Kelvin Osaze - The Model Pushing Past Black Normatives In The Name Of Art

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to chat it up with Kelvin via instagram - It made sense to me to use our line of communication to break from all the maneuvering of this pandemic, and try to simply process and identify hope and opportunity in what has come of 2020 … For most, that notion seems empty or bleak, but I’ve learned since following Kelvin and a few others on instagram, the chance to grow is often found in our position of opposition.

Kelvin Osaze Shot By Christopher Marrs - Agency Chase Model Management

Here’s a snapshot of my conversation with @kelvin.osaze …

Noah: How has life been during COVID?

Kelvin: Life during COVID has been life altering. It at first was shocking and depressing from losing my job and watching New York become this ghost town. But as months past, I started to take more ownership of my life and searched for the silver lining in all the uncertainty. Being creative and having my small team with me is what kept me going and truly saved what could of been a year of loss. Now I’m finding a newness with myself and I am open to growth.

Noah: As a model and creative - paint a picture for our audience, what is life like as a black ,gay, male model?

Kelvin: As a black gay model, life for me is “life for me” if that makes sense. Life is what I make it. I moved to New York at the age of 18, so I had to grow up pretty quick. I found myself around various creatives who happen to be apart of the LGBT community. Being surrounded by so many vibrant and bold people allowed me to become a more confident version of myself. It always surprises me when people are taken back by how I choose to express myself in my art. Some may say its too risqué , too flamboyant , and outlandish. I just see it as me being my authentic self. Being a black gay creative for me feels liberating but at the same time there’s pressure. Pressure in needing to express yourself to a white society, that you are enough; what feels like having to explain my existence. having to explain why who I am and the art I produce is more than a hyper sexual view, but just what it is, art - expression, my expression. There’s pressure in having to break down toxic masculinity in the black heterosexual community. And pressure in lifting other black queers to being more loving and accepting of one another. This pressure is not a burden it’s just more so a responsibility that I have taken as a model. So it’s not only visuals that I am concerned with , I am also concerned with the social construct around intersectionality and cultural barriers that often limit those who look like me, talk like me, walk like me, or who simply identify differently.

Noah: How would you define androgynous fashion?

Kelvin: Androgynous fashion is breaking gender norms and roles. Understanding that you can’t have masculine energy without feminine energy. Being unafraid to rock opposites, rocking a long skirt with a full beard. Or having soft feminine features and rocking a suit . Its simple - this particular ask, for me, is the infusion of what simply feels good. I could wear grow a full beard, and I love it - but still love the feeling of a silk blouse or form feel of a good leather boot. Androgyny is the power of choice, the liberation from conformity

Noah: There’s been a increase in celebration of men embracing feminine fashion, What are your thoughts on this?

Kelvin: I love it! However I think we still have work to do, especially in the black heterosexual community . We shouldn’t wait for celebrities to give us permission in embracing feminine fashion. That’s part of the issue, many people have not invested enough time in asking themselves what feels good to them. And how do they want to express themselves.

Noah: How is it working with heterosexual men who has a more dated outlook toward gay men?

Kelvin: It’s laughable and sad at the same time. Google is a click way, and people are nearby. I just say do your research and also use people as a resource. Having these dated ideas of a sexuality is lame. Sexuality does not determine someone’s personality.

Noah: How are you impacting or contributing to the industry of fashion and its influence on evrey day lives?

Kelvin: I feel that I am impacting the industry by being my authentic self. It’s so weird because I see myself as a model but really I see myself as an artist. With being an artist I have been able to show more sides of me, I think people feel that in my work or at least can see that. I also think that I am impacting the industry as someone who has been called an “underdog”. Good people love to see an underdog win, and I think that encourages others to never give up and to seek more of themselves and to reach places that they may have never thought they could reach .

Noah: Through your lenses, what does the fashion industry look like post COVID?

Kelvin: Less involvement with agencies, and models will have to be more in control of their careers. I do feel that the models who stayed active and inspired during COVID will be stronger in there approach to the art . I hope COVID births more models who exercise more creative direction in their work. It’s amazing to tell someone else’s story ,but it’s even more amazing to tell your own. What does fashion do for history and culture? Fashion has and will continue to shape culture. I don’t care what anyone says about that. A lot of fashion from the past is coming back today with a bit of a twist. Fashion shows our evolution in the world. Fashion is that powerful!

For more from Kelvin Osaze, you can find him on instagram at @kelvin.osaze

According To The Trend: Paris Fashion Week

Valentino via Vogue Runway

For one week every year, the world lies in wait for the debut of the Spring/Summer collections shown during Paris Fashion Week. What walks the runway from the end of September to October will set the trends for the upcoming season. Everything from Haute Couture to Ready to Wear designers all over the world give us a front row seat to their creations.

This year at PFW the color pallet took on a wide variety of different hues and pastels ranging over sixteen signatures colors. Runways were flushed with Vanilla, Crème, and Sugar Almond giving a smooth and effortless vintage feel to some of our favorite silhouettes. The top color trends for Spring were Fruit Dove Pink represented by Valentino, Eden Green shown by Givenchy, and Galaxy Blue from Elie Saab.

Givenchy via Vogue Runway

“This is a man’s world” took on a whole new meaning this season. The latest trend in women's fashion took a page out of mens fashion by way of tailored suiting and dinner jackets. Double breasted jackets and over sized sequin tuxedo coats were featured in collections shown by designers Chloe and Saint Laurent. Ralph Russo showed a crème tailored pantsuit with embellished cutouts on the runway. Look out men of the world women are wearing the dress trousers now.

Chloe via Vogue Runway

Ralph & Russo via Vogue Runway

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Editorial by Access PR Intern, Zech