Over the last 40 years, i-D has grown from a fashion and culture fanzine based in London, to a global publication that continues to champion emerging talents and diversity four decades on. That’s why today we’re launching our new series, United States of i-D, which is not only a celebration of unique communities, scenes and subcultures, but a commitment to telling diverse stories across America.
Against the backdrop of a devastating pandemic, an ongoing fight for racial justice and the recent rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in the US, we’ve also seen an exodus of young people from major cities around the world. For creatives, who often rely on gigs and the service industry to get by, but also those across industries that suffered as a result of the pandemic, living in a big city was no longer financially tenable. For those who were fortunate enough to work remotely, paying an obscene amount of money to live in a tiny apartment was suddenly a lot less ideal than living somewhere greener and with more space. So, we thought it was time i-D hit the road too.
In our first few stories, we’ll travel to North Carolina, to meet a whole crew of underground artists shaking up Asheville’s art scene. We’ll head on out to Whiteriver, Arizona, home of the White Mountain Apache Nation to find out how skateboarding became the most popular sport on US reservations. And we’ll see how Latinx queer femme collectives are revolutionizing Miami’s ubiquitous party scene.
Think of it as a road trip of sorts because we’re just getting started. And be sure to tune into United States of i-D to read more.