alan.nation lil’ zine
Friend-O’s
Issue 0
Fall 2015
As a fashion designer, sometimes I have trouble staying inspired. In those times of the slump, I turn to my friends for inspiration. This zine showcases some of the most creative and talented people I know. I had the pleasure of picking each of their brains to see where they go to find inspiration and how their personal fashion sense relates to their work. I came out of this experience more inspired than I have ever been in my entire life.
-Alan 1
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Content Genevieve Nora Sander Julie Sahiba Sweet Mixes
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Genevieve Price-Davis Writer Armstrong 2016 How would you describe your sense of style? It’s very in day. I’m not of style. It I’m feeling.
tune with how I feel that opposed to any certain kind really just depends on how I’m really into layers.
Where do you find inspiration for your work? I find it by reading other people’s writing, I like seeing the way they structure a sentence or use a word. My professors inspire me too, I have been really learning a lot by looking at things from a different perspective.
This is my go to outfit if i’m running errands, it’s my normal day look. I like the way the orange and blue contrasts.
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What do you do to get yourself out of a creative slump? I sleep. If i feel that it is a really stupid thing that I’m writing, I’ll finish writing it. Then I will go to sleep and when I wake up, I’ll fix it.
This outfit is blue and it’s baggy and it has a lot of layers. It’s really my ideal outfit for going to class and being comfortable throughout the day yet still feeling put together.
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Do you feel your personal style reflects your work’s aesthetic? It does in a way. What I wear depends on my mood which coincides with how my writing goes for the day.
I like the white and the black. I wear it for special occasions. It makes me feel really confident.
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You’re the First to Know My time’s a stack of dishes strapped to the back of a motorbike. That’s how it is to be born free. I’ve unraveled my hair to hail taxis. I’ve released my memory to spill a tear. I sit quietly by as the runners stretch at the starting gate of my throat, hoping to finish first on the tip of my tongue. They never give me the chance to think before I speak. Because of them, my mouth’s an avalanche that I get buried under. The little hand on my internal clock still can’t slap me awake, and every afternoon I apologize to my calendar. Some nights feel longer than the days that begin them. Some nights disperse like smoke from a chimney, never seen or missed by anyone.
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Nora Laidman Comedian How would you describe SCAD 2016 sense of style?
your
Someone who has watched too much Madmen and has spent too much time at Goodwill.
Why are these your favorite outfits? They have traditionally been get laid yet be comfortable outfits. I dress to get laid.
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Where do you find inspiration for your work? I watch a lot of sketch comedy, a lot of female comedians. I like Amy Schumer and Amy Poehler the most.
What do you do to get yourself out of a creative slump? I don’t. I do improv and so you don’t have a choice to be in a slump. You have a whole team of people who you can’t let down so if you are being moody and sad that kind of ruins it. You start by faking it and then you’re not faking it by the end.
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Do you feel your personal style reflects your work’s aesthetic? I like playing the ugly girl in improv, I like to do ugly characters. I think my personal style is the opposite of that. I like to dress really girly so that I can get away with saying really gross stuff. My personality only works if it’s a surprise to people, if they think I was going to be something different.
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INT. OFFICE- DAY Five women, LOIS,SUSAN, BARBARA and TRIXIE sit around a table, dressed in 1950s updos and dresses. LOIS Ladies of the seal- Welcome. I hope your October’s are well under way and that you’ve already pre-ordered your turkeys. Let’s begin with old business. After months of deliberation, Jose’s Spicy Ranch has been denied the seal, due to an excessive amount of spiciness that may pose a hazard to anyone with a gentle palette who is eating a salad. SUSAN But I love the tangy taste of the dressing when I’m tossing my own salad. BARBARA Treasurer of the seal, I’m going to have to deny your protests on the basis that you already cook with jalapenos, the illegal aliens of the pepper family. SUSAN Just in a marinade! A sticky, sticky marinade. BARBARA Was Jésus just in a marinade or was he in something, or someone, else? (Beat) May we continue? I’ve got an election to win for my husband. LOIS Yes Barbara, and he has our vote. I believe you have some interesting news pertaining to the flexible grip hairbrush? SUSAN It’s ribbed! BARBARA Well, we’ve been in close deliberation with the folks over at Conair and at MY request, they have now now made the grip not only flexible, but strong enough to withstand being run over by a barge. They have officially been awarded the good housekeeping seal of approval. ALL Sealed!
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Sander Kolodziej UX Designer How would you your sense of SCAD 2017
describe style?
I’m always trying to be comfortable but with a statement. Anytime I can put on a sweater, it’s gonna be a good day.
I’ve always liked form fitting pants and these happened to match my favorite dress shirt. The outfit for me really revolves around the dress shirt, it’s been through a lot and people tend to like it which goes along with my “feels good to look good” moto.
Where do you find inspiration for your work? I find inspiration all over from the shadows on walls to my instagram. Many times when I work on a painting, I’ll play music and the music will often guide the painting in mark making and color pallet.
What do you do to get yourself out of a creative slump? I’ll ask my friends what they’re inspired by or if I’m in a slump with painting I’ll move to something digital and vice versa. Many times I’ll do little character drawings to relieve a slump.
This is my going out outfit. I like the way the pants are sewn and the long sleeve shirt has a dinosaur on it. What more do you need?
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Do you feel your personal style reflects your work’s aesthetic? Perhaps sometimes I could see it with my sweaters and my painting but really I tend to keep things open and always changing. I could wear one thing or paint one thing one day but then something totally new the next.
The all knit everything is my go outfit when I’m ready to cozy up couch. My mother always knit for so I’ve always been attracted to clothing. I’d wear a sweater any I get.
to on the me, knit chance
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Julie Miller Painter SCAD 2014 How
would you describe your sense of style? Ethereal, classic, juxtaposition. I like to stay away from fast fashion. I try to buy my clothes second hand unless it’s jeans or leggings. When I do buy something new, i’m okay with spending a bit more for quality so that it lasts longer.
This is my favorite shirt. It’s a very comfortable shirt. I got it at Goodwill. I just feel really confident when I wear it.
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Where do you find inspiration for your work? I try to keep artists around myself physically. I suffer a lot if I don’t have creative people around me. I have to have people who are okay with thinking “what if”. If I’m not interacting with anybody, I have fine tuned my tumblr dashboard to be mostly contemporary and historical art.
What do you do to get yourself out of a creative slump? I need space to spread out mentally and physically to do work. Or I need to create a deadline for myself that involves other people, so that I have an obligation to produce work. If I have a show, no matter what I’m feeling, I’ll produce work.
This is my power outfit, I wear it when I want to make an impression in a casual situation. It says “Crush the Patriarchy”. I like stirring up shit sometimes.
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Do you feel your personal style reflects your work’s aesthetic? I’m kind of obsessed with beauty in all forms and the definition of that changes quite often. My work is a bit more conventionally beautiful than my style. I am aware that I have a very conventional look and I try to have my clothing do the opposite of that, without going too far out the lines.
I got this dress at goodwill a few years ago, I can just throw it on and feel super elegant. I can dress it up or dress it down and wear my combat boots with it. And the skirt is really fun, especially if you are riding a bike.
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Sahiba Johar Accessory Designer SCAD 2016
How would you describe your sense of style? Diverse, ladylike, colorful.
Why are these your favorite outfits? I think they all have a ladylike element to them but with the fabric and the details they become more fun. I like the comfort level of them as well, I really hate wearing pants. I feel girly yet not so serious.
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Where do you find inspiration for your work? I’m still working on finding my voice as a designer. I do find that I am always being inspired by amazing women, not only in art but also in politics. My senior collection is going to be inspired by the Gulabi Gang which is a group of women in India who wear bright pink saris. They are kind of like vigilantes. They are getting involved in a lot of politics in India. It started out with them standing up for victims of domestic abuse. They are redefining what ladylike is. That’s what i want to do with my fashion. I feel that so many people look down upon fashion and I want to show that it is not just what it is on the surface, there’s so much more. There are people who see it as an art form and also a form of empowerment.
What do you do to get yourself out of a creative slump? I read the news a lot. I used to look at fashion magazines but it would put me further in a hole. I read the news because I realized when I get angry I start thinking harder and try to express something that is more important to me. I’m trying to figure out ways to visually show what I think we should be supporting in our society.
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Do you feel your personal style reflects your work’s aesthetic? I grew up with my mom having a lot of preferences for the way her kids should dress, so I grew up being very prim and proper. I didn’t get to wear the clothes I was attracted to. When I came to college my designs were that outlet so they were a lot more crazy than they are now. Since I’ve realized that I’m not happy with the way I dress, I’ve started buying stuff that I really like. It’s helping me refine my designs but they are still very whimsical.
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Sweet Workin’ Hard 1. Ambient Sounds- Rainfall (Genevieve) 2. Marble House- The Knife (Nora) 3. Swing Tree- Discovery (Sander) 4. Sylvan Esso: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert (Julie) 5. Princess Nokia- Dragons (Sahiba) 6. Mornings- Show Me Island (Alan)
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Mixes Hardly Workin’ 1. Tangerine- Big Boi (Genevieve) 2. I Will- Danny Brown (Nora) 3. Good Times Roll- Griz, Big Gigantic (Sander) 4. Feeling Myself- Nicki Minaj ft. BeyoncÊ (Julie) 5. Orange Blossom- Destiny (Sahiba) 6. Venus Fly- Grimes (Alan)
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