Julia Wimmerlin @juliawimmerlin
CONTRIBUTORS Chele Sellman, Editor-in-Chief Catherine Michelle, Editor at Large, Vlogger/Reviews, & European Rep Sianna Renee, Creative Director Unique Miller Web Lead Rita Johnson, Copy Editor Zara Rawoof, Writer Anushka Mangal, Writer Athena Wu, Writer Delanee Ensley, Writer Janelle Sessoms, Writer Jennah Owda, Writer Sara Smith, Writer Khushi Popat, Writer Gabriela Medina, Writer Alyna Chadwick, Design Jumana Alam, Design Robin Nel, Design Charielys Adames, Design Nina Khrouy, Design Dakota Perez, Design Kaue Marcos, Design Emaan Omer, Design Glen Kimsey, Design Nita Phillips, Design Kathryn Tayar, Design Brianna Smith, Marketing & PR Kailani Liu, Marketing & PR Norman Likalam, Website Helena Carrington, Submissions Juniper Nie, Social Media Shannon Sewell, House Photographer Seattle/Portland/Vegas/LA Shanyn Fiske, House Photographer NYC /Boston/DC House Photographer
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Cover Curtiss Cook Photography by James Washington, Jr.
November
INSIDE...
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08 Where Are They Now? 14 The 70s: Women Who Fought for Our Rights 18 Pinup Girls: A Movement 22 Social Media: A False Reality 24 A Vulnerable Conversation 26 The Humans Behind Addictions 29 Sweater Vests Are Back 30 Winter Fashion: Unraveling the Skill of Layering 32 5 Trends That Should Have Been but Never Were 34 Walking in Heels with Bianca de la Garza 62 Curtiss Cook's Journey to Stardom 78 Women from History to Look Up To 140 My Dream for Indian Women 142 Easy Friendsgiving Dishes
EDITORIALS
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The Knight Ritual Anastasia Aware of Consequences Bulgan Color Therapy Back to the 70s Chapeau Constrasting Mood The Climb Magic of Petrin Noir Seigar
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Then and Now: Favorite Actors Throughout the Ages By: Delanee Ensley We all have our favorite actors from that obscure ‘80s movie who we’ve lost touch with, so I’m here to help you find them. Though actors can go through some hardships, here are a few actors who came through on the other side in a positive light:
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Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck has been a household name for a long time. However, Selleck actually didn’t make it big until he was thirty-five! In 1980, Selleck finally got his big break as the star in the TV show “Magnum P.I.” which earned him a Golden Globe and an Emmy.
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Molly Ringwald We all remember hits like “Pretty and Pink” and “The Breakfast Club,” which Ringwald starred in as a teenager. Molly Ringwald has been a role model for many teen actors, as she has been in the limelight since she was young. Ringwald is still active today and has been a part of projects like “Riverdale” and the teen movie “Kissing Booth.” 10 Nf m
Meryl Streep Meryl Streep is one of the best actresses of her generation and keeps thriving today! She has won over a hundred awards for her acting skills and still continues to wow the audience. She started her career on the stage, but it wasn’t long before she broke into television. We love her roles, from the tough Miranda Priestly in “The Devil Wears Prada” to the loving Donna Sheridan in “Mamma Mia” and every role in-between!
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Lea Thompson From “Back to the Future” to “Howard the Duck,” Lea Thompson has been a staple in some major ‘80s hits! From acting to directing, she has made a big impact in Hollywood. Her daughter Zoey Deutch is also an actress and has been in movies like “Why Him?” and the Netflix film “Set It Up.”
Though we haven’t seen Thompson very much in recent years, she has been in the teenage drama “Switched at Birth” and has played a few one-off characters in some of our favorite shows like “The Goldbergs!”
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James Spader Speaking of Molly Ringwald, we can’t forget about James Spader! Though this actor got his start in the movie “Pretty in Pink,” he has done many great things since then. While he has been called tricky to work with, we can see his true artistic visions have paid off in some of our favorite characters.
You may have seen him in “The Office” and “Blacklist,” and he was even the voice of Ultron in the Marvel movies!
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The '70s: Women Who Fought for Our Rights NFM By: Delanee Ensley
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The ‘70s were loud and boisterous with multi-colored prints and platform shoes, but on the side, something else was brewing. Second-wave feminism took the ‘70s by storm, working hard to fight for equality and against discrimination. Here are five women who were key players in making things happen for women and people of color in the United States.
Betty Friedan "Who knows what women can be when they are finally free to be themselves." Betty Friedan is best known for her book “The Feminine Mystique” and her progress in founding the National Organization for Women (NOW). The synopsis of her book from Britannica says, “She coined the term feminine mystique to describe the societal assumption that women could find fulfillment through housework, marriage, sexual passivity, and child rearing alone. Further, prevailing attitudes held that ‘truly feminine’ women had no desire for higher education, careers, or a political voice; rather, they found complete fulfillment in the domestic sphere.” Her book has been said to have sparked second-wave feminism, and she has been dubbed the “Mother” of the modern women’s movement. Though Friedan died in 2006 of congestive heart failure, her legacy still lives on through NOW, which is still fighting for the issues of women, racial justice, and LGBT rights. Her book is still read by many today.
Gloria Steinem "The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day; a movement is only people moving."
Gloria Steinem started her career as a journalist but was only given writing assignments like fashion or lifestyle pieces. When she would suggest more political-type pieces, she was shut down. In the early ‘60s, she was hired by a magazine to go undercover in the Playboy Mansion. Throughout her undercover work, she learned about the hardships and sexism that the Bunnies went through, including things like being underpaid and sexual harassment. The movie “A Bunny’s Tale” was made about her findings. Almost ten years after her staged life as a Playboy Bunny, she created the magazine Ms. which started as an insert in New York magazine. It became so wildly popular, that Ms. became a quarterly magazine, which is still in circulation today. Today, Steinem is still working on her writing and has gained many awards, one was even given to her by former President Barack Obama.
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or RBG, has become an icon in this country for many reasons. She was the second female justice and the first Jewish woman on the United States Supreme Court. From early on in her life, she had to make tough life decisions to push her family and career forward. Ginsburg studied law at two Ivy League schools, Cornell and then Colombia University. In 1993, she was appointed to the Supreme Court. She fought for gender equality and women’s rights her entire career. One of the cases she fought for, only three years in as a court justice, was the case of United States v. Virginia. According to Britannica, “Early in her tenure on the Court, Ginsburg wrote the majority’s opinion in United States v. Virginia (1996), which held that the men-only admission policy of a state-run university, the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), violated the equal protection clause.” Ginsberg wrote, “‘[G]eneralizations about ‘the way women are,’ estimates of what is appropriate for most women, no longer justify denying opportunity to women whose talent and capacity place them outside the average description.’” Sadly, in September of 2020, RBG passed away from pancreatic cancer. She will forever live on as a symbol of gender equality and women’s rights.
Audre Lorde “Revolution is not a one-time event.” Audre Lorde fought for women’s rights, LGBT rights, and civil rights, as a lesbian woman of color. She fought hard for the second-wave of feminism to include people of color in their movement instead of just middle-class white women. She was not afraid to call people out and stood up for what she believed in. Her life tragically ended in 1992 from breast cancer. This excerpt from Audre Lorde’s Poem “A Woman Speaks,” found on the Poetry Foundation says all she believed “I have been woman for a long time beware my smile I am treacherous with old magic and the noon's new fury with all your wide futures promised I am woman and not white.”
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Kate Millett “The image of the woman as we know it is an image created by men and fashioned to suit their needs.” Millet’s work is similar to Betty Friedan. Millet was the first co-chair of the Education Committee, and she wrote “Sexual Politics” in 1970, which largely contributed to helping the second-wave feminism movement along and sold over 10,000 copies in two weeks. Her written work, like Audre Lorde, was how she used her voice to join the fight for women’s rights. The books she wrote were shocking and honest. For example, one of the books she wrote titled “The Basement” talked about brutal abuse of a young woman, based on a true story about Sylvia Likens. In an interview with the New York Times, Millett said, “To be feminine, then, is to die.” She was accomplished with many awards, including being inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Kate Millett died in 2017 of cardiac arrest, only eight days shy of her 83rd birthday.
It’s important to remember these women. They are part of the history that defines us as women. With the bravery of these women, equality and women’s rights started moving in the right direction. As we honor these women, we must be ready to continue the fight until all people are equal and have the same rights, until all people are free.
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NFM By: Athena Wu
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ur world is constantly expanding into the digital realm, opening up an endless space for interaction between millions of people. One big question emerges: What kind of culture is social media fostering, and is it one that we want to live with? Being able to scroll through the lives of so many other individuals seems, at first glance, enlightening. The amount of exposure we have to the rest of the world while remaining in our beds is infinite. And yet, it is also tremendously one-sided.
Any social media user knows that social media is to show off the filtered parts of our lives. After all, this is our chance to carefully craft an image of ourselves, one for the public to see. We eliminate our “flaws” before anyone can even have the chance to point them out. The idea of a public image itself is not essentially a bad thing, but it’s when we take these online personas and make them the standard that we set ourselves up for disappointment. When we then take a look at our own situations—our messy relationships, our mistakes and failures, our unfiltered appearances—we compare them to the seemingly picture-perfect lives of everyone else. Known as social comparison, this tendency to base our own self-image off of others begins as a harmless habit, perhaps an even beneficial one. It serves as inspiration and motivation. We find social media users to look up to, and we learn from them. However, if we’re not mindful about how our social comparison is affecting us, it can become addictive and mentally burdening.
There is a fine line between wanting to improve ourselves and turning into our very own extremely critical judge. We cross that line when motivational mantras transform into negative self-talk. Social comparison is taken to a whole new level when it begins to affect how we view ourselves as humans and how we judge our own worth. Negative selftalk, in fact, does the opposite of encouraging us—it limits us. It degrades us. It tells us we will never live up to that standard, the one that is, truth be told, exceptionally rare in the real world. From here, it is far too easy to fall down a never-ending path of low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness. How does social media play a role in this? Social media platforms, specifically Instagram and TikTok, thrive as more and more people get sucked into this rabbit hole and spend more and more time engrossed in this fantasy land of picture-perfect lifestyles. They promote certain standards through their algorithms. The implications can be as serious as depression, eating disorders, and negative self-image, in general. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we completely immersed ourselves in this digital, social-media side of the world. Every day, we were fed each person’s best photo, their smiles and successes, and over the year and a half spent in quarantine, it’s easy to forget that people don’t have those filters in real life. The first day I walked back on campus, it was amazing how I suddenly realized that most people don’t have perfectly smooth and toned skin, or a photoshopped waist, or full faces of makeup all the time. Social media has thousands of benefits, but only when used carefully. The danger only comes in when we begin to make social media our reality.
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A Vulnerable
Conversation” By Athena Wu
T
he conversation around mental health and illness is daunting—for people on both ends.
While more and more people are talking about mental health, it is still unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory. It may be because of the stigma of mental illnesses that has haunted our society for ages, or it may simply point toward how humans despise being vulnerable. We build walls up around ourselves for security, protecting our innermost thoughts and emotions from judgment. We hide our burdens because we don’t want to burden others, or we believe that we can deal with it on our own. Opening ourselves up to others, as well as having others be vulnerable with us, can bring up fear—fear of judgment, fear of rejection, fear of doing something wrong, but also fear for a loved one’s well-being. With these intimidating emotions swarming our minds, having conversations around matters such as depression, addiction, or suicidality is not at
all easy, but it is still nevertheless essential in protecting lives and healing. How can I tell someone that I am struggling? It all begins with one line: “I’m not doing too well. Can I talk to you about it?” You can say it face-to-face, over text, through Snapchat—whichever platform makes you comfortable. Talking in person is better for physical connection and empathy. After all, there are no emojis or abbreviations we can hide behind. It’s the real thing—raw emotion and expression. Although I try to challenge myself to have vulnerable talks face-to-face, I do find it easier to express everything I want to talk about through messaging apps. They give each person time and space to react, process, and contemplate without the stress of being put on the spot.
Know ahead of time what you want to tell them. In the moment, I tend to get caught up in my thoughts, anxiously rethinking my decision to talk about my struggles. The reluctance and uncertainty quickly take hold, and suddenly, it’s all too easy to close up, “Never mind, it’s nothing. I forgot what I was going to say.” Being nervous and scared to take that first step is normal, but if you already have a plan of what you want to get out of the conversation, it becomes so much easier to keep going forward with it.
to what they’re saying. They might ask you to make some changes or stop doing something that isn’t helpful for them, but don’t get defensive. Understand that they aren’t blaming you, but they are actually trusting you with a part of themselves they likely don’t share with many people. Then, afterward, go do some research
Think about what you want them to understand about you: your emotions, your daily struggles, and your triggers. Give them a glimpse into your mind while still sharing only as much as what you are comfortable with. Tell them how they can be of support: “I don’t really need advice, but I’d like to talk to someone when I’m feeling overwhelmed.” Planning out these “goals” beforehand can give you much more reassurance and security going into the conversation, and communicating them to the other person will help them understand you better, as well.
Opening up is, for the lack of a better word, hard. Many people who suffer mentally are not going to be the ones to reach out first, even if they do want support. They are hoping that you will notice that they are not okay. The signs will be there, so if you notice shifts in mood or behavior, look into it. Changes in appetite and sleep, social withdrawal, and mood swings are common indicators of mental illnesses or mental health issues.
What do I say when someone confides in me? Being on the receiving end of this conversation is a much different situation. You’re on the spot. A deer in headlights. Especially if you’re not familiar with mental health struggles, you likely won’t know the best thing to say. Is there even a “best thing” to say? Do you ask more questions, or is that intrusive? Do you try to reassure them? Do you say something funny to make them laugh? The truth is that everyone is different. People cope in different ways. What could be helpful for one person could be frustrating for someone else. If you feel stuck, fruitlessly racking your brain for a response, there is an easy answer: “Thank you for trusting me. I don’t really know what to say, but I’m sorry you’re going through this. If I can do anything to help, let me know.” Let them tell you what they need, rather than trying to guess. Don’t try to solve their problems. Mental illnesses aren’t curable overnight. Listen
How do I reach out if I think a loved one is struggling?
Check-in with them often, and be prepared if the answer is that they are not okay. If it comes to a point where you are worried about suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, self-harm, or other dangerous behaviors, the best thing to do is ask them about it. Let them know that you’re worried and that you want to help without sounding accusatory—tone matters. The tone you start with will set the mood for the conversation. It will make it or break it. The Aftermath The conversation doesn’t end after the first one. It is continuous. And it certainly isn’t one-sided. Opening up to one another pushes you to navigate your emotions that otherwise might have been kept bottled up inside. It strengthens your relationships and how you empathize with other people. Vulnerable conversations don’t always get easier, but having them and embracing help and support can make life a little more bearable.
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The Humans Behind Addictions In our minds, addiction is an escape. In reality, it leads us from one dark place to an even darker one. Addiction often emerges out of internal torment. It welcomes us with open arms, disguising itself as a solution to our pain and trauma. It becomes a hand to hold. And so, we turn to addictions in order to survive the destructive emotions that imprison us. It isn’t until much later that we realize how we’ve fallen victim to its lethal clutches. Each time we give in to our addictions, we soar. We have a moment of release, as though we’re screaming into an empty chasm and letting all the inner turmoil fly out of us. But each time, the aftermath sends us back to the grim reality. The same emotions we’ve been avoiding are still right there, looming over us, waiting. We’re back to where we started, only now we have this urge, this craving to return to that chasm. 26 Nf m
Athena Wu
And so we go back, again, and again, and again, at the expense of our physical and mental well-being, our relationships, our dreams, our passions—everything that could make life worth living but we feel is so out of reach. July 2020 is when addiction first began taking over my life. It’s almost ironic how it formed as a way for me to take back control, and yet I ended up losing myself to it. Eating disorder behaviors seized my brain space, my energy, my time, my personality—it consumed me, and it was still never enough. That’s often the case with addiction. We have to have more, and when we have more, we need to have even more. It’s a dangerous trap to fall into, especially when we hardly realize how fast we’re falling. My own mental struggles transpired entirely within my head. Self-hatred infected my mind, and I truly believed that restricted eating would be the cure. It
began with wanting to lose a few pounds, but I would keep going back to eating disorder behaviors as a reflex to negative self-talk. When we’re stuck in that cycle of consistently relying on addictive behaviors to fix ourselves, we become blind to the effects. Addiction doesn’t fix our struggles; it worsens them. Looking back, I can confirm that my eating disorder has done nothing but tear down my self-image—if only I could go back in time and tell that to my sixteen-year-old self. November 2020 introduced a new addiction into my life, as eating disorder behaviors temporarily subsided. I turned to self-harm as a way to cope with the shame, guilt, and low self-esteem that had compounded within me. I think what most people don’t realize is that nobody wants to have addictions. Whether it’s alcohol, drugs, risk-taking behaviors, eating disorder behaviors, self-harm, or another form, we don’t want it. But we can’t stop. Addiction warps our thoughts. You might say it’s logical to simply cut out habits that have negative consequences, but we don’t see that. Our brains are constantly screaming at us to do it again, and giving in to those voices in our heads is far easier than listening to reason. Because we can’t escape from that voice, we prioritize it. We fuel it. When we’re so deep in our struggles, we almost don’t even want to be saved. We don’t want to let go of the habit or the substance that may be the only thing giving us a break from the reality of our situation, from our minds. I was incredibly reluctant to get help. Of course, I wanted to be recovered, but the road ahead of me seemed endless and exhausting: the treatment plan, the supervision, the idea of throwing away what had been sustaining (but truly destroying) me for over a year. It wasn’t until I made it out of the depths of my addictions that I could begin to separate myself from my mental struggles. I’ve started to understand that I am not who I was when I was mentally at my lowest. Isolated and closed off, I had neglected my friendships and relationships with my family, and I had been constantly lethargic, depressed, and irritated. That wasn’t
“ In our minds, addiction is an escape. In reality, it leads us from one dark place to an even darker one.”
me. That isn’t me. Addictions twist our demeanor and personalities. This is especially true for those who suffer from substance abuse, as drugs and alcohol physically impact parts of the brain. That’s not to say recovery isn’t possible. I’m two weeks into a tough program, and I can already feel the difference. No one’s story is the same, and so many don’t have access to strong support systems, but perhaps we can all understand that behind addictions are people just trying to cope with lives that bring them more pain than they can bear. Behind addictions are humans. Nf m 27
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By Jennah Owda Sweater vests are back in time for the cooler weather, and lucky for us, the academia aesthetic is back in season. If you have yet to style a sweater vest or believe that it is not your style, here are five ways to alter sweater vests to fit your aesthetic.
1. Business Casual
If you are going for the more business casual look, a nice white collared shirt will pair nicely with a plaid sweater vest. To make it a full outfit, pair the tops with some solid-color -ed trousers and some co -mfortable loafers. As for accessories, a croc pattern handbag and a sleek watch would make the outfit pop.
2. Alternative
If the alternative aesthetic suits you more, an oversized sweater vest tucked into a leather mini skirt would be the per -fect look for you. Pair the skirt with some fun Halloween-themed stockings. And, of course, a pair of Dr. Martens is a must. As for accessories, a black tote bag and some bulky silver rings will complement the grunge outfit.
3. Soft Girl
If the leather skirt and combat boots are not your thing, that is completely okay! To accomplish a softer look, I would opt out of the dark oversized sweater vest for a cropped pastel-colored sweater vest styled with a white tennis skirt and some chunky white sneakers. With colorful hair clips and a handbag that matches the vest, the look is complete.
4. Street Style
Street style and sweater vests seem contradictory, but these items make them go hand in hand. For this look, you will need an oversized solid-colored sweater vest and a complimentary plain white t-shirt that will be layered under the vest. Next, you will want to buy straight, wide jeans and a pair of Nike Jordans to finish the look. I love to accessorize my street looks with chunky necklaces and baseball caps.
5. Street Style
Cottagecore is my absolute favorite aesthetic because of how versatile it can be. To fix this look, you will need a white collared shirt to layer under a cropped sweater vest. With these two items, you will want to pair them with a long satin skirt. I love to pair my skirts with kneehigh boots, especially during the wintertime. This can be accessorized with a light-colored tote bag and a satin scarf.
Photographer: Polina Tankilevitch
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Winter Fashion Unraveling the Skill of Layering by Athena Wu
Welcome to Layering 101. Knowing how to stay warm while flaunting fashionable looks is an essential skill to have in these colder months. Throwing on an oversized coat might seem like the easiest solution at first until you realize they hide the entire outfit. Layering, on the other hand, allows you to show off all your favorite clothes. It turns a wardrobe of twenty items into a hundred outfits. Below is a glimpse into the world of layering and how you can rock every item in your closet this winter.
The Base. Let’s start off easy. The base for your outfit is nothing more than a simple top. These tops are solid-colored, tight-fitting, and generally have long sleeves unless you’re in southern California. Think ribbed shirts, turtleneck tops, thin sweaters, and collared shirts—you want lighter tops, as opposed to heavy, bulky ones. When choosing the color, it is best to stick to neutral or pastel colors that won’t clash with outer layers. The Splash of Individuality. With layering, you don’t have to reluctantly cycle through the same coats every week. You get to wear all the styles you want. It’s time to bring out the color in your closet. While you have to remember to match it to the base layer, the variation is still infinite. Contrast the base with vivid colors, textures, and patterns. Wear those summer cami dresses, cami tops, or overalls over your base, or throw on your favorite knit sweater, sweater vest, or graphic tee. 30 Nf m
The Bottoms. While the huge variation in possibilities is still there, this is where we get pickier. If you haven’t heard yet, skinny jeans are in the past, and its polar opposite, wide-leg jeans, are at an all-time high. Wide-leg and straight-leg pants, leather pants, and maxi skirts are an easy go-to. Keep the color neutral for a more casual look, or, if you’re feeling bold, put together a monochromatic outfit and match it with your top. However, keep in mind not to clash patterns or designs. Given your top and bottoms, one can be wild if the other is simpler. It’s all about balance. Cherry on Top Now, this is the fun part: the jacket, the shoes, and the accessories. Let’s start with outerwear. You can never go wrong with the puffer jacket or vest, but if you want to change things up, remember one thing: oversized. Oversized corduroy jackets, trucker jackets, and wool jackets (or shackets) are some of my personal favorites. Of course, in winter weather, there is no escaping the classic wool overcoat, but that is its own outfit, in and of itself. Boots Let’s talk shoes. Knee-high boots are a wonder if you’re wearing a dress or a skirt, but they don’t quite work with baggy jeans. My top recommendations are combat boots and platform shoes, which elevate the look further and elevate you physically, not to mention the power and confidence they exude. Extra Heat Regarding accessories, the selection is neverending. Gloves, tights, scarves, leg warmers, and earmuffs can all be stylish ways to keep warm. Remember that this is just one way to layer out of many. After all, layering is essentially just mixing and matching patterns, fabrics, and colors. Don’t be afraid to go wild this winter. After over a year spent indoors, it’s time to get a little crazy.
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5 Trends that Should Have Been but Never Were by Janelle Sessoms Fashion trends are an interesting concept because the trends of today already happened in the past. Trends come and go so fast that it’s easy to lose track of where certain styles fall in the trend cycle. But we rarely ever pay attention to the styles that didn’t quite make the cut for trends. Or maybe it did but it didn’t reach its full potential. With thousands of years of documented fashion, many styles had the potential to become wellknown trends but clearly missed the mark. While there is no way to create a comprehensive list of all these missed fashion opportunities, we have compiled a list of 5 trends that should have been but never were.
Brooches It’s an accessory that had so much potential. Brooches first came into the spotlight in the late 17th century with European fashion. They were originally created from precious metals and gemstones and were treated as fine jewelry that was only worn by those with a wealthy status. Fast forward to modern times, brooches are still present but mainly worn as a decorative accessory. Brooches have such intricate designs, and the fashion industry had a great opportunity to embrace brooches to really elevate an outfit. Unfortunately, instead of becoming the next big trend, brooches only stayed as an accessory that symbolizes power. They are still beautiful to have but don’t count on them hitting the runways anytime soon. 32 Nf m
Heels for Men Believe it or not, high heels were originally designed for men. The footwear is best associated with the French Revolution, where King Louis XIV deemed heels as symbols of power and wealth. As the French Revolution came to an end, high heels started to look too “feminine” and slowly gained the reputation as women’s footwear, which we still wear to this day. As we begin to question gender norms around clothing, having high heels for men as a major fashion trend could have avoided a major setback in the conversation. Thankfully, society is more open to gender-fluid fashion, so heels for men may be a trend in the foreseeable future.
Skorts Skorts are one of the most practical pieces of clothing the fashion industry ever created, yet missed the mark in becoming a major trend. Skorts came onto the scene in the early 2000s and were the perfect mix of sporty, preppy, and feminine. While this could have been a major fashion moment, skorts ended up being overshadowed by other Y2K fashion of the time. Instead of embracing skorts, it was low-rise jeans and miniskirts that stole the spotlight. All hope isn’t lost, however. The comfort and practicality of skorts have been recognized by Gen Z and Millennials, and skorts may finally be given the attention they deserved all along. Suspenders Suspenders could have been so much more than a trend but a statement piece. They were originally designed in the 18th century as nothing more than a piece to help hold up men’s pants. It was expected for men to wear a coat over their suspenders and was considered inappropriate to show them in public. Moving forward to the mid to late 1900s, suspenders became less of a necessity and more of an accessory. Still, even with society more open to wearing suspenders in public, it never fully emerged as a huge
trend in fashion. It’s hard to say if suspenders will ever be established as a major trend, but they have certainly made an impact. It’s hard to see them disappearing from our closets completely. Bowler Hat At first glance, bowler hats not becoming a huge fashion trend makes sense. The hat design isn’t exactly the best fit for every individual, and it’s certainly not a hat that can go with every outfit. However, it does have a lot of potential. It managed to become an iconic trend in UK fashion and specifically emerged in menswear. Since it was so successful in the UK, there was a great opportunity for the same success in American fashion that was completely missed. The bowler hat brings an element of class and professionalism to an outfit, which is not an easy thing to do in headwear. While bowler hats are not on any recent trend trajectory, there is still a good chance that somewhere down the line Americans will welcome bowler hats as a new hat style to try.
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Walking in Heels The Pursuit of Humanity written by: Bianca de la Garza Bianca is an EMMY nominated, award-winning journalist who was the first woman in late night television. The founder of a vegan skincare line known for shaking up traditional narratives about beauty. A proud mom and Latina can be found speaking around the globe on topics from media to entrepreneurship. Follow her on instagram / @biancadelagarzaoffical and twitter @BiancaDLGarza
Less is more. The concept may seem strange, especially in November. A month where gorging on turkey and collapsing on the couch pretty much symbolizes a national holiday. But stepping back and taking a close look at ourselves and current world events, the concept proves wise. To embrace less, first, we must understand it. Scaling back gives you immense power. The moment you ditch the baggage, you are liberated. Feeling that freedom will make you realize abandoning the belief that bigger is better makes a lot of sense in our world. For some, less is scary. It conjures up fears around losing one’s identity or stature. If we have less, do we appear less to others? No, less does not equate to meaning less. Think of less as effortless. The Oxford Dictionary defines effortless as a state “achieved with admirable ease.” Coco Chanel suggested, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” Understated is a winning strategy. Maybe this is why we’re seeing Kate Middleton rocking dresses from ten years ago at recent royal events and looking amazing. London-based Tricia Topping, an expert in luxury PR and marketing, says downsizing is the new standard in luxury, “Kate is someone known for wearing the right thing at the right time. She was proud to wear that dress from 2011.” Style is not always loud. Wearing your confidence, not things, will get you noticed. A few years back, I founded a skincare line. The tag line was “less is more and you are enough.” I knew it was counterintuitive. What beauty company actually tells you to buy fewer products? I did because I felt so strongly, and still do, that true beauty lives inside of us. Getting comfortable in our skin means we are not relying on the external to determine our own self-worth. When it comes to getting products, currently, we have no real control over the matter.
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Delays in the supply chain are having crippling effects on consumer goods globally. Reports of gas and food shortages and rising prices are real concerns. Yet, news of a toy shortage also sparks panic for some who fear their non-essential items won’t make it under the tree. Clearly, when less is not our own choice, pain usually follows. But if we make it a conscious choice, we change the script. It’s not as hard as you think. During the pandemic, we got by with less. The world hit pause, and we had fewer places to go, fewer people to see. It was then we realized how much simple things meant. We craved connection, and now that we are back together, how quickly is that pendulum swinging back? Before it does, I ask, can we hold off on having it all again? So when the media happens to show empty store shelves, our first reaction will not be fear. The hoarding will not commence. For Topping, her affluent clients are deliberately choosing and enjoying less consumption in many categories, “In China, I see homes with one good piece of art. As our properties get smaller, which is what’s going to happen everywhere, and as our children won’t be able to afford such big houses, we will all appreciate the craftsmanship and want less.” No matter the bank account balance, when we collectively choose the “less is more” mentality, we change the paradigm. The world can be complicated at the moment, but we don’t have to take on its problems to solve. No, that’s one less thing we need on our plate. Leave more room for turkey and the fixings. Isn’t that the tradition we really feed off of and fill up with? The nourishment comes from being with family and friends, simply gathering, content with what we have. This holiday season, let’s start by giving thanks for less and all it affords us.
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Photographer: Angelina Priyateleva Model: Mila Karpova Handmade dress: Mila Karpova
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Photographer: Viola Bibaeva
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Model: Alina Vorobyova
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Wardrobe Stylist: Unna Glushakova
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Orange and Blue are complimentary colors: colors on opposite sides of the color wheel. When mixed, the result is a dull gray. However when juxtaposed, complimentary colors make eachother pop.
Photographer Juan Bautizta Models Ganna Savchuk & Fabiola Fashion Maria Vera, Cueva, Thalatha, Sophia Lerner, Sentient, Karizia Make Up & Hair Aracely Zarate Styling Jay Ramirez
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Red and Green are also complimentary colors. Opposites bring out the best in eachother.
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Curtiss Cook’s road to success From Dayton, Ohio to the Big Screen Interview by Allie Willhouse
C
urtiss Cook is one of the busiest men in Hollywood. After an explosive season four finale of “The Chi” on Showtime, he is gearing up for the Steven Spielberg-directed film “West Side Story,” hitting theatres on Friday, December 10. Curtiss talks about his journey as an actor, starting in high school, and leading up to his monumental roles in television and film
When did you first start acting, and what inspired you to do so? I started in junior high school. I was in 7th grade when I realized there was really something that could be done with acting. I really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed the freedom of expression it gives. I grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and I came from a lower middle-class family. As the oldest of five children, I had no older siblings to look up to, so theatre and dance were escapism for me. It made me be really creative, open, and allowed me to express myself in that way. That was one of the major inspirations for pursuing it. I didn’t really realize that I could make a living out of it until my last year of high school. Then it kind of hit me that it is a lifestyle, and there is money to be made from it. I wasn’t thinking big and fabulous though. I was thinking about doing community theatre in Dayton, Ohio, and making just enough to live off of it and have fun. But God had bigger plans for me. 72 Nf m
What was it like moving from Ohio to London to pursue your dreams? It was a shellshock, or culture shock rather. It was big! I didn’t know what to expect. What you have to realize too was that I had never flown on a plane before, ever. So, that was major. I didn’t know what to pack! I was even packing my iron and all kinds of crazy things to take with me over there. Once I got there, I realized that the iron wouldn’t even fit into the outlet. So there was no actual reason to bring this. It’s a huge country! Of course, they have irons over there! I didn’t need to pack that. So it was major, and the way that that came about was a gift from the universe that I will never forget. I will always be thankful for it. I was doing a production in Dayton, Ohio, with the Muse Machine run by this woman with the name of Suzy Bassani, who I consider one of my living angels. She asked me what I was going to do at the end of a run, to which I responded
that I planned to go into the Navy. After, I would come back and work for Montgomery county engineers, like my Dad, doing street work, and then buy a house out in the suburbs and be able to do plays on the weekend. She said, “No, darling, you have too much talent for that.” I responded, “Well, thank you, but I’m going to do what I’m going to do.” Turns out, she knew the principal of the school in London, and every year—I don’t know if they do this to this day— they travel to LA and Chicago, and they have auditions for the students. She asked them to come to Dayton because she knew them. So, they did. I sang, danced, and did a monologue for him, and he enjoyed it. I was helped by Miss Patricia Copeland, who is no longer living, but she was my high school drama teacher, an angel. Afterward, he had my parents come in for a meeting, and he said that they wanted to offer him admission at the school. My father and everyone was
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really happy at the meeting. When we got home, I remember seeing their sad faces when they explained that they didn’t have the money to send me there. I was heartbroken, but I understood it. As I said, I was the oldest out of all of my siblings, and I knew it would be a large amount of money. So I went back to tell Suzy that I, unfortunately, wouldn’t be able to take the scholarship and attend the school. When she came back, she told me that they would give me a full ride to the school. So I’ve been blessed for a long time, and I am very fortunate. Did you begin on stage or with film acting? How did you find your passion for film acting? It was a long and slow process. When I worked on theatre in the city before I got my Broadway National Tour, I was auditioning for small things here and there, but I never really took it seriously. I thought that theatre was my home and that theatre was my life, and that was all I ever wanted to do. I was like a ridiculously snobby actor. I realized that television might not be so bad when I did a small but integral part on a show, and they paid me my Broadway salary for one day. So that started my quest to figure out how to act on camera as opposed to on stage. Although the journey to the character and finding your true self is the same on television and stage, the way that you give it out is different. I felt like I needed to learn more of that, and I had a commercial agent, so I started doing more of that so I could get more comfortable in front of the camera. I make that sound really easy like you can just go and do a commercial, but I had to audition a lot, and it took me a while before those started to come. I also did a lot of student films. So I auditioned for these roles in films so that I could get familiar with camera work, camera angles, and my performances. I would also take a lot of audition classes, and I really learned how to laser-focus my emotions, which would help me with television because it is more precise on camera.
Including a leading Black player in West Side Story is something that I think he would be proud of now.
Tell us what your experience in Showtime’s “The Chi” is like. It is an amazing show! It is on Showtime. The character that I play is Odis Douda Perry, and he is a gangster who ends up being the mayor of Chicago. I’ve been there for three seasons now. We just got renewed for our 5th season, which is a feat for any show. It is especially an accomplishment for a show like this one because it kinda concentrates on unapologetically Black life on the south side of Chicago and how we deal with our ups and downs. It is not a type of life that is being shown as often as it should be. This character is a wild dude, and many people think that he is evil. I don’t think that, though. I think he is just misunderstood. In the fourth season, he defunds the police, and then a whole backlash of events occurs. It is a really great show, and I look forward to what season five is going to bring. 74 Nf m
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What is it like bringing the revival of “West Side Story” to life? It’s great to bring it to life again. I’m just honored to be a part of it. I feel like I could call Arthur Laurents, who is the original writer of “West Side Story,” a friend. I did a production of “Hallelujah Baby!,” which he directed and wrote a few years back, so I had the opportunity to sit and learn from him. It amazes me,the fact that I am bringing his creation back to life now. Especially on the big screen in such a monumental way. It really means a lot to me. Although Laurents was troubled, he was a straightforward and honest man. He was very talented, and he knew how to spot and recognize talent. So I would like to think that he would be proud that I am a part of this revival of “West Side Story.” On top of that, the production that we were working on, “Hallelujah Baby!,” was about a Black woman at a time where she wanted to be the biggest star in the world. Including a leading Black player in “West Side Story” is something that I think he would be proud of now. I’m not sure if this is true or not, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he had fought for it initially. I am really excited for everyone to see it. I am really excited to see it, I really can’t wait, because I haven’t seen it yet either. I know what it felt like to be on the set and to work with Steven Speilberg and have that opportunity which was utterly amazing. What does a typical day on the set of “West Side Story” look like? Well, it was weird because we shot this almost two and a half years ago because it was supposed to come out, but then the [COVID-19] pandemic hit. So it was this big hush-hush thing. We were in parts of the city where it was hot, and we would have to put on big coats because photographers were there trying to see what the costumes looked like. It was like we were in this covert-operational secret movie. I have never been a part of something like that before. When we went from our trailers to the set, we would have to bundle up and have an umbrella in front of us to hurry up and get to the set. Then, once we got there and started talking to one another, it was astonishing. It was like we were back in the 1950s. Everybody was cool and young, and everybody was trying to stay in character. There were a lot of theatre people in the cast as well, so there was a lot of method acting going on. People were telling stories, and Steven fell right in too. He was sitting around and talking to us about other projects. It was really a dream come true. It was like something you could only imagine. Then
we would start doing the work, and you know, I would know the songs and the words, and it’s like, “Oh my God...I’m actually saying these words I have heard for 50 or 60 years.” It was amazing. What do you appreciate most about your character Abe? The fact that he’s there. The fact that he’s a representation for young Black boys like I was in Dayton, Ohio, who now see themselves and see that it’s possible if they do the work. The fact that he’s going to be there and be that representation for somebody out there means a lot to me. I hope that it stands and it holds justice and that it resonates as well as it can. That’s not up to me. That’s up to how it works out. It’s an honor to be a part of it. Be sure to catch “West Side Story” in theatres this December! Editor’s Note: Interview has been edited for clarity.
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WOMEN FROM HISTORY TO LOOK UP TO By: Delanee Ensley
Women throughout history have fought for our rights to succeed and tried to make the world a better place. Through humanitarian work, academic work, and music, these six women offered us positive changes in our lives. Being in the spotlight can be difficult, but these women did effortlessly and inspirationally in order to allow their dreams to come true, showing us that with passion, we can do the same things. 78 Nf m
Marie Curie (1895-1934) We’ve always looked up to strong STEM women, and Marie Curie was one of the first! Curie is the recipient of two Nobel Prizes and one of the people to discover the element of radium. From an early age, she was interested in mathematics and science, as her father was a teacher of both. Known for her remarkable memory, it is no surprise that she eventually wound up being taught by some of the most remarkable physicists of her time. Being a hard worker is an understatement when it comes to Marie Curie. According to Brittanica, she would work long hours, sometimes late into the night, and basically lived on only bread, butter, and tea. Through working in different labs, she would eventually come to meet her partner in life and in science, Pierre Curie. Together, the couple discovered the elements polonium and radium, and in 1903, shared the accomplishment of earning a Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery of radioactivity. Pierre Curie’s death in 1906 was tragic, but Marie’s work ethic kept her going. In 1911, Marie Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for her accomplishment of isolating pure radium. Curie died in 1934, but she was never forgotten. In 1995, her ashes were enshrined at the Panthéon in Paris, the first woman to gain this accomplishment. Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) Eleanor Roosevelt was a great leader and advocated for social change. At an early age, she volunteered to teach impoverished children in New York and fought hard for change in working conditions. According to History, though Eleanor approved of her political career, she was reluctant to move into the role of the First Lady because she did not want to give up her teaching job and autonomy. However, it was not long after she became First Lady that she realized she could make changes alongside her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, instead of being a silent partner. Eleanor Roosevelt was an avid supporter of women’s rights, encouraging her husband to appoint women into federal roles. During World War II, she promoted issues important to the troops, wanting to keep their morale up. Roosevelt was also known as an advocate for civil rights. She created an anti-lynching bill, and the KKK hated her so much that in the ‘60s they put a $25,000 bounty on her head. After her husband’s death and the end of her journey as First Lady, she served as a delegate for the United Nations and helped draft the Universal Human Declaration of Human Rights. Roosevelt also served on the board of the NAACP and the Peace Corps. She worked hard in her later years for the Democratic Party and wrote 27 books and over 8,000 columns. Nf m 79
Billie Holiday (1915-1959) Lady Day, or Billie Holiday, is known as one of the greatest jazz singers from the ‘20s to the ‘50s. One of her most influential songs was named “Strange Fruit” and is about the lynchings happening during that time period, comparing the hanging bodies in the trees to fruit. This poem-turnedsong was a statement piece for Holiday. According to an article found on History, she would perform this piece last to a stunned audience, letting the lights fade, and by the time they were turned back on, she was gone, letting the song hang with the audience. Today, this song is still studied in schools and by musicians as an important musical historical moment. In 1987, years after her death, she won a Grammy Award for her lifetime achievements and had been nominated twice for other awards. Billie Holiday was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Her music and lyrics continue to inspire many. Aretha Franklin (1942-2018) Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, played her way into all of our hearts, most famously with her song “Respect.” Her music is powerful and mirrors her life as a powerful woman. Though she suffered hardships, she never let them affect the powerful spirit she gave through her music and empowered many women and people to persevere. When Franklin was only 14 years old, she landed her first record deal, recording an album of gospel songs. By the time she was 18, she had switched to blues and jazz music, and interestingly enough, the same man who signed Billie Holiday also signed Aretha. In 1987, Aretha Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has won a total of 18 Grammy Awards throughout her lifetime Her influence gave us many of the pop stars we see today, including Beyoncé and Alicia Keys. According to Rolling Stone, when Michelle and Barack Obama learned about her death they had this to say, “Aretha helped define the American ex80 Nf m
perience. In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade—our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect.” Toni Morrison (1931-2019) Toni Morrison is influential to writers and an inspiration to the Black community. Morrison’s life started in Ohio, under the constant threat of racial discrimination. From a young age, she enjoyed reading and writing and would use those talents her entire life. After graduating from high school, Morrison went on to attend Howard University and then Cornell for her master’s degree. With her degrees in English, she returned to her alma mater, Howard University, where she taught for seven years before deciding to follow her real dream. Morrison went on to be an editor at Random Publishing House, giving her the time to write. She did not publish her first novel, “The Bluest Eye, until she was 39 years old, and by the time she published her second novel, “Sula,” she was a household name. The novel, “Beloved,” is based on a true story of a runaway slave and is probably her most popular book. According to Brittanica, in 1993, Toni Morrison became the first Black woman to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature, which was awarded her the novel, “Beloved.” This novel became a movie in 1998, which starred Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover. She was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 for the amazing literature she has bestowed upon us. Princess Diana (1961-1997) Diana, Princess of Wales, was the wife of Prince Phillip and the mother of Prince William and Princes Henry. With her celebrity status, she was known as a trendsetter. Some of her looks are even copied to this day. In 1996, Princess Diana and Prince Phillip separated, Diana struggling with depression in the eye of the spotlight. According to Brittanica, she would bring along her two sons with her to
places like orphanages and homeless shelters, teaching them about privilege and the role they have in helping people. This humility and care gave her the title “The People’s Princess.” Though Princess Diana loved to help people, the spotlight could be exhausting. In 1997, while trying to get away from the paparazzi Princess Diana, her companion Dodi Fayed, and driver were all killed. We all mourned the loss of a great and caring woman, but even in death, she has a hand in helping people. The Diana Award, created in Princess Diana’s honor, is dedicated to praising young people from the ages of 9-25 for their humanitarian work. If you win this award, you are invited to a ceremony and have the option to attend development programs to further your leadership and social change. This quote by Princess Diana says it all, “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” All of these women accomplished something, regardless if it was music, literature, or public outreach. We all remember these women today for their strength and the strength they gave us. Their impact on the lives of past, present, and future women can’t be compared, showing us that with hard work, anything is possible!
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Strapped Mfg @strappedmfg
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Yossi Socacio
Art Director Michal Socacio Makeup Artist Hair Stylist: Malki Levin
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Model Eden Tigva
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Model Yali Gil
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Photographer: Juan Pablo Castro Model: Lisa Jackson Agency: Select Model Miami Hats: Pink Gun Gallery Makeup & Hair: Paul J Natter
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Shoes: Christian Soriano Jean Suit: Nevada Jewelry: Hilard Designs
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Magic of Petřín Take a walk with us around the Petřín tower in Prague. Stroll through gorgeous rose gardens and take a ride on a vintage carousel. You can go to Paris in Prague at the Petřín tower, a miniature version of the Eiffel Tower.
Photographer Edita Bízová Model Karolína Zadrobílková Makeup Artist Markéta Jičínská
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Model: Andreea Papuc Studio: 82 Studio Photographers: David Dorohoianu and Alex Dragan Fashion council: Romanian Fashion Council Make-up: Raluca Craciun Collection: “Who Is the Archer?”
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seigar This collage series explores the concepts of social rites and their connection to the passing of time. The compositions portray different motives for social gatherings such as music, sports, drinking, eating, party, love, religion, travel, and fashion. The pop prism brings some drama and tension pulsating through the clocks ticking from one generation to another. I have experimented with some paints and cassettes to reinforce the camp effects in the form of this work. Time & Rituals intends to remind viewers of the essence of the Latin phrase carpe diem. The overall message is to play the tape and get the boarding pass, get ready, and go because the time is now.
Seigar is a passionate travel, street, social-documentary, conceptual, and pop visual artist based in Tenerife, Spain. He feels obsessed with the pop culture that he shows in his works. He has explored photography, video art, and collage. He also writes for some media. His main inspirations are traveling and people. He is a philologist and works as a secondary school teacher. He is a self-taught visual artist, though he has done a two years course in advanced photography and one in cinema and television. He has participated in several exhibitions and his works have been featured in many publications worldwide. He writes for Dodho Magazine and for The Cultural about pop culture. His last interest is documenting identity. Recently, he received the Rafael Ramos García International Photography Award. He also shares art and culture in his blog: Pop Sonality.
seigar.wordpress.com instagram.com/jseigar
flickr.com/photos/theblueheartbeat/albums
popsonality.blogspot.com
biography
time & rituals
conceptual & visual artist
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My Dream for Indian Women
By Khushi Popat
“I have a dream” were the first words of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech about racial injustice. Unfortunately, along with racial injustice, gender inequality is an issue relevant in most countries today. Gender inequality is defined as discrimination based on sex or gender, causing one sex or gender to be routinely privileged or prioritized over the other. However, gender inequality is more than discrimination. Gender inequality is robbing the identity and self-esteem of an individual. Discrimination based on sex causes an imbalance in society and can hamper the growth of a country. India is a country that is infamous for the way they treat their women.
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Did you know that 48% of the Indian population is female? While there isn’t a vast difference in the number of males and females in the country, there is a stark contrast in the way females are treated. Since time immemorial, India has been a patriarchal society, and women have always been treated as the weaker counterparts. Women are taught to be docile, quiet around men, and opinionless since their childhood. Girls are less likely to complete their education because their families would rather invest the same amount for the education of their sons. Constitutionally, India is a country that treats both men and women equally. However, that is rarely implemented. Women were denied the right to vote, sanitation, health, education, and the right to choose their husbands for a long time. Even in the 21st century, less than 20% of menstruating women use sanitary products like pads, tampons, and menstrual cups. The number only rises to 50% in the urban regions. In rural India, when women go through their menstrual cycles, they are forced to sit inside their rooms and use homemade alternatives like old clothes, rags, sand, or ash instead of sanitary pads. Not only is this unhygienic and can cause severe health problems, but it also obstructs women’s lives because they aren’t allowed to attend school and work during their menstrual cycles. Can you imagine living in a world where two-yearold girls are taught how to sit correctly, girls are ogled at from the age of ten, eve-teased at the age of twelve,
and sexualized before they become an adult? It sounds scary, doesn’t it? While it might seem like an exaggeration to most, it is the reality faced by Indian women and girls. When you live in a world where you are reduced to your reproductive organs, there isn’t scope to grow. Indian women fight every day to be seen as fellow human beings and not just for their bodies. While things have significantly improved over time, India still has a long way to go. Indian women still don’t get respected for their work, paid enough for the same amount of work as their male contemporaries, and are harassed the second they step out of their homes. I, too, have a dream to see India become a place where women are given the platform to speak their minds without hesitation, share their opinions without being silenced and shut out from society, travel without the fear of being taken advantage of, work without being judged, and dream without limitations. I wish for a society where we don’t teach our young girls the right way to sit, to be quiet when the men are talking, or etch into their minds that they will only be worthy when they become someone’s wife. Instead, I want to show girls the power of dreaming and manifestation. I want them to know that they are capable of doing everything they wish to, as long as they are courageous and determined. I want to tell them that they are worthy even without being a wife or a mother. I want them to be treated as equal human beings rather than someone inferior.
To every Indian girl reading this, you are worthy and powerful, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Sources: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.businessinsider.in/advertising/brands/article/adoption-of-sanitary-napkins-is-less-than-20-in-india-whereas-adoption-ofcosmetics-like-lipstick-is-significantly-higher-at-65-chetna-soni-pg/amp_articleshow/82219127.cms
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