United Kingdom (London)
Fashion has always set out to be bold and original. But real creativity comes from new, different, underrepresented voices.
BRICKS is an independent, queer-led magazine that makes space for emerging talent. It cuts through the ‘Devil Wears Prada’ stereotype of gloss and glamour in the fashion industry, to show fashion through the eyes of marginalised people.
Its covers have included teen drag superstar Desmond is Amazing, transgender activist and model Munroe Bergdof and sex positive musician Brooke Candy; and the creatives and contributors included in its pages are interesting people that BRICKS’ founder, Tori West, met and became friends with during and since her Fashion Communications course at the University of West England. BRICKS’ monthly digital zine Voices interviews artists, authors and activists like transgender performer Travis Alabanza, BLM organiser Liza Bilal and fashion activist Tamsin Blanchard.
Rather than ‘the next must have’ fast fashion, BRICKS introduces us to biodesign (think, skirts made out of mould), the future of fashion (“I think there’s no doubt that we’ll always need clothes, but the question is do we need fashion?”), and initiatives to support emerging designers and avoid environmental apocalypse.
And in Issue 7, Rise Together, the magazine profiles nine young people under the age of 18 who are working together to build a better future – tackling issues from fashion to food. “It was one of my favourite ever cover stories,” says Tori, “because it focuses on collective action rather than self-serving activism”.
BRICKS also includes Self, Arts & Culture, Music and Politics sections, that explore topics including gender pronouns, mental health, the experience of being mixed race, and anti-racism.
Bio
Nature-geek, urban forager and all-round wordy sort. Freelance writer for organisations that care about the future. Often found reading while walking.
Project leader
Tori West, Founder
Partners
This project has been selected as part of FashionFutures, a new content channel that maps the work of people transforming the fashion sector: the designers, craftspeople, social innovators, educators, community leaders and communicators. Atlas of the Future is excited to partner with Makerversity, with the support of The J J Charitable Trust and their network of fashion friends.
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