ICON
Issue VI February ‘19
Fashion Club of Boston College
Letter from the Editor:
Welcome to the February issue of the digital version of ICON: the fashion club magazine Here at the Fashion Club of Boston College, our mission statement is to create a dialogue between fashion designers and enthusiasts, to bring awareness of career opportunities within the fashion sector, and to showcase BC students design and writing through the club magazine and our annual fashion show We love our fashion forward club members and all of our supporters because our club wouldn’t be possible without you all We have some amazing talent to showcase in this issue and I hope you enjoy it. Thank you so much to everyone who put hard work into this! Be sure to follow us on Instagram (@bostoncollegefashionclub) and VSCO (@fc-bc) and email us (fashionclub.bostoncollege@gmail.com) to submit your looks to be featured on our social media! Stay stylish BC!
Executive Board: ● Co-Presidents ○ Veronica Gordo ○ Anastasia Greer ● Magazine Editors-in-Chief ○ Kerry Nasta ○ Kelly O’Donovan ● Head Photographers ○ Keith Carroll ○ Michaela Mark ● Treasurer ○ Elene Tsokilauri ● Head of Menswear ○ Isaiah Mathieu ● Creative Director ○ Tatiana Viola
Content By: ● Cover ○ Kerry Nasta (pg. 1) ● Trend Boards ○ Kerry Nasta (pg. 3) ○ Lindsay MacLennan (pg. 6) ● Makeup/Beauty Trend ○ Lindsay MacLennan (pg. 11) ● Store to Check Out ○ Anthony Essick (pg. 7) ● Runway Show Analysis ○ Katherine Waken (pg. 8-10) ○ Katie Furlong (pg. 12-14) ● Favorite Trend Right Now ○ Frankie Littleton (pg. 4-5)
Work or Play?
BLAZING BLAZERS
My Favorite Trend RN…
The Uniform. Don’t let the title scare you, I’m not pushing to bring back the early 2000’s grungy school skirts and loose necktie. The uniform look I’m obsessed with right now falls under the monochrome trend that’s been thriving on streets and runways for the past few years. Wearing one color (or pattern—shout out Chanel) from head to toe can be intimidating, especially when it’s not
1 Chanel Spring 2019 runway at Paris Fashion Week
a classic black on black outfit, but something about the unity of a monochrome look just screams power and put-togetherness. If diving into the deep end isn’t your style and the idea of adorning whole body in one vibrant color still seems like a bad one, then I
2 Burberry Spring 2019 runway at
have good news for you: earth-tones
Paris Fashion Week
are dominating Spring 2019. Countless runways from the last Paris Fashion Week featured the bold monochrome look in subtle shades from sand to terra cotta. My personal favorite look comes from the Burberry show, but models for
Dior, Max Mara, Balenciaga, Miu Miu, Stella McCartney, and more also rocked the look. While neutrals are effortless, stunning, and an easy way to try out the trend, there’s really no better way to amp up your power color than to cover yourself in it. Layering and incorporating different textures, patterns, and shades are essential when you’re putting together your uniform, otherwise you’ll risk looking like a half-assed paper doll. Dimension is the key to this trend, so cinch your belt or throw on a fluffy jacket before you head out the door. Monochromatic vibes are a total statement that can range from soft and breezy to bold and in your face, but everything about the Uniform look is just so cool. It’s versatile, impactful, and easy to achieve—so give the Uniform a try, it’s my favorite trend RN.
By Frankie Littleton
STARS STARS STARS STARS STARS STARS STATEMENT SNEAKERS
SNAKE SKINS
ANTHONY ESSICK STORE TO CHECK OUT
DIME IS MONEY: When talking about streetwear, it’s easy to bring up staples like Supreme and Bathing Ape. It’s hard however, to bring up a “streetwear” brand that isn’t branching out and collaborating with major labels to create clothes that one can hardly wear on the street without getting a few glances. Over winter break, after spending the day bar-hopping in Old Montreal, I stumbled into a store called “Dime.” The bright studio lights and the minimalistic set up had me thinking I was in a Stussy, or maybe it was the vodka sodas, but I was ready to drop some hefty coin. Dime was created after a grainy video of some skaters riding around Montreal went viral. The brand is defined by its simplistic “Dime” logo which reminds me of “Dior.” The point of Dime, is to have fun and not take clothing too seriously. In the store there was a bright yellow construction hat with simply “Dime” printed on it that had a hefty price tag of $10,000. The salesman pointed out that it was a joke, like the rest of the pieces, they don’t really take it too seriously, which is pretty dope in my eyes. To me, the clothes are the epitome of “chill.” Various hand drawn designs reminiscent of bored in-class doodles, are printed on muted colored basics, creating clothes that one can easily wear headed to the shore, rushing to class, and lounging around. Besides the construction hat, most’ve the clothes were pretty affordable making Dime a pretty good find. Shop in person in Old Montreal, or online at https://dimemtl.com/.
It’s Not What’s Behind the Mask, It’s What’s Around It Gucci Fall 2019 Collection Review By Katie Waken There’s literally no way to criticize the work of Alessandro Michele. The mastermind behind Gucci has turned the company from a failure to the most prominent name in fashion right now in only eight seasons. From reinventing old silhouettes, patterns, and logos from the Gucci vault to completely revamping every Gucci boutique across the globe, Alessandro is who we have to thank for the new reign of Gucci. Everything he does comes as a shock and a mystery, nothing seems to make sense, yet everything comes together to create something beautiful. Alessandro Michele’s Fall 2019 Collection The Mask as a Cut Between Visible and Invisible does just that. The show was about more than the looks on the runway, but the atmosphere that filled the Gucci Hub on February 20th. An intricate array of flashing lights covered the back wall while the rest of the room was covered in mirrors. The audience overlooked the models from a set of tiered mirrored bleachers while dark choir music filled the room. The rhythm of the grim music was in sync with the flashing lights. The separation of the audience from the show represents the fact that this is art. The Mask as a Cut Between Visible and Invisible is not only a comment on what we choose to show and hide, but also insight into Alessandro’s motives of blurring the gender lines in fashion. The mask made me focus on the clothes rather than the model wearing them. The Cruise 2019 collection focused on a more mod 70s vibes with big glasses and oversized shirt collars, while the Fall 2019 collection moved forward a decade into the 80s, with its broad shoulder pads and genie pants. Alessandro updated vintage classics with his own unique flair by adding furs, vibrant patterns, spikes, knee pads, and of course the masks. As each look grazed the runway, I was in awe of the unique cohesion of the collection. Alessandro organized the show by color, moving along an unorganized gradient defined by daring patterns and vibrant pieces.
The opening look of this show sets the entire mood. The broad shoulder pads and accentuated waist of the skirt suit takes the audience back to the 80s, even with a pattern straight from the 80s vault. Alessandro layers a black tie over the patterned skirt suit to emphasize the fluidity that fashion is growing towards. But the best part of this look is the slouchy red boots underneath the skirt. The untraditional vibrance of these shoes is Alessandro’s way of saying that this is not a revival of the classics, but a revamp. The model holds a hairbrush as she struts down the runway, leaving us to want to question it, but hold back because it somehow fits the look.
Choosing a favorite look from this show was incredibly difficult. Each look is so exquisite and unique, but I finally came to the conclusion that Looks 25 and 32 were my favorites. Look 25 dazzled me as it graced the runway early on in the show. I knew from the second the lights flashed and revealed the gorgeous hybrid zebra-leopard print robe style coat with big dark fur accents that this would be my favorite look. It screams chic. The way the slinky chains attached by a velvet bow swayed to blur the model’s face created an essence of ambiguity that you just can’t ignore. Once I looked further into the color pairings, Alessandro’s use of hints of orange in the socks and the bag make the look pop. Not to mention the fact that the chains covering the model’s face are the same as the chains donned upon the classic Gucci horsebit loafers.
Look 32 did not have the same effect on me initially. In a sea of green, this look grazed by me, barely catching my attention. The spiked mask covering the upper half of the model’s face is unwelcoming, as well as the massive fur scarf that covers the bottom half and majority of the model’s chest. But to on second glance, this look embodies how you feel when you wear Gucci. The belt, straight from the Gucci vault, paired with the cigarette leg, pleated pants is straight from the 80s, but the deep green snakeskin material and nude socks under the heels is what makes it modern. The large, almost garrish, gold chain makes this look Alessandro. Every piece is so intricately designed and meticulously layered. I feel like these pieces should not be put together, but the complete look is absolutely mesmerizing.
And now for my least favorite looks. The first being Look 86. I feel that this piece does not fit the show. Considering that it is second to last, I would expect Alessandro to have wowed the audience a bit more. He traditionally does a black piece for his second to last looks, but this one was just boring. The draping of black fabric atop more black fabric atop a white strikingly bland white base was anticlimactic. The shoes are amazing, but don’t completely fit the look; Alessandro should have paired this with shoes that match the rhinestones on the blouse, or completely scratched the rhinestone idea and just have matched it with the spikes on the mask. All in all, I expected more from the second to last look of this show.
My next least favorite look is Look 48. I know that runway collections are not about what’s conventional, but I just do not see any aesthetic appeal to this look. The jacket is of course beautifully crafted, but it doesn’t reach the goals of the show in my opinion. Alessandro is trying to make gender fluid clothing, but this coat is too feminine for that. The blouse and tie peeping out from underneath the jacket are a nice touch, but it’s hard to look at that when those argyle socks and yellow rain boots are screaming at you from below. The colors do not make sense. If the model was wearing different tights, maybe something a bit more cohesive to the color scheme, this would not be as bad, but those socks take away from the contrast between the dark blueish gray and the yellow boots. Additionally, what is on the model’s ears? Other models donned gold ear covers that were shaped like human ears, but those just look like a Renaissance rendition of a computer chip. I just do not understand this look.
To me, this collection destroys what we know as fashion week and show us what the future of fashion holds. With the integration of the men’s and women’s lines and the ambiguity that the mask provides, Alessandro is again setting a new trend and potentially a new norm in fashion.
Gucci isn’t just clothes, The Mask as a Cut Between Visible and Invisible was not just a runway show: Gucci is a state of mind.
By Lindsay MacLennan
Donatella’s take on grunge in Versace FW 2019 Collection By Katie Furlong Donatella Versace stated on her grunge-inspired collection, “A little bit of imperfection is the new perfection.” Versace was not one of the labels that seriously followed the grunge trend in the nineties, but now that anything and everything nineties, including the models, is back, Donatella added her twist on grunge. She alludes to the nineties collections through the subtle hints to the iconic safety pin dress, but she makes sure to stand out in a sea of nineties repeats. Donatella chose colors that are not traditionally thought of as fall and winter colors and created a palette of bold, bright colors and unexpected color combinations. Her interpretation of grunge is demonstrated through oversized coats, asymmetrical skirts, and tons of layers. Favorite Looks
Look 1: I’ll never get tired of leopard. I love how Donatella allowed the coat to be the center of this look instead of trying to pair it with too many other bold colors. The simple white bag helps give the look a bit of extra sophistication as well.
Look 2: This sweater was one of my favorite pieces in the collection. I love both the sweater and dress separately and I love them together as well. The details in this look also stood out to me, mainly because of the matching socks and sweater and then necklace and shoes. I had never considered matching my socks and sweaters but now I feel an inclination to. Look 3: This look was one of my favorites because it is simple, gorgeous, and has the perfect amount of detail. I’ve always been a huge fan of Versace gowns and this one was the standout for me. The subtle gold detailing reminded me of some of the nineties Versace collections and I love whenever those details show up in any of the pieces. Least Favorite Looks
Look 1: This first look just looks a bit too much like Chanel for me. And despite there not being a major cohesive overall look for this season, I still didn’t feel like it fit in well with the rest of the collection. Look 2: Here, there is just too much for me going on in one look. The jacket is nice and the bright fur collar is a nice touch, but I think that the addition of the multicolor dress and the bright pink gloves was a bit overwhelming. It distracted from the jacket, which I thought would have looked better in a simpler look.
My favorite aspect of this collection was the color palette. I’ve been loving bright colors recently, and I think when done right, they can work for any season. Donatella moved away from typical fall and winter colors and filled the collection with bold, bright colors that are still wearable and can be styled in numerous ways. Another favorite part of the collection was the jewelry. Everything from the necklaces, earrings, and barrettes acted as perfect accent pieces for the clothes. There was one thing that I thought was missing from the reprise of the nineties style: the hair. While I liked the hair accessories, I think that sleeker and more refined hair would have been a nice contrast to some of the brighter clothes. On a completely different note, the hair underneath the necklace trend is one I’ll never be able to get behind. I would have loved to see hairstyles closer to one of the inspiring collections, the famous spring 1994 collection. As the collection that gifted the fashion world with the safety pin dress, that would have been a viable candidate for Donatella to draw inspiration from for hair.
Gorgeous accessories, but lackluster hair, compared to Naomi Campbell in the Spring/Summer 1994 collection Overall, Donatella did not disappoint. She provided yet another collection of eye-grabbing clothes while following the popular nineties revival trend. Despite the grunge influence, she keeps the clothes as glamorous and flashy as always. Even Donatella said herself, “I think glamour all the time. I wake up in the morning and I'm already thinking glamour.”
Until Next Month.... XOXO, FCBC