Letter from the Editor and Theme Piece

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Recently, I’ve realized that I begin at least half of my sentences with the word “sorry.” “Sorry, I was just wondering if…” “Sorry, can we…” “Sorry, I was just going to say that…” I don’t know when or how I became so apologetic. I think that somehow I’ve internalized that I shouldn’t use my voice, or rather, that I shouldn’t have one at all. Maybe I’ve harbored some irrational guilt or shame or something that’s convinced me that I have a reason to be sorry for who I am or what I have to say. No matter the reason, the word habitually slips itself into my throat, pouring out from my mouth before I can stop it. “Sorry.” I know that I’m not alone. So many of my friends struggle with finding their voices and giving themselves permission to live unapologetically. To speak unapologetically. To take care of their bodies unapologetically. To love themselves unapologetically. The fashion world is notorious for its rigid beauty standards, which often make this kind of self-love difficult to actualize. Campaigns and shows consistently exclude black bodies and brown bodies and thicker bodies. When you don’t see yourself represented in the fashion media that you look up to and consume regularly, it wears on your confidence. This fact, of course, is so widely preached that I feel like a living cliché even writing it. Regardless, I think it’s important to call attention to this problem, to remind us that the fashion industry at large needs to stop its exclusivity and start celebrating all types of beauty. Thankfully, change is slowly seeping into the industry. Chromat’s Fall 2018 show, for example, stunned New York Fashion Week with its gorgeously diverse cast of models. Things are gradually getting better, but there is still so much room for growth. There is also room for growth in how we, as students at the University of Michigan, love and care for ourselves. Our campus is vibrant and exciting, but incredibly demanding. So often, we push our personal needs to the side to focus on studying or working or going out with friends. At the start of the new year, my team and I recognized that we all felt the need for a change—for a shift towards prioritizing our own mental and physical health. We decided to create an issue that acted as a guidebook for practicing unapologetic self-love. Creating this issue has been illuminating. We discovered that self-care is sometimes as simple as giving yourself the permission to get a full night’s rest. (The Liberating Power of a Good Night’s Sleep, pg. 72). We explored the ways in which tattoos operate in our culture and allow us to take control over our bodies (Reclaiming the Body: Tattoos as the Future of Fashion, pg. 54). We learned that media can guide us in how we choose to dress, or whom we choose to be (The Blaine Game, pg. 42). In planning this issue, we wanted to produce a shoot that brought together a group of strong women to celebrate the power of female friendship. To achieve this, we packed ourselves into the vibrant Presidential Suite at the Graduate Hotel in Ann Arbor to shoot models Na’kia Channey, Kelsey Knickerbocker, Paris Parker, Sophia White, and Christine Lee. After several hours, a couple of disposable cameras, many Polaroids, and a whole lot of snacks, we had created SHEI’s first ever multimedia shoot (Rendez-Vous on Film, pg. 12). We hope that this issue empowers you, our readers and friends, to live selfishly, wholly, and unapologetically. Take the time to read these pages. Allow yourself to be inspired with new ways to show yourself love and gratitude. Be fearless, be bold, and don’t ever be sorry.

UNAPOLOGETIC

In a culture in which coffee is the drug of the nine-to-five and stress becomes synonymous with success, we could all use a little time to slow down and focus on ourselves. For this issue, our teams set out to produce work that both reflected and paved the way for radical confidence. Drawing on our individual experiences and happenings in the industry, we found avenues for empowerment and personal growth —— avenues for a slower, more conscious lifestyle. This semester, we explore the concept of “wellness” and its impact on fashion, the power of tattoos to allow us to reclaim our bodies and propel ourselves forward, as well as the freeing nature of a good night’s sleep. Caleb Hogeterp considers the effects of greenwashing and presents brands, such as Everlane and Reformation, that are committed to a genuinely sustainable present and future. As we reflect, we get personal. Kate Cammell, in a narrative piece highlighting the dress that her aunt will wear at her son’s upcoming wedding, speaks to the ways that fashion can provide a space to honor our stories. Sean Tran looks back on his experience of finding expression through his individual style, inspired by men in television and film. We also consider our world, especially in relation to the current #MeToo movement and the increasing agency women are finding to speak up and speak out. Sophie ReVeal, in an interview with New York Times bestselling author Peggy Orenstein, overtly questions the stigma surrounding female mastrubation and sexual pleasure. Featuring SAPAC, we reflect directly on the University of Michigan’s available resources to assist survivors of sexual assault. It is up to us to challenge the structure of our society, to demand change, and to focus on what we need to flourish as individuals. As we can see in our world today, standing up with confidence for what we believe in is an instrumental way to reshape our reality, to empower ourselves and those around us.

Amber Mitchell Print Features Editor