I'm Louis, I'm a fashion commentator, writer, person that yells too much online, critic sometimes, I don't know. I always hate these "who are you" questions because I feel so multi-hyphenated that I forget who I am sometimes. The curse of our generation lol. I got my start in fashion PR in Milan after landing in Europe from the States knowing nothing and nobody, which honestly wasn't such a learning curve, because all my life I was that kid in class that drew too much attention to themselves, so public relations fit me perfectly. But ultimately that wasn't my path, because I hate having to adhere to others' vision. So now I'm creative director of me, myself and I.
Can you describe the current state of the fashion industry regarding diversity, sustainability and transparency?
I think that the fashion industry is just now waking up from a very long period in which they have gotten away with performative actions regarding diversity, sustainability and transparency. I think the events of the last few months, and the way that social media has really mobilized itself behind causes, and the way that people are not afraid to hold companies accountable, has really made people at these places wake up and realize: oh shit, people are really gonna investigate and take a look at what we're doing, and if it's not up to par, people are not going to support us and we're going to lose money. So the effort is a bit slow now because, for the first time, companies are realizing what a monumental task it is to really create change.
How did we get to this point?
We've gotten to this point because fashion has always operated along aspirational lines instead of inspirational lines. The fashion industry has been more about keeping people out instead of welcoming everybody in. So what you have in the current power structures are people who have never been challenged, people who have only been catering to people like themselves, creating a homogeneous vacuum. But luckily the world is winning the battle: the walls of the old guard are crumbling down.
How did you get into activism? And what would you say to someone who thinks politics aren't for them?
So, I didn't just wake up one day and decide, oh hey, I want to be an activist because it's super trendy. I think since I've been a child I've always been someone very strong willed, and someone that always saw the world for what it should be. I am someone that always wanted to be a part of creating a world where everybody can thrive, and I think that working in fashion, creating that change is much more attainable: the industry is a much smaller version of the world. Maybe practice for if I decide to pursue politics in the future, who knows. For anyone who thinks that they shouldn't get involved because politics are not for them, I would say it's time to wake up. Everybody has a part to play in this, politics affect everybody in every facet of our life. So if you don't want to get involved, don't complain about things that aren't changing, because you're complicit in the stagnation of society.
Has being an activist made it harder for you to find a job in the fashion industry?
Of course being an activist has made it harder to find a job in fashion, but thank God I'm freelance, and most of my gigs are people that are specifically asking me for my opinion. I think that it would be very, very difficult to balance being an activist if I was on a company's payroll, or trying to work more in traditional media, because I obviously would have to watch what I say. A lot of companies and brands don't like their staffers and employees to make waves. So luckily for me, I work for myself now.
We've all noticed that the younger generations are extremely involved in politics, sharing protests on socials, raising awareness on different issues, especially during the Black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd's and Breonna Taylor's murders. But we are also seeing less and less content related to it, especially on Instagram. So how do we keep this conversation going? Are you afraid it could be slowing down, that people and brands (especially influencers) are making an aesthetic out of it?
In these past few months, watching the conversation go from what it was at the height of Black Lives Matter and George Floyd to where it is now, it makes me a bit sad, but that just means that we have to work harder and be louder. The people that are still talking about this on social are helping to make sure that it isn't just a trend on social media, that it's something that's ever present, and a problem that still needs to be solved. It's something that we still need to be actively working towards. I think with it becoming such a buzzy thing, it did turn into a social media moment for a lot of people on Instagram. It became trendy to show your support for Black people and Black causes and Black businesses, and chase that activism clout, and then, you know, the next day go back to your normal aesthetic feed. What we need to do in the conversation is not put so much emphasis on the major celebrities or major influencers that are taking performative actions, but more on the people that are on the ground, at grassroots level, like actual activists, and keep them centered in the narrative.
I know you're in Paris right now. What do you think of Assa Traoré's fight against police brutality? A lot of folks, especially on TV, are blaming her for bringing an American issue into the country, as if it wasn't one here as well. What would you respond to that?
To be honest, I was not aware of the massive problem of police brutality in Paris until about a year ago, when my best friend, French influencer Yoanne Mobengo, was assaulted by police in a case of mistaken identity, and from that experience became fully immersed in the fight against police brutality and turned me on to the Adama Traoré case. What Assa is doing in her brother's memory is very, very admirable, especially here, in a city as conservative as Paris. I think that a lot of people choose not to support her cause and to look at her as a troublemaker because they don't want to confront that they're part of a system, or maybe complicit in allowing things to get as bad as they currently have. So it's much easier for them to label her as disruptive. What I would say to those people is: you can't just sit around and blame somebody else and pretend like it's not happening here. That's how it's gotten as bad as it has in America, because people for too long sat around pretending like nothing was wrong.
Revolution. Point blank. A full social revolution needs to happen.
Can you talk about racism in Italy? How does it show in Italian fashion? Why is it so uninhibited?
Racism in Italy is so normalized, it's seeped into every facet of business, of society, because there is a culture of ignorance perpetuated in the mainstream, in large part by politicians, and, you know, fashion is not exempt from that mainstream consciousness in Milan. You would think that a big cosmopolitan city would be open minded, but unfortunately it's not: there is a provincial mindset that pervades the city and the system. It's celebrated. You look at mainstream TV and the media and what is looked up to as the epitome of success, and for Italy it's mediocrity. And when you celebrate mediocrity, a society does not progress.
Have you ever experienced homophobia or racism there?
I have experienced racism and homophobia, often the two completely intertwined with each other. You know, you'll get a racial slur and then you'll get the homophobic slur, all in the same sentence. That's part of being a queer person of color, a gay person of color, in Italy. It's a very closed minded culture. People weaponize differences. They see difference as a threat, a threat to everything they've known their entire life, and it scares them, and scared people do crazy, irrational things.
How can we make bigots afraid? Do you think they can change and become better people?
I don't think bigots are afraid of cancel culture, and when I say bigots I mean truly hateful people. Not ignorant, but hateful. They know what they are saying and doing and are prepared to deal with whatever consequences come, because that's who they are. I think we should focus more on ignorant people, because ignorant people, I think, can change and grow as people. They just need to really have an experience that pulls them out of their little bubble and shows them, hey, the world is bigger than themselves and what they believe in.
What do you think of cancel culture? Is it always the right way to address bigotry?
I think as time goes on and cancel culture has less of an effect, new solutions to immediately deal with issues need to be found. It's hella entertaining at times, but does it have any real lasting impact anymore? Not really. We have to really build structures that keep people accountable every step of the way. But for now, all we have is to cancel people and hope that they realize how close they're coming to really fucking shit up for themselves.
Brands like Mowalola and Telfar have been receiving a whole lot of attention lately. What effect do you think they could have on the industry?
What Mowa and Telfar are doing is making history: they're fixing a stale, broken system. It's so fucking disruptive, and they don't give a fuck because they're visionaries. They don't want to have to go along with the status quo, because the status quo sucks! They're definitely the foundation of the new fashion industry. I think brands that keep an eye on what they're doing and tweak their own business models will find great success, and those that don't will fade out.
How can we come together as a society, unify all the minorities together, along with the allies? And if fashion had a role to play in all this, what would it be?
Well, first off, I think minorities need to iron out their issues with each other, most of which often root themselves in proximity to whiteness. There's a lot of decolonization that needs to happen mentally. Then we need to really work hard with allies to ensure that we are seen and heard in all spaces, that allies in positions of power are looking out for us, but at the same time, us minorities are building our own power structures. Fashion has influence on the way people perceive themselves; people look to fashion to dictate behaviors and trends. Fashion needs to be a vehicle for change, to show the world that there's nothing wrong with embracing a multicultural society past the "aesthetic" value of it, that beauty isn't just one size fits all.
Do we, as consumers, have enough power to influence society? Isn't it counterproductive if capitalists make us believe they are listening? How do we avoid simply becoming a "conscious consumer" market segment?
We do, but we don't. Consumers consume, and quite blindly. I don't think people want to wake up and play an active part in influencing society, because we have all gotten so narcissistic and self serving, and it feels good, the instant gratification. Maybe far, far in the future society will wake up, but for now all we can do as individuals is make informed choices and advise those around us.
With COVID-19, natural disasters, global warming and social upheavals, a lot of things are at stake right now, and it feels like we are running out of time. What's the path forward? Do we have time for evolution, or is a revolution necessary? And if so, what do you think could make it actually happen?
Revolution. Point blank. A full social revolution needs to happen. People act like they care about global warming and racism and all this, but they care superficially, because social media says to care and because causes can be identities. The revolution won't take place online, but right now we're at the point where people think it will, and is, but it's not. A social revolution would require us to put down the phone and dive head first into real life, but for a lot of people that's really scary, and they'd rather look at the world through an Instagram filter or a Twitter feed because it's detached. The day the internet breaks will be day one of the social revolution.
Finally, could you name a few BIPOC owned businesses to support in 2021?
Sansovino 6, Stella Jean, Brother Vellies, Hanifa, Romeo Hunte, LaQuan Smith, Telfar, Mowalola, Christopher John Rogers, Victor Glemaud.
