STAFF LIST GINA JEE editor-in-chief RICHARD XIANG creative director JESSICA CHEE fashion director SAUMYA KUMAR layout editor WENDY LI pr director ZIWEI ZHAO event coordinator ADRIANNA WU pr assistant JENNIFER MUNN fashion assistant RACHEL GER fashion assistant ALYSSAH PINITSAK layout assistant KATIE HUANG event assistant CASSIDY JUSTICE blogger
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Change and transformation are constantly in place – whether you’re a newly admitted freshman or a senior making plans post grad, our success depends on the ability to adapt and evolve throughout these changes. This issue represents transition and the gradual progression we subconsciously grow into over the years. Our generation was built upon innovation and the possibility of achieving the impossible. With leaders in the fashion industry such as Sophia Amoruso (CEO of Nasty Gal), Leandra Medine (Author of Man Repeller), and Eva Chen (Editor-in-Chief of Lucky), it is evident that being oneself and striving towards a goal is achievable with due diligence, creativity, and authenticity. I come off as idealistic, but I believe idealism is necessary in accordance with the conditions we’re surrounded in. In our world, we seem to be a dime a dozen. A college degree still isn’t enough to guarantee a career, nepotism still reigns superior, corporations are mistrusted, and ethics are breached. In my opinion, these realities can only be overcome by our individual efforts to adhere to our personal values and reach for our highest aspirations. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. Step out of your comfort zone. I assure you that it will be worthwhile and help you grow as an individual. You may be led in a direction you never knew existed. We’ve kept this in mind every step of the way in creating our F/W ’14 issue. This issue is a depiction of our passions to deliver higher quality material and pursue professional developments throughout our creative work. So what are you passionate about? Everyone should be able to come up with at least one answer to this question. If you can’t, try looking at all aspects of your life. Open a book, pay attention in lecture, or observe your daily interactions. Some of my passions and values have been discovered in a paragraph of Haruki Murakami and one visit to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Whatever it is should be the beginning of your path to growth and development. Live and breathe it. Use your passions to motivate your efforts and help you achieve the impossible.
Gina Jee
Photographed by Richard Xiang Model: Naomi Fearnett
Photograhed by Richard Xiang Model:
California Paradox By Gina Jee Tell us about yourself. CJ: My name is Cory Jubran. I’m 23 years old. I grew up in Orange County. I am a Palestinian American. I graduated with a degree in Economics from UCSD in 2013. I’m trying to be a banker. How did you become interested in fashion? CJ: I was a hip-hop dancer in high school and I wanted to be as cool as all the other dancers. They had ponytails and mohawks and were always into shoes so ended up becoming a big shoehead. I had 30 pairs of SB dunks. That’s when I started caring about how I looked. In college I started my own clothing company called Caught in the Middle. It was based on a concept that there are angels and demons and we’re all just caught in the middle. It was more geared towards electronic music because I saw people enjoyed EDM but didn’t have much clothes or culture to reflect that; and for me, fashion is a reflection of your own personality and lifestyle. I wanted to make something for people to be able to project themselves so I made t-shirts, hoodies, and tanks which got me into the business side of fashion. I sold clothing through word of mouth; people would come to my place on campus to buy clothes. I would go to events and I’d wear a bunch of my clothes and people would come up to me and say, “That’s a dope ass shirt.” and I’d respond, “Thank you. Do you want to buy one?” and I’d sell them the shirt right off my back. I liked to design clothing with plays on words. One of our first logo tees said angels and demons but it was an ambigram. I had a website up and ended up making a decent amount of money. When I got back from study abroad I went into investment banking recruitment and I started my blog as a way to blow off steam. A lot of my friends would ask me advice on fashion so I decided to start putting things online and see where it goes. What does California Paradox mean to you? CJ: California Paradox represents California style. Growing up in SoCal, the style is very paradoxical in that one point you can be wearing Nike SBs, but
the next day you could be wearing a nice button up with Valentino shoes. That is how I define myself – a paradox of fashion, street fashion and high fashion. Since California doesn’t have seasons, we have all these places we can go and dress bougie or casual whenever you feel like it. You don’t have to be pigeon holed and instead you can dress however you want. In my own style, I like to wear things you wouldn’t assume to be paired together, so a lot of times I wear all black – a varsity jacket, a hoodie, a snapback, and jeans, but I’ll wear nice sperry loafers to set the whole thing. Those are two opposite schemes. What are some of the brands you like? CJ: Some of my favorite high fashion brands are Ralph Lauren, Valentino, Dolce and Gabbana, Maison Martin Margiela. Those are what I call my 1% wish list. If I was part of the 1% those brands would be on my shopping list. A street brand I really like is Johnny Cupcakes. Johnny Cupcakes encompasses my idea of the paradox – he takes things that are supposed to be hard and gangster and puts a cupcake on it to make it funny. Every time you get a package from Johnny Cupcakes it comes with special gifts and he signs some of them. He doesn’t do any wholesale. To him the shopper’s experience is very valuable. He wants you to feel like it’s Christmas morning everytime you open a package. A lot of brands don’t care about the person who is buying it. In fashion brands sometimes seem out of touch and disconnected, but Johnny Cupcakes is the complete opposite of that. What inspires your style? CJ: It’s probably really cliché, but Kanye is a big inspiration for me because he dresses however he feels like and he’s not afraid to combine high fashion and street fashion. I also really admire Kobe’s style. In the NBA all these guys like Russell Westbrook, Lebron James, and Dwayne Wade are trying too hard to be fashionable. I feel that fashion should be an extension of you and it doesn’t seem like they’re comfortable in their clothes. They wouldn’t wear those kinds of things if they were going to hang out with their friends, where as Kobe looks really good but he keeps it simple. It fits with him and I like the subtleness of his style. Also, Pharrell is a huge inspiration of mine with his work in the Billionaire Boys Club. >
Would you ever consider pursuing a career in fashion after working in finance? CJ: If I could do fashion and still have the lifestyle that I plan for myself then I’d 100% do it. I really wouldn’t mind being a designer, I mean I did it a little bit when I was a running my clothing line, but I really like watching my ideas come to fruition. This is why I’m doing my blog. I’m trying to see how people receive my ideas and if my ideas are dope enough to actually make something of it. I never grew up super confident in my style even though I’ve received claim and compliments from people. The positive feedback I’ve had from my blog has encouraged me to pursue something in fashion, whether it be on the business side or the design side. What have been your most memorable experiences related to fashion? CJ: Studying abroad in Italy. While I was in Rome I took a culture class that had a huge portion dedicated to fashion and the evolution of fashion in Italy. I went and visited the Fendi headquarters in Rome, I went to Fashion’s Night Out in Milan and Rome, and I saw the tail end of Milan Fashion Week. Being in Italy was a big reason why I came back and wanted to start my blog. I felt like I knew so much more about fashion and the history of fashion. Being able to see it and experience it was probably my coolest fashion experience. It made me more designer centric. Before that I didn’t really appreciate high fashion and what it takes to make it and different subtleties of why high fashion is different. I had this incorrect view that no one wore high fashion and it was just for runway and that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. I became way more knowledgeable and observant of what different designers were out there and how each one was different. I knew 10x more about fashion when I came back. What advice do you have for individuals interested in starting a blog or pursuing a career in fashion? CJ: My biggest advice is to start your blog as soon as possible and don’t be afraid to rock whatever you feel like rocking. For example in Fashion Toast, the reason Rumi became so popular is because she did something really different at the time. She started doing vintage, thrifting, and combining high fashion into it. Three years ago when she started, it was just when the hippie hipster chick and high-class images were separated and she combined the two. That’s what gave her so much notoriety because she
expressed who she was through her fashion. She was genuine, and if your blog isn’t genuine it’s not going to be popular because people aren’t going to feel it. Dress and express yourself as much as you can. It’s how you want to reflect your thoughts, personality, opinions about the world, and all that kind of stuff through your physical. It’s a language. If you speak your own language and tell your own story people will respond to that. People that I know who have been successful in the fashion world, just like any other job, are people who put themselves out there and are willing to take on any challenges and be prepared to do so. Whether it means taking unpaid internships, studying up on designers, and being as knowledgeable as possible. If you live, eat, and breathe fashion and you’re able to get in front of people and emulate that, then you’ll be able to get into the world of fashion. People I know have started at Phillip Lim just writing descriptions for the website and through that it gives them the ability to make connections and get the job they want. You’ll have to show you have some good ideas and study very hard. Where do you see fashion heading? CJ: A big thing for the last year has been the urban goth, black on black, leather, and camouflage look. It was on the runways was last fall and now it’s hit the mainstream and is being filtered down to us and everyone is using it in different ways. I think that is going to go away soon and I think grunge is going to make a comeback. You see more people wearing leather pants and going away from the Bohemian look. I’m happy about it because I never liked that look. Also for guys, they wouldwear corduroys and short sleeve button ups with floral patterns and I think it will be all different come around this time next year. The idea of opulence is coming more popular. Previously the thrifting, earthy style was very popular among everybody but this new wave is going to be a juxtaposition of opulence combined with a little bit of grunge. I’ve seen it already – nice leather jackets with a flannel wrapped around the waist. I think things are going to move more towards that. The nuances of fashion are what make people fashionable and that isn’t normally available in every outlet and store.
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Hat: “The Factory limited release Words of Wisdom snapback in white” / Top: “IMKING Spring 2011 Denim longsleave Button-up, MG Back Label Fall 2010 Varsity Jacket on top of black Supreme Hoodie” Shoes: “First edition re-release of the Addias Orginals line. Black on Camo Hightops”
Eva Chen
REVOLUTIONIZING THE TERM EDITOR FOR THE MILLINEAL GENERATION By Gina Jee
Photo © Joel Arbaje via Fast Company . Portfolio: http://dissatk.com/
Transparency gives us a sense of security and trust, an easily overlooked asset in the development of an organization. The use of social media amongst corporations, celebrities, and all of our peers, has allowed us to feel connected to each individual we follow. This connection to users on social media has been a raw form of transparency – a glimpse into the lives of those we admire. Eva Chen’s leadership style embodies this sort of transparency, through her avid use of social media and communication with her followers; she has revolutionized the role of Editor-in-Chief. Coming from a background in pre-med at Johns Hopkins, Chen never expected a career in fashion. To Chen, the fashion industry seemed to be a fantasy realm, apart from the actual possibilities of life. Growing up in Greenwich Village in New York City, Chen admired the street style seen on New Yorkers and developed her own sense of personal style. During her junior year in college, she decided to apply to various industries apart from her ventures in medicine. Through her efforts, she secured an internship at Harper’s Bazaar. Upon the first day of her internship, she immediately knew this is where she wanted to be. Eva Chen continued on to pursue a career in fashion editorial, beginning at Lucky and continuing on to become Elle’s Assistant Beauty Editor. After Elle, she began to write for Teen Vogue and eventually ended up back at Lucky. When Anna Wintour took over as Creative Director for Condé Nast in 2013, one of her first major decisions included appointing Eva Chen as Editor-in-Chief for Lucky. The prestige of Wintour, including her strong reputation, seems to completely oppose Eva Chen’s demeanor. It poses the question of why Wintour chose someone whose leadership tactic contradicts her efforts, efforts that have generated enormous success for Vogue.
Wintour must have seen the potential in Chen’s ability to connect to the millennial generation. Chen has based her image around what you can see on her Instagram – snapshots of what can be found on her desk, the current shoes she splurged on, and her latest manicure and polish obsession. The ability to feel connected to an editor is something that has never been seen before. The ability to feel as if you are experiencing a sliver of an editor’s life makes the fantasy realm of the fashion industry seem more attainable. By taking over Lucky, a magazine that suffered recent decline in ad sales, Chen has the ability to turn the magazine around, while simultaneously affecting the entire industry through the use of transparency. As magazines begin to take the responsive and welcoming approach, more readers can feel connected to the pages they read and editors they see. Not only do these efforts generate more subscriptions and facilitate business, it develops a stronger and more informed fashion community. Although the life of an editor appears to be all glam all the time, not all of Chen’s posts are entirely spontaneous and reflective of all the work she does. Chen is very conscious about anything she puts out into the social media world. She presents a semi-idealized view of her career to her followers, yet provides them with images they want to see. Chen’s Internet presence embodies the professionalism the millennial generation needs to aspire for. According to Tamara Erickson, author from the Harvard Business Review, millennials are accustomed to open access to information, which may not be readily available in most corporations. Typically, millennials feel uncomfortable in a hierarchical company structure and desire a more horizontal and networked environment. They strive for workplace relationships that encapsulate mentors, friends, and trusted individuals based on each worker’s knowledge and expertise. These traits and characteristics engrained in millinneals demonstrate the need for leaders who present transparency in organizations. Millennials yearn for validation and ample communication in order to succeed in the work place. Furthermore, they need transparency in order to develop a sense of loyalty to a brand. By giving the magazine a voice, readers develop devotion to the personality the publication exerts. Chen’s efforts to establish herself as an approachable editor demonstrate an enormous shift in fashion magazine publications and business organizations as a whole. Just as Chen constantly adapts to technology and mass communication through the use of social media to benefit Lucky, companies are learning the importance of altering their outdated business techniques in order to resonate with the rising millennial generation.
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The Chatter of Birds in the Garden Filtering In By Simon Kurtis Rhee
First the nights get cold, then the mornings do. Soon the lawn will frost over and the shadows of the weeds in the garden will disappear. But not yet. The chatter of birds in the garden is filtering in. Outside, a homeless woman wanders the street, swaying as if this season could sing. As if the next one could not. She has a thousand plastic bags and a dirty coat. She pleads to the birds, “don’t go, please don’t go”. She puts stones in the birdfeed. She pulls and pulls, and the next cold day begins as if it never ended.
Photographed by Gina Jee Models: Lila Flowers, Charlotte Mayer, Waverly Richards [No Ties Management, LLC]
sluttygranny
NOT EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE By Richard Xiang Hailing from “the land of nothing,” Mackenzie Lowe and Justin Waring-Crane have taken their flawless blonde locks and killer one part slutty, one part granny style, and made a place for themselves and their style in the world of blogging. Tell us how you two met. ML: She forced herself to be my friend…just kidding! JWC: My family moved out to California after my sophomore year of high school, so we met junior year, and um basically, yea, I forced myself on her and was like “I’m going to come hang out at your house”. ML: There was one day you were like, “we should hang out, we should make brownies.” JWC: She thought I was kidding, but I wasn’t. ML: She wasn’t kidding, she actually showed up. Where are you guys from? JWC: We’re from Riverside, California. The land of nothing. ML: You have to get creative in Riverside cause there’s nothing really to do there and it’s really hot, all the time. How did you guys come up with the idea to start sluttygranny? JWC: One day we were laying on Mackenzie’s bed, just on Instagram or something and thought we could do this. ML: We have a lot of weird clothes, hand-me-downs, and thrifted stuff. We thrifted when we were younger not because Macklemore said it was cool, but because we were poor. So that’s what we did. Over the years I’ve accumulated a lot of weird stuff, along with really cool stuff too, and hand-me-downs from my cousin. I’ve been really lucky that my family has given me a lot of hand-medowns. JWC: I had grown up the same way. Thrfiting was like a fun adventure. My mom would frame it that way so that we would want used clothes. She always told us that we’re going to find treasures in that thrift store. How is it working apart from each other and balancing sluttygranny with school? ML: It helps us keep in touch with each other, especially since we are at different schools. I’m at UC San Diego getting a B.A. in International Studies-Political Science and a Business minor focusing on marketing.
JWC: And I’m at University of Southern California studying towards a Masters in Occupational Therapy. But, whenever we’re together we make sure to work on the blog as much as possible. How do you guys divide the clothes between the two of you? ML: It’s basically one closet. JWC: We exchange clothes a lot, so our closets are really jumbled together. She’ll find new ways to wear stuff that I wouldn’t have thought of and then I can get it back and wear it that way. So it’s more creative in that regard. ML: When we visit each other one of us is like “so can I take this with me” or “I don’t’ want this anymore, do you want to take it?” JWC: But then four months later we’ll be like ‘I actually do want this, I missed it.’ Any specific items you guys really love? ML: There was this one shirt I really loved from Forever21, but it was too big for me, so I took it home, and my mom’s a seamstress, she sewed it to fit me and it was the coolest shirt. I would wear it all the time ,to the point that my boyfriend was like “uh, you wear that to every party.’ Then I called Justin and was like, ‘Justin, you need to take this off my hands.” JWC: Not only have I worn it, but all my roommates have each worn it at least once too. ML: So it’s like the traveling shirt, it’s pretty cool and it’s really fun. JWC: I also wear this gold, whale necklace everyday, cause it’s nice to have a necklace or some piece of jewelry that you can put on and really never take off. I don’t have a lot of accessories so its easy to have something you never take off, so it looks like you’re trying even if your not. Now the name, sluttygranny, how did you guys come up with it? ML: Oh god. JWC: It’s snappy! ML: It’s definitely an attention grabber, and basically one day I posted a picture of these casual shorts and a big sweater and I was like my outfit is the perfect combination of slutty and granny. Would you ever change it? JWC: Funny you ask. ML: We’re actually thinking of changing it, just because we’re starting to reference it with new internships and opportunities, and we’ve actually had a big success on Tumblr. A couple of our photos have over one hundred >
thousand re-blogs, which is really cool. JWC: In some ways I don’t want to change it, cause of integrity, but my mom always tells me to look at the search results when she googles it. ML: We also wanted to desensitize the word. So we’re thinking about changing it to, they roam, cause it’s less nasty and we’re always on the go, but always keep it together. (As of 2014, sluttygranny has officially become they roam.) How long have you been doing slutty granny? JWC: Almost a year. ML: The first week, we didn’t really know how to take photos and what would attract people, but I love social media and added a ton of people who followed other fashion blogs on Tumblr. I probably added around 7,000 people and from that we got around 1,000 followers, and since then we’ve been able to get another 1,500 followers. So we don’t have a huge base, but we also haven’t put our entire and constant attention to it. How would each of you describe your style? JWC: I like to mix match prints, wear things that are goofy and wild, cool, flowy pants, weird t-shirts from the Salvation Army, and boots. I don’t know if I could put a word to it, but if I had to, probably, eclectic, it covers everything in one word. ML: I definitely feel Justin is more daring with prints. I really just love things that are really soft and I love stripes, I use them instead of a solid print a lot times. I hate jeans, so any bottoms that are soft, so either flowy pants or leggings with a cool print or something. It’s also constantly changing, for sometimes I’ll feel really preppy and want to wear a blazer, while other times I just want to wear a big sweater and put my hair in a top knot and I’m good to go. Who do you look to for inspiration for slutty granny? ML: Sincerely Jules, the most beautiful brown skin. JWC: How Two Live, two sisters from Australia with wacky, crazy style, but it’s really fun because their fashion is really daring so it’s fun to draw inspirations. ML: Man Repeller is probably the most influential for our writing. She’s super clever and pokes fun at herself, which I think is really important, cause we don’t really know what we’re doing and were just having fun and sharing what we do.
Do you guys see yourself doing this after college? JWC: I’d like to keep this going just as a really fun, artistic hobby and a way to stay creative. ML: I think it’s fun as a blog. JWC: If it had the momentum, it would be awesome to have a boutique. ML: I think I like the social media aspect of it all and Justin likes the more physical and tangible. We both definitely want to dive more into the YouTube world and get more involved and start making video blogs. JWC: We also want to start a website so we could tell followers more about our lives. What social media platforms can we find sluttygranny on? JWC: There’s a Tumblr, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest for sluttygranny, but we’re most active on Instagram and Tumblr. Do you have any advice for people who want to start a blog? ML: It’s never to late to start and if you’re trying to get followers, make sure to write back to all your followers. Also, just be nice and ask for advice and suggestions, people are a lot nicer than you think. What are you favorite places in San Diego to go shopping? ML: AMVETS ,cause its really cheap, I got this “M” shirt for 95 cents and then cut it to fit me. JWC: Buffalo Exchange is our high-end thrifting and what’s great about it is that you can buy clothes and sell it back after you wear it for the season so you’re constantly cycling through things.
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Photographed by Gina Jee
Converging Senses
PERFORMANCE APPEALING TO THE SIGHT AND AUDIO SENSORS
By Adrianna Wu When musician Tom Odell performs “Hold Me” live during the Burberry Prorsum Autumn/Winter 2013 runway collection Christopher Bailey, Chief Creative Officer of Burberry, completely transforms and redefines the realm of fashion shows. The performance, indubitably moving, elicited a profound emotional effect from the audience at Kensington Gardens. Lately, popular music has taken a turn into the electronic domain, but Odell brings music back to its roots and keeps it old school. On stage are Odell, a piano, a bassist, and a gospel choir. His music does not hide behind rigid, electronic noise. His music is raw, naked, and organic—exposed without manipulation and performed with utmost sincerity. Odell’s voice strongly soars across the room and as it is layered with the harmony of the back-up singers, it is as if the whole room is held in suspension, as if the whole world stops and nothing else is important except for Odell’s music. His voice shakes when he sings, “Hold me… I can feel your heart.” It is during these moments when his vulnerability comes through that his music feels heartfelt and genuine. Odell hides behind nothing. He means every word he sings. So often, the world of fashion gets lost in the folds of materialism, but Bailey delves beneath the material surface by restoring an emotional depth to fashion. Music has always been an integral part of fashion shows as it sets the mood of the collection. But at most fashion shows, music takes a seat in the back. It is merely intangible sound that disappears into the background; an invisible noise that plays through speakers. Bailey, however, gives music a physical presence on the catwalk. He produces a show that fulfills the visual, auditory, and emotional senses. Live music at a fashion show demands to be noticed and to be heard. In fact, music is so important to Bailey that Burberry has hired a full-time music team. Bailey has started a revolution. The worlds of music and fashion can no longer be separate. They must be in conversation with each other, perpetually reinforcing each other. Feeling the music adds a sentimental dimension to a beautiful collection. Music and fashion work in collaboration to grasp and share inexpressible ideas of art and beauty. Bailey carves out a new angle of the fashion world, using its power to create an effective platform for emerging artists to gain exposure.
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Photo Š Ian Gavan/Getty Images Europe
Tom Odell performs live for Burberry Prorsum Womenswear Autumn/Winter 2013
Photographed by Richard Xiang Models: Lila Flowers, Sydney Lee, Charlotte Mayer, Waverly Richards [No Ties Management, LLC]; Jennifer Mun, Emily Bender
Postures By Simon Kurtis Rhee Between laboured breaths he tells me that he must have fell in love with her in a big field of pianos. He recalls the quietude of the instruments around them, silently hinting at music like empty churches hint at prayer, and I, the little boy, try to reimagine what it was like. What petallfall must have been coming down at a moment like that. The whole gravity of it all. She shrugs this off in the Korean way. “Aiguu,” she shakes her head “of course it wasn’t like that,” and immediately there is food on the table. The next morning she wakes and he doesn’t. At the funeral I hear her say how the blood was pooled into the bottom of his body as if in a lake, how the pews look like rows of dirt and the people dressed in black look like storm clouds. I think that my mother does not look like storm clouds. She weeps without tears. She looks like a dry stream on a mountain ridge. A place for my grandmother to stand. The hunched spine of the earth. The next month our fridge is perpetually filled with extra pots of food because my grandma always makes one portion too much. My mother says it is so much quieter in the world now with grandpa gone, and slowly I realize that there were no fields of pianos growing where my grandparents met, no more petals were falling than at any other time. My family is not made of storm clouds or mountains. It is no more quiet now in the world than it was before he died. But it might as well be. It feels that way. Now all the silence hints at him.
The Craft of Coffee By Emily Bender Few things are more invigorating than a cup of hot coffee in the morning. What once seemed to be merely an overlooked commodity or an everyday habit taken for granted, the practice of making coffee is currently in a fascinating phase of metamorphosis in the U.S. That which used to be quotidian is now artisan – coffee has become an art form, or at least a highly specialized craft. From its humble beginnings as the beans found on the evergreen East African shrubs of the Caffea plant to its introduction in the European coffeehouses as a fragrant beverage used for invigorating the minds of the French philosophes of the Enlightenment, coffee has steadily gained aficionados all over the world. Enthusiasts worldwide take pride in the knowledge and the ritualistic preparations that are necessary in order to brew the perfect cup of espresso. The art of coffee in the U.S., which formerly stayed within the boundaries of Seattle, Brooklyn, and the San Francisco Bay Area, is now spreading across the country faster than the time it takes to brew a cup of French press coffee (which, according to the experts, is exactly four minutes.) The respect for coffee making and the high form of culinary appreciation of the beverage, which was previously found almost exclusively in Europe, has traveled stateside. What is known as the “third wave” of coffee culture is taking over, pushing the understanding of the way coffee is served and consumed in the U.S. Artisan coffee has become trendy, so you might want to reconsider ordering that Starbucks grande soy non-fat vanilla latte. The earliest evidence of coffee drinking can be dated back to the Arabian peninsula where, in the 15th century, coffee beans were roasted and brewed in a way similar to how it is prepared today.
In cities like Mecca, Damascus, and Constantinople, coffee was initially perceived as a rather elite drink, exclusive mostly to political gatherings before becoming more widely available in the centuries that followed. As the bean spread westward during the 17th century, European coffeehouses were established in Vienna, Oxford, and Florence. Commonly considered centers for social interaction, these establishments were popular haunts for artists, writers, and intellectuals. Established in 1686 and still operating today, the now famous Café Procope in Paris functioned as a meeting place for Voltaire and Rousseau, among others. (Imagine the two of them discussing political philosophy over a steaming cup of joe.) In what can be regarded as a love letter to the beverage, German composer Johann Sebastian Bach even wrote a coffee cantata, “Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht,” which tells an amusing tale of coffee addiction. (“Ach, so schenkt mir Kaffee ein!”) But what amorous tale is complete without a dramatic aspect? King Gustav III of Sweden believed coffee consumption was a threat to the public health, and in 1746 issued a royal edict against “the misuse and excess of tea and coffee drinking.” Despite the ban and heavy taxation, consumption of coffee continued – Sweden is today one of the countries with the highest coffee consumption per capita in the world. Coffee culture in the major European cities remains an important social institution. The elderly Italian men behind the coffee counters in Florence, while strictly following il culto del caffè, take pride in the craft of making and presenting you with a flawless macchiato. Order a café crème at the Café de Flore in Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, and the waiter, donning a white apron and a black bowtie, will literally serve your beverage on a silver platter. Even the aesthetics of coffee are of utmost importance. In the past decade or so, this enthusiasm has spread throughout the U.S., becoming almost
palpable. Overly zealous coffee connoisseurs are revolting against the lack of attention and care previously directed toward the process of cultivating and serving coffee, focusing on alternative methods of coffee preparations and advocating everything and anything artisan and organic. Baristas are now expected to be knowledgeable about the production of coffee at every stage, from seed to cup. The days of hastily grabbing a coffee to-go in a paper cup might be numbered, instead favoring the relaxed, sit-down culture present in Europe. The coffee cognoscenti of the so-called “third wave” consider coffee to be a craft as much as any other. They value the human touch because such precision is not attainable through automatic espresso machines and artificial Nescafé capsules. Whether you prefer pour-over, French press, or even AeroPress, the coffee can be prepared skillfully to your preference – although the menu might be limited to the preparations that the barista behind the counter deems worthy. There is special attention paid to every step of the process. There is also a sense of responsibility to source single-origin beans from the best possible coffee farms in order to bring out the unique flavor profile of each bean. The specialty coffee culture in the U.S. is built upon the unwillingness to drink poorly sourced, past-crop, over-roasted coffee. The idea of micro roasting the beans can be seen as an analogy to micro brewing craft beer. Many up-and-coming “specialty bars” do not serve Bordeaux wine, but Sumatran peaberry coffee. Pushing beer and wine aside, coffee has stepped into the spotlight. Distancing themselves from the hyper-sugared, poorly brewed beverages of the corporate chains, fans of specialty coffee take pride in knowing that the best way to pull a shot of espresso is by using a lever-operated espresso press, and that in order to ensure optimum coffee brewing through the “pour over” method, you ought to use special ceramic filter cones that incorporate a vortex-
like design. This obsessiveness may seem rather off-putting. Why did the barista pull and throw out two shots of espresso before serving you yours? The water temperature probably wasn’t right. Why did the barista then aggressively discourage you from ordering your daily latte? The milk overpowers the subtle flavors of the coffee (so it was in your best interest.) Although it might sound pompous, the time and effort put into the making of a cup of coffee in this manner is both intriguing and impressive, and somewhat intimidating. Everyone might not be passionate enough to engage in a discussion on the intricacies of coffee terroir, or the reason why a certain bean is better suited for a siphon pot, a Clover machine, or a supercharged Eva Solo carafe. You might not care too much whether your coffee is prepared in a Chemex pot or a French press, instead opting for a simple Starbucks peaberry. However, the coffee savants of the “third wave” might insist that the beverages produced using the precise methods of the artisan culture will be sweet and floral, roasted at the perfect heat, smelling more of fruits and spices than of whatever it is Starbucks peaberry smells like. The changing coffee culture, of which some aspects might come across as obsessive or pretentious, is changing the way coffee is perceived. What once was merely a beverage to gulp down in the morning in a rush to work has evolved into something more. The “third wave” presents alternative methods of coffee preparation, expanding the choices of the individual. Increased knowledge of the process of roasting and heightened awareness of the origins of the beans will ensure higher quality products. The most important aspect of coffee drinking is that it is a personal preference, although artisan coffee is certainly trendy and elegant. Just make sure your cup of organic micro roasted Kenyan Nyeri Rumukia isn’t too “haute” before you take a sip.
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sweater weather Photographed by Richard Xiang Models: Megan Barrett and Naomi Fearett
Family Ties Multi-Brand Management: What’s the Big Deal? By Jessica Chee Many popular clothing brands often do not come from just a single company but are encompassed within a network of multiple brands that create a large corporate company. This concept of multi-brand management is specifically the running of two or more similar products under the same firm. Although it creates a competition of sales between brands, the successful marketing of one brand to specific target audiences will often roll over to other “sibling” brands. The multi-brand management idea is an opportunity to market and attract not only your main target audience, but also allows for different consumers to desire your brand. Urban Outfitters Inc. is a phenomenal example of this idea through its array of brands including Anthropologie, Free People, Urban Outfitters, Terrain, and BHLDN. While Anthropologie, Free People, and Urban Outfitters primarily sell clothing, Terrain and BHLDN cater to home décor/plant lovers as well as brides-to-be’s. The various vibes and styles that are created under the Urban Outfitters Inc. cater to a wide age range, with Urban Outfitter’s younger 18 to 30 year old appeal and Anthropologie’s creative use of innovative merchandising and curated array of products for the grown-up, independent woman.
While Urban celebrates variety, the J. Crew Group Inc. is another company that has cultivated a unique image of it’s own but keeping a key look as it’s focus. The four divisions consist of: J. Crew, Madewell, J. Crew Factory, and crewcuts for kids. Jenna Lyons, President and Creative Director of the brand, has been responsible for the recent transformation and success of the J. Crew brand by creating a more appealing image for the younger generations. A trickling down of design styles is also evident between the older, dressy J. Crew with its bold statement necklaces and clean-cut men’s suits to the younger and casual Madewell line that focuses on denim and dresses. Price ranges have also factored into creating multi-brands that allow for individuals to buy products that may have similarities in design styles but are sold at a significantly cheaper price. The GAP Inc. consists of Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime, Athleta, and Intermix, which have all contributed to the company’s success as one of the leading and most iconic American clothing companies. With the brands traditional take on the American look, one can notice the apparent price comparisons between Old Navy and Gap. Old Navy, which was founded in 1994, was intended to be the “less-expensive” option to Gap, founded twenty-five years prior. Multi-brand management is clearly an international business concept that has been and is working. It often seems that this type of management would evidently lead to brands eating into each other’s sales but with the correct strategies
and marketing approaches, it could be very possible that a fashion empire could be well on its way. The European Inditex group has found its strength with a remarkable design and construction turn around time that has lead to the initiation of the popular Spanish brand, Zara. Inditex is also composed of Zara Home, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, and Uterqüe. Zara’s high-end and Pull & Bear’s lower-end styles are similar to the comparison between Gap and Old Navy, with fabrics and construction techniques being the most observable difference. Sometimes, specific garment pieces get trickled down from brand to brand as well. The infamous Zara mini skort that has been seen on fashion bloggers all over the Internet has also been passed down to the Pull & Bear brand under the name “handkerchief hem skirt”. Lastly, the trendy Swedish company H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB has refined a group of luxurious lines that each focus on a particular kind of aesthetic. Even though there are H&M stores located all over the world, the company also includes five other independent brands: COS, Monki, Cheap Monday, Weekday, and & Other Stories. There is also a hierarchy that can be found in multi-brand management, with COS and & Other Stories luxurious looks tier over Cheap Monday’s and Monki’s strength with street-style fashion and graphics prints. Hierarchy also comes at a price, often with fabric quality and attention
to details being the first to be at stake. A brand’s marketing approach will also be a significant factor to its success when put in competition with other sibling brands. The newest & Other Stories line has only opened in March 2013 but thanks to strong marketing tactics, the brand has already turned heads because of its distinct visual and design aesthetic. & Other Stories focuses on a “behindthe-scenes” approach with styling photos and prices displayed on photo cards taped on store concrete walls with black electrical tape. There also is a focus on selling merchandise that expands beyond clothing and includes a wide array of shoes and beauty products adds to the brand experience of developing sleek and minimalist European chic “collections that are built around inspiring fashion stories” instead of keeping up with the next fashion trends. Multi-brand management is often the secret behind the success of many popular brands and has proven to be an important backbone in the world of fashion (but not just fashion!) business. Common design styles will often be the most recognizable element along with similar retail environments but multi-brand companies can also expand past the specific image through various merchandise including shoes, lifestyle items, and beauty items in attempt to attract a wider and larger audience. Multi-brands are all around us… so try finding commonalities and differences between brands you know and you may often surprise yourself!
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Faux-tography HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS STEERING THE FASHION INDUSTRY TODAY By Saumya Kumar It is hard to recall the era where photographs were meant to be rectangles, a time where the goal was to present the world how it was; back when one of the biggest dilemmas then being whether the lighting was correct or not. The most earth-shattering problems nowadays have come to be “is this photo square-able?” or “which filter is best?” But as much as real photographers may mock these “faux-tographers,” one cannot deny the profound impact that social media has had on fashion just in this past year. It has bridged the gap between the fashion elite and the common man or woman, all with the tap of a few buttons. Social media has allowed people who living in the suburbs of California over the summer to get first row seats to New York Fashion Week, from the convenience of their own hands. Collections from the past and present through boards organized on Pinterest are readily available along with clips on Instagram of runway shows literally seconds after they were happening. And the fuel to this insta-fire was added by designers themselves-- it was noted that in the past year, Oscar de la Renta revealed their Fall 2013 line on Instagram first, and J. Crew theirs solely on Pinterest. Not only creating advantages for the buyer, but
social media has bridged the gap between the smalltown designer and the high-fashion world. Designers are able to post pictures on Twitter and Instagram and groom their social media appearance and create a consistent brand, with hopes of being able to catch the present their collection and expand into the industry. The increasing prevalence of fashion around the world has allowed it to bridge the income gap as well, a phenomenon seen first hand in India this summer. The spring Tory Burch collection had launched a few months ago, while doing shopping there were literally tailors sitting on the street with their grimy computers , viewing the collection on a cracked-computer screen and sketching out a spot on knockoff. It allowed people who would never even dream to buy something of that caliber to eat a slice of the bourgeoisie pie. Social media has allowed fashion to branch out as no longer an aristocratic privilege, but something that can be enjoyed by everyone. When it comes down to it, fashion in the past has always been somewhat aristocratic. Stylists decide which models wear which items of clothing and how, photographers decide how to take pictures, and editors decide in which way to put it all together. The common man is simply a bystander-- simply observing the product put before him. But the era has finally come in which the common man can become his (or her) own stylist, photographer and editor. Instagram, an app most disregard as just another social media outlet, has become a democratic take on the fashion industry--a place most can turn to for constant inspiration, trends, and commentary.
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THE KINGS AND QUEENS OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA KINGDOM
Top 5 Fashion Instagram Accounts
Top 5 Fashion Pinterest Accounts
Burberry @Burberry
1.2m followers
Lauren Santo Domingo Contributing editor, Vogue
Michael Kors @MichaelKors
1.6m followers
Peter Som Designer
Gucci @Gucci
1.1m followers
Emily Schuman Blogger, Cupcakes and Cashmere
Marc Jacobs @MarcJacobsIntl
1.0m followers
Erika Bearman PR Girl for Oscar de la Renta
Alexander McQueen @WorldMcQueen
500k followers
Hopscotch & Grace Blogger, One Beautiful Life
Statistics courtesy of mashable.com
Social Print Studio PROOF THAT PRINT IS STILL IN DEMAND By Richard Xiang With the defunct of Borders Group, Inc. in 2011, and the rise of online subscriptions, it is pretty clear that the world is going digital. Keeping that in mind, many would think that building a business based on printing and making the digital world physical again would be everyone’s last, new, brilliant idea. Social Print Studio thought otherwise. Started as an art project by UC San Diego alumni, Benjamin Lotan, who wanted to start a company that ran differently, Social Print Studio has become that and more. The company started by taking on various, individual projects and accomplishing a bunch of different goals. This made it more of a series of projects as opposed to the typical route to creating a new business. Social Print Studio continues to pick up individual projects that interest them in order to spark creativity − like creating an analog GIF crank box for Twitter. Projects like these are considered single one-off projects that are done because they are fun, not for profit. Starting on the UC San Diego campus, Social Print Studio began working out of Calit2, and then moved up north to Berkeley where the team slept, lived, and worked all out of the same house. Now in their open, loft style San Francisco headquarters Social Print Studio definitely feels like a more established company. Although they have gone through transitions, the core of their previous work environments is still with them today. Their headquarters doubles as a fully functional office and workplace, but is also equipped with a kitchen, jam room, and − not to mention − sleeping boxes. Today, seven UC San Diego alumni are a part of a twenty-person team (plus one irresistible pup named Whiskey). Walking through their headquarters it is pretty clear that this is a close-knit staff of creative, hard-working doers. Not to mention that joining and becoming a part of Social Print Studio is more like joining a lifestyle than a company. The staff considers their daily work as hanging out with friends and not the typical nine-to-five, which not only builds their bond as a company. As Tim Stein puts it, “you don’t want to see your friends struggle, so each of us try to do the best work we can do.” A lot of tasks are based
on self-reliance and making sure that you have done enough for the day. Social Print Studio not only gets stronger through working together as friends who hate to see each other struggle, but also by bonding over interests and a good drink and meal. The staff at Social Print Studio has the same mindset as Stein, which is probably a reason why their sales have doubled each year since their launch. With a charisma that just hits you as you enter their headquarters, it makes sense why Social Print Studio does not really have, or need, an official marketing team, but rather a customer service team that is so strong that doubles as one. Since the customer service team directly speaks with existing customers on a regular basis, they have the skill-set necessary to succeed in talking with humans, which can then be used for outreach. By sending people free prints for blog-giveaways or contests Social Print Studio not only strengthens existing relationships, but also builds the bridge to new ones. When it comes to image, Social Print Studio does not fall short in innovation, creativity, or quality, especially when considering their own logo. Their standout bright-colored hued heart, which encompasses the three primary colors essential to printing may appear to be just that, actually is more. For when you flip the heart upside down it is actually three ink droplets (clever much!). Printstagram, the online platform Social Print Studio created (ironically, in 2011) for the world to print their Instagrams, offers a wide variety of products, ranging from square prints to greeting cards to framed prints. Social Print Studio’s products are great for sharing your adventures with family and friends, decorating your place, or just to keep for yourself. The original square prints − and their mini version − provide anyone with high quality, matte square prints of their Instagrams at a great price. They also provide the option to frame your favorite prints in locally made wooden frames from Berkeley and Santa Cruz, which are then hand-assembled in their San Francisco headquarters. Taking personalization to a new level you can also create greeting cards, photo books, posters, and calendars with your Instagrams. Reinventing the business card game, Social Print Studio has developed what they call “contact cards,” where you can add text to the back of a square print with your name, information, social media accounts, or whatever represents you. Feel free to use these contact cards for more than
just business and use them for the perfect way to spread save-the-dates too. Not to mention with the development of their app, Print Studio, customers are able to upload and order Instagrams they want through a straightforward and easy process. Besides Print Studio, they have created Dblcam, and app that uses both cameras on the iPhone and instantly places the images side-by-side creating a single image. This allows you to capture what is in front and behind, above and below, and to the left and right of you in one single image to make creative, unexpected images. (p.s. the apps are FREE!) Stein originally heard of Social Print Studio through applying to an internship posting and was then sold at the fact that they were sending him emails at 4 a.m. He told us “you can learn anything as long as you’re really into it and excited about it.� It is that exact mentality that has contributed to the immense growth of Social Print Studio over the past few years. With all this in mind, we think that Social Print Studio and their three, kaleidoscopic ink droplets will transform the modern business of printing.
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Photographed by Richard Xiang Model: Naomi Fearnett
and focus. This year Turrell’s work has been featured in both New York City’s Guggenheim and the Los NONVICARIOUS: THE INABILITY TO BE FELT Angeles County Museum of Art. Both exhibits THROUGH IMAGINED PERCEPTION incorporate different installations of Turrell’s work – Guggenheim with an emphasis on black By Gina Jee and white light and space, and LACMA with an emphasis on neon color and holograms. The Aten Reign spirals up the rotunda of the Gug- two pieces unique to each museum: Aten Reign genheim. Visitors lay beneath the installation, and Breathing Light present Turrell’s desire to see some for a brief minute, and others for hours. yourself see. From first glance it appears to be a mere reflecThe holograms featured in the LACMA tion of light and colors across the ceiling. You sit, permeate deception on our awareness. With each you observe. The more you stare and tune out step you take, the image and colors change. To from the chaos, the light in the ceiling begins to create these works, Turrell records light waves on alter your medium of perception. Noise begins handmade transparent coating applied to glass. to muffle, colors begin to blend together, and an This effect creates depth from every angle of the overwhelming feeling of meditation occurs. You hologram. Mathematical equations and architecare immersed into the light. tural design illustrate the calculated and intenTurrell explains his work as non-vicarious, tional preciseness of each of Turrell’s pieces. asserting it can only be experienced first hand in Breathing Light is the most interactive of order to be fully understood. As it will be impos- Turrell’s work. You are placed in an entirely white sible to effectively encompass the magnitude of room with a cutout box filled with colored light. Turrell’s work through prose, certain emotions You step into the box and throughout an eight can be touched upon in order to convey this minute interval, the colors fade in and out. Being spectacle. inside the box feels as if you have stepped into a From the sunrise, sunset, reflection of the painting. moon, the shading of a painting, and exposure There are no boundaries and no points of refon film; the presence of light is all around us. erence. The depths of the walls are a mystery. The It alters our perception and directs our way of room appears to have no form. In your periphthinking. We unconsciously take it for granted. eral vision it is a blur of color. The experience in In order to appreciate and understand light’s Breathing Light is a serene dream state, with each effect we must immerse ourselves and make an color instilling an emotion reflected in yourself. effort to feel its presence. All shape and percepWhen you step outside the box, your world has tion disintegrate. Your mind wanders to a place been altered. You have exited a realm, a seemingyou are unable to feel in your routine environly false reality, and placed back into society. Light ment. Raw light exhibits a contemplative and has challenged and transformed the reality you meditative experience apart from form, figure, once knew.
James Turrell
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James Turrell, Breathing Light, 2013, LED light into space, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Kayne Griffin Corcoran and the Kayne Foundation, M.2013.1, James Turrell, Photo Florian Holzherr
James Turrell, Aten Reign, 2013, Guggenheim, Photo Š David Heald
Misericordia by Simon Kurtis Rhee There is something about waiting for things to collapse that makes them collapse something about loss that has me playing the fortune teller in my head, repeating an inevitable scene a hundred times over, and licking the coming wound like a beast as many times, trying to understand. There is something about the human mind that makes understanding a thing and coming to terms with it entirely different, so that when my mother tells me “there is something about grandpa that makes his lungs fill with blood,” he quietly leans over and whispers, “there is something about holding your breath for so long that makes breathing out feel like mercy.”
Photographed by Richard Xiang Model: Naomi Fearnett
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