MODA Magazine Winter 2015

WINTER 2015 THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

MODA Magazine 2015-2016 CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Maya Hansen & Rachel Scheinfeld

EDITORIAL BOARD:

FRONTIER Since our founding 12 years ago, MODA Magazine has always been dedicated to bringing the University of Chicago ethos of “Life of the Mind” to fashion. For us, this has meant always working to challenge standards of beauty, consider the meaning of our personal style through interdisciplinary lenses, and exploring areas of the fashion world that are often tiptoed around. Our Winter 2015 issue focuses on what we have deemed the “New Frontier.” On the cusp of what is happening in and changing the fashion world, the MODA Magazine staff and board has worked once again to push the boundaries of the norm. From Justin Donnelly’s examination of how data analysis is impacting fashion in “Fashion in the Real World,” to a think piece by Shayla Harris on designers “Walking a Fine Line” of cultural appropriation, and shoots such as “Back to our Roots” that explore the unique style of six UChicago students, this issue engages the evolution more than ever before in a multi-faceted way. From start-ups to the influence of fashion in literally changing the definition of “nude” this year in the dictionary, fashion holds a more powerful say in our society than ever before. Take the journey with us to the frontline as we once again prove that fashion is a medium that reflects the issues, questions, and movements of our contemporary lives.

Maya Hansen & Rachel Scheinfeld

MODA Magazine Co-Editors-in-Chief

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PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Albert Nam STYLING EDITORS Frances Chen & Ogonna Obiajunwa WRITING EDITORS Sucheta Kinger & Krishna Mukkavilli COPY EDITOR Maya Rodriguez VISUAL DESIGN EDITOR Lauren Han FINANCE DIRECTOR & PR MANAGER Amutha Muthukumar BEAUTY EDITOR Michelle DePorto SPECIAL FEATURES EDITOR Meredith Esquivel STAFF ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR Sana Sohail BOARD ADVISOR Mary Pierce

STAFF:

LAYOUT: Lauren Han, Maya Hansen, Rachel Scheinfeld, Kathy Zhou WRITERS & CONTRIBUTERS: Shereen Al-Sawwaf, Ada Alozie, Mahathi Ayyagari, Alexia Bacigalupi, Marta Bakula, Justin Donnelly, Andie Fialkoff, Kavya Garikipati, Shayla Harris, Katherine Hicks, Olivia Jia, Mark Kumleben, Meredith McDonough, Andrew Nicotra Reilly, Louise Simpson, Andrew Song, Jennifer Teng, Peyton Walker, Angie Wan, Jason Zhao STYLISTS: Liya Khan, Junil Kim, Jasmin Liang, Alexis Matthews, Emily Moos, Rohit Satishchandra, Lydia Sum, Jena Yang, Kenneth Zhang PHOTOGRAPHERS: Daniel Chae, David Farr, Naomy Grand’Pierre MODELS: Lilly Astrow, Allie Cauthorn, Harold Chen, Jurrell Daly, Jacob Grayson, Eliora Katz, Courtney Labé, Tuyaa Montgomery, Bryan Popoola, Andrea Popova, Katherine Shen, Shreya Sood, Storm Taft, Agwangnjoh Tchadi

A special thank you to Penelope and Mevyn for generously loaning us their clothing.

Photos, from left: Gilded Glow by Daniel Chae, Trunk Club from foundersclub.com, Winnie Harlow from neomoda.com.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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BEAUTY REDEFINED:

The fashion world is constantly reforming itself, and these models show the changing ideal of beauty today.

FINGERTIP FASHION:

In an age where we expect everything to be available at the tap of a finger, these new apps are making our love of fashion more accessible than ever.

UP & COMING:

A look at some of the newest (and most unique) trends that are catching the public’s eye.

IN WITH THE NUDE:

Thanks to brands like Christian Louboutin and NuDevotion, “nude” is becoming all-inclusive.

SHOPPING SERVICES:

Trunk Club exemplifies how shopping is going from personally to expertly styled.

BEAUTY BLOGGERS:

Five bloggers who have come into the spotlight for their hand in helping people navigate the vast world of beauty.

ETSY VS AMAZON:

A closer look at how Amazon is stepping into the handcrafted product world that Etsy has had a claim on for the last decade.

POP-ART ESQUE:

How art popularized by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein is influencing the fashion world today.

THE ARCHITECTURE MINOR:

UChicago’s art history department has brought to us the chance to explore and understand what builds the environment around us.

WALKING A FINE LINE:

Shayla Harris explores how designers balance being respectful when drawing inspirations from cultures that aren’t their own.

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THE OPPOSITE OF FASHION:

Mark Kumleben argues that crowdsourced fashion doesn’t necessarily translate to quality products.

FASHION IN THE REAL WORLD:

Justin Donnelly examines how data and empirical-analysis drive our current fashion world.

3D PRINT:

No longer used solely for making models and prototypes, 3D printing adds another dimension of creativity to fashion.

REINVENTING THE RUNWAY:

Olivia Jia shows us how designers are changing up the way they reveal their collections.

INTERVIEW: DOLLY SINGH:

Special Features Editor, Meredith Esquivel, sits down with the founder of Thesis, Dolly Singh.

ALUMNI ROLE CALL: JUSTIN STANKIEWICZ:

UChicago alumnus and the sales manager and account director of Caroline Herrera, Justin Stankiewicz, talks to MODA Board Advisor, Mary Pierce.

GILDED GLOW:

Beauty Editor Michelle DePorto uses gold foil to create shining versions of every day looks.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN:

Moving away from what is typically considered “pretty,” our models stand out in the downtown Chicago crowd.

BACK TO OUR ROOTS:

Six UChicago students help us see that style is specific to each and every one of us, and that fashion is uniquely our own.

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WINNIE HARLOW Canadian model born with vitilgo, a skin condition

High fashion models and designers have a reputation for fitting a certain mold.

These five women are changing what it means, and how you have to look, to fit the standard.

Winnie Harlow is challenging current beauty norms and the expectations of what it means to be a model. Although she has vitiligo, a rare skin condition which accounts for varying skin pigmentations, she has taken both runway and commercial modeling by surprise. Winnie has been featured in Vogue Italia and Cosmopolitan, and she even closed Ashish’s show at the 2015 London Fashion Week. Harlow’s commitment to empowering young girls into accepting who they are despite societal expectations has inspired many women with skin issues to feel confident in their bodies. Instead of modeling being about physical beauty, she wants to open up the definition of beauty to be more accepting and tolerant of differences. By Ada Alozie.

beauty

REDEFINED 4

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LAVERNE COX Transgender model, actress, and LGBT advocate While best known for her role as Sophia Burset on the hit Netflix series “Orange is the New Black,” Laverne Cox has also established herself as an inspiration to many as one of the first openly transgender actresses on television and was named as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. Cox has also made her mark on the world of fashion. Known for her bold choices on the red carpet, she is never one to shy away from the spotlight.

Through her styling, she exudes the confidence she preaches and continues to inspire people both inside and outside the transgender community. By Shereen Al-Sawwaf.

Photos from left to right: abcnews.com, time.com, sportsillustrated.com, autostraddle.com, clindoeil. com

JADE WILLOUGHBY Native model who overcame rare kidney disease, Nephrotic Syndrome

RAIN DOVE Agender model that turned heads modeling men and women’s clothing at NYFW

ROBYN LAWLEY Australian model and first plussize woman to be featured in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue Robyn Lawley is a plus-sized model from Sydney, Australia who was first noticed when she was featured on Vogue Italia’s June 2011 cover. She is also known for being the first plussized model to be featured in a Ralph Lauren campaign as well for promoting body positivity. Recently, Lawley was featured in the 2015 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and commented on how she considers herself as “a model…trying to help women accept their bodies.” Due to her work and the increasing actions of female celebrities, Lawley represents a shift toward acceptance of body size variety in high fashion and society. By Maya Rodriguez.

Rain Dove is an androgynous model. Yes, her name is actually Rain Dove and yes, she models as both a male and a female. Not bound to any gender restraints, Dove is truly a free agent taking on the international fashion world by storm. Whether she is modeling as a man or a woman, she is not easily missed. Her defined jaw, fierce gaze, and 6’2” height have been featured on runways such as Chromat, Vivienne Hu, and Malan Breton. Currently, Dove’s Instagram bio is “GENDER CAPITALIST representing “human” thru fashion, film, & activism.” And that’s truly what Dove is: a gender capitalist. She takes pride in her looks as a human being, not her looks as a woman or man; for this, not only is Dove a model, but also a role model. By Andie Fialkoff.

Jade Willoughby is changing the face of modeling. Although now noted for her unique beauty, this wasn’t always the case. At the age of seven, she was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome, which, along with compromising an individual’s immune system, causes swelling due to water retention. Willoughby noted that the swelling in her legs and face, in addition to her mixed race and Aboriginal heritage caused her to be teased and bullied. However, Willoughby states that these unpleasant encounters taught her how to handle the rejection of the modeling world with grace. Eventually, Willoughby signed with Wilhemina Models and travels all over the world for gigs, including shows at New York Fashion Week. Jade Willoughby embodies strength and dignity as she overcomes all doubts and rises to become a prominent model. By Jennifer Teng.

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Article by Alexia Bacigalupi

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n an age of Instagram and Seamless, YouTube and Uber, people increasingly expect to have entertainment, social feedback and easily accessible products all in their back pocket. With the swipe of a thumb, you can call a glam squad to your living room, order Thai food or even set up a blind date. Following the boom in online shopping (all the fun of scooping up a cute new piece, right from the convenience of your bed!), the fashion and retail industry has taken note and there are now a bevy of new apps to help you get your shop on, all from your phone.

What separates many of these apps from merely being a mobile friendly website is the interactive element. Not only do they offer consumers access to a wide spectrum of fashion, beauty and home products, they also offer a community of like-minded users. People create profiles and can “follow” each other, “like” others mood boards and even leverage each other to track down certain products and looks. By creating an interactive and engaging environment, these apps become more than just an onthe-go way of shopping.

The splashiest rollout in this department has been that of Villoid. Launched by British It-girl model/ Images (top to bottom, left to right): The Hunt, Villoid, Wanelo

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designer/fashion girl Alexa Chung in collaboration with a Norwegian entrepreneur Jeanette Kvisvik, the app (whose name itself is a mash up of “Villain” and “asteroid”, a pet name for Chung’s friends) is best described as the love child of Instagram and Pinterest. Forbes called it “a new style app that will surely change the way you pick out your clothes” and Elle described it as a “dress up box for adults.”

The sleek mint, orange and cream interface is elegantly designed and easy to use. You can create your own boards with both high end and mass-market brands, follow other users and famous tastemakers – including Ms. Chung herself – and scroll through thousands of products which can be filtered by brand, price range and type. Clicking on a product brings you to the product’s website from where you can purchase it.

Other apps push the social media aspect further and allow users to leverage a community of like-minded fashionistas for their benefit. The Hunt takes the idea of crowdsourcing to the next level by having users help one another track down, or “hunt” specific products or even hair and makeup looks. Early investors in the company, which was founded in 2013, include actor Ashton Kutcher and model/television personality Tyra Banks. “What I love about The Hunt is that women help other women find their perfect outfit [head-to-toe]. I am excited to be part of this new approach to collective retail and styling,” Banks told Women’s Wear Daily. The app’s Pinterest-like interface invites users to continue scrolling endlessly, either to help other users to find what they are looking for or search for items with tags like “fringe booties” or “cable knit sweaters.”

Another more community-oriented app is Wanelo, a mashup of “want, need, love.” Founded by Deena Varshavskaya, named as one of Glamour Magazine’s “35 Women Under 35 Who Are Changing the Tech Industry,” the app acts like a virtual shopping mall of sorts. Consumers can post reviews and photos of the products and follow their favorite brands for new merchandise and sale alerts. Several mainstream shopping websites, including Nordstrom, Topshop, and Sephora, have included Wanelo buttons on their sites so that users can save specific products to their lists, creating a universal shopping list.

While there will always be a time and a place for a good old shopping day with your girlfriends complete with brunch, a host of new apps means that you can shop whatever you want, whenever you want. Beyond just offering a wide selection of items, these apps invite users to immerse themselves in an interactive approach to fashion, connecting a diverse community of fashionistas from around the world. They create a seamless experience based on convenience and feedback from others – something consumers crave, and increasingly, expect today.

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UP & COMING GLASS NAILS

Broken glass nails, or just glass nails, is a new manicure technique first developed by Seoul-based manicurist Eunkyung Park. It involves pieces of cellophane or other reflective materials arranged to reflect light in a dazzling array of color, reminiscent of an opal gem.

The style draws inspiration from the traditional Korean art of “jagae,� or decorating objects with mother-ofpearl. The patterns can range from holographic designs to glitter and Art Deco mosaics, but even without any complicated arrangements the style allows for a variety of different looks. Because the cellophane that drives the effect is transparent, any color of nail polish works with it, each color giv-

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ing a unique feel. The process only involves basecoat, nail polish, cellophane stickers, and topcoat, so it is very easy to achieve different aesthetics using multiple colors.

The trend caught on in Korea after Park posted a photo on Instagram that went viral. Soon, many celebrities were going to Park to get their nails done, and the public demand for glass nails reached a point where Park signed a deal with Amorepacific, a Korean cosmetics conglomerate, to produce stickers so people can easily do it themselves.

Park is a huge proponent of self-applied manicure herself, and appeared on many Korean television programs to showcase different methods of manicure that people can put on themselves, as well as to promote her line of glass nail products that allow a large range of designs. By Andrew Song.

Photos from left to right: image from Vogue; DHgate; Kickstarter; “Whaat’s New AU”

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FRECK YOURSELF In China, a new trend where people wear flowers, vegetables, fruits, trees, or ferns headwear has literally blossomed. One compelling theory for the trend’s popularity is that it harkens to ancient Chinese values of harmony with nature and that it is a reaction to the oppressive atmosphere of modern industrial China. This rise is also an example of how media platforms facilitate social movements and fashion trends. For them, the ornaments walk a line between outright juvenility and individuality. But, it is a mass-individualism, for one can be a sunflower, a peach, a sprout, or a cherry amidst a bright, botanical community. By Peyton Walker.

SMART LEGGINGS

Have you ever wanted to see how you’d look with freckles? Thanks to Remi Brixton, the creator of Freck Yourself, freckles are no longer a genetic trait. She has produced the first temporary freckle stencil which resembles the look of freckles on someone’s face.

These freckle patterns are made to look natural and last up to two days by a combination of stencils and special formula. Many have claimed that the addition of freckles have made them look more “youthful” and “fresh-faced.” Genetics no longer restrict access to a trait that many have wished to have. By Ada Alozie

PLANT HEADWEAR Gone are the days of dropping your phone and hoping it’s unbreakable. Soon, we will all be able to go workout and keep our phone intact on our person at all times, so say goodbye to chunky arm bands and welcome the Lume Smart Legging from innovative brand Lume Lifestyle. These leggings have touch responsive mesh pockets that will allow you to text, skip songs, and even take Snapchats without removing the phone from the pocket. Lume has a Kickstarter campaign going that will eventually sell the leggings for $88 and hopes to expand the line to include joggers and shorts for both men and women. By Sucheta Kinger.

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IN WITH THE NUDE

A LENS TO LOOK AT RACIAL DIVERSITY IN FASHION BY MAHATHI AYYAGARI

Photos from left to right: nymag.com, pan-afrique.com.

N

ude /nüd/ adj. Having the color of a white person’s skin.

If you searched the word “nude” anytime up until this summer, that’s the definition you would have received from Merriam-Webster.

The fashion industry too seems to be operating on this definition, where those “nude” pumps, evening gowns, and underwear resemble a peach, beige color instead.

This is problematic for obvious reasons - the definition establishes whiteness as the norm and invalidates the natural skin tones of anyone not “having the color of a white person’s skin.” In terms of fashion, it makes finding the right pair of tights difficult when “nude” is shades apart from your natural skin color.

But some brands are working to change that. Nubian Skin, a lingerie and hosiery company based out of London, aims to provide skin-tone hosiery for women of color. The company was founded by Ade Hassan who believes that it’s “time for a different kind of nude”- a definition much more inclusive of all skin tones.

A behind-the-scenes video of a Nubian Skin photo shoot describes a common situation where darker-skinned models come in wearing “nude” or beige underwear, only to brush it with foundation powder to actually match their skin tone. “Now, we’re in a day and age where I don’t think you should be limited by what’s mainstream, because unfortunately I think the mainstream has ignored that market,” Hassan explains in the video.

Then there’s Christian Louboutin, who launched a collection of “nude” pumps that come in seven different skintone colors. Despite the fact that each pair sells for $675.00, for an influential designer such as Louboutin to expand his

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definition of “nude” is a step in the right direction.

Online retailer NuDevotion.com is also trying to redefine “nude.” The company compiles everything from dresses to shoes, and lingerie to makeup from brands like asos.com, shopbop.com, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom.

All of this change seems promising on the surface and could be considered progress in racial inclusivity in some ways. After all, what the public sees time after time in terms of “nude” can really shape what consumers think and believe. So when Louboutin makes different skin-colored pumps mainstream, it could mean a positive shift from the white-centric definition of nude to a more socially attuned, understanding definition that reflects present diversity.

But looking at the selection when “choosing” a skin tone, consumers are only given a few choices of tone, and in the case of NuDevotion, just two. When natural skin tones fall on a spectrum, can nude even be categorized and labeled as any kind of color? To label nude as specific colors, as increments along the spectrum, still inherently undermines the acceptance of all skin tones.

As Louboutin says, “Nude is not a color, it’s a concept.”

So, if changing the definition of nude as a color is meant to foster racial inclusivity, there may be a better way of accomplishing this goal. This step is definitely important, but if a changing “nude” wasn’t just about diversity in options to consumers but transcended to actual representation in the fashion world, we may have a better situation.

Take for example NuDevotion. The company commits itself to a changing meaning of “nude,” but a majority of the models gracing their website are white. Could they be using the important issue of racial inclusivity as just a market-

ing technique? What’s more is that most of their products are compiled from other big brands so the issue extends to more than just this one website.

A good place to observe racial diversity within fashion is New York Fashion Week (NYFW). Statistics collected by The Fashion Spot on the Fall NYFW report that of the 143 shows with 3,727 runway spots, 71.6% of models were white and 28.4 % were non-white, comprised of black, Asian, and Latina models. Compared to last year, 78.6 % models were white and 21.4% were non-white. There does seem to be a slight increase in minority models, which is good, but not at all representative of the current NY population that has a Caucasian population of only 44.6%.

Looking at 611 fashion magazine covers of last year, from 44 of the most major fashion publications, only 119 people of color were featured. Designers themselves are represented in small numbers. Of the 260 shows during NY Fashion Week in February, only three were by AfricanAmerican designers. This could explain why nude has been considered “of a white person’s skin,” because to most designers, that’s what nude is.

That’s why products from designers like Hassan are so important for the fashion world- models and consumers.

Instead of just changing “nude” by offering different toned products to customers, the models and designers themselves should also be more reflective of our diverse society and population make-up.

Now emerging is the use of “tonal” in connection to “nude.” So for example, a PopSugar article titled “There’s Nothing Boring about Wearing Tonal Nudes” makes much more sense and allows all kinds of people to connect to the fashion trend at hand. It implies simply your skin-color, as the reader.

Merriam-Webster has since changed the definition of “nude,” thanks to college student Luis Torres and his social campaign of #NudeAwakening, to “having a color (as pale beige or tan) that matches the wearer’s skin tones.” Hopefully, the fashion industry too will shift to a more inclusive group where the changing definition of nude manifests not only in clothes but also in the representation of models and designers.

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OUTSOURCED STYLE Chicago’s very own Trunk Club has changed the game of men’s fashion, making effortless style accessible without the typical shopping hastle. MODA Staff writer, Angie Wan, explores whether the past is propelling this company towards an innovative future or creating a homogenous present.

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ast December, Trunk Club, a men’s shopping service, bought an advertising spot on Serial, a popular NPR podcast. According to Trunk Club Acquisition Manager Alyssa Pleune, “We found overlaps in the NPR audience and our own members.” The partnership seemed like a no-brainer for the young Chicago-based company which just last year was acquired by Nordstrom for $350 million. It was one of many efforts to expand out of the Chicago market.

Trunk Club’s main appeal is in their offer of premium style with none of the hassle of clothes shopping. After filling out a short survey on their website, the customer is matched with a personal stylist. Curated “trunks” filled with several pieces of clothing are then sent upon request. Buyers pay only for what they keep and return the rest. The price of the items in the box usually range from $100-300 and come from brands such as rag & bone, Theory, Ferragamo, and Eton. With its modern marketing and explosive

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growth (from $1 million in revenue in 2010 to an estimated $100 million in 2014), Trunk Club has been hailed by Forbes as “an ingenious business model that stands to disrupt clothing retail on a fundamental level.”

While there is no denying that Trunk Club excels in the field that it helped create, there is something antiquated about it as well. In Chicago, Trunk Club operates a “clubhouse” in River North, complete with a full bar and free whiskey while the customer waits for his stylist. Wood and dark leather dominate the space as does carefully presented masculinity. It draws upon the traditional; a throwback to the era of cigars in the backroom, hard liquor served neat, and when “men were men.” Even the name “clubhouse” invokes that sense of old boys exclusivity.

Trunk Club’s first television advertisement plays with this idea as well. Scenes of boys and young men taking their first drink, starting a new car, paging through dirty magazines for the first time are followed by the statement, “Many things have made

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Photos left to right: “Stand-out socks” trunkclub.com; chicagotribune. com; themidwasteland.com; nordstrom.com; trunkclub.com; trunkclub.com; nordstrom.com; trunkclub.com

you a man. Trunk Club will make you a better dressed one.” It even ends with the freshly dressed Trunk Club man meeting an impressed woman for a date.

“I’m not here to change anyone,” says Jenny Ingersoll, a stylist at Trunk Club Chicago. Looking through the visual advertisements and the styles presented in customers’ boxes, however, revealed homogeneous elements. This could be an unavoidable symptom of day-to-day menswear or maybe it is part of the appeal.

The clothing becomes a membership card, showing that the Trunk Club customer is in a group of well-to-do men, who outsource their clothing choices, drink whiskey, and listen to NPR. The key to innovation may be found in maintaining a connection to the past and the familiarity and comfort derived from that connection. As Trunk Club expands into the broader US market and as of last July, into women’s apparel, it remains to be seen if this amalgam of past, present, and future will continue to propel the company forward.

Members of the Trunk Club styling team

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BEAUTY

Photos, clockwise: thesundaygirl.com, tamirajarrell.com, wesanderson.org, youresopretty.com, tamirajarrell.com, thehairpin.com

BLOGGERS

5 Beauty Bloggers Worth Following BY MARTA BAKULA

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egardless of how often you choose to wear makeup, switch hairstyles, or dabble into skincare, there always seems to be more to learn about the beauty industry. Given the wealth of products on the market and the accompanying beauty tips that follow, it can be difficult for any single person to master all of this information. Luckily, there are people out there who are willing to help!

By sharing their tricks of the trade, many bloggers have created names for themselves in the beauty industry. Whether they are testing products or sharing makeup tutorials, beauty bloggers post about everything related to making people look and feel like the best versions of themselves.

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1. Cult of Pretty: Cult of Pretty is run by Ann Colville Somma, who has worked in the beauty industry for over 10 years in product development. Her blog features reviews of all things beauty: from nails, to haircare, to makeup, and skincare.

Somma reviews new products and old favorites daily, ensuring that her 500,000+ followers are getting the best advice before making beauty purchases.

2. Beauty Bets: Minnesota native Elizabeth Dehn founded her blog, Beauty Bets, on a slightly different approach than most others. She often chooses to review makeup that has an all-natural set of ingredients. Many of the articles, such as “How to Choose the Right Shade of Red Lipstick” or “Best Natural Sunscreens” also appeal to a wide reader audience, ensuring that everyone can find useful tips on this blog.

3. Beauty is Boring: Beauty is Boring is a unique blog, because it is also a compilation of photographs that are meant to stand together as a photo essay. Robin Black is the blogger, photographer, and makeup artist on her website, which features reviews, tutorials, and simple photographs of models 4. The Raeview: wearing the products that she is describing.

The Raeview is a blog based upon product The blog features a more high-fashion reviews and tutorials. Its founder Rae, a former approach to the beauty industry that freelance makeup artist, initially launched a YouTube may be suitable for more advanced How-To & Style channel in 2010, but added an accompamakeup users. nying blog the following year. Rae reviews almost every product under the sun, from some of the most high-end products to drugstore brands. Her honest opinions as a makeup guru are incredibly useful to the less informed makeup purchasers.

5. Michelle Phan: One of the most popular names in the industry, Michelle Phan created her beauty empire on YouTube, with her elaborate, yet easy-to-follow makeup tutorials.

Over the years, her following expanded rapidly to 8 million subscribers, and led her to start her own makeup line, create a blog website, and publish her own book. Phan’s blog is a great place to turn to for the latest beauty tips because of its versatility. Articles are grouped based on various categories, including fashion, wellness, art, and knowledge.

However, the beauty section remains most prominent, and gives an excellent set of tips and tricks, many of which are specifically targeted towards beginners.

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Etsy vs. Amazon Photos courtesy of Etsy blog.

Article by Kavya Garikipati

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mazon is the largest Internet-based retailer in the United States - the name is basically synonymous with online shopping itself. The e-commerce giant started off as an online bookstore, but quickly diversified its product array to become a one-stop destination for consumer electronics, fashion, media, pantry items, and much more. On the other end of the spectrum, we have Etsy. Founded ten years ago as a humble peer-to-peer e-commerce website, Etsy prides itself on its selection of unique handmade and vintage items. Until very recently, both websites existed comfortably in their own niches. However, on October 8, 2015, Amazon launched “Handmade at Amazon,” a site that showcases homemade and handcrafted goods, positioning themselves as potential competitors to Etsy.

Instinctively, it seems odd for the biggest player in the online retail space to expand into the handicraft space. Handmade goods are coveted because of their uniqueness, the personal touches that come from being made in small batches by non-corporate sellers. It’s hard to associate Amazon’s brand (with its infinite inventory and millions of daily users) with unique and homemade trinkets. Etsy’s brand on the other hand, has stayed fairly consistent over the past decade, allowing creative entrepreneurs to pursue their passion while offering products to consumers that simply would not be openly available otherwise.

That’s not to say Amazon’s attempt here is misguided. Ironic as it may seem, smaller websites like

Etsy have brought quirky vintage and handmade items so far into popular consciousness. Before Etsy, a lot of these items were difficult for the average customer to purchase and were also often fairly expensive. In light of their new popularity, it makes sense that a large player like Amazon would step in to capitalize on this demand. Amazon boasts a huge delivery network and brand recognition which ensured that Handmade launched with about 5,000 sellers from over 60 countries, offering 80,000 items. In comparison, Etsy counted 1.5 million sellers and 21.7 million buyers as of June this year.

Another key distinction comes up in the way the two companies choose to define “handmade.” For Etsy, the label means that all products need to be designed by the seller. Any outside help is reviewed by Etsy’s manufacturing review process. Amazon requires that all handmade products are entirely hand-assembled, by companies with fewer than 20 people or collectives with fewer than 100 people. Of course, Etsy has had years of experience through which to shape their definition, so it will be interesting to see if Amazon becomes more flexible with their handmade product selection in the future.

Both companies are providing customers with unique and creative pieces that don’t feel like they came out of just another manufacturing assembly line. However, there’s nothing that suggests that one must necessarily triumph over the other. The beauty of online shopping is that customers can expand their selection at almost no additional cost, so as long as both websites provide high-quality selections, there should be enough demand to go around.

“Smaller websites like Etsy have brought quirky vintage and handmade items so far into popular consciousness.”

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POP! remix

By Andrew Nicotra Reilly

T Dior collection inspired by Warhol: exhibitioninquisition.files.wordpress. com; Moschino purse: wonderwallfashion.files.wordpress.com; warhol shirts sprzny.uniqlo.com; lostinternet.com; hipstersleek.com

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he Pop! Art movement is most closely associated with artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.

However, this movement has begun to invade many elements of the fashion world - and has therefore left a mark on both high fashion as well as many more affordable lines. Perhaps the most obvious manifestation of this movement is Uniqlo’s SPRZ NY line of “wearable art.” The line features clothing with artists including Basquiat, Keith Haring, and of course, Andy Warhol. Here we see a literal manifestation of the Pop art aesthetic in fashion. Even Nike has released shoes with Roy Lichtenstein images on them, as did Converse.

These images have, thus, become a part of the vernacular of street fashion.

This relationship between Pop art and fashion has also infiltrated the high fashion world. In 2013, Dior launched a line that used recurring sketches by Andy Warhol. The bridge of the fashion and art worlds cannot be understated here; many of the great designers run in the same crowds as the artists with whom they choose to collaborate with. More recently, Jeremy Scott translated the Pop art aesthetic into fashion for Moschino. His use of iconography, strong colors, and prints is a true synthesis of these two worlds. It is in this way that high fashion has been bridged to consumerist art. One of the most striking characteristics of the line is the use of an abstracted McDonald’s arch as a symbol for the Moschino M. It is this celebration, or exploitation of consumerist cul-

ture that is in line with the Pop art movement.

It is also the combination of “low” art and high society that was central to the success of the Pop art movement, which can also be seen as a pervasive concept in modern fashion.

The Pop art movement finds inspiration in the aesthetic and use of consumerist iconography as well as a complete respect for manufactured production. These aesthetic movements have found their way into many fashion lines, even when they are not expressly concerned with Pop art as an art movement. In some respects, the increased importance of logos on clothing embodies these ideas. The repeated use of the Louis Vuitton logo is a prime example of this type of thinking. The repetitive logos call to mind the motions of the assembly line. Consumers have implicitly accepted these values into their daily lives. Branded merchandise has become increasingly popular. This is representative of consumer tendencies, and therefore an acceptance of many Pop art ideals. Even when Pop art isn’t directly referenced in clothing, it is accepted as a part of the fashion world. It is for these reasons that Pop art is here to stay.

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MODAfeatures

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Article by Louise Simpson

he University of Chicago is notable for its combination of historic, gothic architecture seen in the quadrangle with modern buildings boasting advanced technology, such as Mansueto library. From the Robie House to the Logan Center, the University prides itself on architectural history and advancements. Luckily, students are now able to further delve into this topic with the new Architectural Studies minor in the Art History department. The program emphasizes the analysis of the changing history of the built environment and merges an art historical lens with classes concerning architectural or urban topics from other

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departments. Professor Chelsea Foxwell believes there is an increasing interest in architecture, urban studies and the built environment on campus. “We want to introduce students to professors and other specialists who would be able to give them advice on continuing their pursuit of these areas after graduation,�

Foxwell said.

The minor prepares students considering applying to architecture school, but also complements majors in the social sciences or humanities by analyzing historical and social contexts of the built environment in a variety of disciplines. Although the minor is widely applicable, the

Photo: Booth School of Business (rvapc.com)

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Photos from top to bottom: Rockefeller Chapel (uchicago.edu), Harper Memorial Library (flickr. com), Mansueto Library (uchicago.edu)

department has recruited professors with architectural expertise. Professor Katherine Taylor noted that in addition to the creation of the Architectural Studies minor this fall, the Art History department expanded its faculty from two to four architectural historians.

“We’d like to be able to add an introductory architecture studio course taught by an architect,” Professor Taylor said, on the department’s plans for the future.

“The kind of spatial analysis that architects do and the analytic tools they use would be helpful to anyone interested in the built environment, not only to students considering to apply to architecture schools. We’re working on it.”

Just as students are able to take classes across a variety of departments, the Career Exploration Forum has planned many events to introduce students to careers relating to architecture, but relating to other topics as well. Students attending these events will be provided the opportunity to learn about potential careers from professionals in areas such as urban planning and historic preservation. In taking a wide variety of classes at the University for the architecture minor, students will similarly be exposed to

many areas of interest and potential careers.

Currently, the University offers an “Intro to Architecture” course examining the University of Chicago’s campus architecture and history, as well as other architecture courses examining buildings in the Chicago area. As the site of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago has a very fruitful and interesting architectural history. In addition, The Chicago Studies department offers a quarter-long Study Chicago program, which includes analyses of Chicago’s urban geography.

Those interested in the subject may also wish to join Architecture Study Experience, Chicago (ASEC), which is an RSO exploring the built environment through site visits, speakers, and student presentations.

Students are also able to major in architectural studies by majoring in art history and specializing. The architectural minor will allow students intrigued by architecture as well as those wishing to pursue a career in the field an opportunity to further explore and refine their interests through a variety of disciplines. Exploring both the architecture present at the University as well as the city of Chicago will provide students a hands-on and in-depth vessel for observation and creativity.

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WALKING

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FINE line Article by Shayla Harris

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his past summer, street style was flooded with people of all ethnicities rocking dashikis, a traditionally West African garment. Elle Canada even named dashikis the newest “it” item with little regard to the culture that this clothing came from. Elle UK previously featured artist Pharrell wearing a Native American headdress, causing backlash among some readers, while not phasing others. This cultural symbol has become somewhat cliché in fashion, especially among specific events such as music festivals. Western designers often think these fashion statements are thought provoking, but using a headdress as a mere decorative item ignores the spiritual significance it holds in Native American culture.

Designers are hungry for inspiration. Competition and pressure to create the next new trend pushes designers into dangerous territory. Consequently, cultural symbols are frivolously employed in Western fashion in an attempt to push the envelope and go against the grain. Appropriating culture, however, can hardly be considered creative. It’s clear that the designers themselves aren’t creating an entirely new design; even defenders of cultural appropriation often refer to it as “borrowing.” If it’s unimaginative for a designer to imitate another designer, how can we justify the replication of cultural symbols as a valued form of creative expression? While cultural appropriation presents problems in how we value art and fashion, it also begets greater questions than if recycling trends is cutting-edge.

In presenting cultural objects as new trends, the Western world is flaunting its ignorance and privilege.

With history dating back centuries, there is nothing new about a war bonnet and to suggest otherwise demeans the Native American culture. It denies the cultural traditions behind headdresses, and makes the Western rediscovery more important than its original creation. There is a negative irony in Western culture “borrowing” from the culture they oppressed. Cultural appropriation is narcissistic. By naming dashikis the “new it item,” Elle Canada disregarded the place the garment has long had in West African culture, telling the world that certain trends are only relevant when the West adopts them.

Those who claim to be paying homage often modify the term cultural appropriation to cultural inspiration.

However, appropriated trends often lose their cultural significance, which in turn devalues the culture. Furthermore, appropriation often leads to commercialization. This leads to mass production, which is especially undermining to items like war bonnets. For Native Americans, the act of making their headdress was a ritualistic practice itself. This is completely ignored in the process of mass production, which aims not to spread awareness about the culture, but instead to make money and neglects the cultures from which these are “borrowed.”

For cultural appropriation to truly be transformed into homage, the replication of culturally significant items should be used as a way to uplift that culture itself - not exploit it. The fashion industry has yet to find a way to do this, as many designers and editors walk on a fine line that it is nearly impossible to be respectfully creative.

MODAthinkpiece

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A discussion on the democritization of fashion

BY JASON ZHAO

imes, as they say, are a-changin’. We live in a world that is perhaps more inclusive than ever before, and the world of fashion is no different.

Never has fashion been in the hands of a wider base of people. Gone are the days when fashion meant haute couture – when to be on trend meant visiting one of six authorized couture houses. Though we could attribute some of this shift to Yves Saint Laurent, et al making prêt-a-porter, and especially streetwear, an object of prestige, there’s a much simpler explanation for the wane of couture: while complex and beautiful, haute couture never turns a profit.

None of this, though, is news. The steady decay of haute couture (despite the recent doubling of haute couture houses) is hardly novel. What is, however, is the rapidity with which technology is advancing and how that even further lowers cost. As both supply chains and manufacturing infrastructure have become more efficient, consumers have a greater variety of choices at their fingertips, and at cheaper prices. The meteoric rise of fast-fashion chains like H&M, Zara and Uniqlo has made trendier pieces accessible to the public. Further, growing e-commerce and Internet communities have made branching out into high fashion easier than it has ever been. Living outside of a major metropolitan area no longer means being doomed to mall brands, and a decreased need for physical storefronts has allowed for an outcropping of independent brands and startups that can provide luxury products at prices that undercut larger houses. With the advent of affordable yet stylish clothing, the line between the fashion elite and the common person has blurred.

All of this amounts to a very significant change in how the industry relates to its customers. Consumers want not only greater access to fashionable clothing, but to informaPhoto: youtube.com.

tion as well. It’s no longer the closed-off, impenetrable elite of fashion who allow a select few of us to catch a glimpse of their genius twice a year; now it’s behind-the-scenes Instagram posts, Fashion Week Snapchat stories, and brandcustomer relationship-building. The fashion industry is increasingly consumer facing, not just in pricing but in marketing as well.

But how does the growing democratization and consumer influence in fashion impact fashion as an art form?

Is this large, involved consumer base, as one op-ed writer for Business of Fashion put it, a “democratic disease”?

There are many who make critiques of a consumer-oriented approach to fashion. They claim that catering to the common denominator stifles creativity. How can we create something new, something daring, when we have to cater to the masses?

Yet, at the end of the day, the fashion business is just that– a business. There’s a very real need for revenue. While it’s true that pandering to consumers has lead to uninspired and poorly-constructed diffusion lines filling up tourist-trap outlet malls, one would be hard-pressed to connect that to the death of high fashion. Hemorrhaging money for the sake of art isn’t a sustainable business model. Fashion houses need to sell products that let them stay afloat. This compromise is, in actuality, keeping fashion alive.

Straight-to-outlet designs, while stale, are an entryway. As consumers become more heavily interested in fashion, they’ll look to differentiate themselves. That’s when they’ll turn to more daring silhouettes and patterns. No one jumps straight from Walmart to Rick Owens. At the end of the day, even niche designers have to depend on a customer base, and if there are more people who can be exposed to fashion, that’s more sustainable support for a larger variety of designers, and a larger variety of designs, down the line.

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MODAOpEd

OpEd by Mark Kumleben This article reflects the opinion of the writer.

Photo: Gustin jeans, internationalthreads.com.

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rowdsouced brands slap a new interface on to an old practice. Crowdfunding – the financial base, and the interesting part - has its advantages. Companies don’t produce excess stock, and they can offer tough returns policies. Traditional retailing has higher sticker prices, but savvy shoppers get deals on sale. In crowdfunding, on the other hand, you pay a little in delivery time and a lot in risk. Crowdfunders need marketing before production.

With no reputation, crowdfunders usually use one of two strategies: over-promising or buzzwords. Every single shoe – yes, even the sneakers - on Kickstarter is Horween Goodyear Chrome-Excel-welted with Vibram laces and a miUSA handkerchief for tears when the cheap leather wrinkles like Grandma’s neck. Don’t cry into the boots, because the insole’s cardboard. That’s the Thursday Boot Co., and Gustin’s no better. For your $200, you could get seconds from a real bootmaker. Crowdsourcers have to choose between gargantuan suppliers (almost every Kickstarter jean is Cone Mills) or risking a smaller, likely corner-cutting factory. The rubes have put their money down. And this is the real problem – internet users are hype-driven morons.

Modern crowdsourcing started with a twist on printyour-own-t-shirt websites, where users voted on designs.

I’m sure they had hilarious pop-culture jokes, but graphic tees are only fashion as ugly cash cows for streetwear brands. These tshirt sites brought crowdsourcing to the mass market, but the form begun in high-end workshops.

Group made-to-orders have been a staple for high-quality shoemakers since the first enthusiasts built primitive online forums. With enough takers, the shoemaker waives their MTO fee. None go unsold, and enthusiasts

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get their dream shoe. The refined taste of MTO groups usually means exceptional pieces, with a boldness readyto-wear rarely equals. Many shoemakers, from Viberg to Vass, have run large MTOs with enthusiast communities, and successful groups influence production decisions.

Crowdsourcing has another niche. I’m not talking about over promised ‘technical’ crap. If you want a spandex ‘travel blazer’ with fifty pockets, or perfect mountainclimbing jeans, you deserve what you’ll get. Crowdsourcing, thanks to crowdfunding, can offer runs of pieces for uncommon body types.

From tiny women to bulbous bodybuilders, crowdsourcers can clothe them. Tucked away among identical Cone Mills MIUSA jeans on Kickstarter are plenty of Kickstarters for the guys so jacked they shred Levis with their titanic quads. Petite women, larger in number if not in biomass, can use crowdfunding’s wider size range or specific companies like the Petite Shop, which crowdfunds petite runs from other labels. Group MTOs work for this, too – they’re often the only way for guys with Sasquatch, ballerina, or mismatched feet to get shoes at list price.

So far I haven’t mentioned straight-up crowdsourcing sites, like Before The Label. They’re crap. The jewelry’s fine, if your phone can’t load Etsy. I won’t sully these pages with a description of their clothes. Design is not a democracy; “Fashion” and “crowd” are ideas of opposite polarities. Mushing them together leaves squishy mediocrity where fashion once was. Democracy, said H.L. Mencken, is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard. As for Donald Trump, so for ugly dresses. Crowdfunding has its niches; crowdsourcing has none.

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MODA Winter 2015

Fashion in the Real World ARTICLE BY JUSTIN DONNELLY

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n the 1920s, advertisers discovered the power of market research as a tool for improving the effectiveness of radio ads. Today, in our Age of Information, these tools have been made available to businesses of countless varieties, including those in the fashion industry. The first fashion forecasting firms emerged in the 1990s; today, a global market demands their services. These firms are consulted by designers, buyers, and corporate officials to analyze trends that the industry can then capitalize on to market their product. In our data-driven wonderland, fashion is increasingly the product of an empirical analysis of the culture of its consumers.

The impact of this research has been significant. WGSN, the leading firm in fashion forecasting consultation, claims FILA, Marks & Spencer, and Nordstrom among its clients. WGSN analyzes current events, pop culture, demographic and cultural trends, politics, the economy, the environment, and even developments in science and technology. For an individually negotiated fee, it then distills this incomprehensible amount of information into business insights. How does one design a new outfit at any given time to maximize sales? Which designers are the best to buy from in the upcoming season?

To a company like Nordstrom, these answers could be worth millions.

Furthermore, walk into any fast-fashion retailer today and it is not hard to see the influence of short-term predictions at work.

Graphic tees displaying album artwork and hoodies that seem more up to date on the

news than the store’s shoppers can be seen scattered among the New Arrivals. But far from simply putting recent developments on clothing, fast fashion has had a major impact on luxury designers as well. Feeling the pressure from the growing, highly profitable business model of fast fashion, designers have turned to the very same fashion forecasters to help them successfully provide larger collections, second lines, and a more rapid turnover rate.

Even the ever-increasing importance of branding in modern fashion can be connected to this kind of research. The kind of trust that consumers place in a brand, as well as the status such a brand confers, is astronomically valuable, and prominently displayed logos signaling the designer or seller of an item are fundamental to securing that value.

In discovering the utility of big data and social science in fashion, we have imparted upon it a more serious nature: it is no longer simply the aesthetic vision of a designer, but rather a reflection of public trends – arguably a more accurate one than ever before.

Fashion today incorporates everything from political thought to Internet memes. As a new vessel for our culture, it has the capacity to influence and comment on that culture, and is therefore now all of our responsibility.

The purity of an artist’s vision in our clothing may be lower. Perhaps the industry is corrupting an important form of expression for greater profit margins. But there is no doubt that we are also experiencing a democratization of what’s “in” next season.

Photo: studiodiy.com.

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MODAfeatures

PRINT DESIGN

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Article by Kathryn Hicks

ver the last couple of years, the realm of 3D printing has revolutionized many industries by improving the ability to create quick mockups, models, and prototypes. This new technology is quickly advancing into the fashion realm, as seen through the works of designers such as Iris van Herpen and companies like Adidas. From shoes to accessories that fuse technology and fashion, 3D print design adds an extra dimension to creativity in the ever expanding fashion market.

At her Spring 2015 showcase in Paris, Iris van Herpen was noticed for her ice-like 3D-printed dress.

In the past, van Herpen has been known for her innovative uses of 3D printing technology in her designs. The featured transparent crystalline dress was fully 3D printed with SLA technology, a 3D printing technique in which the dress was formed from a vat of liquid photopolymer that hardened with passes of UV light. The dress was custom made for the Dutch model Iekeliene Stange, after a 3D scan of the model was performed. Though beautiful and ice-like, the innovative dress has its limitations on the catwalk because the synthetic polymers lack flexibility. The dress is purely haute couture, as the rigidity of the material causes the dress to fit the one scanned model and prohibits sitting down and other daily tasks. Ultimately, the collection showcases the new areas of fashion design 3D printing unlocks, although leaves these aspects of creativity on the runway.

However, there are many instances in which fashionable 3D printing has left the runway, full of form and function. For example, 3D printing has led to an improvement in customizability in the world of orthopedics. Adidas, in particular, has ventured into the 3D printing domain to create customized and orthotic shoes. They recently announced their Futurecraft soles which will be custom fit to the wearer’s feet. This process allows the company to create an exact compliment to the wearer’s soles, complete with contours and pressure points, allowing the wearer to have the best possible running and active experience.

Although still in the initial stages of development, the project has great promise of soon being able to scan customer’s feet in store and being able to print perfectly custom soles for their shoes. In contrast to the rigid crystalline dresses of the runway, Adidas’s Futurecraft project embodies the practical advances that 3D printing brings to the fashion industry. Overall, the projects of Iris van Herpen and Adidas exemplify the new creative and statement making applications of 3D printing and technology in today’s fashion industry.

Photo: Iris van Herpen (lefigaro.com).

Smell The Roses F A S T

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Article by Meredith McDonough

hen I was 17, I found the coat. Modern Burberry raincoat, trench length. In love, I steeled myself and checked the price tag. Cringe. With a sad sigh, I hung it back up on the rack. But I kept going back and forth. My lifeguard salary didn’t exactly support such purchases, but then again, how long had I wanted a coat like this? And how long would this well-made coat last me?

Since “forever” was the answer to both of those questions, I wound up buying it. I wear it more than anything I’ve ever owned, and while the $10 Forever 21 skirt I bought for Halloween probably won’t make it to next season, this coat will last until I’m 40.

For years, there have been two options in the fashion market for the average consumer: buy fewer, nicer things, or more, cheaper things. It’s a simple, algebraic choice between quality or quantity. I personally prefer the former method—to this day, I have only that one nice coat—but many find themselves firmly in the other camp.

The logic of “fast fashion” is very appealing: runway looks for a sliver of their high fashion counterparts’ price.

Fast fashion leaders like H&M, Target, ZARA, and Forever 21 turn out new product lines as often as every two weeks, amounting to thousands of new items each year. Unfortunately, fast fashion does have some negative consequences.

Many argue that fast fashion has changed the way we think about clothes. Fast fashion pieces aren’t built to last, so we as consumers don’t view them as a long-term part of our wardrobe. High fashion items ask us to invest emotionally and financially, and deliver long-lasting, high-quality, traditional craftsmanship. Fast fashion is bought more flippantly—we don’t need to love something to own it. This can actually wind up costing more than a few high fashion investments over time, as fast fashion items often need replacing. Also, the environmental cost of fast fashion certainly surpasses that of high fashion. An industry fueled

by assured disrepair and/or promised obsolescence, fast fashion has dramatically shortened the store-to-landfill life cycle of apparel.

Some high fashion brands have embraced the fast fashion trend by offering limited edition collections in conjunction with a mass market retailer. In the past few years, Target has worked with designers like 3.1 Phillip Lim and Jason Wu; H&M with Versace and Balmain. These collaborations give consumers a chance to experience the luxury of wearing a top designer without the cost associated with high fashion. Designer style and a price tag that doesn’t make your debit card shed a tear. How can you lose?

The decay of fashion is especially evident in these designer-retailer collaborations. Like the 3am opening of stores on Black Friday, these events whip customers into an animalistic frenzy. People rush into the store, grabbing anything they can from the collection. Retailers’ websites sometimes crash due to the sheer volume of web traffic.

There’s something about this madness that’s inconsistent with the sophistication and grace of the art of fashion. And once the mania has subsided, customers are the proud owners of collaboration pieces that simply aren’t made with the same care as the designer’s own work, but cost more than an average fast fashion garment because they bear the designer’s name.

While this industry opens up the world of designer style to the masses, the irony of the low-price revolution is that it is achieved at a great cost. Fast fashion takes a toll on the economy, the environment, and the very nature of fashion itself, and the interaction of high-end and lowend retailers is the worst of both worlds: lower quality than high-end, and higher price than low-end. I will always remain a proponent of owning one Burberry coat instead of six H&M ones, but I don’t think fast fashion needs to come to a halt—it just needs to slow down.

Photo: glow.gr.

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“ reinventing the

RUNWAY

MODA Writer, Olivia Jia, explores the shift from runway shows to more innovative ways to display collections.

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I’m questioning a lot, I feel a lot of people are questioning.

We have a lot of conversation about it: Where is it [the fashion industry] going? It’s not only the clothes… it’s everything,” lamented Raf Simons before the unveiling of his final collection for Dior this past October (Women’s Wear Daily.)

Simons is not alone in these sentiments. The increasingly impersonal scope of the fashion world has left many dissatisfied with the industry’s alienating growth. Following Simons’ departure from Dior, Suzy Menkes, a fashion journalist for Vogue UK published the article “Why Fashion is Crashing,” highlighting the overwhelming institutional, corporate and creative demands placed on designers.

The Guardian similarly posted an article in light of creative director Alber Elbaz’s dismissal from Lanvin, that addressed concerns about the sustainability of the industry’s current business model.

Clearly, the rise of social media, celebrities, fast fashion and the commercialization of Fashion Week are provoking major structural shifts within the industry. Campaigns and magazine covers are now revealed over Instagram weeks before their release in print and coverage of flashy runway shows and the front row has stolen the spotlight from the actual clothes. Within this turmoil to which Simons refers to, there appears to be a growing divide between the designers who are willing to compete in this environment and those who seek to define their brands against this emerging fashion industrial complex. Creativity and ingenuity is abundant on both fronts, but designers diverge socially and economically with regard to how they chose to unveil their new collections.

With the success of a brand increasingly dependent on their number of YouTube views or retweets, the fashion world has become subject to our generation’s notoriously short attention span.

As a result, in order to gain exposure, designers have to constantly reinvent the wheel–the trademark runway show of old doesn’t yield the same impact when compared alongside today’s more elaborate

presentations.

Flashy, atypical approaches to runway presentations have proliferated Fashion Week in recent years.

According to the website Vogue Runway, the most viewed shows from this past Spring/Summer 2016 ready-to-wear season drew millions of online readers, with Chanel coming in at number one with 4,265,576 views. This is not surprising given that the label installed a to-scale airport in Paris’ Grand Palais (Vogue Runway.)

On the opposite end of the spectrum are those designers who eschew the world of runway extravaganzas altogether. Choosing to showcase their collections via showrooms, performances or parties, these alternatives to the runway allow industry workers to interact with designers and their brands on a more immediate and authentic level and cost considerably less than constructing massive sets or relocating shows to different cities each season.

For example, London based designer Molly Goddard showcased her Fall/Winter 2015 ready-to-wear collection by throwing a private party. Close friends of the designer wore pieces from the collection and took turns drawing a live model, allowing guests to view the clothes in action and experience Goddard’s unique aesthetic vision. Clearly, creativity is by no means stifled by the smaller scale and slower pace of these alternative approaches, and the intimacy of these events allows designers to provide their audiences with a more authentic experience and understanding of their brand.

Although a runway show slot during Fashion Week is still considered the hallmark of success for emerging labels and the competition generated by designers trying to redefine the runway creates a pressure cooker for creativity, perhaps a return to fashion’s roots is a much needed change of scenery. After all, at what point does the show itself distract from the clothes on display?

“These alternatives to the runway allow industry workers to interact with designers and their brands.”

Photos, clockwise: discoverandescape.com, purple.fr, discoverandescape.com, polyesterzine.com, styleblog. ca, lariatnews.com

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MODAinterviews

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Dolly Singh

ashion technology is changing the way we look at both industries: how can physics and engineering make clothing that is more comfortable, wearable, and practical, while still maintaining the stylish aesthetic? The high heel has been a part of Western fashion since the late 1500s, and hasn’t really changed since. Anyone who has worn high heels for a full night can attest that they are killer on the feet, but over time can cause actual damage.

While working for aerospace technology companies in Los Angeles, shoe fanatic Dolly Singh found it problematic that we have built rockets but not comfortable high heels. That’s why she founded Thesis Couture, the company that will change the way you think about heels. MODA sat down with Singh to find out what it is like to work for a new company that is reinventing a classic, wardrobe staple.

MODA: What is Thesis Couture?

Dolly Singh: Thesis is a fashion technology company focused on reinventing the high heel shoe using engineering and physics.

MODA: Would you label it as a more of a technology or

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fashion company? Or something else?

DS: Once you say, “fashion tech,” people think digital gadgets, but Thesis is more of a fashion engineering company.

We are marrying the lessons of technology and engineering with the existing fashion industry MODA: How do Thesis shoes differ from other high heels?

Have you tried them?

DS: When studying the physics of high heels, one key aspect is load distribution: how does your body weight distribute across the structure you are walking and standing on? In classic high heels, 80% of a woman’s weight is on balls of her feet. Thesis hopes to reduce that to 50% with a better structural plane. Traditionally, high heels have a poor frame, with the wearer balancing on one metal rod.

Thesis is developing a better set of bones for the geometry of the foot. The challenge has been to keep the design inside the aesthetic; creating sexy shoes that are better for you.

We have tried the 3D printed prototypes, but they will be different from the final product, which should be ready in the next 8 weeks.

MODA: What did you do before Thesis, and what inspired you to start your own company?

DS: Before Thesis, I worked as the Head of Talent Acquisition at SpaceX [the aerospace technology company founded

by Elon Musk] where I grew the team from 200 employees

MODAinterviews

MODA Special Features Editor, Meredith Esquivel, chats with Dolly Singh, the founder of Thesis Couture. The company is working to solve the age-old pain of comfortable heels.

Shoe pictured center-left inspired by MARGARET HAMILTON: “A computer scientist and systems engineer who helped develop the on-board software for the Apollo space program.“

Images courtesy of Thesis Couture

to over 3,000.

MODA: How did you get an astronaut and a rocket scientist to join your team, and what insight do they bring to re-designing high heels?

DS: I worked at SpaceX for almost 6 years, and I met the astronaut and rocket scientist there. They were colleagues and friends, so when I started thinking about the problem with high heels, I went to them to balance my design thinking. Does my solution make sense from an engineering standpoint? I had been around so many engineers that I thought I had an idea if it made sense, but I tried to build as diverse a team as possible to get the best solution. Garret Reisman [the astronaut] has a PhD in mechanical engineering, Hans Koenigsmann [the rocket scientist] studied dynamics and complex objects in motion. We also have an orthopedic surgeon, an expert in polymers, and a fashion scientist on our team. Everyone has a different background so they attack the problem in different ways.

MODA: You plan to launch your first collection next year with a pair of shoes selling between $400-$900, depending on the style. What kind of styles will you be featuring?

DS: The first collection will be 4-inch stilettos. They will be sexy shoes, think Jimmy Choo or Christian Louboutin.

MODA: Do you plan on expanding to other styles and price ranges?

DS: Yes, after the first 2 years.

MODA: What is your favorite part of working for Thesis?

DS: I am obsessed with shoes, and love thinking about shoes all day so it is really fun.

MODA: What challenges do you experience working for a new company?

DS: Founding a company is creating something from nothing, so it is a lot of work. You have to get everything done in the same 24 hours that everyone else has. It’s about balancing schedule and product. Creating a perfect product can be the enemy of a good schedule and budget, so you have to balance how far you can go to make a product people will love without compromising those logistics.

MODA: If you could re-invent another clothing item or accessory, what would it be?

DS: I hate pants in general. I don’t like super-low rise, because when you sit down people can see your behind, but I don’t like mid-rise or high-rise because I don’t like having that part of the pant on my stomach. I would design pants that are low-rise in the front and high in the back, making sure they are super wearable and stylish.

The first full collection of day and evening styles will be available in Spring 2016, and will be priced within the classic American luxury bracket of $350 to $950.

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MODAinterviews

Alumni Roll Call: Justin Stankiewicz Inteview by MODA Magazine Board Advisor, Mary Pierce.

Class of 2006 Occupation: Sales Manager / Account Director at Carolina Herrera Location: New York, NY

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ODA: What did you major in and why did you choose that?

Justin Stankiewicz: I changed my major three times at U of C. I basically got weeded out of all of the weeder classes. I started with Bio-Chem, switched to Econ, and then finally settled on Psychology when my GPA sufficiently dropped below a 3.0.

MODA: UChicago is really proud of its “life of the mind” education; how has that influenced you post-graduation?

JS: To me, the ‘life of the mind’ education is really a philosophy or way of life. No matter what field one pursues, whether a career in finance or fashion, it’s critically thinking about the approach and always asking questions in the pursuit of knowledge that keeps the ‘life of the mind’ philosophy at work. That’s what separates a University of Chicago graduate from others in a flooded industry, like fashion.

MODA: What was your favorite class or professor at UChicago?

JS: My advisor, Andrea Gates, selected me to take an entrepreneurship class at the business school my senior year with a professor named Waverly Deutsch, which I absolutely loved. It was a fun, hands-on class, which required putting knowledge to work a resourceful, applicable way, which was one of the first times I put my mostly theoretical education into action. It was part project driven and part paper driven, MODA: How did you transition from UChicago to a job in fashion?

JS: I love this question. I would be mortified if I saw half of what I wore back in college, but I always felt like I was ‘fringe’, in some ways. In college, it was mostly a negative feeling of inadequacy about my academic abilities, but really I think it was a repression of creative skill I was yearning to utilize. I loved the craftsmanship of luxury product, but the psychology of luxury fashion had always excited me as well. I started in retail, like

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anyone else, but I was drawn to the corporate side, the ‘luxury’ sale, the cerebral side of how a fashion house makes money, how we use romance and emotion in inimitable ways in the market to produce revenue.

MODA: Tell us about your current position at Carolina Herrera? What does a typical day look like?

JS: I work in wholesale at Carolina Herrera, specifically with retailers like Neiman Marcus or Saks Fifth Avenue across North America to achieve the highest collection sales and sell -throughs possible. In fashion, wholesale is important because that’s where the money is made, but it can be a tricky business because you’re working through the avenue of department stores. Right now, I am doing collection previews/trunk shows for our Spring 16 collection, so I am traveling to stores across the US and giving product presentations to store associates, building relationships with them, learning where we are situated in stores, and having strategic meetings with management to make sure we have the proper support to perform. There are a number of spokes to the wheel when it comes to store visits, but like any sales position, it’s really about relationships. My job is really a compilation of knowledge-providing, customer service, and relationship-building.

MODA: Fashion buying seems so mysterious, how exactly do the clothes go from the runways to boutiques and stores?

JS: Fashion is, indeed, mysterious. A lot of people think we sit around all day sipping cappuccinos and smoking cigarettes, critiquing clothing on models. It’s actually incredibly business minded. A collection starts with design. Once it is created, design passes the buck to sales and we go into what is called ‘market’. As an industry person, this is what I like to call ‘the black hole’ when I disappear for two weeks at the office, but it’s basically a period of time when a fashion house invites the buyers and retailers into the House to view the collection. Usually there will be around 200-400 styles from which they can select, and

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No matter what field one pursues, whether a career in finance or fashion, it’s critically thinking about the approach and always asking questions in the pursuit of knowledge that keeps the ‘life of the mind’ philosophy at work.

the buyers will make a strategic selection within this offering of pieces they believe best suited to sell in their store. Then, it goes to Production to be made in the sizes / units purchases. It’s a cool process and requires partnership from the House and the retailer.

MODA: Why did you choose Carolina Herrera? Did the office espresso machines win you over?

JS: Carolina Herrera actually chose me, to be completely honest with you. Prior to CH, I had been working for a Paris-based couturier and ready-to-wear designer named Giambattista Valli. I got a call on my cell phone from a recruiter who pitched the position, and I went in to hear more. And here we are 2.5 years later.

MODA: When did you know that you wanted to go into fashion? What made you so sure?

JS: I didn’t. I was all over the map. I moved to New York initially to work on Wall Street, which, like most things I did, failed miserably after a month or two. Life is a soul-searching process, and I realized shortly after a few career debacles I needed to be passionate about whatever I did with my life. Retail was a constant thread for me from high school, through college. The craftsmanship of luxury clothing was something with which I emotionally connected in combination for my love of sales. So it was a natural option. I truly searched frantically for what to do with my life when, in some ways, it was right under my nose the whole time.

MODA: What is the most interesting or exciting thing about your job at CH? JS: If you’re at all flighty and ‘onto-the-next’ like I have always tended to be, fashion is always exciting because it is always changing, at least four times a season, and always two seasons ahead. When Spring 16 product is landing in-stores in January 2016, I will already be selling Fall Runway 16 for September.

In addition, it is always emotionally provocative because you see what extraordinary things one of the best design teams in the world creates. It is humbling to see what creative gifts people some people have. I can barely draw a human face without it looking like a runny egg.

MODA: Can you tell us a little about your role in fashion week?

In this overly connected age we seem to have a front row seat, but what is it like behind the scenes?

JS: Fashion isn’t always so glamorous. There is a lot of grunt work involved. I suppose that’s like any job, but more specifically, I am no stranger to steaming clothes, packing trunks, taking red-eyes on airplanes, working weekends, eating in fitting rooms, and all-in-all working until exhaustion. Fashion, contrary to belief, is not for the weak-of-heart. The runway shows are a day of celebration amidst midst of incredible exhaustion for the design team. For sales, it’s a launchpad for market, which is an exhausting and strenuous period of selling, which like any business, must achieve predetermined fiscal targets.

MODA: What is something you wish you knew before entering the real world of fashion?

JS: My boyfriend says “to not enter the world of fashion.” Ha. I wish I had known how small one has to think in order to succeed in this business. It’s really all about the details in fashion. It’s not anything you learn in college or that someone can tell you.

It’s something one picks up from observance and through making a lot of mistakes. It’s an emotional industry, which rewards perceptiveness, anticipation, and embracing an ideology about how the most seemingly inconsequential nuances crucially link to brand image.

MODA: What is something you wish you knew as a first year about UChicago? Do you have any recommendations for someone interested in working in fashion?

JS: Follow your gut. Do what you love. I spent four years of college in search of a route to success based on what I felt was the most lucrative career, as opposed to doing something reflective of my true passions. Do something that excites you- that’s the only way to ensure engagement and perhaps even commitment over a long period of time.

MODA: What are some must have spring wardrobe items?

JS: I don’t necessarily plan by season, but I think that classic timeless fashion is always in. Every girl should have a quality, nude suede pump. It’s a sophisticated way to dress yourself up in a slightly unexpected way (i.e. not matte or patent leather.) It can go back to jeans or an interview dress and feels really chic.

Men? A navy or grey knit blazer. It’s something you can throw on with a t-shirt that is a little more elevated than a cardigan but still allows for comfort and movement. You can also put a nice pressed dress-shirt underneath it and wear it out to dinner.

MODA: What is the color of the season or a trend we should pick up on?

JS: For spring we did pink. Lightness in terms of fabrications and colors. For fall, jewel tones are always in. Emeralds, aubergine purples, garnet red. These are gorgeous, sophisticated noncolor colors that look good mixed and matched or even monochromatic (if you are so bold), and flatter nearly every skin tone.

MODA: How did you survive Chicago winters, fashionably?

JS: I didn’t. At some point a muffler is just a better alternative to icicles coming out of your nostrils. However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve been able to cultivate a nice stable of scarves I can put back to most of my coats, accessorized with brown or black leather gloves, accordingly. I aim to have a nice cohesive picture as opposed to one louder focal piece. I will never forget- I bought this ivory, corduroy long coat from DKNY in college with which I was completely obsessed and had to have. It was $300 and I saved up every penny I had to buy it. Imagine that walking across the Quad. Looking back now I am sure I looked like Little Richard, but at the time I thought I was fabulous. So I blended in with the snow. That was my tactic. Camouflage.

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Gilded Glow Beauty Editor, Michelle DePorto, enlists gold leaf to engage the newest beauty trends to a shining extreme.

Photographer: Daniel Chae Makeup: Michelle DePorto Models: Lilly Astrow, Courtney LabĂŠ, Agwangnjoh Tchadi

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OUTSIDE LOOKING IN To many, fashion exists as a wholly unique form of self reflection. It is not about conforming to standards of beauty or standards of cool. It is not an outlet for following trends, transferable and relateable en masse. It is often strange, thought provoking, and inexplicable, and that is entirely okay.

- Ogonna Obiajunwa, Styling Editor Photographer: Naomy Grand’Pierre Stylists: Liya Khan, Rohit Satishchandra, Lydia Sum, Jena Yang, Kenneth Zhang Models: Allie Cauthorn, Jacob Grayson, Tuyaa Montgomery, Bryan Popoola, Andrea Popova Clothing: Penelope and Mevyn

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BACK TO OUR ROOTS Over the years, MODA has worked with amazing designers and boutiques across Chicago; we’ve explored high-fashion trends and social and cultural issues with clothing. This time, we wanted to turn the spotlight back on the people most important to us: UChicago students. We get the chance to better understand just a few unfiltered sartorial personalities through the favorite outfits of six undergrads.

Each has a sense of style that is fiercely unique and inspired by different aspects of history, society, and culture. Their thoughts served as a reminder that the fashion industry and community should never be a normative, prescriptive entity, but rather a celebration of the creativity each of us has to express through clothing. Fashion and style can mean and do something different for every person; the only factors that tie it all together are passion and thoughtfulness.

Frances Chen, Styling Editor

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PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVID FARR STYLISTS: JUNIL KIM JASMIN LIANG ALEXIS MATTHEWS EMILY MOOS CLOTHING: MODELS’ OWN INTERVIEWS BY MEREDITH ESQUIVEL, SPECIAL FEATURES EDITOR

“DRESS HOW YOU FEEL AND CREATE A VERSATILE WARDROBE. DON’T BE SCARED TO EXPLORE.” KATHERINE SHEN THIRD YEAR ECON AND POLI SCI

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“MY STYLE IS SIMPLE AND CLEAN, BUT WITH A TOUCH OF WEIRD TO MAKE IT INTERESTING.” HAROLD CHEN THIRD YEAR ECON AND VISUAL ARTS

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“I DON’T LIKE TO SACRIFICE COMFORT. THAT DOES RULE SOME LOOKS OUT.” SHREYA SOOD SECOND YEAR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND PHILOSOPHY

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“SOMETHING YOU LEARN AT A VERY EARLY AGE LIVING IN CHICAGO IS THE IMPORTANCE OF LAYERING.” STORM TAFT FIRST YEAR ECON MODA Winter 2015

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“MY STYLE INSPIRATIONS ARE COCO CHANEL, JENNA LYONS, AND FRENCH WOMEN.” ELIORA KATZ THIRD YEAR PHILOSOPHY

Outsiders shoot

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“MY STYLE PHILOSOPHY IS EASY, BREEZY, BEAUTIFUL, GAS STATION.” JURRELL DALY THIRD YEAR FUNDAMENTALS AND VISUAL ARTS

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