MARCH 2020
ALT MAGAZINE
I S S U E ° 11
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 - CONTRIBUTORS 9 - STRUCTURAL FLAWS OF FASHION 32 - VICTORIAN ARCHITECTURE AND AMERICA’S OBSESSION WITH CONVENIENCE 35 - TIED TOGETHER BY TRENDS
CREATIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR ZIJIAN PAN EDITOR IN CHEIF ANNA SIPEK FASHION EDITOR MARK JANSKY GRAPHIC EDITOR BEVAN ALOMEPE PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR REBECCA CHAVIN WRITING EDITOR TORI LOPEZ BEAUTY EDITOR SOPHIA MAAHS
BUSINESS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER RACHEL BOTSHTEIN HEAD OF MARKETING MELISSA LE TREASURER ABE FLEISCHMAN DIGITAL CONTENT STRATEGIST ZIZHE PENG
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MAK
Rache Lily F Jake l Kenne Sophi Nicole Sophi Mary Celes Gabri Ingrid
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Vi Bu Keer Natal Georg Mary Hami Namw
KE UP ARTISTS
el Botshtein Fischer leow edy Fitzgerald ie LaSenna e Ludford ie Maahs y Pasko ste Skidmore ielle Ledesma d Zhou
APHIC DESIGNERS
ui Zhao lie Ierien gia Eilertson y ma ilton Andrews Smith wan Kittivatcharapong
PHOTOGRAPHERS Maggie Brhel Jess Wang Becca Chavin Raven Hall Ginger Townsend Vanessa Weeden
STYLISTS
Ashley Cherney Hannah Curley Eva Lu Claire McKinstry Zijian Pan Jianye Qiu Alif bin Riad Tyler Schmaltz Cloe See Phoebe Smolan Samuel Wallner Jacob Day Chris Ziebert Chris Burandt Giulia Palermo Yi Qian Rixi Lu
VIDEOGRAPHERS Kit Cho Reily Pond Tony Spence Monica Perez Anthony Spence Yasmin Trammell
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STRUCTURAL FL OF FASHION Written by: Caroline Fendl
UW-Madison’s most famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “The mission of the architect is to help people understand how to make life more beautiful, the world a better one for living in, and to give reason, rhythm, and meaning to life.” The prolific designer built around 400 buildings in his career, many which are now UNESCO Heritage Sites. Despite these accomplishments, Wright’s architecture is notorious for poorly supported roofs, weak concrete foundations, and leaky buildings. Perhaps this flaw is most glaring in his architectural feat Fallingwater. Built in 1935, the wood, glass, and sandstone structure rises above a waterfall and seamlessly fits into the surrounding woods. However, in 2001 it made the news since it was literally at risk of falling into the water due to the inadequate structural support. It seems, though, the theme of favoring “beauty” over functionality and sustainability has not caused problems in just architectural arts. It has played an instrumental role in defining the women’s fashion industry for decades. How about heels that can cause lower back, hip, and knee issues? Or the corsets that women used to don that unnaturally mashed their organs together? Growing up, whenever I wore something that was uncomfortable but was considered “high fashion” I always justified my discomfort through the old French saying -- Il faut souffrir pour être belle. Beauty is pain. But why is there this concept that we have to endure some form of pain to achieve beauty? Maybe it’s rooted in the fact that for much of the 20th Century what was characterized as beautiful was the pursuit of beauty in men's eyes. Much of the time women dressed for their men, not for themselves.
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LAWS
e Dusty Springfield sings in her 1964 hit g ‘Wishin’ and Hopin,’ “Show him that you e just for him / Do the things that he likes o / Wear your hair just for him / ‘Cause you ’t get him thinkin’ and prayin’.” A narrative constructed that in order to “catch” a man had to dress the way HE thought was utiful even if the style was uncomfortable. y can’t women decide the styles that are utiful to them?
s narrative is currently having a reckoning he high fashion community. For example, rgio Armani recently told reporters at Milan hion Week, “I think it's time for me to say t I think. Women keep getting raped by gners. If a lady walks on the street and s an ad with a woman with her boobs and e in plain sight and she wants to be like that that's a way of raping her." Armani throws accusation at short-lived trends and driven marketing. However, when you look who is controlling these sex-driven markettactics for influential fashion corporations, not surprising. It’s men. Take Victoria’s ret which is arguably the world’s most ognized lingerie brand. All of the “sexy ures” were pushed by a man -- Edward ek -- since the early 1980s. But again a koning has started in this industry, as well. ek recently resigned due to the increasing klash against the over-the-top lingerie, keting around sexiness instead of the duct, and using models with unattainable res to sell bras and underwear. For decades controlled the image of what was considered autiful” to millions of women.
One of the most notable brands that has emerged as a champion for women of all sizes and skin colors is Rihanna’s lingerie line SAVAGE X FENTY. Rihanna said during an ET Fashion Week interview, “Your attitude is what makes you Savage. It’s the confidence that you have in yourself, and it’s the confidence that you can give off to people who look like you and feel like you, and those are the people that identify with the brand." There are also brands such as Aerie -- American Eagle’s sister lingerie store -- that are making strides in challenging the supermodel “'status quo”. They have committed to not retouching the photos they use in advertisements to stay in line with their slogan, “The real you is sexy.” The growing strength of this body inclusivity movement makes me hopeful for the future of female empowerment and positivity. The marketing of lingerie on a realistic and relatable woman is long overdue and while it is amazing that this movement is FINALLY here (!!), it might take a second for women to let go of that unattainable version of what it means to be “sexy” since it was pounded into our heads for so long. Although it may seem like it, the point of this article is NOT to vilify men, but rather a call to women to actively change the narrative and define what is beautiful for themselves. After all, the famous French existentialist Simone DeBeauvoir declared, “One is not born, but rather becomes a woman.” We must apply the same principle when it comes to defining beauty in the fashion industry and in women’s daily lives -- the definition is not already set in stone, it is fluid and changing. Only once we become the architect of our own narratives can we find reason, rhythm, and meaning to life that Frank Lloyd Wright was talking about. 10
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VICTORIAN OBSESSION Written by: Tori Lopez
Known for its extravagant displays of w Victorian-style architecture flourished 1914 in the United States. This was pa the Industrial Revolution, in which the duction of tools and products made it e produce such lavish buildings. The exp railroad system also helped, allowing b send goods from one side of the countr other for cheap. And so, with such acce materials, it was easy to show off your this complex style of architecture.
Like how America’s railroad system ma affordable and accessible, the internet the same. Two-day shipping is common some regions testing delivery via drone once again able to show off its wealth lavish goods, all with the push of a “Pr Checkout” button. However, with attain comes responsibility; as we try to own more, we also become more wasteful.
Think of it like this: you find a pair of Y super cheap on eBay. It’s a quick deal, bid, you win, and you collect your prize to Columbia University neurobiology pr David Sulzer, because you’re proud of y finding a good deal, you get a shot of d And because you’re excited to checkou item, you get yet another shot. When y arrive, another shot.
Dopamine is the brain chemical related When it comes to online shopping, we g about the prospect of finding a deal, p the item, and actually receiving the ite online shopping — like Victorian archite so accessible, and hence, feeds into ou levels, we keep coming back to it. 31
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But that’s the thing. The U.S. Bureau of Economics estimates that Americans spent $240 billion on jewelry, watches, and phones in 2017. Despite the U.S. population growing a mere 13%, we’ve doubled our spending power since 2002. Additionally, according to the American Apparel and Footwear Association, we buy about 65 garments of clothing a year on an individual level. Online shopping has made the price of goods go down, true. It also makes it more convenient to buy stuff from our phone rather than driving to the store. But we keep finding great deals and feeding into our dopamine levels. So much so that we’re spending more on things we don’t even need. And sure, you can argue that you can donate or simply return these items. But a Savers 2018 State of Reuse Report Disclosed that only seven percent of people end up buying used clothing — meaning that most end up in the landfill. Additionally, a survey by NPR found that nine out of 10 shoppers never or rarely return things that they buy online. If this continues, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development estimates that by 2060, we’ll have doubled the amount of material resources that we use.
For example, an MIT study from 2013 found that online shopping actually has a smaller carbon footprint than driving to the store. But this doesn’t mean choosing faster shipping options; opt for the slowest option. Fast shipping doubles transportation-related emissions, in which a truck will make multiple trips between warehouses and homes. That’s why you sometimes get an order in multiple boxes: delivery men are hustling to get it to you on time. By choosing slower shipping times, delivery men will fill trucks to the brim with packages. Secondly, stop buying things that you don’t need. Following trends and showing off is fun and makes us feel accepted. It’s not worth it, however, when there’s going to be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. Finally, turn to thrifting. As mentioned, most clothes from thrift stores end up in landfills. Women on YouTube are pioneering the thrifting movement, with many giving tips on how to find gently used yet fashionable items. bestdressed, also known as Ashley, is a Burmese-American fashionista often makes lookbooks based on her findings. Selena Reycasa shows off thrifted outfits based on seasons and holidays. TheSorryGirls, Kelsey and Becky, not only show how flip clothes, but furniture as well.
So what can we do to stop this? It doesn’t mean that you have to give up on online shopping altogether. It just means being more cognizant of your methods and purchases.
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TIED TOGETHER BY TRENDS Written by: Panagioti Tsiamis
Every age introduces a new aesthetic, a set of rules to follow, a certain taste to abide by. Even now, in our post-postmodern world, we cannot escape what is vogue. Rebelling against convention has, in itself, become wholly conventional. As one’s taste becomes far more individualized, we can begin to see patterns more distinctly and consistently expressed in the choices we make. The aesthetic of an age is expressed through a variety of mediums, two of which influence our daily lives in notable substantial ways: fashion and architecture. As opposed to more typical art forms (painting, sculpture, photography, etc.), fashion and architecture do not need to be sought out on a daily basis, they infiltrate our lives, whether or not we like it. Fashion is what we wear, who we aspire to be, and how we express ourselves. Architecture is where we live, the lifestyles we crave, and how we experience the world around us. These are valuable and often underlooked facets of everyday life which subconsciously influence and reflect not just individuals, but a culture as a whole.
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The connection between architecture and fashion is undeniable. Historically, this bond can be seen in broad strokes. Baroque architecture, in its grandeur and opulence, is reflected in the over-the-top fashion of the time: towering wigs, sweeping skirts, the brightest hues and gilded ornament. Each element of the Baroque mindset is intrinsically intertwined, complimenting and completing one another. As we are entirely separated from this time period, it is all the easier to cast these trends in a homogenous light. That said, some aesthetics transcend time. The gothic architecture of the medieval era can be seen echoed in the gothic subculture of the late 20th century. Dark and dismal silhouettes are translated into dreary color palettes and mournful imagery. Sleek modernism brings architecture and fashion even closer together, as clothing is seen more and more as something that exists separately from the human body. The more we critique and question what fashion and architecture actually are, the more similar they become. The minimalist aesthetic and clean lines “pioneered” by Frank Lloyd Wright can be seen reflected in the tailoring of Calvin Klein. Even counter culture—the critique of the status quo—cannot escape this bond. The refusal to comply
The frankensteining of aesthetics is likewise shared. In McMansion architecture, various elements of vastly different styles of buildings are combined at the behest of the consumer to create a monstrosity of design and personal choice. The same can be said in the world of fashion. Iconography from a myriad of clashing time periods, ethnic groups, and lifestyles are mixed and matched to make a commentary on modern culture. Fashion and architecture are two sides of the same coin, tied together by trends and tropes, woven by a creative with a vision. This vision is intrinsically linked to the culture it is founded in, compliance and critique alike. This symbiotic relationship has always existed and cannot be escaped. Whether or not we realize it, the trends and stereotypes introduced through fashion and architecture influence our taste and conform us further to the aesthetics of our limited choice. 36
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