Presenting Image Issue 3: Parents are cool!twitterfacebookenvelope

The experience of parenthood is, to borrow from one commenter on the internet, highly specific and deeply relatable. Any parent can tell you parenthood involves all the smoke — bodily fluids, carpal tunnel, tweaked backs, overdrawn cards, mysterious “colds” every five weeks, unnecessary gear, YouTube hacks and fails, among other things — but there’s a certain coolness to parenting under fire. Formerly necessary tasks just get done without fanfare or become an afterthought. Stains get worn through multiple washes with no irony. Schedules are clear but have no extra space for the spontaneous kiki at E.P. & L.P. at 5 p.m. or brunch at Home. That’s because today isn’t your day, despite what CHANI promised for your sun sign this morning. Every day as a parent belongs to your kids.

What do cool parents in L.A. do? They run fashionably late. At least 45 minutes, including traffic. They drop their kids off at daycare and refresh the kid reports every hour, hoping to see those two letters “BM.” They arrive at their destination only to remain in the car for an extra 15 minutes to complete the sleep cycle. They chase down rebounds that clanked off the double-rim. They sell bouquets on the sun-soaked offramp while their kids kick it in the shade near the cooler. They show up at the park with enough seating for you and your little friend. Parents are masters of the craft of care; their practice involves doing it all.

This one’s for L.A.’s newly minted, “pan-gen” dads and moms, the long-time uncles, aunties, sisters, adopted family members, step-siblings, nannies, teachers, mentors, godparents, support systems, friends, grandparents and everyone in between. The third installment of Image is called “Parents Are Cool!” This issue examines, as Julissa James writes, “the tender gestures of care; the tedious, daily grind of providing; the practice and performance of giving and receiving love; the myriad forms of carving out space for growth; the one-to-one drama of interpersonal interaction; the healing power of nurturing; the presentation and promise of safety; the radical act of acceptance.”

Let these brilliant Angeleno artists and writers give you a new appreciation for parenting. Novelist Angela Flournoy talks to Melina Abdullah, co-founder of the L.A. chapter of Black Lives Matter, about womanist mothering and activism. Writer and humorist Dave Schilling charts the unlikely trajectory of the dad hat through the perils of our modern age. Curator and critic Essence Harden and artist Adee Roberson explore the concept of family as assemblage. Writer and cultural critic Jamilah Lemieux reclaims the “mom aesthetic” through a hilarious meditation on going topless in public.

Say it with us, L.A.: Parents are cool! Parents are cool! Parents are cool! We know it’s a truism, but there are nuances to be explored in the obvious.

Ian F. Blair
Editor-in-Chief

Melina Abdullah is showing L.A. how to be accountable to a future we can’t yet see

Melina Abdullah is showing L.A. how to be accountable to a future we can’t yet see

The scholar, activist and co-founder of BLM-LA wants to reconceptualize what a movement can be. Read the story ✊🏿
What does parenting look like? These four L.A. photographers capture its fluidity

What does parenting look like? These four L.A. photographers capture its fluidity

Tender gestures of care never looked so real. Read the story 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦
L.A.’s dad hat obsession is the city’s biggest experiment in being totally washed

L.A.’s dad hat obsession is the city’s biggest experiment in being totally washed

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All moms deserve more support after birth. Cuarentena showed me there is a better way

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Hike Clerb founder Evelynn Escobar takes you behind the scenes of her postpartum health journey. Read the story ‍🤰🏽
Mom’s gone topless

Mom’s gone topless

Toppling the myth of the motherly aesthetic by going topless in L.A. Read the story 👀
These parents are at the forefront of L.A. culture. But which one do you want to be?

These parents are at the forefront of L.A. culture. But which one do you want to be?

Read, share, debate, enjoy. Read the story ‍🌴
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'You can’t surveil our souls': Sadie Barnette reclaims her dad's story from the FBI

The artist and her father Rodney discuss legacy, legend and making art from a 500-page government dossier. Read the story ‍🔎
Does art hold the key to a healthier family structure? Two friends text it out

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Adee Roberson and Essence Harden reimagine art as a commitment to each other in 25 voice memos. Read the story ‍🎨
If you take all the world’s emotions and put them into one sound, it’s Sérgio Mendes

If you take all the world’s emotions and put them into one sound, it’s Sérgio Mendes

On the joy and pain of Brazil’s master translator. Read the story 🎤
Issue 3 cover

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Issue 3: Parents are Cool!

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The Drip Index

The Drip Index

Pop-ups. Merch drops. Events. These are the 10 hottest things to do in L.A. in August. Read the story 💎
Melody Ehsani is the L.A. style visionary the global athletic wear industry needs

Melody Ehsani is the L.A. style visionary the global athletic wear industry needs

Foot Locker’s creative director is a rarity in the corporate fashion world. Read the story 🏀
Styling Myself: Monica Rose

Styling Myself: Monica Rose

How is the Hollywood stylist changing the look of L.A. cool? One lewk at a time. Read the story 🧥
Coveted: 7 mandatory pieces to bring your L.A. style down to Mars

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From Gucci’s Italian-crafted, men’s Basket sneakers to Montblanc and Maison Kitsuné’s new headphones, we got you covered. Read the story 🪐
You might fear losing your cool as a parent. This L.A. mom has the answers

You might fear losing your cool as a parent. This L.A. mom has the answers

Visual artist and educator Elise Peterson has the perfect vibe to get you back on point. Read the story ⛱
This L.A. couple can heal you with houseplants. How? Extensive. Plant. Therapy

This L.A. couple can heal you with houseplants. How? Extensive. Plant. Therapy

Don’t forget to take something healthy, something fruitful, something rewarding for your ride home. Read the story 🪴