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Articles by Deana Stepanian
How to deal with a perioral dermatitis flareup
“The most common cause seems to be the incorrect use of topical steroids to the area.” Nothing gets my brain going more than when I’m scrolling through TikTok or Instagram and stumble across some beauty hack or skin condition I’ve never heard of in my life. So when I first learnt about perioral dermatitis, my interest was piqued. I had absolutely no idea what perioral dermatitis was before stumbling across it online. To be honest, I didn’t even realise there was more than one type of dermatitis.
Sacai is “Coming home”
0 $0.00 0 items Coming home is different for everyone. Sometimes it’s a country, sometimes it’s the people you love, and sometimes it’s just a feeling that hits when you least expect it. This season, Chitose Abe presented her Sacai show in her Paris headquarters, reinforcing the notion that home can be any place you create, as long as you recognise aspects of yourself there.
Matthieu Blazy Moves Planets at Chanel
0 $0.00 0 items Much has been written of the founder of the house of Chanel. A complex web of mythology and psychobiography that traces Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel’s rise from the poorhouse, where she was raised as the daughter of a market trader and laundrywoman, to her days working at the markets in the Loire Valley.
Duran Doesn’t Want Gaultier’s Archive
In his debut collection for Jean Paul Gaultier (titled Junior), Dutch designer Duran Lantink, in his new role as creative director, presented a club-soaked spectacle inspired by Amsterdam’s iconic Roxy Club. This was one of the last debut collections of a season full of them, most of which lacked the tension, audacity, and hope-for-shock that audiences and critics wanted. While many designers have leant on the past without truly reawakening it, Lantink opted for a different approach.
Alaïa in Motion
0 $0.00 0 items The phrase "This is an Alaïa" was the first thing that came to mind while watching the house’s spring collection unfold on this crisp day in Paris. The 1995 Clueless quote has never been more apt. Where Peter Mulier's offering last season was a study in sculptural obscurity, this one provided clarity and direction. Sharp tailoring, deliberate draping, and precise body mapping took centre stage, crafting a wardrobe that honoured the everyday woman in all her quiet, commanding glory.
Junya Watanabe Turns Everyday Chaos Into Ready-to-Wear
What if we wore our wardrobes inside out? Not in a simplistic turning seams kind of way, but as a full transformation of dressing objects as form. That prospect sat at the heart of Junya Watanabe’s spring/summer show in Paris, which offered a surreal exploration of what happens when we reimagine the “extraordinary” in the “everyday”. The opening look set the tone with a slim black gown that had red pumps not on the feet but as an appendage of the shoulders.
Roseberry’s Balancing Act at Schiaparelli
words When Daniel Roseberry first entered the house, he was careful to avoid Elsa Schiaparelli’s codes. Already fully established, he navigates the archives with ease, letting references emerge only after his vision has crystallised. Dancer in the Dark demonstrates both homages to Schiaparelli’s heritage alongside attempts to translate his avant-garde vision into everyday wear.
Tom Ford Gives Summer Sex
0 $0.00 0 items “Seduction is a dialogue, ignited by a gaze,” offered Haider Ackerman, the creative director of Tom Ford. “To seduce is to see and be seen by the object of one’s desire.” Reading more like a manifesto than a statement, it set the tone for his intimate, tense and theatrical spring collection. Ackermann instructed his cast of models to move with seduction, stripping away the conventional strut of a runway. “It’s all about the midnight swim.
Dries Van Noten's Tidal Pull
Julian Klausner arrived as creative director at Dries Van Noten in early December, having worked in the house long enough to know where the morning light falls. Two seasons into his role, he has maintained the continuity of Van Noten’s fascination with colour and print. Yet as the collections evolve and his tenure deepens, Klausner’s vision for the house is emerging with increasing distinction.
Ellen Hodakova Larsson Masters Her Craft
0 $0.00 0 items Ellen Hodakova Larsson of Hodakova knows how to play. For the past four years she has played with silhouettes, often manipulating or exaggerating their form. She has played with materiality, questioning the provenance of a deadstock trouser, belt, or pocket. And she has played with perception, inviting us to reconsider how we interact with clothing itself. The 2024 LVMH winner has grown from a niche emerging brand in the if-you-know-you-know circles into an established namesake.
Louise Trotter Redefines the Bottega Woman for Today and Tomorrow
0 $0.00 0 items When Louise Trotter stepped into Bottega Veneta in December last year, following her tenure at Carven and, prior to that, Lacoste, the appointment felt significant. At last, a woman was being given space in a conversation too often dominated by men. Ten months later, the imbalance remains stark: of the many debuts (about a dozen) staged this season, only two will be led by women. For months, the industry has circled the same question: why do we need women designing at the helm?
Rick Owen's Temple of Love Retrospective
0 $0.00 0 items At the Palais Galliera, three towering brutalist sculptures cloaked in black sequins flank the museum’s entrance—a signal from American designer Rick Owens, foreshadowing what lies within. Curated by Alexandre Samson and Miren Arzalluz, with Owens as artistic director, the exhibition spans four rooms and extends onto the museum’s façade and garden, transforming the retrospective into a monumental love letter to unorthodox beauty.
Here’s how to cope if you’re the only one in your friend group not going to Europe this year
Mute their stories and make your own. So, your best friend, brother and boss are embarking on their trips to Europe this year. You’re happy for them (no, really) but every time you see an Instagram story all blue-tinged and stamped with an enviable location tag, your stomach drops. And that’s totally normal. It feels like the entirety of the Australian population will be sipping Aperols up the Mediterranean coastline while those left behind hibernate through to September.
Junya Watanabe Turns History Into Wardrobe
0 $0.00 0 items By consistently redefining the boundaries between fashion, function and futurism, Junya Watanabe has stood at the forefront of Japanese designers for over three decades. A protégé of Rei Kawakubo and a central figure within the Comme des Garçons universe, Watanabe is widely respected for his technical brilliance, experimental material use, and architectural silhouettes.
Chicano Memory and Immigrant Truth: The Politics of Chavarria
For many, fashion week (and the fashion industry at large) offers an escape hatch into a world of fantasy and fanfare; a means of disassociating from the pressings of everyday life, whether personal or geopolitical, through spectacle, excess, or sheer beauty. However, for Mexican-born, New York-based designer Willy Chavarria, fashion has never been just about escape.
The Philosophy Stitched Into Comme des Garçons ‘Suits, But Not Suits'
In a stifling, sweat-drenched concrete box on Rue Auber, viewers crammed shoulder-to-shoulder to watch Comme des Garçons' creative director Rei Kawakubo unveil her Spring ’26 menswear collection titled, Suits, but not suits. The show unfolded in 37 looks and oscillated between societies, twisting historic menswear tailoring codes in search of a powerful and shamanic figure who would come and lead us to peace, love and fraternity.
Rick Owens' Temple of Love
Rick Owens has long secured his place as fashion’s iconoclast, continually expanding upon his singular lexicon of ritual, rebellion and restraint. For Spring/Summer ’26, he transformed the Palais de Tokyo into an unsettling site of baptism. One by one, models descended from a towering scaffold of aluminium ladders, stepping into a shallow pool of water across the Seine—a procession that felt less like a runway show and more like a sacred rite.
Spring Undone: Auralee’s Subtle Unraveling
For its fourth Paris Fashion Week show, Auralee’s Spring ’26 collection, led by creative director Ryota Iwai, took inspiration from Haru Ichiban, the initial spring winds in Japan. These first warm gusts invite a sartorial metamorphosis as winter's grip loosens and a new season emerges. Iwai expressed this seasonal shift through oversized dark suits, once a form of protection against the cold, now unbuttoned to reveal swimwear-inspired layers beneath.
The best swimwear brands for bigger busts and curves
IMAGE VIA @raqapparel/instagram WORDS BY DEANA STEPANIAN Swimwear made for you. As more Australian and New Zealand swimwear brands expand outside of the typical ‘straight size’ range, women are saying goodbye to the days when we were forced to settle for ill-fitting designs. So no more rummaging through racks that don’t hold your cup size and goodbye to the fast-fashion swimwear that falls apart after one summer. Discover more local designers in our Fashion section.
Permanent Vacation's Aura Collection
0 $0.00 0 items Each Australian Fashion Week, a select group of emerging designers on the precipice of broader recognition takes to the runway to showcase their resort 2026 collections. This year, Miimi & Jiinda, Permanent Vacation, Haluminous, Buluuy Mirii and Boteh welcomed a break from the commercial moments of the week. Among them, Permanent Vacation, the Melbourne-based brand who stood out, not for their fanfare, but for their serenity.
At Valentino, Alessandro Michele Delivers a Meditation on Selfhood
0 $0.00 0 items Alessandro Michele has never been one for restraint. His Fall/Winter 2025 presentation, which unfolded on Sunday inside an oversized set box installed in front of Paris’ Institut du Monde Arabe, was yet another maximalist spectacle. Titled Le Méta-Théâtre des Intimités, Michele’s second ready-to-wear collection for Valentino explored the interplay between intimacy and identity. A public bathroom, awash in Valentino red, became the stage for a Lynchian meditation on selfhood.
Smaller is Stronger at Comme des Garçons
Rei Kawakubo believes that smaller is stronger. The challenges of today have revealed that “big culture, global systems, and world structures may not be so great after all. There is also strong value in small—small can be mighty.” Her Smaller is Stronger collection is something of a contradiction. Given her own titanic influence in the fashion world, it’s clear that the Comme des Garçons Fall/Winter 2025 collection is an allegory in more ways than one.
"Memory is the Seamstress" Calls Dior
0 $0.00 0 items Maria Grazia Chiuri loves to name a muse. For this women’s collection, that muse was literary icon Virginia Woolf and her 1920 novel Orlando. For the uninitiated, Orlando follows the namesake character, Orlando, across three centuries. It begins with Orlando as a young nobleman in Elizabeth’s England, then progresses at midpoint to Orlando awakening as a woman and surviving until the novel’s end in the 1920s, a pivotal point in women’s suffrage.
Milan In Review
0 $0.00 0 items Milan was a fashion week of celebrations. On the anniversary front, Fendi commemorated its centenary and Dsquared2 honoured three decades of sex and glam.
Chanel Couture Moves with the Light
Chanel’s Spring 2025 Couture show arrived at a turning point. With Virginie Viard gone and Matthieu Blazy yet to take the reins, the collection fell to the Chanel Creation Studio—a rare moment of the house operating without a singular creative leader. Rather than chasing reinvention, the studio leant into the maison’s foundations, delivering a collection that explored colour, movement, and light while marking 110 years of Chanel Haute Couture.
Wild, wild, boys, boys: Klausner’s first collection at Dries Van Noten
0 $0.00 0 items After Dries Van Noten stepped back from running his eponymous label, Julian Klausner took over his well-established high churchmanship of print, colour, and a sense of historicism with around a dozen looks presented on mannequins, each positioned on an elevated plinth at a Paris showing and accompanied by images shot by fellow Belgian, Willy Vanderperre. The house of Dries Van Noten explained that the collection was an impression or adaptation of William S.
Yohji Yamamoto Unifies His Various Labels
Yohji Yamamoto invited us into a grim, dark, and intimate Paris basement for the 2025 Pour Homme Fall collection. Cement pillars and an eroded landscape blotched in black ink established the signature melancholic atmosphere we have come to expect from Yamamoto. However, this tense, almost macabre ambience was met with a surreal nonchalance. The first looks evoked a sense of familiarity. Quilted textures, nylon, and insulated garments have recently dominated the global fashion zeitgeist.
The Mimic
photography Photographer Shannan Stewart and stylist Yuzhen Wang explore how fashion and body language can be used to mask or project a chosen identity and shape others' perceptions of the self.
Rick Owens Delivers a Hollywood Sequel
Rick Owens delivered a powerful statement of unity and collaboration when he unveiled his Summer 2025 collection on a range of models, including students and faculty from Parisian fashion schools, OwensCorp team members, and close friends. This show's title, "Hollywood," was a repeat of Owens' debut in June and served as a homecoming tribute to the "weirdos and freaks" that influenced his formative years in a bygone cultural era.
Heikki Salonen Revives the Spirit of Margiela
On Thursday evening in Milan, MM6, Maison Margiela’s diffusion line presented its Spring Summer 25 Ready-to-Wear collection, channelling the throbbing pulse of an underground rave. Under the creative direction of Heikki Salonen, the brand showcased a lineup that at once referenced Martin Margiela’s iconic codes and offered simple, wearable clothing.
The top footwear trends for 2024, according to the internet
Your guide to what’s next. Nothing sends me home earlier than realising I’ve made the wrong shoe choice. Truthfully, I’d rather cut my time short and skip the blisters than trudge around awkwardly any day. After all, ‘beauty is pain’ is an outdated adage. While comfort has never taken a back seat, the emphasis on it has not been as pronounced as it is today.
Not all relationship ‘breaks’ end in a breakup, here’s why
“It’s about reestablishing your freedom, your sense of being and who you are without the other person.” I’ve been the person to initiate a break before. I was with a former partner and had a creeping suspicion I was about to be dumped. I was jealous of their relationship with their work best friend so I used the suggestion of a break to test the waters. I was properly broken up with some months later and they slept with that co-worker the day after.
How to self-soothe instead of outsourcing your emotions
“Practicing self-soothing activities can help you climb out of that dark well and work toward feeling better.” I was that kid who held onto their dummy as a comfort for just a little bit too long. My mum said that in public, I’d shove my head in her bag to use it discreetly as my own cave when I was overwhelmed. Now, the science behind why dummies calm babies down is that they work to lower their heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels.
How to navigate flying when you have sensory issues
“What we don’t realise, or what a lot of neurotypical people actually just naturally filter out, is that constant buzz that you get in aeroplanes.” I don’t find airports to be as romantic a space as movies paint them out to be. They remind me of a failed long-distance relationship, and that time my ear drum burst as I touched down in Bali. Instead of fantasising about scoring a seat next to my soulmate, I’m planning how I’ll be the first to exit the aircraft.
9 Australian creatives show us their favourite going-out shoe
Made for pavement-stomping. These days, more and more, the shoes I reach for on a night out are never the same ones I chuck on for work or to grab groceries. They serve a clear purpose – for when an outing calls for something with a little more oomph (although, I’m still all for dressing up no matter the event).
How to clean your tarnished jewellery, according to a gemologist
Retaining the shine of precious pieces. Much to the surprise of my friends, I usually fall asleep with somewhere between five to six rings stacked on my fingers, and multiple earrings clasped into my ears. I’m a jewellery girl through and through, mixing and matching mostly silver and the occasional gold metals throughout the week. While these pieces aren’t prone to green staining, daily grime still builds up over time, meaning the very occasional polish doesn’t quite suffice.
How to take care of your woollen garments
From garment bags to scented oils, here’s how to preserve your cosy basics. Owning high-quality woollen pieces can set you up for year-round wardrobe success. Whether cashmere or merino, knitwear is timeless. But caring for wool can be tricky, especially when defending them from pesty insects. A simple slip-up in washing or storing can lead to permanent damage, leaving you with shrunken sweaters or faded hues.
What is the ’liking gap’?
More often than not, we’re conjuring these negative beliefs about ourselves out of thin air. When I was a teenager, I assumed I was greatly misunderstood by people. I’d subconsciously avoid or reject new people before they could reject me, and then dwell on how I was perceived, convincing myself I left an awful impression. While I’ve taken full accountability for this as an adult by unravelling and coming to terms with my insecurities, I still question how others might view me.
How to know when to estrange yourself from a family member
"Families fight, but no family member should never make you feel unsafe physically, financially or emotionally."
Sage Mellet on the albums that transformed her life
Singer, full-time marketing manager and content creator Sage Mellet, shares the albums that changed her life.
Meet Melbourne streetwear label, LOWF Apparel
Melbourne-based label, LOWF Apparel, crafts European-made, quality garments and premium streetwear pieces.
How to save money and still keep your social life intact
“There’s nothing wrong with being smart with your money and if you’re honest with your friends then they should support you with that.” I used to think an effective method to build up my savings was to become a social hermit for a few months, never going out and avoiding all temptations to spend. When I was saving up for my Europe trip, I basically decided to sacrifice my present so that I’d be able to really live it up in my future.
Kit's new No.4 Concentrate is a plant-based alternative to retinol
FJ Contributor Deana Stepanian tried Kit's new No.4 Concentrate, derived from Bakuchiol, which is a plant-based alternative to retinol.
Julai is the musician and artist leading Melbourne's Ballroom scene
As part of Converse's Proud to Be campaign, we're spotlighting the diverse members of the LGBTQIA+ community, including artists like Julai.
What it's like being in the Australian band, Sweetie
From working to band practice, launch parties, and wearing matching Wrangler jeans, the Australian band Sweetie share their weekly fits.
A week in my jeans: What it’s like being in up-and-coming Australian band, Sweetie
Those of us out there who love movies know how important music can be to the cinematic experience. A good soundtrack is often as essential as the …
What causes perioral dermatitis and how do you get rid of it?
Popping up as a bumpy rash around the mouth, perioral dermatitis is most common for young women aged between 20 and 45 years old.
What to do if you think you're experiencing medical gaslighting
Medical gaslighting occurs when a healthcare professional dismisses or downplays a patient's symptoms, or misdiagnoses them.
Everything you need to know about perioral dermatitis
Popping up as a bumpy rash around the mouth, perioral dermatitis is most common for young women aged between 20 and 45 years old.
Australian singer-songwriter Kat Edwards on touring as a musician
Australian musician Kat Edwards shares what it's like on tour, and the clothing items she couldn't travel without.
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