Of course they do. Because in the great majority of cases, clothing, accessories and cosmetics are designed and crafted with the specific function of making the wearer stand out from the crowd while elevating them with a greater sense of style. It’s inspiring, makes the person sporting these items feel better about themselves and, in the process, brings a palpable sense of joy that’s immediately relatable to others.
It’s never ‘just’ about the clothes. If you’ve ever been to a fashion show IRL, you know the excitement and the thrill seeing a new collection being unveiled brings. Beauty does that.
But there are other, more pragmatic ways, in which fashion can save lives. Literally.
That’s what brought Oliver Kult, a celebrity barber and serial entrepreneur from Montreal, to launch Blckout, a new online lifestyle brand targeting fashion-savvy guys designed with one sole mission in mind: call attention to, and help prevent, male suicide.
In Canada, the suicide rate for men is three times what it is for women. According to Government of Canada statistics from 2019, it is the second leading cause of death among young adults aged 15 to 34. Preventing suicide is also a way to ward off violent acts against women when depression and mental distress strike.
We can all relate, on a very personal level, to how tough things have been in the last year. In 2020, Olivier Kult lost close friends to suicide while others were minutes away from tragically ending their own lives. This made him want to take a stand in a very proactive way. “We need to break this taboo of silence surrounding men’s emotional and mental struggles and find ways to help them heal,” says this gentle and caring soul.
Because no matter how many tattoos he sports on his face, the intricate ink motifs can’t conceal Oliver’s charmingly good looks or cast a mean shadow on his doe eyes when he’s on stage as an ambassador for the BabylissPro brand of professional razors and clippers. A true warrior is always in touch with his emotions.
The Hands Speak
For the launch of Blckout, a capsule collection of three items was created consisting of a cap, a ring and nail polish. All in black, of course! The plan is to keep adding more items on a regular basis, to keep a steady stream of product rotation. A T-shirt will be available in mid-May.
No, of course, it’s not new for guys to wear nail polish! Cue in David Bowie (1970s), Kurt Cobain (circa 1992, worn well chipped) and Harry Styles (now!). Genderless beauty is becoming mainstream and going beyond the basic black polish, too. Styles has been known for experimenting with vivid manicures and even fruit designs, pairing his brightly coloured nails with his extensive collection of rings.
But there is definitely a new vibe in the air that goes beyond nails. Last year, Chanel added matte nail polish in cool, rock & roll black and a low-key beige to its Boy de Chanel succinct cosmetics collection, joining a foundation, a lip balm and an eyebrow pencil, which were part of the first cohort of products when the line was launched in 2018.
“Our hands say more about us than we think,” says Oliver Kult. That’s what sparked the idea to create a black nail polish that’s water-based, vegan and cruelty-free. “Our passions, suffering, experiences, our personality and our lifestyle, all of this and more, are expressed through our hands.” Let’s say he knows a thing or two about expressing himself through his hands by being onstage cutting hair under the spotlight many months out of the year. Pre-Covid, that was his professional routine.
One hundred percent of Blckout profits will be donated to local organizations that help prevent male suicide. In May, collected funds will be going to Suicide Action Montreal and in June, to Tel-Jeunes.
The biggest difference between Blckout and a traditional fundraiser is that “it’s not just a nice platform where people can donate and move on,” says Oliver. “Blckout is committed to launching new products on a regular basis so that people wishing to donate can buy more than a single product on the website. As long as people are there, we will continue with the project!”
Making a big difference sometimes starts with something small. Like a bottle of nail polish.
