VOLUME II FALL / WINTER 2019
INDEX CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Yuhan Cheng
ASSISTANT
Valerie Zhang
MANAGING EDITORS
Jane Moritz Mercer Whitfield
ASSISTANT
Katrina Dizon
PHOTO & VIDEO DIRECTORS
Renata Brockmann Kate Gondwe
ASSISTANTS
Langley Custer Alyssa Lara
EDITORIAL DIRECTORS
Lillian Cohen Ronald Crivello-Kahihikolo
ASSISTANTS
Rhiddhima Dave Rory Willard
STYLING DIRECTORS
Zack Lesmeister Zoey Schorsch
ASSISTANTS
Hailey Freedman Lauren Dillow
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
Mariely Torres Riley Jensen
ASSISTANTS
Jack Lent Geneva Klein
EVENTS, RADIO & MARKETING DIRECTORS
Nia Evans Sierra Ashley Emily Houger Chloe Leung Isabella Guerrero
EVENTS, RADIO & MARKETING TEAM
ADVISORS
Nadine Grant Jordan Mackenzie
Julian Lemus Claire Ashby Kayla Buck Anmol Shah Lan Buin Letao Chen Diego Villaroel
instagram INDEX.MAG
Meera Singh Patrick Williams
vimeo INDEX MAGAZINE
ASSISTANTS
website EFSOCIETY.ORG
Francisco Guglielmino Oona Baker
E M E R S O N F A S H I O N S O C I E T Y
EDITORS IN CHIEF
INDEX MAGAZINE VOLUME II F/W 2019 ALL RIGHTS R E S E RV E D.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 2 3
INDEXED 5 SILHOUETTES IN STILETTOS 13 NOT AS IT’S SEEN 23 ICONIC DETAILS 31 FROM A DISTANCE 35
HOW IT’S DONE 47 A STRAND OF YOU 55 ROOM FOR CHANGE 67 STYLE AIN’T A ONE HORSE-TOWN 75 IT’S A BEAUTIFUL RIOT! 79
TILL LOVE BREAKS US APART 91 LOVE AND LAYERS 103 PUBLIC SPACE 111 FASHION WITH A CAPITAL F 123 THE CASE BY THE CREEK 129
L E T T E R F R O M
T H E
OONA & FRANCISCO
E D I T O R S Composition, details, and stylism. These words have been held close to our hearts as we approached this volume with more ambitions than ever before. This season we learned not to overlook anything; from the big picture down to the small details, every moving part matters. Emerson Fashion Society and INDEX Magazine have seen the largest expansion since their establishment. With more contributors, collaborators, and content than ever, our productions have become more representative of our brand and what we hope it will be when we leave it for the classes below us. Emerson Fashion Society is an organization that allows for its members to be heard and this semester we tackle more areas of the creative voice with our fashion podcast Radio Receipt. Fashion gives an opportunity for expression in ways that can build community. With this in mind, Index expanded its partnerships to consignment stores, personal closets and local Boston boutiques in an effort to present our readers with a variety of retail curators within the industry. Fashion is universal, and with that comes an abundance of different compositions, details, and styles to unpack and showcase. Ranging from elegant evening wear, to punk attitudes, to horror surreality, this issue is a manifestation of inspiration from all over the globe and fashion history. What we put on our body says volumes for who we are and who we aspire to be. As you turn the pages of this magazine, we ask you to question the motivations of your own fashion choices. Who are you with all of your styles, details and compositions and who are you without them? Thank you for picking up this issue and we hope you enjoy the smalls things that went into this as much as the large ones. Welcome to Volume II of INDEX Magazine.
T H A N K S T O
O U R
P A R T N E R S All stores are located in Boston, Massachusetts. Our productions would not be possible without their support. It is here where art, fashion, and opportunity meet.
800 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02199
110 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116
103 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114
175 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116
450 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02118
133 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114
391 W Broadway, Boston, MA 02127
1 Bromfield St, Boston, MA 02108
145 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116
130 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114
Thank you for all the support and kindness!
page 31 ICONIC DETAILS
page 13 SILHOETTES IN STILLETOS
page 35 FROM A DISTANCE
page 23 NOT AS IT’S SEEN
CHAPTER I page 5 INDEXED
INDEX OF INDEX
KEYWORDS
EMERSON FASHION SOCIETY E-BOARD
Stylism (noun): The emphasis on style and aesthetic as a medium and end in itself.
Shadow (noun): A
difference
intensity
in
light
between
two
light levels that creates a contrast for our eye to see.
Architectural (adjective): Relating to the art or practice of designing and constructing
buildings;
sharp contrast between the different elements of the space and structure.
Quality (noun):
Francisco Guglielmino
LOCATIONS INDEXED & SILHOUETTES:
Nia Evans Jane Moritz
Emerson College
Mercer Whitfield
Paramount Studio
CONTRIBUTING
FROM A
EDITORIAL WRITERS
DISTANCE:
Melanie Curry
JFK Library,
Amaya Segundo
Boston Mun. Court,
Emily Houger Riddhima Dave
Northeastern
Jack Billotti
Science and
Rory Willard
Engineering
Adam Barlyn
Complex
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
NOT AS IT’S
Logan Wilder Maya Pontone Mariely Torres Jalissa Evora Nana Tabata Isabella DiBello Jonathan Ross Rhys Scarabosio Langley Custer
SEEN:
SPECIAL THANKS
Distinctive character and
Thank you Flagship Press,
condition of a piece of
for caring deeply about our
art. Quality can allude to
vision and helping us make
worth, but not always.
it into a reality.
Brodney’s Antique Store
1.
INDEXED INDEXED INDEXED INDEXED with COVET
direction photo style scenic assist layout model
OONA BAKER LOGAN WILDER ZACK LESMEISTER LYTTON CHEA MARIELY TORRES RILEY JENSEN KATE GONDWE MEERA SINGH VALERIE ZHANG LOGAN WILDER ELIJAH LEVY
faux fur jacket JOHNNY WAS sequin floral jacket FOREST LILY moto zip-up jacket BCBG
8
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thin belt ANNE KLEIN belt MARGIELA X H&M metalic belt ANN TAYLOR chunky belt B.B SIMON
black nylon bag PRADA brown leather bag JACQUEMUS blue leather bag JACQUEMUS orange leather bag JACQUEMUS pink lego bag LES PETITE JOUEURS
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direction photo light manage layout style
FRANCISCO GUGLIELMINO FRANCISCO GUGLIELMINO RENATA BROCKMANN JANE MORITZ MERCER WHITFIELD OONA BAKER FRANCISCO GUGLIELMINO ZOEY SCHORSCH ZACK LESMEISTER LAUREN DILLOW HAILEY FREEDMAN SABRINA HARRIS LYTTON CHEA
assist
model
LANGLEY CUSTER MEERA SINGH PATRICK WILLIAMS VALERIE ZHANG GENEVA KLEIN ALYSSA LARA KATRINA DIZON RILEY JENSEN MICHELLE BOWE MARIELY TORRES MARIAMA CONDE ROSS QUINN JULIANA MORGAN
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15
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heels JEFFREY CAMPBELL sunglasses CHANEL sweater VINCE
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18
circular clutch LOUIS VUITTON slab heels SAINT LAURENT
19
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AS
N E
SE
N OT T’ S I
horizontal f ixation of a vertical plane, head tilts to f ind shadows in the plain. compass splashes a mess, aids in the down pour pause. no umbrella could hold told frozen. motions notion the eyes to feel.
direction photo poetry light
VALERIE ZHANG JONATHAN ROSS VALERIE ZHANG LANGLEY CUSTER
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24
25
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watches surround the body. watch, the only ticking is within vile rapidness confesses to the dial unnecessary speed, help in need rewind the hand to find more time escapes faster than I run away repeats like clockwork. stop working.
toil till weight is lifted,
feed from the coiled,
no steam just golden.
handled by fingertips suspended in air compare the pears spots of coloration stem from brush strokes, rich palette mixes, hungry for a bite?
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C NC
O
I I
A S T I DE L BEHIND THE BRANDS
Balenciaga has ruffles. Gucci has red and green stripes. Chanel has tweed jackets. It’s been that way for almost 100 years.
editorial illustration
RIDDHIMA DAVE MAXIMILIAN SEMRAU
You can still pick out Gucci in a crowd. Giambattista Valli’s ruffles are still reminiscent of Balenciaga. Commes des Garcon continues to design clothes that match current trends while remaining recognizable. But what makes these brands so iconic? How do they continue to produce new styles while keeping their identity intact? Iconicism is instrumental for individual designers. Every piece in a fashion house has a specific likeness to their previous pieces. They have their own style and way of doing things. And though designers and creative directors change, the basic stylism of the brand is incredibly important when choosing the people to be incorporated into the future vision of the fashion house. In Burberry, their signature tan plaid print is featured their collections, from scarves to coats. There is nothing inherently iconic about plaid, but the specific pattern and coloring make it iconic. The brand still incorporates it to this day, 52 years after its original launch. Burberry recently introduced a new original pattern in their SS20 show, featuring a TB print to honor their creator Thomas Burberry, but the plaid remains within the collection. The wide range of products that Burberry uses its plaid on has helped give them a recognizable status. “When Burberry started making apparel, it was a conscious decision, that [the plaid] is part of our heritage. All of a sudden you have that in everything from bikinis to evening gowns,” professor of fashion design at the Massachusetts School of Art and Design, Jay Calderin said. “No one can copy that. People can only come to us for it.” Burberry’s plaid is a huge part of their identity—and they make sure customers know it, spilling its emblem onto nearly every look. Haute Couture is known for establishing signatures. If you were to see a collarless tweed jacket on the runway, you would be able to tell exactly where you were. Nobody does tweed like Chanel. Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel was famous for her love of high-quality tweed, which she then incorporated into her coveted designs. Cristobal Balenciaga had an affinity to the unstructured dresses, giving rise to a variety of billowing styles and essentially ruffled silhouettes. Ruffles are noteworthy because they have been the signature silhouettes of many different designers. Oscar de la Renta loved similar aspects of design like Balenciaga and incorporated lots of ruffles. “For me, I remember that Oscar de la Renta through the ’80s and the ’90s and the early 2000s, ruffles were everything. When I think of ruffles I think of him,” Calderin said. A fragrance by de la Renta is even called “Ruffles.” And yet, today, we know Giambattista Valli for his ruffles. They all execute the stylism very differently through their designs. Balenciaga’s silhouettes have more flair and ease while de la Renta is more feminine. Valli is very exaggerated, making his ruffles dramatic. Iconic interpretations can also be unintentional. Diane von Furstenberg’s wrap dress was originally supposed to be a wrap top and skirt, but when crafted into a dress, it became a major phenomenon for working women around the world. The Hermès Birkin bag was a bag made for Jane Birkin after then creative director at the famous luxury brand Jean-Louis Dumas saw the contents of her bag spill out on a flight. She complained
“What makes a brand stand out is their stylism, born completely against the very construct of trends.” CHAPTER I
32
to him about how difficult it was to find a bag big enough to store her baby’s bottles. Dumas crafted the Birkin to make luxury functional. The idea of practical luxury spread like wildfire. Today, the Birkin is one of the biggest status symbols in the world. It is so exclusive that most people have to look at second-hand retailers or auction houses in order to get one. The priciest Birkin bag is the Crocodile Himalayan Birkin, quoted at a whopping $208,000 by Christie’s auction house. Several present-day classic styles also came from the World War II era. Dior’s classic “New Look” was a distraction from the gloomy post-world war scenery in Europe. Dior’s vision was to make beautiful clothes for women. Silhouettes from their original cinched black dresses and wide shoulders of the ’50s are still reflected in several of their collections. Black was a big element of the New Look, to complement the silhouettes of the ’50s dresses, so much so that black is still seen as synonymous with Dior. According to Calderin, “people want an association with the fashion history, but they do not want to wear the history.” Creative directors often design items more fitting to the time, but will add something which is “a nod to the history,” maintaining the brand’s signature. Dr. Martens are some of the most coveted streetwear shoes, and have been for over 60 years now. Originally created in 1945 by a German army doctor who found the army-sanctioned shoes too uncomfortable, they soon took England by storm. Recognizable by their rubber soles and yellow stitch, they carry a wide fan following. And yet, while the classic Dr. Martens are solid black, the new wave of holographic material can be seen at every single Dr. Marten store. They have left their show design intact because of the variations in cloth, pattern and embellishments. Their Vonda 1460 boots first debuted in April 1960. The rose stitched shoe reminiscent of the transitional gothic era has made a comeback and now sits next to the glossy foil-like pastels representative of the new era. These brands have the elements that set them apart, but recycling the same style over and over again would kill them in the fast-paced fashion industry. Chanel retains its signature tweed every season, but incorporates current trends on the runway as well. Tweed used to have specific color orientations, but Chanel did a canary rendition of the typically conservative fabric in the 2018 Milan Fashion Week. Their iconic product is not a stagnant force. It is an inspiration for innovation. Chanel has not only modified their seasonal tweed jackets and suits for the brand, but changed how tweed is perceived throughout the industry. From classy vintage tones to gothic metallics, the material has taken on a whole new meaning because of its branding by Chanel. While most brands have elements, some are iconic in the specific way they style their clothes. Gucci has never had a standardized signature, apart from its red and green stripes—which come from Gucci’s original luggage days. The brand is mainly identifiable by its attitude. It has always been seen as a creative force that tests the boundaries of traditional fashion. It came into being after Tom Ford became Gucci’s creative director. “Tom Ford is known for being a little sexier, a little edgier—luxurious fabrics. It’s like a lifestyle,” Calderin said. “It came more from a designer, someone who had a vision and it was successful, so it became standard.” The signatures iconic brands have are not because they are the only ones who do it. Specific qualities have given the brand authority. Red-soled 33
CHAPTER I
shoes are Louboutin’s identity, and while mainstream fashion outside the brand never had a big moment for them, France’s King Henry VIII popularised them. Louboutin only modernized this concept. They now claim the soles as their own, proposing a lawsuit against Saint Laurent when they came out with the entirely red shoe in 2011. None of our icons were intended as icons. The public made them that way through the organic nature of their existence. Had Chanel dipped into silk instead of tweed, something trendy when Coco Chanel had just started, perhaps they wouldn’t hold the same longlasting status. Signatures come out of creative sparks, representing the brands through raw passion. Chanel was her own customer, according to Calderin. She made clothes she wanted to wear herself. Local Boston designer Gina deWolfe broke into the fashion business with her most popular product, the Wolfepack. She wanted a bag that fit the utilitarian origins of a backpack. “Before I made the Wolfepack, I had just been searching the market for the perfect leather backpack,” deWolfe said. “I was looking for something that didn’t look like a school backpack, something that was functional and professional.” When that failed, she invented something that fit her own preferences. The designer has since come up with a range of other signature designs. She also adds to her classic collection if a bag becomes too popular with her clients. The Tillie tote bag, introduced over the summer, just joined the inner circle of her classic designs. “We have 10 silhouettes which have been our signature silhouettes from day one. Then we will incorporate different hardware or a unique color of leather or a subtle painted detail,” deWolfe explained. None of her bags have external labels, yet her products are recognizable through the bag designs and hardware. “Every season I have the black Wolfepack. Every season I have the gray Bettie wallet,” she said. “Along with that, we are constantly rolling out new styles, but they are one-offs.” An interesting aspect of having an iconic element is when brands go through rebranding. Balenciaga is at the forefront of this sort of transition. What started as classic feminine pieces became a movement in the avantgarde fashion scene. Even with such contrasting style ideas, ruffles are still a big part of the fashion house’s designs. They have successfully blended their futuristic vision with their traditional ruffles with breakthrough products like the black ruffled shirt with an incognito collar or their large collection of high low skirts. The fashion industry is often thought of as being dictated by trends, but what makes a brand stand out is their stylism, born completely against the very construct of trends. It takes a lot of marketing and creative intellect to move with the times while still maintaining a brand’s aesthetic. Today’s market demands products motivated by consumer lifestyle needs, but all it takes is that iconic element, making them come back for more. X
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gown ZAC POSEN shoes MIU MIU
direction OONA BAKER photo OONA BAKER manage JANE MORITZ assist LANGLEY CUSTER FRANCISCO GUGLIELMINO model ZOEY SCHORSCH ZACK LESMEISTER
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a special thanks to Zoey Schorsch for opening up her high voltage collection of custom couture ZAC POSEN and DENNIS BASSO gowns
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gown DENNIS BASSO gown DENNIS BASSO shawl DENNIS BASSO jacket GOLF WANG
gown ZAC POSEN 37 shawl piece CHAPTER I gown and DENIS BASSO jacket GOLFWANG
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ball gown ZAC POSEN
39
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gown ZAC POSEN shoes PRADA
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41
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floral gown ZAC POSEN
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45
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page 49 HOW IT’S DONE
page 75 STYLE AINT A ONEHORSE TOWN
page 55 A STRAND OF YOU
page 79 IT’S A BEAUTIFUL RIOT
page 67 ROOM FOR CHANGE
CHAPTER II
INDEX OF INDEX
STYLING TEAM
KEYWORDS
Lauren Dilllow
Details (noun):
Hailey Freedman
Small, individual features
Lytton Chea Sabrina Harris
of a larger piece.
Valerie Zhang
LOCATIONS HOW IT’S DONE: OKW Fashion SoWa, Boston
ARTISTIC TEAM Jack Lent
Juxtaposition (noun):
Geneva Klein Placing
two
things
together in order for them to contrast one another.
Baroque (noun): A
highly
ornate
extravagant originating
and style
from
the
seventeenth century.
Subculture (noun): Group
of
people
STRAND OF YOU & ROOM FOR
Josie Bukon Wendy Chen Alessandra Sy Trey Glickman
CHANGE: Emerson College
Maximilian Semrau
Paramount Studio
CLOSET PULLS Ronald Kahihikolo Valerie Zhang Nia Evans Wendy Chen James Curry Sabrina Oliveira Chloe Leung Yuhan Cheng Isabelle Fisher Jay Osgood
IT’S A
SPECIAL THANKS who
Zoey Schorsch for her
differentiate themselves from
personal closet used in
the dominating culture of a
multiple shoots through-
society.
out the season.
BEAUTIFUL RIOT: Revere Beach
SPECIAL THANKS Trevor Dawley Robert Gagne
2.
In conversation with Waheeda Ali-Salaam from OKW Fashion in SoWa, Boston direction
FRANCISCO GUGLIELMINO
Q:
What got you into fashion in the first place?
question
AMAYA SEGUNDO
A:
I really really really love sewing, and I really love clothes. In
answer
WAHEEDA ALI-SALAAM
the olden days, people did things like sew and crochet. And knit, that
photo
MARIELY TORRES
wasn’t something unusual. We lived in North Carolina for a while,
transcript
GRAHAM WHEELER-NELSON
layout
FRANCISCO GUGLIELMINO
and my grandmother made quilts, and crocheted, and all that kind of stuff. And she had us help a lot of times, never let our hands be idle.
How Q:
So it’s more of just a skill you’ve developed?
A:
Yeah. Because you were expected to know how to do things
back then. In the ’50s and ’60s, right? But I really loved it, and my father would buy suits from tailors in New York, manufacturers in the city. They would always give me lengths of cloth, and so we had sewing machines and I would make really weird stuff and wear it. I
QUESTI 11 ON
S OUT AB
it’s
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“The best thing is being a very good listener and trying to for their needs to what you think.�
had four sisters and we shared a Chanel suit. We were all the same size, so we just shared a suit. We had a kind of built-in fashion institute; when you have four sisters - that’s what happens, right? Q:
So you had to share right?
A:
Well, not just share, but also be really creative with each
other. We grew up in DC and people dressed, people back then wore gloves and hats and you went out in a scarf. And you wore proper shoes. I had to cry to get my mother to buy loafers. She said “good girls don’t wear these things.” Q:
You were talking about your sisters and your family, would
you say they are a like an inspiration for your designs or do you draw inspiration from other places? A:
I like a little bit edgy things. They can be classic, but I like
them to be a little bit different. And I also have this thing about skinny and big. Designs that I like to make look good on fat people and on skinny people. So, something a little more universal. Just like a pencil skirt looks good on every woman; whether she has a big stomach, big butt, whatever. That’s what I like. I like clothes that aren’t defined by how tall or skinny someone is. I like average people. That’s my criteria. Q:
I think we need to see more of that in the fashion industry.
How have you seen it change from when you started to where it is now? A:
I think it’s freer now. When we first started, business women
couldn’t wear trousers. They always bought suites with skirts because women weren’t supposed to wear trousers if they were bankers, you know, any type of in the business world. And that’s changed a lot. When I started, we had to have big shoulders. Even though they’re coming back now they’re a little softer. Q:
Do you have any personal designs that you regret or wish
that you didn’t create? A:
I think a long time before I make anything, so I don’t think
so. My biggest customer is a size 30 and my smallest is a size 0. But each one of them—we want each one of them to look their best. People are individuals, so we try to do that. That’s why we do cut to measure. When I do a collection, then you choose and I cut your size. And I’m not going to put you in something just because. I would try to talk you out of it if I think it’s not good. Q: Yeah, you want to do what’s in the best interest of your client. A:
So, I think hard about each design and I try to imagine it. I
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“My biggest customer is a size 30 and my smallest is a size zero. We want each one of them to look their best.”
have croakies that are tall and skinny and other croakies that are short and a little wider, and I may draw the same thing over and over on each shape just to see what is it going to look like—what does it look like from this side? I had an art teacher in architecture school and he would get after me and say “why do you only draw one side of everything, I said because I can’t draw.” He said “Draw both sides.” I did. But you do by drawing the front and drawing the back. We have interns now and make sure that I say “What does it look like from the side? You’re not always standing like this. So what does it look like in all its forms? What is it going to look like from the back? And color! You know. Color is super important.” Q:
How long does it take you to think of a design or complete a
design for a client? A:
Usually just an afternoon. Most people come in with a—
the main thing I do is listen. They come in with an idea about their person. How they look, how they want to look, and what their needs are. I usually ask them what is their favorite garment they already own. What’s their favorite color. It may be a color I don’t agree with, but I listen. If we don’t have the style in stock, we have it made up. We have corkie pads, and then I just draw on it and I keep drawing until she says “YES! That’s what I want.” The best thing is being a very good listener and trying to for their needs to what you think.
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A:
And about the store, I wanted to ask a question about OKW
mandy-pandy. The only thing we don’t get back is time. If you want to
and the background of the word.
waste your time, sure. So, it’s worth thinking about. Nobody nowadays
W:
O’Donald, Kurzner, and Wong. O’Donald left the first year,
just covers themselves in a sheet, right? So, you make a choice; pink
Kurzner left in 2001, Wong left in 2014. They met in the School of
shirt, white shirt, red shirt, whatever. From a child, you make choices
Fashion Design on Newbury Street. They all decided after graduating
about what you’re going to wear—some even kicking and screaming.
from college that they wanted to be in fashion. So Henry, Irene, and
So, personal choice is the beginning of fashion, yes. Every little girl
Kathlene all went to school at the School of Fashion Design. Socially,
knows that, right? X
they liked each other, so they decided to form a company. A:
Of course, and touching on that, is there a specific past point
that brought you to where you are now. Specifically like designing these clothes. W:
I really liked when I had partners. I like teams. I like working
in a team. When Irene left, she left she did it for her own reasons, I really missed her. And now Henry is gone. My other the third partner. It’s been very hard since he left. I get very close to people and they live far away. It’s not like they live nearby. I was thinking of taking on a partner, but now I’m 73 now. I’m just going to keep things small. And I still like what I do. I’m capable of doing it. I’m not a real great housekeeper or cook. A:
What could you tell an aspirational member of the fashion
industry, any advice? W:
Well, the world of fashion is big. There’s a lot of stores like
men in Europe, Atelier type things where they do exactly this. They do cut to measure. They do small collections and have a small group of stitchers. So, they have to figure out if they want to work for someone else or if they want to work for themselves, but they need to get some good ideas about business, so they don’t get cheated and waste their time. It’s always good to go work for someone else for a couple of years, I think, and then decide what you want to do. If you want to be active and just want to design, do you want to really make the thing? Do you want to promote? Do you want to market? What do you want to do? It’s really hard to tell in college. You need to just try. A:
Now, is there anything else you would like to add or highlight
the behind the scenes? W:
I think the main thing is the people who are interested in
designs, they need to do it all the time. They need to do it a lot. It can’t be like … I don’t think people can do it like it’s a passing fancy. If you want to be successful you have to be immersed in it—at least from what I can see on the outside. It has to be kind of a passion. If you think of a lot of people who are in business, you can really tell they love what they’re doing. They have a very true vision of what they want. It’s not
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u
AS
Yo
t
d n o a f r
Whether you’re black, white, Asian, Latinx or biracial, chances are you’ve been insecure about your hair. It’s hard to like your natural hair. As you walk down the street, you’ve seen a woman with thick, loose curls or straight flowing hair and wished your hair could be like that. Trust me, everyone has been there before. Growing up as a black woman, on TV and in movies, there was rarely an actress that looked like me. And on the rare occasion when there was, their hair was straight, silky, and long. It looked nothing like the coily, textured hair that grew from my head. Naturally, I began to associate beauty with what I saw in the media. But I wasn’t the only one. Northeastern University grad student Tamia Burkett struggled to accept her natural hair due to her family’s Eurocentric beauty standards and cultural norms of straightening. “[My family members] had perms or had their hair straightened not necessarily out of convenience but because they thought that was beautiful, and not their natural hair,” Burkett said. Burkett, a black woman, didn’t start to accept her natural hair until her junior year of high school. Tired of damaging her hair, she decided to embrace her curls and begin her natural hair journey. Almost eight years and a “big chop” later, Burkett proudly wears her afro.
Hair is an aesthetic expression of yourself. That is why it is extremely intimiate. You are sharing a piece of your authentic self to the world.
Burkett’s experiences with hair insecurity isn’t unfamiliar. Chloe Chauvin, an Asian and white biracial woman, bleached her hair to think about who she was, in terms of her racial identity. “There’s this struggle of being like, ‘Am I white?’ ‘Am I Asian?’ ‘Am I Asian
direction manage editorial photo
and white?’ ‘Do I want to be more white?’ ‘Do I want to be more Asian?’” Chauvin said. “So, I guess, maybe when I dye my hair like a lighter color, some part of [me]” wants to look more white, to fit in.
light style
Historically, long straight blonde hair was the standard form of beauty.
makeup
But today, with the influence of social media and diverse representation, the lense of beauty is beginning to change. However, this doesn’t mean
layout assist
everyone considers their hair beautiful, or that every type of hair is represented accurately.
model First-year student Leyla Said, a black woman, saw that the black natural hair movement initially opened up conversations and spaces about the beauty of black hair. And yet, after a while, only certain hair types were accepted in the movement, she said.
KATE GONDWE MARIELY TORRES NIA EVANS MELANIE CURRY MARIELY TORRES JALISSA EVORA NANA TABATA ISABELLA DIBELLO RENATA BROCKMANN ZOEY SCHORSCH SABRINA HARRIS NIA EVANS JADA OSGOOD MARIELY TORRES LILLIAN COHEN FRANCISCO GUGLIELMINO PATRICK WILLIAMS MAYSOON KHAN TAMIA BURKETT LEYLA SAID CAROLINA DONOSO NOOR CHAGHOURI LORI LIU CHLOE CHAUVIN CHAPTER II
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Said felt that “[Loose curly hair] is the acceptable black woman, for some people, because that’s all they see.” In the media, light-skinned actors with loose, curly hair or extremely defined curls such as Zendaya or Yara Shahidi are the sole representations of black hair. Rarely are there women with kinky or short curly hair shown in popular media. That, as a result, made it harder for black women like Said and Burkett to accept their natural texture. Despite that, Said and Burkett now value their hair and accept it for the texture it is—a process that came with time. “Wearing my hair out curly [in] a short type of way gave me a new appreciation for it and for myself,” Said explained. But not every woman of color has experienced hair insecurities. Emerson College junior Caroline Donoso, a Latinx woman, never struggled to accept the state of her natural hair because it was never viewed as something undesirable—a privilege she recognized. “I think I was very empowered by the way my hair differentiated me from others and other blondes,” Donoso said. Essentially, since her hair is easily manageable and can switch from either curly or straight, accepting its natural state was never hard, Donoso said. Growing up, her mother constantly encouraged the idea that her hair was beautiful, attributing her acceptance of it to her. “I’ve never chemically done anything [to my hair] because my mom grew up with very curly hair and she always was against having super curly hair and she had a lot of things done it that ruined her hair,” Donoso said. “And so, she was always like, ‘Don’t touch it. It is what it is. You’re born with the hair you were given.’” Despite the acceptance of her hair, Donoso often wishes she had traditional Latinx hair—thick and textured. To some, hair is more than just hair. It’s an extension of their identity a source of sacred value. After accepting my natural kinky and coily texture, I began to value my hair, taking care of each curly strand diligently. Norr Chaghouri, a Muslim woman and junior at the University of Massachusetts Boston, said she valued her hijab as a part of her religious identity, considering it to be her hair. As her faith has strengthened over the 57
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silk slip dress MAISON MARGIELA cable knit sweater NANUSHKA
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"Wearing my hair out curly [in] a short type of way gave me a new appreciation for it and for myself.� -Leyla
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years, the value and belief in her hijab also increased, she said. “I have a very strong faith, and I believe in it. And, I believe it goes along with my identity as a Muslim woman, so I would never think about taking [my hijab] off,” Chaghouri said. “I feel a little bit more confident wearing my [hijab] out because it is built upon my identity and how people view me on the outside.” After seeing other Muslim women wearing hijabs at the mosque, Chaghouri started wearing her hijab in fifth grade because she wanted to a part of a community. At first, she faced opposition from her parents. They wanted to protect her from discrimination and islamophobia, she said. Despite her experiences with prejudice from her hijab and faith, she felt more confident wearing her hijab than just her “natural” hair. “I did face a lot of discrimination in the beginning, but never to the point where I questioned my decision where I wanted to take it off,” Chaghouri said. “It’s become a part of my identity now.” But hair is not always seen as a sacred aspect of someone’s identity. Sometimes it’s merely an accessory, fun to manipulate or play around with. Emerson College first-year Lori Liu shared this sentiment, dying her hair over five times in less than a year. “I think I do look good with black hair,” Liu said. “[Dying my hair] is more about making me look stylish and paying attention to myself.” Since this past summer, Liu has dyed her hair seven times, ranging from blonde to a deep red color. And despite the damage dying it has caused her hair, Lui said she will continue to dye it because she likes how colored hair makes her look. Liu’s family doesn’t share the same opinion about her hair, despite her love for it. In China, Liu said having colored hair is out of the norm, and by dying her hair, she’s received some negative comments. “I didn’t tell my parents before I dyed my [hair], so I went back home and my parents were like, ‘Yeah, you’re crazy, you’re nuts,’” Liu said. “My parents never wanted me to do dye my hair because [their] really conservative Chinese parents [but] they couldn’t do anything about it.” 61
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elpi vegan leather shirt NANUSHKA elpi vegan leather pants NANUSHKA
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maeve corduroy trousers REJINA PYO parker colorblock sweater REJINA PYO
"I feel a little bit more confident wearing my [hijab] out because it is built upon my identity and how people view me on the outside.� -Noor
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draped front lais dress NANUSHKA high neck shirt with suspenders PUSHBUTTON
Liu said she will continue to dye her hair because she feels more confident with colored hair. She doesn’t care about the negative comments, but rather how she feels about herself. Similar to Lui, I change my hair frequently because of its versatility—an added bonus to black hair. In 2019 alone, I’ve worn box braids, passion twists, weaves, a short braided bob, and my natural hair. Each time I don a new hairstyle, I become a new person, creating a new perception of myself in the process. However, time and time again, as I wear each new hairstyle, I find myself staring at the mirror, wondering how cute I would look with my natural hair. It’s hard to look at yourself in the mirror and believe you’re beautiful. I get it. Society has taught us to critique every feature of ourselves, from the small moles and scars to thick, curly hair. But why are we listening? I want you to look into the mirror and look at yourself. Really look at yourself. Point out your natural beauty—your skin, your shape, and your hair. It’s beautiful, right? I thought so. X
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ROOM FOR
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MEERA SINGH LILLIAN COHEN EMILY HOUGER MAYA PONTONE RENATA BROCKMANN FRANCISCO GUGLIELMINO MERCER WHITFIELD HAILEY FREEDMAN LILLIAN COHEN ALDEN MCWAYNE ALEXANDER KEULLING ALYSSA FREY AMAURY BASORA ANYA TISDALE BENJAMIN JUDD CALEB PECK CAROLINE KEOSAKSITH DAVIN ROBERTS DUNCAN NOVAK GABE KOIISHE HAILEY FREEDMAN JESSICA SPECTOR KATE MCNALLY KHAHN NGUYEN CIARAN MCDONOUGH MAXIMO LAWLOR SEPTEMBER SCHULTZ SYDNEY GORMAN
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Can someone tell me why I’m sitting in my room alone instead of drinking wine straight out of the box and watching “Love Island” with my roommates? You guessed it! Society refuses to accept people for who they are, to admit that there’s more to the word “beautiful” than a size zero blonde. This year has been big for body positivity in the fashion industry. This year’s New York fashion week had one of the most inclusive runways the industry has ever seen; so much so that after controversial comments from Victoria’s Secret chief marketing executive Ed Razek against trans and plus-sized models, the company canceled their show for the first time in 24 years. Even with these incredible strides towards inclusivity, what it means to be “beautiful” has been on my mind for a very long time. Since I was little, my mother wouldn’t let us take pictures of her. She would spend an hour putting on her makeup and picking out an outfit for work; Then she would look in the mirror and say “I hate my body” and walk away. My mother is 5’ 4”, 120 lbs, size 4. I know what you’re thinking. Cry me a river, b*tch. Well, the joke’s on you, I will. Since the dawn of time, since an asteroid hit Earth, people have been pushed and molded to behave a certain way, to dress a certain way, and to
look a certain way. Whether it be hair, skin, or dress size, there is always a standard to live up to. Society has made everyone feel as though they won’t be good enough until they look like Jackie O, Cindy Crawford, Kim Kardashian or Bella Hadid. That’s why I don’t have pictures of my mom. I brought up this topic with my coworker, Andrew. He asked, “Why does it even matter if there are plus-size models? It shouldn’t affect you that much.” First off, f **k you, Andrew. I never liked you anyway. But second, I am 5’ 8”, 160 lbs and range from a size 6 to 8. I understand that on a surface level the first thing people notice about me is not my size. However, the lack of inclusivity in fashion—whether it be on social media, in film, in advertisements, or on the runway—has directly impacted my own selfworth. Not only this, but it affects the people I love on a daily basis. Plussize models matter because the average person is not at all what they see represented in the media. What happens when every image of “beautiful” is depicted as a six feet tall and a size 0? She is beautiful, but so is my best friend, my sisters, my grandmother, my brother, my neighbor, my classmates, and the person walking beside me on the sidewalk. They all deserve to feel represented. They all deserve to feel good about themselves. The industry has been trying to become diverse and inclusive this past fashion week. Thanks to designers like Rihanna, Michael Kors and Christian Siriano, 94 non-traditional models walked for over seven brands this year. This sounds like progress considering only five years ago there were no non-traditional models on the runway at all. However, when looking more into it, that means only 1.7 percent of models that walked in fall’s NYFW were plus size. That hits different, right? CHAPTER II
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“Why have we never considered that we could just love our body as is?”
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That feels so icky. Doesn’t it? I got to interview Linda Ayraoetov, the host of “Plus 1,” a positive pop culture podcast. Her topics center around journeys of selflove. Her message of self-love is to people of all shapes and sizes, letting them know that who they are is beautiful.
Of course, I want to celebrate the progress that’s developing in the fashion community. Big ups to my girl Rihanna, and shout out to Michael Kors for a valiant effort. Designers like them, that include all different bodies in their shows, are what’ is going to pave the way for the rest of the industry; for the little boys and girls still exploring their bodies and what they mean. And yet, can we honestly say there’s inclusivity? The average dress size of an American woman is 14. Most mainstream clothing brands only carry up to size 12.
When I asked her what compelled her to create a podcast on the topic, she told me about a time she was hanging out with her friends and everyone only talked about what diet they were doing; how much they were exercising; how close they were to their goal weights. She thought, “Why have we never considered that we could just love our body as is?” Ayroettov has always had a love for fashion, really excited about the diversity and representation she’s beginning to see within the industry. However, she also recognizes that at a size 22, not only can she rarely find her size and shop in stores, but there are plenty of people bigger than her. CHAPTER II
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“Having a vast multitude of sizes in items of clothing that people actually want to wear is not impossible. Nor is it something that should be stigmatized against.” 73
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It’s difficult to talk about plus size fashion without also talking about the general stigma against bigger individuals. Linda talked about how much it affects her when she’s out with her smaller friends. “I know I am bigger, at this point, I don’t have a problem with it,” she said. “I love my body. But, it’s obvious when I walk in that these stores are catering to them and not me.” In a 2017 interview with Glossy, an executive of a luxury brand that refused to be named said, “Being overweight is not very healthy, so it doesn’t matter how much of the population is fat; it’s not a healthy image to be putting out there.” The idea that fashion designers are taking it upon themselves to pretend to be public health officials is beyond me. It’s impossible to tell someone’s health status by looking at them. Having a vast multitude of sizes in items of clothing that people actually want to wear is not impossible. Nor is it something that should be stigmatized against. Linda was able to point out plenty of high end, beautiful brands that have brick and mortar stores in New York City. But the greater fashion industry is sweeping a huge majority of people under the rug. It’s far overdue for that idealism to gracefully bow out. I want to preface this story by letting you know I have an insanely large bias: I absolutely f **king hate Boston. This city is the proud home to an intensely diverse set of people. Yet, it doesn’t understand how to be inclusive. There are little to no places for a person over a size 14 to shop for clothing. That’s extremely shady considering there is no shortage of shopping centers and malls within the city. My roommate—also known as my best friend and live-in-therapist—and I spend 76 percent of our time together. Like many others in the age of social media, one of our favorite pastimes is shopping for clothes we’re never going to buy because they’re out of our struggling college student price range. She’s a size 12-14. Why on earth does that make it a hit or miss whether or not she’ll have a good shopping experience? I wish I never had to see my best friend cry in a dressing room. Unfortunately, this is a common experience a lot of people are subject to because clothing at stores don’t come in their size, fit their shape, or show models that look like them. When I was in high school, my parents took us on our first family vacation. I needed a new swimsuit because I’m intensely materialistic. My mother took me to the mall to find one. At the time my bra size was 34 DD. My mother spent three hours in the mall trying to stop my tears because not a single swimsuit made me look good or feel good. My sister is 5’ 10’, 150 lbs, and a mother. When she goes to buy jeans, she can never find a pair that fits. They’re too short for her. They make her “muffin top” stick out. They make her cry. They make her say “I hate my body.” According to a Psychology Today Survey, 88 percent of women are unhappy with their physical appearance. The reason a diverse pool of models is important is that not a single person should look at themselves in the mirror with the thought “I hate my body.” There shouldn’t be a societal push not to love it. X
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STYLE AIN’T A ONE-HORSE TOWN direction editorial illustration 75
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JACK LENT ADAM BARLYN TREY GLICKMAN
rough ‘n’ tough lives of cowboys, ranchhands, outlaws and sheriffs have been set in the West. From campfire tales of shootouts and bandits came Western novellas, and then Western television shows and movies. In 1903, the first ever Western film “The Great Train Robbery” was shown, giving audiences an exciting vignette into the rampant crime of the lawless West. Filmmakers kept making Westerns, and in 1930 “The Big Trail” was shown in theaters, a budding actor John Wayne playing a heroic fur trapper. In 1949, “The Lone Ranger” began airing on American television networks. At that point, the Western genre was in full swing, a standard backdrop for on-screen drama and action. Furthermore, Western TV and movies solidified the Wild West and all of its tropes into American pop culture, elevating its folklore status into something iconic and commercially lucrative. The genre and its associated archetypes and themes have stayed in American pop culture ever since, though to varying degrees of popularity through the years. As the lifespans of trends are known to go, Westerns soon became somewhat passe, and new kinds of romanticized heroes took the place Yee-haw! The Wild West. Stetson hats and tall boots with spurs. Collared shirts with flowery embroidery and rhinestones. Big belt buckles, revolver pistols, bandanas, lassos, horses. Chewing tobacco, stubble, and grit. The cowboy is a ubiquitous figure in American folklore in popular media.
of cowboys throughout pop culture. When writers and filmmakers finally began looking back at the Western genre to dissecting it, their retrospective gave way to a change in how we think about the theme and its depictions of American communities at the time. The 1992 film “Unforgiven” is known as a Revisionist Western, depicting a more realistic Wild West. Clint Eastwood, a star of many classic Westerns
Recently, Western aesthetics have resurfaced, cowboy flavor seeping into mainstream American pop and hip-hop. EDM art-pop artist Kirin J Callinan reached virality with his 2017 song “Big Enough” and its matching music video. In 2018, Lil Uzi Vert joined rapper Lil Tracy on the silly track “Like a Farmer,” mixing elements of a flex song with Western references. Artists Kacey Musgraves and Mason Ramsey, coming from backgrounds in country music, adopted the Western aesthetic for their own brands when making country-pop. Most recently, arguably the most popular song of all time, “Old Town Road” by rapper Lil Nas X, was released in 2018. In the country-inspired hiphop single, Lil Nas X portrays himself as a lonesome cowboy riding his horse down his own road, away from life’s problems. Its subsequent remix, featuring ’90s country star Billy Ray Cyrus, climbed the charts to number one and stayed there for a record-setting 19 weeks. His Western style is born from an idea synonymous with the cowboy— individual freedom. Exhibiting the classic cowboy spirit, Lil Nas X proclaims that he is going his own way, down his own path, and no one can tell him what to do otherwise. It’s common knowledge that the age of the Wild West is not exactly accurately remembered, but rather posthumously romanticized. Since the era of westward expansion in the United States, exciting tales of the CHAPTER II
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from the ’60s, starred as the protagonist who separates himself from
$1,000. Louis Vuitton sells designer cowboy hats for $1,350. The
the indulgent violence of the West but is ultimately pulled back into
Diamante 1000X cowboy hat from Stetson uses beaver and chinchilla
his true murderous self. More recently, we have seen the Western genre
fur as well as a diamond-encrusted hatband with solid gold buckles,
politically explored through the HBO series “Westworld” and the video
priced at about $5000. Both Ralph Lauren and Raf Simons evolved
game series “Red Dead: Redemption.” These franchises questioned
their own aesthetics through Western ideals and horse-riding culture.
how humans would realistically behave in a lawless environment.
The “Calvin Klein Jeans Est. 1978” line (season 2) seemed to obsess over Westerns, produced under the direction of designer and then-CCO
But the revisiting of Westerns has extended well past cinema and other
Raf Simons during his brief stint at the company. The series featured
media franchises. Western-flavored clothes can be found from a variety
Western elements down to the textiles used for most of the clothing—
of labels and price points. When trendy dressers seek out clothing
denim. It created an obsession over the “new cowboy.” Everyone had
designed outside the realm of high fashion and design houses, there can
cowboy-cut jeans and jackets from the collection, featuring “landscape”
be some really innovative and groundbreaking results. Fashion buyers
prints of photographs from rodeos, an American flag, and a man riding
dipping into vintage and workwear markets affect trends to an extent
a horse across a vast plain.
that labels may design and make clothes following the aesthetic. Labels like Nike ACG, ACRONYM, and Stone Island succeeded in making
The translation of the Western themes into our modern pop culture
high-tech clothing trendy and marketable to an exclusive market.
comes with a multitude of contemporary societal factors: debate
Classic American brands like Carhartt, known for producing sturdy
on what it means to be an American, debate on what it means to be
workwear for blue-collar workers, introduced labels that remixed their
free or to be an individual, and doubt over whether or not one is truly
workwear style (as well as bumping up the price) to have more trendy
independent. Westerns made a lot of assumptions about American
and experimental fits. The cowboy look is similar to the traditional
culture. Its most significant was that Americans believe they are
workwear look, with historical, class and occupational references.
special in being “free.” It’s a misconception that dates back to the Revolutionary War and early colonization. Though the theme is still
Current staples on the runway include everything from Western-cut
played up throughout today’s society, it’s a direct result of the longing
shirts, which typically have some extra padding on the shoulders and
to return to a time in which we were more free, more independent, and
snap-on buttons, to straight-up cowboy boots. Everyone has made
able to ride through life as we pleased. X
money off of the remarketed look. Cowboy boots can be found in the collections of old-money designer brands like Valentino as Fendi, as well as more avant-garde brands like Vetements and Off-White. Givenchy and Saint Laurent sell Western shirts starting at about
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“WESTERN STYLE IS BORN FROM AN IDEA SYNONYMOUS WITH THE COWBOY— INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM.”
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ZACK LESMEISTER LAUREN DILLOW RORY WILLARD NADEZHDA RYAN VALERIE ZHANG LANGLEY CUSTER MARIELY TORRES RILEY JENSEN FRANCISCO GUGLIELMINO ANNA HAMRE TATIANA MIYOKO WHITE MEGAN AUBRY SHAW ZHONG
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BEAU
direction photo editorial manage video
YUHAN CHENG RHYS SCARABOSIO RONALD CRIVELLO-KAHIHIKOLO JANE MORITZ YUHAN CHENG
IT’S A AUTIFUL UTIFUL RIOT!!!
faux leather skirt TOBY BLUE plaid skirt BODEN faux leather jacket INC print sweater SCOTCH & SODA button up CALVIN KLEIN diamond plaid vest DAMON
Listen up bitches! British punk rock fashion has been around for almost 50 years now, dating back to the ’70s. It originated in England, where fashion designer Vivienne Westwood was largely credited with being the mastermind behind this style. Westwood and her husband Malcolm McLaren opened up a boutique, Sex, which specialized in clothing that defined the clothing of the punk movement. The store’s designs confronted social and sexual taboos and included t-shirts that bore semi-naked cowboys, artists, and bare breasts. At the time of starting the shop, McLaren was managing a band called the Sex Pistols who ended up purchasing outfits from the boutique. Shortly after that, the Sex Pistols fanbase began imitating their look and although punk fashion already existed, the Sex Pistols acted as a catalyst for the future of this luminous era. Observers of British punk fashion began to take note of how carefully each ensemble was put together. Each clothing item was carefully chosen to embody the message that they were trying to give. Think back to the world of ’70s Britain—when the punk revolt blew up into a craze of chemical green hair, vicious black cat eyes and ghostly white skin. This jaw-dropping genre twisted the ideals of normative beauty and reshaped the standards of fashion. The ’70s was a time of clashes, individual expression, dichotomies, and emerging identities. The dreariness of Britain’s oppressive class system sparked a cultural revolution that brought thousands of young people out onto the streets. From strikes to riots, and economic decline, the era served as Britain’s darkest decade. However, as a unified society, the country’s men and women worked together to call out the government and media on their sh*t. Towards the end of the decade, there was an explosion within the youth culture, and British punk style became their slogan of rebellion. Those who identified with this glam fashion movement deliberately alienated themselves from the rest of society, making the conscious choice to startle and antagonize others with their outfits. British punk rock was largely made up of everyday objects. The overarching theme of black— chains, leather, boots, and safety pins—were all just a few average components of the overarching punk fashion style. Many members of the punk subculture wore tight jeans, plaid trousers, kilts and leather jackets, often decorated with metal studs, spikes, band names and political statements. Footwear included Dr. Marten boots, creepers and platforms. Some punks would even go so far as to displaying swastikas on their clothing, to add shock value.
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After a while, the punk style began to symbolize their resistance of society. Their clothes had something to say. Their distorted alterations of ordinary clothes were used as a political statement. Jean Paul Gautier, a French fashion designer who made his debut in 1976, designed quintessential clothing pieces that were as fiery as his attitude. Paul was known for challenging standard views in fashion. His nihilistic designs broke the rules, which inspired people to let loose and showcase their individuality. His hybrid designs like the combination of a chemise-jacket, pants-skirt, and lingerie was a perfect example of this. Jean Paul Gaultier’s designs have exalted the theme of androgyny which brought men and women together in the age where prejudice views were very prominent. Punk was regarded as one of the most prominent subcultures of the ’70s. It incorporated elements from the style of blacksmiths, skinheads, mods and Victorian-era fashion, making the hodgepodge of stylism brilliant in its own right. Men became the face of the revolution, usurping women didn’t get the recognition they deserved. In punk, some women would dress masculine, men would dress feminine, while others would represent no gender at all. This was all an act of ill conformance to society. But why? If the movement was a unified act of rebellion against gender, then why are all the men credited above women? It’s absolute bullsh*t. Women were from since the beginning, not only through their ferociously badass looks, but music, zines, films, books, and photographs. For crying out loud, Vivienne Westwood practically birthed the whole f **cking movement. The first punk women scandalized British society by rejecting traditional roles of femininity. The look associated with the female status quo caused many women in this era to dismiss feminine beauty ideals—the reason being, they detested having a lack of power, being forced to conform to the boring puppy-eyed look that “real” women adopted during that period. It created a wall of resistance between themselves and the normative. Ripped clothes, distorting skin through tattoos, piercings, and black nail polish were all kicked off in the ’70s. These powerful group of women worked to uglify the image of self. Therefore, serving as the mechanism for liberating oneself from the standard beauty expectations that “normal” women were accustomed to. Zillah Minx, lead singer of the band Rubella Ballet, was the epitome of these sentiments. She hated the sameness, normality, and lack of imagination that everyone else portrayed, so she’d dye her blond locks with food coloring, put on four layers of eyeliner, and wore shredded up clothes that she’d dye herself. Women in the ’70s also began to adopt BDSM culture and the S&M fashion scene, incorporating it into punk standards. The use of collars, leather, chokers, and smudged makeup exposed a theme of BDSM in looks that earlier punks wore. After women started wearing such provocative accessories, men slowly took to wearing harnesses and chokers. Their blatant sexual references caused quite a stir among the mainstream, ex85
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“The first punk women scandalized British society by rejecting traditional roles of femininity.”
posing many sexual practices that were previously hidden or taboo their society. Adding on to the already beautiful disaster of fashion in this era, the placement of studs and pins in facial body parts such as eyebrows, lips, nose, and cheeks was quite unusual for the period, but they did it anyways to deliberately offend the conventional crowds. This act of rebellion was then seen as unisex and men began to sport facial jewelry. Women in punk made it possible to push the boundaries of right and wrong. They deserve to be recognized for their efforts in flipping off the sh*tty patriarchal society of the ’70s. While men also played an important role, both sides need to be equally recognized for their valiant efforts in taking down the oppressive class system. All in all, punk fashion will always be fashion’s original symbol of defiance. X
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page 111 PUBLIC SPACE
page 129 THE CASE BY THE CREEK
page 91 TILL LOVE BREAKS US APART
page 123 FASHION WITH A CAPITAL F
page 103 LOVE AND LAYERS
CHAPTER III
INDEX OF INDEX
RADIO TEAM Emily Houger Letao Chen
KEYWORDS
Composition (noun): The
arrangement
Diego Villarroel of
artistic elements to create a visual experience.
Avant-garde (noun): Experimental ideas that push
the
boundaries
of what art is and what it can be.
Intimacy (noun): Found in a relationship where each member feels
Valerie Zhang
Green Line Train
BEHIND THE SCENES
TILL LOVE BREAKS US APART:
PHOTOGRAPHY Langley Custer
Paramount Studio LOVE & LAYERS:
Maya Pontone
Emerald Necklace
Rhys Scarabosio Francisco Guglielmino
THE CASE BY THE CREEK:
Kate Gondwe
Brockmann’s House
SPECIAL THANKS
SPECIAL
Isabella DiBello
THANKS Destiny Joseph @isthisfate
Renata Brockmann and Housemates
For returning to the pages
to share the photography
this time with a companion and narrative together.
SPECIAL THANKS
a story and plotline.
Porter Transit Station
Alexander T. Keulling
and familiarity.
characters that weaves into
C-Mart Supermarket China Town
of INDEX Magazine, and
A string of events and
PUBLIC SPACE:
CONTRIBUTING POETRY Zack Lesmeister Majovah Bastien
a sense of safeness, trust,
Narrative (noun):
LOCATIONS
Severity_Stone @severity_stone For so kindly spending time with the crew and letting us capture your beauty, talent, and graceful presence on our cover.
Tobias Kessler Alejandra Valdez Anna Capello
3.
b
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e
a
k
s
direction photo light style
scenic assist model
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YUHAN CHENG YUHAN CHENG RENATA BROCKMANN ZOEY SCHORSCH ZACK LESMEISTER LAUREN DILLOW SABRINA HARRIS MARIELY TORRES VALERIE ZHANG LANGLEY CUSTER DESTINY JOSEPH EDWARD FERREIRA
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nude dress JOHNATHAN SIMKHAI trench coat MAISON MARGIELA button up shirt KIMHEKIM
Adam and Eve stand before the Earth, not knowing what love is. “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep.� genesis 1:2 Genesis, after the Apocalypse
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sequin dress WALK OF SHAME sweatpants PORTS hoodie KIMHEKIM
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Lov
A
ve
And
direction
photo illustration light style assist
model
RONALD CRIVELLO-KAHIHIKOLO OONA BAKER YUHAN CHENG LANGLEY CUSTER JACK LENT RENATA BROCKMANN ZACK LESMEISTER PATRICK WILLIAMS JACK LENT FRANCISCO GUGLIELMINO RONALD CRIVELLO-KAHIHIKOLO VALERIE ZHANG SARAH FOURNELL ISABELLE FISHER
Layers
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poem
ZACK LESMEISTER
On Being A Fetish Another man, can’t imagine my body with my name. So he gives me something else to live inside of. Exotic beauty, foreign boy, he labels me this. Always a man, calling me something other than my name. Phone buzzes. Fingers interlaced: cupping a small screen in his palms, he builds a temple around a picture of my clothed body, and this is how I know prayer. A man always asking a far away being for something he doesn’t deserve. Being begged to give with nothing in return. To be the one always answering and not asking. Maybe—the fingers, are also—atoms, producing a spark with each combustion. Of course, I know how a flame works. I swallow hellfire every time I’m mistaken for anything besides myself. I burn so—bright. All the bugs swarm. He’d call his obsession love, but a moth to flame is animal at best.
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Trade poem
MAJOVAH BASTIEN
A young hyper-masculine gay man Trade: to exchange something for something else. Trading: the action of engaging in trade. Man trades himself in exchange for a craving. Trade sanity for fantasy. Trade left me a body of dismemberment. Sodemy and confetti. I am the celebration at the end of his party. I can help you open up your closet doors, I tell him—but I keep our secret. I won’t say your name. We could make this official. Be the romance the whole hood remembers. We could hold hands as we get hot fries, and a can of Vess at the Quiktrip. Hop the metro turnstile, and go anywhere, together. But Trade is ready to hide me in his closet after he’s done. Prays upon feminine and leaves the bouquet resting at a casket. I’m in love with men who will never see me as their equal. Who can crack the spine into an arch—like a wishbone, and always get the bigger half. My father taught me to look a man in the eye and demand my place. So I trade my body for no man. I trade myself for no one. I am the miracle.
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trench coat BURBERRY chesterfield coat SAKS 5TH AVE monogram bag LOUIS VUITTON vintage heels GUCCI
Love and Layers
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OONA BAKER KATE GONDWE RHYS SCARABOSIO RENATA BROCKMANN LANGLEY CUSTER FRANCISCO GUGLIELMINO MEERA SINGH TOBY KESSLER KELLY CHEN TATE SHAPEERO
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sweatshirt VETEMENTS
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t-shirt #FR2 blazer TaxEvasion
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editorial illustration
LILLIAN COHEN ALESSANDRA SY
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The fashion world is an endless revolution of style, shifting within the spectrum of outrageous and uncomfortable to overly comfortable and slouchy. Bike shorts and dad sneakers are on their way out, currently reaching their peak with the public street-style community throughout middle America department stores. An interesting drive is now spearheaded into formal menswear, unconventional footwear and sheer ensembles, leaving unconventional takes on familiar tropes at a mecca of stylism throughout every runway. Ruffles, lace, and flowy fabrics are reappearing. Pastels pack a punch. Monochrome ensembles and swimming swarms of fabric are released with tiny purses to match. The avant-garde is reclaiming its domains. But a huge part of this new configuration has to do with the upheaval of the people within the industry’s interior. The death of legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld last February shook the fashion community to its core. He was an institution, working as artistic director at Chanel for 30 years and sustaining the longest collaboration with Fendi ever, among other high-ranking credits. The French fashion house announced his replacement, Virginie Viard, shortly after his death.
But Viard is quite influential in her own right. She started as an intern at Chanel, initially recommended by the chamberlain of Prince Rainier of Monaco. Over the years, she became Lagerfeld’s second in command, even following him to Chloé (and back to Chanel). She’s helped manage both haute couture and ready-to-wear within the iconic brand’s directory. At January’s couture show in Paris, she bowed in his place because he “was feeling tired.” Her presence makes sure that the “legacy of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld can live on,” said an official statement from the company. The shows following have run off without a hitch, playing up classic designs and inspiration that Chanel-fans expect: youthful tweeds, collared shift silhouettes, classic colors and cohesive form, with the exception of a performance artist escorted off the stage by model Gigi Hadid. And yet, their longtime rival Louis Vuitton was the brand to break the internet with their most recent collections. Despite picking the worst time to dedicate a show to Michael Jackson, the Fall/Winter 2019 menswear collection mainly focused on tailoring and form, Virgil Abloh himself commenting that “It takes an intense amount of time to do something subtle.” Layers upon layers of semi-monochrome structures strut down the runway. There are long vests with shortened blazers, double-breasted widely structured blazers with loose hanging trousers, spotted wristlength gloves and military cuffs, pleated flowing skirts and puffed fabrics, classic LV patterns and variations of global flags. Everything is incredibly deliberate. The Spring/Summer 2020 menswear collection follows similar themes, with pastels primarily taking up space along the moving models. It mixed billowing jackets with shorts, detailed seemingly-sporadic knits, florals, rain ponchos, and floral painted patterns that looked as though they bled into each other; some like they were going to work and others CHAPTER III
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packed for a long-term storm (tent included). Hike on foot to Paris, but make it fashion! And feminine! Suit and trouser-type forms were paired with pullover sweatshirts of similar stature and flowing floral fabrics. The materials are more lightweight, playing into transparent fabrics and layered flowing coatings, geometric shapes meeting the purposefully abstract and flowing. But with such a busy schedule, spearheading Louis Vuitton’s menswear and Off-White collections, the pace was getting too strenuous to his health, Abloh claimed—so much so that he didn’t attend his Off-White show in Paris Sept. 26. Burberry also went through some jaw-dropping changed this season, changing their signature logo for the first time in over 20 years. It was creative director Riccardo Tisci’s vision, upon researching archives of the brand upon his appointment to the position March 2018. The new interlocking “TB” monogram print redesign that accompanied it is said to honor the creator of the popular luxury brand, Thomas Burberry. Designed by British graphic designer Peter Saville, who also helped reinvent the Calvin Klein logo for Raf Simons in February 2018, it is the small details of this change that pull through into the full piece; the reinvention of Burberry under Tisci; the changing of the guard. Now a bold sans serif, the modern rendition replaced the former Bodoni font and
Equestrian Knight logo, breathing new life into the classic luxury brand— though it is worth noting that it is extremely similar to the “rebranding” of other major fashion and luxury brands, such as Balmain, Saint Laurent, Mugler, Berluti, and even Diane Von Furstenberg. But in the era of camp, it was only fitting that Anna Wintour make the theme official. The Met Gala was all the talk of the town for weeks, as per usual. With ’80s ball culture sweeping primetime TV in “Pose,” the Kardashians taking on Washington, and a former-TV host in the White House, the theme (Camp: Notes on Fashion) truly solidified the moment of absurdity, irony, parody, and exaggeration that struck the runway in the Viktor & Rolf Couture Spring 2019 line. Kacey Musgraves showed up in a pink convertible dressed as Barbie, hairdryer and all. Kim Kardashian created illusionary curves with a Mulger corset dress that could kill, bead hanging off like rain. Lady Gaga wore four distinct ensembles by Brandon Maxwell, walking up and down the coveted pink carpeted stairs for each. Billy Porter, dripping in gold like a Sun God, was carried in on a daybed by a tribe of shirtless men. Christian Siriano created a literal blinking eye as a top for Janelle Monae’s Picasso-esque optical illusion ensemble. Lil Nas X and his campy style have also left an impression on pop culture after the singer came out on Twitter, wearing avant-garde looks in music videos and across red carpets. But it was his VMA look that caught everyone’s attention, dressed in a ’70s prom tuxedo dripping in glitter, cream ruffles running down all the way down his chest. He has dismantled
“I see the opportunity to be a part of fashion’s push for something greater, kinder, more impactful.”
F F F
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“As the views of the population have changed, so have the icons we crown to uphold them.”
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the stereotypes of a male rapper, bringing stereotypically feminine looks to the mainstream through hip hop. People in the fashion industry have become more comfortable playing with these previously set concepts as their definitions are questioned throughout the minds of their viewers; with race, gender, sexuality, mental health and environmental change. So as the views of the population have changed, so have the icons we crown to uphold them, including Serena Williams, Chrissy Teigen, and Meghan Markle. The September issue of any high-profile magazine is one of its most important for the year. It lays out the foundation for the changing seasons and everything that comes along with that. In terms of Vogue, it’s the thickest issue and takes months to collaborate, choreograph, and collect every piece. The stakes could not be higher—even with the Duchess of Sussex as the guest-editor. The LA-born British-royal has become a fashion icon in her own right after her relationship with Prince Harry went public. Many compare her charitable nature, sense of style, and astoundingly unapologetic nontraditional view of the throne to the late Princess Diana. This past
September’s British Vogue was originally supposed to feature Meghan Markle on the cover, but when Markle requested to bring more of her own touch by editing the magazine, they sent approval over text message. No that’s not normal. “I see the opportunity to be a part of fashion’s push for something greater, kinder, more impactful,” she wrote in the introduction to the issue. “Let’s be braver. Let’s go a bit deeper.” The issue highlighted racial and gender diversity, mental-health awareness, women in leadership, and more throughout its subjects and photospreads. For an actress whose charity work and prior activism rap sheet speaks for itself, Markle was not going to sit quietly in her ivory tower at Kensington Palace. She continues to turn heads, directly revolting against the apolitical standard set for royals, along with the strict dress code. Her sister-in-law Kate Middleton’s cover back in 2016 appears archaic in comparison to the collage of female voices highlighted on Markle’s cover; Nobel Prize winners, prime ministers, models, actors, and novelists, all with their own stories of resistance and activism. It’s a not-so-subtle shout from the rooftop towards the naysayers who have been haggling her royal
status before there was even a ring on her finger. The magazine issue was so important not only because of its guest-editor but because of what it featured; because controversies have occurred throughout the season’s evolution. Elle Germany miscredited a black model in an already problematically titled spread of their print copy, “Black is Back.” Hollywood Life committed a similar misrepresentation shortly after between K-pop queen Jennie Kim and model Irene Kim, blowing up across the coveted Instagram account Diet Prada. These issues stir up a lot of conversations in regards to racism and representation throughout the industry. Along with the rest of the fashion industry, Victoria’s Secret has faced some criticism about their diversity; in cultures, sizes, and gender identities of models. When asked about the issue, last fall, a spokesperson responded that transgender women don’t fit into the “fantasy” that the company is trying to present to customers. The opinion wasn’t too popular, leading thousands of people to boycott the brand. The company announced the cancellation of its annual fashion show in July. But it was the launch and growing popularity of Savage X Fenty by Rihanna that put the final nail in the coffin for Victoria’s Secret. The lingerie branch of Rihanna’s already blossoming fashion empire Fenty has grown to a competitive level, using a diverse set of models and sizes to wholly represent the average woman. “It was important to me to push the boundaries, but also to create a line that women see themselves in,” Rihanna said upon launching the line. Savage X Fenty was launched as a way to broaden the traditional industry values of what is beautiful. The collection featured 90 pieces, including lingerie, sleepwear, and accessories. Many models from Victoria Secret walked in the 2019 show, signaling the official turn of the tide: Victoria’s Secret was finally going under. This season brought big changes, altering our reality and solidifying new details. The industry continues to change as the new armed guard takes over for those that have soiled their dressings. Legendary retailer Barney’s New York filed for bankruptcy and was sold for parts. Rihanna’s fashion empire skyrocketed. Activism spread through the royal family. Zac Posen announced the closing of his namesake brand after a ripe 18 years. Tommy Hilfiger and Zendaya took the world by storm with their collaborative collection. Alyssa Vinegan Klein joined Nylon as their new editorial director this September, now under the ownership of Bustle and switching to digital-only copies. The world is changing. Its owners are changing. But so is the fashion. X
FRANCISCO GUGLIELMINO RENATA BROCKMANN TRISTAN CALVO-STUDDY FRANCISCO GUGLIELMINO
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RENATA BROCKMANN LANGLEY CUSTER FRANCISCO GUGLIELMINO ZOEY SCHORSCH ZACK LESMEISTER LAUREN DILLOW HAILEY FREEDMAN SABRINA HARRIS JANE MORITZ MERCER WHITFIELD MARIELY TORRES RILEY JENSEN GENEVA KLEIN MAJOVAH BASTIEN SEVERITY STONE ALESSANDRA SY ZEIANA ANDRADE NOAH ESPINOLA
CASE BY THE
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AN EFS PRODUCTION
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a couture crime story
CREEK!
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birkin bag HERMÉS fragonard bag LV x JEFF KOONS logo print bag BALENCIAGA kelly bag HERMÉS black kitty heels CELINE white floral shirt BALENCIAGA drop crotch pants CELINE lada ankle boot BY FAR maggie check skirt REJINA PYO mink coat DENNIS BASSO princess trench CHEYMA lidya leopard hat BELLEROSE horizon prairie dress SAMANTHA PLEET butterfly bodysuit SAMANTHA PLEET rhode dress STINE GOYA fringe pouch STINE GOYA saddle bag CHRISTIAN DIOR embroidered slippers GUCCI vegan mink coat EACH X OTHER slit jersey dress EACH X OTHER fur collar coat AN_ERIN rose slingbacks YUUL YIE tulle dress ACT NO.1 carla dress REJINA PYO oyster scarf AN_ERIN 131
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ring AZURA
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sequin haute couture nightgown ALEXANDER MCQUEEN beaded haute couture nightgown MAISON VALENTINO vintage fur shawl MAISON VALENTINO topaz ring MARIKAS
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meanwhile...
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fin!
EMERSON FASHION SOCIETY
I N D E X FW19