Writer Raven Leilani spoke to WWD about her much-anticipated debut novel "Luster."⁣ ⁣ "Luster" has so far received critical praise, and her literary peers have referenced the novel with excitement well ahead of its August release. At the beginning of the year, one of Leilani's professors from NYU's MFA creative writing program, Zadie Smith, wrote an essay praising Leilani's work for the February issue of Harper's Bazaar; the spread included a self-portrait painted by Leilani. Leilani shares an interest in portraiture with the protagonist of "Luster," Edie. Unlike Leilani, Edie hasn't yet established herself creatively.⁣ ⁣ "Most of my work has been done after the 9 to 5," Leilani says. "That frenzy made it into the work; you see Edie trying to balance those demands of work and survival and art, and I was doing the same thing.”⁣ ⁣ Her novel marries a dedication to literary craft with mainstream appeal. It's an unusual page turner, with a storyline that captivates with dark comedic effect within the mundane, familiar stakes of everyday life. As a young woman figuring out what she wants and how to get it, Edie's choices are complicated and at times shocking and always exciting from the vantage of a voyeur.⁣ ⁣ Tap the link in bio for more. ⁣ ⁣ Report: @ktauer 📸: @ninasubin

Who couldn't use a little escapism right about now? That's what stylist and designer @JasonRembert is banking on with his Aliette resort collection that has launched along with his first e-commerce. ⁣ ⁣ The playful capsule is inspired by vacation dreams of the Caribbean island of Martinique, and selling in more inclusive sizes, and at more accessible prices than his main line.⁣ ⁣ "My family is from Martinique, and my late mother used to tell me about traveling there as a kid. It feels majestic and magical," Rembert said of the tropical destination that inspired the lounge lifestyle collection, a departure from his luxury priced main line of Hollywood diva fare worn by Issa Rae, Ciara, Cardi B, Regina King and many more for press events and red-carpet appearances. ⁣ ⁣ Rembert hopes the capsule will spark joy — and future destination-themed product drops offering a little respite from quarantine fatigue.⁣ ⁣ Tap the link in bio for more. ⁣ ⁣ Report: @boothmoore

Helsinki Fashion Week's first purely digital and sustainable showcase via the "cyberspace utopia" platform Digital Village was nothing like what a regular fashion week goer would expect. ⁣ ⁣ Some 31 designers presented their new collections over the week, and 15 of them were paired with 3-D designers months ahead of time to digitize their latest collections via HFW's "Keeping Up With the Kardashians”- or “Big Brother”-style designer residency program, according to Evelyn Mora, founder of Helsinki Fashion Week.⁣ ⁣ Each video showcased a handful of looks from designers selected from around the world. Models' faces, which were 3-D scanned from humans, may look a bit scary, but the details of the garments and the movements on the bodies were well executed.⁣ ⁣ Tap the link in bio for more ⁣ ⁣ Report: @tianweizhang