Winter Issue 2022 by Insight Magazine

INSIGHT m a g a z i n e WINTER 2022 VOLUME 15 ISSUE 1

LIES OF THE AMERICAN DREAM pg 12 | PAN-ASAIN RENAISSANCE pg 18 | MET GALA pg 34

n a time so consumed by uncertainty, it was inevitable that the first semester back on campus would be just as equally uncertain. Each day seemed to hold something new; a new experience, a new challenge, a new way of living. Despite the newness of it all, we rallied on-attending in person classes, cheering on our football team from the stands, and enjoying our time outside with people we care about. Still, the reality of our situation never left us. So no, it wasnot difficult to see that this year would hold uncertainty.

a a letter letter from from your your editor: editor:

When I got the position as Editor-in-Chief of Insight Magazine, only a couple months before this school year started, I knew as much. However, I can honestly say that nothing could prepare me for the real thing. Being back on campus still felt like the ultimate shock to my brain. Not to mention that the reality of being a newly hired member of a magazine that I’ve adored since the moment I opened it was hitting me with full force. What would being back on campus even look like? What would the changes mean for the magazine? Would I do this magazine and the staff the justice they deserve? These were all questions I had no answers to, and that fact scared me. You see, uncertainty is something I’ve always struggled with. I’m the kind of person who likes a solid plan or idea of what I should be doing. Needless to say that this semester didn’t really offer that. However, looking back on this first semester I can honestly say that I wouldn’t change a thing. Sure things didn’t always “go to plan” but they happened how they were supposed to.

This past year—this past semester, and the newness of it all, has changed my life in ways I can’t quite put into words. I am incredibly lucky for all of it; for everyday I’ve gotten to experience something new, for my staff who has supported me as I learn my way around being Editor-in-Chief, and for all the uncertainty that pushed me to face each day with a sense of wonder for what it might hold. I hope that you too are able to make peace with the beauty that lies within the uncertainty we face everyday. And maybe, when you find yourself struggling to find it, you might find yourself picking up this magazine to remind you that uncertainty can truly make beautiful things. I

OLIVIA SULLIVAN Insight Magazine Editor-In-Chief FRONT + BACK COVER PHOTO by Clayton Posey FRONT + BACK COVER LAYOUT by Kellen Parker STAFF PHOTOS by Clayton Posey + Julia Blank STAFF LAYOUT by Megha Malik

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staff: staff:

CLAYTON POSEY

MEGHA MALIK

REILLY MOSS

Photo Editor

Art Director

Staff Illustrator

JULIA BLANK

KELLEN PARKER

MADDIE HALL

Photo Editor Intern

Art Director Intern

Public Relations Manager

contributors contributors

Brenden Lally, Writer Emerson Drewes, Writer Kaylanie Kan, Writer Lexi Canas, Writer Lynn Lazaro, Writer Holland Project Gallery, Photos

about about the the magazine magazine You hold in your hands the latest iteration of Insight Magazine. We hope that you will enjoy it. Not only is this issue the result of a tremendous amount of hard work, but it is also a representation of a student publication over a decade in the works (with origins as the Artemisia, the former yearbook of UNR dating back to the 1800s). Thank you for supporting us. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do. If you’re interested in getting involved with us, visit insightunr.com.

corrections corrections

Insight Magazine works to correct any errors. If you find a mistake or misprint, please contact the editor at insighteditor@unr.edu. Insight Magazine is proud to have placed fifth in the category of People’s Choice and eighth in the category of Feature Magazine at the 2020 Associated College Press Journalism Convention.

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TABLE OF OF C TABLE PHOTOS: STORIES: OPINION: INSIGHT

CONTENTS CONTENTS Angelology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Dreamt Away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Lies of the American Dream . .12 Pan-Asian Renaissance . . . . . . 18 Our Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Laughing Planet . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Thrive Wellness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Tik Tok Market . . . . . . . . . 30 The Power of Makeup . . . . . . . 34 Seeing Yourself in the Fashion Industry . . . . . . 38 Met Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

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PHOTOS PHOTOS PHOTOS WORDS by Olivia Sullivan LAYOUT by Megha Malik + Kellen Parker

Our amazing photo editor and photo intern put together the concepts and shoots included in this issue. Take a look at Clayton Posey’s "Lies of the American Dream and Julia Blank’s "Angelology.

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WORDS BY BLAH BLAH

PHOTOS BY BLAH BLAH

LAYOUT BY MEGHA MALIK

O L L E O G GY N A

MODELS Sami Meszaros Maddie Blalock

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PHOTOS by Julia Blank LAYOUT by Megha Malik

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MODEL Liv Rogers

DREAMT AWAY PHOTOS by Clayton Posey LAYOUT by Megha Malik + Kellen Parker

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LIES OF THE

PHOTOS by Clayton Posey

WORDS BY BLAH BLAH

LAYOUT by Megha Malik

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AMERICAN DREAM PHOTOS BY BLAH BLAH

LAYOUT BY MEGHA MALIK

MODEL Bella Mcminn

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Take a look at the stories the writers at Insight have compiled about the news, recent events, and businesses that have caught our attention.

STORIES STORIES STORIES

WORDS by Olivia Sullivan LAYOUT by Megha Malik +Kellen Parker

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“ROOTS”:

A PAN-ASIAN RENAISSANCE

WORDS by Lynn Lazaro PHOTOS by Holland Project Gallery LAYOUT by Megha Malik

n October 19, Kappa Phi Lambda, an Asian-interest sorority, opened the doors to Roots: A Pan-Asian Renaissance. The four day art showcase featured a collection of Asian artists who are current students and alumni of the University of Nevada, Reno. After six Asian women were killed in the Atlanta spa shootings on March 16, the women of Kappa Phi Lambda felt a call to action. “After the event [shootings], and the vigil (…) I really wanted to do something for the community and bring together the Asian community in Reno,” said Patrize Aguilar, one of Kappa Phi Lambda’s Cultural Chairs. Aguilar and her Co-Chair, Tina Le, began planning the showcase in the summer. Since the first shelter-in-place orders on March 19, 2020, over 9,000 hate incidents against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders have been reported to the Stop AAPI Hate coalition. Matthew Alighchi, an alumni who presented his work at the event, as well as other attendees have experienced hate incidents here in Reno. Alighchi started his story by pointing out that he doesn’t look Asian in the way America perceives Asians should look. “Because of my looks, I get confused for Jewish a lot,” Alighchi said when he explained the incident. Two years ago he found a swastika made of pennies at his front door. Another individual at the event faced racially motivated microaggressions while living on campus as a freshman. “It was hard to move here from such a diverse area (..) and face that,” they said. Anti-Asian hate crimes have significantly increased since COVID-19 began. California State University, San Bernardino published a report in March that showed a 149% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in sixteen of America’s largest cities. The women of Kappa Phi Lambda have been working to combat Asian hate with events that promote awareness and activism. Earlier this year they hosted an event called Breaking Barriers that spoke on Asian women and fetishization, and how to fight white supremacy. When speaking on Roots: A Pan-Asian Renaissance, Aguilar said, “I really wanted to (...) be able to find a place for people to feel safe, and feel represented.” During the opening reception on October 19, MaryGrace Young’s photos presented at the showcase invoked memories of a childhood in Thailand in one of the attendees. Young’s portion of the exhibit showed her experience reconnecting with her heritage in the Philippines. “It was just kind of a cool feeling,” Young said about the encounter. Being able to see people relate to what she was seeing and experiencing in her photos helped Young feel more connected. Aguilar had a similar sentiment, “I think being able to see so many people here made me feel more supported and feel like we do have a [Asian] community here.” I

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Visitors watch Megha Malik’s short film on her favorite poem in Punjabi “Ikk Kudi” (One Girl), written by Shiv Kumar Batalvi. Her film was a finalist for the Reno 3-Minute film festival in 2019.

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meet the artists:

MaryGrace Young Mary reconnects with her Filipino heritage and captures the natural beauty of the Philippine islands and its culture. “I just really want people to see how beautiful the Philippines is and how beautiful the people are. It’s really important to me that it be documented and shared with the world.” More of her work can be found on her Instagram @marygrace_ young, and website, maryyoungstudios.com.

Matthew Alighchi Matthew is a Middle Eastern/West Asian artist who represents a part of Asia that is often overlooked and mislabeled. “I want to focus on humanizing us by saying that we’re a diverse people who have a rich culture and history.”

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Megha Malik Megha showcases deep care for her Punjabi-Sikh heritage by speaking on political issues in her work. “There’s a lot of issues that we can’t even imagine happening here, but they still happen in India...Being born and raised here... and then seeing on the news horrific violence against women and marginalized groups. It’s really eye-opening.”

Joshua Chang

Joshua is a Chinese-American artist who conveys his appreciation to the Asian women in his life. “My mom put love first … and that introduced me to a lot of really amazing women that also share that same kind of love. They’ve all just been there for times when I question myself…when I didn’t really have direction in my life.” Check out more of his work on his website, khanartwork.com

Opening night reception for the exhibition, which was held on October 19, 2021.

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WORDS by Julia Blank PHOTOS by Julia Blank LAYOUT by Megha Malik + Kellen Parker

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ur Center, located at 1745 South Wells Avenue, was the first place in Reno to sell rainbow pride flags that wasn’t a sex shop. Founded in 2009, the Center is the only one of its kind in Reno, providing indispensable resources to the city’s LGBTQ+ community. While the Center is focused on providing services for the local queer community, it also welcomes allies and anyone that has a need for its support or a desire to be involved in the programs it offers. On walking into the Center, the enthusiasm, passion and creativity of its staff and volunteers is palpable; a plethora of rainbow flags pop out at you immediately, making every month feel like Pride month, the art-making area is home to colorful crafts made by visitors and volunteers alike, the library is brimming with books on LGBTQ+ subjects, and there’s even a closet stocked full of necessities such as canned foods, toiletries and donated clothes, all available to anyone who needs them for free. The atmosphere is one not only of inclusivity, warmth and fun, but of genuine compassion as well. Matt Kopicko has been volunteering with the Center since it reopened in March 2021 after COVID-19 lockdowns. The center had been shut down for a long period during 2020 Even though he has not been there long, Kopicko, a proud gay man, has found a rewarding, welcoming place for himself there. He started participating in one of the Center’s programs and found it to be a natural segue into volunteering on a regular basis. “I have a big love of community and I have a huge love of the board members,” says Kopicko, and this love is evident in the work he does there. One of the best things about the center to him is that in the past year, “... one of the big pushes we’ve been really really big on is kind of autonomy with volunteers and having our volunteers be able to shape what the center does,” fostering a strong sense of group effort and solidarity. For example, Kopicko had the idea for the craft fair that took place at the center on October 16th of this year. There were vendors selling art prints, jewelry, clothes, potted plants, baked goods, and even a food truck. It was a surprisingly beautiful, clear Autumn day after a week of gray clouds and rain, and everyone was glad to connect with old and new friends alike while milling about, shopping in support of local artists. “The best part about Our center is that it allows the volunteers to do what they want to do, what’s important to them, and then it gets it out into the community,” says Kopicko.

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Another program initiated by a volunteer is transforum, a support group that has become a huge success for transgender teens. There is also TRANS Parenting, a support group for parents or caregivers of transgender or nonbinary youth. Other events and programs include a knitting group, movie nights, queer karaoke, drag queen storytime, and a meet-up for dog owners. Discovering one’s identity is often a beautiful and fulfilling experience, but the anxiety and fear leading up to a person coming out, potentially risking abandonment by family and friends, can often be a catalyst for unhealthy coping mechanisms to emerge, especially if there is a lack of acceptance after the fact. So one of the Center’s most important missions is “to improve the quality and wellbeing of people in the community,” in Kopicko’s words. On the more serious side of things, the Center is also home to multiple support groups for substance abuse and trauma survivors. “One thing I love about the center here is that as far as groups go, is we have groups that are geared towards recovery, so we have an AA group, there’s substance abuse support groups, sexual trauma groups, groups that are really geared to help with personal wellness and to help people kind of resolve their trauma,” Kopicko says, noting that these issues are especially widespread in the LGBTQ+ community. I

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Our Center is currently accepting volunteers and always welcomes visitors!

Anyone wishing to get involved can visit ourcenterreno.org

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LAUGHING PLANET AN OVERDUE REVIEW

WORDS by Brenden Lally PHOTOS by Julia Blank

LAYOUT by Megha Malik

here’s a jazz club on 941 North Virginia Street. Every Wednesday there’s a jazz night where you can hear raw talent blasted at you courtesy of UNR’s very own jazz program. It’s not just a jazz club though; It’s a cafe too. With bomb-ass, locally sourced, and eco-friendly food, it has something for everyone from any kind of background to enjoy. It’s not just a cafe and jazz bar though. It’s a cultural hot-spot. Every single week something interesting and refreshing happens. Whether it be the UNR music school playing their souls out, or the poetry club, Wolf Speaks, hosting an open mic night for anyone and everyone to share what they have to say– something interesting is bound to be happening. It’s a center for community outreach; feeding almost a thousand people who can’t get a good meal every month, trying to help some of the more overlooked members of the Reno community. It’s a place to go and sit down and talk to the owner, Tim Healion, about Reno, baseball, or whatever you want. It’s a place to go and enjoy any-day of the week in a brand new way. Laughing Planet on 941 North Virginia Street is a whole lot of things. But to understand why it’s so many things and what the owner believes the business can do, we need to go further back than its opening in 2014. Tim Healion isn’t a Reno native. However, he’s more a part of Reno than most people born and raised here in Nevada. He’s had several different cafes here as far back as the early 80’s, and over the past 40 years, he’s had one goal in mind with all of his businesses; bring something to the community.

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The way Healion sees it, there’s a moat around the University of Reno’s campus. Most colleges have a town surrounding it, a culture they can call their own; somewhere you can go and walk and experience the campus and the student body in a unique and fundamental way they can call their own. But he doesn’t see too much of that around UNR. There’s a cultural barrier or ‘moat’ that keeps the campus from shining under Reno’s national reputation for gambling and debauchery. Laughing Planet is his way of trying to bring out some of the culture that seems trapped on campus. “I’m trying to show UNR there’s a lot of cool stuff out here besides the football team, I mean that’s probably all people know; but there’s great music, great arts, a great school,” Healion said in our interview. By giving a place for people to play their music, to read their poetry, they are putting a spotlight on themselves - figuratively and literally while they’re on stage. They get to show their community what they can do, and what UNR is besides football and casinos. There’s not a lot of ways for people to show what makes UNR special, or what makes us stick out in line up against every other campus in America. Laughing Planet was built to spark an identity for UNR. Something that was richer, more culturally “there.” A space for artists, thinkers, and for people who just want to be part of their community. Everyone is welcome; poets, musicians, scientists, environmentalists, athletes; Laughing Planet has and continues to create a stronger, ubiquitous identity for UNR as a whole. This business is built on community and identity, that much is plain to see. And the owners aren’t in it for the money or for the acclaim. It’s a business run by people who just want to make the community stronger, more whole, and richer than it has ever been before. It’s a cafe, a jazz club, a stage, a center for the community; a place where the students of UNR can run free and create something more interesting than it already is now. I

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THRIVE WELLNESS

PROVIDES A PLACE OF HOPE WORDS by Emerson Drewes LAYOUT by Megha Malik

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ating disorders are a highly misunderstood disorder that can lead to other serious health risks. This horrible disorder affects people from all blocks of life, but most hide in the shadows while they continue to struggle. Thrive Wellness of Reno seeks to change this by offering multiple levels of care to people who need it within the eating disorder community. Kat Geiger, founder and CEO, originally worked for Center for Hope in Reno at their eating disorder facility. After they stopped operating, Geiger gathered clinicians and started Thrive Wellness. With humble beginnings, the facility originally started in the basement of their current facility on 421 W Plumb Ln, here in Reno. “We’re still fairly new as far as agencies go and have just expanded very quickly…there’s such a high need, of course, for eating disorder treatment,” said Kerstin Trachok, clinical director at Thrive Wellness and University of Nevada, Reno alum. Eating disorders are the deadliest of any mental disorder making recovery grueling for those who seek it, but getting medically stabilized is the number one priority. At Thrive Wellness they offer four different levels of care based on severity of the patient ranging from partial hospitalization to intensive outpatient programs. “All of us that work in it have either, you know, personal if not like family experience with it. And that’s why we’re all really passionate about it,” said Trachok. “Whether it’s from family or from society, there’s a lot of, unfortunately, disordered messages out there, that can really exacerbate eating issues,” said Trachok. “Things that are described on social media as being health conscious or basically being in good shape or eating correctly, but actually promotes really disordered habits.”

“I don’t think a lot of people talk about how being in your early 20s is probably like the loneliest time of your life,” said Trachok. “...[I]n some cases, moving away from home to go to college, you are away from your family, and in a whole new environment.” Trachok wishes to bash all misconceptions that there are out there about eating disorders. Some believe that eating disorders are a choice or they can just “go-away,” but it is obviously much more complex than that. The most common being that it is a “white female disorder,” but it is very far from that. Men can be very much affected and they tend to be affected more harshly due to these misconceptions. They lack the resources to reach out for help because they feel that it is ot out there for them, or that they simply do not have one. The LGBTQ+ community has been plagued with eating disorders, specifically from transgender individuals. “…[T]ransgender individuals are highly affected by eating disorders. Part of that is really severe body image, and gender dysphoria can be mixed in with that,” said Trachok. At the end of the day, Trachok really wants to stress how misunderstood eating disorders are and how limited resources are for them. Their “taboo” nature scares many people into not reaching out, but by giving Thrive Wellness a call, one can begin to recover for the better. I

College students are at a very high risk of developing an eating disorder. The large transition period that one goes through and the common trope of the “freshman-15” makes that demographic at risk for developing one. The climate of college can create or even exacerbate the need to restrict or excessively work out which leads to a taxing cycle.

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THE TIKTOK MARKET

WORDS by Kaylanie Kan ILLUSTRATION by Reilly Moss LAYOUT by Megha Malik

hat started out as a breakthrough app, has become the biggest social media platform in the world. The momentum of TikTok’s popularity is continuing to fire up, and it doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon. With its growing power and newfound reputation as the main app for video sharing, the social media app is becoming the most well-known name all over the world. Content creators and users of the app are cruising down this boulevard to fame, realizing that TikTok may very well be a gateway to a wealth of opportunities. Evolving from a quick clip that made people laugh, TikTok has now become a source of marketing for many businesses and creators-paving the way for small shops like Prints by GG or DBL Jewelry Co. These shops and businesses are not the only ones riding the wave of TikTok’s popularity. Smaller musicians and artists, like JORDY and ella jane, are taking over the app too with the anticipation of getting their name out into the world and hitting the jackpot of success. The app has made it so much easier for these artists to promote new songs and albums. It’s a marketing strategy that has never been done before--TikTok is starting to change this. Songs can be used in trends or paired with short video clips that grab the attention of users. If they are lucky, short audio snippets of songs from these artists become viral. The artist’s audio can become a whole new trend on the app, carrying the song to fame. The expanding influence of TikTok is speeding up, and this is only the start. Tik Tok marketing has shown us a different way of promoting businesses, shops, artists, and any other creators. The public is being shown that there is so much more value in this app than just silly videos. Social media has shown again that the possibilities are endless. I

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Broaden your perspective in our opinion section as we discuss topics such The MET Gala, marketing on Tik Tok, and the Body Positivity movement in the fashion industry.

OPINION OPINION OPINION

WORDS by Olivia Sullivan LAYOUT by Megha Malik

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THE POWER OF

MAKEUP M

akeup has been used since its creation in 10,000 B.C. by the ancient Egyptians. Without their influence and overall creativity, a lot of the makeup we use today might not be around. Makeup was used as a form of self-hygiene when now it is mainly a form of self-expression. Some think that people use makeup to camouflage themselves because they are insecure yet not everyone is simply insecure with their natural look. People want to enhance their features or express their personality through makeup. It is not only women who use makeup and even during ancient Egyptian times men would find ways to perform self-hygiene. Today many people use makeup to express their personality and confidence. Makeup is not only a form of self expression, it is also a form of art. I feel as if many people around me do not see makeup as a form of art. Makeup looks can range from simple concealer and mascara to bright pigments with decorative rhinestones. Lots of artistic elements go into creating a makeup look. A variety of things can be used to create a look such as brushes, pigments, glitter, and adhesives. Just like painting it takes time , creativity, and tools to create it. I think makeup is a form of art. It can be very time-consuming depending on how complex the look is. You eventually develop new skills and start experimenting with different techniques.

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WORDS by Lexie Canas PHOTOS by Clayton Posey LAYOUT by Megha Malik

MODEL Paige Coats

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I am someone who uses makeup a lot. I don’t use makeup because I dislike the way I look, I use it because it helps me embrace who I am. I am very shy and closed off so not many people get to understand who I am through my own words. I tend to use different color palettes for how I am feeling that specific day. While in quarantine for about a year, I started to experiment with different forms of makeup. I have grown to feel more confident and happy when I choose to wear a complex look. Being alone in my room for months at a time spiked my creativity in makeup. I started to do looks I created in my head, ones I did not get inspiration from social media. Whenever I picked up a brush and started my eyeshadow, I immediately felt joy and creativity. I never cared if people thought it was too much to wear on a simple grocery trip. Makeup can never be too much for an occasion. Some people think that extreme makeup looks have a time and place, but they don’t. I noticed that people around me used to make me feel as if doing my makeup often was “ doing too much.” Allowing people’s opinion on how I should do my makeup slowly affected my mental health . I realized I felt more empowered wearing complex makeup out because it gave me so much confidence . I shouldn’t stop doing what makes me happy because of how certain people make me feel. I think confidence is key to being content with your mental and physical health. Especially now since we are in in-person school I have become even more creative with what I can do with having to wear a mask. At first wearing a mask made me feel less confident again but I realized I could still work around it. I started to create more intense eye looks so I can still feel happy. I plan to continue doing makeup despite the hassle of a mask. Wearing a mask everyday doesn’t stop me or others from expressing their creativity. Overall makeup isn’t just something people use to enhance their features, it is a way of empowering themselves. Makeup can be a powerful form of art for people. I

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SEEING YOURSELF IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY

WORDS by Olivia Sullivan

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ILLUSTRATION by Reilly Moss

LAYOUT by Megha Malik

or children everywhere, the idea of feeling beautiful as they are might seem a bit odd–or at least it was for me. It was no secret to me that being seen as beautiful came with certain expectations, most of which left me confused and longing for something different. When opening up magazines I saw the faces of the models who were known best for being skinny and fabulous. So, for me and many other young children across the globe, looking like those skinny models became our understanding of what true beauty is and should be. It wasn’t until I was older, much older, that I realized that this perception I had of beauty was incredibly twisted and false. Through social media, I was able to begin seeing a much more diverse example of what beauty truly is, and it absolutely blew my mind. The outcry for more diversity, both in body shape and in skin color, throughout the fashion world, was simply too loud to be ignored. Suddenly I felt justified in my yearning for something different; something I could recognize myself in. I knew the women I used to marvel at in the magazines were still gorgeous, but so were these women; the ones with stretch marks, wide hips, thick thighs, and larger chests. Coming to this realization changed a lot for me, as it allowed me to begin to question the things I was seeing in the media I so regularly consumed. The biggest question on my mind was, “if so many of us, as seen through social media, could come to the conclusion that more diversity in the fashion world is essential, then why is it not happening?” I believe, more than anything, this is the question that led me towards wanting to know more about the body positivity movement, as well as the inner workings of some of the beauty standards I found being most commonly pushed. After some research, I found that at its core, the body positivity movement is about accepting all bodies. As a young woman growing up in today’s society, surrounded by expectations and judgment, this movement resonated with me in a very profound way. I learned that true health is more than just how the human body presents itself to the world–it is something much deeper than that. Happiness and peace within one’s own body is a large part of health; an aspect that I believe has been willfully ignored for the sake of aesthetic purposes for a very long time.

It is in that happiness and peace that true beauty lies, and it is when we recognize that beauty that we can open ourselves up to viewing people through a much clearer lens. Still, I was left pondering over why I was not seeing this adapted view of beauty and health within the fashion industry–an industry meant to cater to the wants and needs of its customers. Eventually, I came to a very sad realization, things would never change as long as certain companies held onto the idea of the “fantasy.” The “fantasy,” in short, is centered around the view that the market for certain groups of people does not exist. Essentially this means that everyone who does not fit into a brand’s idea of beauty will be excluded from their branding as well as production. An old quote, from a 2006 interview of Mike Jeffries, the then CEO of Abercrombie, sums up this idea perfectly, saying, “Are we exclusionary? Absolutely. Those companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat, skinny. But then you become totally vanilla. You don’t alienate anybody, but you don’t excite anybody, either. Another company that was open about its disinterest in diversity is Victoria’s Secret. In a 2018 interview with Vogue, the former chief marketing officer, Edward Razek, made similar comments about hiring transgender and plus-size models, saying “If you’re asking if we’ve considered putting a transgender model in the show or looked at putting a plus-size model in the show, we have,”then only a few questions later he says, “So it’s like, why don’t you do 50? Why don’t you do 60? Why don’t you do 24? [Speaking about bra sizes.] It’s like, why doesn’t your show do this? Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy.” This idea of the “fantasy” is clearly something that has stuck with certain brands, obviously enough to deter them from including more diverse figures in their branding. It is this idea and the fear of losing this idealistic, and quite frankly overhype, “fantasy” that has made the call for diversity in the fashion industry exhibit such slow results. Over the past couple of years, we have seen the larger fashion industry begin to mold itself around a more updated and inclusive idea of beauty. However, progress does not mean the job is done. Still, we face the lack of diversity even among plus-sized women, as many companies have gravitated towards hiring the more “safe” curvy women, patting themselves on the back, and then calling it a day. True diversity will come when brands begin using women who are not just curvy, but truly plus-sized. Not only that but hiring more plus-sized women who are not white. It will come from using disabled women. It will come from hiring more transgender models. So, in summary, true diversity will come when the industry reflects the world around us–with all its many beautiful facets. Maybe then children everywhere will be able to flip through a magazine and see someone that makes them feel beautiful too, someone they can recognize. I

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TO THE 2021 MET GALA:

DO BETTER

WORDS by Emerson Drewes ILLUSTRATIONS by Reilly Moss LAYOUT by Megha Malik

he Met Gala this year is arguably the most polarizing of those in the past. With a dress code so broad, being American Independence, interpretations seemed to spread far and wide throughout. Deemed by Vogue and many fashion critics alike as the “fashion world equivalent of the Oscars,” celebrities and the upper class flock together to create the extravagant soiree. This year the gala strays from its traditional past of being held on the second Monday in May, rather, it is being held in two parts. The first one, held on Sept. 13 and the second sticking to its customary spring date. Both have similar, but nonetheless different themes: In America: A Lexicon of Fashion and In America: An Anthology of Fashion, respectfully. Both themes were created to work together to redefine what American fashion is through emotion rather than textiles. The first exhibit will be focused on the emotions of: Affinity, Assurance, Belonging, Comfort, Consciousness, Confidence, Delight, Desire, Joy, Nostalgia, Strength, and Wonder. The latter will be opening on May 22 in their period room, to highlight parts of American history and its culture.

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Hopefully, the first gala date was just a practice round. Hoping to see reds, whites, and blues, slewn on the red carpet, instead we got Kim Kardashian dressed up as slenderman. People had more than a year to get the theme right, and most of them got it wrong. Luckily, the people who mortally failed worked as a great accessory to those who royally succeeded in their efforts to encapsulate the American flare. As for designers, Iris Van Herpen stole the show with the five dresses she designed for the attendees. Those people being Tessa Thompson, Hailee Steinfeld, Winnie Harlow, Gabrielle Union, and most notably Grimes adorned with a sword in her hand. Van Herpen’s crazy, psychedelic geometric dresses had everyone’s eyes on the people dressed by her. Perfectly accentuating the bodies of the women, Van Herpen stood out as a designer to keep an eye on in the future. The old Hollywood theme definitely stole people’s hearts, with Billie Eilish, one of the hosts of the night, stepping out in an enormous dress by Oscar de la Renta. Engulfed in tulle and class, Billie Eilish was absolutely show stopping. Timothee Chalamet, Amanda Gorman, and Naomi Osaka were the other hosts of the night whose outfits looked measly compared to Eilish. Amanda Gormans stepped out in Vera Wang looking like she came straight from a 2014 prom. Naomi Osaka looked a mess in a ruffled Louis Vuitton dress and what looks to be fair too hairsprayd hair sticking out of the sides. Chalamet’s stunning looks could not cover up how boring his outfit was-head to toe white and out of all of the shoes he could have chosen, he chose Converse.

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Although, the homages to the 1920’s entertainer and activist, Josephine Baker, were by far the most dashing. Yara Shahidi, one of two Baker homages, stepped out in a Christian Dior dress with a veil trailing behind her, but most importantly, the dress had pockets! While she could lose the belt, it can be agreed that everyone adored her. The second reverence to Baker was by model Anok Yai, dazzling in a deep cut Oscar de la Renta gown. Yai’s head to toe feather and bedazzled duo made her stand out in the crowd. To highlight what has not already been highlighted, Ciara stood out as one of the most ingenious outfits of the night in a football jersey themed dress. Dressed by Dundas, it provided for a triple-whammy concept knockout. To state the obvious, she wears her husband, Russell Wilson’s number on it. In a less obvious way, it is a nod to the iconic Geoffrey Beene football jersey dress from the 60’s. What is more American than Sunday night football? Something that garnered the most attention was the addition of social media influencers to this year’s gala. Dixie D’amelio and Addison Rae shocked the crowd when they stepped on the red carpet and left some people quite angry. While times are changing in this digital age, it still feels a little too soon. With the advent of Rae and D’Amelio’s career being only two years prior, it feels like a slap in the face to people who have worked tirelessly in their industries.

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Addison Rae wears 2003 Tom Ford rumored to have been lent to her by her friend Kourtney Kardashian. This pleated fiasco leaves her imprint on the Met Gala as quite unsatisfactory. Now Dixie D’amelio on the other hand does not deserve as much questioning in her taste, wearing this season’s Valentino in a perfect black and white homage to the golden age. In fact, the beloved Kacey Musgraves wore this same outfit in purple to the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards. With the next theme being focused on history, one can only hope to see George Washington and Benjamin Franklin cosplays walking down the red carpet. One can only hope that the next attendees learn from past mistakes, but also take inspiration from those who absolutely killed it. Best of luck to those attending the next one, and see you in the spring. I

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