Lifestyle

Aria Noir Model on the 5 Things that Separate Designer Clothing from the Competition

Published

4 years ago

April 12, 2022

Artists want to stand out and make a statement. Naturally, they seek out fashion that is original and fresh. Aria Noir is the chosen brand of rapper Jalal, AKA Feros. In this article, Feros shares five reasons why creative individuals turn to the artistry of fashion designers as they represent their identity to the world.

1. Designer fashion is original

High-end fashion is not the same thing artists obtain from fashion designers. While Prêt-a-porter is created for discerning customers with attention to fabric, detail, and cut, it is mass-produced for the general market.

Haute Couture designers create from scratch and are true artists themselves. Aria Noir’s pieces resonate with a small but serious artistic audience base. The brand’s designs exemplify its vision of “for designers, by designers” which, while an admittedly acquired taste, is one committed to continue producing clothing artists adore to adorn.

2. Designer fashion emphasizes unique design

When fashion designers create a line or a single item, they experiment with exotic and prized materials, mixing textiles and textures. During the creation process, fashion designers hand-sketch or computer-draft original concepts, reviewing and revising those concepts until they achieve the designer’s vision.

“My favorite part in the creative process is the final product,” Feros says regarding both his music and the Aria Noir designs he models. “It’s like giving birth to something that didn’t exist before, and now it does because of me. The ultimate reward is when someone else acknowledges its beauty.”

To achieve that unique beauty in the final designs, Aria Noir incorporates precious metals and unique textiles. This season, gold and alpaca wool feature prominently in the brand’s pieces.

Gold brings a transcendent value to items due to its scarcity and utility. In other words, it’s not only pretty—it’s practical. This season, Aria Noir electroplated every metallic element of its ARCA series eyewear with 18k gold to communicate value beyond design.

The brand extols baby alpaca wool as the “other Peruvian gold.” This remarkable textile confers unparalleled softness on this year’s collection of knits.

3. Designer fashion features an artist’s individual identity

Artists embody their unique personas through their works and through the style they wear. Feros, for instance, was born in Damascus, Syria, and immigrated to Montreal, Canada, in 1996. The struggle of leaving family and friends behind, coming to a new world, learning a new language, and adapting to new customs seeped into his very identity.

“This journey is only one of many stories that make me who I am,” says Feros. “My life has been one of adventure, joy, and sorrow. I attempt to put these life experiences into words and tell my story”.

It is no wonder Feros is drawn to the designs of Aria Noir. The backbone of inspiration behind the brand’s designs is one of tragic romanticism—a term used to describe the nature of life’s sad but tender story. That bitter-sweet idea colors every aspect of the brand’s creations.

“Life is full of surprises; many good, many bad,” remarks Feros. “That is what makes life so beautiful. You fully mature when you realize that in every bad experience, there is a positive lesson or outcome. That’s what we all need to focus on.”

4. Designer fashion lends authority

Creative works of art are subjective. Artists wear designer fashion to embody creative freedom in their works and their authority to make artistic statements. “I like to have fun and explore new things in life and music,” Feros comments. “My style has changed since I first started and will continue to transform. My goal is to keep improving and diversifying.”

Any true work of art makes a statement and evokes varying emotions. Some find Aria Noir’s designs gorgeous, while others find those same designs grotesque. The brand’s slogan is not dogmatic truth—it’s a personal statement, and artists are drawn to this vision.

5. Fashion designers enable artists to express authenticity

Fashion designers do not create out of the constraints of mass appeal. Their designs spring from pure inspiration. The artists who model their works identify with this authentic expression.

“My inspiration comes from real-life experiences, “says Feros. “I stay true to who I am and where I am from, both artistically and in real life. I never pretend to be something or someone I’m not.”

Aria Noir has a small but devoted following and is determined to stay true to itself. Its creations are not products—they are intimate experiences. To learn more about the fashion creations or the artists who model them, readers can visit Aria Noir’s website and Instagram feed.

Lifestyle

Kindness First: Lessons From Ellen DeGeneres

Published

4 hours ago

January 16, 2026

Michelle Langton

The Power of Kindness in a World Divided

Let’s accept that it’s easy to be kind when others share your views. It’s when someone has a very different opinion on a topic that you might explode with anger. In those times, being kind is most challenging and most important.

In today’s world, people are constantly judging one another, arguing with one another, and generally dismissing each other’s ideas without any second thoughts. Families are torn apart over politics. People become enraged over their differences in beliefs surrounding religion. Even small disagreements escalate into full-blown arguments on social media. However, all of that anger and hostility does not help anyone.

Ellen’s Enduring Message

This is why Ellen DeGeneres has maintained her message of kindness throughout her career. Every show ended with her saying “Be kind to one another” — a constant reminder to the world of the importance of being kind to one another every day as a choice.

Ellen has always used her experience to focus on what brings her audience joy and laughter, and helping them feel good about themselves. In helping people feel good about themselves, Ellen demonstrates through her comedy that one does not need to bring down another person to lift themselves up. One can also choose to treat, honour, and respect others, even those they may disagree with.

Why Kindness Matters When We Disagree

When’s the last time that someone has changed your mind by treating you badly? Probably never. Hostile behaviour just shuts people down, puts them on the defensive and builds a wall.

On the other hand, Ellen demonstrates that the opposite of kind behaviour is the opposite. Using contempt places a wall between people that does not exist with kind behaviour, and allows real dialogue to exist. When respect and disagreement co-exist, the other person is told, “I see that you are a human being just like me, and while I do not agree with you, I am open to your perspective and will take your position into consideration. Thanks for being you. Sometimes that is what is needed, and that is all it takes to find common ground.”

Learning and Growing Together

Ellen has been forgiven by much of her audience, with fans choosing to focus on the humor, kindness, and positivity she has brought into the world over decades. While past controversies once clouded her public image, her openness, self-reflection, and continued commitment to spreading joy have allowed many to move past old criticisms. Today, audiences celebrate Ellen not just for her career, but for the larger message she represents—that even public figures can grow, learn, and continue inspiring kindness.

As Ellen reminds us, “Everything bad that’s ever happened to me has taught me compassion.” And isn’t that what kindness is really about? Learning from our struggles and extending that understanding to others. She also said, “It always helps to think about other people instead of ourselves”—words that perfectly capture what it means to choose kindness even when disagreement makes us want to dig in our heels.

The truth is, every small act of kindness adds up. Every time you choose grace over anger, you’re making the world a little bit better.

Kindness Without Compromise

On the other hand, kindness does not mean that you have to defend an opinion, nor that you cannot defend that which you consider right. Furthermore, kindness doesn’t come from letting people walk all over you.

More to the point, kindness is about how we deal with people, not whether we agree with them or not. It is possible to have a strong opinion about something, and be respectful to all. We can advocate for what we think is right, and not be perceived as the bad person. Kindness makes the message we spread much more powerful and people listen to us more.

Putting Kindness Into Practice

What does this mean for you? What does this look like in real life?

Maybe it means having to listen to his probably not-so-valuable political opinions, helping out a neighbor, trying to stop your frustration by not going on a mean comment on someone’s Facebook post.

You might find these things meaningless and not valuable, however, the world needs these ‘small’ random acts of kindness, which, by the way, are contagious.

You are already setting the path for a better and kinder world by disagreeing with people in a polite way and, while to you, the act of kindness might not mean much, to the receiver of the kindness, it would mean to someone a lot.