We talked to Dianne McIntyre, a renowned modern dancer, choreographer and director, about how she continues to be a trailblazer at a later age, and why you can be modern at any age.

Dianne McIntyre is a well-established figure in the world of modern dance, having dedicated her career to dance for over five decades. At 76 years old, she remains passionate about her work and continues to receive recognition for her contributions.

Your dance journey started at the age of four, and you even choreographed your first piece at seven years old. Since then, you have remained dedicated to the world of dance without ever looking back. What fuels your deep passion for modern and contemporary dance?

Modern dance allows people to express themselves in their own style, even if they learned a certain technique in ballet or any other style of dance. When you’re a choreographer, even a young one, you’re encouraged to develop movements that come from within yourself. Modern dance encourages us to be innovative and each dancer tries to invent their own particular style. I’m in the world of newness and it keeps me developing something new.

Why do you think that modern, contemporary, or innovative ideas are not commonly associated with older people?

On the one hand, people tend to think: “Oh, that person’s work is from another time” or “that person’s work is old-fashioned”. But also, it is an old way of thinking that after artists have created great work, they need to take a break, lay back, sit on their porch, go on vacations and drink piña coladas. I believe that if you have art in your heart, you have the fire of creativity. You don’t want to lay back. For me, I have continued to try to see what I can do that’s even more wonderful than the work I’ve done before.

“I believe that if you have art in your heart, you have the fire of creativity. You don’t want to lay back.”

Paul Taylor is one of my favourite choreographers. During an interview, I remember him saying that he had not created his masterwork yet. He was in his 80s when he said that. So for me, when I look at dance, but also visual art and music, I see so many new ideas coming from people who are very established. The reason they’re brilliant artists is because they keep reaching for something new. Look at Picasso or American dancer Katherine Dunham– young people would still admire them because you would never know what’s around the corner.

Can you tell us a bit more about your own inspiration for creating newness?

It can come from a certain sound that the music makes. I’ll be like, whoa, I haven’t heard a sound like that, let me see what kind of movement comes from that! Or dancers come into a rehearsal with certain ideas and I’m like, whoa, I had in mind for you to do this, but you are doing something completely different. It keeps me into the freshness of what the dance can be. The other thing that inspires me is what I see happening around me. These can be small things, or big political things. It can be something I’ve read in a book or online, or something I saw in nature that’s just so glorious and beautiful that it just grabs me.

In your view, do you believe that your age can bring unique advantages or benefits when it comes to creating new artistic works?

Certainly! I can look back and see some paths I have taken to create work and say, well, I could have done that better. I can look back on the whole history of my own dance and learn from that. At my age, I have the opportunity to even excel from what I’ve done in the past. The other gift of age is that I have seen a whole history of dance in person. I’ve seen it from my childhood all the way through this period. And some things from the past, that younger people have never seen, are so inspiring to me. Young people might see it online, but dance is an art form that happens when you see it live. Music can be recorded and sound so much like it sounded live. However, video recordings of dance have a flatness to it that doesn’t show the power and the nuances that you see live. I have had the good fortune to see so much dance throughout my life, and that will always stay with me.

“I look back on the whole history of my own dance and learn from that. At my age, I have the opportunity to even excel from what I’ve done in the past.”

As you’re ageing, have you encountered any particular challenges or obstacles that affect your work?

When I was in my 40s, or maybe my late 30s, somebody wrote an article saying “Dianne McIntyre is still dancing and performing”, and I thought: Still? What? I haven’t even started yet! You see, physical challenges are a given. Not only when it comes to dancing or teaching, but also in terms of the practicalities. When I was a younger artist, I could run around, take 15 costumes then ride on the subway, and have a rehearsal. Those things make me tired now, but there are people who can also help me with that too.

As a choreographer, it can be challenging when I try to articulate my own way of moving onto another dancer. The dancers might jump higher, do more turns or fall flat on the floor, which I can no longer do. Even though I feel what that movement looks like, it doesn’t look like that on them. It has to do with the limitations that I have in my own physicality, but it can become something new which can also be inspiring to see.

“When I was in my 30’s or 40’s somebody wrote an article saying “Dianne McIntyre is still dancing and performing”, and I thought: Still? I haven’t even started yet!”

And how is that when you’re performing as a dancer yourself?

When I’m doing those improvisational things by myself, there are some things that I would’ve done in the past that I can’t anymore because they would cause a strain or they just don’t feel comfortable. However, the style that I’m moving in is still my own particular type of expression. The people over the last several years who’ve invited me to perform either with the group or by myself don’t think about my age. They asked me to perform, just to perform. People are just like, oh, wow, Dianne McIntyre is performing.

It’s very clear that you still have a lot of passion and discipline for the work that you do. What inspires you to keep going?

Well first of all, I just always loved to dance. When I am absent from dance for even a week, I’m not completely myself. But when I’m dancing, my head is clear, I can move forward, I can move mountains. The other thing is that I know other older people who do the same thing, I’m very inspired by talking to my other arts friends. Older colleagues who are writers, dancers, musicians are my role models. Like, oh, if they’re doing it, so can I.

For older artists who wish to challenge the stereotypes surrounding older individuals and ageing, what advice would you offer to them?

You can’t think less of yourself because you’re a person of age. You can be aware of the changes that are happening, but stay with your own voice. I don’t think of myself as a person of age. Do not try to change, don’t be shy, and don’t try to be young. Try to be different, be yourself, push that and people will respect you for that. And it’s very important to get assistance! You have to get support that you didn’t necessarily need when you were younger, but it can be that extra bit of help as you push against that stereotype.

If you want to learn more about Dianne’s career and her work, you can find more information on her website, DianneMcIntyre.com.

We spoke to Bill McKibben, founder of Third Act, about how activism at an older age is not only important for older people but necessary for society.

Bill McKibben is an environmentalist and founder of Third Act, an organisation that promotes social and environmental activism among older individuals to utilise their skills, experience, and time to support meaningful causes.

What inspired you to start Third Act?

In my 20s, I wrote my first book on the subject of climate change, which is now known as The End of Nature (1989). Since then, I have been actively involved in the matter of climate change and have been collaborating with young people for most of my life. They effectively established a youth climate movement and I really believe it’s appropriate for young people to lead the charge since they will have to endure the effects of climate change for their entire lives. However, I began to worry about the number of people who claimed that it was up to the next generation to solve this problem. Which seems unfair and highly impractical.

“I began to worry about the number of people who claimed that it was up to the next generation to solve this problem. Which seems unfair and highly impractical.”

Can you elaborate on that?

Young people lack sufficient structural power to make changes on the scale we need. When you look around for who does have that power, it’s the people over the age of 60. Their political influence is vast, and if we could harness it, it’s more than enough to get the attention of congressmen/women and senators because they know older people are active voters. When it comes to voting, older people tend to have more influence than younger people because they vote more frequently. We have around 70 million people over 60 in the US, a number that’s increasing by 10,000 every day. That’s more people than are born in the US daily.

In what other way can these millions of people use their influence?

Well, fair or not, the baby boomers and the Silent Generation above us hold a larger share of the country’s financial assets than the younger generation. So, if you want to make some changes in Washington or Wall Street, it’s probably good to have people with hairlines like mine engaged in the fight.

“This older generation grew up in a period of remarkable political, social, and cultural transformation. So that muscle memory in this group is very strong.”

Considering these reasons, it’s interesting that we don’t typically associate older people with activism. Why do you think that is?

Historically, we have been setting old people aside. They’ve been encouraged to retire, meaning to retreat or go away. But this is changing as older people are living longer and healthier lives, particularly in this country. Also, there’s this thought that people become more conservative as they age and therefore are less likely to take to the streets.

Is there any truth to that thought?

For this older generation in particular, it’s not necessarily true. For them, growing up in young adulthood was actually in a period of remarkable political, social, and cultural transformation. It was the time when women began to be taken seriously in public life, marked by the height of the civil rights and anti-war movements, as well as the first Earth Day. So that muscle memory in this group is very strong. We’ve found that many people who were dedicated to those causes are still passionate about them and eager to continue working hard. As a result, we have had no difficulty in finding tens of thousands of volunteers to help with our initiatives.

Have you seen older people personally benefit from being activists?

They benefit extraordinarily. We receive great reactions from people all the time, and most of them are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to feel like they are playing a role in something meaningful. The worst thing about ageing can come from a sense of no longer having an important role to play in society, especially in the US, which is so career and work focused.

Are there any other benefits?

The other thing is that movements offer a place where people can mix easily with others from different age groups, which is something that many older people appreciate. In a society where many people now live in age-segregated communities, including retirement communities, this is especially important. That’s the best thing, to see people of different generations and backgrounds come together for a common cause.

And how does the relationship between different generations work when it comes to activism?

One of the insights I’ve had is that this relationship works very well. Older people and younger people like high school and college students—it’s a natural match. I think because the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is often easier than the relationship between parents and children. There’s just way less tension. Last year, we did a big thing called Seniors to Seniors (older people writing to high school seniors), urging them to vote and telling them what voting had meant in their lives. And for those who participated in the program, they had the reaction I’ve described. They really liked this sense of connection that came with receiving the letters. It turns out that if you’re 17 or 18 now, you’ve likely received very few letters in your life, so that made the experience unique.

“One of the insights I’ve had is that this relationship works very well. Older people and younger people like high school and college students—it’s a natural match.”

Do older activists have unique strengths that younger people don’t have?

Well, absolutely. By the time you reach your 60s you’ve often built up a great deal of skills and knowledge in a particular field. For instance, we have a group of lawyers in their Third Act who provide diverse legal assistance, a team of retired educators and teachers in our community who are involved in developing and writing curriculums, and much more. I’ve noticed that older people are enthusiastic about engaging across all kinds of lines. They don’t mind doing tasks that may not always be exciting. Like the work we’re currently doing on energy policy, where members are willing to undergo long, boring meetings to learn more about it. That’s kind of their superpower. It’s a generation that’s also not shy about contacting political officials, bank managers, or anyone else to express their opinions, which can be incredibly valuable.

To learn more about Third Act or join their movement, you can find more information on their website ThirdAct.org.

We spoke to Jane Fleishman and explored the radical thought that sex at an older age can be the most fulfilling yet, and that the key to achieving this is to welcome and embrace change.

Jane Fleishman is a sexual educator, writer, program developer, and researcher. At 62 years old, she received her PhD in Human Sexuality. Jane offers sex-education training for elder care professionals as well as consulting for individuals and couples.

What inspired you to venture into sexual education focused on older people?

When I was searching around for a research topic, I realised that there was very little done about my own people, those who are older and queer. I’ve been an out lesbian for about 50 years, and I realised that I could actually do something that would benefit my own community in a way that I’ve never been able to. I believe that seeing older adults being sexual beings in whatever way—how they dress, how they act, how they display affection in public — can really challenge ageism. I always liked making trouble, and so I thought, what better way to be a troublemaker late in life than to look at one of the fundamental areas that shape our lives, both in very positive and also very detrimental ways. So looking at human sexuality was a really amazing choice for me to make.

“What better way to be a troublemaker late in life than to look at one of the fundamental areas that shape our lives?”

When we talk about sexuality and intimacy, there’s a big taboo around older people and sex. Why is that?

It’s mostly because of the misconceptions that exist about older people. The first one is that all older people are the same–they’re all white, wealthy, heterosexual, married, and none of them are happy. Let’s get rid of that first. It would be preposterous to say that all 30-year-olds are the same, just as all 70-year-olds are the same. Secondly, the world believes that older adults don’t have sex. And if they do have sex, there’s something gross about it. But the data shows there are plenty of people in their 70s who are still having sex. The last one is that old people’s bodies are not seen as something that can be sexy or attractive. Adults hear: “You can’t have that anymore, you’re too old and weak, you are over the hill and all dried up, you can’t get it up.” It’s all of these really negative aphorisms that are part of our vernacular. This is called sexual ageism. It comes from the idea that only certain people are allowed to be erotically desirable, and old people are not in that group.

While there are many misconceptions about older people and sex, what are some of the real changes and challenges that come with age?

Older people very often want to find a partner, but they’re scared. They’re scared because their body doesn’t look the same as it did 30 years ago. Their body has sagged or it’s not as muscular, and there’s no positive view of an older body. Besides the more common changes like a stiff back or a bad knee, a lot of older adults report that their skin sensitivity changes and other senses change. How much do you want to be touched? Where do you feel some heat? That may change as you get older.

Big changes—especially around our bodies and sex—can be scary and intimidating. How do you help older people navigate this change?

Discussing sex with older adults means we must have patience, because of all of the misinformation, repression and oppression that we have suffered throughout our lives. Instead of always being negative, let’s try to find some ways to heal some of those wounds. Many of the people who provided education about sex and ageing before me were focusing on vaginal dryness, erectile dysfunction, chronic pain. Just stop already, you’re not helping! I don’t even use the term erectile dysfunction when I talk with older adults, because I find it to be such a cold clinical term. I say erection differences. Or when someone can’t have an orgasm I say there are orgasmic differences. Just like we think of gender as a continuum, I think about bodily functions in terms of your sexual function as a continuum.

What has been the response from the older people you work with?

There was a man that came to talk to me after a workshop because he couldn’t have erections anymore. He said, “So I guess I gotta give it up, right?” I said, no, on the contrary, you’re living in the right time and space. There are medical aids, there are medications, there are different kinds of surgeries if you really want to do that. And there’s other kinds of sex that you can have, which is really the thing that I wanted to suggest. There’s a million sexual behaviours, I call it “outersex”. Like really good make-out sex. There are people who can have an orgasm just for making out. People also report that there’s a lot more interest in kink with older adults. They’re looking at other ways to get excited and get their sexual needs fulfilled. Sometimes that comes with this idea that they can try something new because nobody’s really watching. Isn’t that great?

“It’s reported that there’s a lot more interest in kink with older adults. They’re looking at other ways to get excited and get their sexual needs fulfilled.”

Are there other unexpected positives or benefits that come with getting older when it comes to sex and sexuality?

It’s a really radical thought to imagine that sex gets better as you get older, but people tell me that there’s a real freedom. There’s freedom from other people’s expectations. You’re not bringing anyone home to your mother anymore. You’re not worried about your biological clock. You don’t have kids at home. You don’t have jobs. There’s a lot more possibilities. In general, people have told me that they finally feel like they’re coming into their own. They don’t have to worry if they have the perfect body. They’re just having fun and enjoying each other in a way that they haven’t before.

“There’s a real freedom. Freedom from other people’s expectations. You’re not bringing anyone home to your mother anymore.”

You work primarily with older people, but do you have any advice for younger people who want to better prepare for sex in their older age?

Start prioritising sex now in a really healthy way that feels good to your body and your partner’s body. What increases your feeling of self-esteem? Find a way of being sexual in your 20s and 30s and 40s that you can continue later on. It’s a gift you’re going to give yourself for forever, for your whole life.

You can learn more about Jane’s written work, courses and training on her website, JaneFleishman.com.

We sat down with Sari Botton, editor-in-chief of newsletter Oldster Magazine, about how getting older lets you be the truest version of yourself.

Through her Substack newsletter, Sari Botton examines what it means to get older through different people and their stories.

What’s the inspiration behind Oldster Magazine’s slogan: “Exploring what it means to travel through time in a human body, at every phase of life”?

As long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of what it means to pass through time in a human body at every phase of life. When I turned 10, my uncle made a comment that stuck with me: “You’ll never be a single digit again.” Even at that young age, it felt like a significant milestone. As I got older, I saw how ageing affected my parents and grandparents, but I didn’t feel the same way they did. I’ve always wondered if it was because I didn’t have children or if it was a generational difference. It led me to explore the topic further. Now I’m in my 50s, I still feel like I’m 11, so I realised there was a gap between my chronological age and how I felt. I wanted to explore that, so that’s when I started Oldster Magazine.

What has been the reaction to Oldster Magazine?

For a while I was getting a lot of pushback from much older people. Every now and then, older adults felt very territorial about it and were like, “Oh, I can’t believe you got all these young people on here.” Other people were offended by the name Oldster saying it’s a slur. But I’m reappropriating it, because like I said, I’m in my 50s but still feel like a kid. When I asked who else is feeling this way, I discovered that everyone felt similarly, especially much older individuals who participate in Oldster conversations.

Who do you think is an “oldster”?

Everyone. My aim is to create an intergenerational conversation to discuss the significance of ageing and start conversations that are inclusive and feature individuals from diverse backgrounds, ages, genders, and social classes. On the blog’s comment section, a community has formed with people of all ages engaging with each other, talking about their unique experiences in their various stages of life. They’re really learning from each other, which is what I hoped to achieve.

“We need to ensure that older individuals have control over their own narratives.”

Have you observed a greater level of openness in the conversation around ageing?

I see that there’s a shift happening in the ageing narrative, but not as big a shift as it should be. Ageism is still strongly related to the patriarchal system, the system that makes people youth-obsessed. I think we get pretty excited when we see older people in the media, but the reality is that so much of the success is still appropriated by men who control the narrative. We need to ensure that older individuals have control over their own narratives.

Oldster features personal stories from contributors. What are the kinds of stories that stand out to you as editor-in-chief?

One of the questionnaires that fascinated me was by Lucy Sante, a transgender woman and a well-known public intellectual. She expressed regret about not having the teenage years she desired, wishing she had experienced adolescence as a girl. But on the other hand, she feels young and excited about life since her transition. This is what I want to study, just as much as I want to study the 92-year old Holocaust survivor who feels as though each day is his birthday, since it is a day he has been granted. There’s quite a range of individuals and experiences featured in Oldster.

Have you seen any common themes across all your contributors?

At Oldster I see that contributors are very defiant in what they’re writing, whether it’s their personal essay or questionnaire response. Among the platform’s most popular pieces is Whole 60, written by crime novelist Laura Lippman, about how she gave up dieting and even got herself a bikini. As women get older, women find joy in being less visible, as they receive less predatory attention from men. These women have taken back the word “crone”, saying, “I kind of enjoy being older and not caring whether I’m
thin or pretty enough.”

What are some of the other benefits of ageing your contributors talk about?

Many people talk about feeling that, as they age, they are finally who they were meant to be. After all, people are living longer and healthier lives in today’s world. We don’t eat like we used to, we’re exercising and we’re meditating. As a result, our brains and bodies stay in better shape for longer than they did before. Now people age older, many of them talk about how they care less of what people think of them the way they used to. They are less concerned with other people’s opinions and therefore, they feel much wiser.

What has Oldster taught you personally about your experience with ageing and getting older?

Recently, I saw a quote by David Bowie that said something like: “In old age, you become who you were meant to be”. It resonated with me because the older I get, the more true “me” I feel. Looking back, I realise that I also felt most true to myself at the age of 11, before culture told me I had to perform femininity and before the hormones started. Getting older now feels like you get to recapture that originality, that truth of who you are.

“Getting older now feels like you get to recapture that originality, that truth of who you are.”

What can we do to help more people embrace ageing in the way you and your contributors have?

We need to expand the visibility of older people in ways we haven’t seen before. That’s why I try to show unconventional images of older adults, such as punk-rock ladies in their 70s or seniors reentering the dating scene in their 60s. We need to challenge the limiting beliefs about ageing and showcase older adults embracing new opportunities, whether that’s pursuing a new career, learning from their grandchildren, or getting a new tattoo. I recently profiled a remarkable woman in her 50s who took up skateboarding in her 40s. But mainly, we need to see more older people who are just as capable and beautiful in a way that’s different from what culture has been saying—to challenge the limiting ideas of beauty. This means seeing older people with diverse body types, faces, and hairstyles, rather than people who are ageing according to the standards. The more we get exposed to these stories, the more the culture will catch on.

“I try to show unconventional images of older adults, such as punk-rock ladies in their 70s or seniors reentering the dating scene in their 60s.”

For more captivating stories visit Oldster Magazine. If you want to learn more about Sari Botton, you can follow her on Instagram.

We met with Yan Ong, an unstoppable multifaceted talent, to talk about why going headfirst into exciting new endeavours can be done at any age.

Yan Ong is a model, entrepreneur, and social media influencer who uses her platform to empower seniors and prove that age is no barrier to pursuing new ambitions.

You’re a model and influencer, but only recently began doing both in your older years. How did you get started?

A local fashion designer noticed my silver hair and wanted variation in her range of models to showcase her clothing. Until this moment, it never crossed my mind to be a model. Especially during the time when I was young, a model had to be slim and tall, and I’m none of that. She approached me and I immediately said “yes” despite the fact that I was a little concerned about my age of 63, and having wrinkles and fine lines. Her trust in me gave me the confidence to step away from the doubts I have about myself and just go in front of the camera. That’s how I ventured into modelling, and I have since become an influencer in addition to what I’m doing with modelling.

“Modelling boosted myself-confidence. But in order to get here, I created an alter ego named Anna.”

In what ways has this experience impacted you?

It boosted my self-confidence. But in order to get here, I created an alter ego named Anna. When you are made up so beautifully and your hair is done properly, you subconsciously become another person. She helped me to move away from the idea that I can’t do it, and that led me to be a more confident Yan too. I guess over time she will overpower Anna. But importantly, my modelling career made me realise that there’s no such thing as age-appropriate for being a model, and there’s so much you still can do at this age. I think that a lot of seniors feel that they can no longer do certain things, or that they aren’t model-quality or not good enough to try something new. Hopefully, I’m an example for others: if I can do it, they can do it too. And there’s no harm in giving it a try.

What excites you the most about your work?

I think there are a few reasons. One is that it gives me the opportunity to pay it forward. The money that I earn from my engagements, I’m donating to animal rescues and other charity projects that I’m passionate about. The other thing is that it also keeps me active and I love how I get to meet new people and learn new things. With modelling, it’s a whole new adventure every time I go to a new shoot. But mostly, modelling and being on social media serves as a platform for me to constantly remind seniors that anyone at any age has the potential to do anything they want. Also, it helps me to create awareness for everyone to be reminded that seniors are important.

Why is it important for you to stay active and keep challenging yourself?

My family has a history of dementia, and both my mom and my sister had it. I had to look after my mom for six months before she passed away. That was very painful for me to see, especially when she reached a point of not recognising me. So I told myself, I’m not going to let my children experience the same sort of pain that I went through. And for me
to do that, I had to tell myself that I have to keep being active physically and mentally, doing everything I can to avoid that pain. And if it comes, my children or my spouse can say I made a genuine effort to prevent it from happening. The spaces that you’re active in—fashion, modelling, social media, and entrepreneurship—are normally dominated by young people.

Have you experienced any pushback as an older person in a young person’s game?

Not really. In terms of being in a “young people’s game”, I feel that we are competent in our own ways. I never felt that between young and old people, there’s no contest. Actually, I feel more confident ever since I’ve been working with and learning from millennials. It really challenged me to get more out of my comfort zone. I think the only pushback I experienced was a moment when I just started a coldbrew coffee business, together with my husband. I was 60 at the time and it didn’t occur to me at that time that we were selling a millennial drink. Surprsingly another senior advised us that we shouldn’t be the face of the brand. Her reason was that millennials weren’t able to relate to us. She even recommended that my son had to be the face of the brand. We persisted to not do it and we proved her wrong.

“I feel more confident ever since I’ve been working with and learning from millennials. It really challenged me to get more out of my comfort zone.”

What are the reactions you get from older people when they see what keeps you busy?

When it comes to what type of reactions I receive, there are two camps of older people. One camp gets inspired and gets the urge to challenge themselves more often, like trying out new things or facing their fears. But there’s also another camp who says, “Look, I know who I am. I just want to retire and enjoy my time off.” They don’t want to keep themselves busy. And I think that’s good, that we as older people can do whatever we want that makes us happy, and nobody can tell you what you should do in terms of
your age.

“It’s incredibly important to remember that it’s never too late to learn new things.”

Given everything you’ve shared, what advice would you offer to individuals who are hesitant to try new things because they believe it’s not age appropriate for them?

I think you should not feel constrained by society’s expectations of you. Don’t let society dictate how you should or should not live your life. It’s incredibly important to remember that it’s never too late to learn new things. There are so many new hobbies and crafts that are relevant in the market. It’s easy to start your home-based business, like soap-making, candle-making, or jewellery-making for that matter. You can gain income or not, as long as it’s something you’re passionate about. I’ve actually signed up for an English course because I wanted to improve that and I’ve just signed up. I thought, why not, right?

If you want to see more of Yan and all the things that she’s up to, you can follow her on Instagram, @Grey_Evolution.

We spoke to Nirmala Shome, Head of Community at The Fabricant, about how digital fashion is inspiring a community driven revolution.

Nirmala Shome is the Head of Community at The Fabricant—a digital fashion house that creates digital garments for AR and the metaverse. Focusing on community co-creation, The Fabricant aims to turn fashion on its head using digital design—and by giving fans the designer brush. 

Digital fashion—and digital fashion houses like The Fabricant—are a new concept to a lot of people. How would you describe it to people who are not familiar with this concept?

The way I’d describe it, we’re a decentralised fashion house. And we’re really on a mission to create a decentralised fashion ecosystem, a digital-only fashion hyper-structure that we will build together with our community.

It’s funny. I think I often change how we describe what we do, because the whole culture in Web3 changes so quickly. It is still so early in the industry that we’re often getting pulled in many directions. We have these moments
where it shifts, and we have to realign things that we thought we had sorted
out previously.

But, no matter the shifts in the industry, our core focus at The Fabricant is always to support creators and create a platform and ecosystem where they are all equitable.  

What do you mean when you say The Fabricant is a ‘decentralised’ fashion house?

To understand what decentralisation means for us, you have to look at the traditional fashion industry and the way it works. It starts with a label or a fashion house that dictates trends at a high level—at probably quite a high price-point as well, making it quite inaccessible. It then trickles down into larger consumer markets that people can access. 

We’re trying to reverse the existing fashion-industry structure, and build something new. We are starting from the ground up. When we launch a collection, it’s all about co-creation, it’s all about trends coming from the community.

But in terms of what we actually do, we make digital-only garments and we work with different fashion designers to create them. We have a platform where you can come and mint them. Minting is the act of making it an official NFT. On our platform, people are able to design a unique fashion item, and no one else can make that combination through our platform again. 

“We’re trying to reverse the existing fashion-industry structure, and build something new.”

We are now also working on developing a marketplace where you can trade them—as well as looking at how you can bring them into different metaverses, and on how you’d wear them.

Why do you think subverting the whole industry is worth pursuing? What do you think is the benefit to the community? 

To be a traditional fashion designer, you generally have to go to fashion school. In the digital space, there are even more barriers to entry, in the sense that you need all these different softwares and knowledge of how to use them. 

At The Fabricant, we want anyone to be able to design. We’ve been really building our community of fashion designers since the company started. And now, we’re creating a tool that’s an easy-to-use platform to create and design your own custom items. You come up with ideas and concepts that other teams execute on. We’re trying to make the design process as accessible as it can be.

Do you see major differences between how the community creates, versus how a fashion house creates? 

Yes. We give everyone the palette and the tools—and then the trends emerge through the community’s co-creation. For example, our Season One collection or the one we recently did with Stephanie Fung: it’s not one entity that creates the collection, but several designers creating a palette for a collection to emerge. 

When you entered The Fabricant [digital] studio, you basically were given these garments. You could pick material from an artist, create this colour palette and create a unique item. But that item that you’ve made is actually the combination of a different garment designer, a different material designer and your own creative input. 

The outcome is that the community tells us what the most popular fashion trend is, as opposed to us saying, “Yellow is the colour for this season”, or, “It’s pink this season”. What’s really interesting is that we don’t actually know what the most popular fabric is. When we see all the data in the end, that’s when we know what the trends are. 

“The community tells us what the most popular fashion trend is, as opposed to us saying ‘yellow is the colour for this season’ or ‘it’s pink this season’.”

As the Head of Community, what role do you play within the company?

The community is a critical part; you can’t really think of The Fabricant as existing without our community. This is a movement, and in a movement you need many, many people. I’d say that’s the same for any artist—your fans or the people that follow you are an inherent part of what you do. You’re all kind of deeply connected, and it allows you to create a much deeper, more direct relationship. 

Our goal at The Fabricant is to create an ecosystem that can house all these different people in one place. My role is to create a healthy community.  When you think about what makes a healthy ecosystem, diversity is so critical, as well—making sure our community is diverse. 

We also look at what the environment is, and at tools such as Discord, Twitter and Twitch streams. We think about how we can connect all these tools so they function well. A well-organised Discord is critical infrastructure that we need to work on. Discord is a private platform where we all meet, chat and share projects with each other. We design it as a space for the community to thrive.

Do you ever look to fan bases within other industries like music or sport for inspiration on The Fabricant’s community model?

I think the eSports model is a really interesting community model. You have your [game] builders—or the people that design the games. Then there’s people that come and play those games. Then you have the people that watch people play the games—who we call spectators. But the spectators are a huge part of that economy, and bring in huge value. 

We have the same type of structure with our fandom. But for us, it’s probably a little bit more active than passive, as with a spectator. We’re creating a platform for people to come and build, and designers can come and put their designs on the platform. Players and co-creators can come and create this next layer of items, which they can merchandise, sell and wear. Then, there’s all the people that are just here to watch, experience and give it a try.  

We make sure there’s always a path for each of those groups to have something to do—to have a way to engage that brings value. 

It’s clear that those active within The Fabricant community see themselves as either fashion designers or fans in some way. But when it comes to financial incentives, do they also see themselves as fashion ‘investors’?

Some might come for the money, but it’s not the reason they stay. It’s not like coming to buy or profit, and that’s where the relationship ends. When someone co-creates, it’s a piece of themselves as well. When you co-create you will receive royalties. But beyond that, we always think, ‘How can they give back to our community’?

For us, we really need to think about what goes beyond the financial. What I love seeing in our community is that people will come and share a bit about themselves, or their real-life story, or why they’re here. Some of them came from the fashion industry and hated it. Now, they’re making their lives a part of our community.

What gets you most excited about the shift to Web3, and the opportunities it unlocks for fans?

“Being a fan now in Web3 canbe a legitimate career.”

I think one cool thing is that being a fan now in Web3 can be a legitimate career. You could be a fan, and get paid to be one, and earn money in a very tangible way that wasn’t possible before—now you really can do that. You can just be a fan and find a way to live off that.

We sat down with content creator Diipa Büller-Khosla to talk about what it’s like building a next generation skincare brand with 1.7 million fans as co-founders.

Diipa Büller-Khosla is a content creator, model, activist and the co-founder of indē wild—a next generation skincare brand serving the South Asian diaspora. In 2019, Diipa founded indē wild, tapping into her Instagram fanbase of 1.7 million followers for step-by-step insight and guidance.

You have a massive fanbase on Instagram. How did you first get into the world of content creation?

The world of social media sort of fell onto my path, and changed my trajectory in such an incredible way. At 18, I left India and moved to Europe, to study Human Rights Law. I interned at the United Nations’ International Criminal Court as well as at the IMA Influencer Agency.

Working at IMA opened my eyes to the world of social media. The industry was exciting and new to everyone at that time, but what was lacking was representation. There was no one else who looked like me, or had a similar upbringing. I felt this immediate pull to change the narrative.

“There was no one else who looked like me, or had a similar upbringing. I felt this immediate pull to change the narrative.”

So much of my community has been with me from the start, so I like to think I’ve grown through seasons of life with them. At the end of the day, I’m a proud Indian woman simply finding balance between tradition and modernity, my way; my audience gets it because they’ve lived it.

At what point did you look at the community you had built and think, ‘I want to build a company with all of you’?

I knew from the start that indē wild would be a people-powered ‘for-us-by us’ brand that would shake up the beauty industry. Having been one of many affected by colourism at a young age—then chronic acne for over a decade of my life—my confidence was shattered. I had this feeling of being ‘othered’ by unrealistic beauty norms, and I knew I wasn’t the only one who wanted change.

As I shared my unfiltered experiences, in return, I was lucky enough to hear the stories of so many others who also felt unseen in the beauty space. That only pushed me further to ask more questions and to intently listen to exactly what my community was saying and wanting.

“I knew from the start that indē wild would be a people powered ‘for-us-by us’ brand that would shake up the beauty industry.”

What was it that your community wanted to see more of within the beauty space?

We learned that not everyone in my Instagram community was aware of skincare and what ingredients do for their skin. Beauty is such a top-down industry. We grow up being told what to use, and what we should like—but no education about the ingredients. You assume that certain products work as advertised, because everyone else is using them, but later, you come to find out that the ingredients are actually really bad for your skin.

If you’re melanated [have high skin pigmentation], you have different skincare concerns and that just wasn’t something people were talking about. Now, not only are we talking about the ingredients so that everybody has access to that knowledge, but we’re building a brand for our community that has been made by people who look like them.

Skincare today is complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. We urge our community to ask questions, and we’re continually learning and excited to share.

You call your community the co-founders of indē wild. What does that mean, and how did you invite them on the journey towards building the company?

Community is the heartbeat of indē wild. From the beginning of our brand, we’ve constantly been asking and listening to our community about what they want from skincare products. Prior to even launching the company, my team and I held count- less focus-group sessions with our community. We asked for their opinions on formulation, packaging, experience, you name it.

That gave me the personal opportunity to connect with our community, while giving indē wild a more solid understanding of consumer perception—specifically the needs and concerns of the South Asian diaspora when it comes to skincare.

Now that indē wild is launched, is your community still actively involved?

Absolutely! They’ve seen the brand from the very beginning, when it was a baby, and shared that process, so the emotional response is strong.

We still hold sessions, and continually look to our community as a gut check. We take polls, run surveys, share product reviews, and conduct focus groups—all via Instagram. If something doesn’t pass our community’s pulse check, it doesn’t go too far.

“We continually look to our community as a gut check ... It will forever be part of our way of doing business.”

These touch points make us better, and we’re so humbled to receive such candid feedback. It will forever be part of our way of doing business.

Within the beauty industry, there are many companies that have been started by content creators, musicians, or actors—but few succeed. What defines success in this space?

The differences between the ones that do well and the ones that don’t are two-part. First, the brands that really listen, and look for a gap in the market, succeed. With FENTY BEAUTY, it was the fact that no one else had ever given such a large range of tones before—and Rihanna listened to that. Same with her lingerie line, SAVAGE X FENTY. No one had ever given such a large range of sizes before.

Why make a product that no one wants, when you can make a product that everybody has been need- ing for ages? A lot of the brand cadence that we have is a result of listening to what the other products are that people are missing and/or still need.

The second difference is whether or not your customer base actually relates to you as a person. If there’s no relation or real connection, then they’re not going to buy it.

What advice would you give to brands interested in co-creating with their customers?

Don’t just co-create for the sake of it. Think about what actually needs to be co-created. It’s all about listening and learning from your community.

What about when it comes to acting on what fans are saying?

There has to be a proper structure for the input of customers as stakeholders, so that it’s not too confusing and you can filter out what you need.

When you’re a new company starting out, it’s easier to make decisions and factor in what your community wants and asks from you. We are not not testing on animals. We are vegan. We don’t use perfume. We don’t use preservatives. Sustainability is top of mind—but we also don’t shout about it, because it should just be the norm by now.

“When you’re a new company starting out, it’s easier to make decisions and factor in what your community wants... If you’re a legacy brand, it’s really hard to make that shift.”

If you’re a big legacy brand, it’s really hard to make that shift because you have such a long history behind you. Unless you’re up for a huge cultural shift in your whole business, people are not going to see you as a brand that is serious about their values.

So far this year, indē wild has raised $3 million in seed funding. Congratulations! Any exciting plans in the pipeline?

Yes! We are about to expand markets, and finally go home to launch in India. We’re also planning to roll out a customer-loyalty program soon, which will help to create a more established relationship between us and our community.

You can learn more about indē wild here, and follow Diipa on her journey towards co-creating the future of beauty here.

We spoke to Ryan Abary, Community Manager at Sturdy Exchange, about how artists are curating NFT experiences for their fans.

Read more

We talked to Deere, a full-time streamer about building fanbases on Twitch, and why the future of gaming is going to be all about embracing ‘niche’ fandoms.

Deere is a full-time streamer on Twitch and the founder of the Twitch team ‘Stream Queens’. One of a growing number of creators on the platform who are carving out a space for drag culture within the gaming community, Deere sees thousands of fans tune into her streaming live, five days a week.

Today, gaming is your full-time job. Let’s rewind to when you were growing up. Has gaming always been a big part of your life?

I have loved gaming ever since I was a kid—I am absolutely a fan. I loved how, like movies, you could resonate with the characters and the stories, but also have input in how it played out by being active and engaging. 

I’m not sure if the word “gamer” completely clicks for me, I feel like it has connotations with toxicity and competitive players, but essentially I am one.

What inspired you to bring the world of drag into the gaming space?

I have simultaneously loved fashion and makeup, and been effeminate, from a young age as well. So I wanted to imagine a way where my love for fashion, makeup, and gaming, could intersect. Initially, I struggled with how to merge them in ways other than cosplay. 

“I wanted to imagine a way where my love for fashion, makeup, and gaming, could intersect.”

In 2016 I decided to create a Twitch channel specifically for combining drag and video games. I felt passionate about it, but I never really knew if it would be financially viable. Nobody was combining drag and playing video games at the time. Who knew if there was a market for it? I wasn’t sure if I’d ever have a single fan, let alone thousands! 

Did your fanbase kick-off immediately, or did it take time to build up?

I had to work really hard to get where I’m at. At first I was paying out of pocket, like most drag artists and gamers do. After years of grinding, streaming as often as I could around my day job, and trying to establish myself as a live-streamer and entertainer, it started to pay off. Both with making friends and fans, but also in generating revenue to sustain it. Now it’s my full-time job, which is a dream come true.

For those who have never had the pleasure of watching you live-stream on Twitch, could you describe your gaming aesthetic? 

“My name is DEERE, let’s play what you fear!” That’s my catchphrase. I’m fabulous and I like to think I look mystical. I appear in drag every stream —I think of it as an experience, just like when you go watch a drag show. At the same time as all the glamour and beauty, I like to play scary-themed video games to keep everyone on the edge of their seats. 

I have a pretty calm demeanour and so I’m not reactive to the scares much at all. I’ve had so many people tell me that I make horror-genre games more accessible by presenting them in a calm tone. Fans on TikTok call me “the unbothered queen” because I don’t jump!

You’re on Twitch five days a week. What’s it like streaming to a live audience?

I love engaging and having conversations with fans in real-time, while getting to be comfortable in my own space. Like lots of queer people and gamers, I am more introverted, that’s why I love being able to put on my costume and play a more extroverted version of myself. My drag gives me that power. 

The other beauty of live-streaming is that it’s all very in-the-moment. In live-streams many people filter in and out, so you get lots of different perspectives and thoughts. There’s this connection I feel when we all experience something together and then discuss it. It’s like when you watch a movie, you immediately want to talk about it with the friends you saw it with.

Who is your core fanbase on Twitch?

My fanbase is amazing and consists of so many different people across lots of different ages, backgrounds and walks of life. Most love drag, love horror, love both, are queer themselves, or allies to the queer community, and want that space to be themselves and to be authentic. 

“People don’t have to question whether they are accepted in my space, and I’m so proud to be able to provide that for others.”

By doing drag on Twitch, I’m sending a signal to the queer community, as well as allies to the community, that I’m here and unapologetic about my queerness—and that being queer is intrinsic to my channel space. People don’t have to question whether they are accepted in my space, and I’m so proud to be able to provide that for others.

When you first started combining drag and gaming, you weren’t sure if there would be a big fanbase for it. Now you’ve not only seen it take off, but have helped grow the movement through a collective you founded called Stream Queens. Tell us about it!

Stream Queens is an all-drag troupe of content creators on Twitch. It’s like a hub for fans to discover and experience drag on the platform. Since we are international, there’s almost always someone live. It puts drag at the fingertips of the fans.

Drag is a tool that can unlock parts of your personality that you don’t always get to express, and bringing that to an online platform is so important to me. It makes drag more accessible because not everyone can go to the club to do or enjoy drag. 

• 

You’ve been gaming since you were a kid, and live-streaming on Twitch for over six years. How have you seen fan culture and engagement change over that time?

The world is so interactive these days. Everyone has a voice, and simultaneously, everyone’s a critic. When I was a kid, we were at the mercy of game developers because we couldn’t give any input. But nowadays, with social media and downloadable content for games, fans can have more input. 

In 2019, so many fans demanded that a character named Mileena be added to Mortal Kombat 11—myself included—that the developers eventually added her. It was a huge win for the fans, and proof we have a say.

Fan mods are also one of the coolest things in the world. Mods are adjustments fans make to a game to change and add variety– most popularly, changing costumes of the characters. It allows creative fans to not only learn how games are made, but to also add to them themselves. The constant creativity is so fun and inspiring. The thing with fan modifications, unlike the actual companies that make the games, is that they’re ever-changing and evolving. 

As fans gain more visibility and power, is gaming culture as a whole becoming more inclusive?

I feel like now there are so many ways to discover content creators to resonate with. There’s Twitch, Twitter, TikTok and more platforms that encourage and support establishing fandoms. In a general sense, the gaming industry is still shifting more and more. The days of always having a white dude as the main character are over. There’s something for everyone. 

What worries me the most is that the generalised main audience is so resistant to change. What hasn’t changed is that there are still trolls, haters and naysayers in gaming culture. 

I still see comments on Twitter and YouTube, especially regarding me, saying things like “who asked for this?” and “this doesn’t represent gamers”. Anyone that doesn’t fit the young, white, cis-men standard can unfortunately relate. 

That’s what bothers me about the toxic homophobic fans that come across what I do. To them it’s a zero-sum game. Every single idea needs to appeal to them or it’s a “who is this for?” question. It never crosses their mind that maybe this isn’t their thing and maybe they’re not the target customer. 

What will it take to get to a gaming environment where every type of fan feels welcome?

A cultural shift—instead of listening to the main audience, acknowledging all the parts of the audience individually. “Gamer” is not an absolute concept. Not everyone will always feel represented in every single project, and that’s okay. There’s nuance to gaming and so many different layers. 

“Most people out there form a real connection with their fans by connecting with a niche.”

I just hope to see a time where we aren’t attacked for simply having different interests. Most people out there form a real and true connection with their fans by connecting with a niche. That’s how we feel seen, appreciated and celebrated. 

When I was featured on Xbox’s Twitch channel last year for Pride, the biggest reaction was generally homophobic. However, I also had tons of individuals coming to me and noticing me for the first time, with supportive comments like “I never knew something like this existed and I love it!”. I want this for all niche interests in gaming.

How can we as fans of anything—gaming, music, fashion, sports—play a role in creating more positive fan environments?

I think the best thing we can do is just be there for the individuals, creators, artists, and collectives that bring us joy. Prop up and celebrate the ones that are doing the things we like to see. Be fans of the things that make the world a better place.

The more that we have people championing for diversity, demanding inclusion and celebrating it when it happens, we will continue moving forward.

If you want to see more of Deere, you can follow her on Instagram @deardeere or visit her Twitch channel at twitch.tv/deere

We spoke to Finley Hayhurst about how Web3 is taking the power away from the football establishment and putting it into the hands of fans.

Finley Hayhurst is a former professional football player and founder of NFT FC, a community of football fans using Web3 to revolutionise the future of football. For those who are new to NFT FC, how would you describe what it is? NFT FC is a decentralised sports agency and scouting platform that aims to support upcoming football players and enhance their relationship with supporters. We believe the strength and knowledge of a well-resourced community over any one individual is better suited to finding upcoming sport stars.

“We believe the strength and knowledge of a well-resourced community is better suited to finding upcoming sport stars than any one individual.”

Members are able to vote on the players they want us to support, prior to each season, via a vote2earn model. As a reward, we are going to give away a token to whoever partakes in the vote, and tokens can be used to earn exclusive benefits. It’s a fully decentralised platform that finds and supports athletes together.

Who makes up the current NFT FC community?

I’d say it’s a pretty healthy mix of football fans that are really into NFTs and then football fans in general, who are looking to get into NFTs, cryptocurrency and the blockchain in general.

Being a former professional player yourself, you have a personal connection to football, but what inspired you to create NFT FC?

Competition is huge to becoming a professional footballer. Most kids are turned away from a young age and they have a slim chance of making it. If you don’t know the right people and you’re not in a country where the infrastructure and the academies are promoting youth, it can be quite difficult. For example, I never had a big reputation in Australia, so for me it was hard. It can also often cost a lot to go overseas to try your luck at trials—an amount of money which many young players don’t have. When I went to England, I went before the season started during pre-season and spent a few months trialling at that club. For a young player especially, it’s hard to have that upfront money to support yourself while you’re on trial. Even for those that do have the potential, the barriers to becoming professional are big. They might be lucky and an agent will come along and support them. But because they’re so young and early on in their career, these agents have more leverage. They use that to their advantage, taking five to ten percent of their future salaries and sometimes even up to fifty. It’s been evident as the years go on and as more money is being made from football, that the power is slowly shifting to the bigger corporations and businessmen that are running football.

“At NFT FC, we’re trying to put the power back into the hands of players and fans, because they’re really the two driving forces of football.”

In this day and age, there are more ways that we can support these players without actually having to take away from their footballing salary. At NFT FC, we’re trying to put the power back into the hands of players and fans, because they’re really the two driving forces of football. NFT FC is all about shifting the power imbalance in sport from the institutions and corporations, back to the players and fans. Talk to us about some of the ways you are empowering that shift. Our focus is on supporting the players that are in academies and don’t necessarily have agents—or are in a position where they need an agent. The long-term goal is to create a platform where players can create their own profiles and our community can vote on the players they want us to support, having no need for a centralised team or scouts finding the player. We’ve supported one player already. His name is Rivendi Pierre-Louis and he lives in New York. One of the community members on NFT FC found his highlights on social media. We looked at them and saw the potential in him; his backstory resonated with what we are trying to build at NFT FC. He had a really rough upbringing. He lived in Haiti during the earthquakes and his whole family moved to America. We saw it as a perfect opportunity to support a player early on in the project and help give some exposure to his career. We sold about 370 NFTs and when he’s ready to go on trial and take a chance of becoming a professional footballer, that’s where we’ll step in and support him financially. The way we see supporting players is with the bills that they have to pay, the accommodation, the travel costs, and stuff like that. The goal of the project is very much to have all of the players who we support turn professional, because that’s where the benefit for the fans that buy into NFT FC comes from.

What are some of those benefits fans get in exchange for their player support?

NFT FC gives more access and benefits to the community that sports fans otherwise wouldn’t be able to get. The first one being the access to the early stages of the player’s career. As a football fan, the idea of finding a player in their early years and watching them grow into a successful player definitely resonates in games like FIFA’s ‘Career Mode’ and ‘Football Manager’. Imagine if you played a part in supporting Cristiano Ronaldo when he was at the football academy Sporting Lisbon and if, years later, while he’s at Manchester United, you got game tickets in exchange for the support you gave him in his early years.

How do those benefits for fans change as a player progresses throughout their career?

It’s not just a case of supporting these players early on and then following them on social media. We want to give more of an in-depth look at their player journey and how they’re going week to week. As part of the NFT FC community, you get access to the player’s journey later in their career as well with giveaways, signed jerseys, meetups, and calls when they make it professionally. The blockchain allows us to give that back to the fans. We can do that through token-gated channels in our Discord, which is where our community comes together and talks about the project and football in general.

“Imagine if you played a part in supporting Cristiano Ronaldo when he was at Sporting Lisbon and if, years later, while he’s at Manchester United, you got game tickets in exchange for the support you gave him in his early years.”

Beyond connecting players and fans, how else do you see NFT FC shaking up the industry?

For any sports player, a community of people looking to support you without any strings attached is going to be more interesting to you than an agent that’s just taking a large percentage of your salary. What we are trying to do goes bigger than just any one agent. We want to provide what these agents provide to players, but we can help players with other areas as well, like their merchandise and their personal brands. By collaborating with our players on their merchandise and creating a proper clothing brand, we can actually look to give a percentage of merchandise profits back to our stakeholders—the fans. For example, look at the music industry. People who like the music of up-and-coming musicians can now support them in return for their future salary. We are going to aim to do something similar with our merchandise. It’s not just all about one company profiting off of fan bases that already exist or trying to build a fanbase just so they can profit off it. It’s about actually giving the community a chance to make money as well. As a sports fan, is there anything else happening in the space right now that is really exciting to you? There are a few good projects now that are looking to collectively own sports teams. There’s a big one in basketball called Krause House where they’re looking to collectively own a basketball team. We’re talking about something that—for football fans, or sports fans in general—it would be in their wildest dreams: to own a football or sports team! Web3 technology is giving fans a chance to actually do that.

“For football fans, it would be in their wildest dreams to own a football or a sports team. Web3 technology is giving fans a chance to actually do that.”

Based on this trajectory, what does the future look like for NFT FC and football fans?

It’s going to put the power back in the hands of fans. Web3, and the rise of projects using blockchain, DOAs and NFTs, is actually giving the fans more of a voice. If we can give these fans more of a voice and more of a say in how the clubs are run and certain voting decisions, it is only going to benefit sport in the long-term. You’re going to see a lot of the smaller teams and smaller clubs first give more access and ownership to their fans. From just a pure fan perspective, it’s definitely an exciting future. It’s not necessarily about how much money we can make, but the impact we can make together. When projects do it well, there’s that big sense of community and they’re all in it together and they’re all going to win together.

You can follow NFT FC on Instagram @nftfc21 and visit their website at nftfc.club