At the start of each year, beauty and fashion fads swiftly populate our social media feeds—and fade away as quickly as they came. But some change is everlasting. Despite popular culture's fluctuating interests, a selection of tastemakers and thought leaders always rise above the noise to influence how we see beauty and celebrate culture.
From the first curve model on American Vogue to a Black drag performer with a makeup line, a new group of innovators is reshaping the world in their image. "I don't think anyone can have the final say on beauty. It's a constant discovery," model, writer and activist Xoài Phạm tells Byrdie. "We’ve seen beauty change over time due to the changing cultural circumstances of the world. The vastness is what makes beauty what it is. It's malleable."
These are the new leaders in fashion and beauty right now. Representation for the underrepresented takes center stage in the lives of these fresh voices and changemakers. The zeitgeist will never be the same. Below get to know each one.
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A Queens native, performance artist, poet, and model, Brian Alarcón is the cool kid everyone should know. He was an NYC club kid in high school who was soon signed as a model, launching his career in fashion. Now signed to Xyne Casting and New Icon, Alarcón has modeled for numerous brands, including Levi’s and Opening Ceremony. While studying poetry at Brooklyn College, he worked at Opening Ceremony’s flagship store, where he assisted high-profile clients like Patti Wilson and Emily Ratajkowski. Unlike many poets who traditionally keep their personal image unknown, Alarcón goes against the grain, utilizing his image to mesh his modeling work into his craft. He pulls influence from pop stars to create music video–inspired portraits and soundscapes for his writing. His poetic works utilize MIDI keyboard controllers to create soundscapes that synthesize and loop throughout each piece. The central themes of his poems include “love, New York City, queerness, sex, drugs, and rock and roll,” he tells Byrdie. “I’m not one of those writers who writes to her. I write to him.” Recently Alarcón completed a literature fellowship with Queer | Art where he worked on an upcoming poetry album exploring sexuality and identity, pushing the boundaries of language, rhythm, and music.