Here’s All the Culture News You Missed This Week
Justin Bieber and The Weeknd criticized the Grammys, Taylor Swift released her Folklore film, and more.
From Taylor Swift’s Folklore film to The Weeknd and Justin Bieber’s criticisms of the Grammys, here’s what made headlines this week.
The 2021 Grammy nominations were announced
Earlier this week, nominations for the 2021 Grammys were announced, with Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Drake getting several nods. However, the announcement was swiftly followed by controversy. Canadian musician The Weeknd, whose latest album After Hours didn’t receive a single nomination despite critical and commercial success, tweeted: “The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…” The musician had two singles in the top 10 on the Billboard charts and six songs on the Billboard Global 200 list this year. Justin Bieber also voiced his dissatisfaction
, the loungewear pieces were designed, cut and fitted in MacMillan’s studio with sewing done at the homes of local contractors and manufacturers.
MacMillan says it was also important to “find something that wasn’t your typical sweatpant material, like fleece” to use in the offering, which includes a high-waisted skirt, cropped hoodie and leggings that come in three colours. She landed on Tencel™, a fabric derived from beechwood that’s known for its moisture absorption; it also has the ability to break down when composted properly after approximately a six-month period.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by hilarymacmillan (@hilarymacmillan)
Since launching a biodegradable blouse line last year, MacMillan says her knowledge of eco-minded materials has grown significantly – and now she must impart this education to her customers. “It’s a very cool science and it’s getting better and better,” she says of the expanding innovations in textile creation, adding that “hopefully it’s all not too little, too late.”
This hits on a key factor when it comes to sustainability measures being taken in the fashion space–one that’s compounded when you consider that it’s indie brands like MacMillan’s who are leading the way when it comes to reconsidering everything from material use to how a product is brought to market. For example, to minimize waste, MacMillan is selling this capsule, which runs in sizes XS to 4X, as pre-order items which will begin shipping next week.
She highlights how consumption habits have increasingly shifted this year, pointing to the fact that brands are “moving away from the regular fashion cycle” more and more, and focusing on “drops” and other ways of selling that make sense for the designers and the planet.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by hilarymacmillan (@hilarymacmillan)
But she rightly notes that it’s also the job of the government and mass market brands to take up the mantle of moving the dial, mentioning how “heavily reliant” on international trade Canadian brands are in terms of fabric availability with so few mills left in the country. “[We should be] investing in local manufacturing and technology,” she says, adding that “unless the whole community” embraces new, better ways of operating that “it’s harder for small businesses to do it.
In the meantime, MacMillan chooses to focus on positive change and looks to promising consumer habits as a source of optimism. “I walked into 2020 kind of terrified,” MacMillan says about the initial first months when the COVID crisis took a hold that is still largely in full force given recent lockdown measures in Toronto and the Peel region. “It’s been a very tough year for a lot of small businesses, but it’s also been a time where people are engaging with their community and supporting local stores," she says. "People want to buy from Canadian brands.”){kind=link}
![](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://fashionmagazine.com/culture/shawn-mendes-in-wonder-netflix-documentary/&title=Shawn Mendes On Vulnerability, Camila Cabello and His New Netflix Doc <em> In Wonder</em>&picture=https://cdn.fashionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Shawn_Mendes__In_Wonder_00_38_47_11_RC-800x398.jpg&description=Shawn Mendes: In Wonder, a documentary about the 22-year-old singer's career and life on the road, drops on Netflix today and in advance of the film's release Mendes sat down for a virtual Q&A with eTalk's Tyrone Edwards following an intimate virtual "premiere" of the film for fans in Canada.
The documentary follows Mendes as he embarks on an ambitious 109-stop world tour, chronicling small moments with his family, big moments like selling out the Rogers Centre in Toronto, and vulnerable moments like the singer's agonizing decision to cancel his Sao Paolo concert because of a strain on his vocal chords.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shawn Mendes (@shawnmendes)
The film opens with a shot of Mendes in the shower, following him as he walks out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, and the singer explains why he felt it was an important moment to share with viewers.
“It was a pretty crazy move to start the film with me in the shower. There was something really vulnerable about that moment because that was the day after São Paulo got cancelled, and I was in an extremely reflective mood,” Mendes tells Edwards. "I told the director, Grant Singer, to never turn the camera off. That day I was in emotional pain and he knew it was a special thing to capture."
The camera also captures conversations and FaceTime chats between Mendes and his mother, father and sister in Pickering, Ont., where he was born, and private moments at his Toronto apartment.
"I think it’s important for people to know where you come from and where you started," Mendes explains. "And for me, to remind myself. Going back, regardless of how much I’ve grown outside the city when I go back something switches in my brain. Turn the camera on me when I’m in Toronto and you’ll get the most original, authentic version of me."
The 90-minute documentary also offers a peek at Mendes's relationship with Camila Cabello, showing the couple hanging out at home, reminiscing about the early days of their friendship, and offering a behind-the-scenes peek at events such as their joint performance at the 2019 VMAs. To the general public, he explains, their relationship may seem like just “a song and a video and two famous names,” but it's built on a long friendship. “We’ve been best friends for years since we were 16 years old. I really feel like that comes across in the documentary,” he says.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shawn Mendes (@shawnmendes)
Looking back at the footage for the Netflix documentary, particularly moments when he broke down during the tour, Mendes says he got "really emotional" and wishes he could go back and cut himself some slack. "I wish I was softer on myself... The last person we give patience and love to is ourselves."
But he wants people, especially men, to become more comfortable with expressing their emotions and allowing themselves to be vulnerable, citing Edwards' own public display of emotion this past summer when speaking about the Black Lives Matter protests sweeping the United States and Canada.
"That was one of the strongest things I’ve seen in my life," says Mendes to Edwards. "The more men do that, the more they can inspire other men to do that, and inspire other people to heal," adding that he wants to promote the notion that vulnerability is strength. "A lot of people think they have to be tough and never cry and I want to change that by showing my vulnerability."
Shawn Mendes: In Wonder is streaming now on Netflix. ){kind=link}
Oprah Winfrey interviewed Barack Obama
Earlier this week, Barack Obama sat down with Oprah Winfrey—virtually—as a guest on her Apple TV+ show, The Oprah Conversation. The 44th President of the United States discussed the release of his new memoir, A Promised Land, the transformative years and accomplishments leading up to his presidency, and the expectations placed upon him and his family while in office. “This book was worth the wait,” said Winfrey. “Everybody who reads it is going to be on this journey from the gruelling and monotonous grind of the campaign, to taking us inside the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room and the Situation Room and sometimes, even the bedroom. This book has both the intimacy and the grandeur coming through in this memoir, and I have so been looking forward to speaking with him about all of it.” The episode will be available to watch for free on Apple TV+ through Tuesday, December 1.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Oprah (@oprah)
Tickets for Jaipur Lit Fest Toronto are now for sale
The annual Toronto offshoot of the Jaipur Literature Fest, the world's largest free literary festival, is taking place next weekend from November 27 to 29. Tickets for the opening night programme—featuring cocktails with author William Dalrymple; a talk between politician Shashi Tharoor, author Simon Winchester and journalist Supriya Nair; and musical performances by Indian singer/composer Sonam Kalra and Canadian Indigenous duo Twin Flames—are now for sale. The remaining two days' events are viewable for free online if you register here.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by JLF (@jlflitfest)
Dan Levy was named one of People's Sexiest Men Alive
Schitt's Creek creator and multi-Emmy winner Dan Levy was crowned one of the Sexiest Men Alive this year by People. He made his debut on the annual list with a photo shoot documenting his various activities in quarantine, including taking out the trash, doing puzzles and baking bread. Other men who made the 2020 list include Emily in Paris actor Lucas Bravo, Colombian singer Maluma and journalist Steve Kornacki while Michael B Jordan took home the #1 spot, for understandable reasons.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Dan Levy (@instadanjlevy)
){kind=link}