Volume 7 | Issue 4
who’s on staff? editorial EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Natalie Guisinger CREATIVE DIRECTOR Evan Parness PRINT FEATURES EDITOR Deirdre Lee DIGITAL FEATURES EDITOR Melina Schaefer PRINT FASHION EDITORS Nick Farrugia Juan Marquez DIGITAL FASHION EDITOR Jacob Ward DESIGN EDITORS Carly Lucas Mackenzie Schwedt PRINT PHOTO EDITORS Katie Corbett Ryan Little DIGITAL PHOTO EDITOR Rita Vega STREET STYLE EDITOR Lucy Carpenter MANAGING PHOTO EDITOR Alex Andersen VIDEO EDITOR Kendall Ka
business PUBLISHER Colleen Jones MARKETING DIRECTOR Kira Mintzer OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Drisha Gwalani FINANCE COORDINATORS Alex Chessare Deesha Shah EVENTS COORDINATOR Alex McMullen HUMAN RESOURCES COORDINATOR Julia Napiewocki
DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR Alex Sterchele
PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATORS Mackenzie Fleming Gillian Yang
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Hannah Triester
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Liz Haley
ILLUSTRATOR CARLY LUCAS
SHEI /’sh(ay)/ Magazine was founded in 1999 as an Asian Pop Culture Magazine and became affiliated with University of Michigan Student Publications in 2013. Our Digital Magazine, known as SHIFT at the time, was launched in 2015. Since then, SHEI has grown to campus wide recognition as a publication that students can come to for fashion, art, and culture commentary and inspiration.
who’s on staff?
contributing members DIRECTORS Abby Rapoport Isabelle Fisher Jacob Sweat Josie Burck Karly Madey Natalie White WRITERS Benjamin Decker Heba Malik Scotty Lockwood Shannon Yeung
PHOTOGRAPHERS Ally Vern Calin Firlit Devon Kelly Eva Russa Gabby Ceritano Gabrielle Mack Karley Madey Kiki Kastumata-Smith Paulina Rajski Sam Rao Sureet Sarau Youmna Khan GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Camille Andrew Emma Peterson Gabi Mechaber Sophie Levit Taylor Silver
MASTHEAD 02 LETTERS FR FORGOTTEN WA MERGE UNDER CONSTRUCT 1966 M
IN
DISTOR
in this issue
ROM THE EDITORS 08 ATERS 12 E 16 TION 20 MUSTANG GT CONVERTIBLE 22 OOO HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH 28 NTROVERSION CONVERSION 32 DELICACY & STRENGTH 36 RTED INTIMACY 40 WHO IS KING? 44 FRUITS OF INDULGENCE 48 BATH 50 RETURN 54 SECOND HAND MEMOIRS 60 DON’T PITY THE PARTY 66 ADORE YOU 72 DECOLONIZE THE WARDROBE 74 STEALING STYLE 78 MODERN DAY CINDERELLA 82 AT WITS’ END 84 A NIGHT IN 86 SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS 88 BEHIND THE SCENES 92
letter from the editor
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As the fall semester was coming to a close, I procrastinated writing my very last academic college paper by standing alone in my apartment bathroom, slicing off approximately 11 inches of my hair. My 24 inch, chemically-treated blonde mane was something that I’ve styled, preserved, and cherished these past few years, as I have allowed it to grow and grow and grow. Cutting my hair was necessary. Its growth was becoming more of an impracticality, a hindrance. I suppose that I wanted to symbolically get rid of 2020 in some way, wipe the slate clean. I recognize that such an impulsive, cathartic stunt implicates a person is ‘going through something.’ However, I wasn’t really experiencing an identity crisis; I know who I am, and I’m aware that person is always changing. I am fine with always changing.
Did I view my hair as something that was part of me? Sure, it was technically part of my body. Did I see it as something that was part of my identity? No. One assuring quality of hair is its plasticity in appearance- its potential is what allows us to change our self-expression. In this issue, we allowed our editorial team to envision what individuality looks like to them. Our staffs’ experiences and inspirations translate into a breadth of projects that are intimate, meditative, innocent, delicate, nostalgic, and vulnerable. As I write this in January, I think back on just a few weeks ago when I was hopeful for 2021. As we roll into a new decade, many realities maintain. Covid still exists. Domestic terrorism still exists. However, expressing our idiosyncratic selves through art and writing is something that will never be taken away from us.
Natalie Guisinger Editor-In-Chief
independence It’s said that the age of 14 is when you begin to develop your own set of cultural tastes1.Before this age, you might have loved the classic rock your dad played on sleepy road trips through the country, or the jazz your mom cued up as she washed dishes in the kitchen. I know I can’t listen to Dream On by Aerosmith without being transported to the sunny back seat of my dad’s Sport Trac. These songs are special for where they take us, but the songs we listened to at the turn of our lives, the transition from childhood to adulthood, are nothing short of visceral. I remember artists like Florence and the Machine and Mumford and Sons with a fierce nostalgia. Unlike the other songs, which are warm and sweet and fuzzily distant, these come to mind in sharp relief against the strife, turmoil and beautiful anguish of growing up. These are the sounds of my coming of age, which I’ve imprinted my own memories and emotions into. They saved me tears and caused me tears, comforted me and exposed me. Through them I explored life, naked from the past and forging instead a future in the great darkness of adulthood that stretched before me. To have something that’s yours, to be independent of the interests and preferences of your parents, friends and peers, is to build a life that’s yours. First we grasp for music in that darkness, then perhaps books or movies or art. These things are buoys in the vastness of unknowns that come with the plunge of independence. You must face pain, fear, and loneliness that’s all your own at some point, but you are armed with the things you love and curate. In this issue we explore the fears of independence, the oscillation between freedom and free falling. In college, on perhaps the last great frontier of our adult lives, it’s difficult sometimes to come to terms with all the ways in which we could fail, and how that failure would land solely on us. But we also explore the joys of building our supports, the footholds we find in our fashion and our history and the love we choose to share. And if you’re ever feeling like it’s all too much, to grow up and grow out of the protection youth offered, maybe revisit the soundtrack of your early teens. Remember the pride you held in having something just for yourself, in discovering something that spoke to you. As we set out and forge futures, it’s comforting to think about all the beautiful things you’ll find to support you, motivate you and inspire you.
Barnes, Tom. “There’s a ‘Magic Age’ When You Find Your Musical Taste, According to Science.” Mic. Mic, August 14, 2014. 1
Melina Schaefer Digital Features Editor
FORGOTTEN
WATERS
Behind glass Serene flutters In the wild Venom filled monsters Striking and memorable indeed But let us pour our attention Into the forgotten waters Her home and flesh Most deserving of address
On the water she feeds Like the blood we bleed Except that’s literally all she is A bubble of water Clench and unfold Autopilot on survival mode
Even the special immortals Those that wither and reborn When washed ashore Ninety-five percent gone Still subject to weakness Like any other life form
Now if we want to live forever That’s the closest we’ll get Brainless, boneless and heartless But I doubt that’s the eternity We want to possess
If we lent her our mind I think she would feel The push of the currents And the pull of polarity Prevent the pains that penetrate her body And seek for the pleasures within She would choose to protect her environment Because she is her environment And so are we
FASHION / AUTHOR SHANNON YEUNG PHOTOGRAPHER EVAN PARNESS GRAPHIC DESIGNER TAYLOR SILVER MODELS YUKI OBAYASHI ELPIS WONG
PHOTOGRAPHER PAULINA RAJSKI GRAPHIC DESIGNER CARLY LUCAS MODELS MILAN LAZOVSKI KAITLIN QUINN CLAUDIA RAJSKI
Merge represents the blending of gender roles in fashion. In recent years, there has been a progressive shift towards removing gender expectations in clothing. It is important to normalize everyone wearing dresses, skirts, and pantsuits, regardless of the gender they do or do not identify with. Although celebrities have been making efforts to bring light to this issue, they are held upon pedestals while non-celebrities do not have the same protection. Wearing non-traditional clothing must be emphasized in the everyday lives of individuals so it can be normalized and allow anyone who chooses to be able to express themselves in a safe manner. Fashion is both a form of art and activism. By merging the line between gender roles and degenderizing clothing, fashion pushes for a safer world for everyone to live in.
Under Construction DIRECTOR KARLY MADEY GRAPHIC DESIGNER SOPHIE LEVIT MODEL KIMMY PIETERS
The title of my shoot “Under Construction” reflects the chaotic nature of the pandemic redirecting the path of people’s lives. The jobs and internships that got cancelled, the relatives and friends we can’t see, and the places we can’t go are detours that have deeply affected our life journey. We now have to use caution to navigate our daily lives and start rebuilding the way we communicate and survive. I knew that I wanted to use unconventional material to create my outfit because everything about the situation we are in now is very unconventional. I struggled with sewing the caution tape on my outfit, so I had to redirect my design and make it work, which is reflective of the roadblocks that we have all had to overcome during this time. “Under Construction” because all of our lives look a lot different and probably more messy than what we had planned, but we make it work and go up from here.
1966 MUSTANG
GT CONVERTIBLE
PHOTOGRAPHER RITA VEGA GRAPHIC DESIGNER MACKENZIE SCHWEDT MODELS KADE LAHNER TATIANA VEGA
These photos take us back in time to the 60’s. Nowadays peopl be like- we made it a trend. Disposable and film are now in and in modern society. The 1966 Mustang GT Convertible really did t
le have started to get back to retro aspects of what life used to retro clothing as well. I just wanted to bring back a vintage look the trick. I wanted to recreate an era that I always saw myself in.
S I A N E O H E AV O O
AR
NE
A L AP
O E C
TH
It had been a while since I’d sh came to me. COVID had kept me summer, and I had so much cre that I needed to expel. My friend together: we got the car and dr know what would come out of garage as the sun was setting a it was liberating. I really wanted through the posing, composition having spontaneous shoots that expected, and this was definitely
hot when the idea for this shoot e home and inside for most of the eative energy bustling within me d Judy and I did what we do best rove to nowhere. We didn’t really it, but we ended up in a parking and just shot- and let me tell you, d to encompass a heavenly state n, and editing of the photos. I love just turn out so much better than y one of them.
PHOTOGRAPHER GABBY CERITANO GRAPHIC DESIGNER EMMA PETERSON MODEL JUDY EFFENDI
An unexpected warm spell interrupted the familiar brisk, November air. I hadn’t been outside much; Zoom classes and cold weather kept me tethered to the coziness of my room. But, the vibrance of the Ann Arbor campus on a warm day seemed to break that spell. My afternoon started with a final text
avoid when staring at a flowing stream), and maybe a poem or two. Nonetheless, I packed a bag full of art supplies with the subtle hope that I might sit down in a bundle of trees and finally finish a painting. As my dad would say, “I was off.” I’m known for my inability to be alone; I’m not one to lock myself in my room
to my friends reading, “hey I’m headed to the arb if anyone wants to join” knowing full-well that they wouldn’t be coming along. It was a last attempt of mine to avoid a lonesome trip to our university’s famous arboretum. I wasn’t exactly sure what this trip might entail. In the least, I knew that it meant sore feet, reflective thoughts (those that are impossible to
knowing that my housemates are hanging out downstairs. I’m never the person to leave a buzzing room of a party to “be alone with my thoughts for a second.” And if my friends ask me to get food or have a study date, I can assure you that I will be in attendance. My family attributes this behavior to my bubbly personality. However, as I walked through the
introversion
winding paths of the arb, the discomfort stretched beyond my personality’s need for a social setting. There was a silence (notwithstanding the constant noise that a forest might bring) that I wasn’t used to. For the first time in what seemed like a long time, I suffered from my thoughts. You see, what I have failed to mention
marked the start of my journey. A journey of self-discovery that would hopefully end in a certain level of comfort with my thoughts. Before embarking, I looked to my friends for advice (ironic seeing as I was trying to be more independent). One of which, who is all too well-versed in the
to you thus far is that although this trip started from a spontaneous call to be outside, it became much more. With the intruding loneliness that came with a global pandemic, I struggled as days seemed to promise less and less time around my friends. But, just as everyone else seemed to realize, I had to cope. So, this first trip to the arb
language of lonesome expeditions, challenged me to “spend at least 30 minutes laying horizontally.” This meant no book, no paint, no phone. Just me with a cold contact to the slightly damp ground. I accepted the challenge and found a spot between the opening of a few trees. The ground was riddled with dry leaves and bugs. Nonetheless, I reluctantly laid
conversion
WRITER SCOTTY LOCKWOOD GRAPHIC DESIGNER MACKENZIE SCHWEDT
my head on a small patch of grass and looked up at the sky. To no one’s surprise, I struggled for the first five minutes. Shards of leaf mixed with my messy blonde hair and I could sense drops of dew soaking the points where my body most firmly touched the ground. “Uneasy” is always the word that comes to mind when recalling this memory. The sort of feeling that makes your chest cave in as I stared up at the treetops. Vulnerability seeped from the folds of my shirt, and I had the unnatural feeling that a murderer might jump from the trees, kill me, and no one would hear me scream. My bare arms and the sliver of skin that peeked from under my cuffed jeans felt especially exposed. Like a beige bullseye for the tree-hiding murderer to attack. I was a control freak in a setting where I had no control. My thoughts faced no restraint.
I like to think that there’s a small voice in my head that shouldn’t be there. A character, if you will, that’s responsible for my negative thoughts. This thing first came to me when a boy in sixth-grade called me “a queer” (which was devastating for a closeted middle schooler). It grew louder when I stopped liking what I saw in my reflection. And it took over when my heart was broken. But, perhaps worst of all, it seems that it’s loudest when I lay on the ground in the middle of the woods. Despite the inescapable noise of my mind, my stubborn nature pushed me to the full thirty minutes. I can’t say that I left the arb with much of an insight. It was dark and the lack of light brought on the slight chill that follows a warm day. On the walk home I reached for a conclusive ending but couldn’t quite grasp it. The night ended with a journal entry:
DELICACY&
STRENGTH
This photo series challenges conventional concepts of masculinity and its associations with strength and power. The flowers, which denote femininity, delicacy, and fragility, contrast with the sharper edges and lines of the male form and the hardness of the chain. The poses and angles convey a sense of power but also a sense of surrender and openness. The photos thus represent an intersection of masculinity and femininity, striking a balance between strength and vulnerability.
PHOTOGRAPHER ALEX ANDERSEN GRAPHIC DESIGNER GABI MECHABER MODEL JOSIAH RENTSCHLER
Di sto d In Disto rte d rte Intim actimacy Distorted Intimacy y
Distorted Intimacy Distorted Intimacy Distorted Intimacy Distorted Intimacy
PHOTOGRAPHER GABRIELLE MACK GRAPHIC DESIGNER CAMILLE ANDREW MODELS JORDAN TJHUNG JUHI VALERA MIFFY TANI SEHRISH HUSSAIN JOEY EBLE GABRIELLE MACK
I believe I hoped couldn’t it was fu that no m the subje gone as for the m why I ch each set through of photo
e that there are many forms of intimacy through all sorts of relationships, and through this series of photos to express this. Yet when considering the concept of what intimacy meant as I progressed into shooting, I help but recall an argument between a pair of subjects I shot about washing the dishes more often. I thought unny that I had just then asked them to look like they really enjoyed each other’s touch and company. I realize matter the circumstances within each individual relationship, whether it be with me as the photographer with ect or the subjects with each other, each relationship has its own issues and constraints that were seemingly soon as I needed to take the shot. Each person had to let the intimacy they have with that person take over moment, which quickly happened as I asked each person to physically engage in some way or another. This is hose to emphasize the physical touch connection in a few of my photos. But as soon as the shoot was over for t, I could just as easily remember all the things that were a bother in each relationship. I tried to represent this a sense of distortion by manipulating the ways I printed, varying the exposure times and angles on duplicates os, and physically cutting them to get a final product. A distorted representation of intimacy.
who is king? How can the mind and body be independent when so much of them depends on molecules and atoms that travel unbeknownst to you? How can a civilization be independent when its livelihood dwells so heavily on the natural world? How can a man be independent when he is only the sum of his parts? A mother births you, helpless and vulnerable. You grow, ideals shaped by family and society. You die, having done nothing but reflect all that occurred around you, like a mirror dented – its images skewed. Who are we without people? I am you, and you are me. We exist in the same echo chambers of thought. We believe that which we are taught. The line that differentiates the sane and rational from the insane and irrational is man-made. Our opinions are not ours alone, and what we deem unique is a fallacy.
Nyle sits, one leg swung lazily over the other in a cell no larger than six steps from back to front and four from left to right. She knows because she’s walked them so often, the gray floor beneath her path has turned an inky black. Harsh and blinding artificial light floods the room, dwarfing the small meager window in the corner. It’s placed just high enough that she can’t reach it to look at the outside world. Even stacking her possessions on top of each other doesn’t yield sufficient height. A cruel joke, she muses. She wonders if she can even remember what the sky looks like. What kind of Blue was it, again? Alake, her wife, used to marvel at that specific shade of blue, running out excitedly when a full moon transformed its color two shades lighter. Nyle closes her eyes and goes after her again, a ritual performed every night but is eons far from becoming completed ad nauseam. Behind closed lids, Alake’s face takes form, slowly, but with certainty, like an old film tape. The light shines dimly on her this time: the picture, grainy, and her features, vague. The profile of the woman she woke up next to for nearly a decade: gone. As if time never really did matter.
When you take the human and show it independence, you take it away from everything that makes it human. An animal he becomes. Reverting back to instinct and biology, all civilization washes away. It proves, then, that we are nothing without each other. People are the drug that we don’t realize we take every day of our lives, from the moment our eyes fly open to the moment they flutter shut. People are far more potent than opioids, than pills, than alcohol. And we can never detox from them if we hope to keep our sanity. Love gives us life. Our history begets thought and ideation. The dead keep the living alive. And the trees supply us oxygen, the sun heat, the lakes water, and living organisms food.
WRITER HEBA MALIK GRAPHIC DESIGNER CARLY LUCAS
If you believe that you are independent, I do hope you are a fool, because what else can you be? Have you not realized yet, my Cricket, that you are forever enslaved to the deep rumblings that transform the world beneath your feet, a cog in a well-oiled machine, a small ant in a world that will step on you, time and time again, without a blink, without thought, without remorse. This is the world you and your ancestors created from nothing. Except, it wasn’t nothing, was it? Boundless expanses of green and brown, housing billions of species of whom, if we spent the rest of eternity identifying, we would not know how to stop to breathe. Savannas with grass so tall, one could only see the slimmest glimpse of giraffes whose heads peaked through. Wetlands, long drained, and the complex ecosystem that hosts trees and fish symbiotically in a relationship whose delicate intricacies are clear to only them. This is the world that sustains us. Nature waits us out, praying for our end. What it does not realize is that its end is Man.
One of the youngest porters in our group, this year is my first season. The weight on my back is bearable but still arduous. Eyes firmly locked at my feet, I am determined to stay six steps behind my father, Tenshi. Sweat droplets trickle down my chin and fall onto my clothes, too slick and quick for my gloved and clumsy fingers to catch them. The clanging of the brass bells on the yak behind me seems now only to be an echo. Two sunrises and one sunset later, we arrive at the main Everest base camp. Gently dropping the belongings I carried to the ground, I sat, panting slightly, on a rock perfectly poised on top of two smaller sisters. “
,” my father yelled. [Look there!]
And so, I slowly drew my head up and looked. And there, through multi-colored prayer flags, I saw you:
a monster of your own right, an animal whose hunger will only be quelled with a taste of my own ripe red flesh. You humble me. As I look at the vast expanse of Blue above you and the crown of your jagged head, lightly dusted with clouds, I realize that I am nothing but dispensable, irresolute, and minute. It is you who is King.
Humans are self-serving, blinkered like carriage horses, and blind to the chaos around us. But despite our flaws, we were chosen by creation to know, and this evolutionary feat seems reason enough for our perceived superiority. We pride ourselves on human certainty but forget that this certainty does not forget our end. We will die, whether by our own devices or by the sun’s inevitable demise, but we will, unless we remind ourselves of the nonliving that sustain us, remind ourselves that we do depend. It is phenomenal to live with as much confidence as we do on a planet that will continue on for billions of years past our destruction. It is incredible to be so short-lived yet carry so much misguided self-possession.
Izak, a self-proclaimed young poet, ushers his weakened horse faster on the dirt trodden path miles from his home. Finally returning from the war, he rushes to his family. A sister who he knows will be feet taller than when he left. A mother, more wrinkled. His father, a cripple. His wooden leg digs harshly into his horse’s flank. It neighs, tossing its head. He chuckles. He goos down, a massive tree limb striking him in the chest, and is flung violently backward into the soft grass, fresh with dew. Izak feels his back grow damp as a savage cold seeps into his brittle and battered bones. Lying paralyzed on the cool hard earth, his eyes, with nothing to look at, gaze up at the Blue. And there, in the lonely middle of a field overgrown and beautiful, miles from familiarity, his lids widen with realization. It is us. Followed by the moon. Lit by the sun. Lived by the earth. Under the infinite Blue.
fruits of indulgence
My photos explore the idea of indulgence, how many forms it can take, and how it can affect people. They illustrate the restraint, action, and regret of indulgence. Eating the fruit represents indulging, and the various fruits represent the different forms it can take, whether it be indulging in yourself, another person, a belief, or a materialistic good. When do you choose to indulge, and what are the right things to indulge in? When does self-indulgence turn into self-sabotage? When does it lead to mortification, regret, and remorse?
DIRECTOR NATALIE WHITE PHOTOGRAPHER ALLY VERN GRAPHIC DESIGNER CARLY LUCAS MODEL MADI HOOD
bath
DIRECTOR KATIE CORBETT GRAPHIC DESIGNER MACKENZIE SCHWEDT MODELS ISABEL BOYER EMMA KRUSE
This analogue series was shot using medium format color and B&W film. Taken during quarantine, these images capture some much needed stay at home self-care.
RETURN
PHOTOGRAPHER EVA RUSSA GRAPHIC DESIGNER MACKENZIE SCHWEDT MODELS DEE PHILIPS
This shoot is about the nostalgia of returning to a place from your childhood when you’re grown. It looks the same and feels pretty much the same, but it’s occupied by different people—yourself included. You’re not the same person you were when you were 5 or 10 or 15. If you’d seen yourself then as you are now, you’d think you ruled the playground.
second hand
memoirs
This documentary film photography project explores & studies the phenomenon of youth culture wearing vintage and second-hand clothing. I had my friends pick articles of clothing they own from the past and interviewed them to discover the stories behind their picked pieces. I wanted to understand the value the clothes have to themwhether it was originally their grandparents, or perhaps thrifted, etc. Some of the conversations led to the subjects considering their own clothing consumption and how thrifting has been an embedded practice for them. I hope the stories from interviewees’ pasts would not only allow readers to appreciate the wearables they own, but would prompt them to reminisce upon the stories tied to their own clothing.
Josiah “I chose this winter coat, I got it in London. I just randomly was exploring a certain new area in the city. And I ran into this little charity shop, which is what they call thrift shops. This is going to sound weird, but pretty much since high school, I didn’t have my own winter coat, I always borrowed my brother’s or a friend’s. So this is my first real winter coat that I got myself. I like that it’s white because it goes with almost anything. I think coats represent comfort and protection. I was completely alone in London when I went, so it’s definitely a sentimental piece for me. My friends and I used to go thrifting all the time in high school. We would go like at least once a week, because there were five-for-five deals. At first it was fun to get clothing from rival high schools. It was a way to pass the time and it’s like nothing else, you know, because we came from a pretty boring ass town. All we could do was drive around, go thrifting, or go to Walmart.”
Yuki “I got these Ralph Lauren pants two or three years ago. I love them so much because they’re not super tight, but they’re high-waisted, and they’re very fitting to me. I got them in Troy at the Salvation Army. I go to that one all the time when I’m home, especially after I stopped going to the mall and I wanted to find more unique pieces of clothing. I stopped going [to the mall] regularly at the very beginning of college. I think the nature of consumerism is changing, especially for a lot of younger adults. A lot of times now with some of the more fast fashion brands, it’s really easy to find pieces that will last you maybe a couple of months before they start literally disintegrating. In March, I started to question a lot of things, like ‘What does it mean to be a consumer? Why am I buying all these things? Do they actually benefit me? How am I impacting the larger environment?’ I came face to face a lot of those questions during the pandemic, and it definitely informed the way that I now shop. For example, I bought a pair of boots over the summer, but it took me months and months to justify that purchase. And I think that whenever I make a big purchase for something that’s new, I have to have a reason for it. And then when it comes to things that are like pants or shirts or hoodies or whatever, I’ll see if I can first either find some in my closet I haven’t worn in a while, or I take something that I used to wear and alter it in some way that will make me want to wear it again. Buying is never the first option anymore.”
Sophie “I have this jacket that I thrifted a few days ago. I would say my roommates and I go thrifting once a week. It’s fun and you always find unique, cool new things that you might not think you’d wear but then you can incorporate them into cool ways. I feel like pulling in clothes from the past into your wardrobe can make it more unique and more original. I think I’ve found so many standout pieces when I was thifting that I can incorporate nowadays. I feel like [thrifting is] kind of a big thing especially because it’s cheap and it’s fun. It’s an activity you can do but also everything is like five bucks. You can’t go wrong, even if you don’t love it. I think people are becoming more aware of fast fashion and whatnot. So I think that definitely helps drive people to buy second hand.”
Abby “This is a mink hat that my great aunt Harriet bought when she was visiting the Soviet Union sometime during the 80s. My great aunt passed away last summer, and she had no children. [She] was my grandpa’s sister, and she loved his children; my mom, my uncles and my other aunt. My uncle Dean was the executor of her estate, so he was in charge of going through all of her crap, belongings, finances, everything. And he enlisted the help of me and my mom to go with him to Chicago one weekend and go through her apartment, which was basically a time capsule because she acquired the property in like 1960 or something, in a Mies Van der Rohe building. So she lived in a co-op, yeah, OG, and it was just filled to the brim with stuff that she’s brought back from her travels, over many, many, many years. Because she didn’t have any children, she would just go around the world. She had this one friend, Amy, I don’t know how they met. She’s like 40 years younger than Harriet, but they went everywhere together and went to Russia. And as we were going through all of her belongings, it was kind of a freefor-all of anything that I found interesting. I could just take with me to, like, you know, commemorate her. As someone who was going to appreciate something, I could take that with me because she didn’t really have a will for objects.”
Katie “It was September 2019, I was in Brooklyn living with my friend from Belgium. It was right before Fashion Week and I needed something to wear for it, and she has really good taste in blazers and stuff. And so she took her with me, and we went to Buffalo Exchange. She found this one and it was on sale. Apparently it was a nice brand, I don’t know anything about brands. She’s like, ‘Oh yeah this is like a nice one.’ I guess it just takes me back to like my first time living in New York by myself; just my days on the subway, meeting so many cool photographers, and coming in contact with all these cool models and stuff like that. Over the summer, I was interning for a creative agency called DTE studio. They did a lot of luxury branding and stuff. I was doing a lot of graphic design and photography, mainly studio photography which was interesting, I hadn’t done that before. I met this guy who did an internship before I did at the same creative agency. He went on to photograph for Vogue, and he invited me to one of his shoots. The work that I did there led him to asking me to assist him for Fashion Week. I definitely would love to go back into editorial fashion, but I don’t know about runway photography just because it seemed a little corrupt to me. The way that they treated the models seemed very cutthroat for sure. It was kind of stressful, but it was really cool at the same time to see it in real life.”
Nico “This is a sweater that I picked up at some secondhand, open-air store in London the summer before I started college. I was with my best buds from high school. We took a Euro trip and we were visiting a bunch of different stores, and I just saw a couple of really cool vintage sweaters. The aesthetics that you get mostly from secondhand stuff are a little bit more retro, and I dig that. I used to be really into block color and very abstract designs and that’s not something that’s made [nowadays], unless they’re making it in reference to a different time. I like that kind of 80s vibe. Back when I was eighteen, I’d be much more interested in getting noticed via aesthetics, you know via how I present myself. I was more attention-seeking back then. And I also felt very very free. But these days, you know, less so. Now I’m in the oppressive medical school and graduate school environment. I’m kidding. I think it’s just as you mature, your desire to get noticed maybe changes, and you keep to yourself more.”
DIRECTOR NATALIE GUISINGER GRAPHIC DESIGNER CARLY LUCAS
don’t pity the party
PH SA GR EM MO GR
“Don’t Pity the Party” is my take on loneliness and being alone. So many people don’t know the difference. I’ve seen people go from relationship to relationship, friendship to friendship, all from a fear of being alone. I think it’s so important to stop for a second and get comfortable with yourself. Know who you are and realize you can count on yourself before allowing others to come into your life and feed into your energy. This photoshoot takes us on a journey of being at a party all alone. At first, you may feel nervous and even scared. You may even feel pressured to look at what others are doing so you can fit in. But you don’t need to. Slowly, you start to get more and more comfortable with yourself, as you open up and realize, it’s okay to be alone.
HOTOGRAPHER AM RAO RAPHIC DESIGNER MMA PETERSON ODEL RACE CLAIRE
Adore You
PHOTOGRAPHER LUCY CARPENTER GRAPHIC DESIGNER SOPHIE LEVIT MODEL ANNA CROVA
At the start of the new stay-at-home order for Michigan students, my roommate and I decided to start working on some creative projects that we had been planning for a few months. One of these inspired this shoot, which is based on the Harry Styles song “Adore You.” We’re planning to finish an entire series of shoots based on the songs from his album Fine Line. It’s been interesting to look at how different songs can be translated into styled shoots, and the process of conceptualization to creation is really rewarding. This shoot and the rest of our series has been an amazing way for me to stay safe and still express my creativity while at home.
PHOTOGRAPHER SUREET SARAU GRAPHIC DESIGNER CARLY LUCAS MODELS PIYA GARG RAMEEL AHSAN RUCHITA COOMAR KHADEEJA BASHIR
Growing up as a person of color in an immi hold, I was not raised with a “typical” Amer and felt weird talking about it with my peers to have that experience. It eventually led me culture was “weird” and rejected it for a go my life. I felt somewhat ashamed of my h feeling is not just unique to me, as it is a v experience with a lot of people of color. I ma ect as a way for us to be able to embrace and show the beauty of it by incorporatin pieces of clothing and jewelry into comm outfits. This is a way for us to bring back o our everyday lives. I hope for people of proud of their culture and incorporate it int the Western world as opposed to rejecting
igrant houserican lifestyle s who did get e to think my ood portion of heritage. This very common ade this proje our culture ng traditional mon Western our roots into f color to be to their life in g it.
stealing style Sometimes, I feel like I am a complete fraud. When you enter my 500 sq ft studio apartment, the very first thing you’ll see is a 1998 Britney Spears poster, my prized possession. Your eyes will follow
I’ve always been categorized by my obsessions.
the wall plastered with magazine pages of Prince and Harry Styles I ripped out of Rolling Stone, leading you to the purple and green stained-glass mirror I got from the thrift store. A crinkled Kill Bill poster covers the chipped paint above my bed, right next to a Supremes poster that falls down every day because I am too lazy to change the dull tape. If you took a look at my closet, around 50% of my clothes came from thrift stores. The next 25% is celebrity merch, 10% are things my grandma has made, and the last 15% being things I copy
from my brother’s wardrobe. Even though I own all of these items, I don’t feel like they are mine. I’ve decorated my walls with other people’s faces and art, with nothing else to contribute. I appropriate things that I like from what other people have given, then call this accumulation of interests my style. If I am just taking things that were someone else’s, I can’t help but feel like I am in di-
In 1st grade, I forced my teacher to call me “Pancake.” I was legitimately obsessed with this breakfast delicacy and would not respond to anyone if they did not call me by my proper name. You could say I was the inspiration for the movie LadyBird.
rect violation of a copyright law. There’s a part of me that also takes
pride in the way I make these interests completely known. I’m not particularly sure how, but when you get to know
There was a brief stage where I only watched the Oprah Winfrey show. I was in 3rd grade, but I remember going on vacation with my family friends to Florida and I spent the majority of the trip watching an Oprah Winfrey marathon. You can imagine my excitement when she got her own network.
me, you instantly know my style. I make it clear. My friends have told me that it’s easy to point out things that I would buy when they are out shopping. When Urban Outfitters released a new purple tie-dye Britney Spears hoodie, my phone was blowing up for days. I am proud of the fact that people have
told me they could pick me out of a crowd even if my back was turned, whether I am wearing a Lady Gaga shirt with my green skinny corduroy jeans or not. People who have told me this explain that it isn’t just what I am wearing, it is the presence that goes along with it. My personal style is so complex that it subconsciously comes out in everything
In 7th grade, I was known as the kid who was obsessed with Miley Cyrus. Even though I was 12 years old and my biggest worry was if I had enough money to buy games for my Xbox, I felt a deep connection to her when she dyed her hair blonde and chopped it off.
that I do. Do you push the grocery cart down the aisle as if you’re walking down a red carpet, like I do? Do you sit in the
doctors office waiting room pretending that you’re going in for an audition? When you tell a mischievous story, do you tuck an imaginary strand of hair behind your ear and look around the room? Do you carry a mini notebook in your purse ev-
Starting highschool, I decided to play down the Miley obsession and replace it with pugs. This specific breed of dogs changed my life, I desperately wanted one and people I never talked to my freshman year would send me pug memes.
erywhere you go just in case inspiration strikes? If I could describe my style in a few words, I certainly would. It has no name and there is only one rule- don’t be boring. I deliberately won’t go outside in the rain with a black umbrella because that’s
too simple- it has to be my pastel blue one patterned with bow-tie wearing British cats sipping tea. That’s just how my brain works.
It wasn’t soon after that my brother re-introduced me to Lady Gaga and she reigned supreme. From my sophomore year to now, I do not think there has been a day where I haven’t listened to her songs. You would think it is exhausting, but I get physically drained when I do not mention her for a couple hours. The same goes with Britney Spears. I think the hardest question people ask me is, “What concert would you go to if Lady Gaga and Britney Spears were having a concert on the same day?”
Yes, I could probably get more clothes in my wardrobe that aren’t just shirts with faces of female pop musicians on it. However, I think that is the beauty of being young. I am in this phase of my life where my interests are changing everyday. I am growing my aesthetics, try-
“Your handwriting. The way you walk. Which china pattern you choose. It’s all giving you away. Everything you do shows your hand. Everything is a self portrait. Everything is a diary.” - Chuck Palahniuk
ing things out and inevitably having my style influenced by the media I consume. Someday my obsession with Dua Lipa could fade. The posters of her might fall down and won’t be put back on the wall. The lyrics of her songs will be blurred
and I won’t remember exactly when each beat drop happens. But I know someday I am going to look back on this phase of my life and remember how proud I was to let the world know I loved pop music (probably a little too much.) So maybe I am not a fraud. According to my friends, I am literally the opposite. I am someone who lets the world know exactly who I am. I’m an open book and not letting anyone else write my pages. Then again, there could just be two different people in the world and I’m the type to over analyze everything. To be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever know if I am a fraud. I’m either totally overthinking this, or this philosophical questionnaire is just part of my own style. But to put my mind at ease, I’ll certainly go with the latter for now.
WRITER BENJAMIN DECKER GRAPHIC DESIGNER MACKENZIE SCHWEDT
MODERN DAY
Cinderella
“Modern Day Cinderella” is on the idea that women c powerful on their own. ing up, I watched Disney m almost religiously, and am dened that I was never a strong, independent pri their happily ever afters came from the man who them. I created this dress ery powerful woman out th a reminder that women ar beautiful and strong, always
DIRECTOR ABBY RAPOPORT PHOTOGRAPHER KIKI KASTUMATA-SMITH GRAPHIC DESIGNER MACKENZIE SCHWEDT MODEL LILY WING
s based can be Growmovies m sadshown incess; always saved for evhere, as re both s.
Dress - Abby Rapoport
AT WITS’ END
DIRECTOR JOSIE BURCK GRAPHIC DESIGNER CARLY LUCAS MODEL JOSIE BURCK
This photography project seeks to expose how difficult it can be to look fashionable/ beautiful in the eyes of others. I shot and modeled in this piece myself because I felt it reflected specifically how messy I feel when everything around me looks much more pristine. By exposing these difficulties, we as people can begin combatting beauty standards and improving our own self-image. I titled it “At Wits’ End” because it can be frustrating to dress up or put makeup on when it sometimes never turns out the way we want it to. It feels like a never-ending loop of playing dress-up.
a night in
I know that we all have bigger things to worry about during a global pandemic, but hear me out: I miss getting all dressed up. I miss having an excuse to put on a dress, heels and a full face of makeup. I’ve realized during quarantine, however, that you don’t always need an excuse to feel good about yourself. Breaking your stay-at-home routine of pajamas and Zoom calls for a night of wine, Netflix, and stilettos can be a tremendous act of self love. This sentiment is what inspired my self-portrait series. In a world where nights out are a public health risk, treat yourself to a night in.
PHOTOGRAPHER CALIN FIRLIT GRAPHIC DESIGNER MACKENZIE SCHWEDT MODEL CALIN FIRLIT
SUPPORT
SMALL
BUSINESSES
UMich Apparel (@umichapparel on Instagram)
For this issue, I chose to focus on shedding light on the projects and passions of other people. Small Business Saturday is on November 28th, so what better time to focus on small business owners? Small businesses make up 99.7% of all US businesses and are an integral part of the economies in our communities. Abby Miars started and runs a small business called UMich Apparel. Abby’s focus is selling secondhand University of Michigan clothing, mostly to fellow students. UMich Apparel is unique in itself because it tailors itself to university life and is run by a student which is an outstanding accomplishment by itself. Abby uses her small business to support herself and her living expenses during her time here at Michigan.
Biggest Challenge being a small business?
The hardest part about bal unning a business is definit I love doing it, Umich Appar money I make from selling c here in Ann Arbor, so I do ne real job. I’m in charge of all as uct planning, marketing, cus management, accounting, a be difficult to focus on scho Umich Apparel.
What inspired you to start Umichapparel? I’ve always enjoyed fashion and thrifting. Growing up, I was always an MSU fan, so wwhen arriving on campus fall of my freshman year I had no U of M gear to wear to football games. I started by thrifting a couple plain t shirts and printing cute umich logos on them using transfer paper. One of my closest friends loved one of the designs I used and asked me to make one for her and she would pay me. The more shirts I made for myself and my friends the more people told me I should try to sell them on campus. Instead of printing my own shirts, I began thrifting Michigan clothes around Ann Arbor and in Grand Rapids (my hometown), cropping and restyling them in ways cute for tailgates and games.
a student while also owning a
lancing school work while also rtely managing my time. Though rel is my “job” on campus. The clothes is how I support myself eed to prioritize it as if it were a spects of the business like prodstomer communication, budget and delivery/shipment, so it can ool work during busy times with
PHOTOGRAPHER DEVON KELLY GRAPHIC DESIGNER GABI MECHABER MODEL ABBY MIARS
How do you stay motivated when business is slow or your schedule seems to be too busy? It can be hard to stay motivated when business is slow because in order to sell items I have to invest my own money. However, it’s such a rewarding feeling thrifting a super unique piece or hearing positive reviews from customers who love the items they’ve bought, so it’s always worth it! Overall, selling for Umich Apparel is something I genuinely look forward to and love doing for Michigan students!
BEHIND THE SCENES
DIRECTOR ISABELLE FISHER JACOB SWEAT PHOTOGRAPHER YOUMNA KHAN GRAPHIC DESIGNER TAYLOR SILVER MODELS PHOEBE MILLER MONICA IYER ISABEL HERNANDEZ LUCAS LORENZ MISHA KOROLEV
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