Reality, REJEC TED

PHOTOGRAPHY EMILY CUMMINGS, JACK CASEY. STYLING

SCOTLAND GEURINK, JORDAN LONG, JEY

SIRMANS. STYLING

ASSISTANTS CATHERINE GRACE SIGMAN, DELANEY DENTON, GIANNA UVARI, JACK

CAPELL, KATIE EMBRY, LAUREN ROUSH.

HAIR AND MAKEUP

ANNABELLE MARSHALL, JULIA O’NEAL, LUCY

MARSHALL. MODELS

ELLIE ERWIN, JACK

CAPELL, MARIANA PULIDO.

Clara Perlmutter stands in her New York apartment in front of a rack full of eclectic clothing. She styles an outfit abundant with pinks and purples, the centerpiece of which is a fluffy purple…. skirt? The clothing article seems dystopian in its abstraction, made of wildly shaped tulle and geometric cutouts. Her instagram comment section is a battlefield of bafflement. “Not the thneed,” writes one Instagram user; another says, “Your style reminds me of a toddler dressing themselves for the first time.” (Perlmutter, 2022). Perlmutter is no stranger to comments like these since she first began sharing her personal style online under the social media handle @tinyjewishgirl.

Although Perlmutter might not agree, her style seems to break the unspoken rules of fashion. The polarizing effect her style has on her viewers mostly stems from bold mixes of bright colors, eccentric silhouettes, and the occasionally incomprehensible statement piece expected in an editorial spread rather than someone’s everyday wardrobe. High fashion is not something commonly seen off the runway, yet Perlmutter incorporates a great deal of it into her everyday outfits. Her style is rife with designer apparel from Chloé and Jean Paul Gaultier to Marc Jacobs. Her daily wardrobe also consists of outlandish pieces from smaller, independent designers, which, without the credibility of bigger brand names, tend to fall under fire like her so-called “thneed.”

The offending garment in question, aptly called a “fluff”, is a piece from designer Stephanie Uhart. Uhart began crafting her editorial fluff aesthetic during the COVID-19 pandemic, intending the designs to reflect her internal emotional state. In an interview with 1Granary, she states she first thought she would become an artist before settling on fashion design (Lots Of Likes But No Cash: Can Young Avant-Garde