hoot
MASTHEAD
COPY EDITORS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
najet fazai arianna friedman andrew morrow bianca sanon reina sekiguchi bailey springer
rubii pham jackie luo victoria campa krista anna lewis esther jung natalie moore
BLOG CONTRIBUTORS
ASSISTANT STYLISTS
cara baestlein meredith coleman rowanne dean sasha henriques leora herman claudia khoury evelyn kim sofia lyons kelly masotta sophie perkins meg phillips jordana roat anna singer bethany wong allie zakon
nancy chen austen tosone sofia lyons sofia davis chloe kim micayla lubka kiani ned erin quinn
DESIGN STAFF victoria campa celine gordon
HANDWRITING augusta dayton
MASTHEAD EDITORS-IN-CHIEF rubii pham krista anna lewis
CREATIVE DIRECTOR hannah keiler
PHOTO DIRECTOR esther jung
WOMENSWEAR DIRECTOR whitney wei
MENSWEAR DIRECTOR andre’ fuqua
BLOG DIRECTORS soyini driskell esther jung
BEAUTY DIRECTOR emily ellis
DESIGN DIRECTOR anna hippee
FEATURES DIRECTOR rebecca deczynski
A&E DIRECTOR emma goss
MARKETING DIRECTOR sarah collins
PR DIRECTOR jenny mayrock
COPY CHIEF katie lee
TREASURER eric wong
SECRETARY nancy chen
LETTERS FROM THE EDITORS I’m currently a senior and I’ve been with Hoot. since freshman year - the longest committed relationship I’ve had in college yet. We’ve grown together, semester after semester, to follow the progress of fledging Hootettes into editors, to seeing all the beautiful images and enlightened stories from our talented photographers and writers. Hoot, I know we’ll have to say good bye next semester, but until then, it’s been a hell of a journey. Rubii Pham
In case you hadn’t noticed, Hoot. has gotten weirder. We’re embracing white space and pushing our contributors to think outside the box. It’s a redesign that we think matches what is ‘trendy’ now and how students think of fashion at Columbia. (I put trendy in quotation marks, because ultimately, style is more important than trends, and you should wear and do what you think is cool). We want students to feel like they can express their true style, while at that fabulous brunch place in the Village or sitting in class. Who cares if you’re rocking a crop top in heels as long as you’re feeling it? While working on the cover, Rubii and I also thought changes needed to be made. Why not feature clothes and student models? Alumna celebs are great and all, but super models are making a comeback, so why not student models? So enjoy. It’s a hoot.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
morningsiders 5 jenna elizabeth 7 brunch 9 appropriation 11 fast fashion 13 beauty moments 15 top 10 beauty 17 l’orÊal 19 canvas 21 suited knights 27 peter zuspan 31 lara 33 angelica 37 grunge 41 gray skies 45
The New York Folk Scene and Its Newest Darlings, Morningsiders
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ob Dylan once sang, “It’s hard times in the city, livin’ down in New York town”—but that has not stopped countless folk musicians from flocking to the city’s bars, music venues and even street corners to peddle their musical wares. The folk music scene in New York City is thriving and has been for decades. Its unique, earthy sounds have traveled from the underground, so to speak, to become a main fixture in the New York music scene. In New York City, the folk revivals of the ’40s and ’60s transformed the ever-bohemian Greenwich Village into a hotbed of acoustic guitar melodies and songsmiths influenced by simple, traditional sounds. The Village has sustained the folk movement into the present day—its third wave. Folk bands like Mumford & Sons and The Avett
BY SASHA HENRIQUES PHOTO VIA MORNINGSIDERS Brothers are topping music charts these days. The Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, which hits theaters in December, highlights the relationship between 1960s folk music and the culture of New York City. Several scenes were filmed just outside Barnard and Columbia’s gates on 116th Street and Broadway. Within Columbia’s campus, students are hardly immune to the third wave of folk. Morningsiders—consisting of Magnus Ferguson (CC ’14, guitar and vocals), Reid Jenkins (CC ’14, fiddle and vocals), Rob Frech (CC ’14, piano) and Sam Sugerman (CC ’17, upright bass)—have garnered a cult following on campus over the last three years. Hoot sat down with the band to discuss their music, their future and why they are not just a Mumford & Sons tribute band. 5
SASHA HENRIQUES: People have characterized your sound as folk-pop. Can you explain that musical hybrid? ROB FRECH: Every song is really different, so it’s hard to say exactly what we are. But there’s definitely a lot of folk. SAM SUGERMAN: It’s mostly because of our instrumentation. REID JENKINS: Everyone tries to rationalize our music and just calls us a folk band. I always think to myself, “Wait, some of our songs really aren’t that folk-y at all.” MAGNUS FERGUSON: There’s a kind of danger of claiming your sound to be folk, though; it has such a history. I know Reid and I came into folk through two completely different channels. Like Reid has a lot of experience in bluegrass,
which I know nothing about. I was coming from Van Zant and Steve Earle and Cat Stevens. So it means a great world to us when we get that folk vibe. You never start out with a genre. SH: What are some reoccurring themes of your songs and lyrics? MF: They actually change a lot as we keep writing. For me, the lyrics used to be about home a lot, and now I’m starting to write snapshots, descriptive scenes. But it really depends on the song. I think honesty is very fun in songs. And sometimes it takes everyone by surprise. I think that’s a theme for me, just being blunt and honest with people about difficult stuff. We keep it simple and straightforward. RF: That idea about honesty is true, even in the playing of the song. These songs are really simple. A lot of what I’m playing isn’t too difficult to play, just simple chords. So when we’re playing for an audience— here at Columbia especially, where people are so musically smart—and then I go and play a few chords that aren’t that complicated, it’s pretty vulnerable. But we have to make it work, and we have to be sincere. SH: You are going on a college tour starting November 1, and you are performing at Lafayette College. Are you excited about conquering new territory? MF: Excited and nervous. RJ: We’ve definitely been in the Columbia incubator among our friends and people who are supportive of us, so it will be interesting to play for people who don’t know our sound or our vibe. It’ll be fresh. MF: I think one of the coolest things about playing at Columbia so much is that you get to bring the same
group of people together over and over again, and that’s a really nice aspect of it. So this will be totally different because every show so far has really been for our friends. SH: What are the biggest challenges you face as a band? RF: Well, we’re all students at Columbia University. SS: We’ll be in the middle of rehearsal, and then someone will say, “Yo, I have to go write this essay due tomorrow.” Or the other day, we were talking over some songs, and Reid was working on a problem set while we were talking. RJ: Also, sometimes we’ll just be stressed out because we have schoolwork, and it bleeds into the music. MF: But everyone does a very valid job of coming to rehearsal. You really have to feed it every week. If a week goes by, and we don’t play, we feel very out of touch and not cohesive. SH: The New York City folk scene has always been a fascinating, unique musical experience. How have you experienced the folk scene so far, and how do you want to contribute to it? RJ: The New York City folk scene is very vibrant right now. There are a lot of local musicians, like Grizzly Bear, and a lot of places to play. To name a few, there’s Mona’s, the Jalopy Theatre, the Jenkins House. The New York City folk scene is also a testament to how big and blobbish the term “folk music” is because the scene here encompasses a lot of different types of music. A lot of the draw of folk is the claim to sincerity and humanness and camaraderie. And it’s totally valid to stand by folk music on those grounds, but you want to experiment with it, and you want to push it in different ways. How do you keep that folk intimacy, 6
while always being creative and pushing folk music as an art form? It’s difficult. MF: I think of intimacy as the medium itself. The only unifying factor that ties folk listeners together is a level of intimacy and emotional oneness, or inclusion of the audience. Sometimes that’s the only thing you can reduce it to sometimes. RJ: The scene is definitely growing. Folk music will never die out because there will always be people who support it, despite the constant fear that it’s going to die out. There will always be people who want to play folk music, in whichever of its forms. We’re definitely in a third wave of folk. There can sometimes be a sense of false competition between bands, but there’s no hierarchy. There’s no real competition. I think in folk that’s explicit, that you’re always there for the same thing. SH: What are your future plans? What is in store after graduation? RF: We’ll hopefully be playing music. MF: We are aware that it’s coming, and we’re all happy playing music. And I think we all want to go on doing it as long as we can.
Meet Fashion Filmmaker Jenna Elizabeth BY RACHEL CLARA FURST PHOTO BY ESTHER JUNG
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o word describes American fashion filmmaker Jenna Elizabeth better than driven. At just 27 years old, she has already collaborated with the likes of Kanye West, Chanel Iman, Yves Saint Laurent and Maybelline, to name a few. She has received awards and praise for her artistic short films that focus on music and fashion, and is currently working on her first feature-length film. Hoot caught up with Elizabeth to learn about how to break into fashion, music and film—a few of the most competitive and challenging industries —and how to take advantage of all that New York City has to offer. RACHEL FURST: Specializing in fashion and music videos is not a typical career path.
How did you get your start in these industries? JENNA ELIZABETH: I was fortunate that I always knew what I wanted to do at a very early age. When I was in high school, I made two short films, but I knew that I really wanted to pronounce my craft further. I went to Emerson, and then I started interning for Tom Hank’s production company, Playtone, and I never just accepted what was presented to me. I took it upon myself to talk to the producers to ask, “Can I do more? Can I propose this? What about this?” The other thing [that led to my start in these industries] is, as soon as I moved to New York, I contacted people I’d never met in my life, and I said, “Look, I like your work.” I owe a 7
lot to Greg Kadel, who’s a fashion photographer and a partner with Capture This. One day, he said to me, “What do you need? What do you need to really take your work to the place you want it?” And so, I was able to get resources to shoot everything from working campaigns to Victoria Secret spots. I also started working with a post company called Consulate, and it was another thing where the owner of the company was like, “We believe in you, and this might be a fashion project, but we know you’ll bring us your commercial work when you have it,” and then, eventually, I did. So, I think if you can at least showcase your idea in a way that saleable…I got the trust handed to me. RF: Who or what most
inspires your filmmaking? JE: I would say every day, for about two to three hours, I’ll go on the Internet, and I will source images. It can be from just random blogs, Tumblr— anywhere—and I make a folder. And about once a month, I go through the images that I’ve pulled, and I see if there are any common themes that I was unaware of at the time that I was looking at them. If I have enough that lean towards a specific idea, I’ll make a subfolder, and I’ll save it and start putting a treatment together, even if I don’t have a client who wants it. I think it’s really important to stay inspired. There have certainly been so many moments when I was first starting out, when things were not going the way that I planned, and it’s easy to get down on yourself. But you have to remind yourself why you love the things you love, what it’s pulling out of you. And I think through the repetitions, through the patterns, you find yourself; that’s what emerges. The more you can exercise that, the more you know yourself as an artist, or even as a professional. For me, that little thing that I have of just having that downtime and just being able to zone out in front of my computer is so valuable. RF: What has been the greatest obstacle you have faced in getting to where you are right now? JE: I think, when I was first starting out, the biggest challenge was having the ideas, but not having the work yet to showcase the ideas. That’s really frustrating. And I think right now, in your twenties, more so than ever, is a time to really experiment and try. No one’s going to hand you anything and say, “Here.” But I think if you approach
your life and whatever it is that you’re doing with that idea that, “I’m not going to wait for permission, I’m going to do whatever I can,” you can make something so beautiful. Work with young people, work with people who are on the same level as you. I think the more you can trial and error and have that in a room with people who are safe, who love you and support you, there’s nothing better than that. And even though you might not have those resources initially, eventually you start developing a rapport…and the other thing is don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to make those calls to a production company and say, “Look, I know I’m young, but how can I get involved in this project that you’re working on?” That obstacle of being young and not having something to show is the biggest one, I think, for me. RF: You were born in L.A., moved to London and are now living in New York. So, what is it that draws you to New York? JE: When you open you door, from the moment you step outside your apartment, your feet hit the pavement, and there is an energy… and it’s contentious. You run into people on the street who you haven’t seen in a while, and it forces you to reconnect, it forces you to look someone in the eye. You’re constantly interacting with people, and I think if you’re willing to just go through that for better or for worse, ultimately it serves you. Here, you can go to one party and meet five people who can change your career in one night if you have the right conversations. RF: What is that “right conversation”? JE: Never be afraid of who you are. I love people who have an opinion, who aren’t afraid of just playing it safe, 8
of saying the right thing. I think you should own your thoughts, own them entirely, and even if you disagree with someone, it challenges that person to think out of themselves for that one moment. I think that ultimately if you speak from the heart, people get that, and they’ll respond to it so much more than if you’re putting on a face or hoping you are wearing the right outfit; that only takes you so far. But if you’re willing to just get real with people… just be yourself. That’s what’s infectious. RF: It is so refreshing to hear you say, “just be yourself.” As college students going on internship interviews, we are always told what to wear, what to say, what questions to ask. So being told, “just be yourself,” from a success like you is great. JE: I have three mentors, and one of them is a woman named Lia Vollack, and she is one of the heads of Sony. I met her at a Fourth of July party in L.A., and I legitimately broke glasses. I was mortified, but we still had a bond. I told her what I thought, and we spoke about movies, and it was just so refreshing to have this point of view of a successful businesswoman. I think, as a female, there is this weird idea that I can’t maintain my femininity without someone hitting on me, or there’s a struggle to be taken seriously and still be able to exude sexuality and still be able to be fierce. I think she is a great example of someone who has never compromised herself. She never watered herself down to be equal to men in the sexual sense. She was able to embrace femininity with power, and I think that is what’s missing from a lot of young women. There is a beauty to being a woman and to being celebrated.
the resolute brunch BY ARIANNA FRIEDMAN PHOTO VIA BRUNCHCRITIC
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nce upon a Sunday, breakfast and lunch were two separate meals. Hour-long waits for eggs Benedict, along with self-serve frozen yogurt and cupcakes, were virtually nonexistent. Because eating breakfast between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. was not socially accepted, people were forced to drag themselves out of bed and confront brisk Sunday mornings. Thus, the New York brunch was born. Perhaps to the dismay of some proud New York brunchers, the concept of brunch is not unique to the city. There are several variations, most notably dim sum—the Chinese brunch comprised of small
dishes that originated in tea houses, possibly dating back to the Silk Road. Dim sum precedes the New York brunch by a couple millennia. In the 1930s, brunch was reserved for the upper class and celebrities. As early as 1944, restaurants began capitalizing on the breakfast-lunch portmanteau. While brunch has been in the American lexicon for over a century, the rise in popularity only came around the start of the 21st century, coincidentally at the same time as the premiere of Sex and the City. Some say brunch is still reserved for those who can afford to take leisurely 9
Sundays off to wait in hour-long lines for eggs and bacon. But when each block is packed with cafés, diners and trendy bars, why wait at all? “There are so many places other than Prune and Clinton St. [Baking Co.],” brunch aficionada Andrea Pappas asserts. “One of the reasons I started BrunchCritic was because I felt it wasn’t necessary to wait in long lines for brunch.” Pappas took to the Internet to remedy what she believed should be a non-issue and launched BrunchCritic (www. brunchcritic.com). Categorizing brunch options by neighborhoods, occasions (Fourth of July,
kid friendly, one on one), mood or whatever food you crave, Pappas ensures satisfaction for any appetite. “There are a lot of reasons I started BrunchCritic—the main one being that I saw a need wasn’t being met,” the brunch aficionada contends. Her voracious love for breakfast food has deep roots. “Believe it or not, my mother made me pancakes every single morning when I was growing up until I was 12. It was like Leave it to Beaver in a way. You could say something sure stuck.” Pappas identified the niche craving quickly growing in the hungry bellies of New York and pounced. “I was really interested and serious in filling a void in the market. So that is what drove me and my passion. BrunchCritic started because I wanted to take my Excel list of brunch spots and just put it online. Brunch is all about the experience. And different cuisines just lend to special experiences.” Eggs and bacon are only so fulfilling; brunch is a social craving. Just ask Carrie Bradshaw or Hannah Horowitz; brunch is the modern confessional. “Brunch is inherently social, and the interactions and meeting new people are what it is all about. That drives me bananas—in a good way!” Pappas notes. “I think [bringing a one-night stand to brunch] would be hilarious. That would be an experience at the brunch table.” One brunch “don’t” is do not get wasted. It is not Senior Night at Havana Central, although they too offer a brunch special worthy of checking out. “Some people can get way too sloppy drunk at brunch. You are celebrating not
working on the weekend, you are celebrating the opportunity to sleep in, or celebrating the night you had before, etc.,” Pappas notes. Brunch creates Sunday afternoon experiences, no matter what the season. Sometimes you just want mimosas and donuts, and nothing else will do.
IF YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO…
Esperanto 145 Avenue C (between 9th and 10th Streets) Lower East Side (Alphabet City) Bus: M14D or M14A Price: $ For $12, you get unlimited coffee, a brunch cocktail and a generous meal. Egg dishes are served with home fries or salad. If you are feeling wiped out from the previous night’s festivities, the acai Fruit Bowl is the perfect remedy. On Sundays, brunch hours are extended until 5 p.m. Esperanto is worth the trek to the Lower East Side.
IF YOU NEED A REVIVAL…
230 Fifth 230 Fifth Ave. (between 26th & 27th Streets) Flatiron Subway Stop: 23rd Street (N, R), 28th Street (N, R, 4, 6) Price: $$$ When it seems like January will last forever, and you are considering moving to Florida, California or anywhere that is not cold and miserable, come here. On the 20th floor, the 360-degree skyline view of Lower Manhattan will remind you why you came to New York. Call early to reserve a spot under a heating lamp, so you can 10
eat your omelet—starting at $11—in comfort.
IF YOU WANT TO ESCAPE TO THE ALPS…
Edi & the Wolf 102 Ave. C (between 6th & 7th Streets) Lower East Side (Alphabet City) Bus: M14D or M14A Price: $ Julie Andrews and the rest of the Von Trapp family would brave the unrelenting New York winter just for the schnitzel and spätzle. Whether an egg dish or meat dish, each meal warms your belly. The $16 brunch special also includes kaffee, espresso or macchiato, and a fresh glass of orange juice. The complimentary chocolate bread is heaven.
IF YOU WOULD RATHER BE IN PARIS…
Café Henri 27 Bedford St. (between Downing Street & Houston Street) West Village Subway stops: Houston Street (1,2), Spring Street (A, C, E), W 4 Street (A, B, C, D, E, F, M) Price: $$ If you do not feel like paying $17 for a cheese plate at Maison Kayser, but still want that Parisian feel, go to Café Henri. The hidden gem makes the Parisian classics. It even offers croque madame. The portions are small, but only contribute to the authenticity of the Parisian ambiance.
Appropriated Attire BY ABBY MITCHELL
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ast May, fashion’s elite—editors, designers, celebrities, socialites—gathered for one of the most glamorous events on New York’s social calendar: the Met Gala. Its theme, Punk: Chaos to Couture, inspired studded accessories and ripped chain dresses galore. From their messy eyeliner to faux hawks, celebrities seemed to embody the punk aesthetic. The irony is, of course, that they did not quite understand it. On the red carpet telecast, model Hilary Rhoda playfully asked guests to name their favorite punk band or artist. The responses? “I dig Green Day and Avril Lavigne,” responded actress Hailee Steinfeld. “Are the Goo Goo Dolls considered punk?” asked New York Knicks forward Tyson Chandler’s wife Kimberly. As an International Business Times reporter wrote shortly thereafter, one cannot help but wonder, “With all the fuss about punk in honor of the exhibit at the Met, why was the entire ceremony devoid of punk, aside from the garb of
spikes, studs and the like?” Rather than understanding and honoring an important and revolutionary movement, the night seemed to be an opportunity to play dressup—a night when it was cool to wear fishnets and purple lipstick. As Vogue’s creative director and Brit Grace Coddington said rather wryly in her red carpet interview, “I’d like to see some REAL punks in here…like street punks. But they’re probably not invited.” Rather, an event displaying counterculture style was represented by the denizens of mainstream celebrity culture, whose interpretation of punk has nothing to do with the actual punk movement— the anti-authoritarian nihilism, radical left politics and, most ironically, the anti-consumerism of its signature beat up dress. One such celeb was Miley Cyrus, clad in a long-sleeved mesh dress and spiky Sid Viciouslike hair. The gala was a mere month before the release of her contentious single “We Can’t Stop.” Both her outfit at the gala 11
and her music video have something very significant in common: the piecemeal appropriation of a cultural phenomenon without the personal experience to make it resonant. Because say what you will about Miley today, it was not so long ago that she was the bubbly country-singing Disney star, far distanced from the bounce music scene of ’90s New Orleans where twerking began. In his review of the VMA’s, New York Times critic Jon Caramanica observed that “this was a banner year for clumsy white appropriation of black culture,” also citing the success of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. But it is silly to act as if such appropriation is anything new. Particularly in fashion, the Punk exhibit can be considered a minor blip, far eclipsed by extravagant runway controversies. In 1977, Yves Saint Laurent released “Opium,” a fragrance that sparked controversy over its name and marketing. In the United States, Chinese Americans demanded a public apology from Saint Laurent for glamorizing opium use and the
influence of European colonialism in Asia. It was the same sort of representation that Edward Said would condemn only a year later in his book Orientalism: Western romanticizing of Eastern culture that has little to do with the realities of life in those countries. Opium is not a mixture of fruity and spicy tones, like Saint Laurent’s perfume; it is a substance distilled from a plant to create an addictive drug that has spawned many complicated political implications. Ironically, “Opium” was a great success, becoming one of the best-selling fragrances for the company and still for sale today. The Western consumer quite literally bought into Saint Laurent’s vision of the East. Two decades later, in 1993, Jean Paul Gaultier’s runway show featured models with coats and hairstyles mimicking traditional Hasidic garb. Discussing the collection in a New York Times interview in 2007, Gaultier explained that he was inspired when he saw a group of Hasids leaving a New York Public Library. The collection, for Gaultier, was about the strength of not changing your habits and traditions, despite your setting and circumstances. “So to see all those Hasidic people coming out with their costumes like that, I think how strong it was, how strong you can be and not to have to try at all to escape. It is beautiful to be what you are,” he said. “Even myself, when I presented that collection, I was a little scared that people should take it that
Gaultier, who’s always supposed to be funny, was making a joke. That was not the purpose. It was the beauty that was very inspiring, and that is what I wanted to show.” For a designer known for using religious iconography, his “Rabbi Chic” look seemed to be yet another daring play for fashion’s enfant terrible. Yet Gaultier’s justification complicates the dialogue on appropriation. He understands his own ignorance and chose the Hasid to represent a different societal purpose— that of the individual, the non-conformist. In a 2011 article in Tablet Magazine, an online Jewish publication on arts and lifestyle, writer Amanda Walgrove discussed Gaultier’s influence and his international exhibition, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk. Coincidentally, the exhibition has finally touched down in New York and is on display at the Brooklyn Museum through February 23, 2014. She wrote: “Gaultier was able to cultivate and harness inspiration from Jewish culture in a way that no Jewish designer had ever managed to do. Rather than taking offense to the aesthetic exploitation of Hasidic apparel, we should be flattered that Gaultier found Jewish images stimulating enough to inspire an entire line of couture designs. He set an unprecedented milestone for the integration of Judaism and fashion, and he’s not even a member of the tribe…Even after Gaultier 12
dusted the 1990s grime off of his ‘Chic Rabbi’ pieces, the designs still retain their element of surprise to an increasingly secularized nation. One wonders if the up-and-coming Jewish fashionistas have an opinion in this matter. Perhaps the next generation of designers will develop an innovative method for incorporating Jewish culture into high fashion. For now, we have only Gaultier to reference until another couturier has the chutzpah to send a yarmulke down the runway.” There is great distance between Gaultier and the Met Gala attendees. Yet both instances demonstrate that fashion manifests historical and cultural fact. What is up for debate is whether such manifestations are intelligently done and thought-provoking, or uninformed and valueless.
Not So Fast, Fashion BY ANNA SINGER
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rice, trend factor, comfort and convenience—what most people, especially college students, consider when it comes to fashion. For this reason, it is no surprise that chains like Zara, Urban Outfitters and H&M are so successful. They provide easy and relatively cheap access to mass-produced versions of the runway’s latest styles. But next time you decide to take a quick trip to Zara, think twice; there are other issues at hand besides the fact that your new black top ripped after two wears. The retailers of massproduced products are the lords of fast fashion. Fast fashion is fast and inexpensive production of the most in-vogue clothing. While the appeal is evident, the cost outweighs the benefit. Designers like
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Diane von Furstenberg have sued retailers like Forever 21 for the production of knockoffs, which infringe on the intellectual property rights of the designer, and thus interfere with the designer’s business and brand image. It may be difficult to sympathize with the rich and famous designer, but it is not about money or wealth; this issue is a matter of the artistry and the significant effort that goes into design. Fast fashion not only disrespects the designers, but also encourages exploitation outside the United States. The increasing number of styles and products that need to be churned out by factories, in countries such as Bangladesh, leads to overtime, unhealthy working conditions and more workrelated injuries. Mass production of low-quality products also results in severe and widespread ecological harm. It encourages a wasteful attitude toward fashion. The items either rip after a few wears or are only worn for a few occasions. Consumers go back, and
buy dresses and tops just like them yet again. Mass production means that all of these products are quickly building up in landfills after their short lives end. Such circumstances could quickly become environmentally unsustainable. Our air and water are only becoming more polluted with chemicals. While all hope may seem lost, there is a solution in sight with New York City based retailers like Zady, an online retailer aimed at combating fast fashion with local and ethical designs. Zady co-founder Maxine Bédat (BC ’05) grew interested in the slow fashion movement while working on developmental issues in Africa as a student at Columbia Law School. She noticed the loss of cultural heritage and jobs in the face of consumer culture and fast fashion. So, she created the Bootstrap Project, a business provider for the producers of traditional products in Africa. Her work on the Bootstrap Project eventually led to her collaboration with high school friend and Zady co-founder, Soraya Darabi. One of Bédat’s favorite parts of Zady’s website is the “Origins” option, which takes the viewer to a map of the locations where each product is manufactured. Zady brings the consumer in contact with the producers, most of whom are old, family businesses. Bédat explains that the Zady community is self-selective—one made
up of what Bédat calls “conscious consumers,” who want to feel connected to the products they have purchased. Zady provides this opportunity and seeks their feedback in exchange. Features like the “Origins” option also foster an understanding of different cultures, and an awareness of the craft and history behind each product. The cashmere sweater, made by Cashmere Revolution in Italy, and the Steven Alan shirts, made right by Zady’s office in the Garment District, are a few of Bédat’s favorite products. With followers across the country, Zady is fueling the slow fashion movement and proving there is a fashionforward and easy way to protect the designers and the environment—without wearing hemp.
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the makeup to accompany those quintessential college memories DIRECTOR: EMILY ELLIS PHOTOGRAPHER: ESTHER JUNG MAKEUP ARTIST: QIAOCHU ZHOU MODEL: REBEKAH LOWIN
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HOMECOMING
GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT
HOLIDAY PARTY
top 10 of 2013 BY LAYLA CARONI PHOTOS BY ESTHER JUNG
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1) REVLON COLORSTAY WHIPPED CRÈME MAKEUP
Looking for excellent coverage minus the cakey look? This oilfree and fragrance-free creamy concealer blends flawlessly into the skin. With its matte finish and silky texture, it covers spots and reduces the appearance of under-eye circles without creasing or looking shiny.
This matte cream foundation provides perfect coverage and still feels lightweight. Its blendable formula lasts all day and never looks shiny, leaving your skin looking more natural than ever before. With formulas for both dry and oily/ combination skin, Revlon once again offers a drugstore steal.
4) SHISEIDO TRANSLUCENT PRESSED POWDER
This light, silky powder is a must-have in every girl’s makeup bag. Available in both pressed and loose forms, this finely milled powder provides an airbrushed finish for any base. Although it is a bit pricey, the way it disappears on the skin and smoothes out the complexion makes it worth the splurge.
2) NARS PURE RADIANT TINTED MOISTURIZER
Of all the tinted moisturizers out there, this one is our favorite by far. Its oil-free formula glides effortlessly onto the skin and leaves you with a fresh, dewy complexion. It gives you a glow for those lazy days, or it can be layered under a powder foundation for a more polished look. Did we mention it has SPF 30?
5) MAC PRO LONGWEAR BLUSH This powder blush may look scary in the box, but have no fear; its versatility allows it to blend seamlessly into the cheeks. We suggest using light strokes to achieve the perfect look. Whole Lotta Love, one of
3) ESTÉE LAUDER DOUBLE WEAR STAY-IN-PLACE FLAWLESS WEAR CONCEALER
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our favorite shades, is perfect to recreate that cold-weather flush for the upcoming winter days.
mascara. The durable, waxbased formula does not clump or flake, allowing the application of several layers to achieve the perfect, luscious Kardashian look.
With the winter approaching, bronzer is an essential part of our makeup routine. This richly pigmented powder is silky and blendable, allowing you to achieve the perfect, goddess-like tan. Get ready for an envy-worthy glow.
9) MAYBELLINE COLOR SENSATIONAL VIVIDS
6) GUERLAIN TERRACOTTA BRONZING POWDER
Moisturizing, silky and matte, these lipsticks are the new big thing, for a small price. They come in an array of densely pigmented colors, so there is a shade out there for everyone. Feeling bold and brave? Neon Red is our favorite.
7) URBAN DECAY NAKED PALETTE
10) REVLON JUST BITTEN LIPSTAIN + BALM
Tired of palettes with colors you never use? These 12 shades are all you need for any look, whether it is a subtle neutral for day or a dramatic smoky eye for night. Both shimmery and matte, the shadows are extremely pigmented and easily blend in endless combinations. You can use your favorite brush or the one included in the set.
The lip gloss of the future, this stain offers a long-lasting pop of color. You can build it up from a subtle tint, to a bold statement lip. Its versatility does not end there; you can keep it matte, or top it off with the buttery balm for an extra sheer finish. Flame is our go-to glamorous color.
8) LANCÔME HYPNÔSE DRAMA Thanks to the innovative curved wand, even your tiniest lashes will not escape the volumizing effects of this
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t was the morning of Monday, June 3. It was my first day at L’Oréal, an internship I had worked my butt off to get, and I wanted to look my best. I put on my favorite Free People dress and nude Vera Wang Lavender sandals. After buying a tall latte and a pastry from Starbucks, I went back to my room to eat, as I carefully applied my makeup and spent the next two hours getting ready in front of the mirror. As I arrived at the tall, sparkly building on Fifth Avenue, and navigated through the swipe access elevators and automatic doors, it hit me that this internship was going to be different. Surrounded by 30 perfectly put together individuals, I sat down for orientation at a pristine oval table in a huge conference room with crystal clear windows on the 32nd floor. I was ready for the 10 craziest weeks of my life as an intern at the number one beauty company in the world. Working in the beauty industry is like working at an estrogen-injected, glitter-infused Fortune 500 company. L’Oréal and Estée Lauder, both Fortune 500 companies, have over
40,000 employees and are present in over 130 countries. L’Oréal feels extremely “corporate” due to its sheer size, structure and efficiency. Yet I found the work environment to be very creative and collaborative. My impression was that each individual has the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the cwompany—even interns. Because L’Oréal owns over 30 brands worldwide, the structure of the company is a bit complicated. There are three divisions: consumer, luxury and hair care. I was assigned to the luxury division, which includes brands like Kiehl’s, Giorgio Armani and Lancôme. Within these brands are departments: retail, marketing, finance, etc. Finally, there are workgroups. I was placed in the men’s skincare workgroup within the marketing department of Kiehl’s. I experienced the best of both worlds—the bigcompany perks of L’Oréal combined with the smallcompany feel of Kiehl’s. All interns are required to complete individual projects. I created a product concept, as well as a marketing and launch strategy, for deodorant. I spent the first few weeks learning about the brand and product philosophy. And soon, my eight-hour days were filled with research, meetings and feedback, which culminated in a final presentation. Although there were fun field trips 19
and intern gatherings at the Fifth Avenue offices, my 10 weeks were pretty much defined by the people in my workgroup. Thankfully, I was part of a great group of smart, globally minded, supportive people! My supervisors were genuinely interested in my ideas. My appreciation for my Columbia education, especially for the core curriculum, has grown after my time at L’Oréal. Although I am majoring in neuroscience & behavior and used my science background when dealing with ingredients, it was not the Neurobiology II material that helped me succeed. Instead, it was my critical thinking skills that allowed me to succeed. The old adage, “do what you love and the money will follow,” is so true. I have had an obsession with makeup since junior high, so my work at L’Oréal was driven by pure passion. At an internship, you get what you give, and a job well-done is rewarded with a full-time offer. Show up on time, learn things like Excel and PowerPoint on your own, make friends with your coworkers and work hard—“Because you’re worth it.”
My 10-Week Peek into the Beauty Industry
BY EMILY ELLIS
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STYLIST: WHITNEY WEI PHOTOGRAPHER: JACKIE LUO MODEL: DAISY CHAUSSEE ASSISTANT STYLISTS: AUSTEN TOSONE & SOFIA LYONS
SWEATER: FOREVER 21 COLLARED SHIRT: LEVI’S PANTS: MODEL’S OWN ARTWORK BY ZOË FLOOD TARDINO
(LEFT) SCARF: FOREVER 21 SHIRT: RAG & BONE DRESS: TOPSHOP ARTWORK BY DEMI ASVESTAS (RIGHT) SHIRT: CARVEN DRESS: FREE PEOPLE ARTWORK BY ZOË FLOOD TARDINO
SHIRT: TOPSHOP PANTS: MODEL’S OWN ARTWORK BY WHITNEY WEI
DRESS: CAMEO ARTWORK BY WHITNEY WEI
(SHAQ) SHIRT: STYLIST’S OWN PANTS: SURFACE TO AIR
STYLED BY: ANDRE FUQUA STYLIST ASSISTANTS: MICAYLA LUBKA, KIANI NED, ERIN QUINN MODELS: KAI SCHULTZ AND SHAQ GRIFFIN PHOTOGRAPHER: NATALIE MOORE HAIR AND MAKEUP: LAYLA CARONI
(KAI) BLAZER: H&M SHIRT: MODEL’S OWN
(SHAQ) SHIRT: MODEL’S OWN, PANTS: H&M (KAI) SHIRT: STYLIST’S OWN, PANTS: SURFACE TO AIR, SHOES: TOPMAN
(KAI) SUIT: SURFACE TO AIR, SHOES: BEN SHERMAN, SHIRT: AMERICAN APPAREL (SHAQ) COAT: TOPMAN, SHIRT: BUREAU V, PANTS: H&M, SHOES: MODEL’S OWN
Architecting Fashion the inner workings of Bureau V with Peter Zuspan
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ureau V was founded in 2007. The architecture firm conceives of cutting-edge, transformative and experimental projects that range from commercial work to performances, installations and events. The founders of the studio—Stella Lee, Laura Trevino and Peter Zuspan—intersected while obtaining their master’s degrees at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP). At Fall/Winter 2013 New York Fashion Week, Bureau V showed their Menswear Capsule Collection of 12 looks in cooperation with BYCO, a one-stop shop for submitting and producing designs for womenswear, menswear and home accessories. There is something very intriguing and even whimsical about Bureau V’s all-whiteand-gray collection with BYCO. Upon first glance, the minimalist color palette tricks the eye into assuming an extreme simplicity of lines. Yet with further inspection, the shapes, forms and fit of the clothing are much more nuanced and carefully calculated. While the pieces are cut elaborately, they are still sleek and wearable. Bureau V’s collection is comprised of comfortable and stylish basics in the form of crisp button-down flannels and oxford shirts, variations on wardrobe staples such as long johns with attached mesh tops, and trousers and shorts inspired by workout gear. The visionaries behind
BY KIANI NED PHOTO BY KIANI NED the collection based it loosely on 19th century German architect Gottfried Semper’s Stoffwechseltheorie. The theory describes how basic forms and shapes persist as materials change over time. Bureau V’s capsule collection is transformative; in their basic forms, the pieces could easily be found in an active individual’s closet, but have been manipulated to become truly irreplaceable pieces of clothing. Peter Zuspan brought his talent for design, background as a classical musician and interest in sound art to the eclectic concoction that is Bureau V. Zuspan teaches architecture at Columbia, while continuing work at the firm. Zuspan sat down with Hoot and talked about the vision of Bureau V, and the innovative intersection the company has created between fashion, architecture and installation through its project with BYCO. KIANI NED: How did you come up with the idea for Bureau V? PETER ZUSPAN: Originally, we had worked for studios whose work we liked for about two years. We decided that if we were spending that much time and investment, it was time to kind of take the risk and do our own thing. When you’re starting new things, you don’t usually have plans. You’re just figuring out what you want your studio to be about. Pretty early on, we got a residency at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. For that, we pitched doing 31
a series of architectural drawings. We were trying to think about other meanings for the architectural drawings outside of construction or representations of something for a client. We thought about how we could be a little selfish and think about what particular drawings could do for us as architects—in terms of something that we could keep. It worked out pretty well, especially during beginning stages of Bureau V. It was a way for us to create something for every project, whether it happened or not. KN: Bureau V is such an interesting concept because it is an architecture firm that designs more than just architecture. Can you speak about other projects? P.Z.: We’ve always done things that are not quite architecture. We’ve been doing performance art for a while. I have a long history of music. I actually studied opera singing at Columbia for a little bit with a teacher from the Manhattan School of Music. I eventually ended up doing noise projects with this musician, Arto Lindsay. We would do them in these huge spatial installations; I brought that into the studio. In general, we always try to do smaller projects that sometimes last a week, sometimes two. We want to keep our interests on the edge of our work because doing things that take two weeks to do instead of the five years is a really nice way to keep ourselves alive. It’s sometimes necessary for small studios to do smaller projects.
KN: Was your collaboration with BYCO on the Menswear Capsule Collection another small project to keep you alive? P.Z.: We’d always talked about doing something like that—doing a fashion project. Much of the way that younger studios get a lot of their work is through friends. At Bureau V, we have a lot of friends who are doing things in fashion, and that’s how we started doing installations for people. We don’t really have that much of a fashion background, but we’re all kind of interested in it. My partner Stella did study it for a little bit in Paris. We’ve always talked about trying to do something with it at some point. A friend of mine, Jesse Finkelstein, started this company called BYCO. He launched it earlier this year. What they’re trying to do is be a one-stop shop for designers, where they do the sampling, the production and sometimes the sales. They do everything for you, so that the designer can focus on the design. A couple of us know how to sew, but we don’t know how to make patterns. We got to talk with him and figured out that one of the things that BYCO was interested in doing was empowering people who don’t have experience in fashion to pursue projects in the fashion industry. We were one of their first experiments! It was actually
a really fun process. We decided to look at menswear, which was a somewhat arbitrary decision. We ended up basing it loosely on the ideas of 19th century German architect Gottfried Semper. The nice part about the whole process was that start to finish it only took two months! KN: Could you elaborate on the process of fashion design and production? P.Z.: It’s a capsule collection, so it isn’t this massive 60look production. In total, we made variations on 12 pieces. In architecture, there is this divorce between the design of the project and who actually creates it because as architects, we have to work with contractors. In fashion design, that gets blurred a little bit more. For us, having someone else take on the role of the fabricator was actually a very comfortable relationship because it’s something that we’ve done, and for better or for worse in terms of mass production, that’s often the way it has to be. It was an interesting thing to get into. We did very detailed technical flats for BYCO, which shocked individuals at the company because the flats were way more notated than traditional fashion flats. At Bureau V, we’re not used to relationships where you can get a sample and review it. We’re used to, “You draw it and it has to happen that 32
way.” Our drawings become more like legal documents. So, if we draw it, and our design is built according to the drawings, and something goes wrong, it’s our fault. There is much more at stake. During the creation of the capsule collection, we got samples back within a couple weeks, and were able to tweak them and change some dimensions. That whole process was more of a novelty for us. Occasionally, while doing architectural things, we’ll get a prototype. We may receive a small sample of something, but never the whole thing. Because it was fast and in an area that we didn’t have that much gravity and weight of history, there was this newbie’s thrill of trying something. There was not that much at stake for us, which was kind of nice and liberating. If it’s worked, great! If it didn’t, that is okay too. We really liked the process of creating the capsule collection. Now, we’re planning another one, as long as we can do it without losing too much money. In the beginning, you’re not going to make a ton of money, and maybe we won’t make money at all. Who knows? Regardless, it was a super fun project for us, and I think it’s filtered back into the studio in a pretty interesting way. The process of thinking about form and materials was present in a much different fashion. Pardon the pun.
PHOTOGRAPHER & STYLIST: KRISTA ANNA LEWIS ASSISTANT: RUBII PHAM MODEL: LARA ANDERSSON
COAT: BURBERRY
(LEFT) COAT: VINTAGE SUNGLASSES: RAY-BAN
COAT: JIL SANDER FOR UNIQLO
COAT: VINTAGE SWEDISH MILITARY COAT
COAT: VINTAGE KENZO, DRESS: UNIQLO
COAT: VINTAGE
COAT/TURTLENECK: ZARA
PHOTOGRAPHER & STYLIST: RUBII PHAM MODEL: ANGELICA KOLESAR ASSISTANT: NANCY CHEN
COAT: VINTAGE JEANS: ZARA
SHORTS: H&M
COAT: OPENING CEREMONY SHIRT/SHORTS/BOOTS: STYLIST’S OWN
ZEPPELIN T-SHIRT: VINTAGE, JACKET: RAG & BONE, VEST: RAG & BONE SKIRT: FOREVER 21, BOOTS: RAG & BONE, BAG: VINTAGE
PHOTOGRAPHER: ESTHER JUNG STYLIST: SOYINI DRISKELL MODEL: RACHEL CLARA FURST HAIR/MAKEUP: SARA BISTRITZ
SLIP: MICHAEL KORS JACKET: RAG & BONE BOOTS: RAG & BONE
SHIRT: L.L. BEAN SWEATER: EILEEN FISHER PANTS: BLANK NYC BOOTS: RAG & BONE
DIRECTOR: HANNAH KEILER STYLE ASSISTANTS: SOFIA DAVIS & CHLOE KIM PHOTOGRAPHER: VICTORIA CAMPA MAKEUP ARTIST: CHU ZHOU MODEL: PATRICE LIANG
(LEFT) TOP: STYLIST’S OWN, SKIRT: VINTAGE, BELT: STYLIST’S OWN, SHOES: MODEL’S OWN (TOP) SHIRT: MONIKA CHIANG, SKIRT: FOREVER 21, SHOES: MODEL’S OWN (BOTTOM) JACKET: LINE&DOT, SHIRT: FOREVER 21, SHORTS: STYLIST’S OWN, SHOES: STYLIST’S OWN
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
V&T Pizzeria & Restaurant 1024 Amsterdam Ave (between 110th and 111th Street), New York, NY (212) 663-1708