Armour Magazine Issue 17

ARMOUR MAGAZINE ISSUE 17

FALL 2016

THE CONSUMPTION ISSUE TOWER CLASSIC NEEDLE & THREAD THE SUPERMARKET OPULENCE

“ FAS H I O N I S T H E A R M O U R TO S U RV I V E T H E R E A L I T Y O F E V E R Y D AY L I F E .

T O D O A W AY W I T H F A S H I O N W O U L D B E L I K E D O I N G A W AY W I T H C I V I L I Z AT I O N .

“ Bill Cunningham

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF OF MAG CHARLOTTE JONES PAULINA GALLAGHER

A S S T. D E S I G N D I R E C T O R SABRINA ROBERTS

A S S T. P H O T O G R A P H Y D I R E C T O R GRACE WANG

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF OF WEB AVIVA MANN LUKE SUMMERLIN

CONTENT MANAGERS O L I V E R B A LTA Y ANNIE BUTLER JENNA SCHNITZLER

DESIGN DIRECTOR CLIODHNA DILL

MARKETING TEAM GRACE GILBERT

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR J OAC H I M VAT U R I

EDITORS DANA BERGER KLARA KOBYLINSKI ABBEY MAXBAUER

FASHION DIRECTOR KARALENA DAVIS

CONTRIBUTORS ARIELA BASSON MEREDITH BICKETT MARY JEWEL BROWN SETH CAPLAN MAX FISHER RACHEL HERTZMAN COPELAND MCCARTER MARINA PENG C H A N TA L ST R A S B U R G E R BRYNNE SWEARINGEN LORING TELLEEN JANE THIER A L I C I A YA N G

MADDY SHERMAN E M I LY B L U E D O R N

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS C O N T E M P L AT I N G C O N S U M P T I O N IN ALL ITS FORMS

Every semester abroad necessitates travel, adaptation, and a limited wardrobe. Paulina, Aviva, Luke, and Charlotte respectively studied in Milan, Padua, Paris, and Copenhagen last Spring, and each city entailed a culture to adapt to and a small suitcase to pack for. While Luke studied in the fashion capital of the world, Aviva and Charlotte visited Paulina during Milan fashion week. While Aviva readily adjusted to the conservative culture of an Italian college town, Charlotte took a class focused on Scandinavian minimalism. We all experienced changes in our style, and in our outlooks on choice, variety, and selection.

Excess and consumerism were top of mind when we arrived back at WashU and discovered we hadn’t missed our clothes in storage. As the team met to create content for Issue 17, we saw these concepts consistently threading our editorial and article ideas - and we realized that our discussion of consumerism went further than the items we choose to wear on our bodies or hang in our closets. While we consume objects, we also consume culture, and our experiences abroad forced us to consider different consumptive patterns and ideologies.

With this realization, our definition of consumption widened, allowing us to think both about how we consume, and how

we can be consumed. While the staff chose “consumption” for this issue’s theme, our exploration is not limited by a narrow definition. As WashU’s Style and Culture publication, this issue’s topics include our engagement with food, commerce, and even ink on skin. We asked artists to embroider and collage our original photos, and they responded by exploring the media’s consumption of us. We traveled to an Alpaca farm in search of sustainable textiles, and a tattoo parlor for a closer look at the longest lasting style choice someone could make. Between editorials focused on handme-downs and articles analyzing urban retail space, this issue touches on how and why individuals ingest, purchase, and more broadly, consume, and the resulting value sets that manifest.

We prescribe no guidelines, nor suggest right or wrong.

However we do hope that these pages will offer you a piece of the contemplation we’ve experienced over the past three months while putting this issue together, and in the past ten months since arriving in cultures different than our own.

Charlotte, Paulina, Aviva, & Luke

CONTENTS 1/2

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Exploring the durability of denim

An investigation into eco-fashion innovations

Canadian Tuxedo

Sustainable Textiles

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Mode of Transportation The journeys of people and their vehicles

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Sachi’s Cakes WashU student by day, baker by night

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I Am Here A multi-media take on media and consumption

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Seven Days and Seven Nights Social experiment with social situations

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Opulence

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To paint the lily

Act of Translation Looking back at ‘Through the Looking Glass’

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Makeup transcending the gender binary

Reflecting, reinterpreting & connecting

The Highlight

Got It From My Mama

CONTENTS 2/2

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Pop Up Shops

Code of Conduct

The new retail frontier

Dusto and Tower Classic Tattooing

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A Pair of Red Stilettos A story of a student and her mother’s wardrobe

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An analysis of suburban spaces

Exploring consumption through embroidery

Booming Retail Centers

Needle & Thread

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The new media circus

Technology and footwear

New-Age Fashion Blogging

Happy Feet

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Miniature Capturing dance and movement

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Reflection of our love for all things wrapped in cellophane

A letter from Bill Cunningham

The Supermarket

Postmarked

CANADIAN TUXEDO THE PERFECT FIT CAME FROM CONTINUOUS WEAR, THE PERFECT CHARACTER FROM CONTINUOUS WEAR

photography J O A C H I M V A T U R I models S I M R A N P A N W A R & J E S S W A L I A location O L I O , 1 6 3 4 T O W E R G R O V E A V E

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I AM HERE COLLAGISTS EXPLORE THE OVERLAP BETWEEN CONSUMPTION & IMAGE

artists R A C H E L H E R T Z M A N & MARY JEWEL BROWN

photography G R A C E W A N G model C L A U D I A R I V E R A

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MY WORK IS OFTEN ABOUT CONSUMPT I O N , A LT H O U G H I D O N ’ T A L W A Y S T H I N K O F I T T H AT WAY. I ’ M I N T E R ESTED IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF NEWS MEDIA (CONSUMPTION OF INFORMATION), AND THE BIASES BOTH THE M E D I A A N D T H E R E A D E R H AV E TO I N F O R M AT I O N T H AT I S V E R Y D I S TA N TLY R E L AT E D T O T H E M . T H E S E I M A G E S A R E S P E C I F I C A L LY R E L AT E D T O T H E CONSUMPTION OF WOMEN’S BODIES, T Y P I C A L LY D E P I C T E D A S O B J E C T S O F PLEASURE IN THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE. T H E T E X T R E F E R E N C E S A R E C E N T LY LEAKED VIDEO OF DONALD TRUMP’S S O - C A L L E D “ LO C K E R R O O M TA L K ,” EMPHASIZING HIS MISOGYNY AS WELL A S A B R OA D E R S O C I E TA L R E L AT I O N SHIP TO WOMEN’S BODIES AS ENTITIES T H AT M U ST E I T H E R B E O B J E CT I F I E D OR HIDDEN.

artwork by M A R Y J E W E L B R O W N

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REFERENCES...

DONALD TRUMP’S SO-CALLED ‘LOCKER ROOM TALK’

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B O DY N E GAT I V I T Y I S O N E O F T H E M O ST P R E VA L E N T I S S U E S I N O U R S O C I E T Y, E S P E C I A L LY A M O N G Y O U N G GIRLS AND TEENS. THESE COLLAGES P O I N T O U T O U R P R E VA L E N T M E D I A CONSUMPTION OF A SPECIFIC AND UNREALISTIC BODY TYPE. WHILE MY

BODY NEGATIVITY IS ONE OF THE MOST PREVALENT ISSUES IN OUR SOCIETY

LANDSCAPES AIM TO PLACE THESE O F T E N E D I T E D B O D I E S I N E V E RY DAY SETTINGS TO HIGHLIGHT THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY’S SINGULAR PERSPECTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO CASTING MODELS, THE EDITED “GLAMOUR ADDICT ” PAGE FROM INSTYLE MAGAZINE EXPOSES W H AT M AGA Z I N E S W O U L D LO O K L I K E I F T H E Y T R U LY W E R E S U P P O R T I N G BODY POSITIVITY BY DEPICTING A WIDER RANGE OF BODY TYPES. WHILE P U B L I C AT I O N S U S E T E C H N O LO GY TO S E A M L E S S LY E D I T T H E S E B O D I E S , I H AV E TA K E N T H E M A K E U P P R O D U C T S T H AT A R E U S U A L LY C A K E D ONTO THESE WOMEN TO HIGHLIGHT T H E I R P O I N T E D A N D S H A R P F E AT U R E S , AND USED THEM TO HIGHLIGHT HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY WOULD STILL LOOK IF THEY HAD SOFTER CURVES. EVERY H U M A N I S B U I LT D I F F E R E N T LY, A N D OUR CONSUMPTION OF A SINGULAR IDEAL OF BEAUTY DISREGARDS THE M Y R I A D O F B O D I E S T H AT A R E E AC H SO BEAUTIFUL.

artwork by R A C H E L H E R T Z M A N

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art & words by R A C H E L H E R T Z M A N

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Act of Translation written by A L I C I A Y A N G

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n an iconic 2005 Cavalli gown cut to look like a 15th century Ming vase, Victoria Beckham was a vision: an image which made a lasting imprint when I was first exposed to it in middle school. The strapless evening dress was at once a literal translation and surreal interpretation of the traditional Chinese pottery. The rigid bodice gave way to a fluid train, which draped in a way ceramic never could, but the textile appeared to retain the integrity of the original Ming vases — famous for their cobalt blue flower and dragon patterns against white porcelain.

A decade later, the Costume Institute at the Met decided to include this dress in the curation of its 2015 special exhibit, “China: Through the Looking Glass,” around the theme of Western designers paying homage to Chinese motifs. The Costume Institute and Vogue collaborated to make a documentary charting the conception of the most visited fashion exhibition in history, led by Andrew Bolton and Anna Wintour. The documentary, entitled The First Monday in May, portrays their vision of cultural translation as a unifying exchange between seemingly disparate styles.

In what may have been the most awkward moment in a documentary rife with cultural faux pas, Michael Kors gushed over a dress and asked if it was designed by the legendary John Galliano.

Another person corrected him to say it was Guo Pei, an obscure Chinese female designer who also designed the 55-pound yellow gown worn by Rihanna at the Met Gala. To his credit, Galliano did come up with the “Diorient Express” in 1998, an extravagant runway set in Austria, starring Pocahontas, and featuring Chinese

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embroideries. He described, in the most neutral terms, the collection as “traveling through geographic and historic boundaries,” avoiding any acknowledgment of its Orientalized cultural references. However, it is difficult to fault him for cultural appropriation since his translation of the qipao, a traditional Chinese wrap dress, into haute couture could be regarded as complimentary or original.

When Chinese interviewers and art historians offered constructive criticism for the exhibit, Andrew Bolton deflected it by claiming that any decision he made would be controversial to someone.

Hailed as a genius after curating Alexander McQueen’s “Savage Beauty” exhibition, Bolton bashfully claimed that other people just didn’t understand his vision: beautiful, but strangely unaware of the culture he wanted to showcase. For instance, he insisted that placing kitschy Chairman Mao-inspired costumes next to the Buddha statues in the East Asian wing would be clever and provocative—until his Chinese art historian friend persuaded him that the juxtaposition lacked any meaning behind it. My mother, who grew up during the Cultural Revolution, felt it was distasteful, about as clever as a Chairman Meow poster in a college dorm.

An important dichotomy I gleaned from Chrissy Teigen’s Twitter conversations about the word “oriental” (“I really appreciate all the non-Asians telling me what is offensive to Asians, though.

Thank you. Writing it all down.”) is impact versus intention.

Although impact v. intention usually implies that powerful figures who inadvertently undermine other cultures have good intentions, Wintour and Bolton’s intentions regarding actual Chinese

people could be seen as misguided at best. Yet, the impact of the exhibition have benefited Chinese fashion enormously, if indirectly.

The Fashion Law reported a sea change in Chinese consumers, who once placed storied European houses on a pedestal but are now shifting their admiration toward Chinese designers. What does it mean for Chinese consumers to spend newfound wealth on their newfound appreciation of Chinese design only after American Vogue, the Met Museum, and European designers have offered their collective seal of approval?

And what does it mean for Vogue to so actively perpetuate a Westernized view of Chinese fashion (“the Western gaze”), yet to never feature a single, even partly Asian face on its cover?

Again, Anna Wintour and Andrew Bolton’s intentions come into play: the China-themed Met Gala brought incredible revenue and exposure for the Costume Institute and Vogue, which, they argued, benefits the fashion industry and propels it into the realm of art. However, if their idealistic vision is realized at the expense of Chinese people regarding the portrayal of their own culture, the relationship between Western and Eastern sensibilities seems more exploitative than symbiotic.

Eastern cultural influences. Even their names clearly reflect the divided consciousness and translation between cultures. In fact, Vivienne Tam, one of TIME’s most influential people in 2011, celebrates this East-meets-West aesthetic in her book China Chic, as it mirrors her own cross-cultural experiences. The decades she’s spent in both China and America lend a greater cultural awareness to her translation of East-meets-West design than Andrew Bolton or Anna Wintour can claim.

There’s a distinction to be made between an Asian-American’s interpretation of her heritage and identity and Victoria Secret’s “translation” of Native American prints and feathered headpieces to sell lingerie. But where do we draw the line about what to consider “appropriate,” and what to consider appropriation? I think it requires an extremely subjective dialogue across cultures about intentions, impact, and execution. For me, the ideal of cultural translation would allow a free exchange of ideas and influences among designers, curators, and editors to gain a deeper understanding of cultures—without ignoring the concerns of the people who developed those cultures.

It is easy to use postcolonial, imperialist reasons to dispel the idea that certain acts of cultural translation are more harmful than others. What makes the appropriation of a qipao more offensive than that of gladiator sandals, technically native to ancient Greece? Complicating the discussion, a wave of Asian-American designers—Derek Lam, Jason Wu, Vera Wang, Philip Lim, Alexander Wang, Vivienne Tam—all draw from both Western and 23

THE HIGHLIGHT SHINING POWDERS, CREAMS, AND LIQUIDS ACCENT BONE STRUCTURE AND DELIVER A “DEWY” LOOK

photography P A U L I N A G A L L A G H E R & K A R A L E N A D A V I S makeup L O R I N G T E L L E E N & M E R E D I T H B I C K E T T models D A P H N E H A R R I N G T O N & J A K E D E L U C A

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A S T H E T R E N D F O R R A D I A N T, F R E S H SKIN TOOK FIRM HOLD IN THE 2010S, SO DID HIGHLIGHTING. APPLIED TO THE HIGH PLANES OF THE FACE, THESE SHINING POWDERS, CREAMS, AND LIQUIDS ACCENT BONE STRUCTURE AND DELIVER A “DEWY” LOOK. HOWEVER RADIANT SKIN AND THE M A K E U P T H AT E N H A N C E S I T A R E N O L O N G E R O N LY A C C E S S I B L E A N D MARKETED TO WOMEN.

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BEAUTY NO LONGER HAS A GENDER, NOR SHOULD IT HAVE A SKIN TONE.

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P O P U L A R M A K E U P B R A N D A N A STA S I A B E V E R LY H I L L S D E M O N S T R AT E S T O C O N S U M E R S T H AT T H E R E A R E N O LIMITS ON WHO OR HOW TO WEAR M A K E U P A S T H E I R J U LY A D S P O R T R AY MEN OF ALL SKIN TONES WEARING THE BRAND’S NEW SHADES. OTHER MAKEUP BRANDS LIKE MILK AND MAKE ARE ALSO MARKETING TO ALL GENDERS, REDEFINING SOCIETY’S PERCEPTION OF MASCULINITY AND COSMETICS. HIGHLIGHTERS ARE AT T E M P T I N G TO E STA B L I S H T H AT BEAUTY NO LONGER HAS A GENDER, N O R S H O U L D I T H AV E A S K I N TO N E .

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SACHI’S CAKES SACHI NAGASE: WA S H U ST U D E N T BY DAY, BAKER BY NIGHT`

photography P A U L I N A G A L L A G H E R

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written by A N N I E B U T L E R

When scrolling through Sachi Nagase’s Instagram, Sachi’s Cakes, it’s easy to forget that she’s not only a small business owner, but also a full-time student here at Wash U. “Food is really important to me, but studio is really important to me too.

So trying to figure out a balance where I can do both is hard.”

Although finding balance is hard, it’s clearly the perfect combination of talents as both culinary skill and artistry make her cakes so awe-inspiring. We sat and watched her intricate and delicate process, entranced by each slow and deliberate step.

Today, Instagram is flooded with time-lapse videos of cakemaking, glossing over the intense concentration and devotion each cake takes to become perfect. I tell her that I feel so calm watching her. “That’s good,” she responds. “Usually this process is a very frantic frenzy of trying to make sure I get this done on time.” She challenges herself by not using any store-bought decorations: “I want to say that yes, I made everything on this cake.” And boy, does she deserve every ounce of credit—tasting her cake is an entirely new experience knowing how much love went into it. The perfect mixture of sweet and bitter, fluffy and moist, her own chocolate cake recipe makes me keep reaching for another bite.

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Seven Days and Seven Nights written by C H A R L O T T E J O N E S photography P A U L I N A G A L L A G H E R

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walked into the Career Fair wearing tight, black jeans. It was neither an accident nor statement, I had merely chosen this week to wear the same outfit for seven days and seven nights and I was uncomfortably sticking with it. When we claimed “consumption” for this issue’s theme, I thought about my closet.

The forgotten items I occasionally unearth, the dresses I’ve worn once, the pants I pull out and put back, apologizing by saying “next time.” Their existence was impossible to justify. I shut the doors and laid a single outfit on my bed - my companion for the next week.

I chose a versatile outfit consisting of a white and blue button down, black jeans, black and gold watch, and grey rubber flats.

However I soon discovered that by attempting to please the average social situation, I had left the extremes vulnerable.

This is not to say that people noticed I was wearing the same outfit. Few did. Even fewer cared. It was only when I wore an outfit that contradicted others’ attire that people began to voice their opinions. Before this week began, I had not anticipated feeling so frequently inappropriate for the situation. I did not mind the monotony of my outfit – in fact I welcomed it. But I had failed to predict how frequently we change our attire based on the situation, the audience, or the weather. Most significantly I had not expected how vehemently others would desire my attire to correspond with their own.

As my apartment filled with people celebrating my friends’ birthdays on a Thursday night, I began to feel underdressed.

While my female peers hurried around in high heels, I confronted my shortness. Instead of blending in as I normally would have, I received comments including, “You cannot wear Ralph Lauren out tonight.” “Are you sure you don’t want to change your shoes?” “Maybe you could wear a different outfit tomorrow?” Most people were convinced I had lost odds. A friend

approached me and said, “Admit you wore that to the career fair.” He proceeded to say that he had guessed I was wearing it with conviction – that he suspected I wasn’t underdressed by accident. Not only had he independently observed I was dressed differently than the other attendees, he created an internal rationale for my outfit’s incongruity. As I listened I realized the impossibility of divorcing what you wear from where you wear it, and consequently, the perception of your engagement in the social situation.

Clothes, as trivial as they can be, aren’t just clothes. Their cut, color, fabric, and silhouette signal your intent. Your outfit demonstrates your investment in the situation. For onlookers, it directly correlates to the amount you “care.” I believe this is the only reason anyone addressed my outfit. My peers did not register my outfit’s repetition when they addressed my appearance.

When they saw my flats and everyone’s heels, when they saw my jeans and everyone’s slacks, they felt compelled to acknowledge the discrepancy in effort and regard to the situation. Groupthink applies to dressing too. This is why events prescribe dress codes and students rapidly exchange texts concerning the height of heels before an event. Booties? Wedges? Sneakers? The elevation and incline of footwear is an acceptable topic of conversation.

On the morning of my liberation I opened my closet doors and drew a blank. My uniform had wiped such decision making from my mind and I had not considered my wardrobe’s contents since. I was happy to wear something comfortable in Missouri’s humidity and I was happy to abandon meticulous spot cleaning.

But I did miss my uniform’s lack of regard. The commitment to stand three inches shorter than my peers and to wear jeans to a job interview. The blessing and curse to enter every social situation as if they were all one and the same.

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SUSTAINABLE TEXTILES AN INVESTIGATION INTO ECO -FASHION INNOVATION

photography P A U L I N A G A L L A G H E R

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written by A B B E Y M A X B A U E R

As one of the top three most environmentally damaging industries in the world, the apparel and textile industry has begun to consider the possibility that it cannot continue down the same path it has in the past century. Fast fashion produces sickening amounts of fabric that is often swiftly disposed of. The industry as a whole relies heavily on cotton, which requires obscene amounts of water to produce. The Earth is deeply threatened by our penchant for clothing consumption.

So how do we fix it? Sustainable Fashion professor Robin Verhage-Abrams starts with the most immediate change we can make: buy less. Any production of clothing has an impact on our world, so the more we can reduce our consumption, the better.

Buy higher quality items that will last you longer. Buy vintage so that you don’t feed into the supply and demand of new garments.

These are great solutions; however few of us are realistically going to halt our habit of shopping for new clothing completely.

So how do we consume in the best possible way? Examining which fabrics we purchase is a great place to start.

One of the most exciting eco-fashion innovations of the past few decades is a fabric called Tencel — sometimes referred to as Lyocell. Tencel is a biodegradable fabric conceived synthetically out of birth pulp, and doesn’t waste as much water as many other fabrics because much of the water used in its production can be reused — unlike in the production of cotton. This fabric is often very soft to the touch and has become a popular textile among brands like Anthropologie, H&M, J. Crew, and Land’s End. Hemp, a natural fiber with greater durability than cotton or wool, is also a

more sustainable alternative to cotton and linen, and as designers work with hemp more and more, they are developing a deeper understanding of the fiber and how to use it in a way that is less chunky and obvious. In other words, hemp isn’t just for drug rugs anymore.

With winter well on its way, it’s important to discuss ecological distinctions among wool. What’s the difference between plain old “wool”, alpaca wool, merino wool, and cashmere? Both alpaca wool and cashmere are considered “luxury wools”. Alpaca wool tends to be more sustainable than cashmere because alpacas graze more gently than goats, which is usually better for the land they are farmed on. Alpaca wool is lightweight but can be very durable, which is another advantage over cashmere, and can be blended with merino wool (which doesn’t “pill” like normal wool!) for sustainable results. Although Alpacas are native to Peru, they can be raised in our Midwestern climate, as we found out at a visit to Nueva Dia Alpacas in Belleville, Illinois. The alpacas are shorn once in the spring and spend the next few months looking as though their fluffy heads are too large for their considerablyless-fluffy bodies. We love Nueva Dia because they’re a local business creating high quality textiles that are minimally damaging to the earth.

Although your best bet is always to buy less and buy used, don’t forget that your choices about the items you purchase do impact the world around you. Keep an eye on the tags the break down the fabric content of your garments, and always invest in garments that are made with care and integrity.

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MODE OF TRANSPORTATION THE JOURNEYS OF PEOPLE AND THEIR VEHICLES

photography J O A C H I M V A T U R I models C O N N O R R U D M A N N , M I C H A E L G R A B I S , EVAN CORTE, CLEMENT STANBACK

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written by E M I L Y B L U E D O R N

A Harvard Health Watch study reported that on average, an American spends 101 minutes in their car each day. In a lifetime of driving, this averages to over four years spent driving a car.

Although inanimate, cars accompany us through life, seeing us at our best and worst. We hope to explore this complex relationship through the stories of our peers—how they met their car, where they’ve been with their car and where they plan to go.

he said, “you can’t really beat Yosemite.” He has a collection of pine air fresheners dangling from the rearview, a miniature model national park on the dash, and “mystery machine” hippie decals on the side. During the time of the photo-shoot, he was reading On the Road, by Jack Kerouac which was appropriately flopped on the passenger seat. Can’t help but feel like Kerouac himself would be pretty into the van.

Clement met her car a bit before she turned sixteen. She bought it with her brother for around $400 dollars from a hippie friend of the family. The car came adorned with a collection of bumper stickers, but since that time she’s removed some and curated her own collection with the help of her brother. A particular favorite is the mushroom sticker prominently displayed on the back windshield.

From road tripping with friends to Colorado, to driving up mountains, to traveling with the Wash U Racing Team for competitions, Michael’s car is made for adventure. With lots of trunk space, a roof rack, and a hitch, the car is ideal for transporting bikes and snowboards. In addition to its outdoorsy functionality, the car is lowered which enhances its aesthetics and driving feel. The car isn’t just as it looks—the customized wheels, intake, intercooler, and exhaust are aftermarket parts that contribute to increased speed and sound.

Evan met his car when he turned sixteen too. Although most kids in his home-town in Michigan drive American-made cars, the choice to buy a Volvo was well-informed, as Volvos handle the snow well. Evan’s car resembles more than just a personal project, but rather a hobby he shares with friends from home, who all share a passion for modifying their cars together. Evan’s car has a turbo back straight pipe exhaust that his friend welded in his spare time. It is also lowered and has undergone about two years’ worth of modifications.

Connor went out west in his van last year, trying to hit all the national parks he could—Zion, Joshua tree, Bryce canyon, Yosemite, to name a few. When asked about his favorite stop,

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OPULENCE TO GILD REFINED GOLD, TO PA I N T T H E L I LY. . . I S W A S T E F U L A N D RIDICULOUS EXCESS.

photography K A R A L E N A D A V I S models O L I V I A W I L L I A M S O N & E M M A T A N G makeup C A R I A N N E L E E

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GOT IT FROM MY MAMA REFLECTING, REINTERPRETING, AND CONNECTING

photography J O A C H I M V A T U R I

jacket & button down S Y L V I A Y U

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grandma’s jeans C H A R L O T T E J O N E S 55

jewelry C O P E L A N D M C C A R T E R

CA N C LOT H E S H AV E A R E N A I S SA N C E ?

W H AT D I F F E R E N T I AT E S A P I E C E P U RC H A S E D A N D A P I E C E B E Q U E AT H E D ?

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CONSUMPT I O N , W E T H I N K A B O U T T H E C A P I TA L I ST PROCESS OF PURCHASE, WEAR, AND WASTE. BUT WHEN WE BREAK THIS CYC L E A N D I N C O R P O R AT E O U R R E LAT I V E S ’ O R F R I E N D S ’ P I E C E S I N TO OUR OWN WARDROBES, WE CONSUME S O M E T H I N G E L S E . W E I N V I T E D T H E F O LLOWING STUDENTS TO SHARE THESE PIECES AND THEIR THOUGHTS. VISIT ARMOUR.WUSTL .EDU FOR THE EXTENDE D VERSION OF THE EDITORIAL .

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denim jacket A U D R E Y P A L M E R 57

loafers M A D E L I N E M O N T O Y A 58

socks D A N A B E R G E R dress M A E L A S I N G H

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A Pair of Red Stilettos written by A R I E L A B A S S O N

Loss. It’s something that everybody experiences; a common denominator that can bring us together or tear us apart. Some of us experience it early. Some of us experience it late. I belong to the former group. When I was 9 years old, my mother passed away from pancreatic cancer. Naturally, I was devastated.

As painful as losing my mom was, I didn’t let it define me. With the help of my friends, family and, interestingly enough, fashion, I was able to overcome this hurdle. Yes, fashion is in fact part of the list – and that is where my story really begins.

I think one of the biggest fears I had after my mom died was that I would forget her. I knew that we had home videos, but honestly it was and still is too gut wrenching for me to watch them. Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but in this case they weren’t enough. For a while, I dreaded that all the mental slides and clips I could associate with my mom would eventually wither away.

One day, I wandered into my parents’ room and found my dad rummaging through what used to be my mother’s closet. I saw him packing up my mother’s shoes, clothes, and hats into boxes - it was essentially that scene from the Carrie Diaries where Carrie witnesses her father finally storing away her deceased mother’s beautiful closet. My dad picked up a pair of bright red Italian stilettos. It was as if my mother was speaking to me right in that moment. I convinced my dad to hand me the heels, which at the time fit me just like they fit my mother’s dainty size 6 feet.

I still have the heels on display in my closet even though there’s no way for me to painlessly shove my size 8 feet into them.

My dad took note of how much the shoes meant to me, and over the course of the next couple of years would hand down my mother’s other belongings to both my sister and me, punctuating birthdays and holidays with these small treasures from her closet.

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The most recent item my dad gave me was a powder blue Furla purse that my mom bought in Florence. When I saw the bag, my heart skipped a beat. I immediately painted a mental picture of my mother wearing the purse as she meandered down beautiful, sunny, Florentine streets. The purse soon became my go-to whenever I needed a boost of confidence. It came with me on first day of my summer internship in New York City, and even travelled by my side on my first day at Wash U. It made me feel a little less small in such a big city and a little more courageous in a new environment.

There are plenty more items that I’ve discovered to be a means of connection with my mom: an Israeli bracelet, a pair of pearl earrings, a silk scarf. They teach me about her travels, her friendships, her taste and style. They’re pathways to my mom, and have not only allowed me to remember her, but to live and grow with her. My mother’s and my love of fashion has given us the opportunity to spend time together.

I have found a new common denominator to connect me with others: a love for curating personal style through fashion. I found that fashion has the power not only to heal, but also to motivate us to learn from the challenges we face and make them our strengths.

The Rise of Booming Suburban Retail Centers written by S E T H C A P L A N

When luxury shoppers conjure an image of their ideal storefront it typically is among the hustle and bustle of the city on wide avenues with determined and focused shoppers. Often as consumers we overlook the physical space and surroundings of the stores we shop in. Instead, we take for granted the prime real estate that is high profile retail space, which is often leased or sold overnight and whose value is almost solely based on prime location and not on the quality of the space. Luxury retail stores are in a transitional period, often opting for center city locations that remain at the core of fashion and business. All the while, high-end retail space that mimics the downtown of a larger city are currently developing in the suburbs, offering luxurious, high-traffic retail space outside of the traditional suburban mall. Because of these recently developed suburban downtowns, suburbanites are rapidly gaining access to the high-end urban fashions that traditionally have been sold in boutiques located in cities.

As an intern at CBRE (Global Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Firm) for the greater Philadelphia region it was easy to see the heightened trends of competing urban and suburban spaces.

Throughout center city Philadelphia, developers have gentrified and built up urban retail space expanding the breadth of the luxury fashion market outside of the typical Rittenhouse Square fashion district. Luxury retailers have quickly filled the spaces, as is expected in conjunction with the rebounding of urban centers from the real estate decline of the latter portion of the 20th century. Urban areas during this time were overlooked as the suburbs grew and businesses moved to suburban office parks and monotonous strip malls leaving many cities such as St. Louis and Pittsburgh without the economic base to support high end, urban fashion.While the metropolitan setting is still the epicenter of fashion, where both locally owned and big brand boutiques seek to be, in the past 50 years there has been a push

from developers to create retail markets with an urban vibe outside of the traditional city center. Examples of these suburban yet metropolitan in feeling retail centers include Suburban Square in Ardmore, the Americana in Manhasset and Highland Park Village in Dallas.

Although the suburban consumer may not be as young or tied as closely to trends as an urban dweller, many are in the income bracket that allows them to afford luxury fashions. Real estate developers are recognizing the need to install elegant centers that give the suburbs their own downtown much closer to home, allowing for convenient luxury shopping without the accompanying traffic or train ride.

In many ways malls and strip centers are a thing of the past for high end markets. Malls offer extremely expensive storefronts to rent, but don’t necessarily attract the clientele willing to shop at stores touting high priced merchandise. Boutiques and lesser known brands often cannot afford mall prices and malls lack proper signage and foot traffic for up-and-coming stores. The current trend of outer-ring luxury commerce centers allows for smaller boutiques that are locally owned or for smaller brands to take residence in the suburbs and thrive in the non-urban market. City centers still remain at the cusp of fashion since they are economic capitals with dense populations where ideas and trends can spread much faster. As suburban populations stabilize, however, the need for luxury retail space outside of malls and outside of cities will present developers and consumers with many opportunities.

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THE SUPERMARKET AN EXPLORATION OF REPETITION, CHOICES, AND PACKAGING

photography A V I V A M A N N model B R Y N N E S W E A R I N G E N

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IN ORDER TO EXPLORE OUR MOST L I TE RAL IN TERPRETAT ION OF C ONS U MPT ION, WE WENT GROCERY SHOPPING. A P L A C E V I TA L F O R T H E F U N CT I O N I N G O F T H E AMERICAN HOUSEHOLD, THE SUPERM A R K E T I R O N I C A L LY S H O W S U S HOW GLOBAL OUR FO OD AND PRODU C T S H A V E B E C O M E : CA L I F O R N I A AVO CA D O S A N D N O R W E G I A N S A L M O N A R E AT O U R FINGERTIPS. COUNTLESS BRANDS OF TOOTHPASTE , DURAFLAME LOG S, AND L O T T E R Y T I C K E T S A R E C O N V E N I E N T LY LO C AT E D I N O N E E N O R M O U S S I N G L E LEVEL COMPLEX. THEY REFLECT OUR VA LU E F O R E F F I C I E N CY - A N D T H E LOSS OF SOCIAL INTERACTION. THE MILKMAN AND THE BAKER BECAME AN A I S L E , A D I S P L AY, A R E F L E C T I O N O F OUR LOVE FOR ALL THINGS WRAPPED IN CELLOPHANE.

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Pop Up Shops written by A N N I E B U T L E R photo courtesy of D O N D A

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he first revolution in shopping came with the invention of ready-wear clothing and department stores during the Industrial age: up to this point, shopping involved custom made dresses and visits to a tailor. With this first revolution, consumers gained access to cheaper, high-quality clothes with the snap of a gloved finger. With the invention of the internet came the second Revolution: online shopping. Suddenly, with one click the world’s population had access to products from across the world without ever needing to leave the house.

These two leaps, which irrevocably altered the way we shop, coincided with major changes in the social and economic landscape of American and the world: the Industrial Revolution and the digital revolution. The result was a novel sense of democracy in shopping and an unprecedented accessibility to products. Now, it seems we are in the midst of yet another cultural revolution. The advent of social media and immediate communication through platforms like Twitter and Snapchat have changed the narrative of how humans interact with each other. It’s no surprise, then, that we are going through another shopping revolution. Enter the pop-up shop.

The term, pop-up shop, is essentially self explanatory —a brand or an individual opens a “store” selling or advertising their products for a short period of time and often without warning. Perhaps the most notable and best example of which was Kanye West’s collaboration with Bravado to open 21 pop-up shops around the globe with almost no advanced notice. The stores offer a unique customer experience, which provides a contrast to both classic brick-and-mortar stores and online marketplaces. Because the goal of a pop-up shop isn’t necessarily sales, brands can focus on customer service and public relations. They offer a chance for brands to interact with consumers directly, like any other store, but without the corporate hang-ups that tend to color the typical

shopping experience. Companies take advantage of this streamlined relationship, using it to show off their core values to consumers and offer a unique, memorable experience, separate but related to the product itself. For example, Levi’s opened mobile pop-up shops that traveled across the country, not selling jeans but offering bicycle repair and maintenance services. Another bonus for the instigators of the pop-ups is the emphasis on social media, both in announcing the arrival of pop-up shops and the coverage the experiences garner on these platforms. The brands then benefit from free advertising, from and easily collected consumer feedback.

In a sense, the pop-up shop recalls a time far back into the depths of shopping history: a very limited supply in one location, only available in person, with highly personalized offerings. Case in point? Kendall and Kylie’s had a station to spray paint the leather jackets their pop-up sold. Simultaneously, pop-ups are the future of fashion: the $10 billion industry of ephemeral shopping experiences is growing, and fast. But the myriad of factors determining one’s ability to visit a pop-up shop can be extremely exclusive: you must be in a specific city, at a specific time, and have enough freedom in your schedule to blow off work for a few hours in favor of checking out Ye’s latest collection. In an age where social and economic democratization are not only popular but possible, pop-up shops bring the fashion industry back to a time when only the elites had access to high fashion. And perhaps that is precisely the point.

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NEEDLE & THREAD AN EDITORIAL IN WHICH WE ASKED INDIVIDUALS TO EXPLORE CONSUMPTION THROUGH EMBROIDERY

photography M A X F I S H E R artists M A D D Y S H E R M A N , ABBEY MAXBAUER & MARINA PENG

model R A C H E L Y O U N

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The Impact of New-Age Fashion Blogging written by J A N E T H I E R illustration G R A C E G I L B E R T

V

ogue has been influencing the way we live and dress ourselves in the morning for over one hundred years. A constant in American culture, hosting the annual Met Ball and publishing a lengthy issue each month, Vogue continues to be the holy grail of style, celebrity and success. Yet despite the magazine’s history of accomplishments, it has been running into unmistakeable trouble at the newsstand, dwindling to 1,067,668 print subscribers as of March 2016. According to a New York Times report, Vogue’s paper sales have declined by at least 13.4 percent since 2013. But these numbers also show that a solid base of loyal readers were turning digital. Furthermore, the NYT also reports, digital replica editions — which replicate the format of the print editions — now make up 6.3 percent of total magazine circulation. Compare this to just 2012, magazines sold a mere 5.4 million digital editions, making up 1.7 percent of circulation.

Tides are changing, and they’re doing so rapidly.

These changes cannot be written off simply as a shift in the mode by which readers consume Vogue’s newest issues. By shifting much of its content to the digital platform, Vogue is now up against some unlikely competitors who have a strong held grasp on how to work social media in their favor, and attract every wandering eye in doing so. Enter the fashion blogger. Danielle Bernstein, a twenty-four year old FIT graduate with an interest in fashion and a personal photographer to boot, has over 1,500,000 Instagram followers on her style account, @weworewhat. She is a couple thousand followers behind Harper’s Bazaar (but gaining on them every day), is tied with British Vogue, and she’s hundreds of thousands ahead of Vogue Germany, Glamour, and Vogue Japan. How did this happen?

To some, this dichotomy between followings of old and new media may not come as a surprise. The average age of a Vogue reader is thirty-eight, whereas the Snapchat and Instagram industry belongs to millennials. Perhaps this is because of brand loyalty on the part of the readers who grew up reading magazines, as opposed to the younger consortium who turn to digital news sources first. The largest demographic for any fashion retailer, millennials, are instead flocking to Instagram. Yet, it’s easy to underestimate the power of something as simple as posting a photograph in a certain garment. In 2015, U.K. news outlet The Telegraph reported that Bernstein, the New York-based fashion blogger can rake in up to $15,000 per Instagram post featuring sponsored content. Since the publishing of this article, Bernstein has hit 1.5 million followers on Instagram, making the value of a sponsored post skyrocket to unimaginable heights.

At the end of the day, WeWoreWhat is a fashion brand: what Bernstein posts, in some way, influences what others wear. In fact, she has gathered the support to launch her own overall brand in the fall, a credit to her unmistakable influence. All too often, if you’re interested in fashion and are looking to make a profit, being

rich, famous or beautiful can be enough to provide the upper hand in attracting attention to what one wears and also allow an influencer to act as a spokesperson for a high-end clothing brand.

In this respect, names like Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Glamour find themselves struggling to keep up. Yes, Vogue knows quality content, but Bernstein knows social media.

“Instagram is a godsend for fashion,” says Hilary Milnes, a writer for Pulse by Digiday, a trend and culture magazine, “But it comes with a cost: It’s hard to stand out amid a sea of similar runway shots.

Fashion magazines like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle are relying more on celebrity-driven posts, exclusive content and material from their archives to resonate on Instagram.” So, what do they do? Often, they recruit the individuals who are doing it better than they are. Evidence of this can be found in the constant Instagram and Snapchat takeovers of brands by social media influencers, socialites, or models.

When the most preeminent magazines attempt to keep up on one of the most popular social media sites in existence, it’s safe to say that times are changing. Less and less frequently are people consulting Vogue’s fashion editors for clothing advice as the masses are turning towards the @ManRepeller’s, @SomethingNavy’s, and @WeWoreWhat’s of the world. How does this affect fashion? For starters, consider the lineup for the front row of guests at New York Fashion Week shows this past fall. Bernstein, for instance, scored front row seats at Monique Lhuillier, Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger, and Yeezy, to name a few. Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine could be found at The Row, Altuzarra, and Diane Von Furstenburg.

Finally, Arielle Charnas of Something Navy was spotted at Jenny Peckham, Tommy Hilfiger, Naeem Khan, and even walked in Rebecca Minkoff.

While the average fashion aficionado and amateur blogger might be thrilled to score an invite to fashion week, the aforementioned bloggers are in such high demand that they are often paid to attend shows during NYFW. In fact, in the midst of high-power campaigns, (read: Tommy x Gigi by Tommy Hilfiger) a great deal of a fashion brand’s marketing strategy is to invite bloggers whom they pay to attend, wear the brand, and post live on social media from the show.

Even at a time when it seems the entire media circus is laughably impressionable in regard to what it deems newsworthy, it still seems almost inconceivable that a twenty-something instagramhappy blogger may find herself next to Anna Wintour at Monique Lhuillier. Even so, the means by which one decides what to wear is ever-evolving. After all, high fashion is the constant; who determines what’s wearable is the variable.

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CODE OF CONDUCT AN EXCLUSIVE WITH DUSTO AT TOWER CLASSIC TATTOOING IN THE GROVE

photography J O A C H I M V A T U R I

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written by C H A R L O T T E J O N E S

“You’ve never been in a tattoo shop before? Holy shit, well welcome to Tower. What do you think of the shop?”

The shop is Tower Classic Tattooing in the Grove and the artist who was shocked to learn I have neither tattoos nor piercings on my body is Dustin or “Dusto.” His station is in the back left-hand corner of the long, rectangular shop and when Joachim and I arrived he was swiftly inking a woman’s calf with Tesla’s visage.

As the needle buzzed, etching dark black ink into her skin, he chatted with us about his start and the tattooing code of conduct; never lifting his eyes from his work, but speaking with the ease of someone who often immortalizes 5-8 pieces of physical artwork a day, 6 days a week.

When you enter Tower Classic you enter a romanticized Wild West. Neatly printed business cards lie adjacent to a human skull, an incense holder, a cut crystal candy jar and an Eleven Fourteen flash collection of 180 tattoo artists. A glass jar housing a coiled snake sits next to another glass jar holding a less identifiable subject. Everything is spotless. The shop has seven individual alcoves for its artists with seven long leather beds to seat clients being inked. Dusto’s station reveals his clear affinity for no bullshit.

Behind his back the walls are covered in framed tattoo collections and above his head a mounted wild boar head looks down at his work, cheekily wearing a colorful lei and Mardi Gras beads.

While Dusto initially reacts to an interview request by saying, “10 years ago I would have been like, ‘you want to interview me? What are you the cops?’” he eventually explains how he got here today.

His dad, an “old biker dude…was getting tattoos and he said like my kid can really draw, he’s got good art skills, so then I went up there and showed them my graffiti and they were like oh shit dude, your pop wasn’t kidding.” After being an unpaid “shop bitch,” for a year as he slept on friends’ couches hoping to get “tipped out at the end 77

written by C H A R L O T T E J O N E S

of the day,” he went on to work at tattoo shops throughout the Midwest, eventually ending in St. Louis. He’s been at Tower for 4.5 of the 5 years it’s been open. They celebrated their 5-year anniversary with a party last month.

In his personal story and in the ways he describes tattooing at Tower, Dusto places significant gravity on discipline. Ask him for your first tattoo to be on your throat? He won’t do it. “Hands, faces and necks. If you don’t have any tattoos, you haven’t earned it, that’s the tough guy spot. Fuck off. If you’re 60 years old and you’re established and want to get your face tattooed, go for it.”

Dustin hesitates to claim there are steadfast rules to tattooing yet he’s adamant that proper codes of conduct exist for a reason.

“It’s a trade, it’s a job, there are definitely right and wrong ways to do things. There’s a code. You stick to that because that’s what makes a good tattoo. It’s got to look good forever; it’s on them for their whole life. I could do something that looks fucking awesome today, but by the time it heals it looks like shit, you know? So you’re cheating your customer.”

You’ll know when you have entered Tower Classic Tattooing because a large neon sign informs you of such in red, black, and white. However in addition to the name, this sign also tells you what Tower stands for. The subtitle reads “Bright Bold Forever.”

The shop specializes in traditional American and Japanese tattoos or as Dustin describes, “the way it’s supposed to be done, the right way.” The client he’s currently working on found him through his Instagram, but Dustin denounces individuals who desire to follow trends that change on a weekly basis. Speaking for Tower Classic he says, “we’re not hopping on trends, what’s cool this week, what’s on Instagram, ‘oh that’s so sick, I’ve never seen anyone do that before.’ It’s probably because you’re breaking the rules.” He 78

softens his statement by acknowledging, “people have different wants and desires, maybe they want something that looks cool today, but bad tomorrow. Some people live for today.” He laughs before adding, “personally I would rather do a tattoo that looks good on you for your whole life.”

Paul, the man that “keeps all of this shit running,” echoes Dustin’s perspective. He takes me around the shop, pointing to tattoo references of mermaids, eagles, skulls, roses, and knives. Bold outlines, limited color palettes, sailor tattoos. They’ve all been around for years and Tower ensures they will be for many more.

Paul emphasizes the ability to bring however many photos you like and they’ll work with you to create your perfect design. A long desk fills the back right wall, its surface littered with tracing paper sketches, Xeroxed images, pens and pencils. A black and white image of Tesla and Dusto’s ballpoint sketch of the entire design lie next to the calf Dustin currently inks. At one point Paul comes over to Dustin with two photos of a cannon and a family crest, asking if he has time later today to work them together.

He says yes.

As Dustin seamlessly and swiftly draws leaves around Tesla’s face, it’s hard to remember that these marks won’t dissolve with her next shower. Every day he and Tower Classic’s other artists leave indelible symbols and memories on their customers’ bodies – their artwork only disappearing when, as Dustin gently puts it, “they kick the bucket.” In that interim, Dustin, his colleagues, and Tower Classic are committed to tattooing as, “a classic, timeless tradition” that they’re carrying on, bright, bold, and forever.

A special thanks to Tower Classic Tattooing for letting us shoot in their space. Check out their work at 4146 Manchester Ave.

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Happy Feet written by K L A R A K O B Y L I N S K I

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n a typical day you can expect to see Elon Musk developing a new rocket, fine-tuning solar panels, or, lately, dealing with the fallout of an exploded Space X rocket and the automated car crash that left Tesla executives reeling. In other words, the genius inventor, engineer, and businessman spends little time considering something as inconsequential as footwear.

Nothing Musk does is perfunctory; when he embarks upon a new venture, he does so with arresting drive and intensely concentrated attention. As do his professional progeny, who couple Musk’s example with their own innate and cultivated skills when they branch out from employment at one of the South African mogul’s many domains. One such pioneer, Dolly Singh, is set to make her mark as her brainchild Thesis Couture hits the market.

The co-founder of Synergy Solutions, former SpaceX head of talent acquisition for Musk and director of talent operations at Oculus VR, Singh is well versed in curating the most qualified teams to run businesses. In 2014 she joined an incubator in order to launch Thesis Couture, a company that while unremarkable in name, nonetheless brings to mind a project of intellectual vigor.

And indeed it is; dubbed the “Tesla of stilettos,” Singh’s prototype is far-reaching, ambitious, game-changing. Where it lacks whimsy and romanticism, the concept fortifies in its affirmations of strength and unprecedented structure. The company tagline reads High Fashion meets High Performance, a simple but goal-driven statement with each descriptor of equal importance.

As the brand’s first lookbook makes clear, these shoes aren’t the waggish, conceptual creations à la Alexander McQueen’s fetish

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ballerines or Maison Margiela’s glass slippers-- they don’t quite transport the wearer into mystical worlds where pain is a state of mind that can be willed into the ether. Suffice it to say, they better be comfortable. Luckily, Singh has no pretentions that her customers are nymphs who flit about weightlessly. The luxury shoe industry could certainly use this new approach to design.

Most architects of heeled, stylish shoes made less for walking and more as functioning towers of wearable art, perpetuate a historic model of construction. Variations among prototypes lie primarily in adornment rather than skeletal structure, and tweaks realized in ateliers are often inconsequential adjustments. While designers like Christian Louboutin and Paul Andrew have all the advantages of the finely curated designer’s eye, they lack the mindset of the engineer. That’s where Singh and her nine-person squadron come in.

One of the primary reasons women refrain from wearing heels stems from the discomfort they inflict. Singh knows this as well as anyone, bemoaning the persistent vexation to Business Insider: “To me, when you’re surrounded by some of the smartest people on the planet, building some of the biggest and most bad-ass machines on this world, the idea that my shoes are such crap became really obnoxiously unbearable.” So she set out to transform the industry, recruiting an astronaut and rocket scientist to help her reconsider the shoe’s chassis, or base. Based on the fairly stagnant shape of heels over the past several hundred years, one might assume that physics governing the shoe leave little room for design freedom. Yet Singh argues that heels only

contend with weight distribution, friction between ground and shoe, and resistance between foot and shoe. Hiring the very best in the physics world offered Singh many novel structural possibilities, yet left her floundering for design help. A MIT and Stanford graduate soon entered the fray as design director, and the director of mechanical engineering at Oculus VR oversaw the materiality depart from the metal-and-cardboard standard of the past century to a structure made entirely of plastic. An orthopedic specialist, a fashion technologist, and a fit-algorithms expert completed the heterogeneous mix. Made by such a formidable crew, the shoes are rightly commanding, not so much on the shelf as on the foot. They allow a woman to walk with ease and confidence, uninhibited by the crippling pain that so often accompanies heels. If there’s one thing to criticize about the collection, it’s the analytical, frankly obvious aspects of the project. While noble in premise, its nomenclature is clunky, ver-ging on redundant, with a name so uninspired that most chatter refers to it as “Elon Musk’s-former-employee’s heels.” What trained scientists might have yet to realize is that women are often driven to buy a shoe because of its powers of evocation, rather than where it lies on the spectrum of weight distribution and shock absorption. Coupled with impeccable design, the empowering nature of the technology ought to speak for itself.

While Musk directs his projects with less than an avuncular demeanor, Singh follows her former employer’s precedent in more subtle ways. In keeping with the potent ethos of Musk’s ventures, Singh named the shoes in her first collection after courageous

women in their respective fields: Amelia Earhart, Billie Holliday, Frida Kahlo, Helen Keller, Marie Curie, and Misty Copeland, to name only several. It’s fitting that given Singh’s background, many of these women are known for their contributions to science and engineering. And the shoes themselves are as powerful as their namesakes, boasting trademarked technology for ideal weight distribution, minimal impact shock, and less fatigue for the foot, cutting the weight that falls on the balls of the feet in half. “What we’re fundamentally trying to do,” Singh explains, “is make a stiletto that feels like a wedge.”

Singh’s business is hardly tracked as zealously as Musk’s forays into the automobile, space, and tech industries that he’s built up over the years. His cultish following of mostly young men have hardly heard of the stiletto, much less considered it a product with a ground-breaking future. Perhaps Musk himself has doubts about the intersection of engineering and fashion, as he chose not to invest in the burgeoning company. Yet if its thousandsperson waitlist is any indication, Thesis Couture is set for takeoff.

Perhaps Dolly Singh’s frankest expression of her gravitation toward ambitious business projects appears in her LinkedIn summary, which perfectly delineates her plan to take over the footwear industry. It reads: I like to build teams that re-architect billion dollar ecosystems. That’s all.

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MINIATURE CAPTURING DANCE AND MOVEMENT

photography G R A C E W A N G models C R I S T I F L O R E S & S A R A H Y A P O design D A N A B E R G E R

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Bill Cunningham’s response to receiving Armour’s first copy.

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“ HELLO TO THE ARMOUR TEAM...

T H A N K YO U F O R S E N D I N G YO U R M AGA Z I N E .

Y O U A R E P R O V I D I N G A S TA G E F O R Y O U R G E N E R AT I O N . . . S TAY W I T H I T, E N J O Y, A N D G O O D L U C K

“ Bill Cunningham Iconic Street Style Photographer 1929 — 2016

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