Mode Magazine Spring/Summer 2022 by MODE Magazine

ODE MO MODE E MODE ODE MO E MODE ODE MO Layout by Prutha Chavan

Editor in Chief: Max Durante Creative Director: Stephen Pastore

Arts & Entertainment Editor: Katelyn Benzinger Photo Editor: Elise Anstey Fundraising Chair: Prutha Chavan Beauty Editor: Carson DeLasho Lifestyle Editor: Bella Reilly Social Media Editor: Gracie Kunik Love & Relationships: Mira Balsam Secretary: Carson Waldron Treasurer: Riya Goel Fashion Editor: Grace McCarty

Authors Ahan Dhar Zhane Coleman Lauren Lombardi Eddie Fan Emme Weisenfeld Gracie Davis Julia Patterson Hailey Pryor Sarah Raubenheimer Amy Lousararian Carson DeLasho Molly Fitzpatrick Quinn Fantozzi John Cugel Gillian Roberts Anya Stevens Maggie Boswell Bandit Mig Daniella DeYoung Anna Gaylord Nicole DiPietro Japnour Bhasin Nina Carbone Caleb Rocha Gracie Kunik Juliane Pautrot Grace Livecchi Gabriella Nisco Stephanie Lane Jackie Pallazola Ali Dobbs Rachel Erickson Natalia Cruz Olivia Nast Cameron Huber Gabrielle Gonzales Emily Koch Molly Chamberlain Alexa Mancini

Mackenzie Neviaser Sara Tsugranis Paige Pandolfo Kelly Cimaglia Keagan Ostop Kathleen Tiernan Riley Drumm Jessica Poulos Layout Team Max Durante Stephen Pastore Prutha Chavan Gracie Davis Zhane Coleman Emily Koch Hailey Pryor Emme Weisenfeld Gabriella Nisco Hannah Gaertner Anita Imbornone Isabella Budetti Sophie Dreskin Nora Dettling Natalie Conte Olivia Nast Caroline Matossian Genevieve Vanston Indira Kar Maddie Boone Victoria Broadbent Jackie Kobeski Madison Lerseth Gracie Kunik Caroline Gleason Grace Livecchi Christina Boniello Alexa Stegmuller Mikey Duffy

Models Isabella Budetti Lizzie Demacopoulos Caitlin Finch Jett Neubacher Carson DeLasho Molly Fitzpatrick Caleb Rocha Amy Lousararian Daniella DeYoung Anya Stevens Gaby Simporios Natalia Cruz Ali Dobbs Jess Lopez Ashlyn Weidman Madison Rhoad Janey Lorenzo Nina Carbone Gracie Kunik Gracie Davis Minh Anh Dinh Licha Gonzalez Stephanie Lane Juliana Huxtable Mila Grgas Kathryn Labagh Juliane Pautrot Julia Lapaj Gabrielle Gonzales Jessica Poulos Molly Chamberlain Alexa Mancini Melissa Brugmann Laura Grogan Sebastian Diaz Sophia Loria Ann Fitzgerald Sara Tsugranis Paige Pandolfo

Stephanie James-Leon Colleen Bedingfield Allie Kisow Nora Dettling

Photographers Elise Anstey Nina Moll Gillian Roberts Stephanie Lane Andy Meeker Lauren Cassot Wesley Scott Gracie Davis Sari Avila-Franklin Nora Dettling Prutha Chavan

Stylists Sarah Raubenheimer Molly Fitzpatrick Daniella DeYoung Janey Lorenzo Isabella Budetti Juliane Pautrot Grace Livecchi Prutha Chavan Melissa Brugmann Sara Tsugranis Paige Pandolfo Stephanie James-Leon Illustrators Amelia Ferguson Hailey Pryor Elizabeth Sadler Grace McCarty Prutha Chavan Grace Livecchi

ODE E ODE E ODE

When Mica Tennenbaum and Matthew Lewin first met in high school, neither of them listened to pop music. In fact, they believed that it went against everything music was supposed to be. That being said, it’s ironic that they would go on to release one of the best pop albums of 2021 as the synthpop band Magdalena Bay. It wasn’t until listening to the more experimental art-pop of Grimes, Chairlift, and Charli XCX that Tennenbaum and Lewin could appreciate the true potential of the genre. Their desire to try their hand at it culminated in the conception of Magdalena Bay and their 2021 universally acclaimed album Mercurial World—which features stellar production, catchy melodies, and danceable beats, along with notes on existential dread and paranoia in the digital age. The structure of Mercurial World is ironic in itself, opening with a track called “The End,” closing with a track called “The Beginning,” and featuring a mid-album interlude titled “Halfway.” Each song highlights the album’s goal to find meaning in the madness of the world. The album opener declares that everything comes from and goes to the same place: nowhere. Therefore, “if the beginning is the end, and the end is the beginning, then what’s the end anyway?” The album attempts to answer this, but it isn’t until the closing track where it

WRITTEN BY AHAN DHAR LAYOUT BY GRACIE DAVIS

affirms that the answer doesn’t exist, nor does it matter. With one of the catchiest hooks on the record, the duo sings “if you feel low, sit back, enjoy the show,” because if we can’t find the deeper meaning of it all, we have nothing to do but enjoy ourselves. The whole album features songs that are equally witty and intelligently arranged. The duo explores our anxieties in the time of the internet with the single “Secrets (Your Fire)”, outlining how social media makes us feel entitled to know everything about our favorite artists— and how dangerously easy it is to get a hold of their secrets. The song “Hysterical Us” also stands out, highlighting our augmenting paranoia in a world where we struggle to breathe and sleep as easily as we once could. There are so many sonically striking moments— the build-up to the exploding syths at the end of “Chaeri,” the creaky beat that runs throughout “Dreamcatcher,” and the distorted, thumping guitar in “You Lose.” No matter what, Magdalena Bay never take themselves too seriously, focusing on and succeeding in crafting quality sounds with clever lyrics that leave you wanting more.

MAUDE LATOUR: GEN-Z’S PUNK POP PRINCESS layout & Article by: Zhane Coleman

Maude Latour is Gen Z’s punk pop princess we never knew we needed. Her electrifying sound is the perfect mixture of pop, rock, and techno. Her entrancing and melodic voice and the rawness of her lyrics possess the special ability to pull listeners in and transport them into her mind. One of the things that makes Maude so special is her authenticity. As a 21-yearold Columbia University student, Maude is experiencing extremely similar situations to her audience, which allows her to be the window into the collective heart and soul of the angsty listener who is emotionally messy, defiant, and yet, through it all, still manages to get sh*t done. Her rawness and realness makes it easy to connect with her--she feels more like a friend and her songs read more like diary entries. Maude’s ability to concoct the perfect anthems that soothe our inner angst while still sharing the tragedy, confusion, and heartbreak that goes along with being in one’s late teens and early twenties is truly special and rare. Her hits such as “One More Weekend” and “Block Your Number” tell pretty mundane stories. However, Maude finds a way to turn things such as a run of the mill break-up into a poetic experience chock-full of dreamy metaphors that give you rom-com movie butterflies and an unnerving sense of nostalgia. She stacks her songs with relatable lyrics such as “and if it were perfect I wouldn’t be crying on the floor of my dorm room” and “cause I saw you ‘cross the campus, and I wished it wasn’t over”. Maude’s ability to lay Taylor Swift-esque narratives over Avril Lavigne-esque tracks allows her to perfectly encapsulate the angsty yet sensitive energy that Gen Z radiates. With her raw and grungier take on the pop genre, paired with her gift for storytelling and unique sound, there’s no denying that Maude Latour is headed for pop-stardom.

an ode to hyperpop Written by Lauren Lombardi Illustration by Amelia Ferguson Layout by Emily Koch

It’s brash, aggressive, and disconcerting, yet put on loop instead of immediately slighted. There is truth to the term “hyperpop” as plenty of artists, including 100 gecs, employ effects in their songs meant to speed up their vocals. But the name hardly encompasses everything that the genre sounds like and stands for. The term became widely used following the curation of a playlist titled ‘Hyperpop’ by Spotify editors in August 2019. This style was previously referred to as PC Music, after the UK record label that promotes artists who create similar electronic sounding songs that are both cutesy and intense. When this sound was internationally utilized, hyperpop seemed to be a more fitting name. In the most basic sense of the word, hyperpop could be defined as a mix of EDM and pop. There is nothing basic about this genre, though. It includes a plethora of trademark sounds and the style can be found in the most unexpected of places, such as the 2017 album “Big Fish Theory” by hip hop artist Vince Staples featuring several tracks produced by SOPHIE. A hyperpop song can be recognized by vocal distortion, pitch-shifting synths, and a shimmery, dreamlike-quality to the sound. Though it seems the artists have a blast creating within a genre that has no limits, the most fun in this space is had by the listeners. This is both because they can relate to meaningful lyrics and because an electric song is able to make them feel lovestruck, while simultaneously as if they are in a rave. No one loves hyperpop more than its fans because, above all, the genre is an amalgamation of a community of understanding. The topics that artists write about make listeners feel seen and give them an environment where they feel safe enough to let their guard down. The care with which creators express their shared experiences gives the hyperpop artist-fan dynamic a certain tenderness that can be rivaled by few other genres. A strong fandom is often recognized by pure obsession, but hyperpop shows that a sense of familiarity and ease felt in relation to music can be just as, and if not more, intense. From Rina Sawayama’s “Alaska Sad,” where she discusses the lifelong challenge she faces as a Japanese-born British person, to Dorian Electra’s discography, as they break down the nuances of gender, the most lucid aspect of the genre is the way in whiich its artists are able to reach a sense of catharsis. In turn, they give their listeners a chance to as well.

Once in a generation does a musician emerge to revolutionize and shake the very matrix of the craft. SOPHIE was undoubtedly one of the most forward-thinking artists of the 21st century. To say that she was merely revolutionary would be an understatement of her artistic brilliance; many before her worked within the confines of the traditional structuring of their respective genres, whereas SOPHIE destroyed the walls between experimentalism and conventional pop, and flung us centuries into the future of music. I daresay SOPHIE was the future of music itself. Sophie Xeon was born in Glasgow in 1986. She loved music from an early age and would spend hours in her room producing tracks. In 2013, she released her debut single “Nothing More to Say.” SOPHIE gained recognition with “BIPP” in 2015 along with her first full-length release Product. Her identity was a mystery to the public up until late 2017 with the release of the video for “It’s Okay to Cry,” the first single from her album Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides. From there, she quickly became the face of hyperpop. SOPHIE’S music is transcendent. Instead of relying on presets and samples, she created all of her music from scratch—commanding and bending raw waveforms and vibrations to manifest sounds that seemed to come from dimensions beyond ours. Her music is harmonized cacophony, uniquely electric, and always catchy as hell. Beyond the realm of music, SOPHIE inspired the LGBTQ+ community—especially transgender individuals, as she herself was a trans artist. A great deal of her art explores transness. With her music, she challenged our most fundamental understandings of human identity; on “Immaterial,” beyond her exploration of malleable identity and gender euphoria, SOPHIE argued that perhaps identity itself is not real—we can be anything we want; she was a voice of compassion to a generation of queer youth. SOPHIE saw beyond human possibilities and urged us to do the same. We lost one of music’s greatest minds on January 30th, 2021. Heartbreaking doesn’t begin to describe the kind of loss the creative world (and the world at large) suffered. She was an icon—a true visionary in every sense of the word, who constantly pushed the limits of what was sonically possible and inspired millions of people while doing so. She was unafraid to break all the rules, challenge the

Written by Eddie Fan Layout and Illustration by Hailey Pryor

Article & Layout by Emme Weisenfeld

The Insider’s Guide on how to meet Hollywood’s biggest stars...before your 11:30 class There are very few motivators that are enticing enough to get me out of bed before the crack of dawn — even fewer that accomplish such a task on my days off. With that in mind, when I tell you that freshman-year-me found a way to squeeze a (nearly-daily) subway trip to Times Square at 5:45 AM into my jam-packed schedule, you might jump to the conclusion that I’d gone temporarily insane. Before you write me off as another college student experiencing an NYC identity crisis, hear me out: while the rest of the city was asleep, I was making my way through the rounds of morning shows, singing along to Pitbull on Good Morning America one morning and laughing with RuPaul on Live with Kelly and Ryan the next. The cherry on top? It didn’t cost me a cent. At this point, I’m sure there’s just one question crossing your mind: where do I sign up? Allow me to break it down for you and present you with the true insider’s guide to navigating the live audience experience.

So you want to attend The Drew Barrymore Show, Late Night With Seth Meyers, or The View…

If you’re looking for an entertaining, cost-effective way to spend your days off in the city, go ahead and download the 1iota app or go to 1iota.com. 1iota is the best way to get tickets to see your favorite actors and musicians talk about their upcoming film, television, and project releases. You can choose your show taping based on your preferred date or, if made public, by the upcoming celebrities scheduled to appear—the website currently boasts Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, and Katy Perry as celebrity guests. Once confirmed, all that’s left to do is show up… just make sure you’re early if you want the best seats in the house!

S o y ou w ant t o at t e n d S at u r d a y N i g ht Li ve …

The crème de la crème of television, Saturday Night Live’s standby experience is infamously brutal and always subject to change. If you play it right, however, the risk is certainly worth the reward. Pre-pandemic, the SNL standby line was a harrowing experience; fans of the show (and of course the celebrity guests!) would wait on the streets of New York for days on end hoping to get into one of the two Saturday night shows (dress rehearsal or live). With a very limited number of seats available, admission was never guaranteed until the night of, competition was cutthroat…even quick trips from the line to the bathroom were carefully monitored. As someone who has mustered up the energy to show up to the line five times, I can assure you that caffeine, warm socks, and a really good group of friends are all crucial to stay sane. Since the pandemic, SNL has continued to change their standby policy on a nearly weekly basis; to ensure you have the most up-todate information when planning your trip down to Rockefeller Center, be sure to give @standbyline on Twitter a follow.

AND JUST LIKE THAT Written By Gracie Davis

Layout By Gabriella Nisco

Avid fans of the late-90s, early-2000s classic comedy series Sex and the City can all agree that the show’s universe started plummeting downhill after the original series ended. After a successful run of groundbreaking (although sometimes problematic) conversations about sex, feminine friendship, and New York City, the focus of the recently released reboot And Just Like That… seems to become reparation for it’s past faux-pas. The show continues to follow the lives of now middle-aged Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) almost exactly where SATC 2 left them. The void left by Samantha’s (Kim Catrall’s) odd and unexplained estrangement from the group is clumsily filled by the addition of a non-white counterpart mirror to each of the original white cast members—each of whom is hardly their own character. Their abnormally flat and incomplete characters are clearly only there to be diversified accessories to the original main cast. Is this— feeding into the trope of non-white characters solely as tools for their white counterparts—an improvement to a glaringly white original cast? Perhaps the “woke moment!” button on the show’s central podcast can convince you, if nothing else. Hosted by Carrie, Che (Sara Ramirez), and Jackie (Bobby Lee), X, Y, and Me flips Carrie into a position opposing her original witty, free-thinking, boundary-pushing self. Instead, she shies away from the microphone as well as from the candid, intimate questions asked by listeners and by “queer nonbinary Mexican-Irish diva” Che. This portrayal of Carrie, that is so unlike her previous character, is joined by an almost complete rewrite of Miranda, who now resents Steve, no longer values her prospective career as a human rights lawyer, and is bulldozed by her son and his girlfriend. Charlotte also seems to have regressed— more uptight and hesitant to accept change than ever. While Sex and the City had its ample problems and missteps, trying to apologize for something that was a product of it’s time only degrades the integrity of the original show. It simply is not the right vehicle for “woke moments.”

The americanized rise of japanese contemporary art

Written By: Morgan Salzer

Layout By: Sara Tsugranis

There is a mania in art pop culture right now that needs to be talked about. You know her— the little girl with bangs and big eyes. Lamb costume, green dress or guitar, her many variations can be spotted from NYC art galleries to Instagram explore pages. She is Yosimoto Nara’s child figure. Before divulging into the Nara craze, we must first discuss the multi-decade long trend of Japanese contemporary art in American culture. This art form first hit Western pop culture through the form of anime. Household names like Sailor Moon or Pokémon were released in the 90s and were quickly worked into American consciousness—and are still prevalent today. However, it was not until the mid 2010s that people could be commonly viewed with anime paraphernalia. The Americanized live action of Death Note (2017) forced even those who had no affiliation with the show to understand anime. Since its introduction into American culture, a love of anime has been on the rise. Current sentiments can be summarized by the 2020 tweet from @ sunnynacia, “hot girls watch anime.” It was soon after the boom of the anime that another Japanese contemporary artist caught the eye of many—Takashi Murakami. Murakami has been a familiar name for many years. He collaborated with Louis Vuitton in 2003 and was widely praised for his mix of high and low culture. He is dubbed the Andy Warhol of Japan. However, it was when he released his rainbow, smileyface flower pillow in 2019 that social consciousness noticed. The pillow quickly became a staple for every hypebeast and even appeared on Kanye West album covers, Kid Cudi chains, and Drake hoodies. Preceding Murakami’s fame was that of Yayoi Kusama. After hitting it big in Japan, she moved to America and developed her abstract impressionism style. She is now known for her use of surrealism and polka-dots, as seen in her Cosmic Nature series which was exhibited in the Bronx Botanical Garden for most of 2021. But that was last year, the new it-figure is Yoshimoto Nara. Though Nara is young, he is claimed to be the best Japanese contemporary artist of his generation. His start in globalized art culture can be traced back to his 2000 exhibition called “I DON’T MIND IF YOU FORGET ME” which focused on blending Western and Japanese elements. His recent work revolves around depictions of children, which have resonated with millions across the world. With Nara’s artwork plastered across all social media pages, Nara’s child figure is enjoying her time in the sun. Japanese contemporary art continues to dominate pop culture, from Botanical Gardens exhibitions, to children’s TV. This style has set a high expectation of how fine art and modern culture can converge, altering the evolution of both forever.

Alfie Templeman Interview BY: Katelyn Benzinger

Layout BY: Stephen Pastore

Your debut album “Mellow Moon” is set to be released at the end of May, when did you realize now was the perfect time to finally release your first full-length record? There was a time period last year that feels like a massive flag in my life. With everything that happened with the pandemic, I learned a lot of different things, as everyone else did. I took so much away from last year that I actually felt like I could get away with doing something massive. A whole album is quite an intense thing to make happen and to bring to life. I really wanted to make sure that I didn’t do it too early and regret it. I really improved as a songwriter, which is why it felt like it was time to do it now.

Indulge me for a second, where did this interstellar concept you’ve created for the album come from? Is there a story you are trying to tell? The whole idea of the mellow moon is that it is a safe space. It’s a place that I can go to—a nice little place in my head that I can escape to if everything gets too intense. That’s kind of what the song “Mellow Moon” is about, in general. It links together with the rest of the record, in a way. A lot of the songs have that conceptual idea of facing anxiety and trying to get away from it. It’s about dimming it down and not getting too stuck in your own mind. The whole record is about escaping and finding your inner peace.

Which song on the record best captures its essence as a whole? Probably the last song, which is called “Just Below The Above.” It kind of just has a bit of everything in it, and I really like that. It has various moods in it and it changes quite a lot—the structure of the song. It has a lot of different passages and parts, so I thought it was a really nice way to end the record because it pretty much summarizes it.

Is there anything you want listeners to walk away with after listening through in full? Yeah, there’s quite a lot! I mean, I hope it clears up some things in their head and they can relate to it in a way that will help them. As well as that, I hope it inspires other kids my age to go out and make something themselves if they can play instruments. If I can do it, anyone can do it. Most of this is produced by me at home.

Have you always worked this way or was it a development that occurred due to COVID? I’ve always done it this way. It’s always been in the bedroom, ever since I started. I actually used to play drums in my bedroom, too. I’m pretty sure I got a few noise complaints! I’ve moved those downstairs into a more soundproof room, but I still do most of it up here. Sometimes I’ll go to a studio, but I don’t really like it as much. I’d rather do the whole bedroom thing, it’s more fun to me. You’re in the zone, you’ve got your place. It’s a totally different atmosphere and you can just focus.

Photos by: Lillie Eiger

What has it been like growing into yourself as an artist while also deepening your understanding of yourself as a person? I think I’m lucky to be in this job, but it has its downfalls. Being an up and coming indie artist where you have some degree of people looking up to you can feel quite weird sometimes. It’s odd because you almost forget that you’re just a human and that your job is being you. I put myself out there and that’s what I do for a living, I play the songs that I write. It’s very disorienting when you snap into it for a second, it’s like “woah, I’m living off the songs that I write and what comes out of my mind.” But at the same time, it’s really lovely that I get to do that. There isn’t a day that goes by where I’m not listening to or playing music. I’ll always be doing one of the two, if not both. It’s definitely one of those things that has shaped me a lot.

Do you feel your identity shines through in your music and accurately reflects the challenges you are facing? That’s part of making a great song, you know? Not every single one of my songs I make I want to do that, sometimes I want to just have a simple meaning for it and have it be an escape—like I was saying about the record. There’s definitely songs on the record that aren’t as intense as some of the other ones and they’re more songs that you can enjoy and not think too hard about. There are other pieces, though, that do accurately represent me—such as “Mellow Moon” and “Just Below The Above,” as I mentioned. Bits and pieces like that make me proud that I’ve managed to capture them and what’s going on in my mind the right way.

Where do you see yourself in five years? 26! I’m joking. Oh, wait, I’d be 24! But I think I want to have my own label and do everything independently. I want to start things from scratch, experiment a lot, and have fun with the music. I’d also love to produce for other artists. There’s a lot of artists I want to work with. Not necessarily to put stuff out myself, rather, I want to make things and write songs with other people. So, hopefully that.

Listen to Alfie templeman’s debut album “mellow Moon”

out may 27 on all streaming platforms

'” Hope is the

Thing With Feathers

A frigid December night in 2019, snuggled up in bed with polka dot fuzzy socks and my obnoxiously large navy blue snug, I happened upon a glorious discovery while scrolling on Apple TV+. A show about Emily Dickinson starring Hailee Steinfeld? Sign me up. Within minutes of watching the first episode of Dickinson, the mystical and hilarious atmosphere simultaneously pulled me into 1850s Amherst and modern-day suburban Pennsylvania—this is no ordinary historical piece. Dickinson , created by Alena Smith, follows Emily’s experience subverting archaic restrictions as a young poet. From the heart-warming romantic relationship between Emily and Sue (“canonically” just good friends), the exploration of Emily’s difficulty publishing poetry as a woman, to the discussions of race and the Civil War in season three, the series reimagines the time period. It doesn’t change the racism, sexism, and homophobia more rampant in America during the 1800s, but it takes the historical facts and opens them up for more modern interpretations. Dickinson also diverges from historical media like Little Women or Pride and Prejudice. The characters speak in modern colloquialisms and reference Generation Z humor. One of my favorite examples of this is the season three episode, “The Future Spoke,” when Emily and her sister Lavinia travel into the future and run into Sylvia Plath. In response to Plath explaining the rumors that Emily Dickinson was a *gasp* lesbian, Lavinia responds, “No, she was definitely American.” Truly iconic. This scene cleverly uses a modern quip to explain how Lavina wouldn’t have known the word “lesbian,” as it was not defined/used until later in the 19th century. I have so many thoughts about this show. I could rival Emily with the astounding 1800 poems she wrote in her lifetime (probably not). If you have not delved into the hilariously magical and relevant world of Dickinson—a world where Whiz Khalifa plays the part of Death in Emily’s poems, might I add—I strongly suggest you do. Emily wrote that “‘Hope is the thing with feathers - that perches in the soul,” and this show made my heart flutter with hope for the future of historical retellings.

Written By Julia Patterson Illustrations By Elizabeth Sadler Layout By Hannah Gaertner

The Kristen Stewart Renaissance Article and Layout by Hailey Pryor

What makes a film … good? Some might focus on the cinematographic elements or casting choices of a film, while others will form their opinions by relying upon accolades such as the Academy Awards and BAFTAs as measures of success. But no matter how you slice it, the Twilight film saga—despite their recent resurgence as a landmark of semi-accidental camp comedy—are perhaps not the best indicators of excellence in film. But many actors in the eye of the hurricane have come a long way since their time in Forks, Washington. Robert Pattinson has gone on to star in A24 indie flicks (The Lighthouse, Good Time) as well as a major superhero blockbuster (a la The Batman). But while Pattinson has been lauded for his versatility as an actor, this praise and attention has been surprisingly lackluster when it comes to Kristen Stewart. I would argue that no actor of the Twilight series has seen as much wrongful resentment from the public and media as Stewart. An article from a 2012 edition of The Sun christened her “The Most Hated Woman in Hollywood.” From the release and subsequent success of the first Twilight film, Stewart was thrown into a media maelstrom. Criticisms of her character Bella often extended to Stewart, typecasting her as emotionless and deadpan. She was seen as rude and unapproachable at press events and red carpets (accusations her male co-stars noticeably did not have to deal with). At barely 20 years old, Kristen Stewart was receiving an unparalleled amount of backlash over everything from her face to her attitude. However, I would argue that the tides have turned recently in favor of Stewart. Her performance in highly anticipated Princess Diana biopic Spencer earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, and has led many to re-evaluate the harsh criticisms she has received over the past decade. It’s refreshing to see Stewart finally receive long-awaited praise, especially after witnessing the asinine hate train which followed her around the 2010s. It’s about time, too; watching this formula play out again and again is rather tiring. Public opinion towards women in the entertainment industry can be decidedly ambivalent, but I believe the societal embrace towards Kristen Stewart is the beginning of a much more promising shift in the right direction.

lizzy mcAlpine

Interview BY: Katelyn Benzinger

Photos BY: Gus Black Layout BY: Stephen Pastore

You just released your second album, “Five Seconds Flat.” What is this record to you? This record is very indicative of my growth as a musician. My first album was very much in the indie-folk/singer-songwriter vein, and for the second one I kind of wanted to shy away from that. I didn’t really want to get pigeonholed in that specific genre because I like to explore all different kinds of music. So this album was really experimental for me in pushing what I was used to making and what people were used to hearing from me.

“All My Ghosts” is sonically a lot different from your previous releases, how do you want people to perceive you as an artist? I’ve actually been thinking about this a lot recently with tour and everything—especially playing for new people. It’s interesting because I feel like the first album was totally who I was as an artist then, but this one is completely who I am now. Obviously things have changed because I’ve grown and evolved like every artist—every human being. I want people to see that I can do and be more than the folk singer-songwriter.

Do you feel your sound is going to continue to evolve with you as years go on? Yeah, I definitely think that it will. It’s weird because a lot of people have been like “oh, I hope that she doesn’t sell out or become too mainstream,” but I’m just making the music that I want to make. People might like it, people might hate it, but I don’t really care because I like it and that’s what really matters.

You write all of your own music, correct? Yeah, on this album, though, we have some features and co-writes. Normally I like to write by myself. I just feel like it’s easier to get the thoughts out if I’m not worrying about what other people are thinking about my thoughts, you know? Because I can get really insecure in a writer’s room type of situation, but I am very lucky to have met people who I collaborated with on this second album who hold the space for me and are just really easy to work with.

“Five Seconds Flat” features collaborations with Jacob Collier, Ben Kessler, Laura Elliot, and FINNEAS. If you could create with anyone, what would your dream collab be and what kind of song would you make together? I mean, Phoebe (Bridgers). Phoebe is up there for sure. ”Punisher” was huge for me. It heavily inspired this project. I feel like we could make something really special. Maybe Sara Bareilles? She’s an icon to me. She’s inspired me so much—especially when I first started writing music. To make any sort of art with her would be incredible.

What was it like to watch your views and followers begin to creep up? Was there ever a moment of “Oh my God, this is happening” for you? I started posting on SoundCloud when I was in middle school. Then, between SoundCloud and TikTok, posting to Instagram was really important to my career. Throughout the pandemic, I have been posting covers of songs from different artists. Some of them would see the covers and follow me. I was slowly gaining traction through that. There was definitely a moment, though, probably when I hit 200k followers where I was like “woah, what is happening?” It was really crazy. And with TikTok, “You Ruined the 1975” happened.

What happened with that? Why did you decide against releasing the song?

listen to Lizzy mcalpine’s Album “Five Seconds Flat”

Well, it was just a stupid song that I wrote. I wasn’t ever planning on out now on all releasing it or doing anything with it. It blew up and people started streaming platforms begging me to release it. But I have integrity as an artist and I like to release things that I am passionate about, obviously. I don’t think I’ll ever release it because I’m not passionate about it. I just don’t love the song. And I do want to please my fans with what I’m putting out, but I also have to like what I’m releasing. People are also ruthless on TikTok. When they see a song that they like and it’s not out yet, they’re like, “f**k you, put it out!” And I don’t like that. I also knew that if I put that song out, that it would overshadow all of the work that I have put so much into and worked so hard to create; that's the stuff I'm passionate about. And I don't want to be an artist who has a hit off of TikTok and then disappears. I want longevity in my career. I would rather it be a steady incline than a race to the finish.

With how the music industry has evolved in recent years, have you felt any pressure to be creating music that is compatible with what is popular? Definitely—it's only on TikTok. It's interesting that on TikTok people found me through that song, so the assumption was that I started on TikTok or that I just started posting music. People have called me a "TikTok artist" and that really frustrates me because I have been putting in so much work for so many years. TikTok was only a blip in that. It didn't jumpstart my career, I've been doing it all for a long time already. So yes, I definitely feel pressure sometimes. Honestly, I try to not post as many singing videos on TikTok anymore to avoid that. If people don't understand, that's on them.

You just finished touring with Dodie, what was that like? It's amazing, it's so fun! I've learned a lot about what I need as a human to function in this environment because it's completely different from playing a show every now and then. It's intense, it's a four-show run with no days off. I need a lot of sleep and time to recharge. When I feel like I don't have those things, I don't function well. So it is interesting trying to navigate this new space.

Close your eyes for a second. It is the opening night of your first headlining tour, what song are you opening with? Oh, I already have this figured out! I was literally thinking about this today. I would start with a song called “An Ego Thing,” which is on this record. There was a previous version that was completely acoustic, which we didn’t end up going with. We went down a more alternative-pop route, but this original version had an intro that was full of strummy guitars and was out of time. I would start with that and go right into the new version of the song… it would be so epic!

They ruled new york:

Club Kids Club Kids influenced the fashion and pop culture world forever. The Club Kid scene was a safe space for gay, transgender, queer, and non-binary people. The members did not care about judgment from the outside world. They pushed the boundaries of politics, gender, society, and culture. The Club Kid scene began with Michael Alig who moved to New York City from his small hometown in Indiana. Alig would host small parties and invite other like-minded people. He had a very interesting aesthetic that inspired many people, he was deemed “leader of the Club Kids.” Club Kids were known for avantgarde DIY looks, gender-fluid freedom, wild parties, and frequent drug use. They drew in lost youths from all around the country. Club Kids’ parties were thrown at the famous club, Limelight, which was a deconstructed church. You may recognize some famous Club Kids like Lady Bunny, RuPaul, Amanda Lepore, and Bjork.

Club Kid makeup is very recognizable but hard to define, because honestly, it is pure, unfiltered artistic expression and individuality. If one were to try to define it you could look for spiked hair, colorful makeup, graphic liner, thin eyebrows, big lashes, and face paint. Some of the most famous Club Kids Written By Sarah Raubenheimer were known for their looks which would Photography By Nina Moll inspire artists for years to come, including Layout By Hannah Gaertner Pat McGrath, Lady Gaga, and John Paul Gaultier. Edie Sedgwick was known for her spiky drawn-on lashes which inspired Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2015 show. Soo Catwoman was known for her graphic liners that can be seen on the cover of the 2002 I-D magazine. Club Kids started a cultural revolution of acceptance, and a fashion and makeup revolution of pure individuality.

Styling By Sarah Raubenheimer Models: Isabella Budetti, Lizzie Demacopoulos, Caitlin Finch, and Jett Neubacher

Making It Up As We Go Written By: Amy Lousararian

Layout By: Anita Imbornone

Photographer: Elise Anstey Stylist: Molly Fitzpatrick Models: Carson DeLasho, Molly Fitzpatrick, Caleb Rocha, Amy Lousararian

Nostalgia, such bittersweetness that shrouds memory. Every season, revivals of previous trends allow the past to surge into the present. But this filtered look at what once was can hide the way things really were. So consider this page a tour through some of MODE’s very own humble beginnings in the world of makeup. Makeup is deeply personal. It can be a second skin, like facing the day with a shield of armor on. Makeup can be art. Confidence. A way to wear your personality. For Carson, Caleb, Molly, and myself, our journeys have taken us far from these early days. But enjoy our first forays into coating our faces in various creams and powders because, hey, we all had to start somewhere…

Caleb 22

Looking to do something other than fashion, Caleb took his stage makeup experience to the beauty section of MODE. When inspiration strikes, Caleb enlists his makeup pro girlfriend to try new looks on him. “As a dude who wears makeup, I think the percentage of men in the world who can say that they semi-regularly have their girlfriend doing their makeup is pretty low. It’s difficult to make a statement and then feel confident about it… and makeup is so obvious. When I put on makeup, I think it’s so far out of my comfort zone that I feel confident.”

Amy

I got to wear a bit as a child in the way of outrageous blue eyeshadow and excessive amounts of blush for dance recitals. The ritual and routine felt sacred to me when I began wearing makeup everyday in middle school. In middle school, my daily routine consisted of a full face of Clinique foundation, thick eyeliner, and mascara.

Back in the third grade (perks of having an older sister!), Molly started out simple with mascara. She describes makeup as an “underrated form of creativity,” and has spent many hours watching YouTube videos. Her mother was supportive of the passion for makeup she found in Jaclyn Hill hauls. Molly’s “deep love for eyeshadow” is one of the many ways she makes art with makeup.

Molly

Carson’s makeup journey began with foraging in her mother’s Clinique where she would, to put it elegantly, “cake that shit on.” In early high school, makeup helped her both look and feel her best– the routine of application was both a confidence boost and a time to relax.

Carson CALEB

The The Charlotte

Tilbury

Phenomenon Phenomenon

The beauty industry is very similar to the fashion industry in the way that it follows trends. The current popularization of the “no makeup” makeup look by celebrities and influencers has spread like wildfire throughout the country. The time for heavy, fullcoverage makeup seems to have passed, in order to make way for the enhancement of our natural beauty and features. One of the main influences for this revolutionary trend is Charlotte Tilbury. This brand, founded by the infamous makeup artist whose name it bears, is all about dewy skin, neutral color palettes, and a ton of bronzer. The utilization of her products by it-girls and influencers on the Internet has inspired the masses to want to achieve this glam. We see celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Madison Beer using her products to create the fresh-faced, no-effort appearance. There are a few key ways to achieve this look: dewy and hydrated skin, bronzed and blushed cheeks, highlighted natural features, feathery eyebrows, and a glossy lip. In my opinion, the best way to accomplish this is to use cream products. Using cream products will ensure a dewy and hydrated complexion. The most popular cream products currently on the market are definitely the Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wands available in highlighter, contour, and blush. This new trend of emphasizing the natural beauty and individuality of each person is a long-overdue shift in this industry that I don’t expect to go away any time soon. The ease and popularity of this trend are clear signs that this is the direction the entire beauty industry should be focused on heading toward.

Written By: Molly Fitzpatrick Layout By: Sophie Dreskin Photographer: Stephanie Lane Models: Anya Stevens, Gaby Simporios, Natalia Cruz

A Transformative Written By Quinn Fantozzi

Layout By Nora Dettling

The summertime is often seen as a time for transformation, unwinding, and getting back to ourselves. Over the years, our summers have become more hectic with work, college, and other obligations. However, when the chance presents itself, we can try to take a bit of time to ourselves. In the past few summers, I’ve tried to set goals for myself so that I can feel my best. Here are some that I have maintained and that I highly recommend! 1. Walk a leisurely mile a day. Walking is one of the easiest and best ways to get yourself moving. There are few feelings better than walking in the sun, listening to music, and knowing I’m getting my steps in. Get a friend to walk with and set a destination; a mile will go by in no time and you’ll find yourself going even further. Of course, there are alternatives to this as well, such as running or biking - whatever makes you feel your best! 2. Read 3-5 books througout the summer. If you’re on any form of social media, you have seen how reading has become “in” again. I set a reading goal every year and have so much fun exploring different genres. Reading has become one of my favorite ways to rewind. I especially love reading at the beach and soaking up the sun. 3. Discover a new hobby. With how busy we have become, it can be hard to remember the things that we love doing or have been wanting to try. If you find the time, try out a new form of exercise, start studying a new language (even if it’s just through an app!), or rediscover a past hobby you enjoyed. You don’t have to master the hobby, but it’s always fun and freeing to try something new. 4. Write affirmations. This certainly is not restricted to the summer, but it is something I have been trying for the past few months and have found so much power in. Taking a few minutes to yourself every morning or evening to write some affirmations, or words of self-empowerment, is incredibly calming and helps keep me grounded and mindful.

Color, Class, and Comfort - My Dorm Written By: John Cugel

Layout By: Natalie Conte

Color, class, and comfort were the three words that I really wanted to achieve with my dorm design. Having been told that I have an eye for interior design, I took decorating my dorm room in O’Hare Hall very seriously. The drawing board for my dorm started in July of 2021, and was my favorite activity of the summer. The satisfaction after putting my dorm together was overwhelming, as I completed my task– creating a space that I love. I was set on capturing old world New York meets hamptons beach house, despite the debatably over the top concept for a dorm room. I began on Amazon, buying my bedding and rug to give me something to work with. Colors of white and black created a sophisticated but simple option that looks like it belongs in a Restoration Hardware catalog. I purchased a tan braided rug, which was a neutral option that nodded to the beach house idea. Next, I factored in the importance of color when decorating. I chose two accent colors, orange and green, that I wanted visible throughout the room to create flow and consistency. Two orange pieces that I selected were a tray and an orange coffee table book. My green piece is a watchbox that sits on my desk. I found most of my prints in one shopping trip to a boutique in Cleveland, Ohio. My two favorites are titled, “The Bartender’s Guide,” and “Union Terminal Cleveland.” The bartender’s guide is a vintage drink recipe poster and hangs above my bar cart- the spot couldn’t be better. The Cleveland print is a vintage print of the terminal tower with the sun setting in the background, which is a kind reminder of my hometown. Smaller pieces throughout the dorm, such as a blue and white or crystal jar add much character to the dorm, but my favorite decorations are the ones that remind me of home. I have a book displayed that talks about old world Cleveland. That book, along with my print, nod to the city that means so much to me. The framed pictures of my family and friends throughout the room help surround my space with the people I know and love, creating the utmost comfort in my dorm space.

THE THEAB OLI AB OLTI IO NO TIO NO F F Layout By

Gracie Davis

GEN

Written By

Gillian Roberts

DEGREN LADBER ELLI AB NGEL IN

ender is a spectrum. This is something many have become aware of in the past few years as LGBTQIA+ rights are getting more attention in the media and in politics. For those who are unaware, gender isn’t divided only between male and female. To say that gender is binary is a thing of the past. Instead, it’s more correct to visualize gender as a spectrum or a line. On one end of the spectrum is the masculine identity and on the other end of the spectrum is the feminine identity. In the center between the two is non-binary, neither male nor female. As someone who identifies with she/ they pronouns, I would put myself in between the middle and the female identity, but myself and many others struggle with this identity. There are labels for being a woman or a female, and there are labels for being non-binary or gender non-conforming. Yet, when I am faced with a questionnaire asking what my gender identity is, there is no option that I can choose. You can only choose between male, female, or gender non-conforming. As if gender dysphoria isn’t brutal enough, the societal need to have concrete labels for everything makes this sensation even worse, causing myself and many others to struggle even more with our identity.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that we need to expand our vocabulary and our options when it comes to gender. My identity, as well as many other she/theys and he/theys, deserves to be noticed and affirmed; we are a part of the community and we are uniquely ourselves, unable to be categorized by the system we use now. Luckily, there are other outlets that we can express ourselves through, for example, fashion. On days when I’m feeling more on one side for the spectrum, I express that through how I dress, like wearing baggier fitting clothes to feel more masculine or a dress when I want to feel more feminine. There are celebrities like Kehlani and Halsey adding a face to the identity, but we still have a lot of work to do as a culture before we feel secure in our identities.

From Opening Doors to Getting Left on Open Written By: Anya Stevens Layout By: Olivia Nast

Can I get your snap? This question lives in the back of all young minds when considering going up to someone they fifind cute. While these five words brought many strangers into each other’s lives, Snapchat is the ultimate homewrecker. The simple act of asking for someone’s snap could bring on a surge of insecurity and jealousy for those in relationships. Because Snapchat has normalized secrecy and private messaging, it has made it easier, and in turn, more common, to partake in what many consider to be infifidelity. This is interpreted through the exchange of unsolicited pictures with people outside the relationship. While this isn’t the case for most relationships, the desire to surveil your partner has resulted in a societal lack of trust. Considering our generation’s escalating trust issues, Snapchat’s “best friends” list is the ultimate relation. The unrealistic pressure to remain on your friends’ and signifificant other’s best friends list creates an ungenuine cycle of sending face pictures without meaning and no message. The truth is that the face picture you received from your “best freind” was most likely sent to everyone else on their best freinds list. Snapchat has its positives, but couples take their lack of trust to the extreme by tracking their s/o’s snapscore when they start feeling insecure. These behaviors eventually lead to possessive behaviors, like needing to know where they are when you’re not around. Some people claim complete transparency with their s/o and even exchange social media passwords. These extreme measures aren’t trusting but instead demostrate the absense of trust and a display of insecurity. I’m not claiming that it’s easy to escape the toxic matchmaking tendancies of Snapchat. But we need to stop ruining frinedships because they didn’t post for your birthday. We need to stop worrying how long you’ve been left on delivered (or worse, getting left on read). And we need to stop letting Snapchat dictate the faith of our relationships.

It’s not that deep.

the All-Girls School to Lesbian Pipeline Written By: Maggie Boswell Layout By: Caroline Matossian Illustrations By: Hailey Pryor

Freshman year, closeted me could have never imagined the person I have become, but Beaumont School for Girls certainly helped me to get here. While the school perpetuated a lot of homophobia through theology classes and sermons during monthly mass, the community of women that walked the halls helped me come to terms with my identity. At times, I felt so disoriented by the opposition of an open and welcoming space fostered by my friends and the heteronormativity and gender roles upheld by any Catholic school. I can remember the boys in middle school joking about how “ all girls school would turn you into a lesbian,” and how my stomach dropped at the forthcoming prophecy. We weren’t allowed to start a GSA or a queer club of any kind because of restrictions from the diocese and teachers tended to shy away from discussion of LGBTQ issues, no matter how often we’d try to transform an English class into a Socratic Seminar about homoeroticism in The Great Gatsby. But despite the close-minded nature of any religious school, there were so many instances of pride and acceptance throughout my high school career. At the end of the day, the stolen glances during theology class about a sin you couldn’t escape or the eye-rolls as some priest lectured on modesty were moments I wouldn’t trade for the world. The student body fostered a genuinely safe environment for girls to explore their identity safely before emerging into adulthood. As I came to terms with my identity, so did the girls I went to school with. Whispers in the halls about secret crushes became fullfledged relationships by the next semester and slowly, but steadily the school came to be a space synonymous with acceptance and love, whether they wanted to or not. Attending an all-girls school allowed me to explore my identity and interest without fear of being judged by my peers. So, in the end, I guess I can say that the rumors about all-girls schools are true.

Her presence lit a fire in my chest. She’d talk about her dreams to live in the mountains, and I’d imagine growing old there with her, despite being a city girl through and through. And yet, I didn’t know how I felt about her for a year. Every spare moment, I’d wonder if my feelings were platonic or romantic. I guess that’s how it is when you fall for another girl for the first time, and you don’t know what you are or what you’re feeling. It was easy to realize I liked guys when media and conversation overflows with heteronormativity. But it took months of reflection to understand I had feelings for her: my best friend and first love. Constantly doubting myself, I failed to confess my feelings. One year later, I enter college. High school’s behind me, and so are my feelings for her. We’re still friends but are at different colleges, so I move on and meet someone new. He’s good-looking and nice, and we have a class together. I don’t know a thing about him, but my nervous excitement from seeing him tells me I have a crush. So I tell my friends I like him. The more I talk about him, the more they encourage me and the more I guess I do have feelings for him. I have no clue whether he likes me, but I don’t rule it out

When I go home for winter break, I see her again. I’m nervous and uneasy with her, and I figure it’s because it’s time to get something off my chest. “I used to really like you,” I blurt. Silence. “I liked you, too. I thought you knew.” Angry at myself and the world, I return to campus. I drink more coffee than I can handle, and the same nervousness and uneasiness arise. I tell myself I should get something off my chest, and not too late this time. “Hi!” I text him. “I like you!” Silence. “That’s really sweet. But I don’t feel the same way.” In a whirlwind of confusion, I conflate two very different situations. The former: genuine, hesitant. The latter: superficial, rushed. It’s a tale of missed opportunity, a byproduct of too much and too little representation, and a bisexual all by themselves.

Flappers in the 1920s, David Bowie in the ‘70s, and Rihanna at the 2017 Met Gala— what do all of them have in common? Blush. For blush lovers like myself, this product has always been in style, but for those who are more apprehensive, now is the time to experiment. Today’s trends are reminiscent of blush draping, originated by Cher’s makeup artist Way Bandy, where blush is used to sculpt and enhance the structure of the face— like contouring, but with blush. I know you may be getting flashbacks of the electric pink cheeks and blue eyes of the ‘80s, but modern styles are more subdued and wearable. These styles make vivid, statement blushes the centerpiece, but in a way that is still cohesive with everyday makeup. An example is on the Anna Sui Spring/Summer 2022 runway. Makeup “Mother” Pat McGrath was inspired by “warm, sun-kissed” vacation skin and swept pink blush up to the models’ temples and blended it into coral and fuschia eyeshadows. Blush trends have also flooded the Internet. Alexandra Anele’s viral Youtube video “Dude, blush placement changes your whole face” has amassed over 3.9 million views. She says that applying your blush higher on the cheekbone and temples instead of towards the center of the face on the apples creates a more lifted effect. Similarly, in her Vogue Beauty Secrets video with over 10 million views, Madison Beer describes her go-to method— applying a generous amount of blush to the cheeks, temples, and the tip of the nose. For those who are more adventurous, vibrant liquid and cream blushes have taken over TikTok, including Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in the hot pink shade “Lucky” and Fenty Beauty’s Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush in the purple shade “Drama Cla$$.” “Makeup artist, dreamer, face painter” Chiao Li Hsu uses blushes of every color— including neons and white— to create artistic looks, often blending up from the cheeks to around the eyes. Eyeshadows can even be used as blush to achieve similar colorful masterpieces. Part of what makes blush so successful is that it’s versatile and can be applied to the cheeks, lips, and eyes. Blushed cheeks can give anyone a youthful glow or be the base for an abstract, artistic look. The variety of colors and formulas lend themselves to endless creative possibilities, so in whatever form fits your style, embrace the blush revolution!

Written By: Carson DeLasho Layout By: Izzi Budetti Makeup By: Carson DeLasho Photographer: Gil Roberts Models: Daniella DeYoung, Carson DeLasho, Caleb Rocha

THE FALLEN ANGEL Written By: Anna Gaylord Layout By: Maddie Boone Illustration By: Grace McCarty

What began as a fantasy of wings and perfection turned rapidly into a tone-deaf spectacle of objectification? Victoria’s Secret is one of the top lingerie companies in the world. The brand grew in popularity by broadcasting its Fantasmic shows for the first time in 1995. The models epitomized the dominating beauty standard of time: tall, thin, and conventionally beautiful. The the glorified presentation of the lingerie-clad models left female viewers left female viewers wanting to look like them and left male viewers wanting them. Then, putting angel wings on these idealized creatures only accentuated the dreamy yet unrealistic illusion. The show was an unhealthy portrayal of what defines “sexy.” With the emergence of the #MeToo movement and the Body Positivity movement, Victoria’s Secret’s lack of representation became blatantly apparent. Show after show, and there was still no change in diversity on the VS runway, and because of this, the franchise lost viewers and customers. The show was canceled in 2019 with the statement that network television was no longer the “right fit” for the brand. Victoria’s Secret needed to step back from the fantasy, away from the male gaze, and think about their clients: real women. As of June 2021, Victoria’s Secret began its rebrand by expanding sizing and representation. The VS Collective is a group of women of all backgrounds uniting on projects that will revolutionize the brand and focus on what women want. Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Valentina Sampaio, and Eileen Gu are just a few of the members of the Collective. One project the Collective is rumored to be spearheading is the next generation of a VS Fashion show. Though this progress is a step in the right direction for Victoria’s Secret, these changes should have been made many years before 2021. The original idea of Victoria’s Secret was to make a man feel comfortable when shopping for lingerie. Designating the man as the consumer for women’s lingerie placed a stamp of ignorance on the brand. The Collective is attempting to rebrand VS into a “by women, for women” company, striving to meet the needs and wants of their real women clientele. However, is this change too little too late for Victoria’s Secret?

Photographer: Lauren Cassot Models: Madison Rhoad & Ashlyn Weidman

Stylist: Janey Lorenzo Layout: Victoria Broadbent

The Velour Tracksuit

Written By: Nicole DiPietro

And the real pandemic

From Martha Calvo’s mix match necklaces, to patchwork jeans, and colorful crochet sets, 2010’s and 2020 fashion has been plagued with an ever changing style as a result of microtrends. In the past, trend cycles typically lasted anywhere from 3 to 15 years. Now however, big companies like Shein, Forever 21, and H&M, are able to rapidly pump out clothes matching the current trend, leading to the swift rise and fall of fads in recent years. Today, the typical lifestyle of a trend ranges from as little as one month to a year. The variety of different social media platforms like TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram perpetuate the rapid trend cycle through influencers like Emma Chamberlain. Emma gained a massive following in early 2018 with her relatable content on Youtube, and has only expanded her reach of influence from there. This generation sees Emma and her style as a pioneer for new trends. For example, one iconic mirror picture single handedly reintroduced flared yoga pants and UGG slippers, and her famous “teddy jacket” took the world by storm in 2018.

While one may think this generation has a fixed style, maybe with UGG boots, leggings, and skinny jeans, there isn’t a true set fashion for the 2010’s as we’ve seen in past decades. For instance, the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and the year 2000 all have hyper-specific decade defining styles. In the 70’s we see bootcut jeans and tie dye. Neon patterns and leg warmers had the 80’s in a choke hold. The 90’s presented us with biker shorts and slip dresses. And lastly, “y2k”’s iconic fashion consisted of velour tracksuits, baby tees, and low rise jeans. What do all these staples have in common? We’ve seen all of them come up in recent years’ trends as blasts from the past. Potentially, the root of the revolving door of trends we see in contemporary fashion could stem from our generation not having a true style. We engage in so much media telling us what’s ‘in’ and what’s ‘cheugy’, that it creates a pressure on us to keep going until we find a defining style. Although more recently, the simple look of denim, muted colors, and the infamous Steve Madden platforms is glazing over my feed. It is my hope that these trends set up our generation to have a more timeless look, rather than continuing the endless rotation of whatever’s gone viral.

Diversity in Fashion Written By: Japnour Bhasin Layout By: Jackie Kobeski Illustrations By: Prutha Chavan A high-end fashion brand with a broad reach, Louis Vuitton Men’s SS collection in 2022 made the mark for having diverse representation in their collection and campaign. Other luxury and mainstream brands that hold a position of influence should follow the footsteps of previous creative director Virgil Abloh and how he incorporated diversity into his collection. By highlighting various representation of cultural context and their collective re-contextualization, the collection applies the Amen Break analogy to fashion, where clothing is re-interpreted to apply to more cultures and people. Abloh’s final show, which was in Miami on November 30th, exemplified the need for diverse representation and dramatically influenced diversity in other competing brands. “I feel like I’m writing a book with these collections. It’s one continuous logic about diversity and design,” Abloh explains, referencing his Louis Vuitton menswear studio. “It’s now synced up with my true thoughts about culture.”

Virgil showcased the cultural relevance of the drum solo in contemporary music as it was sampled reinterpreted, and remixed by a host of other genres of music. The collection was named after the most frequently used drum sample of the 1969 soul song Amen. This explored and celebrated the diversity of cultures, conveying Abloh through a play on the contrast between formal and street.

“Diversity represents highlighting other cultures, not just my own—and making space to share those,” Virgil reported. “The things we’ve seen regarding Black culture and Asian culture are enough to make me want to keep diversity at the forefront of how I think about what fashion is today.” In his electrifying campaign, Abloh experimented with the symbolic values of rave culture, combined with a refreshing display of diverse representation.

Numerous brands in the industry fail to give credit where it belongs. Virgil’s collection, driven by his dedication to his craft, opened doors for others and created pathways for greater equality in art an design.

In his first Vuitton show, he said that “There are people around his room who look like me,” he said to The New York Times. “You never saw that before in fashion. The people have changed, and so fashion had to.” He made it so. Abloh stands as an example of how significant it is to include diversity and culture. Virgil was more interested in carving a new path in an old industry than following in anyone’s footsteps. Other brands should follow in creating bridges, not barriers when it comes to diversity in fashion.

Judgement Free Glam Here’s the dilemma: consumers with disposable income maintain that they can shop glam (well-fitted, high-style, and new) from supposedly sustainable, luxury brands. Meanwhile, the same people criticize those who shop for budget-friendly glam clothing due to their supposed lack of sustainability. This forces shoppers on a budget to either face the stigma of shopping unsustainably or to almost exclusively shop second-hand. Given that glam aesthetics can almost only be attained through retail, this dilemma results in the classist gatekeeping of glam fashion, restricting it to only those who can afford luxury brands. Glam retailers sit at a variety of price points, ranging from north of Michael Kors and its competitors to consumer brands like H&M. Historically, the common understanding was that brands like Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, and Guess are more sustainable—and therefore, more ethical—than brands like H&M, ASOS, and Uniqlo. This disparity seems to be rooted in the difference in price, suggesting classist motives. Wealthier shoppers can gatekeep glam fashion by introducing classist rhetoric under the guise of sustainability. A deeper dive into such companies’ sustainability efforts validates this theory. The website Good on You uses a proprietary rating system to assess brands’ social and environmental ethicality. They list the luxury brands as, at best, “not good enough,” while only one affordable brand was in this category, and the others were assessed as “a start.” So, the classism is even clearer, as these luxury brands are actually less sustainable than the affordable ones. A tempting response might be to suggest shopping at Zara; we saw that coming. Zara and Urban Outfitters are both “not good enough,” along with high end luxury brands like Prada and Chanel. Realistically, there are few truly sustainable options in retail fashion, but we aren’t saying don’t buy retail. What we are saying is it’s both hypocritical and classist for those with means to criticize low-budget shoppers for making use of low prices on glam clothing. It’s nice to dress glam from time-to-time, and no one should feel guilty for doing so.

Mismatching patterns, vivid poofy skirts, bright blue eyeliner, outlandish hair colors. Fashion has been a vehicle of radical societal change for a long time. It can be a means of protest against gender norms, it can be an action towards political change, it can be a form of expressing an often repressed identity. The line between fashion and sexuality expression is very fine, giving queer people agency to express their identities. Queer culture has always had a tendency to bleed into the fashion-verse, but a new type of fashion renaissance is upon us. Queer culture and gender expression are leading fashion into a rule-less era of boundless opportunities. Fashion and media and culture are all dominated by queer culture. From Stephen Burrows to Michael Kors to David Bowie, queer figures dominate this industry. Queer fashion is the idea that you can be anything. You can wear what you want. You can use your face and body as a canvas to convey who you are to the world. For queer people who have come out, this concept is revolutionary. It means allowing your outward appearance to finally match how you feel. Queer fashion is political, it is communicative, it is expression at its finest. Slowly but surely, queer culture is knocking down gender stereotypes in fashion. More and more people–even beyond the queer comunity– are embracing this rule-less era of fashion, wearing what some would call “cheugy” and others would call “catwalk-appropriate”. The point is to not follow any rules or trends or norms. The rules have shattered and we are in a new age of wearing what honors you and your identity as a person. There is something so freeing about abandoning trends and fashion archetypes. Queer fashion is treating your identity and appearance like you would an avatar. There are no rigid aesthetics you have to bind to. The essence of queer fashion–freedom of expression and identity–is limitless. It is ever-changing. And it follows one simple rule: there are no rules.

o N

WRITTEN BY: GRACIE KUNIK MODELS: IZZI BUDETTI, LIZZIE DEMACOPOULOS, GRACIE KUNIK STYLIST: IZZI BUDETTI PHOTOS: ELISE ANSTEY LAYOUT: GRACIE KUNIK

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Crochet the Sad away

Do you need a new scarf? A tote bag? A blanket? One of those balaclavas you’ve seen all over Pinterest? No need to run out and buy it. Pick up a crochet hook, some yarn, and put on a Youtube tutorial. Crocheting is an age-old fabrication technique that has been steadily popular for decades. Due to pandemic boredom as well as early 2000s nostalgia, crocheting has found even bigger popularity within the past year among gen-z. This past winter, we’ve seen crochet balaclavas, fingerless gloves, and mohair sweaters, and this spring and summer is sure to bring crochet dresses, beach bags, and summer hats. Beyond just a short-lived trend, crocheting has major mental health benefits, solidifying it as a longterm hobby. The first of these benefits is the power of personal expression and a boost of self-confidence. Fashion is many people’s primary outlet for creativity, and being able to make your own clothes adds another layer of personalization and expression to your style. Crochet allows many ways to customize a piece, whether it be by changing yarn color, fiber, stitch type, or hook size. Even if you follow someone else’s pattern to a T, being able to make something for yourself brings your personal style to another level. Not only that, but the pride you feel wearing something you created is unmatched. It feels good to finish and wear a project because you made something with your hands that you now get to show off. In terms of mental health, crocheting can be soothing and relaxing if you light a candle and put on a show while you’re doing it. Having a project to consistently work on can help with keeping a routine and give you something to look forward to. Most importantly, taking time out of your day to do something relaxing and make something for yourself is an act of self-care and self-love.

Author & Stylist: Juliane Pautrot Layout: Caroline Gleason Models: Gracie Davis, Minh Anh Dinh, Licha Gonzalez Photographer: Lauren Cassot

STACY London: BECOMING Friends with fashion Written By: Grace Livecchi

Illustration and Layout By: Grace Livecchi

Stacy London is friends with fashion. And she’s proud of it. But it’s taken her several changes in mindset to get to this point, even many since her days co-hosting the television show What Not to Wear. Forming a positive relationship with the clothes we wear might seem simple. After all, “clothing doesn’t have intention,” London told me with a laugh, “it’s not mean to you.” But when we really analyze our negative relationship with fashion, one thing becomes clear: it’s not the clothes we’re fighting with, it’s ourselves. It all boils down to body image. When it comes to what you wear, the silhouette of your outfit is an essential part of the aesthetic. Because of this, it is extremely common to feel uninspired by clothing, and perhaps even easy to turn away from fashion as a result of body image issues. A lot of this has to do with the fashion industry’s historical overrepresentation of thin, white, young bodies. But London thinks we should try our best to separate this from our own personal relationships with the clothes we wear. “Fashion is an industry, and it is built on insecurity. Style is personal. Style starts with you,” she said. Helping people work with and embrace their body types when picking out their wardrobes was one of the main objectives of What Not To Wear. Although clothing alone cannot establish a person’s sense of confidence and self assurance, there is something empowering about wearing an outfit that makes you feel unapologetically you. The fashion world has always dictated to consumers which body types they believe to be arbitrarily “fashionable;” Mike Jeffries, Abecrombie and Fitch CEO, exemplified this issue in 2006, stating not everyone “belongs” in their clothing when asked why women’s sizes didn’t run past a large. Due to this toxic culture, many of London’s clients would tell her they wanted to look like famous supermodels. London thinks it is incredibly important to separate admiring one’s style from their body type. Content creators such as @sanrizzle on tiktok have brought attention to the same idea, discussing how certain named “fashion icons” are not actually adding any contributions to the fashion world; perhaps you’ve seen the trend “is it fashion or is she just skinny?” One of the first steps to finding your own, personal style is learning how to accept yourself and your body the way it is.“If you think your body is the reason why you can’t find clothes that feel right to you, then you’re already looking at it in the wrong way,” London

THE POWER OF JEANS

As trends ebb and flow, the relevance of jeans stay constant and adapt to their current fashion climates. Jeans are the most versatile fashion article as they allow individuals to style the denim in their unique ways. Today in Downtown Manhattan, the ends of countless light wash, wide-leg jeans are collecting dirt from the sidewalks on every block. It’s a familiar scene for anyone who lived through the fashion trends of the 1970s and 1990s. From tucking in button down shirts in the 90s, the same jeans complement model-off duty tanks and indie girls colors and patterns just as well today. Despite the different ways they’re styled; the outfits are still “on trend” due to the silhouette of the denim. From jeggings to boyfriend to now wide-leg, I have squeezed myself into vastly different styles of jeans through the changing fashion climates of the years. The evolution of these cuts was a slower process than those of micro-trends, such as crocheted pieces. Yet, we see sprinkles of denim micro-trends emerging, such as raw hems on edges, low/high rise, or printed/colored jeans that reappeared seemingly out of nowhere last year and are beginning to slowly fade away. Beneath these “micro-trends”, the jean silhouette (wide leg, boyfriend, etc.) adapts and stays consistent for an average of three to four years. We can see within our generation how much consumers favored a looser fit and how much freedom there is to explore these microtrends one season at a time. However, while participating in these trends may be exciting, having a collection of plain jeans is essential as the basics never truly fade away. With the current peak of 90s wide-leg jeans and looser styles, we can expect trends to continue to build off this American denim-fit staple. Micro-trends will only be able to surface from the structure of these staple jeans. Since microtrends are robbing us of fashion “era’s,” our jean silhouettes will be the primary emblem of 2010s or 2020s fashion when people in the future look back on it. Wearing the style of jeans our parents wore when they were our age, it is inevitable that these wide-leg jeans will slowly fade away and return another time. Like our parents have, keep your jeans in the back of your closet as they will resurface when future generationsdeem them as cool again. Plus do your future children the favor of letting them borrowing them and refer to it as “vintage.” Now the question is, when will skinny jeans make their big comeback

WRITTEN BY: GABRIELLA NISCO LAYOUT BY: CHRISTINA BONIELLO PHOTOS BY: WESLEY SCOTT MODELS: STEPHANIE LANE, JULIANA HUXTABLE

ICONIC CROCS COMFORT By Stephanie Lane Crocs sales are on the rise as they are one of the most comfortable shoes on the market, are fairly affordable, and the brand of shoes is what Gen Z is considering “stylish.” The ironic part about Crocs coming back in style is that they aren’t all that stylish. Crocs features their bestseller style known as the Classic Clog, and despite it being highly demanded, many TikTok influencers, such as Ana Stowell, have been buying platform Crocs after Balenciaga collaborated with the shoe brand to come up with a platform clog which would walk the runway. On top of comfort, Crocs offers customizablity with Jibbitz, the charms that go on top of the Croc. One can pick and choose which Jibbitz they will add to their Crocs to show off their personality and style. Going off of the customizability aspect, notable celebrities have been collaborating with Crocs to make their own version of the clog, personal to their brand. These celebrities include Post Malone, Justin Bieber, Luke Combs, and most recently, Diplo. Along with teaming up with celebrities, collaborations with brands are another way Crocs extends their target market. A contemporary streetwear fashion brand, Beams, collaborated with Crocs to come up with a new version of the All-Terrain Clog adding the streetwear look to the military-style clog. These collaborations result in a lot of traffic to the website and the shoes selling out very fast. Kendall Jenner was spotted wearing a pair of camo Crocs on one of her off days. She rocked a casual look– green sweatshirt and gray sweatpants–with these $55 Crocs. After the photos were released of her wearing the Classic Realtree Edge Clogs, the shoe quickly sold out. After models and celebrities have paved the way for styling Crocs, the general population quickly followed.

Crocs making a return in the world reveals that Gen Z is prioritizing comfort in their day to day looks. Gen Z has embraced the chunkiness of Crocs to enhance their street style and show off their personality. This generation is known for prioritizing being themselves. The comfortable and customizable nature of Crocs allows them to do so. Crocs have not given into the trends throughout the years. Instead, Crocs stays on brand with their unique shoe. Gen Z seems to love incorporating this uniqueness into their style.

GAS, MILA GR : S L E D O M LABAGH KATHRYN : STYLIST ECCHI IV L GRACE APHER: PHOTOGR IE LANE STEPHAN : LAYOUT ER TEGMULL ALEXA S

Maximalism through style and and sound

Written By Jackie Pallazola Layout By Mikey Duffy Photos By Gracie Davis Models: Juliane Pautrot, Julia Lapaj In a time where the internet reigns more powerful than ever over younger generations, certain trends have spiked to become worldwide phenomenons. Arguably the most prominent example of this is the emergence of hyperpop which, although existing in a pre-pandemic world, gained considerable traction as we turned to social media in isolation. Influenced by the music of artists like Charlie XCX, 100 Gecs, SOPHIE (RIP legend), and Rico Nasty, hyperpop embraces elements of mainstream pop while rejecting and criticizing it at the same time. It often pairs infectiously catchy melody lines with EDMinspired electronics and heavy use effects like autotune to create a near sensory overload within a song. However, there is a lot of room for experimentation within the hyperpop subculture that has allowed it to become such a sensation; the term “hyperpop” itself is almost too limiting, as music is not the extent of this aesthetic. Its impacts on popular culture are especially visible on Tiktok and Twitter as viral clips of songs like 100 Gecs’s “Money Machine” and Slayyyter’s “Hello Kitty” are widely used among Gen Z. As a result, fashion trends directly connected to the subgenre have emerged. Combining aspects of the Y2K revival and 2010’s EDM scene and adding a futuristic twist, hyperpop fashion, like the music, is perfectly maximalist. As you scroll through your instagram or tiktok feed, you will probably see bright colors in all different fabrics, excessive layering, extraterrestrial makeup, choppy dyed hair, and ridiculously high platform shoes. Some may dismiss hyperpop culture as “too much,” but many others see it as a means of self-expression and yassification (no other word would do this concept justice). In a time of extreme consumerism and increased use of social media, the exaggerated abstract nature of hyperpop trends is highly appealing to today’s youth. Furthermore, its exclusively technological production and development may give us clues into the future of the relationship between fashion and music.

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Cassie Howard: Why Do Audiences Want Cassie to be Right? - Ali Dobbs The Problem with Parasocial Relationships - Rachel Erickson NFT: What’s the Hype - Japnour Bhasin Wanted: The Disappearing It Girl - Natalia Cruz Giving Cher - Olivia Nast Make-Up Your Mind - Cameron Huber Thoughts on the Male Gaze - Gabrielle Gonzales Maximalism, Make-it-Yourself & Menswear: A Memoir to Virgil Abloh - Emily Koch Polly Pocket - Molly Chamberlain Pink is Dead: Can We Revive it? - Alexa Mancini America’s New Favorite Style Icon - Mackenzie Neviaser Rockstar GF - Sarah Raubenheimer Protecting Expression - Sara Tsugranis Is this Heaven or Marc Jacobs? - Paige Pandolfo Do you have a big black puffer even? - Kelly Cimaglia Searching For Style - Keagan Ostop WOOP Your Pinterest Board - Kathleen Tiernan What is your social battery - Japnour Bhasin Romanicization - Riley Drumm Studio 54 - Sarah Raubenheimer See you on the Slopes - Jessica Poulos