The Mini: Vivid

the mini: vivid

MODA the mini: vivid MARCH 2015 CHLOE KARASKIEWICZ Editor-in-Chief

Deputy Editor Caroline Kreul Art Director Jesse Tovar Arts Editor Bronte Mansfield Fashion Editor Paige Schultz Lifestyle Editor Jennifer Anderson Social Editor Barbara Gonzalez Men’s Editor Andrew Connor Photography Director Roberto Leon Contributing Writers Maya Campbell, Kaitlin Dunn, Caleb Foust, Sarah Friedland, Darby Hoffman, Allie Jeka, Dan Kershner, Haley Nippert, Taylor Palmby, Andrianne Pinter, Meg Rotter & Jourden Sürré Contributing Photographers Matthew Englehart, Roberto Leon, Jenna Tipple & Leyan Xu

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letter from the editor

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isconsin in March looks a lot like, well, Wisconsin in February. Despite the changing of days, the snow and cold persist long into the so-called beginning of spring.

Though, we, the resilient Wisconsinites of Madison have braved the winter and another season of controversial decisions from our fearless, and seemingly shameless, governor--its continued presence always tends to weigh a little heavier this time of year.

With that in mind, we at Moda hope to give you a bit of the sweet life with a spirited issue, including a main spread featuring colorful beauty looks inspired by a selection of Madison’s own multi-hued desserts. In this issue, you can travel the world on a budget with Adrianne Pintar, find your (manly) seasonal color palette with Caleb Foust, and explore the origins of the legendary man behind Dior with Dan Kershner. Absolutely not to be missed is Maya Campbell’s brilliant input on designer-sponsored bloggers in an insightful piece on untrustworthy promotion and the influence of desirable brands.

But more important than our gripes about the weather, should be our interest in the women we are called to celebrate this month. Jourden Sürré points out the fatal flaw of history: that it is written by the victors, in this case the privileged. Using Women’s History Month as a platform, become immersed in the history we are all missing from the contributors who are habitually overlooked.

As more and more states make gains in legal equalities, I wonder if we grow complacent in our success. Are we rallying with the same enthusiasm, the same need to see change out of a desperation to not fail? Are we allowing people we deem stronger to do the fighting for us?

As we (at some point) make this seasonal transition, consider the role you want to play in shaping our collective future.

Living complacently is a lot like living in grayscale. While it can be comfortable and easy, is it not better to live in vivid color?

Chloe March 2015 | 3

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH:

well-behaved women seldom make history.

Written by Jourden Sürré

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he first time I ever heard the phrase “Wellbehaved women seldom make history” in high school, I remember feeling more than a little uncomfortable, though not fully understanding why. It wasn’t until getting into my first gender and women studies class in college (Women in Music) that I learned the problem was not that badass women have rarely existed to be able to make history; it’s that they are left out.

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Now despite what Laurel Thatcher Ulrich originally had intended with that statement, it has taken on a life of its own. And the meaning I have come to find in it is that women will (and have been) left out of the greater part of American history unless their accomplishments had such an undeniable impact that they simply could not be bypassed. Thus leaving impressionable adolescents in classrooms across the country, and quite possibly the world, with the incorrect assumption that women were not an important part of history.

Social

“The sad fact is that these— insert marginalized group here—history months are meant to make up for the fact that they were left out of history to begin with.”

For example, if someone had attempted to erase the nearly 50-year reign of Elizabeth I, leaving gaps in both the Tudor dynasty and the monarchy of England, it would no doubt cause more than just a few raised eyebrows. Yet in other less drastic scenarios such as that of Fanny Mendelssohn, sister of composer Felix Mendelssohn, their contributions to history were erased or simply written over. Due to the societal rules regarding women in music in Fanny’s time (and long before that as well), women had to publish music under the name of a male relative or spouse, because women simply weren’t allowed to publish music themselves. Only after much persuasion did Fanny allow her work to be published under her brother’s name. Felix, therefore, gained further recognition as a renowned composer, despite a good portion of the work not being his.

to make a positive changes for us all. We can then realize how privileged the (mostly white, cisgender, straight) men of the world have been, due largely to the tradition of teaching a history that is sorely lacking in diversity and in doing so leading the majority of people to believe that no other type of history exists. In realizing that this privilege exists, we can acknowledge the gap in equality that needs to be fixed.

What kind of history is it if it doesn’t include women, people of color, LGBTQIA people, and the disabled as well? We all need to keep fighting until their history is recognized all year round, because it isn’t history worth reading, it isn’t true history at all, unless everyone is included.

Photo by Alfred T. Palmer, Library of Congress

So how do we then look at all of this in the context of women’s history month? The sad fact is that these— insert marginalized group here—history months are meant to make up for the fact that they were left out of history to begin with. This gives us all the more reason to appreciate and spread awareness about them, with each month emphasizing on public education about these groups.

When we are educated about women’s accomplishments throughout history, it quells the notion that they never risked their lives or well-being March 2015 | 5

Bryan Yambao bryanboy.com

COURTESEY OF:

By Maya Campbell, Contributing Writer

With marketing tactics changing to accommodate the ever-evolving fashion industry, is the organic style of our favorite fashion bloggers hanging by a thread?

Leandra Medine manrepeller.com

W

ithin the last five years or so, the fashion industry has drastically changed at the hands of fashion and “super” fashion bloggers. As a result, fashion has made itself more accessible to the masses, allowing a wide range of people to understand style and trends not only through runway shows and the suggestion of large fashion publications, but also through the lens of everyday style muses. Contrary to popular opinion, blogging in the fashion industry is not an easy endeavor. It takes a unique and business-savvy individual to not only break into the highly capricious environment where, to quote Project Runway, “one day you’re in and the next you’re out,” but also to stay there. Personal style bloggers many have come to know and love such as Chiara Ferragni from The Blonde Salad, Leandra Medine from The Man Repeller, and Bryan Yambao from Bryanboy, have proven that fashion blogging is more than just a well-curated ensemble of doctored pictures. As previously noted, the industry has undergone a revolutionary change, as people are not just engaging in a dialogue about clothing, but experiencing a different understanding of garb through specific personalities.

Blogging surfaced at a moment in which awareness of the inner-workings of the fashion industry was picking up. People were beginning to notice that celebrities were paid to advertise clothing, and that the extra 50 or so pages in their Vogue were not full of editorials, but advertisements instead. Fashion blogging, in a way, provided an escape from being perpetually bombarded with ads. Knowing that someone with great style personally picked their items created an environment of honesty and trust between followers and blog writers.

Recently, however, the frequent appearance of the abbreviation “c/o” standing in the place of “courtesy of ” has caused a bit of controversy. It refers to the use of clothing in a blog post that has been borrowed by the blogger, given freely by a designer, or the creation of a company-sponsored post, instilling a sense of betrayal among avid followers who respected the novelty of the styles that their favorite fashion icons had. As such, the use of free clothing in personal blogs has called for the blogging and fashion communities to question the definition of style itself.

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FASHION According to a popular Pinterest quote, “fashion is what you buy, style is what you do with it.” But what happens when we take the selection process out of this poetic definition? Does someone who wears clothing that is sent to them, regardless of the brand or what pieces they choose to show, truly expressing his or her own style? To me, style is the product of an equation involving personal (financial) means, vision, trends of the time and how one chooses to negotiate the three to craft an ensemble. Therefore, the selection process is essential. When bloggers with a set financial capacity, or one who is reasoning what is essential and inessential, chooses to purchase one piece instead of another, it says something not only about the piece itself, but also about how the individual understands his/her own style. The introduction of free (often designer) goods into the equation complicates the fundamentals of personal style and gives bloggers a glittering incentive to wear and advertise certain pieces.

Yet another factor adds to the complexity of this issue: the implicit assumption that designer/expensive brands only produce fashionable goods. This is something that most people and even I have fallen victim to.

For example, while in New York City, I found myself perusing the Moncler store on Prince Street, stopping to exclaim, “Oh my God, legwarmers, they’re awesome, I need them!” One regrettable debit card swipe later, I realized I had just bought leg warmers, the same article of clothing I refused to wear after my high school’s sad attempt at ‘flashback to the 70s’ day. They were puffy in quintessential Moncler style, shiny and green - bright green.

With this in mind, I can’t imagine a beautiful Dior bag showing up to my door, encased within it its latest ‘it’ piece, the Dior “Tribales” earrings on a silk pillow and saying, “Oh hell no, this has cultural appropriation and disrespect written all over it.” I would most likely coo and ask the mystical fashion gods what I had done to deserve such a gift from one of the most respected fashion houses on the planet. Though this may largely speak to my off-whack moral compass, this is undoubtedly the message followers get when they see pictures of their favorite fashion bloggers unwrapping boxes from the likes of Miu Miu, Gucci and Stella McCartney with a gushing comment about how appreciative they are. In this way, free items sent to personal style bloggers take away from their agency to buy what they want and what they can, and wear it according to their personal style. Don’t get me wrong, a little gift here and there doesn’t do much harm, but when entire posts are sponsored and fashion houses dress bloggers, I question the integrity of the entire blog. I always want to ask: would you wear it if it wasn’t (insert pretentious brand here) and would you wear it if it wasn’t free?

Though it is unspeakable to turn down a gift, and bloggers can incorporate pieces they receive into their own style and make it work for them, there is still something to be said for the element of style that is comprised of what people choose to purchase and how they negotiate the boundaries of their access to certain items and brands. With that said, Dior, if you’re willing to rebrand those earrings and pay respect to the cultures they are inspired by, I’d gladly take a pair. Just have your people call mine.

Chiara Ferragni - theblondesalad.com

March 2015 | 7

Thrifter’s Guide: Hacking Mom Pants

Written and Photographed by: Jourden Sürré

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hile diving through the dusty confines of Madison’s beloved Dig N’ Save outlet, I happened upon my new favorite pair of high-waisted pants.

After all, how could I go wrong in Tiffany blue, anything with a high waist, or something that was both?

But I must admit that I’m asked incessantly how I pull these pants off, especially in the colors and materials I seem to find. The problem is evident: getting mom pants to not look like mom pants is quite the challenge for many. So how do you overcome this style obstacle?

My remedy is simple.

First and foremost, put all your mom doubts aside before stepping into my high-waisted world. This 8 | March 2015

style of pant does the best job of showing off your assets. Resting at your natural waist, these pants will emphasize the smallest part of your midsection, extending your bottom half to make your legs go on for days. Yet the best part of these pants is that they emphasize even the smallest of booties (I certainly would know), and even though their typical lack of length scares many, showing just the right amount of ankle (somewhere right between barely there and scandalous) can actually be quite flattering.

In terms of personal styling, dapper seems to be my default because I believe you should never say no to dapper. But when trying to dress this style down into a more casual look, I decided to combine my love of dapper with that of “Euro Punk.” Get into the dapper aesthetic by layering preppy clothing in more subdued

FASHION tones to really let these brightly colored pants pop. Next add on your edgier punk style pieces, which in this case means leather, faux or naux. Combat boots and a leather jacket are a welcome juxtaposition to the clothes beneath. Throw on a bowtie, hat, or other accessories and you’re ready to head off. With this look you can’t be under or overdressed for practically anything.

For those among us looking to dress these bottoms up for a gallery opening, or a cocktail party, I’ve got just the solution for you. By pairing the pants with a matching bandeaux and lace top, you’ve mastered looking elegant and sexy at the same time. Roll with the vintage feel those pants are putting out and slip into some pumps (ones with ankle straps are my favorite). Add some unique jewelry pieces as needed and you will be ready for your night out.

And for those hoping to take a more professional approach, the best advice I have is: keep it simple. These pants are bold enough to hold their own, no bells or whistles needed. Pairing it with a white, flowy blouse and a blazer will compliment the pants without letting the ensemble get too loud. Finish this look off with some cute oxfords or heels. You will look good and feel good in whatever professional setting comes your way.

For whatever important events you happen upon in the future, never shy away from the bold fit and color of this eye catching statement piece. At their core, mom pants may always be mom pants, but when styled in a flattering manner, they do can wonders for revamping your look.

March 2015 | 9

RAF SIMONS KEEPS ORDER NEW

Photo courtesey of www.in-cc.com

Written by Dan Kershner

L

iving in rural Neerpelt Belgium, a town of 6,000, and the son of working-class parents, Raf Simons was hardly brought up in a place conducive to creativity on a professional scale. Further keeping young Simons from the artistic spheres was the fact that Raf spent much of his late-70s adolescence in a strict Catholic school where becoming a lawyer, doctor or accountant was the common aspiration. Even if punk style was popular in school, he and his outlier friends, who loved to dress in black, were actually split up if they were seen banding together.

Like so many other young people who experienced buttoned-up beginnings in the late 20th century, Simons found his portal to new urban culture in the record store. Enamored with bands like electropop precursors Kraftwork and post-punk innovators Joy Division, Simons had an early taste for art that was grounded in familiar forms but simultaneously challenged aesthetic and ideological boundaries. As the new wave was ushered in with bands like The Cure, Anne Clark and New Order, Simons became increasingly more interested in what these pieces had to say visually. Luckily for him, many important albums of his day were sheathed in now-iconic album 10 | March 2015

sleeves designed by the British graphic artist Peter Saville. Simons has gone on to note that his eye was caught most memorably by New Order’s Power, Corruption & Lies cover, whose lush and somehow sinister floral imagery woke him up to a new type of aesthetic expression in which nuanced ideas can be express through imagery.

The only excuse Raf needed to plunge himself wholeheartedly into the creative pursuit was a pagelong insert on industrial and architectural design seen by him in a wayward pre-professional booklet at school. As it turned out, the local industrial design school was accessible to Simons by bus, and within a couple of years, this move helped him become immersed in Belgium’s burgeoning design community, largely with the help of one Walter Van Beirendonck.

The designer, equally adept in industrial and fashion design, was a crucial member of the “Antwerp Six”, a group of avant-garde designers who all happened to graduate from Antwerp’s Academy of Fine Arts under the distinguished teaching of Linda Loppa. Van Beirendonck served as Simons’ patron, even though he was mostly interested in young Raf ’s furniture and structural designs rather than the clothes sent his way.

Van Beirendonck enlisted Raf because he saw in

Men’s him the same creative spark that he employed in his own fashion shows, where presentation was nearly as important as the pieces on the runway themselves.

Soon enough, he was bringing his young student to Paris to help with his presentations, and in the process exposing him to the best design talent in the world.

The most significant event in Simons’ fashion life occurred during this time when he witnessed the work from a fellow Belgian at Martin Margiela’s ground breaking “White” show. The now-legendary designer, Margiela, was pressed for cash and new to the world stage. This led him to cultivate a decidedly different vibe around the showing of his innovative couture.

With the consent of families living in an impoverished, primarily black, Parisian neighborhood, far removed from runway glamour, Margiela set up his installation on the area’s playground and invited the neighborhood children to witness it up close. Simons vividly recalls models cradling children as they made their way down the runway, and half its audience, including him, was reduced to tears in the face of such a barrier-breaking cultural fusion.

In the time between this profoundly formative experience and the present, Raf Simons has become a celebrity in fashion. A creative director of his own gapbridging eponymous label, as well as a leader in some of the most iconic fashion houses on the planet, including facilitating Jil Sander’s mid-aughts creative renaissance and in his current residence at Dior. Although he is now wide open to all of the political machinations and cultural conventions so stuffily adhered to in the high fashion industry, Simons still sees himself as someone fully invested in new ideologies, mostly brought forward by underground youth cultures around the world.

Now, as much as ever, Simons expresses this worldview in his fall 2015 menswear collection. The collection prominently features oversized outerwear in white, scribbled up and down with illustrations and messages from the perspective of restless Belgian youth carrying out their college’s coming-of-age “celebration.” It is hard to deny Simons’ ability to comprehend the nuanced communication necessary to reach young people with vision and energy to tell the rest of the world what’s actually cool. photos, top: Raf Simons Fall 2015, Style.Com bottom: New Order, Power, Lies, Corruption - Peter Saville

March 2015 | 11

SEASONS OF

MENSWEAR Style: meet color. Menswear’s traditionally limited palette gets individually revitalized.

Written by Caleb Foust Caleb Foust, Hervín Centéno and Andrew Conner photographed by Roberto Leon

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he time-honored writer Albert Camus once wrote, “in the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.”

Though a common misconception, he was not making a metaphor about optimism. Rather, he was advertising his status as a “summer” to the world.

His candor was presumably appreciated, if only because men traditionally have more restricted color palettes. To our dismay, it is a world mired in strange double standards all revolving around the muddy concept of modern masculinity, leaving us with a small set of “acceptable” colors. In essence, masculinity in fashion is a universal dampener on vibrant color, an affectation of its cultural definition more than any practical basis.

This introduces a bias towards the drab, with anything too vivid looking out of place, The staples of navy, gray, olive, maroon, brown, cream, white and sometimes black feel restrictive because of their inherently finite number of shades and combinations.

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Despite that, the seasonal metaphor used in women’s fashion applies to men, albeit in a diluted form. The archetypal categories loosely associated with spring, summer, fall and winter still carry the same ranges of vibrance, but are generally more washed out for men.

Because of this, the close relationship of spring and summer bleeds together to one, and not just because of the habitually ambiguous Wisconsin weather.

Each man more or less falls into one of these categories. An easy way to tell what category you fall into is to ask yourself what your favorite season is -- your color season is likely the same. You naturally feel the most comfortable and the most fashionably versatile in the season where your color range matches the weather outside. Wish though we may, spring is still a long ways off and bringing out those vibrant short shorts is not likely to happen for a while. If you feel more at home in the folds of a dark pea coat than baking in polychromatic shorts and a tee shirt, Lady Winter is your gal.

Men’s

Speaking of winter, the seasonal color palette does not shatter a whole lot of preconceived notions about men’s fashion. In short, think dark. Blacks, grays, and navies are par for the course, but are flexible enough to be mixed with fall colors, too. The main idea is darkness: gloom and doom, ice and cold. That is not to say that those identifying as winter cannot branch out and use more vibrant colors, but often use them in moderation. Winters can still shine in their footwear and accessories, as with brown boots or a casual NATO watch strap.

With spring parceled out, summer is up next, bringing in a whole slew of pastels. Evidently, Hervin here feels the same way: his purple hoodie is a staple for any brisk day, calling forth memories of grape-tinted sunsets and the free evenings of our a student’s summer. Summers keep it balmy through playful color combos and unabashed, year-round adoration for all that is June, July and August.

Those who identify with fall, take things back a couple steps; dress more darkly, but without fear, play with caramels, maroons and olives, mixing it all together with a healthy dose of pattern like herringbone and plaid.

For those that draw inspiration from the waning canopy of leaves, fall is the perfect season to blend in with patterned knitwear as well.

WINTER

SUMMER

FALL

March 2015 | 13

The Invisible Woman!

The Conundrum of Female Representation in Comic Book Media

“I

conducted my own investigation because no one listens to me. I got away with it because no one looks at me. Because unless I have your reports, your coffee, or your lunch, I am invisible,” Peggy Carter, Agent Carter.

In the past 20 years, there have been 53 comic-based films released by DC and Marvel. Of those 53 films, only two were solo superheroine films: “Catwoman” (2004) and “Elektra” (2005). While this is not meant to disparage the films that feature female heroes alongside their male counterparts, such as “The Avengers” (2012) and “V for Vendetta” (2006), there is a clear disparity between the treatment of women and men in comic book media. Comparatively, there have been 37 solo male superhero films released between the two companies. Since 1995, Batman’s cowl has been donned by three different actors, Spider-Man’s suit has had two incarnations, and there has even been a feature film starring Shaq as DC’s Steel.

Women are a historically untapped market in the comic book realm, both as audience members and as characters. Until recently, the idea that comics were solely a man’s world was the norm. However, according to The Beat, of the 24 million self-identified comic book fans on Facebook, 46.67% of them are female. The launching of new female-centric comics, including MarvelNOW!’s Storm and Elektra, and DC’s Black Canary and Starfire represent a changing tide in the diversity of comics. Even traditionally masochistic titles like Thor are being influenced, 14 | March 2015

Written and Photographed by Haley Nippert, Social Writer

with a new, female Thor taking up the Mjölnir. And with the revamping of Ms. Marvel as Kamala Khan, Marvel’s first headlining Muslim character, as well as Kate Kane’s Batwoman being revealed as an out lesbian, it is apparent that the issue of diversity is being approached from multiple angles. Although there have been plenty of missteps getting to this point, the role of women in the comic industry is becoming an increasingly important issue.

This is translating into film and television in the form of incredibly diverse female characters. The past few months have seen the premiere of Marvel’s “Agent Carter,” casting news for the Netflix series, “Supergirl,” in addition to announcements of solo Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel films. Marvel and DC are recognizing that the importance of female characters lies not in their aptitude to function as a romantic lead, but in their ability to advance the storyline based on their own merit. The reason characters like Skye (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Laurel Lance (Arrow) are so significant and well-loved is because they have their own unique abilities and motivations that they adapt to whatever situation they are placed in, instead of being reduced to simple love interests who are used to inspire the male hero. The casts of these shows also demonstrate the importance of racial diversity, with actresses like Candace Patton, Ming-Na Wen, and Chloe Bennet taking center stage.

However, the road to these changes continues to be a bumpy one. The release of Captain Marvel has been

pushed back a year to 2018, as Sony and Marvel integrate Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“Agent Carter,” which follows the exploits of Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), a founder of S.H.I.E.L.D and partner of Captain America, is Marvel’s first venture at giving a female character the lead and is at risk of being cancelled due to low ratings. As of this moment, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman is the only announced female superhero being featured in the DC combined film universe.

In a day and age where women make up 44 percent of the audience of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and young girls write in to DC asking for more female heroes, we continue to see female characters sidelined and bastardized. Last year, the Daily Dot reported that Gamora, one of main characters in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” was noticeably absent from merchandise featuring the other members of her team. Wanda Maximoff (a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch), who is notable for her Romani heritage, has been white-washed in the upcoming “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” Wonder Woman, too, has been shrunken down from her Amazonian roots to fit today’s perceptions of beauty. Despite making up nearly half of all comic consumers, women continue to be treated as an unmarketable audience, which results in the media’s overlooking and ill-treatment of female characters.

This reveals a much greater problem with female representation in media. Excluding females from superhero merchandise and sidelining them in the film industry translates to a devaluing of women in real life. Young girls do not see life in terms of marketability: they see superheroines being treated as less than their male counterparts. And if superheroines are not worth investing in, why should anyone take an interest in a normal, young woman? As Marvel’s editor-in-chief Axel Alonso expressed, “if you go to… comic book stores, more and more female readers are emerging. They are starved for content and looking for content they can relate to.”

Women deserve to have characters who are diverse in personality, race, and sexuality, and are stronger for it.

Characters who have a large emotional range and are not portrayed as weak because of it. Characters who wear heels on the weekends and save the world every other day of the week.

Because women are heroes, too.

Baker-Whitelaw, G. (2014, August 6). Why is Gamora missing from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ merchandise?

Schenker, B. (2014, February 5). Market Research Says 46.67% of Comic Fans are Female.

Cavna, M., & Betancourt, D. (2015, February 6). DC, Marvel reveal diverse changes as new lineups.

Watson, L. (2014, January 20). DC Comics’ Diversity Crisis: Why the Status Quo Rules.

Lockett, D. (2014, October 15). DC Announces 10 New Superhero Films in Next Six Years, Including Stand-Alone Wonder Woman.

March 2015 | 15

UNDRESSING THE DEPAR

By Kaitlin Dunn, Arts Writer

A

ll department stores have the objective to sell us the products they house inside.

Those goods could be anything: from the largest stuffed animal imaginable in a store like F.A.O. Schwartz to a highly coveted pair of Louboutin heels in Barney’s (a girl can dream, right?).

For so long, department store windows have been perceived as a mere form of advertisement. And they do function in a similar way: shoppers can find out what kind of products the store sells while the store uses the displays to entice patrons to enter. But these displays are much more than a billboard or magazine advertisement. Aside from their marketing qualities, window displays engage with and transport the observer, much like installation art.

Window displays are set up year round, but the richest examples of visuals come out in full glory during fashion week, special events and the holidays, when the number of shoppers drastically increases. Through their displays, stores can highlight innovative and 16 | March 2015

creative methods of design that will resonate with the public. Tiffany & Co. and Catherine Martin did just this when creating their window displays for “The Great Gatsby” film premiere in 2013. Tiffany’s, who created the film’s jewelry, knew the attention the film was going to receive, and the windows were designed to engage with everyone who would enjoy the film, not just Tiffany’s shoppers. The window designs were not meant to directly sell the Gatsby-themed pieces, but to capture the attention and interest of pedestrians. The goal was to have someone stop and become immersed in the 1920s world of beauty, recreated in the small rectangular space before them.

The greatest concentrations of imaginative and extravagant window designs are found during the holiday season. Each year, crowds gather at Manhattan’s Bergdorf Goodman to peer into each window, without ever stepping foot in the store.

Rather than prompting viewers to reach for their wallets, the windows engage the viewer with wonder,

RTMENT STORE WINDOW

amazement, and entertainment. As chronicled in the documentary, “Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf ’s,” the planning, execution, and unveiling of Bergdorf ’s five holiday window displays take months of planning and are actually described as “installation art pieces.”

With its reputation as an exclusive, luxury department store in mind, Bergdorf Goodman’s window display team works hard to ensure that the windows catch the attention of everyone on the street, not just its luxury clientele. Each window has a different design and includes mountains of detail and props filling every surface. Some observers would notice the dress on the mannequin, some the theme and the escapist quality or pure entertainment of the scene, and still others, the minute details displaying the craft and labor of these designers and artists.

Designs of these windows are reaching new depths of engagement and interactive qualities. Just this year, Barneys New York’s holiday windows turned into a whole event called “Baz Dazzled.” Director Baz

Art

Luhrmann created the windows and incorporated not only design, but also live performance. Bloomingdale’s explored interactive technology for their windows, allowing pedestrians to become part of the design by having their photo shown within the display of the window for everyone else to see.

Display windows are meant to create an experience; observers enliven the space by reacting to what they see and hear. Installation art has the same objectives. It is creating a space that becomes an event between the scene and the observer. What makes their designs so intriguing and successful is the engagement they have with those people walking by. They are meant to hold you within a space and to create an interaction solely in the here and now.

Photos: www.facebook.com/Tiffany www.facebook.com/BarneysNY

March 2015 | 17

Head Turning Hues Brighten your makeup game with these contemporary looks inspired by the sweet treats of Madison.

Written by Sarah Friedland, Arts Writer Heather Wilson Photographed by Matthew Engelhart Hair and MakeUp by Katrina Christine Directed by Mekea Larson 18 | March 2015

One of the boldest ways to change up your makeup is through different lipstick colors.

Here, a succulent blue lip is paired with a light opaque eyeshadow. Take this look as inspiration to sprinkle on a color of your choice in the last doldrum weeks of Wisconsin winter. Donuts courtesey of Madison Fresh Market.

Donuts

March 2015 | 19

What’s the most enticing thing about a cupcake? The colorful decorations, of course! Sweeten up your look with striking sugary pastels. This look is complete with blue eyeshadow and a complementary rose-hued blush.

Cupcakes courtesey of Gigi’s Cupcakes.

Cupcakes

20 | March 2015

Macarons are a classic and classy french dessert with many flavorful and colorful twists. These bright cookie/cakes inspired an elegant, fuchsia lip paired with a swipe of zesty yellow eyeliner. The unconventional placement of the eyeliner brings it below, above, and to the side of the eyecoloring outside of the lines.

Macarons courtesey of Madison Sweets.

Macarons March 2015 | 21

LIVING LIFE IN COLOR Life can be hard and frustrating, but everyday has beauty if you take the time to find it. Look for the silver lining and live your life with color.

Written by Taylor Palmby Photographed by Jenna Tipple

S

ome days you wake up and you just feel like that day isn’t going to be your day. You dread getting out of bed and facing the world.

Some days aren’t as great as others, but it’s all about perspective. There are only 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, and 31,536,000 seconds in a year--don’t you want to make every day colorful?

On your gray days, sometimes it’s hard to find the bright side. As college students, we face so many stresses everyday: from school to relationships to job pressures. Sometimes it’s all enough to make you want to throw the covers over your head and sleep for hours.

But, there is always a silver lining. If you’re a student, remember you are getting a world class education that could very well land you your dream job. Many people envy this opportunity. Take a step back and look at

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the big picture. If it’s a relationship causing you stress, remember the chances of you living alone with 100 cats is very low. You have to trust in yourself and your feelings: if someone isn’t treating you with the kindness and respect that you deserve, then move on and find someone who will.

It’s important to stay positive every day because when you focus on the negative, you can’t properly enjoy the present. Anything that turns your colorful days to gray isn’t worth the trouble. If you can’t talk your way out of the gray or if there is no silver lining, then it shouldn’t be in your beautiful, wonderful, colorful life.

There are many situations that knock us off our feet and it can be difficult to stay positive. Hopefully some of these tips will help you live your life fully, vividly, and joyfully.

Ten Ways to Turn the Worst Days Around 1.

Even if you don’t feel like listening to music, put on your favorite song and just jam. Sing in the shower at the top of your lungs and let the music take your mind off of anything that makes you sad. Old school Britney is always a good choice.

2.

Make a list of all the things you’re thankful for.

Sometimes in order to realize how good you actually have it, you have to write it all down.

3.

Call your best friend and tell them what’s going on. If they really are your best friend, there’s no doubt they will have you laughing within minutes.

4.

When the gray day runs a little deeper than something you can just shake off, call someone in your support system like a parent or sibling. Close family are usually very good at sympathizing with you and will likely have good advice because they have probably lived through something similar.

5.

Watch your favorite movie. Even if you “don’t have time,” just sit down and watch. Your mental state is more important than anything else.

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6.

Go get some ice cream. This one’s a little cliche, but I’ve never had a hurt that a little bit of Ben and Jerry’s “Half Baked” couldn’t fix.

7.

Go work out. It sounds awful when you’re sad, but the endorphins that exercise releases will make you feel better.

8.

Start a journal. Sometimes writing down your feelings is all it takes to forget about or sort through them.

9.

Online (window) shop. They say retail therapy is the best therapy. When it’s too cold to go outside, online shopping is the best option. Not to mention, you might have a package to look forward to!

10. Smile! Even if it hurts. Studies suggest that even faking a smile can make you feel happier. If you need a little help smiling, look up pictures of cute animals or watch some old American Idol auditions for a good laugh.

Stay positive. The journey of life isn’t always easy, but the struggles make the best moments even sweeter.

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Choose the correct means of correspondence and add a personalized touch with these quick tips.

Written by Allie Jeka, Lifestyle Writer

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n a time when technology is an instantaneous frontrunner, it can be hard to slow down for the time it takes to put pen to paper. But handling correspondence with good manners is an excellent way to express gratitude and stand out.

professionalism while still maintaining an impression of warmth. Stay away from “from.” You’re not a third grade boy being forced to write valentines for his classmates; you’re a classy adult who writes proper thank yous.

Thank You Notes Receiving a handwritten thank you is a beautiful thing.

If another person has spent time or money on you, or gone out of their way to make things easier in your life, the least you can do is make sure they get a happy little letter in the mail telling them how much you appreciate them. It is important to send a thank you when someone has given you a gift, invited you to a formal event, written you a letter of recommendation, or given you a job interview. In my personal opinion, it is great to write a thank you note even when someone has just gone out of his or her way to do something kind. When writing your thank you note, don’t worry too much about “writing enough” – instead, focus more on expressing gratitude and conveying a heartfelt thanks. In the note, be sure to say “thank you” twice – once at the very beginning and then again at the end to reiterate your point. Be sure to explicitly mention what it is you are thankful for – a person’s kindness or a specific gift. Personalize the note as best as you can.

The Job Interview “Thank You” It can be hard to tell whether a handwritten card or an e-mail is the best way to send thanks after a job interview. An e-mail can be best when you want your potential employer to receive your thank you as quickly as possible, especially in a highly professional or competitive field. An e-mail also makes it more likely that you will receive a follow-up message from your thank you note. If you interviewed for a tech-savvy position, a digital thank you card of some kind may be best to emphasize your skills in the field. However, a handwritten thank you always seems to carry more weight and importance. If you choose this route, you can speed up snail mail by writing your thank you directly after the interview and getting it in the mail the same day.

A Signature Touch How you sign a note can determine the formality or warmth of the entire card. Finalizing with phrases such as “love,” or “warmest wishes,” give the recipient a feeling of warm fuzzies, while ending with “fondly,” or “best regards,” establishes a more professional tone. When in doubt, use “sincerely” or more formally, “respectfully.” It is a great way to convey 24 | March 2015

Repondez s’il vous plait: RSVPing - Just because you can’t pronounce it, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. I can’t stress enough how rude it is to neglect a request to RSVP. If you’ve thrown an event before, I’m sure you know how frustrating it is to not even be able to get a rough-estimate on headcount so you can buy food. If you get an invitation in the mail, check your calendar immediately. If you can, just RSVP right away before you toss the invitation into your “to-do” pile and forget about it. If you need more time to figure out your schedule, attempt to RSVP within a week.

Putting the POP in Culture

Lifestyle

Check out how supermodels and celebrities are making a statement with their hair this season.

Written by Meg Rotter, Lifestyle Writer

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ith Fashion Week photos filling our news feeds and inboxes, it is impossible to avoid the excessive amount of chic that is currently alive in the world.

While many are focused on the designer clothing, shoes, and shows, the makeup and hair from this season was nothing short of divine. This year, statement hair color is making its comeback in the pop culture scene as well as on the runways. Celebrities like Katy Perry, Kylie Jenner, and Demi Levato are all showing off their punk and disorderly sides with bright purples and teals.

Many other fashion gurus are showing off their colorful manes as they take to the streets, creating an eclectic array of hues to break up winter’s monotony. Want to try these hair statements out for yourself but don’t want to rock permanent bright locks? Try one of these inexpensive and temporary alternative products to create some vivid hair.

Hair Chalk This punky, non-permanent way to color hair can have varying degrees of success. I found that if you heat-seal the color with a straightener or curling iron, you will end up with a color that won’t rub off on your pillowcase at the end of the night. For more concentrated color, opt for soft artist’s pastels. This medium usually works better for those with darker hair.

Water Color: Hydrating Color Hair Masque Straightening, curling, and blow-drying your hair can take a huge toll on your hair’s health. This coloring formula acts as a leave-in conditioner and hydrates your hair throughout the day. Lasting an average of 2-5 washes, this hair color is a bit more permanent than traditional hair chalk and will not stain your clothes.

While the mask only comes in six colors, test out your own color creations by mixing the pigments in a separate dish.

B & B: Spraychalk This spray-on hair color from Bumble and Bumble makes creating a new look absurdly easy.

Similar to traditional hair chalk, this product has a tendency to rub off a bit as the day goes on and will wash out with just one shower. The product is a little heavier than other temporary options, making your hair a little crunchy as though you’re wearing a lot of hairspray. Overall, it is a fun and easy product to use with few downsides.

These tips are all for temporary hair dye and are a great way to test out new colors for a short time. If, after trying out a new look, you wish to make a more permanent change, be sure to seek out the best practice tips for dying.

Whether you are making a temporary statement or plunging into a full on transformation, make your look your own by adding some personal flair.

photos courtsey of vogue.com

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The Revision Process:

Why Rewrite Your Old Journal Entries?

Written by Darby Hoffman, Lifestyle Writer

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ara Parker Pope of the New York Times wrote an article earlier this year that shed light on a new discovery regarding journaling, an activity many young people hold near and dear throughout their childhood. Whether doodling names in hearts or dramatizing adolescent lives, keeping a diary served as a creative right of passage. However, our pre-pubescent selves did little to recognize the role our tattered notebooks played in ensuring our psychological well-being.

Pope’s article describes new evidence supporting a theory that by writing, then revising your own personal testimony, writers may create a more positive outlook on their lives. The evidence supporting this includes trials of college students who increased their GPAs and a showed a more optimistic outlook on their college experience after journaling. Additionally, couples were able to mend relationship tensions by writing about their discrepancies from an outside, neutral perspective. Pope writes that this practice can “nudge people from a self-defeating way of thinking into a more optimistic cycle that reinforces itself.”

Typically, we unleash all of our angst and emotions on the papers of our first draft. This is a very healthy way of releasing mental and emotional tensions we have in our minds. However, by leaving your perception of an

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event in this extremely heated state, you may never be able to come to terms with or understand the incident fully. For example, if you turn to the pen and paper after a harsh break up, you will undoubtedly include all of the feelings you are currently experiencing.

You’ll feel much better in the short-term after clearing your mind. However, your brain will continue to remember the event in the intense light you wrote in.

By revisiting a prior journal entry and making changes to it as a distanced spectator, you’ll be able to alter your prior memory and find yourself in a happier, more content state.

If you want to take on the challenge of revising your own history, try these starter tips: Invest in a journal worth filling We all know the tragedy of an unfilled diarynotebooks with only the first 10-15 pages filled out because the writer got sidetracked or uninterested. By investing a bit of money into a beautifully decorated journal, you’ll be incentivized to keep the book in your sights, in good condition, and in the process of being filled. Your wallet and your eyes will motivate you to write further. I personally enjoy journals with brightcolored covers and some sort of quote or illustration decorating the front. I’m currently using one by George Stanley from Mara Mi.

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“Recent discoveries show how the activity of journaling can be a useful tool in altering your perception of the past.”

Write in your best penmanship It may just be my own personal affliction, but I find that I enjoy writing so much more when my handwriting looks pristine. Try testing out a few different utensils and find which gives you the most appealing product. I prefer a simple BIC ballpoint pen in black. This will make the process of writing even more relaxing because you won’t fret over crooked lines or messy loops.

Leave space for your rewrites There’s no way we can omit all of our emotions from the first copy of our entries. It’s human nature to saturate ourselves in our feelings after an emotional incident. Therefore, leaving a blank page after each of your writings will give you the opportunity to pour out all of the anger, sadness, etc. in the first run, while leaving room for your future, more optimistic viewpoints to follow. Rewrite and add the new thoughts your unclouded mind comes up with throughout the process.

photos courtsey of mara-mi.com

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photo courtesey of flickr.com

TRAVEL YOUR DREAMS (on a college budget)

Written by Adrianne Pintar, Contributing Writer

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raveling often takes a backseat on to-do lists.

We assume it’s too expensive, too much of a hassle, and that we don’t have time. Wrong!

Being in college with breaks from school and less concrete commitments, it is more convenient now than trying to get extra vacation time from your “real adult job” later. To silence your doubts, I’ve calculated out an entire example trip, using my personal goal vacation.

Before anything else, the most important part is to pick a place. Choosing where to go makes a trip more of a real goal rather than a dream. You’re more likely to take action if you say “I want to travel to Spain” than if you say “I want to travel to Europe” or “I want to travel.”

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My Place: Thailand The next step is to decide when. As mentioned, a college schedule opens up some great time slots. Take your pick: Thanksgiving, winter, spring, or summer break. Going at the beginning or end of summer is especially convenient because it still leaves open a possibility for an internship or temporary job for the rest of break.

My When: May 18th- June 7th (20 days) Round trip flight= $824 (Pro Tip: Google Flights is an amazing resource for day by day price comparisons)

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“You can take a trip to your dream destination if you make it a priority.”

Less expensive than you thought? I know, I was surprised too. Now, what about other expenses, like accommodation? Going for a five star (or even four) is too ambitious for a college budget. Besides, staying in hostels or guest houses opens up opportunities to meet others and get a more authentic feel for the culture.

But for this example, we’ll stay in a slightly nicer room for half the trip.

tour rather than a diving course. Also remember that every day doesn’t need an itinerary. Leave plenty of time to explore as this can lead to the most beautiful, spontaneous moments. Don’t hesitate to ask locals for their suggestions as well!

My Accommodation: $17/night for half the time, $7/night for the other half= $223

(Tip: Both roughguides.com and nomadicmatt.com have great suggestions for activities by country with price estimates, including great places off the typical tourist path.)

(Tip: If you’re adventurous, couchsurfing.com is a safe site where you can find locals to stay with in your location. You might be on a couch, but can you really beat free accommodation?)

These two expenses knock out a majority of the entire cost, and we’re barely over a thousand dollars. Next up is definitely an essential: food. And don’t even think about hitting up the McDonald’s; this trip is meant for you to experience the world. Also, Western-style food tends to be more expensive in nearly every country compared to traditional foods. Do some research to find out what realistic prices for food are in your region--you don’t want to find yourself going hungry mid-trip!

My Food: $5/day (that’s 3 meals every day, if you eat local!)= $95 Reaching the end here, there’s only two expenses left.

Of course, you need things to do on your trip. Activity prices vary, so keep in mind you might want to do a

My Activities: 5 tours, 2 treks, and 5 miscellaneous= $220

I’m still under $1,400 here for twenty whole days. The last cost is transportation. For those days without set activities, taking a bus or a train to a different place can be the day’s experience. However, walk if you can.

What you can see while walking somewhere might be enough entertainment and beauty to satisfy you for the day.

My Transportation: 2x/day, every day, mixed forms of transport= $25 (Not kidding!

Transport in Thailand is super cheap) That’s everything. Of course, it will be a good idea to bring extra money for those unexpected accidents and that cool souvenir. Still, once you start filling in your own blanks, trust me when I say there will be no going back. The total cost for my trip to Thailand for twenty days? $1,387.

I’m going.

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STREET STYLE Photographed by Leyan Xu

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