I absolutely loved this book as it introduced me to new fashion. I recommend it to everyone that is interested in fashion as well as interrelating it to different cultures.

Gorgeous and diverse exploration of fashion and style. The photographs are gorgeous, and the essays for each chapter really bring home the importance of style across cultures and spaces. Buying multiples for my library!

I finally got around to reading The Power of Style by Christian Allaire, and I have to say it was a great peek into modern fashion and the ways that fashion is being used to reclaim cultures. Whenever I read about fashion, it's usually fashion history, as that's more in line with my personal interests, but Allaire comfortably brought me into the modern world of fashion and beauty in a culturally inclusive way.

The book is just shy of a hundred pages and is styled like a magazine, with short text pieces and plenty of photos in full colour splashed across the page. It made it a really accessible book to get into as someone who isn't particularly well-versed in the world of fashion. I'm disabled and rarely have the spoons for high effort looks, and can't afford the fancy stuff, so I prefer not to tease myself too much and generally prefer sticking to the historical periods that match up with my historical interests. Despite my lack of knowledge, everything was easy to understand and follow, the images were eye-catching, and the information was interesting and useful. The book covers topics such as makeup, cosplay, hijabs, henna, ribbon work, hair, heels, and more.

I would have loved to see photos of or interviews with disabled fashion experts (none of the images showed visibly disabled people and none of the text addressed it) and I would have loved to see a section on tattoos as part of fashion and culture, but it is a quick book that is meant to be more introductory than all-encompassing, so there would be some areas left unexplored.

Overall, this is an interesting and fun introduction to the place where fashion/beauty and culture intersect, and anyone ages 10+ remotely interested in modern fashion will find something to enjoy here. Recommended!

This book provides a beautiful look at how traditional Indigenous clothing and materials are being reclaimed and brought into the world of mainstream fashion. Beautiful photos and the author's own story bring even more personal connection.

Ojibwe writer, Christian Allaire, grew up on the Nipissing First Nation reserve in Ontario, Canada. As a fashion obsessed teen, he rarely saw anyone who looked like him in the magazines and movies he sought out for inspiration. Now a fashion and style writer for U.S. Vogue, based in New York City, he is working to change that — because clothes are never just clothes. Style isn’t just the clothes on our backs or makeup on our faces — it is self expression, representation, and transformation.

Allaire’s debut includes over 26 people using fashion and beauty today to promote cultural activism, empowerment, diversity and inclusivity. They use garments, accessories or various beauty techniques to reclaim and celebrate their identities.

“We’re at a time when cultural pride and activism are more important than ever . . . it’s an opportune moment to use what you wear for a larger purpose.”

Allaire probes the connection between fashion and history, culture, politics, and social justice in bold and colourfully designed chapters dedicated to: Indigenous communities keeping their culture’s traditions alive with ribbon work; how wearing our hair can have a much deeper meaning; cosplayers disrupting the art form, promoting acceptance, and body positivity; Muslim women embracing hijabs on their own terms; men and non binary people using footwear to push the boundaries of gender expression, and makeup junkies channeling their cultures into their looks, using their faces for self expression and pride.

I absolutely loved reading this gorgeously designed, technicolor feast. ‘The Power of Style’ is interesting, informative and, I believe, an important and necessary book for people of all ages today. Although it has been written for young adults it is suitable for all adults. There is so much more Christian Allaire has to share and I can’t wait for his next book.

A huge thank you to @NetGalley and @annick_press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Power of Style: How Fashion and Beauty Are Being Used to Reclaim Cultures by Christian Allaire is a wonderfully illustrated book about fashion and different cultures. Interesting and informative. #ThePowerofStyle #NetGalley

This book was very informative and expressed specifically how cultures around the world use style to embrace their identities as well as empower themselves. I hope that this is a series and the author will add more books to the collection.

This book was an amazing look into fashion and style and how transformational and representative of people's history and culture. Connected by personal stories and historical information, the looks presented in the book provide a wonderful opportunity for teens to see themselves represented and gain confidence in wearing and being themselves.

A lovely, inclusive look at the people pushing the boundaries of what fashion means today, I appreciated the way the book was divided and how it explored different facets of diversity,

4/5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley for providing this arc!

This was such a fun quick read and I'm very pleased with the fluency and greatness of this style book.

The Power of Style -How Fashion and Beauty Are Being Used to Reclaim Cultures, is an informative and interesting look at fashion and how it's used by different cultures. This a book that is not just for teens it's one adults should read too as they would also learn from it.

This book has a lot of good information about different cultures and their sense of style and where it came from. There are great descriptions and pictures. I got a preview of this to see if it would fit in my YA library collection and I think it does. The teens who like cosplay can pick it up and see themselves in it. The teens who have families with different backgrounds can too. It's a great inclusive title.

I thought this was a great book. It was so diverse and was about fashion we see everyday as opposed to the usual runway/models that take over the idea of what is fashion. It was refreshing to see and I enjoyed it

A very interesting book about elements of fashion (clothing, hair, makeup, etc) as both a tool to reclaim and assert culture. The entries are short but interesting. It's not the more academic text I was expecting but, rather, closer to a really intriguing coffee table book.

SO MANY LOOKS (~LEWKS)! This is a photo book comprised of positive fashion representation--from ribbon dresses of Native and Indigenous Americans/First Nations to cosplay to high fashion hijabs--this book is a beautiful sampling of diverse fashions traditional and modern. I loved the photos, insights, and brief background of the various styles that act as a great introduction for us non-fashion-folks to learn more about that may pique our interests. This does bring hope that there will be an increase of awareness and appreciation for diversity in fashion--from ever day to haute couture--that pull from cultural and religious traditions of models and designers. I would love a follow-up or in-depth look at each section.

Christian Allaire and many, many other folks share distinct ways style and fashion can communicate. These creators are exploring and celebrating their identities and sharing themselves through their fashions. The Power of Style gives us a glimpse into the motivations and inspirations behind some of their marvelous creations.

Allaire begins by sharing about the making of his first adult ribbon shirt. This is a great example of how an item of clothing can be significantly more than just a body covering. The colors were chosen because they were favorites of his close elders. They also incorporated the colors of the medicine wheel which is important within the Ojibwe culture. The whole process involved multiple people and was a priceless bonding experience. The garment holds memories of loved ones, honors his culture, and is worn with pride. So many of the stories within this book are similar in that the clothing, accessories, and sometimes even makeup carry relationship connections and a lot of meaning. Those layers of meaning are part of the reason that appropriation can be such a hurtful act. Allaire points out the difference between appropriation and appreciation which is an important distinction that many folks don’t seem to grasp.

He conveys the idea that fashion and style enhance beauty that is already there and aren’t for fixing or improving people. This enhancing can be done through clothing, shoes and other accessories, along with makeup and hair treatment and/or styles. This wide variety kept my attention and while I spent much time looking at the photos, I was always eager to see the next page. The photos and the design of the book are definitely appealing. There are bright colors and of course the fashion and styles are quite distinct with many details to take in and appreciate.

There is a great section about high heals designed for men. It includes a little bit of history, but never feels like a textbook and of course looking at the different shoes was a treat and shoes are Allaire’s specialty. The section about hair was also informative and covered natural hair and the beauty of it, but also some of the complicated relationships some people have had with their hair. Another aspect of hair was the practice of Indigenous men wearing long hair. This was something that was denied many boys and men especially during the time of the residential schools and so carries even more meaning as men honor their ancestors who had the choice taken from them. Along with hair there is a significant section about hair coverings. Body positivity is a topic that is also addressed within the cosplay portion.

Recommendation: Get it soon. This book has a great variety of topics and the photos will likely catch the attention of most readers, but especially those who love fashion. Many of the artistic choices push boundaries and it is great to see how the creators of these fashions and styles hold on to traditions while at the same time, put their own new spin on them.

At first, I would like to thank Netgalley and Annick Press Ltd.for allowing me to review this book. Keep in mind that my review, however, is my true opinion on this book.

This is a wonderful book! “The power of style” by Christian Allaire.

In the book, you learn about the sewing traditions. The ribbon has played a big role in culture throughout history. It plays a huge role in clothes. And in the book you will see some incredible examples of clothes with ribbons. You also get a step-by-step guide to your own ribbon-work.

You will also see some different hairstyles in this book. Some beautiful and unique ones. Some natural hair. Some relaxed hair. Some colored hair. Different length hair. We get to see the beauty in all of it.

I love all of the pictures in the book. The layout and the setup is amazing. The colors are beautiful.


You might get inspired to try something new, when you look through this book. It is extremely inspiring. What we can learn from this book is that we are all beautiful in different ways.

This book shows how your clothes, your hair, the colors you wear and your appearance create your image. And we get to see the power of style!

Visually stunning the pictures are breathtaking and the information about different cultures traditions was fascinating.Love the story of his ribbon shirt made for him by his mom& aunts and embroidered by a member of their tribe..#netgalley #annickpress

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!! I love the combination of vivid images along with information to allow the reader to learn and visualize.

This was such an eye opening book! I loved how relatable each section was. I also really enjoyed getting to learn about the history of fashion across different cultures.