Gypsy Sport was the most inclusive and socially conscious show I’ve ever attended during New York Fashion Week and here’s why:
Imagine a show where difference is not only celebrated, it is the essence of a collection. Gypsy Sport addressed poverty, homophobia, xenophobia and racism through their Fall 2017 Ready-To-Wear show. From albinism to discoloration to transsexuality and transgenderism, the casting was so diverse and inclusive that I felt empowered from the moment I set foot backstage. Often times it feels that a majority of castings are homogenous with a few token models of diversity, but no two models looked alike in this show and I loved it.
What’s also amazing about the casting is that some of the models are artists and use their platforms and celebrity to empower people like Mina Mahmood, better known as @bae.doe on Instagram. Other noteworthy models were Odalys Pena, 070 Shake, and Jazzelle Zanaughtti.
The look for the models was exaggerated and yet understated. The idea was “Urban Outdoors” and to reimagine a look as if someone didn’t have the luxuries of beauty care and sunscreen. The face included a strong brow, messy lip and a light sprinkle of freckles. The hair was literally over-the-top and voluminous almost to the point where it was a prop (which it was later in the show, like braids for twirling). We caught up with lead makeup artist and hair stylist to find out about the looks:
Fatima Thomas lead makeup artist for MAC Cosmetics:
Can you talk about today’s look?
The look for Gypsy Sport is Urban Outdoors and what that translates into is some freckles, a little sunburn across the top of the nose and top of the cheek and forehead and this really wild feral brow and this lip that’s kind of wild too. It’s a berry stain, but doesn’t respect the boundaries of the natural lip. Urban outdoors- If you don’t have shelter or if you don’t have grooming products, what can happen to your face.
What cosmetics are you using?
I’m using the Autumn/Winter trend eye pallet by MAC. I’m using two of the colors. This is called “Dijonay” and it’s this mustard color and I’m going to use this “wine list” as well, that’s going to be wrapped on the eye. I’m using a retro MAC color called “carnivorous” and the Kobuki color to stain the lip. One thing that’s interesting about these colors and worth noting is that these creams are sheer, but they’re also colors you sort of can find in skin naturally. You can find this dark color in veins and if the eye is irritated or a little bit tired. These are colors we can probably find in our skin when we don’t feel our best, but when you isolate those colors and look at them in a pallet, they’re really beautiful.
Laurent Philippon lead hair stylist
Can you talk about the inspiration behind today’s look?
Rio was maybe one of the first of this movement of individuality and gender boundaries. He spent a lot of time in Paris and was very touched by the immigrants and he understood that fashion can be a nice platform to send a message of love and that’s what he told me for inspiration. We’re still respecting a lot of the personality because there is so much personality in the casting. We’re working with dreadlocks and sometimes we’re making dreadlocks, sometimes we’re using existing dreadlocks, just doing shapes something that’s more like Japanese, manga yet meeting dreadlocks and then we’re doing some braids as well that’s kind of RnB kind of braids, but super exaggerated, below the knees. We’re using all of our products from Bumble and bumble, we’re using the Strong Hairspray for the beehives. For the curly hair we have the fabulous curly line. We’re also using Does-it-all, it is a very light hairspray.
[slideshow]Gypsy Sport Founder Rio Uribe prefaced his collection with a beautiful speech about the inspiration for the collection came from homelessness and the marginalized who deserve to be loved and accepted. The music for the show was courtesy of the wright family, who drummed away on buckets delving deeper into this street performing / homeless aesthetic, which could have been offensive, if it weren’t self-aware and reflective of the issue. The silhouettes and draping were inspired by refugee tents and the camouflage conjured images of returned war veterans, which Rio referenced in his speech as well. The collection featured classic camo as well as a more pop-art camo with a purple and white color pallet. Tye dye was heavily incorporated into several looks and as well as stitching and patchwork. While the individual looks did mimic authentic resourcefulness and the collection succeeded in raising awareness of the issue. Not only that, but in an interview with W Magazine, Uribe mentioned that they’re giving “part of our proceeds to the Bowery Mission,” which demonstrates his commitment to the cause.
You can check out most of Rio Uribe’s Speech below:
“The fall/winter 17 collection was inspired by people who live on the street and just don’t have fashion in their life or many of the luxuries we take for granted. When I started my collection a year I was in Paris and there were so many refugee villages and tent cities all over Paris. These outsiders were actually living on the outside and then I moved to Mexico for a couple months for production and it was the same thing – people living outside and then I moved again to Los Angeles where I made the collection and again the same thing, a lot of people living outside. There are people who do that by choice and are into it, but for the most part I want to take some responsibility and shed some light on something that I ignore too often and that maybe some of us ignore too often.
I don’t want today’s show to be a downer or anything, but it’s actually a celebration of life, a celebration of all the different types of people that are here. I don’t want anyone who’s gay or Muslim or disabled or mentally ill, or war veteran or drug addict or runaway to have to live on the street just because someone’s not willing to give them a chance. When you see the looks today and see all of the tent shapes and all of the other styles, I want you to take a second to think about the people who do live on the street and you don’t have to give everyone a dollar, but just remember you can smile at people and that helps a lot.
After speaking to a lot of homeless people outside I’ve learned so much about humanity and… I think for the most part we are actually loving people and want to help each other and live together in happiness. We don’t want to despise each other, but sometimes that’s what’s preached to us so for anyone that can hear me I just want to tell you don’t despair. There’s a huge cloud of hate that’s floating in the world right now and it’s passing over us and it’s a lot of men who are hateful and afraid of what we can actually do all together when we’re united and that hate, those men will die. Dictators die. Power dies and eventually it’ll come back to us, to the people. In the name of liberty let us use that as inspiration. Let us all unite together. Let us fight for a new world and a decent world that’ll give us a chance to shine. There’s plenty of room for all of us here. I’m sure we can make room for each other so please come together in celebration and let’s give it up to the wright family who will be joining us today.”
Photo Credit: WWD & Getty Images
