Actions Panel
Book Talk: The Power of Style with Christian Allaire
This event is part of Book Talk, a new webinar series for Ryerson’s alumni and friends.
Date and time
Location
Online
About this event
Join us on April 30 for a book talk with Christian Allaire, Fashion and Style Writer at Vogue, Author of The Power of Style , and Ryerson alumnus (Journalism '14). Christian will discuss his upcoming book, The Power of Style - a book that explores how fashion and beauty are being used to reclaim cultures.
As a fashion-obsessed Ojibwe teen, Christian Allaire rarely saw anyone that looked like him in the magazines or movies he sought out for inspiration. Now the Fashion and Style Writer for Vogue, he is working to change that—because clothes are never just clothes. Men’s heels are a statement of pride in the face of LGTBQ+ discrimination, while ribbon shirts honor Indigenous ancestors and keep culture alive. Allaire takes the reader through boldly designed chapters to discuss additional topics like cosplay, make up, hijabs, and hair, probing the connections between fashion and history, culture, politics, and social justice.
This talk will be moderated by Dr. Ben Barry, Chair, School of Fashion, Associate Professor of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Director, Centre for Fashion & Systemic Change, Ryerson University
***************
We are committed to hosting an inclusive and accessible event for everyone. Please contact laura.greflund@ryerson.ca if you require accommodations.
About the Author:
Christian Allaire is the Fashion and Style Writer at Vogue in New York City. He is First Nations (Ojibwe) and grew up on the Nipissing First Nation reserve in Ontario. After earning his Bachelor of Journalism degree from Ryerson University in 2014, he moved to New York to begin his career as a fashion editor at Footwear News. His freelance credits include Vogue, Elle, Mr. Porter, Hazlitt, Refinery 29, and more.
About the Moderator:
Ben Barry (he/him) is a fashion educator, scholar and academic leader who is committed to social justice in fashion education and the fashion industry. As Chair of the School of Fashion at Ryerson University, Ben is leading the department through a deep transformation by embedding and prioritizing inclusion, decolonization and sustainability in the curriculum and culture. He is an Associate Professor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and teaches courses that include fashion theory, design justice and LGBTQ2S+ design studio. Ben is currently editing the forthcoming anthology The Fashion Activist: Transforming Fashion Education and Ending Body Oppression (Intellect Books). Ben holds a PhD from Cambridge University.