FORM FW15 - The Identity Issue

FORM

FALL / WINTER 15

THE IDENTITY ISSUE

Editors in Chief Ali Holzer Tory Macdonald Creative Director Jason Chandra Editorial Director Allie Tallering Fashion Director Kendall Barrett Production Director Dejana Saric Design Director Elizabeth Lim Director of Public Relations Kara Penn Illustration Director Jessica Yu Administrative Director Katherine Ahn Fashion Editors Craig Boswell Katie Chaplin Peyton Dilweg Caroline Lai Travis Long Christina Tribull Features Writers Sasha Bronfman Emily Goldman Brian Lin Madison Shaw Shivaan Tandon Kat Zhao Contributing Writers Micah English Allie Kenny Production Managers Alina Ahmad Reena Jasani Jillian Lowey Gianna Miller Amanda Pruthi Lara Sonmez Reena Sudan Photography Jeainny Kim Emily Pesek Aubrea Stoltz Videography Cassidy Seggern Contributing Artists Alex Gordon Juan Granados Gabi Weiss Design Associate Audrey Wang Blog Director Madhav Dutt Hair & Makeup Shelby Turner

2

INTRODUCTION /

INTERVIEWS /

FEATURES /

FASHION /

6 8 9 10

Letter from the Editors Fashion News S/S 16 Review In the 919, you?

20 Mike Posner 22 Dave Karger 24 Jessica Springsteen 26 27 28 30 32 34 36 40

Love Me, Hate Me, Plz RT Dior and I The Sudden Surge Una Lettera D’estero Siri Says: “Get Dressed.”

Subtlety > Splendor Visionaries Still Standing

52 The New School 64 Dis.con.nect 74 I Thought The World Would Move On Without Us 86 When Brad Met Julia 98 It’s all about me, I mean you, I mean me 106 Anyone, Anybody

4

Editors in chief Ali Holzer & Tory Macdonald, with creative director Jason Chandra

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Hello...it’s us. As fashion shows come and go with new trends emerging and old fads fading, we stay the same - perched at our computer screens mouths agape in awe and desire. Ugh. I want THAT. Wait.. you want what? It’s funny how three people with a mutual passion for fashion can have such opposing tastes. But that’s the best part: a team of fifty individuals from all over the world can be independent in style while simultaneously connecting through fashion.

Identity is a strong word. Our identities are intricate and unique and for that, beautiful. However, despite the various facets that determine who we are, our individual fashions are universally accepted as the primary method of expressing ourselves. Fashion allows us to share who we are when we can’t find the words. Our style, by intention or accident, tells a story. And like the feel of fall, fashion is ever changing and with it, our definitions of identity.

Welcome to FORM Magazine F/W 2015 - the Identity Issue. Duke’s cosmopolitan campus is the perfect canvas to illuminate our extraordinary selves. Our differences are endless yet our hunger for connection is as great as ever. So let’s celebrate together! This issue is a celebration of our differences and the ways we express them through fashion.

Our team has worked tirelessly to tap into various niches within the fashion world. Catch up with fashion’s news of Ximon Lee x H&M capsule collection and an overview of 2016 Spring/Summer Fashion Week. Tap into some of fashion’s greatest minds in our collection of creative director profiles, Visionaries. Prepare for Generation Z in Love Me, Hate Me, Plz RT, taking popular culture by storm, and the ambiguous future brought by the new waves of fashion innovation in Siri Says: Get Dressed. Our team has stretched themselves all over the world, join our exploration.

In addition to our features, we have designed and executed sets of beautiful editorials that transcend fashion beyond Duke’s campus. Whether you are a nostalgic collegiate dreamer like The New School kids or a passionate, proud personality in Its all about me, I mean you, I mean me, this issue provides an alternative view of the various communities fashion forms. Much of our identities are still undefined, Anyone Anybody speaks to the future questions, the unfilled spaces we have yet to evolve into. This semester, FORM strives to live up to its reputation as the most professional, fashionable and modern publication on campus, celebrating the fruits of fashion, ourselves, and our identities.

Welcome to our labor of love. Enjoy. x TORY & ALI

6

1

5 2

3

4

FASHION NEWS 1 / PICASSO SCULPTURE

Museum of Modern Art, NYC, Sept. 14 - Feb. 7 The MOMA in New York City has scored a coup with an expansive review of Picasso throughout his life, in 3D. The exhibition is the first focusing only on Picasso’s sculpture in nearly half a century, with over 140 different works gleaned from both MOMA and Musée Picasso in Paris. While lesser known than his paintings, Picasso’s unconventional attitude towards art led him to develop a deep fondness for his sculptures. Picasso Sculpture focuses on the artist’s sculptural journey, with a particular focus on his varying use of materials and processes.

2 / XIMON LEE X H&M CAPSULE COLLECTION

Select H&M Stores, on sale Oct. 22 H&M, the Swedish retailing giant, will offer its newest capsule collection to an unconventional designer - Ximon Lee. Lee, winner of the prestigious H&M Design Award is a menswear designer who spent time interning at Calvin Klein and 3.1 Phillip Lim. He is a favorite of Kanye West and street style photographer Tommy Ton. Although he works primarily with men’s fashion, his capsule collection is unisex. It serves as H&M’s entre into an industry sector with growing visibility- gender-neutral fashion.

through 582 gallons of falling rain drops in a dimly lit room, but they do not get wet. Social media fueled the installation’s popularity in both London and New York- LACMA already has 17,000 reservations for 10-minute slots in the space.

4 / WOMEN OF THE HOUR

BuzzFeed Podcast, Beginning Nov. 5 with new episodes released on Thursday Lena Dunham, the controversial actress/director on her way to becoming a media mogul, has launched a podcast under the BuzzFeed umbrella. Described as an “audio collage/feminist variety hour” with the stated goal of bringing “news and wisdom you can use from women living their best life,” the podcast will feature a wide range of guests from the worlds of art and culture. In conjunction with the paperback release of her book Not That Kind of Girl and the beginning of Lenny Letter, the podcast serves as a place to showcase the Dunham aesthetic on a weekly basis.

5 / CAROL

3 / RAIN ROOM

LACMA, Los Angeles, Nov. 1 - Mar. 16 Despite the ongoing drought in California, LA can anticipate a downpour starting November 1st. Rain Room, the incredibly popular installation by Random International, is making a stop at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Visitors walk

8

Directed by Todd Haynes, Distributed by The Weinstein Company, in theaters Nov. 20 Starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Carol has been the talk of the film media since Cannes, where Rooney Mara won best actress. Carol tells the story of two women who fall in love despite societal obstacles. The film is based on a semi-autobiographical novel from 1952, recreated with sumptuous costumes and period details. Looking towards Oscar season, both Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara seem to be a lock for nominations in either the best actress or supporting actress categories. See it so you can crush your Oscar pool.

CAROLINE LAI + EMILY PESEK

S/S 16 REVIEW

NEW YORK

New York Fashion Week kick-started the S/S 2016 shows, with several big name designers introducing new collections. Ricardo Tisci moved his tour de force Givenchy collection to New York, showcasing an early lacy trend – gothic, lingerie-inspired dresses dominated his somberly sparse concrete runway. Lace also featured prominently in Michael Kors, Oscar de le Renta (shown above), Jason Wu, and DKNY, signaling a strong spring/summer trend for 2016. The biggest event in a series of fashion stars was none other than Kanye West’s introduction of “Yeezy Season 2”. A distinctly dystopian and militaristic palette of muted earth tones was set to West’s own dynamic soundtrack. Fashion giant Anna Wintour sat in attendance amongst rap artists Drake and Vic Mensa, an eclectic clientele that signals a changing demographic within high fashion.

MILAN

Italy’s fashion capital drew on some maritime, as well as feline, inspiration.

Max Mara’s graphic lighthouse and boat prints paired perfectly with sailing-inspired coats. Textures of netting and underwater life punctuated Emilio Pucci’s “urban mermaid” collection and neoprene dominated the tropical style of Dsqaured2’s island girl runway. Tommy Hilfiger carried this through in New York (shown above), channeling the island vibes with tons of sand lining the catwalk. Meanwhile, powerhouse Versace streamlined the animal print trend with printed bomber jackets in both leopard and zebra stripe. Many critics said Versace was Donatella’s most confident collection in years. The zebra stripe thread continued with Bottega Veneta’s wide-ranging collection, Missoni’s bold line of animal print dresses, and Cavalli’s more subtle collection.

9

PARIS

Capping off fashion month in Paris, streetwear studios dominated the conversation. Collections from APC, Acne Studios, Comme des Garçons, Kenzo, Maison Kitsune, Margiela, Off-White, Rick Owens, Undercover, and Y-3 were a veritable testament to the rising power of streetwear designers in the fashion industry. More traditional houses like Balmain emphasized street sensibility, sending a superstar model lineup of Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, and Joan Smalls to show off their H&M collaboration. Alexander McQueen, Dior, Lanvin, and Louis Vuitton leaned experimental this season, with looks ranging from cyberpunk leather to Victorian-era flowing dresses. Fashion giant Alexander Wang triumphantly concluded his final Balenciaga collection (shown above), sprinting down the runway of the religiously inspired show and finishing his bow with light-hearted selfie.

LONDON

London Fashion Week brought its own distinctive vibe to the rollout of spring/summer ready-to-wear. Bright colors and vibrant prints were a staple of the London shows. English powerhouse J.W. Anderson’s Keith Haring inspired prints and leather pieces complemented the dazzling display of chromatography in Christopher Kane’s neon dresses. Anya Hindmarch’s innovative use of mirrors and laser lights added another dimension to a presentation of futuristic accessories and wild colors. Burberry drew praise for their incredibly easy to wear, street-inspired backpack fashion- though a bit more subdued than the kaleidoscopic clothes seen the rest of the week.

BRIAN LIN art / ALEX GORDON

In the 919, you? photographer Tory Macdonald model Sasha Bronfman, Mercedes Carrasco, Ben Throsby + David Yoon fashion Kendall Barrett + Jason Chandra fashion assistant Craig Boswell, Sasha Bronfman + Travis Long production Amanda Pruthi + Reena Sudan post production Jason Chandra

ben / coat ACNE Studios sweater Lou Dalton hat All Saints shoes Nike david / jacket Alpha Industries tshirt Elwood jeans Levi’s boots model’s own beanie AMI

mercedes / jacket Haute Hippy turtleneck Free People shorts BCBG boots Stuart Weitzman hat Sandro gloves Sermoneta sasha / cape Massimo Dutti dress Cooperative sweater Rag & Bone boots Zara

mercedes / cardigan Autumn Cashmere sweater Autumn Cashmere pants J Brand shoes Azzedine Alaia scarf J. Crew sasha / sweater Marc by Marc Jacobs pants J. Crew boots Rag & Bone hat & Other Stories gloves Sermoneta

sasha / cape Massimo Dutti sweater Derek Lam leggings Zara shoes Rag & Bone scarf Stephen Schneider mercedes / vest Free People sweater Rag & Bone overall Mason shoes Givenchy

david / coat 3.1 Philip Lim sweater H&M x MMM jeans APC boots model’s own gloves Rag & Bone ben / jacket Prospekt Supply sweater J. Crew jeans Levi’s boots Red Wing

mercedes / coat Paul & Joe top Soprano shorts Alice + Olivia boots Azzadine Alaia gloves Sermoneta hat All Saints ben / overalls Diesel top Dior boots Dr. Martens watch model’s own

sasha / jacket Moncler top Derek Lam jeans J. Brand boots Prada david / sweater Dohc shirt Concept Jones pants Uniqlo shoes Tims

FEATURES

MIKE POSNER

AMERICAN SINGER, SONGWRITER & PRODUCER Mike Posner graduated from Duke in 2010 with a degree in Sociology. Posner’s debut album “31 Minutes to Takeoff ” launched him into the spotlight with his first single “Cooler Than Me” reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100. After spending a couple of years writing and producing for other artists, Posner is back with a new album and new sound.

that I made and the mishaps I went through were totally necessary in weaving the fabric of the tapestry that is me. I had to do all of those things. I’ve had a lot of songs that were not hits. After my first album did really well, I put up a bunch of songs that didn’t chart. When I did fail, I was at home, alone, asking what I wanted to do with my life. What do I want to fill my years up with? I’m still figuring out the answer to that question, but for now, that answer is music.

EMILY GOLDMAN / What was your major at Duke? How did you think your Duke experience shaped your career aspirations?

MIKE POSNER / Well, I had been making music for over 10 years by the time I got to Duke. I had made an album my senior year of high school that I sold out of the trunk of my car. It was called “Reflections of a Lost Teen.”

Very dark, very pedantic. At that point, I made beats on my computer and I was good at making records. I didn’t play any instruments and I couldn’t really sing. But the first way that Duke helped to catapult my career was the vibe of the campus and the people themselves. They brought out a new sound for me. I had never sung before getting to Duke—when I got here, I decided to sing my raps. I wrote and recorded music in dorm rooms. Other than music, I was on the ultimate Frisbee team. One day, I asked myself why I’m practicing Frisbee, so I quit after freshman year. And this is not cool, but it is real: I think I lost a year of my life to the video game FIFA. I played FIFA my entire sophomore year, and then I quit that playing cold turkey. And right when I did, my musical career sort of blossomed. I feel very grateful to this place. I feel like I never would have stumbled upon that sound or my authentic voice without coming here. As I have grown, I’ve lost touch with the voice that I found here. I was growing as a human, and after I left I had to re-find my musical voice. I did this year, but I will probably lose it again. It ebbs and flows.

EG / How is it possible for someone in your position to maintain humility and be self-aware enough to understand that you are actually talented?

MP / The reality is, I’m really not that famous. None of these people [referencing the people around us] know who I am. I can still go out and eat dinner anywhere I want. But enough people know my music that I can make a living.

I am honest with my people, with my friends. It happens in my friendship with Big Sean. We were able to relate to each other over this issue of recognition.

I am a searcher. I’m just trying to figure out what life is, like everyone else.

I know enough and I have been successful enough to see that making tons of money and being really famous is not the mystique of this business. That doesn’t make you a whole person. You get that and you feel weird because you thought it was going to fill all of the holes that you have in your heart, but it didn’t. You don’t know what the hell is going to fill up those holes in your heart. I’m happy I got to go through that at age 22, not age 62. I remember thinking, when I got that record deal, it will be like the golden snitch.

I got it, and I was just the same me with a little more money. I am not depressed, I am actually really happy. But I had to realize that at a young age.

EG / Music obviously played a large role in your life here at Duke. How did you transition out of Duke to begin the rest of your career?

MP / I decided to graduate in December, a semester early. I really wanted to live at Duke but be finished with class. I had a house with five of my buddies off of East, and every time I walked into that place, it was complete debauchery. I started performing concerts at other schools at the time. They would throw a ‘Mike Posner’ party at each school I went to. But it became too much. I literally decided on a Monday that I needed to move. By Wednesday, I was living in L.A. I paid like $800 to have my car shipped across the country, and then I just went. I feel lucky though. I had a job doing music, doing what I love, by the end of junior year. I didn’t really want to go back to school my senior year, but my mom made me. I was making good money at that point. I often feel a little guilty. I never was like a struggling artist. I was getting paid before I left here. I basically had the best transition possible.

EG / Many fans have been describing your new album as darker, more depressing. Where did this change in your style of music come from?

MP / I was in the studio with Jake Owen trading songs about a year ago. I would play a song for him, and he would play one for me, and we would have a conversation about it. He listened to one of the newer songs I had written about a girl. The song was about a real girl, but some of her story was made up. When I told him that, and he asked me “Why don’t you just tell the truth?” And I didn’t really have an answer for him. That night I wrote the first song on my new album. I was growing as a person. I needed to grow as an artist too. Artistically, I was trying to do the same things that I was doing as an artist when I was here at Duke, but I wasn’t that same guy anymore. I was older. I had learned new things. I had to find how the 25-year-old and the 26-year-old Mike expressed himself musically. The music took on a different tone. The songs on the radio right now, they’re candy bars. There is nothing wrong with a candy bar. In fact, there is an art to the candy bar, and tons of people are trying to make candy bars, so there are masterfully made. I was one of the people making great candy bars, but with this album, I wanted to make and serve a big bloody piece of meat, and say, “Enjoy!”

EG / Would you have left Duke earlier if your Mom hadn’t pushed you?

MP / I think of the past like a Jenga tower. In reality, if we went back and pulled out that one mistake of our past, the entire tower would fall. All of the mistakes

20

DAVE KARGER CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, FANDANGO Dave Karger graduated from Duke in 1995 and remains involved with campus through the Duke Media Entertainment and Arts Network and the Duke in LA Program.

Karger wrote for Entertainment Weekly for 17 years, covering a wide range of entertainment news. Additionally, Karger is a regular contributor on the Today Show. In 2012, Karger became NBC’s Chief Correspondent for Fandango, where he now hosts two shows.

to learn by watching him- to see how he performs and carries himself. He’s just so knowledgeable, so friendly and so focused, so I’ve been very lucky that I’ve been able to learn by watching him up close over the last fifteen years.

CS / You seem so personal and familiar with stars like Jennifer Aniston and Kiera Knightley. How do you get them to feel so comfortable around you? What’s the secret?

DK / That is certainly something that I try hard to do. It is important to me that my interview guests feel comfortable sitting across from me, that’s probably my number one priority. I have found that friendliness goes a long way. Smiling, and just being present really helps in a situation like that. A lot of journalists make the mistake of having their interviews feel more like an interrogation than a conversation. I really try to make it the opposite. I really want it to feel like I’m listening to what they’re saying. I don’t just have a list of questions- I like to follow up and ask them to explain something a little bit more. I think it’s an important skill for any interviewer to have if they want to get the best interviews out of their guests.

CASSIDY SEGGERN / What was your major at Duke? How did you think your Duke experience shaped your career aspirations?

DAVE KARGER / I knew from the day I set foot on campus that I was going to be an English and psychology double major; those were the two subjects that interested me the most. At the same time, I’ve known from a very young age that I wanted to be involved in the entertainment industry in some way. I just wasn’t sure what that was going to be. Was I going to be an entertainment lawyer? I really didn’t know. About halfway through my time at Duke, I started writing for the Chronicle; I was one of the film critics for the paper. I was also an intern at Duke Magazine. But before I did that, for my first two summers, I did internships in NYC in the entertainment world. I worked for a PR firm and for MTV. They were both great experiences, but they didn’t feel like a good fit, either one. My junior year I applied for an internship at Time Incorporated and was selected by Entertainment Weekly to be a summer intern for them. That summer was really my eureka moment where I realized this is exactly the kind of thing I could see myself doing as a career. I had a great summer interning with EW, I stayed in touch with them throughout my senior year, and two months after I graduated I got hired as an editorial assistant at EW that lead to a seventeen year stint there. But at Duke, to answer your question, Duke was a very different place twenty-five years ago when I was a student. There weren’t nearly as many media classes and students interested in entertainment as there are now. So, I didn’t have that much to choose from as far as coursework that was applicable to what I wanted to do. I took a couple of film classes, and I’m happy that I did, but Duke students today have a lot more options academically to pursue interests in the entertainment field and I think that’s fantastic. I come to campus a lot and I love to meet with students, because I like to tell themthat you can be a Duke grad and not be pre-law, or pre-med, or pre-consulting.

CS / Who has been your favorite person to interview?

DK / My favorite person to interview is always George Clooney. I’ve probably interviewed him thirty-five times. I did five cover stories on him when I worked at EW, and I see him a lot in my current role at NBC and Fandango. He is so smart, so charismatic, so funny, but he’s also crazy intelligent. So every question you throw at him, he’ll have a joke-y answer and then he’ll have a serious answer right after that. I just always think he’s fascinating and I always look forward to a chance to meet up with him.

CS / I saw that he drew a caricature of you...

DK / That was a very memorable moment. I had learned that he used to be a caricaturist at the mall, so when I knew I was going to be interviewing him for Access Hollywood, I thought “oh wouldn’t it be funny if I asked him to draw me.” I had no clue what he was going to do. I saw him a month later after he did that on the red carpet at the Oscars and I had it with me. I told him that a piece of art isn’t worth anything if the artist doesn’t sign it, so he signed it and I now have it framed in my kitchen.

CS / Who would you say has been your most influential mentor and how have they played into your career development?

DK / Wow. I have two answers for that. One is a guy named Mark Hera. He is the guy who hired me as his assistant in 1995; at the time he was the movie editor at Entertainment Weekly. Now he is a freelance writer, but he has also written several books about the movie business. He is absolutely brilliant, and was such a great first boss for me. He taught me so much about how to be a journalist, how to be a deepened human being. The second person I would say is Matt Lauer, because for the last fifteen years, I’ve been appearing regularly on the Today Show and he usually interviews me. I’ve probably been on with him seventy-five times. I think he is one of the best broadcasters ever, and

CS / What is it like being on the red carpet during the Oscars? What have been some of your favorite red carpet moments?

DK / For two years I was official greeter for the Academy on the Oscars red carpet. That meant for two and a half hours I stood there and welcomed each nominee to the carpet, and interviewed him or her over a loud speaker for all the fans to hear. It was such an honor to get to do it. You really have to be ready to talk to anybody. The great part about that position is that because you’re the only person who has a loud speaker on the red carpet, you can shame anyone into coming up to you. This was the year that Sandra Bullock won Best Actress for The Blind Side. She was walking kind of by me... I

22

think she probably would’ve come up to my platform and talked to me anyways. But when I saw her, I spoke into the microphone and I said “Ladies and gentlemen, who would like to hear from Sandra Bullock?” and they all started screaming. So she had no choice, she had to come up and talk to me at that point. That was something that I’ll really remember, because it was just a fun moment and then she ended up winning that year, so it was great.

did chamber music at Duke and I was the musical director of the acapella group Rhythm and Blue. I’m always on the lookout for new music; I’m always going to live shows. Music fills my day. I’m also really excited about my continued involvement with Duke University. I go back to campus at least once a year, and I’m on the national alumni board. I love maintaining a close relationship with the school and the students, and I love seeing how much Duke changes every year. It’s exciting!

CS / What challenges or hardships have you encountered working in the entertainment industry?

DK / I’ve really enjoyed it. The biggest challenge I’ve encountered is finding new ways to conduct interviews with actors who get interviewed all the time.

My job is to make the interviews interesting, so that they’re not the same kind of interviews that they’re doing day in and day out...and to provide the viewer with something different from every other interview. That’s why I’ve created the FrontRunners format that I do on Fandango, where I will re-watch one scene with my guest, pause it and dissect it. I felt like that was something that they weren’t doing anywhere else. I don’t feel like there is a hardship. I feel so lucky that I get to interact with such fascinating and creative people. It never gets old. I get so excited with each new person that I get to talk to- it never really feels like a job.

CS / What advice do you have for students searching for careers in the media and entertainment industries?

DK / I would tell people to get as much experience as you can, while it’s easy to get that experience- so while you’re a student. It will never be as easy for you to get published, to get on camera, and to work behind the scenes than while you’re a student at a place like Duke. There are so many opportunities to learn and to get your feet wet and to find out what you like doing. Secondly, I would tell people to develop an expertise in something you’re passionate about. For me, its music and film. From when I was five years old, I knew what every band was, knew what every video was when I was watching MTV. Then when I got older and got interested in film, I knew lots of stuff about the Academy Awards- who was nominated and who won and what types of films appealed to the voters. Having that kind of expertise in sub-areas of pop culture has been really helpful as I’ve tried to develop my career. I’ve been able to become something of an expert on entertainment, and that’s helped me as I’ve tried to further my career as a broadcaster and host.

CS / Besides for entertainment reporting, what other things are you passionate about?

DK / My biggest passion in life is music. I grew up as a classical piano player, I

23

JESSICA SPRINGSTEEN AMERICAN SHOW JUMPING CHAMPION RIDER Jessica Springsteen graduated from Duke in 2014. Following her life long passion for riding, Jessica has competed in competitive show jumping around the world. With a first place prize at the Winter Equestrian Festival this year and a sixth place in the Global Champions Tour grand prix, Jessica has earned her spot among the top 50 female show jumpers in the world. Jessica was named an equestrian ambassador for Gucci, appearing in interviews for popular fashion publications V Magazine and Teen Vogue.

ting more into fashion. It’s cool working with different stylists at photo shoots and seeing how they put things together. I think I would have fun creating a line of equestrian clothing one day maybe in the far future- just a thought but I think it could be cool! Riding outfits have always been a very classic look.

I’ve actually given some of my friends pairs of breeches before to wear out!

KC / What’s your fashion background? It is something you’ve always been interested in, or is it something you came to later in life?

JS / Before I got to Duke, all I ever wore was my school uniform or my riding clothes. So my fashion background is zero! My mom has always been incredibly stylish. She would try and buy me the most amazing pieces and I wouldn’t let her- I regret that now! My interest in fashion really only grew over the last few years. At first, I hated doing photo shoots. I wasn’t good at it and felt very awkward in front of the camera. I would always just laugh and could never keep a straight face. Now I enjoy it- it’s something different and new and exciting to do when I have time off.

KATIE CHAPLIN / When did you graduate from Duke? How have your experiences at Duke shaped you as an individual?

JESSICA SPRINGSTEEN / I took a semester off my junior fall, when everyone was abroad, so I graduated just last December. I still walked with my class in Spring 2014, which was a lot of fun. I learned a lot during my time at Duke, both inside and outside the classroom. I met an incredible group of friends who will be in my life forever, and I was lucky to be able to grow up and learn with them. I think Duke attracts a special kind of person who is motivated to be the best they can be but also extremely supportive of one another. Before college, I had only ever ridden horses and wasn’t really sure what other interests I had. Duke opened my eyes to all of the different opportunities and directions in life, and made me realize you don’t have to just one thing- you can have many different interests and pursue them all!

KC / Are you ok with the fashion spotlight? After dealing with publicity from your family your whole life, how do you feel now that it’s trained on you?

JS / I don’t mind it! I feel blessed that my parents are able to support my passion of the sport. I’ve worked really hard to be where I am today in my equestrian career, and there’s no better feeling than working hard at something and getting positive results, so it’s nice to be recognized for that.

KC / From the looks of your Instagram, you seem to be travelling the world non-stop. Where is home base for you right now and what does an average day in the life of Jessica Springsteen look like?

JS / Home base for me right now is in Valkenswaard, Holland; I’ll head back to the states in early December. I am traveling non-stop! When I’m in Holland I am training my horses, and then on the weekends I head to competitions, which are in different counties each week all around Europe. An average day for me revolves around being at the stables, and maybe heading to the gym in the afternoon if I’m feeling motivated. Whenever I have time off I try and go back to New York and spend time with my friends and family.

KC / What is something that our readers would be surprised to know about you?

JS / I’m obsessed with reality TV. I don’t know if that’s surprising but it’s definitely becoming an addiction! It kind of relaxes me for some reason, which is funny because it usually has the opposite effect on people.

KC / What’s your favorite memory of Duke?

JS / It’s hard to pick just one! There are so many things I miss about it. Honestly one of the things I loved most was going to Nosh Saturday mornings for brunch with all my friends. It sounds weird but we always had the best times there and would just laugh through the whole meal.

KC / So, you are a show jumping champion horseback rider (no big deal!). Tell us a little bit about your love for the sport, how you got started, and how your career has developed.

JS / I started riding when I was 3! When we moved to NJ from California my mom started taking lessons on our farm and that’s how I got into it. Our farm was across the street from a top junior training barn, so it was kind of fate! I started taking lessons there and began competing shortly after. I just never stopped! I have always loved it and it’s just kind of been a natural progression. I always wanted to move up to the next level until I got to the top and became professional. This sport is special because you are working so closely with another animal and you are a true team. Horses are such amazing and sensitive animals, when you have a bond with them they will do anything for you and give you everything they have.

It’s a truly special relationship and that’s what I love so much about this sport.

KC / What has been the biggest reward in your career thus far?

JS / The whole journey has been rewarding! This sport teaches you great values as you’re growing up and I think that’s what I’m most thankful for. You have to be dedicated, you have to be caring, and you have to be confident!

KC / What are you most looking forward to? What does the future hold for such a talented and dynamic young woman?

JS / I think proving that I can truly do the sport as a professional. Now that I have graduated Duke I can focus on it 100%. This sport is tough because you’re competing against people who have been to the Olympics sometimes multiple times, both men and women. Balancing school and riding was difficult because everyone else was training every day, while I was flying back and forth from school. I want to give it my all and see where I can go!

KC / We’ve noticed you’ve recently been featured in editorial publications and you’ve broken into the fashion industry, more specifically starring as Gucci’s new Equestrian ambassador! Are you interested in continuing in the fashion direction?

JS / Yes! I have loved my involvement in Gucci, and I’ve been having fun get-

24

LOVE ME, HATE ME, PLZ RT Calling generations X, Y, and Z makes them sound like something out of a math class. Who wants to go back to algebra? Despite the weirdness of their titles, these generational designations mean differences that will force debates of first gadgets and first social media profiles. In place of, “What’s your first memory?” the question becomes, “Which came first...the Facebook or the Instagram?” Or, better yet, “Were you an iPod or an iPhone, a MySpace or a Snapchat, a YouTube or a Vine?”

While Generation Y, the Millennials, and Generation Z (also known as Centennials) have all been raised in the milieu of the digital age, there are some subtle but significant distinctions. These young Centennials, born between 1997 and today,have arrived into the world with smartphones betwixt their tiny fingers. They live in the mobile age to the Millennials’ digital age.

Within this technological environment, however, Generation Z’ers learned from their Millennial forbearers. What they ascertained: posting too liberally on social media is BAD and you WILL suffer the consequences. Brought up imbued with a spirit of caution and care online, the Centennials profess that their privacy (or unaccountability) is tantamount. Maybe the reason why “none of [their] friends use Facebook” is because the incriminating photos from the Friday night rager have disappeared from Snapchat by Saturday morning.

Further buttressing the Centennials’ pragmatism-over-optimism mindset is the political environment in which they grew up. Marked by September 11th and the economic crashes of 2000 and 2008, the Centennials had their eyes open and minds alert from the start. The aforementioned cataclysms have, in effect, tempered their expectations and caused them to regard the future with an inherent circumspection.

Arguably more reserved on social media, Generation Z deviates from the traditional when it concerns social norms. For them, an African-American as President is a fact of life, not a historical breakthrough. Meanwhile, gender binaries and linear definitions of sexuality have succumbed to a culture of aggressive individualism. Take Willow Smith, for example. A Generation Z style avatar, she flaunts her avant-garde personal flare in every public appearance.

As for other Gen Z personalities and fads, Kendall Jenner epitomizes the joggers-and-Calvin Klein’s essence of normcore, a trend that has the Centennials dressed in oversized sweaters, mom jeans, and cropped everything.

Similarly, Brandy Melville, the immensely popular retail site for teenage girls, should be a first stop shop for the “rocker redux” look. Epitomized by leather jeans, a plaid shirt knotted about the waist, and a white tee boasting “Nirvana” in black type, this 2000’s-teen trend has seen the revival of the Courtney Love scarlet lipstick without the subversive spirit of the original.

So, teenagers are “punky” and “angsty,” prefer sweats to suits, and have a predilection for neon. We can spot a Generation Z. Now, what can all this tell us about the future? We can’t capture their attention for more than 6 seconds at a time? Miley Cyrus for President? Already with 60 million (and counting) American-born Centennials, let’s hope there’s more to offer. So, again, how do you spot a member of Generation Z? They’re private, they’re pragmatic, but they’re not boring. In fact, they’re bold – bold enough to make the anti-style “in”, bold enough to make Jaden Smith in a skirt at his high school prom cool, and bold enough to have you here guessing what the world on their tiny shoulders will surprise us with next.

MADISON SHAW

DIOR AND I ual threads, not the fabric as whole. This technique, Raf explains, honors the technique employed to create one of Christian Dior’s favorite fabrics. His other grand idea was to rent a Paris mansion for his debut show and cover the walls of each room with different kinds of fresh flowers. The result was stunningly ethereal and breathtakingly vibrant. It came through incredibly well over film.

It’s all too easy to dismiss fashion and fashion shows as frivolous- we never see the extensive work going on behind the scenes. For most people, fashion is a hobby that fills the time. But behind all of the style, glamor, and gossip are the designers. People that veer from sartorial genius to all too human, who are fallible and face competing interests. We forget all of this until we see it up close. Dior And I, the fashion documentary by Frederic Tcheng, takes us behind the scenes to spotlight the profoundly impressive work that goes into what is seems like a few articles of clothing.

In following Raf and the production, “Dior and I” demonstrates the delicate balance between art and commerce, between preserving a legacy while attending to the bottom line, and doing it with the pressure of a rigid deadline. We watch the passionate workers put in hundreds of hours to assemble the clothing and we fall in love with their spirit. But most importantly, we recognize the inspiring stories that transpire just behind the curtain of the catwalks of our favorite shows.

The film follows Raf Simons, a Belgian fashion designer who had just assumed the role as creative director at Christian Dior. The documentary begins on Raf ’s first day in 2012, making clear that “Raf wasn’t the obvious candidate” for the job because he was known for his minimalist aesthetic, primarily as a men’s designer. The house of Dior, on the other hand, is known for femininity and romance in women’s fashion. Despite the incongruence, Raf was handed a seemingly impossible task. He was to put together his first-ever haute couture show in just eight weeks, a process that usually requires five to six months, even for experienced couture designers. Through it all, he was expected to carry on the legacy of the Dior brand, one of the most recognizable in the fashion world.

Editor’s Note: Shortly before publication, Raf Simons decided not to renew his contract with Christian Dior, meaning he was leaving the brand.

He gave a short statement about his departure citing interest in working solely on his own brand. The split seems amicable on the part of Simons, Dior, and LVMH. It remains to be seen what Simons will do next.

Dior and I, written and directed by Frédéric Tcheng, produced by Guillaume de Roquemaurel, released by the Orchard on April 10, 2015. In French, English and Flemish, with English subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 29 minutes.

Simons wanted to honor the brand’s traditional style while adding his signature modern edge, and to achieve it within the high-dollar, high profile realm of haute couture. For example, in one case, Raf not only used a fabric based on the work of the modern American artist Sterling Ruby, but fabricated the material in a labor-intensive way in which the printing is done on the individ-

REENDA SUDAN art / JUAN GRANADOS

27

THE SUDDEN SURGE

Nothing exemplifies the rise of Asian designers in America better than First Lady Michelle Obama’s decision to wear a dress made by Jason Wu, a Taiwanese-Canadian, for her husband’s presidential inauguration in 2009. The dress now sits on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, making Mr. Wu a household name across the globe- from the US to his homeland of Taiwan. The rise of Asian-American designers has come in several small waves, starting with Anna Sui and Vera Wang in the 1980’s. Now, the list has grown to include dozens more: Richard Chai, Alexander Wang, Thakoon Panichgul, Prabal Gurung, Phillip Lim, and Derek Lam are some of the most prominent. On the consumption side, Asian countries have emerged as the world’s most lucrative markets for luxury goods and aspirational brands. Status-hungry consumers in China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia now make over half of all global luxury purchases.

immigrants created a thriving garment district in New York, first as laborers, then as factory owners, manufacturers, retailers and, eventually, as designers. Many Asian designers report a similar transition, as some of their parents and grandparents were once involved in the production of clothes.

Derek Lam, a designer of Chinese descent who came to New York from San Francisco, is the grandson of a bridal-gown manufacturer. He grew up around clothes- his father imported them from Hong Kong- but Mr. Lam pursued a more creative path and enrolled in Parsons, graduating in 1990.

Before starting his own label in 2002, Lam worked for Michael Kors in New York, working his way up from assistant to Vice President of Design.

Although there is much to be said for the increasing influence that Asians and Asian Americans have on fashion and culture, it’s clear that fashion hasn’t quite resolved its endemic racial issues. The hypersexualized, Orientalist fantasy narrative regarding Asian women still carries weight. In August of 2012, lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret made headlines when they launched a new collection titled “Go East” The tagline promised women the ability to “indulge in touches of eastern delight with lingerie inspired by the exquisite beauty of secret Japanese gardens.”A lingerie piece titled “Sexy Little Geisha” raised a considerable amount of ire, with its “flirty cutouts and Eastern-inspired florals,” along with a miniature fan and a kimono-esque obi sash. After widespread backlash, the company removed the collection from its website.

While Asian countries have dominated the global market for textile exports and clothing manufacturing, their cultural exports have only grown in importance over the past few years. In 2015, Asian or Asian American designers presented 16 of the 72 official New York Fashion Week shows, up from 13 shows the previous year. The catwalks also featured more Asian women than ever before, making up 8.7 percent of all runway models in New York.

The growth of Asian cultural influence on fashion has trickled all the way down to classrooms, with the world’s top design schools seeing a surge in Asian student enrollment. Whether through their own recruitment efforts in countries like Japan and South Korea or changing attitudes in those countries about fashion careers, enrollment numbers have soared. At Parsons, the New School for Design, for example, roughly 70 percent of its international students enrolled now come from Asia, according to school officials. In 2010 at the Fashion Institute of Technology, 23 percent of the approximately 1,200 students enrolled were either Asian or Asian American.

Victoria’s Secret has used few Asian models in its 38-year existence. Only one, China’s Liu Wen, has walked the runway as part of their official “Angels” supermodel team. Despite reinforcing Eurocentric beauty standards, Victoria’s Secret and other similar brands see growth in Asian markets and want to tap in. They rely on the ability to export their norms of beauty and aspirational youth beyond America’s borders. Perhaps the fashion industry can work to expand the influence that Asians and Asian Americans have at fashion’s apex, as top buyers and global retailers. Until then, it remains to be seen as to how their influence as top designers will change fashion and shape our culture.

Similar to the way that designers of Jewish heritage like Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Ralph Lauren became highly visible in the 1980’s, many of today’s Asian American designers say they experienced an evolution from the factory to the catwalk. Throughout the 20th century, generations of Jewish

MICAH ENGLISH

28

UNA LETTERA D’ESTERO Strolling down the Florentine streets, it is impossible not to let your eyes wander.

The magical Renaissance skyline transports you into another time- classical and conventionally beautiful. Florence is decked out with gigantic domes, intricate columns, and marble sculptures. Basically, if you have seen it in your Intro to Art History Textbook, you will see it here. Recalling and appreciating tradition is such a way of life that they have not even allowed for Starbucks to be built here yet.

While living on the Duomo Square has given me the daily opportunity to revel in the majesty of Renaissance architecture, I am more interested in how Florence is subtly cracking traditions, melding modernism into its art and cityscape.

posh museum connoisseur with the wanderer. By bringing art out of museum and very literally onto the streets, he makes the conversation about art relevant again, if only among those who point at one of his eye-catching works.

Perhaps my favorite of these street artists is a man known for his little man. He quite literally places a simple little man with different decorations- balloons, sayings, hearts- all throughout Florence. Most contain the word exit or enter near them. Though he remains majorly anonymous, this young artist did an interview explaining his exit/enter concept as: “ life is a continuous change and an endless succession of situations, depending on your point of view, can be experienced as an exit or an entrance to new possibilities.” Frustrated with limited opportunities for young artists, he made the city his canvas, decorating it with simple beauties that take all the pressure away from art. It’s just there to be enjoyed on any part of one’s path—an exit or an entrance or anywhere in between.

Within the first few days spent meandering down tiny streets, I spotted many things that did not seem to fit in. Beyond just the average American students in Lululemon leggings among rows of chicly dressed Italians, mind you. My eyes were drawn to whimsical street art that adorns street signs and sprawls on the sides of antique buildings. French artist Clet Abraham is perhaps the king of this progressive movement in Florence. In the early mornings, he ventures into the city with pre-made stickers, transforming Florence’s traffic circuit into a thought-provoking gallery. A do not enter sign becomes a partially eaten Pacman, an arrow becomes an electric guitar, a cross becomes a Jesus crucifix. He constantly adds nuance to some of the most mainstream symbols in the world.

Street art is a subtle yet pervasive technique that fills a classical city with modern artistic panache. In a less sly manner, modern art has become a topic of controversy in Italy, with the new addition of a Jeff Koons among the traditional marble sculptures at the Palazzo Vecchio. The entrance to this famous old jewel is decorated with a classical fountain, a copy of Michelangelo’s David and several other sculptures that present the most conventional forms of Roman art. And in the middle of it all stands a shining gold Jeff Koons depicting a Roman woman and man in neo-impressionist style. The city stirred at this break from convention. But a few months later, the new addition shockingly still stands among its classical counterparts in the city’s second most populated area. Perhaps some little men, scuba masks, and street signs are the driving force behind the classical city’s move toward the modern.

Another artist, Blub, has followed Clet’s path with the series he calls “ L’arte Sa Nuotare,” or “ Art knows how to Swim.” And he literally makes classical masterpieces swim. Michelangelo’s David and several members of the Medici family are shown with scuba masks. In another street corner, he adds flair to Botticelli’s Madonna and even plays with the more contemporary Rene Magritte. According to Instagrammer Italia, he aims to make famous and classical art “ more accessible to the wider public, to take these awe-inspiring works off their museum pedestals, invoking emotion, a smile, a conversation.” Blub directly merges the classical with the contemporary, combining the

ALLIE KENNY

30

SIRI SAYS: “GET DRESSED.” ables, influential designer Tory Burch partnered with Fitbit in 2014, creating a line of chic trackers that seamlessly blend high-tech with high fashion.

Today, fashion challenges the orthodox and reshapes artistic tastes through its commitment to cutting edge aesthetics. Simultaneously, technology has exploded, with groundbreaking innovations churned out at an increasing pace. More and more often, these two dynamic industries come together on the runway to create flashy, futuristic wearable masterpieces. At fashion shows, traditional fabrics give way to LED-encrusted gowns and cocktail dresses threaded with glowing circuits. In a world where electronics touch nearly every aspect of our lives, this marriage of tech and couture is somewhat expected. However, there is some dissonance. Where high fashion has primarily catered to the social elite, innovations in computing seek to benefit all levels of society and are particularly important in aiding the underprivileged. In this sense, fashion and tech have very different goals. Should tech be embraced for the purpose of lavishing the wealthy, or is this a misapplication of burgeoning innovations?

Perhaps the most talked-about piece of wearable technology was Google Glass, the futuristic computer-meets-eyewear coveted by forward thinking techies. The subject of a 12-page Vogue cover, Google Glass sought to redefine the personal computer by making it a sleek, portable fashion accessory. Only the wealthy and high profile, from Diane von Furstenberg to Prince Charles, actually got access to the glasses. Without reaching the average consumer, it generated a tremendous amount of media attention, further popularizing wearable technology.

Now, innovative designers are looking for new ways to incorporate computing into their clothing. From Wearable Solar’s sun-powered fabrics with phone charging capabilities to CuteCircuit’s smartphone controlled dresses, advances in modern technology are being embraced for their artistic value on the runway.

Regardless of the moral questions, wearable tech has exploded in recent years, both on and off the runway. In 2008, wearables went mainstream with the Fitbit, a mobile fitness-tracking device that can easily be clipped to clothing or embedded in a wristband. Using wireless tracking technology, Fitbits measure everything from users’ sleep quality to the number of steps they take in a day. To capitalize on the growing interest in wear-

Unsurprisingly, both the fashion community and large corporations laud wearables as a way to expand their reach. Companies like AT&T offer wearable devices in addition to traditional digital products, while partnerships between tech brands and big names in fashion have become increasingly common. Beyond the business application, designers are excited by the artistic potential that comes with

32

mercial wearable technology because it provides relatively little benefit to society. They see it as a superfluous application ofthe innovative resources we have.

Interest and necessity also pose problems for wearables. Most people have no desire to splurge on high-tech gadgets when they have families to support and bills to pay. At their current prices, wearables are simply not worth it, except for a small group of people. According to Bajlet Singh, a contributor to the Business of Fashion, “These kinds of initiatives are often marketing ploys and fail to integrate technology into the essence of a brand.” In other words, critics in the industry are not convinced that existing wearable technology can be seamlessly integrated into the realm of fashion. Designers have had trouble incorporating these new products into their existing brands. While some people may be turned off by a fashion brand’s shift towards tech, most are simply unwilling to spend seemingly absurd amounts of money on gadgets that they don’t need. “I think until these devices really solve a problem people want to have solved, they’re just going tobe kind of a gimmick,” asserted Mike Bell, vice president of Intel’s New Devices Group. With the consumer market reluctant to embrace wearable tech, the potential for such ventures to turn a profit remains up in the air.

“While wearable innovations are dazzling to the front row viewers during fashion week, they are far from accessible to the average consumer.”

The most important issue facing wearables is the disconnect between the primary functions of fashion and technology. “Between the two industries of fashion and tech, there is a lot of tension,” admits Deepa Sood, founder of tech-powered jewelry startup Cuff. Marked by ten-inch stilettos and intriguingly structured dresses, high fashion disregards the practical infavor of the exotic.

The likes of Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, and Alexander McQueen certainly saw themselves as visionaries rather than product designers. Ralph Lauren was once quoted saying, “I don’t design clothes. I design dreams.” Fashion is an art as much as it is a business. Contrast this with technology, which exists primarily for industrial purposes and is practical above all. Technology and computing are conceived in order to perform a task, so aesthetic concerns come second to functionality. When these industries come together to create wearables, they both have trouble accomplishing their goals. Adding bulky computer parts to apparel and accessories detracts from their aesthetic appeal, even when designers try to conceal them. From a tech perspective, adding superfluous decorative elements to computing devices gets in the way oftheir functionality.

adding LED lights and microcomputers to conventional clothing items. Many fashion designers see technology as the next big development for luxury goods.

In a world where consumers are increasingly reliant on their cell phones and ‘smart’ devices, it follows that the average fashion customer would be into tech products. “The world changes, and so do the customers,” said Rebecca Minkoff, who has released a line of digital accessories, including a notification bracelet and an iPhone-charging wristlet, in addition to her signature handbags and apparel.

Because technology puts functionality first, critics also question whether fashion is a good application of innovative resources when there are pressing societal issues that need to be addressed. They would rather see microcomputers in third world hospitals than on some wealthy consumer’s wristband. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan once encouraged the redirection of tech towards humanitarian interests, saying, “In the age of unprecedented wealth and technical prowess, we have the power to save humanity.” In light of these lofty aspirations, itseems superfluous to devote extensive manpower and machinery to the creation of light-up dresses.

“The most important issue facing wearables is the disconnect between the primary functions of fashion and technology.”

Although technology puts power in the hands of many, fashion tech could potentially do just the opposite. For many designers, the emerging wearables industry offers exciting potential, adding a new dimension to the creative process that is high fashion. Businesses are also eager to capitalize on the opportunity to create new products that appeal to today’s fashionable, tech-savvy luxury consumers. On the other hand, customer response has been much more skeptical, asmost people are unwilling to shell out hundreds of dollars on superfluous gadgets. Only the über-rich have the privilege of indulging in notification bracelets, phone-controlled dresses, and computerized glasses, so currently wearables provide very little benefit to the general population. With energetic backing from those at the forefront of fashion and technology, but little enthusiasm from mainstream society, wearable tech faces an uncertain future. For the time being, the question of whether technology can and should be integrated into fashion remains unanswered.

However, not everybody is as enthusiastic as Minkoff about applying technology to fashion. In a recent survey by PC Magazine, only five percent of customers interviewed said they would be willing to pay over three hundred dollars for a wearable device. At roughly three hundred dollars, a Fitbit with Tory Burch’s bracelet barely meets this cutoff. CuteCircuit’s products, which include a clutch with a four-figure price tag, range from six hundred to sixteen hundred dollars. Google Glass isn’t even available to the general public. While wearable innovations are dazzling to the front row viewers during fashion week, they are far from accessible to the average consumer. From political rhetoric about ‘one-percenters’ to growing awareness about unequal wealth distribution, it’s safe to say that many are already troubled by social stratification. The wealthy continue to amass more money while the poor still lack access to basic resources, and wearable technology could be one more factor separating the privileged few from the rest of society. Some oppose the development of com-

KAT ZHAO 33

THE DEMISE OF THE SPLURGE

Subtlety > Splendor Fashion is a powerful tool in presenting personal identity, especially in today’s hyper-curated social media landscape. Taste serves as shorthand, a quick signifier for who you are and what you’re about. It comes as no surprise that the upwardly mobile, and the upwardly looking, of society use luxury goods in an attempt to craft an image for themselves. Whether they’re walking in a mall or into a party, there’s a high probability you’ll see a conspicuous brand pasted on their person. This is not to say that logo-based items are inherently tasteless. Rather, it is important to stress how logos work to create a social, contextual image – one that plays into a perceived hierarchy.

It would be unfair to attribute the drop in luxury sales entirely to distaste for logo-emblazoned items, but it is definitely a contributing factor.

Logos can be many things at once. Symbols of both affluence and arrogance, it is less about the item and more about the individual bearing the logo. Since fashion and judgment go hand in hand, there are people on the other side of the equation who immediately look down on logo-heavy items.

One doesn’t need to splurge to be fashion conscious. Since fast fashion products are more accessible, ‘style’ is derived from choice, taste and a keen eye instead of merely ‘purchasing’ social cache through a brand. Fast fashion allows consumers to look just as stylish as their spendy counterparts.

Wealthy consumers are also choosing to reduce their spending by getting into the fast fashion game. When working with something everyone can afford, style comes down to the choices you make. It emphasizes how you’re wearing it, not what you’re wearing. Fast fashion truly levels the playing field.

Changes in the luxury market reverberate down and affect all consumers. When luxury stores go on a closing spree, fast fashion brands have the capital to replace them. Using China as a case study, it is estimated that H&M aims to open 80 stores this year. Zara and Uniqlo are targeting 60 and 100 respectively. This development opens the market up to new consumers, providing more choices and affordability.

When fast fashion stores spring up to replace luxury ones, fashion democratizes.

With subtlety as a top priority nowadays for most luxury consumers, ‘logo fatigue’ is setting in. Most consumers are turned off by logo-heavy merchandise, regardless of how it looks. It makes logos synonymous with poor fashion choices. It is hard to picture the logo as a fashionable or good-looking accessory, given that logos are regarded as an intentional signifier of status.

Some luxury labels have adapted under these market pressures, responding to consumer preferences for subtlety and individuality. Alexander Wang has been in the spotlight as of late for creating ‘in crowd’ logo pieces, or products that can only be recognized by people ‘in the know.’ These may well be the ideal choice for today’s logo fanatics. Even Gucci, towering over other luxury brands in profitability, should follow Wang’s lead. They may need to rely more on their green and red stripes rather than the obvious ‘double G’ logo to cater to the overwhelming demand for discreet luxury.

With a stereotypical notion about logo bearers, we might miss the point about items that are logo heavy but still eye catching. By letting go of the logo stereotype, we allow ourselves to wear whatever we are drawn to, instead of what we are socially conditioned to like or not like.

Counter intuitively, consumers eliminate a large segment of the luxury goods market- logo-bearing products- to appease conventional wisdom on good taste.

People wear logos to impress others, and when that doesn’t work, they don’t purchase them. Going logo free isn’t a statement of individuality as much as a reaction to what other people think. Can a logo piece really not be subtle? We make ourselves believe that more often than not, under fear of being labeled as a “show off.”

The debate about logos and the connotations they carry can go on forever, but the ‘power of the logo’ seems to be fading away. Designers are feeling the pressure to be more creative and subtle with their logos instead of simply stamping them over all products and expecting them to sell. The rise of fast fashion has a symbiotic relationship with logos, allowing consumers to curate themselves based on taste rather than brand. In a 2011 survey that asked Americans if they would prefer to make a subtle fashion statement rather than a bold one, approximately 56% leaned towards subtlety. The question remains - what are you looking for in today’s diverse and expansive fashion world?

Logos and other obvious signs of wealth repulse the present day luxury shopper.

Testimony to this are the sales figures for Gucci and Prada, which dropped by 1.1% and 1.5% respectively, last year. Luxury sales as a whole suffered a 1% drop in China, a market that makes up 46% of overall luxury consumption. In China, since 2014, Prada has closed 13 newly opened stores and Armani has closed 5.

SHIVAAN TANDON

34

DEMNA GVASALIA Thirty-four year old Gvasalia has become a true fashion innovator over the past six years, pushing the field forward with his fresh take on trendless fashion. Originally born in Georgia, Gvasalia was educaed in fine arts around Europe before settling in Paris. He started working at Maison Martin Margiela before moving on to Louis Vuitton, where he worked his way up the ranks and really made a name for himself.

Last year, though, is when fashion started feeling the true Gvasalia impact. He left Louis Vuitton to be the head designer and sole spokesperson for Vetements, a new collective of seven “anonymous” Paris-based designers. Vetements identifies with the alternative fashion scene, emphasizing an edgy take on traditional style statements. They strive for- and flawlessly achieve - simplicity without flatness, youthfulness without immaturity, and edginess without being over-the-top.

Gvasalia has refreshed the Paris fashion scene and found a way to break convention by creating season-less fashion- interesting clothes that are classic without being conventional.

Visionaries.

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” This timeless and extremely character appropriate quote by Anna Wintour sums up the attitudes of the leading men and women of today’s fashion industry. It goes without saying that in order to make it as a designer, editor or executive in the fashion world that one must cultivate a strong brand, both personal and company-wide. Eternal icons like Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn or Iris Apfel had to have been extremely resourceful in order to make themselves stand out in the 20’s and 30’s, given the lack of marketing resources that we take for granted today.

their Instagram or Twitter competitors. Some have simply created a niche for their market where there was not one and some have completely upended the relationship between the fashion industry and social spaces. Regardless, it’s clear that in order to become somebody these days, you must transcend in this hyper competitive environment, being wary of anyone who may steal your creative thunder. Here we present 4 creative directors you should keep your eye on.

SASHA BRONFMAN + KARA PENN art / AUDREY WANG color / ELIZABETH LIM

Yet, that being said, this generation’s fashion icons have accomplished something even larger. They have conquered social media, conspicuously outshining 36

STELLA MCCARTNEY Stella McCartney also knows how to cultivate a strong brand, beating the drum for environmentalism while still being at the center of the fashion world. McCartney is an English born designer with a formal fashion education at the Central Saint Martins. Though she has proven to be rise above his iconic shadow, it’s important to mention that she is the daughter of Paul McCartney, Beatle and famous dad extraordinaire. Stella McCartney worked her way up, finally landing her first big position as Creative Director of Chloé in Paris. Four years later, McCartney launched her very own brand, carving out a distinct, and distinctly bohemian, aesthetic. She is known for peppering her clothes with unique hardware reminiscent of pieces straight from a Moroccan souk, coats and dresses

forged with rich patterns and textures, as well as globally inspired accessories.

However, it is not only her resonant aesthetic that sets her apart. Catering to the environmentally conscious, trendy, and “crunchy” fashion lovers alike, McCartney has maintained her status in the fashion industry without utilizing a leather, fur or animal product. Her commitment resonates with this generation of Millennials, many of whom experiment with veganism, clean-eating, and animal product-free lifestyles. McCartney has been a vegan all her life, supporting animal protection movements and organizations. She vows to produce environmentally conscious high-fashion merchandise for the socially responsible modern woman.

37

OLIVIER ROUSTEING Olivier Rousteing is a young fashion powerhouse, born in Bordeaux, France.

He is incredibly talented at creating a personal brand, which led him to a creative director position at Balmain at the age of 24. Rousteing also paid his dues studying at the French fashion technical university, ESMOD, and then moving to Roberto Cavalli, where he worked his way straight to the top. It seems that since Rousteing’s overhaul of the brand, Balmain’s popularity has skyrocketed, transitioning from a niche, ‘edgy’ brand to a universally coveted fashion house. Rousteing’s aesthetic for Balmain has trickled down into high street brands all over the world- everybody wants a piece.

Rousteing’s chief genius lies in his marketing strategies. Since his arrival at Balmain in 2011, the brand’s revenue has increased by twenty percent. On a smaller scale, Rousteing has amped up Balmain’s menswear, increasing specific revenue by almost half. Most recognizably, Rousteing has utilized his circle of celebrity friends and muses in order to market the brand. Rather than only rely on the power of billboards or magazines, Rousteing hopped on the social media train right away. By placing the luxurious designs on his influential posse, Rousteing has managed to gain countless walking advertisements in the form of worldwide super models, performers and public figures. We are all eager to see what hyper-modern, marketing genius Rousteing will employ next.

38

REI KAWAKUBO Japanese native Rei Kawakubo, much like her brand Comme des Garçons, is no neophyte. Although we Americans have only revered this edgy, anti-establishment brand for the past ten years or so, Kawakubo and her creations have been prominent in Japan since the 70’s. Kawakubo joined the industry as a freelance stylist and quickly realized her passion and unique talent for designing. Shortly after, Kawakubo created Comme des Garçons, which immediately blew up in among Japanese consumers. Their signature, the red or black heart logo with two curious eyes, is incredibly recognizable.

Comme Des Garçons has been around for forty-two years and still manages to remain innovative and fresh. Each piece is unique and born solely from Kawakubo’s strong and beautiful vision. She inspires many of today’s hottest names, including Helmut Lang and Martin Margiela. Kawakubo is successful without parallelkeeping her avant garde mystique while still developing a brand that stays true to her vision, stays close to her heart, and remains fresh and current for the market.

39

still standing

Step into her shoes: Arch the back, bend the knee, squint, press, click.

Black and white film photography requires precision and One beam of light and a second becomes a story. Time ing and complex, film is slipping behind digital superpowers. depicts reality in its most raw – sans filters, touch ups and

instinct. consumYet film disguise.

GABRIELLE WEISS transcends the average photo stream with her photographic journey through the deserts of Africa. Capturing moments with masterful accuracy reminiscent of the late Henri Cartier Bressan, Gabi stalls time. The photographs are spontaneous and breathtaking, the story is nostalgic and humane. And we, finally rid of colorful distraction, are reminded of how much beauty we often miss.

FASHION

the new school

photographer Jason Chandra + Tory Macdonald model Torbjorn Alseth, Amelie Johansson + Ciaran McKenna fashion Craig Boswell, Kendall Barrett, Jason Chandra + Travis Long fashion assistant Peyton Dilweg, Caroline Lai + Christina Tribull production Reena Jasani, Dejana Saric + Lara Sonmez hair & makeup Shelby Turner post production Jason Chandra

amelie / jacket Jil Sander sweater Autumn Cashmere culottes Cooperative sunglasses Ill Esteva

tobjorn / jacket Opening Ceremony shirt Stone Island jeans Pure Blue Japan shoes Common Projects ciaran / shirt Han Kjobenhava pants Uniqlo

55

ciaran / shirt All Saints tshirt Dior

58

amelie / jacket Zara shirt Cooperative skirt BDG shoes Madewell torbjorn / jacket vintage tshirt Farah jeans APC belt Hermes boots Edward Green

amelie / sweater Lanvin shirt Derek Lam skirt Theory torbjorn / sweater vintage pants Uniqlo boots Red Wing ciaran / polo shirt Polo Ralph Lauren pants J. Crew shoes New Balance

61

amelie (left) / jacket Club Monaco turtleneck Zara skirt Dolce & Gabanna bag Proenza Schouler (right) / sweater Autumn Cashmere skirt John Varvatos boots Burberry Prorsum

alikhan / sweater C.O.S. trousers D By D shoes model’s own noi / henley All Saints pants Zara boots Red Wing

DIS. CON. NECT. photographer Jason Chandra, Ali Holzer + Tory Macdonald model Alikhan Mukhamedi, Noi Omaboe + Tolga Babur fashion Jason Chandra, Ali Holzer, Travis Long + Tory Macdonald production Tory Macdonald post production Jason Chandra + Elizabeth Lim

alikhan (left) / tshirt Gap pants Zara gloves Rag & Bone tolga / tshirt Zara pants Zara boots Dr. Martens

tolga // jacket jacket All All Saints Saints tshirt tshirt Zara Zara tolga tolga / jacket All Saints tshirt Zara pants Zara boots boots Dr. Martens Martens pants Zara Dr. jeans Zara pants Zara boots boots Dr. Dr. Martens Martens

I THOUGHT THE WORLD WOULD MOVE ON WITHOUT US photographer Aubrey Stoltz model May Benben fashion Kendall Barrett, Jason Chandra + Christina Tribull production Jillian Lowey + Dejana Saric post production Elizabeth Lim + Aubrey Stoltz

may / dress Dolce & Gabbana

77

78

may / top Zara skirt Zara

79

may / dress NK Mode

80

may / dress Zara may / dress Zara

may (left) / choker Creepyyeha (right) / faux fur jacket H&M

84

when met 86

n brad julia photographer Emily Pesek model Brad Hanson + Julia Collins fashion Craig Boswell, Jason Chandra, Elizabeth Lim, Travis Long + Christina Tribull production Alina Ahmad + Gianna Miller post production Elizabeth Lim

julia / shirt Dickies top Rebecca Taylor jeans Rag & Bone boots Alexander Wang brad / jacket Saint Laurent tshirt vintage jeans H&M shoes Vans

89

julia / dress Rachel Zoe belt Paul & Joe boots Alexander Wang brad / shirt Levi’s tshirt Hanes jeans APC shoes Saint Laurent

90

91

julia / dress Chanel boots Jeffrey Campbell sunglasses The Row brad / shirt Sid Mashburn jeans APC shoes Common Projects

95

julia / jacket J brand dress Madewell bralette Eberjey boots Prada brad / jacket Saint Laurent tshirt Elwood jeans H&M shoes Reebok

96

IT’S ALL ABOUT ME I MEAN YOU I MEAN ME photographer Jeainny Kim model Maiya Aiba, Melody Iro, Emery Jenson, Laura Simone Lewis, Josh Neuhaus + Lola Sanchez-Carrion fashion Jason Chandra, Katie Chaplin + Travis Long production Alina Ahmad + Dejana Saric post production Elizabeth Lim

98

melody / sunglasses Tom Ford

lola / jacket Topshop headpiece stylist’s own

emery / headphones Panasonic sweater Stephen Schneider

laura / jacket All Saints

josh / shirt Givenchy bandana Hermes

maiya / tshirt T by Alexander Wang

This is your world.

Shape it, or someone else will.

105

ANYONE ANYB ODY photographer Jason Chandra + Tory Macdonald model Samara Madhvani + Jessie Petrow-Cohen fashion Jason Chandra + Katie Chaplin fashion assistant Elizabeth Lim production Reena Jasani + Amanda Pruthi post production Elizabeth Lim

106

107

jessie / coat ACNE Studios top CMNC Woman shorts L’Agence belt Bebe shoes Adidas sunglasses Kimono samara / jacket Helmut Lang top Zara leggings Express shoes Nike x Black Comme Des Garcons sunglasses Le Specs

109

jessie jessie//coat coatC.O. C.O.by byCotton CottonOn Ontop top3.1 3.1Philip Philip Lim shorts Lim shorts 3.1 Philip Lim sweater (worn scarf)as scarf) 3.1 Philip Lim shoes Ex Appeal sweateras(worn All Saints boots Ex Appeal sunglasses Celine All Saints sunglasses Celine samara samara//coat coatSaint SaintLaurent Laurentsports sportsbra braCalvin Calvin Klein Klein pants Topshop shoes Nike x Black Comme pants Topshop shoes Nike x Black Comme Des Garcons Des Garcons sunglasses Le Specs sunglasses Le Specs

112

jessie / jacket Maison Kitsune sweater BCBG dress Ninth Collective beanie HOBO Urbanwear samara / coat 3.1 Philip Lim skirt Riot Loco top Stella McCartney sunglasses Le Specs

113

114

115

jessie / jacket Atmosphere top ALC leggings Express boots Dr. Martens sunglasses Kimono samara / coat ACNE Studios top Maje skirt The Editor’s Market shoes Maison Martin Margiela sunglasses Le Specs

118

119

120

dukeform.com