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The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Divine dressing: why the style set have converted to Catholicism
All eyes have been on the Vatican; the chimney, the smoke, the men who would be pope, the man who now is pope and, among it all, the clothes. It might seem shallow to focus on the vestments, but then the pomp, spectacle – and the ceremonial outfits – are all part of the momentous event. The election of the new pope also chimes with a mood in fashion, since religious references – ranging from ornate crucifixes and the sacred heart symbol to prayer beads – have been percolating since well before the conclave. Take the hoodies and skirts of the New York label Who Decides War, which are decorated with stained-glass window designs. Or T-shirts from the most recent collection of skatewear brand Palace, adorned with the face of the Virgin Mary. At the Met Gala last week, co-chair Colman Domingo arrived wearing a cape in a heavenly cobalt with an ornate collar, while American fashion designer Willy Chavarria took his turn on the steps wearing a necklace punctuated by crosses and a single rood dangling from a belt loop. He isn't alone: cross necklaces have been ubiquitous recently, adorning necklines as disparate as those of Chappell Roan and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. There was a hint of incense in the air at several recent fashion shows, too. Chavarria's presentation, which was held in the American Cathedral in Paris, saw models clutching rosary beads and wearing sweatshirts emblazoned with crosses. British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker placed prayer beads in the hands of her models at London fashion week, while GmbH did the same in Berlin. According to writer and curator Iain R Webb, it is 'the drama, pomp and ceremony of religion and the richness of its associated iconography' that attracts designers. He cites Cristóbal Balenciaga's 'sweeping silhouettes that echoed the cassocks of cardinals' and Christian Lacroix's bejewelled crucifix jacket, which he presented in 1999. But while fashion has always toyed with the trappings of religion, there could be something more to this revival than mere aesthetics. 'In this new dark age, now more than ever, people are choosing to engage with the spiritual in an effort to find something more meaningful that refuels their souls,' Webb says. It tracks with the growing numbers of young people embarking on spiritual journeys – this year, 45% of 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK said they believe in God; in 2019, only 22% said they did. J'Nae Phillips, trend forecaster and creator of Fashion Tingz, agrees that the new religious dressing 'seems to go beyond mere styling. It suggests a deeper grappling with identity, heritage, and perhaps a collective sense of unease or longing for grounding in uncertain times.' Where once, she says, 'religious symbolism in fashion might have been purely provocative or ironic, today there's often sincerity behind it'. Nonetheless, in 2025, overt displays of Christianity can bring up unholy associations with the religious right. As if to counteract this, at his Paris show, Chavarria played the speech that the Right Rev Mariann Budde, bishop of Washington, gave at Trump's inauguration, in which she implored him to have mercy on immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community. Rather than heeding her wise words, Trump later called Budde a 'Radical Left hard line Trump hater'. Sign up to Fashion Statement Style, with substance: what's really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved after newsletter promotion 'The way religion has been co-opted by political movements has undeniably shaped how religious symbols are perceived,' says Phillips. She sees Chavarria's choice as 'a reclamation – using the platform of fashion not just for aesthetic commentary, but for moral and political clarity'. Maybe there's a desire for non-Maga-leaning people of faith 'to be even more vocal,' says Lucy Collins, an assistant professor of philosophy at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology. 'Because they feel like their religion's being misrepresented – which it frankly is, right?' To read the complete version of this newsletter – complete with this week's trending topics in The Measure and your wardrobe dilemmas solved – subscribe to receive Fashion Statement in your inbox every Thursday.
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Megan Thee Stallion parties with Justin Bieber as she shows off her assets in sizzling Coachella week two look
Megan Thee Stallion rubbed shoulders with Justin Bieber when they attended a party Friday night to kick off weekend two of Coachella. The 30-year-old rapper and the 31-year-old pop superstar both appeared to perform briefly at the party, which featured other A-list stars. The rapper was likely hoping for a pristine show later on Sunday after her first-weekend set left fans furious due to technical mishaps. Though her look from Friday night wasn't one of her most flattering, it showcased her stellar figure and impressive weight loss. The performer shared views of her ensemble to Instagram on Saturday, after she joined other A-list stars at the Desert, a private event in Thermal, California. The event — which was hosted by the Tao Group Hospitality, REVOLVE, and the Palm Tree Club — featured Justin singing his song What Do You Mean?, according to the organizers. Bieber looked overjoyed and could be seen grinning ear to ear while catching up with other attendees as he hung out in the DJ booth. It wasn't clear if he and Megan did much socializing Bieber looked overjoyed and could be seen grinning ear to ear while catching up with other attendees as he hung out in the DJ booth. Although Justin and Megan were both spotted partying, it wasn't clear if they spent much time together at the event. Megan's outfit featured a black halter bra top that put her prominent cleavage on full display. The top featured a black band underneath that was covered with silver studs, and it matched the waistband of her charcoal Who Decides War jeans. Although Megan's jeans weren't offered on the brand's website, similar designs sell for anywhere from $500 to $1,200 or more. Her dark pants were decorated with odd brown leather patches, as well as a much larger Who Decides patch along the side of her leg. She paired the jeans, which went from dark gray to tan farther down the legs, with tan work boots that matched the bottom of the pants. Megan wore her jeans low, which showcased her stunningly flat midriff and let her high-cut g-string pop out over the waistband. She also appeared to have tied a gray patterned scarf around the g-string for an extra flourish that only made the look busier. The WAP rapper wore a thick silver chain with a cross dangling from it, as well as enormous silver hoop earrings that were big enough to put someone's arm through. She added a splash of color to the otherwise muted look with a long red wig with tight waves that reached down to her thighs and framed her heavily made-up face. The previous weekend, Megan's Coachella set went awry due to technical problems and an unshakeable curfew. The hitmaker — who put on a stunningly busty display at an Oscars afterparty last month — began to have issues about 20 minutes into her red-hot performance, when she cried out that something was wrong with her microphone, according to The Independent. Although a backstage helper was able to solve the issue, Megan's microphone was also implicated in a disappointing ending to the first-weekend set. According to SFGate, she appeared to be about to launch into another tune toward the end of her show when her microphone abruptly cut out, apparently because she had gone two minutes past her scheduled end time. Megan's initial sound issues appeared to begin when her attached microphone reportedly fell off her bustier amid her athletic, high-energy dance routines. 'Somebody come out here and fix my motherf****** mic!' she could be heard shouting from other microphones that were still working. A member of her crew could be seen running on stage and helping reattached the microphone. Megan gave them a quick thank you and then continued with her performance as if nothing had happened. 'That man putting Megan Thee Stallion's mic on her bustier had the most stressful high-pressure job ever,' one fan joked on X. Another wrote: 'Megan Thee Stallion's sweet little "thank youuuu" after this heavy a** song and hollering "someone come fix my f***ing mic" is so cute lol.' Minutes later, she brought out a special guest, Queen Latifah, and Victoria Monét joined her later in the set. Ciara also made a surprise appearance to team up with Megan to perform her 2004 song Goodies. Fans on social media, many of whom caught the show through the livestream broadcast, were stunned by the performance, particularly Megan's athletic vocals. Several people posted that 'Megan Thee Stallion's mic is on,' meaning that she wasn't just lip syncing her performance so as not to become breathless while trying to rap. Fans were astounded at how Megan wasn't fazed by her microphone malfunctioning Fans on social media were stunned by the performance, particularly Megan's athletic vocals. Several people posted that 'Megan Thee Stallion's mic is on,' meaning that she wasn't just lip syncing her performance so as not to become breathless The moment left fans with a sour taste in their mouths. Viewers of the livestream could still hear the rapper's mic, but audience members at the festival heard nothing over muted speakers On Reddit, a user posted a meme of Oprah Winfrey asking 'Were you silent? Or were you SILENCED?' which originally was featured in her interview of Meghan Markle However, one fan noted that, although her microphone was definitely on, she still needed the cushioning of the backing track due to how much dancing she was doing. But after averting one crisis, Megan's show ended on a sour note. After she had finished her popular song Bil Ole Freak, Megan appeared to be about to launch into another tune, Mamushi. The massive LED screens were reportedly cued up for the song, and viewers at home could hear the start of the backing track for the song. However, people in the audience at Coachella heard none of that, as the speakers were turned off around 9:27 p.m., around two minutes after her scheduled end time, according to SFGate. Megan's microphone also appeared to have cut off, and the visuals for Mamushi were replaced on the screens by a camera feed of the stage. Megan reportedly vented her frustrations into her microphone, which went unheard at the festival but did make it through to livestream viewers. 'Don't y'all do the hotties like that,' she reportedly cried out, adding, 'Run Mamushi back for the motherf***ing hotties.' Megan finally gave up, declaring, 'B****, they said we gotta go!' But Megan still silently ran through the choreography for the song for around a minute, before she took a bow and said farewell to the audience, which was also not heard. 'The sound out. Damn, they turned off Megan Thee Stallion mic out! Damn, she didn't even do an hour got AWKWARD throwing us off silencing her,' one furious fan wrote on X. On Reddit, a user posted a meme of Oprah Winfrey asking 'Were you silent? Or were you SILENCED?' which originally was featured in her interview of Meghan Markle. Megan Thee Stallion was followed by closing headliner Post Malone, who reportedly took the stage around 10:25 p.m.
