a beauty shop that I have never been to before. The first thing I noticed was the beautician stations along the walls, nostalgic art paintings of Black salons, and older issues of Essence magazines on the coffee table.

As I sat there quietly, waiting to get my hair done, I watched another beautician straighten a young girl's hair. “Ouch,” she said as the heat from the flat iron burned her scalp. A flood of memories came rushing back. A few moments later, my beautician waved for me to sit in the chair. She draped a hair cape over me and began detangling my hair.

As I sat there deep in conversation, I felt the same way I had getting my hair done as a young girl.

Netflix's I Care was playing on the huge flat screen in front of the shop, which later sparked a conversation. I was still kind of quiet until I saw a familiar face—a long-time family friend who owned a barbershop in the back of the salon. I was filled with excitement to see someone I knew. We talked about how much I had grown up and old memories of my family. With the whole salon hearing our conversation, people began to chime in, saying, “Oh, that's your brother, I know them. I remember you when you were a baby.” In that instant, I felt at home. My shyness went away, and I began opening up more with the women in the salon. As I sat there deep in conversation, I felt the same way I had getting my hair done as a young girl. I felt at home. 

The salon always been sanctuary for Black women. A place where you are allowed to be vulnerable and share your frustration about your relationship, career, and the community. A place to take off your mask and relax without the fear of being judged. The Black salon is more than a salon; it is a place where you come in feeling weary and leave ready to tackle all the challenges the world is trying to throw at you. The community around the salon watched me grow up, made me feel protected and safe, and helped me become the woman I am today. The Black hair salon is my home.

Spearheaded by renowned architect Zena Howard, the open-air museum will highlight more than 200 years of activism in the city

When Zena Howard was just nine years old, she already knew she wanted to be an architect. Though she lacked the language to properly name her dream career, and people often conflated what she described with engineering, she knew what her dream was—and she made it come true. 

Today, Howard is arguably one of the most talented architects in the country—and one of only a handful of architects in the U.S. who are African American women. With more than 25 years of experience creating work designed to pay homage to Black history, which she calls “remembrance work,” Howard’s resume includes renowned projects such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., the Motown Museum expansion in Detroit, Michigan, and the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina.

This passion for creating pathways for underrepresented communities—particularly the Black community—translates seamlessly into the ethos and soul of Destination Crenshaw, a 1.3-mile-long open-air museum along Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.

Zena Howard and Los Angeles Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson. | Photo courtesy of Leroy Hamilton

Community investment

Crenshaw is a predominantly Black neighborhood in South Los Angeles. When construction began on a new Crenshaw/LAX Metro transit line, the extra noise and pollution was an unwelcome intrusion. “Destination Crenshaw was birthed from the community’s experiences with trying to find a creative way to address this metro line going through it,” says Howard. “It was a great notion for [people in the community] to view it as an opportunity to really celebrate their rich history and culture and heritage.”

When Black communities aspire to change infrastructure and create hubs for Black culture, they often experience pushback. Destination Crenshaw is fighting back against the gentrification and artistic erasure of Black art in Los Angeles. The one-of-a-kind project—spearheaded by Howard and her firm Perkins and Will—broke ground in February 2020, and is made to tell the soulful stories of the community. 

In addition to commissioning more than 100 public artworks from Black artists, Destination Crenshaw will also create a number of new jobs in construction, operations, and maintenance. More than 1,000 new trees and 30,000 square feet of green scaping will be added. In a city where many Black areas suffer from environmental racism—including food deserts, lead contamination, and heightened emissions—Destination Crenshaw is an unprecedented investment in the community.

Art and activism

Comprising both art and activism, Destination Crenshaw will include parks, trees, installations, paintings, and other art highlighting more than 200 years of activism in Los Angeles.

“We’ve mobilized so many different levers to tell these stories—from the architecture expressed in the shade structures and the design of the structural interventions, to the landscape architecture that pulls from an Afrocentric palette that represents the spirit of this neighborhood,” says Howard. 

She mentions that the architecture and interpretive walls are meant to tell stories aimed at reminding people—especially Black people—of where they have come from and where they are going. There will be a “massive display of about 10 very prominent artists that are all from that area,” Howard says. “There’s been a renaissance of African American artists over the past 10 years.”

Among other prominent Angelenos, local activist and musician Nipsey Hussle was an advocate for the project from its inception. Destination Crenshaw seeks to be a celebration of the late rapper’s life.

A better future

Growing up in Stockton in California’s Central Valley, a rural city with one of the highest crime rates in the U.S., I often dreamed of moving to a bigger city and living a better life. Yet, when I arrived in Los Angeles as an adult, I quickly learned that all places have their problems. A project like Destination Crenshaw feels like an amazing dream that Black children may dare to have but then eventually be forced to wake up from. It’s a place made for Black people by Black people. 

There are so many talented artists in the Black community—yet so few are given the nurturing and support that they deserve. Destination Crenshaw will not only inspire others to love the community they come from and fight stereotypes, but also to do everything they can to build and uplift those around them.

The community hub was originally scheduled to open in the spring of 2020, but construction was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are now starting that construction this fall,” Howard says.

Despite delays, it seems pretty clear that nothing is stopping the force of nature that is Destination Crenshaw.

By Danielle Broadway