God Bless Bim: GCDS takes a trip to Barbados

With Rihanna commandeering the covers of Dazed’s autumn 2021 issue, it’s only right that its inside pages should travel back to her fabled birthplace. Inspired by “God Bless Bim”, a Barbadian anthem that sounds throughout the island on Independence day, this editorial finds itself amongst the country’s many multicoloured chattel houses and sun-baked terraces. Owing their fruity paint jobs to West African architecture, and now lensed by photographer Carlijn Jacobs and stylist Imruh Asha, these locales offer a fleeting, though kaleidoscopic, glimpse into the country that once raised Robyn Rihanna Fenty. 

It makes sense as to why community forms a central tenet to the shoot, then, with parents, siblings, and toddlers dressed near-identically in GCDS’ boisterous AW21 collection. There are Giuliano Calza’s fuzzy, lemon bodysuits and knee-high boots shot deep within purple compounds, meanwhile pale blue minidresses and baby rompers come together with banana bungalows like candied almonds. These are family portraits to reckoned with. Elsewhere, a father stands stoic between his two sons in lovingly baggy suits and saucer shades, while two sisters vie for attention in scalloped, tobacco minidresses, faux-fur bags, and wadded stilettos. Click through the gallery above to see the GCDS mini-me collection in full force.