FORM Winter 14/15 by FORM Magazine

FORM

WINTER 2014/15

What is

FORM

DUKE UNIVERSITY’S OFFICIAL FASHION & LIFESTYLE PUBLICATION

AS A STUDENT-RUN BI-ANNUAL PUBLICATION, WE SPARK THE POPULAR DIALOGUE THROUGH INNOVATIVE EDITORIAL CONTENT, ARTISTIC DESIGN, MASTERFUL PHOTOGRAPHS, INDUSTRY NEWS, ALUMNI INTERVIEWS, AND CULTURAL HAPPENINGS. WE AIM TO MAKE FASHION ACCESSIBLE TO OUR READERS AND INSPIRE STUDENTS TO EXPLORE THEIR CREATIVE TALENT.

FORM W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 BLAME IT ON THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT, OR EVEN THE POLAR VORTEX, BUT WE AT FORM HAVE BEEN FALLING IN LOVE WITH FASHION ALL OVER AGAIN THIS YEAR. THAT IS WHY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER TWO YEARS, WE DECIDED TO BRING YOU A WINTER ISSUE. YOU’LL FIND THE LATEST TRENDS AND HOTTEST TOPICS SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT, BRINGING TOGETHER EVERYTHING FROM OUR FAVORITE STYLES THIS SEASON TO WHY WE LOVE YOUR FRECKLES. XX FORM

LULU FROST COLLAGE SILVER-TONE, GOLD-PLATED AND CRYSTAL NECKLACE DukeFORM.com

FORM W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 FEATURES

AQUA RYLIE SINGLE STONE CHAIN NECKLACE

16 26 2

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FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY An Evolution Through The Decades MEJI Bringing African Fashion to Duke

MELT HAUS Fashion Startup by Duke Alumni

OSCAR DE LA RENTA A Tribute To One Of Fashion’s Greatest

FORM JOIN THE TEAM AT

PHOTOGRAPHERS MODELS WRITERS GRAPHIC DESIGNERS STYLISTS AD SALES VIDEOGRAPHERS

A P P LY AT D U K E F O R M . C O M

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FORM W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 FASHION

FRECKLED Photography Stanca Iris

FLOAT AWAY Photography Sami Cohen

48 LOEWE LEATHER KEYRING FOR MEN

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INDELIABLE Photography Lauren Henschel

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FORM LIBBY BORDERS CARINA SARDA SHAYAN ASADI MADYN FIELD TORY MACDONALD GABI WEISS KATIE CHAPLIN HALLIE ALSTON ALLIE KENNEY MICHELLE CRAIG JENNA GREENSPAN ARIEL WAINER RYAN DAVIDSON SAMI COHEN LAUREN HESNCHEL ADESUWA GIWA-OSAGIE MADIE THORNTON KATHERINE AHN

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EDITOR IN CHIEF EXECUTIVE EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION WOMEN’S FASHION EDITOR WOMEN’S FASHION ASSISTANT WOMEN’S FASHION ASSISTANT WOMEN’S FASHION ASSISTANT FEATURE’S EDITOR DIRECTOR OF LAYOUT LAYOUT ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHER PHOTOGRAPHER STYLIST EDITORIAL ASSISTANT EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

LAUREN KATZ KATIE ZHOU JAQUELINE THOMAS MARIELLE RODGERS DAISY CEPHAS WENDY GUZMAN

MARKET ASSOCIATE MARKET ASSOCIATE MARKET ASSOCIATE MARKET ASSOCIATE MARKET ASSOCIATE MARKET ASSOCIATE

JENNA POCZIK LINDSAY GIBSON JASON CHANDRA MICHELLE CRAIG

BLOG EDITOR BLOG EDITOR BLOG CONTRIBUTOR BLOG CONTRIBUTOR

EDITOR’S LETTER

ack at it for our sixth year of publication, FORM continues to grow its presence on Duke’s campus. Maintaining the momentum from our largest-ever issue produced in 2014, our team has worked tirelessly to produce a magazine that represents the sweet spot where fashion, art, and beauty collide in today’s culture. As an on-campus publication, we continue to work to produce content that transcends beyond Duke’s campus and embodies the evolution of the fashion industry around the globe. Our Winter Issue this year expands on past FORM topics, as we enhance the breadth of our alumni interviews, feature significant cultural events, and highlight the latest trends. While excited about re-visiting some of these past issues dear to FORM, we are also a publication dedicated to forward movement and development. We opted to produce a beauty-focused issue, including explorations of the unique qualities and imperfections of the human body that make us all beautiful. With that in mind, FORM connects readers with content showcasing the fashionforward, culturally-enriching work of Duke students, including a student’s entrepreneurial endeavor and a student’s thesis project that gets up close and personal. We pushed the boundaries with a model-less photoshoot showcasing the beauty of the clothing featured and the place us Duke students call home. As we move into a transitional Spring semester for the magazine, we promise continued growth, talent, and new leadership, aiming to always bring you thought-provoking, fresh content. It’s a sad goodbye as we hand off FORM to the next generation of Duke’s most creative, but we look forward to seeing what new inspiration they will bring to the next issue. So until the Spring and sun return, we hope this issue gets you through these wintry months.

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RAG AND BONE The Skinny Distressed Mid-Rise Jeans

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the MARKET THE NORTH FACE Cook Down Vest

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Rolling Stone By Mario Testino

THE

EVOLUTION OF FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY Written By JENNA GREENSPAN

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here is no denying that photography has been key to the rise of fashion. Over the past two centuries, Fashion Photography has become more than just an outlet for designers to present clothes to mass audiences. Fashion Photography, made popular largely due to the rise of fashion magazines, documents and creates history. Major fashion publications such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar have produced some of the greatest fashion photographers, including Baron Adolphe De Meyer. He was hired by Condé Nast in 1914 to take experimental photos for Vogue and is now considered the first ever fashion photographer. His photographs, mainly of actors and actresses dressed in their own clothing, are largely characterized by soft lighting. In the 1920s and 1930s, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar led the field in Fashion Photography with photographers such as Edward Steichen, George HoyningenHuene, Horst P. Horst and Cecil Beaton pushing the boundaries of widely accepted Fashion Photography. These photographers are widely known for turning Fashion Photography into an art form; as demand in editorial content in magazines increased, Fashion Photography had to evolve to become more sophisticated. While working at Vanity Fair and Vogue, Steichen became the highest paid Fashion Photographer and invented the “modern fashion photo shoot” by photographing everything from landscapes, architecture, theater and dance, war photography, and celebrities for magazines. During World War II, Fashion Photography changed radically.

Gloria Swanson by Edward Steichen DukeFORM.com

Marilyn Monroe By Richard Avedon

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Dovima With Elephants By Richard Avedon

Monica Belucci By Helmut Newton

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Many Jewish editors and photographers abandoned their cities to avoid repression and fled to New York. Readers didn’t lose interest in magazines, but fashion underwent a major transformation and became more practical and realistic. After the War, Fashion Photography took on a whole new direction with photographers such as Richard Avedon and Irving Penn making a sweeping effect on the industry. Penn’s style is characterized by graphic and strong images with a white backdrop. Avedon, who pioneered the semi-documentary style, is well known for his portraits, which register the personality, poses, and attitudes of his subjects, displaying his complete confidence in the two-dimensional nature of photography. He immediately detached himself from the classic idea of photography by photographing models in movement, in the street, or in public places. Avedon aimed to reveal the true personalities of celebrities, which was a contrast to the rigid and stoic portraits of the past. In 1965 Avedon quit Harper’s Bazaar after he came under immense criticism for collaborating with colored models, but he continued to explore his own cultural, political and personal passions. He is known for photographing the American Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War.

Demi Moore by Annie Leibovitz

Throughout the 1990s and continuing through today, Fashion Photography has become an economic stronghold for the continued dream of capitalism. The massmarket of Fashion Photography gives photographers and super models great power. Photography has become more and more controversial, progressive, and continues to comment largely on societal movements. Patrick Demarchelier, Steven Meisel, Mario Testino, and Annie Leibovitz continue to be prolific in the Fashion Photography world today, leaving their mark on the industry and opening up possibilities for future photographers to break even more boundaries n

The 1960s and 1970s brought even more change for Fashion Photography, as typical fashion traditions were broken and photography mirrored Twiggy by David Bailey

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social movements, helping to shape the era. Coinciding with liberation movements, models were uninhibited, often photographed on the streets or in the nude. With the “hippie” period, David Bailey released iconic photographs of Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy. Imagination came to be substituted with realism. The rise of feminism and social change made room for photographers such as Eve Arnold and Deborah Tuberville. The strongest images of the decade came from Helmut Newton, who often photographed sexually confident, and often nude, females in poses defying the typical sexual roles. David Bailey, William Klein, and Norman Parkinson are other notable photographers who helped shaped photography of this era.

Dior Couture By Patrick Demarchellier

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MEJI Written By MADDIE THORNTON and KATHERINE AHN Photography JENNA GREENSPAN Fashion ADESUWA GIWA-OSAGIE

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Burbery Spring 2012

ladimeji Abidoye, familiarly known as Meji, is a junior at Duke from Lagos, Nigeria, majoring in Computer Science and possibly Economics. He is a proud member of The Cube, Duke’s entrepreneurship-focused selective living group—“the place to be” for those interested in pursuing entrepreneurship. Abby DelBianco is a 2014 Duke graduate who has dabbled with work in all levels of the fashion industry during her time working with another startup in Bali, Indonesia this past year. Abby’s fashion muse is Cara Delevingne. Meji prefers the first thing out of his

closet. The two make an unlikely – but remarkable – pair. Meeting through the Robertson Scholars program, Abidoye and DelBianco decided to team-up to bring Meji’s latest project idea to life— fusing African fashions and fabrics with American styles with their company, Wear-Gidi.

“WHEN WE BRING IT HERE IT’S NOT MARCHESA’S OR VERSACE’S IMITATION OF ANKARA, IT’S REALLY ANKARA”

African culture through high fashion. This event not only brings the AfricanAmerican community together, but it is also allows people to embrace the culture of traditional African material through contemporary means. Despite its popularity on the runway, however, Abby pointed out that Ankara does not have that same presence on college campuses as it is scarcely used in ready-to-wear clothes. Now, Meji and Abby hope to change that with their new collection that will be tailored specifically to the college lifestyle. Because the clothes will be produced and shipped straight from Nigeria, Duke students get a unique opportunity to be

Ankara, the fabric that Meji chose to work with, has been “in” the fashion world for quite some time now. It is a dyed-wax fabric whose origins come from being manufactured by the Dutch for Indonesian textile companies. Along the way Ankara caught the interest of West Africa, and since then this fabric has integrated itself into the African runway scene and African daily wear. In fact, “you’d be hard pressed to not find edgy things that designers in Nigeria, and people across the continent, are doing with Ankara” according to Meji. Whether the consumers know it or not, Ankara has been prevalent in the fashion industry and is gaining considerable attention. Burberry Prorsum had an African-inspired S/S 2012 Collection during London Fashion Week, and that same year Versace also used Ankara fabric for its collection. Going along with this trend, celebrities from Lady Gaga to Anna Wintour, and even Michelle Obama have been spotted wearing their African-inspired Ankara pieces. On top of that, since 2009 the annual Ankara Festival Los Angeles (AFLA) has been held at the Avalon in Hollywood to bring awareness about Burbery Spring 2012

Burbery Spring 2012 DukeFORM.com

exposed to an authentic, traditional style. “When we bring it here it’s not Marchesa’s or Versace’s imitation of Ankara, it’s really Ankara,” the duo explain. The idea to start Wear-Gidi stemmed from Meji’s work at a Nigerian logistics company last summer where he stumbled into Ankara fashions. When he returned to Duke with a few Ankara shirts of his own, Meji was bombarded by students wondering how they could get their hands on the design. “I thought about getting a couple orders together…maybe just getting the shirts to a few people here,” Meji explains. “I wasn’t initially interested in women’s clothes, but actually girls expressed more interest in getting [Ankara fashions] than the guys did”. It was at this point that Meji joined forces with Abby, the fashion guru. Blending high-fashion inspiration from the runway and traditional Ankara style, Abby and Meji have designed five pieces for women including a maxi skirt, wide-legged pants, tees with vibrant prints, and a romper. They suspect that these cuts will be wearable and easily incorporated into a Duke student’s everyday style, whether sporting the trendy prints to class or to Shooters. “You’ll be able to have a unique piece from a foreign country, and since it is a huge process to get to you, three people in your class won’t have the same thing”. This is the unique benefit of ordering an Ankara piece. These clothing items, designed by Abby and Meji, are hand-made in Nigeria and shipped to America. Hence, each piece is available in a multitude of traditional prints. The pair expects the cheapest item to be priced at about $55 and the most expensive to be $75. Although these prices may be a bit steep for a college student’s budget, Wear-Gidi is a niche company selling novelty items. Once

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the shipping cost and sheer uniqueness of the product is taken into account, the costs seem quite reasonable. In fact, Meji is selling his products for nearly ten times less than American companies selling traditional African clothing. Plus, a portion of the proceeds from the new collection will go to support an Artist’s Collective in Senegal. Meji expresses his awe of the art in this collective, stating “we hope to have our work inspired by the work that they do”. With Wear-Gidi, Meji and Abby hope to share African fashion with the Duke community. At a place where cosmopolitanism thrives, Meji’s collection--which will arrive at Duke in January--is sure to be a hit. Meji and Abby serve as prime examples of highly motivated Duke students combining their passion and entrepreneurial spirit in order to turn their vision into reality n

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MELTING TECH + FASHION Written By ALLIE KENNEY

n the midst of our generation’s social media and technological takeover, the fashion industry’s next logical step is to digitize. Using social media as a literal platform for fashion pieces, Bette Ann Schlossberg and her friend, Michelle Varat, have innovatively “melted” together the fashion world with the tech world upon the creation of their company, Melt Haus. Melt Haus emerged with a simple spark of inspiration. Bette Ann’s friend and Melt Haus founder, Michelle Varat, took a photo of a sunset in Tulum and printed it on a lightweight cover-up. After receiving several compliments on her unique garment, she quickly consulted Bette Ann as a “tech/production guru” and Schlossberg enthusiastically jumped on board. Together, the two of them formed Melt Haus, a website that allows users to design custom fashionable garments using digital artwork and photos. “Everything you think of when you think of a start-up, we did,” Bette Ann explains to FORM virtually via Google Hangout. She sits in front of a modern style painting with her long, chestnut hair tied tightly back, donning a gray graphic sweatshirt. “We sat in front of a white board brainstorming about every detail, even spending hours arguing about whether to spell it Melt House or Melt Haus.”

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Schlossberg gained her guru status from her successful career working at Google after graduating from Duke in 2007. As a Fashion/Lifestyle Partnership Manager at Google, she developed a program and subsequent Google patent for a “Shoppable” Hangout, which uses Google Hangout technology to allow someone to virtually shop with friends. Her expertise in the tech arena allowed her to passionately aid the progression of this Melt Haus idea, which gives customers the ability to print their own photo on their choice of crop top, cover up, mini skirt, scarf, and more. She and Varat brought their plan to a developer who created a website that launched in May 2014. Since then, Melt Haus has gained increased attention. Using advanced techniques of heat transfer, the finished products look and feel as if the photo is the actual fabric, rather than simply screen-printed on top of it. With a website that allows customers to easily access their Instagram, Facebook, and computer photos, and a variety of styles to choose from, Melt Haus is a uniquely interactive shopping experience. “Melt Haus is a new type of social media—one that is wearable,” Bette Ann explains. Even celebrities like model Gigi Hadid are jumping on the Melt Haus bandwagon and donning their personalized garments.

Though her Duke life as a Psych major and Dancing Devil did not directly lead Bette Ann towards her current positions, she appreciates the opportunities she had at Duke to learn and grow as a person. She particularly gained from her experience studying abroad in Paris. Yet Bette Ann is a prime example that college interests are not at all a restrictive determinant for future professions. In college, she spent her summers doing psychology research and never even thought about considering fashion as a real career option. “We didn’t even have a fashion magazine. I was fashionable, but not exactly into fashion.” Bette Ann advises those interested in a fashion career path to begin at a publication or a media platform. She warns though that the fashion world is tough, one must accept starting as an intern in a “literal Devil Wears Prada” atmosphere. Or if daring and entrepreneurial enough, develop an innovative start up like Bette Ann. Bette Ann sees a huge future for digitized fashion and Melt Haus is just the beginning n Start melting: www.melthaus.com

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OSCAR DE LA RENTA Written By TORY MACDONALD

Fashion is and always has been a global industry. There is no icon more emblematic of this fact than the late Oscar de la Renta. The revered designer known for his decadent creations and unique craftsmanship wove his heritage into every collection. Born Óscar Arístides Renta Fiallo in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic, Oscar credits the tropical vegetation and vibrant color palette of his native island as the inspiration for his trademark style: colorful, intricate and timeless. However, De la Renta evolved throughout his career under Spanish, French and later American influence, establishing himself as one of the most respected and world-renowned fashion designers and an example of the intersectionality of cultures within the fashion industry. Like many great designers of his time, Oscar began his career pursuing studies in the arts. In 1951, at age nineteen, he moved to Madrid to study painting at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. During this time, the post-war fashion wave was about to begin. In the 1950s, Europe erupted as the Nouveau Maîtres took over the Haute Couture fashion industry. Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Balmain and Cristóbol Balenciaga all stepped on the scene as architectsturned-fashion designers, inspired by the reemergence of wealth and elegance following the years of the war. Dior, Givenchy, and Balmain of France and Balenciaga of Spain all developed a unique style that characterized their brand and designs, creating a trademark or “look” that each designer would develop as a permanent staple in their creations. Oscar broke onto the scene when Francesca Lodge, the wife of John Davis Lodge, the US Ambassador to Spain, caught sight of one of his drawings that had been published in a Spanish newspaper. She commissioned him to create a gown for her daughter, who then appeared wearing it in Life magazine. Shortly afterwards, Oscar began sketching for Spain’s leading fashion houses. This lead to an apprenticeship with Madrid’s most renounced couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga. Despite his success in Paris, Balenciaga remained deeply influenced by the culture and folklore of Spain, fascinated with the gypsies, flamenco dancers and bull fighters. By Balenciaga’s side, Oscar

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learned an appreciation for attention to detail, form and decadent perfection. He later moved to Paris to work with Antonio del Castillo for Lanvin in Paris. He began to hone his appreciation for decadence and femininity. By this time in the 1960s fashion was becoming less elitist. The rules of beauty were evolving to be less sophisticated and more challenging. Boyish models such as Twiggy were replacing more typical beauty stars and Oscar saw an opportunity for a new market beyond traditional haute couture.

In 1963, Oscar turned to a friend and mentor Diana Vreeland, then editor-in-chief of Vogue for career advice. Oscar noted that he wanted to move into ready-to-wear, because that was where the young generation was moving and the success would be. Vreeland advised Oscar to move to America. La Houte Couture was long established in Paris and Oscar would always be overshadowed by the powerhouse Dior. Therefore, Oscar moved to America and worked under Elizabeth Arden for two years in New York and then for Jane Derby the American Fashion House, wherein 1965 he took over and established his own label. De la Renta continued to evolve and design all around the globe. From 1993-2002 de la Renta designed the haute couture collection for the house of Balmain, becoming the first Dominican to design for a French couture house. The Oscar de La Renta label diversified into bridal wear. Today, his bridal gowns are the closest reminder to his haute couture training and are often laced with his original heritage. Fashion is incredibly diverse. British designers such as John Galliano and Phoebe Philio worked for French brands such as Dior and Celine, as have Americans and Israelis such as Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton and Alber Elbaz at Lanvin. Brazilians work for US Brands such as Francisco Costa at Calvin Clein. And Germans work at Italian brands like Tomas Maier at Bottega Veneta. Oscar de la Renta established the precedent of diversity in international success, and he will be truly missed but never forgotten n

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FRECKLED Photography STANCA IRIS Beauty AIZHAN SERALY Featuring MOLLIE LAVERACK , JULIA HAN, TORY MACDONALD, MEREDITH DAVIN, RYAN THOMPSON, and WILL HENDRICKSON

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L O O N A T

Photography SAMI COHEN Fashion LIBBY BORDERS and JASON CHANDRA

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Scarf ALL SAINTS Jacket ALL SAINTS Shoes SAINT LAURENT

Jacket SANDRO Boots JEFFREY CAMPBELL DukeFORM.com

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Scarf BCBG Jacket IRO Boots MICHAEL KORS DukeFORM.com

Jacket PHILLIP LIM SHOES TODS

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INDELIBLE Photography LAUREN HENSCHEL Written By SOPHIE CORWIN

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auren Henschel, a Visual Media Studies major, Documentary Studies certificate and Cultural Anthropology minor, has been photographing scars for the past four years. “I’ve photographed burn victims, people who have self-mutilated, undergone reconstructive surgery… people with cancer,” she said. Today, her photographs comprise her exhibit, “Indelible,” which will be showcased in Duke University’s Smith Warehouse in April. “Indelible” features Henschel’s black-and-white photographs alongside audio recordings of the anonymous subjects’ stories — encompassing their insecurities and their triumphs. Henschel has not always been a photographer. “I used to be a major jock,” she said. “I was number one in my county and top ranked in the state at discus in middle school. I was on track to play college basketball.” But, she had to stop playing sports when she was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in 2009, her sophomore year of high school. Psoriatic arthritis causes painful swelling in joints, tendons, spine, eyes and lungs. The disease effects 10-15% of individuals who have psoriasis—an inheritable chronic inflammatory disease that causes skin cells to uncontrollably reproduce, and results in patches of red, raised and flakey skin. “They told me I would never play sports again,” Henschel said. “So my mom gave me her camera to take to practice so I’d have something to do. I fell in love with it.” It wasn’t until her senior year of high school that she began photographing scars. “I needed a cathartic release for my pain and the project was born,” she said. She has since photographed dozens of people, including a Boston Marathon bombing survivor.

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In high school, Henschel won The Scholastic Art and Writing Award for scar photography, and her work was featured at Carnegie Hall. Today, her idea has grown into a much larger project that she hopes has a positive effect on both those she photographs, as well as the audience. “Scars are unique to the human experience because even though they’re only expressed on the skin, for a lot of people they represent a memory, or a feeling that cuts much deeper than the surface,” she said. “I think participating is an incredibly cathartic experience for all who are involved. I once interviewed someone who had never verbalized their experience before. Once they had the opportunity to share, they couldn’t believe they’d never opened up before, they felt that a weight had been lifted. It’s a really unique experience.” When asked about having her scars photographed, one of Henschel’s anonymous subjects said, “I’ve kept my scars really private and very few people have actually seen them. Having them photographed and viewed as art made them feel less like something I’ve felt pressure to hide.” Henschel was inspired to create “Indelible” because of her own story and to hopefully change the way others look at those who are scarred. “Pain is something that is so universal to all of our lives. Some of us have physical manifestations of this pain, and for some of us it is hidden,” she said. “I hope because of this work, individuals will be able to feel empathy for the pain of others,” she said. “I don’t expect the audience to completely understand the pain that the individual on screen is going through, but if we can all be more understanding about the pain of others and more reflective about our own pain, I’ll be thrilled.” DukeFORM.com