Akon Changkou Shares Fashion Joy in ELLE US March 2021, Lensed by Nathaniel Goldberg

Rising model Akon Changkou brings joy to the pages of ELLE US March 2021 pages — and this is a TREND. Feeling joy in these challenging times becomes a form of temporary escape — yes— but also sustenance for bleeding spirits when sadness rains on our heads days on end.

‘Fashion to Bring Us Joy’ is a trend

COVID, coupled with the march for racial justice and environmental action, makes us needy in many ways. Doses of bright colors, bold patterns and shapes, and jolts of fashion whimsy that make us smile inspire many of us to press on with conviction and positivity in our demands for change.

More brain science in a separate article, but “A New Study About Color Tries to Decode ‘The Brain’s Pantone’ from Wired“ Dec 2020 will get you started.

The escape part of joy gets the fashion headlines, but ‘Fashion to Bring Us Joy’ is also a form of nourishing sustenance and the exact opposite of escape from reality. Joy coexists with sadness, concerns and even fear of the reality around us.

Our dears Stella McCartney and Gabriela Hearst are pinging my brain with the message that sustainable fashion joy is even better medicine for battered spirits than unsustainable fashion joy. Message communicated, ‘queens of green ladies ‘.

Alex White styles Akon in Chanel, Christopher John Rogers, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi and more in images by Nathaniel Goldberg, shot in Paris under all COVID protocols. [IG]. / Hair by Odile Gilbert; makeup by Marie Duhart