Culture Dose | Afterglow | Next in Fashion

Our guide on what to read, watch and listen to now

Read: Afterglow: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors

afterglow: climate fiction for future ancestors edited by grist

Envisioning a brighter future is possible with the power of fictional works. Afterglow: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors is a series of short stories conceptualizing radically different landscapes where climate solutions and sustainable possibilities are within reach. Indigenous, Asian, Latinx, disabled and feminist communities explore a range of survival tactics, all weaving through worlds of Afrofuturism, solar punk, and hope punk. With their unique mix of optimism and joy, these diverse voices bring the present to the future and the imagination to solid ground.

Get it here or at your local library.

Watch: Next in Fashion

Now in its second season on Netflix, Next in Fashion is the newest must-watch fashion design series. Each episode hosts Tan France and Gigi Hadid are joined by renowned designers, models, personalities, and influencers who set the scene on the latest in the industry: playfulness, exaggeration, beauty, and sustainable elements. The competition takes 12 up-and-coming creatives to showcase their talents while competing for the ultimate prize: the chance to debut their collection on the retail site Rent the Runway. Full of color, extravagance, and detail, the show spotlights the next generation of fashion and the power of styling.

Listen: Mole

Mole, the debut album from Toronto-native Poolblood, is a love letter waiting to be sent. Evoking a sense of vulnerability and forging connection, each song reaches for relationships, eventually turning inward towards self-reflection, self-reliance, and growth. Channeling the introspective, balladry worlds of Fiona Apple, Nick Drake, and Simon & Garfunkel, we swirl through the record with strums of an acoustic guitar and the chirping of birdsong tracks like “<3” and “Voyager.” Other tracks like “Null” put a new spin on the shoegaze genre with echoing vocals and disorienting static to match. Closing with “My Little Room” Poolblood steps out of the monicker and into Maryam Said, stopping to value the four walls that gave them shelter. Quietly singing “I’ll be thankful for this time alone in my little room” Poolblood reminds the listener that healing is an intimate, therapeutic experience that’s entirely possible.

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