the FEB 2015 NO. 25
issue
IN COLLABORATION WITH
CONTENTS 8 • AD FLIP Hear the thought process behind the gender role-reversed ads scattered throughout the issue.
10 • FEMINISM IN FASHION Women’s fashion speaks to the state of gender equality—so why is today’s industry ruled by men?
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SHOOT: PUSSY RIOT We channeled our inner punk rocker for this edgy shoot.
12 • NORTHWESTERN’S WOMEN OF COLOR INITIATIVE A group of women is taking a different approach to diversity on campus. 14 • CONSENT IS NOT ENOUGH On a college campus, is consent the haziest matter for sexual assault? 22 • HEROINE CHIC Learn how to rock the looks of your favorite feminist protagonists. 24 • “HBIC” What do “Exec” and “estrogen” have in common? The letter E, and these lady boss women all over campus. 36 • THE B-WORD The problem with having too many uses for such a strong word. 38 • LAST WORD How a writer found herself—and her alter egos—through roller derby and burlesque dance.
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FIERCE FEMINISTS ON CAMPUS Get to know what wardrobe means to a few of NU’s own College Feminists.
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EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Rachel Nussbaum & Cathaleen Chen
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MANAGING EDITOR Luke Zhang
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CREATIVE DIRECTOR Alaura Hernandez PRINT EDITORS Helen Zook & Lizzey Johnson
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DESIGN EDITORS Jen White & Drew Dain
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DESIGN TEAM Florence Fu, Marlene Lenthang, Kaylah Sosa, Susan Chen, Heiwon Shin, Manon Blackman, Jason Yuan ONLINE EDITORS Erica Witte & McKenzie Maxson Couponing
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Alix Kramer
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DIRECTORS OF PHOTOSHOOTS Sarah Spellings & Beatrice Hagney STREET PHOTOGRAPHER Sean Su
MULTIMEDIA TEAM Tara Sennott, Cecilia Marshall, Lily Allen, Emmy Kappes, Sarah Burton, Zahra Haider, Zachary Laurence, Arianna Brockington, Victoria Zapater STYLING TEAM Lilly Scheerer, Jason Yuan, Amber Cline, Isabel Seidel, Madeline Kaufman, Rocio Mendez-Rozo, Tori Latham STAFF WRITERS Mackenzie Broderick, Dylan Storey, Steffanee Wang, Luke Zhang, Steven Bennett, Lauren Myers, Sarah Spellings, Therese Kaltenecker, Ellen Lawrence, Kelsey Packer, Matthew Choi, Rachel Lefferts, Rose McBride DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Lauren Myers
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MARKETING TEAM Morgan Osborn, Ariel Matluck, Alexandra Menell, Casey Doherty, Shelton Taylor, Alex Milinazzo, Lauren Goldstein, Abby Gardner r
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DIRECTORS OF SOCIAL MEDIA Chelsea Ferguson & Diana Armacanqui SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM Caro Diaz, Andrea Zhang, Naomi Stevenson, Lindsey Spohler
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CONTRIBUTORS: STAFF SPOTLIGHTS
RACHEL LEFFERTS
BEATRICE HAGNEY
LINDSEY SPOHLER
STAFF WRITER
CO-DIRECTOR OF PHOTOSHOOTS
SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM
Freshman • Journalism
Sophomore • Gender Studies
Freshman • Theater
Bad bitch anthem? Any song by Beyoncé. Stilettos or a leather jacket? Stilettos. Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day? Galentine’s Day.
Bad bitch anthem? “Infinity Guitars” by Sleigh Bells. Stilettos or a leather jacket? Leather jacket with dark red lipstick. Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day? Both!
Bad bitch anthem? “Only” by Nicki Minaj. Stilettos or a leather jacket? Leather jacket. Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day? Valentine’s Day because of all the treats.
LUKE ZHANG
THERESE KALTENECKER
ALIX KRAMER
CO-MANAGING EDITOR
STAFF WRITER
PHOTO EDITOR
Sophomore • Economics
Senior • Biomedical Engineering
Sophomore • Journalism
Bad bitch anthem? “Feeling Myself” by Nicki Minaj ft. Beyoncé is such a dope track that gets me super pumped. Stilettos or a leather jacket? Nothing makes me feel like I run this town more than a leather jacket. Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day? Valentine’s Day. It’s a day to celebrate love all around.
Bad bitch anthem? “Looking Good, Feeling Gorgeous” by RuPaul. Stilettos or a leather jacket? Leather jacket all the way. Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day? Valentine’s Day! Even if I’m single I love the romance.
Bad bitch anthem? Tie between “***Flawless” by Queen B and “Work Bitch” by Britney Spears. Classic. Stilettos or a leather jacket? Leather jacket, but any Louboutin stiletto has my heart. Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day? I treat Valentine’s Day as an excuse to buy chocolate and stay home—what a holiday.
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LETTERS FROM THE EDITORS M
y mother likes to tell me a childhood story about a prank. When she was 13, a boy pulled out her chair when she momentarily stood up in her class. Of course, she fell, and in front of the whole class too. But the joke was on the culprit, because that sucker ended up with a bloody nose. And so when I found my picture in the school paper blacked out and my column about water conservation annotated with a blaring, red “BITCH,” my first instinct was to wonder whom to punch. And then I cried, as any flat-chested, loquacious 14-year-old would. CATHALEEN CHEN Since then, it’s taken me until college to be okay with the B word. Even now, 45 years after the publication of Jo Freeman’s seminal selfproclamation of what has long been a derogatory label used to shame assertive women, after nearly two centuries of an undying pursuit for equality, the word still stings. So let’s pick up Jo’s pieces, and for that matter, every piece of deferred inequality until women earn just as much men (pg. 10), until we’ve eradicated rape culture (pg. 14), until our discourse is inclusive of everyone of every color (and every gender), and until we’re truly comfortable in our own skin. Though we use the word 47 times throughout this magazine, our Bitch issue isn’t just about retaliating against sexism or figuring out the right brand of feminism. It’s about being okay with who you are—shy or aggressive, black or white, gay or straight, and everything in between. We want you to embrace you.
A
diva is a female version of a hustla, and a bitch is a female version of a ruthless man. At its core, the word “bitch” is about power – said with awe, said with rage, said about a lady who’s looked at the world and decided to get what she wants. Too often, that’s considered a bad thing. Women are taught to put others first and share the credit, and they suffer the consequences while men, claiming the work they did, effortlessly self-promote. It comes down to confidence, and a true bitch is nothing if not confident. So we’re taking the word back. RACHEL NUSSBAUM Our bitch is merciless, empowered, a blazing “Feminist” sign trailing her in real life. She knows her power, something our featured female leaders also know a thing or two about (pg. 24), and she’s in it to win it for herself (or her causes). Those leaders are a symptom of a movement, women proving their smarts, capability and command everyday. I wish I could say as if there was ever a question, but sadly, madly, there still is. Which is why we were thrilled to work with Northwestern’s College Feminists to put this issue together, a group whose necessity is proven every time a celebrity misspeaks, an assault comes to light or a $100 million-dollar donor is referred to as simply “Warren Buffett’s sister.” That’s not equal treatment, and our bitch won’t stand for it. So yes, it might be a swear. But it’s not a bad word. Enjoy the issue.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT STITCH has published at least three issues per year for the past seven years. For 2015, STITCH is remodeling itself to go from stapled, half-size magazines to a bound, full-size magazine. This feat required a significant amount of funds, but with our 30-day Kickstarter Campaign, we were able to raise enough money to achieve our goal.
$50
$100
Hong Zhang & Xian Feng Chen Bei Guo & Futao Zhang Henry Spellings
Anne & David Hagney
$250 Dan & Ana Marshall Bill & Susan Nussbaum
Bonnie & Zoel Silverman
David & Michelle Zook
Gina & Howard Chajson
Debbie & Lloyd Myers Margaret & James Spellings
We wouldn’t be here without your support, and so we want to thank you for all of your help in creating one of our most monumental issues ever. The donations that made this issue possible have created memories, bonds and stories that will last a lifetime, and so we thank you not just for your donation, but for the impression it’s made on our Northwestern careers.
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PHOTO CREDIT
MISS DIOR CHERIE
PHOTOGRAPHER: Alix Kramer MODEL: Ben Hwang CREATIVE DIRECTORS: Amber Cline and Tori Latham 7 • STITCHFASHION.COM • SEPTEMBER 2014
MONTH 2015 • STITCHFASHION.COM • 7
MARLBORO
PHOTOGRAPHER: Sean Su MODELS: Mahera Walia and Reed Lancaster CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Jason Yuan
NO, STITCH IS NOT BECOMING THE NEXT BIG TOBACCO. N
or are we going into the micro-brewing business. Nor are we designing a couture collection (although that would be pretty cool). For our Bitch Issue, we took back iconic ad campaigns and switched the genders—not by putting men in drag or women in suits, but by showing the subtle differences in how men and women are posed in ads. The Marlboro man has the wilderness. The Dos Equis man, his adoring public. These iconic images call to men to be interesting, adventurous and worldly. The Miss Dior Cherie ad, on the other hand, shows women to be disconnected, manic pixie dream girls. To be honest, I never really thought about it. I still wanted to be Charlize Theron in the J’adore Dior commercials and a Burberry model. As co-photoshoot director and avid America’s Next Top Model-watcher, I searched for the most contorted and ethereal shots.
Like many others, my perception changed when I took my first gender studies class at Northwestern. We watched a documentary called The Codes of Gender explaining these differences in advertising. My main takeaway? There are more differences than just how Paris Hilton eats Carl’s Jr. Female hands are delicate and cradle objects instead of manipulating and holding them. Women are often pictured lying down and gazing off—powerless and disconnected from reality. Men look at the camera and are ready to initiate action. In these ads, we tried having the male models pose as ancillary figures and the women as anchors. The result? A shift in power and the way we look at power, and a step closer to gender equality. — Sarah Spellings Co-Director of Photoshoots
FEBRUARY 2015 • STITCHFASHION.COM • 9
WHO RUN THE (FASHION) WORLD? NOT WOMEN. By Erica Witte / Illustration by Marlene Lenthang
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“We as a fashion society idolize Jenna Lyons, Sophia Amoruso and Anna Wintour... but the reality is that they are the exception to a very tiring and unfortunate rule.”
he Man Repeller herself, Leandra Medine, epitomizes the mantra every fashion-obsessed woman hopes to project: dress for yourself, not to attract men. Curiously enough, as hard as Medine attempts to repel men, they’re actually clinging to her… Marc Jacobs, Mickey Drexler and Manolo Blahnik, to be precise. These fashion moguls have all left their label, logo or print on Medine’s blogging empire, highlighting a significant problem in the fashion industry. Men have dominated almost every realm of business since the beginning of time, give or take a few matriarchal societies. Particularly in fashion, this issue of equality—or lack thereof—dates back to Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s initial struggle to kickstart her career in the early 1900s. During a scene in her biographical film, “Coco Chanel,” an established male designer approaches her, boasting that he alone should determine what women want to wear. Rightfully ignoring the male designer’s comments (and his ilk’s decision to limit the amount of skin showing and fabrics used), Chanel adventurously introduced clothing for women, by a woman. “The idea of letting women be dressed in jersey instead of rigid fabrics is a great contribution,” said Professor Alessia Ricciardi, who teaches a fashion and modernity class at Northwestern. According to Ricciardi, Chanel also contributed the idea that women could wear bathing suits on the beach and cut their hair short—two phenomena formerly foreign to her contemporaries. Fast forward nearly a century, and you’ll find at least one woman outfitted in a tuxedo or pantsuit at nearly every red carpet event. Surely, this news would shock designers of Chanel’s early years. The freedom
to dress androgynously or provocatively is up to the female consumer herself, progress our generation enjoys mainly due to the shoppers of decades past. Each purchase in a retail store—the style, the color, the size—all reverts back to the buyers, explained William Perrine, Ph.D. and Associate Lecturer in Fashion Merchandising at Kent State University. “It’s much more consumer driven these days,” he said. “A designer won’t put something out there that won’t sell.” So essentially, we’ve done our part as consumers—we’ve pushed for more liberating styles and opted for gender-bending pieces in our wardrobe. We’ve demanded that designers give us what we want, and they’ve delivered (especially notable when Marc Jacobs #freedthenipple in his Fall 2014 collection). However, even though consumers have defeated the obstacle of repression in style, there’s still a long way to go in terms of equalizing gender representation on the corporate side of the fashion industry. Chanel would have been pleased to see Karl Lagerfeld stage a faux feminist protest at the Spring/ Summer 2015 runway show. But these ideals relating feminism and fashion are called into question by the relative lack of powerful women in the industry. “We as a fashion society idolize Jenna Lyons, Sophia Amoruso and Anna Wintour,” said Alexandra Howell, Ph.D. and Lecturer at Columbia College. “But the reality is that they are the exception to a very tiring and unfortunate rule.”
Reasons ranging from maternity leave to unequal pay keep women out of the workforce, leaving men such as Lagerfeld to head the haute couture houses defining the industry. Increasing the number of women on the other side of the industry would have significant benefits for feminists, fashionista or otherwise. For one, the sexualization of women in advertisements for prominent companies may be reduced or equalized with the sexualization of men. (Notice anything different about the ads in this issue?) We all know sex sells, but particular offenders such as Dolce & Gabbana have no excuse for depicting gang-rape type situations in the promotion of their brands. Though D&G is an extreme example, in a troubling way, the domination of male models over female models in high-fashion ads almost mirrors the inequality in the workforce. Women currently makes approximately 77 cents to every dollar a man makes, according to Howell. Many people are baffled to learn that Anna Wintour makes a slight $2 million annually, while in a single year, Karl Lagerfeld has raked in more than $108.2 million. Notably, they operate in completely different fields of the fashion industry; however, Wintour, as arguably the most influential person in fashion, is commonly presumed to make more than anyone in the industry. As history holds, fashion has a record of paving the way for feminism. But until the gender gap—in both pay and presentation—disappears, we should not and cannot kick off our Jimmy Choos.
color the women
By Steffanee Wang
W
of
initiative
hen Sara Abu-Ghnaim (‘14) set foot on Northwestern’s campus three and a half years ago, she found the discussion surrounding diversity “stunted.” As a woman who identifies as Hispanic and Arabic, she initially struggled to find a community to identify with. Granted, there are a number of cultural groups on campus that are specific to most, if not all, minority identities, but it isn’t uncommon for the average Northwestern student to spend four years here without having significant contact with groups that will challenge their identities and ideologies. “The only thing I remember was the diversity one during Wildcat Welcome’s EssentialNU,” Abu-Ghnaim said. “But it essentially stops there, unless you have a personal investment in diversity or multiculturalism.” But even with the multitude of multicultural groups on campus, it wasn’t until the fall quarter of 2014 that came a group focused on the
12 • STITCHFASHION.COM • FEBRUARY 2015
experience of women of color on Northwestern’s campus and beyond—The Women of Color Initiative. The Initiative’s meetings, held once a month, are open to all those who identify as women of color, and function as an open-forum for the members to discuss, challenge and examine the space they occupy in the Northwestern community. The Initiative was a sort of “brainchild” for Jackie Marquez, Northwestern’s Associate University Chaplain. She and a group of students, including Abu-Ghnaim and Sara Fadlalla (‘16), noticed a dissonance between the voices that were being heard and their own. So they drafted up the idea of having a gathering of women of color and of different walks of life coming together. “We wanted to bring women from different pockets of Northwestern together,” Fadlalla said. “To essentially create a safe space for women to grapple with ideas like, ‘What is it like to be a woman of color at Northwestern?’” The answer to this specific question is edited, revised and elaborated upon with every meeting, in the same sense that the experience of an entire group of people cannot be restricted to a limited number of words. For member Theanne Liu, the experience of a woman of color on a predominately white campus is stifling. For all the diversity the university touts in its many pamphlets, she still struggled to find a place where she could discuss the intersectionality between her identities as an Asian American and as a woman. “As women of color, we are faced with being marginalized by both sexism and racism,” said Liu. “Having a group like WOCI sends the message that women of color at Northwestern deserve a space where they can freely discuss their identity, struggles, and hopes so that they can share and learn from one another.” Liu finds a certain kind of empowerment from being a part of the community, and said she absolutely believes the Women of Color
“We wanted to bring women from different pockets of Northwestern together. To essentially create a safe space for women to grapple with ideas like, ‘What is it like to be a woman of color at Northwestern?’” —Sara Fadlalla
Initiative functions as an integral addition to the feminist community. However, some hesitate to slap the “feminist” label on the group. Abu-Ghnaim, a self-proclaimed feminist, questions labeling the Women of Color Initiative as a feminist group. As she explains it, women attend the meetings for many different reasons: to be with women like them, to find a friend group, to be a part of a support group, to have intellectual discussions about the issues they face. To officially categorize the group as “feminist,” she believes, would narrow the mission and goals of the Women of Color Initiative. “Each woman comes to the meeting with their own purpose in mind,” Abu-Ghnaim said. “But I do think that this group contributes to larger campus dialogue.” Ultimately, as Fadlalla describes it, the group exists for its members. “I’m always hesitant to use the word ‘feminist,’ because you can have sixteen classes dissecting the word ‘feminist,’” Fadlalla said. “But if we’re defining it as a group to empower women and make them have a space and voice on campus, then yeah, we can call it a feminist organization.” Because at its root, does the group bring empowerment to the participating women? Hell yes.
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C consent By Therese Kaltenecker and Steven Bennett
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rumble has grown into a roar, into a country-wide war cry against institutions mishandling their own students. Now, students are demanding that their universities abide by Title IX policies intended to protect the victims of sex discrimination. Some of the most far-reaching demonstrations emphasize the significance of defining consent — “consent is not an outfit” or “no means no.”
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But while consent is incontrovertibly not an outfit, it’s also not entirely the issue. Consent education is necessary, but repercussions are equally so. A study published in the academic journal Violence and Victims revealed that the majority of undetected rapists were repeat rapists, averaging 5.8 rapes each. In the prominent case of Columbia’s Emma Sulkowitz, two other sexual assault survivors came forward to name Sulkowitz’s rapist as their assailant. Looking at the facts, an equally dire issue emerges. It’s not just that offenders know they’re doing wrong, but that they oftentimes face few repercussions for it. So while the intent of certain consent movements is useful, the aim must be combined with a dedication to punishing offenders. Colleges and universities need to prosecute sexual offenders accordingly, as well as put heavy efforts into consent education (think the sexual assault ENU). It might look good in a brochure, but a definition can only do so much. Putting action behind words, so “no means no” means you will face the consequences, could do more. Last spring, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) cited at least 55 colleges and universities for possibly violating the Title IX amendment in handling sexual assault cases. These violations included everything from failure to encourage reporting the incident to law enforcement, to lack of adequate sexual assault training and coordinated oversight, to failure to investigate reported sexual violence. The list goes on. According to records obtained from the OCR through the Freedom of Information Act, Northwestern had 11 Title IX complaints from January 1, 2002 to September 22, 2014, with only one complaint filed in 2009 leading to a policy change. Most of these Title IX complaint cases were resolved as “complaint is not timely,” because the complaint wasn’t filed within 180 days of the alleged discrimination. After this window, only instances of special circumstance can be considered. Twenty-two instances of sexual misconduct were reported in the 2012-13 school year, accounting for 27.5 percent of alleged policy violations listed as “Other NU Policies”—things like hazing, discrimination and “residence hall rules” violations.
In 2013-2014, seven reports of sexual misconduct were filed, resulting in 17.5 percent of those same violations. According to the 2014-15 Student Handbook, reports of alleged misconduct can proceed in a few different ways. Either the case is dismissed, interim actions and/or sanctions are passed, an informal resolution is reached or a formal resolution is reached. Interim sanctions can include relocation or removal from University housing and interim suspension, actions especially important to maintaining the safety and comfort of the survivor in instances of sexual misconduct. Northwestern’s Title IX Coordinator Joan Slavin deferred questions about the university’s Title IX policies and investigations to Tara Sullivan, the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for sexual misconduct complaints against students. Dr. Sullivan, however, was unable to provide STITCH with data on the Title IX investigations over the last 12 years. The only data about sexual misconduct at Northwestern that is available to students is listed on the website for the Division of Student Affairs. “I am not able to provide you with a statistic on the use of interim actions, but I can tell you that most cases involve an interim action of some type,” Dr. Sullivan said when asked for more information about interim sanctions. Since the University doesn’t publicize information specific to cases in which the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (OSCCR) has determined sexual misconduct, the student body is generally ignorant of any discrepancies in reporting and adjudication processes. Arumble has grown into a roar, into a country. But curtains closed for privacy hide more than the injured. It’s a double-edged sword: while maintaining the anonymity of the reporter of sexual assault is important, that same anonymity becomes a privilege for the perpetrator. Universities are obligated to punish students responsible for sexual misconduct in a manner that prevents him or her from harming any other students, with failure to do so a failure to comply with Title IX. Universities have failed, and putting the emphasis on sexual assault only as an issue of consent sidesteps the deeper structural dysfunction. No means no and yes means yes, but without any consequences, will it make a difference? FEBRUARY 2015 • STITCHFASHION.COM • 15
DOS EQUIS
“THE WORLD’S MOST INTERESTING WOMAN”
PHOTO CREDIT
PHOTOGRAPHER: Zachary Laurence MODELS: Left to right: Luke Miller, Jeff Marshall, Iris Hsu, and Luke Miller CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Isabel Seidel and Lilly Scheerer
MONTH 2015 • STITCHFASHION.COM • 16
style guide: this is what a feminist looks like By Luke Zhang & Lauren Myers Photos by Sean Su
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s a fact, the “one size fits all” approach rarely works. Take a seat, Brandy Melville, we’re talking figuratively (although, still). When you say “feminist,” it used to bring to mind the bra-less, the free, maybe shirts with the word “patriarchy” surrounded by knife emojis. I would be interested in that shirt, but regardless, the point is that it’s pointless to project expectations onto the feminists of today. As Northwestern’s College Feminists epitomize, it’s a concept centered on demanding equal respect for the individual you happen to be—expressed outwardly, inwardly, or with black thigh-highs and lace. So, let us introduce you to a few feminists. They have nothing in common, except for the courage of their convictions.
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Name: Sydney Larrier Class/Major: Class of 2018, Performance Studies Hometown: Maplewood, NJ Do you think your style is affected by your stance on feminism? I don’t think my fashion is affected by it because I don’t really attach feminism to how I dress. It isn’t something that dictates what I buy or what I wear. However, I have one shirt that’s like that, I guess. It says, “Act like a woman; think like a Boss,” but that’s about it (also, what does that even mean?). It sounds really cliché to say this, but I just try to wear what makes me feel most confident. If it comes off as especially feminist, then that’s an added bonus. 18 • STITCHFASHION.COM • FEBRUARY 2015
Name: Alex Gordon Class/Major: Class of 2017 with majors in Economics and Math Hometown: Evanston, IL Do you think your style is affected by your stance on feminism? Yes, absolutely. Fashion is the way we choose to visually represent ourselves to the world, and it’s impossible to divorce that from patriarchy. I myself have a slim and frankly effete frame, and I often dress to accentuate it. An alternate me might obsess over dressing to look masculine - or avoid thinking about these things altogether. A person’s way of dressing comes from their idea of what people should look like, and it’s impossible to divorce that from feminism and patriarchy. FEBRUARY 2015 • STITCHFASHION.COM • 19
Name: Molly Benedict Class/Major: Class of 2017, Middle East North Africa Studies, minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies Hometown: Stevensville, MI Do you think your style is affected by your stance on feminism? Definitely! Feminism helped me accept who I am without caring what others think. I started to just wear things I liked, instead of things I thought would mysteriously make my body appear a different way than what it actually was. That sort of confidence is what makes an outfit I or anyone else wears look good. And feminism was a major part of my figuring that out. 20 • STITCHFASHION.COM • FEBRUARY 2015
Name: Sophie Maya Mann Class/Major: Class of 2018, Economics and Computer Science Origin: Palo Alto, CA, but I was born in Chicago Do you think your style is affected by your stance on feminism? I think feminism has affected my stance on fashion, to be honest. Feminism is all about choice. Feminism helped me become more comfortable in choosing what I wear and what feels and looks good to me, as opposed to what others may think. It’s helped me become less judgmental of others and their fashion choice as well.
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STYLE GUIDE: OUR FAVORITE FEMALE PROTAGONISTS By Rachel Lefferts, Illustrations by Jen White
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hese past few years, strong female protagonists seized the big screen spotlight. Whether they’re leading rebellions against authority á la Katniss, or singlehandedly restoring the prosperity of a kingdom like Elsa and Anna from Frozen, these leading ladies prove that femininity and independence can meld flawlessly into one. But it has not always been this way. Virginia Woolf wrote in 1929 that “women of fiction” were, without exception, “shown in their relation to men.” What was missing from popular culture was “not the number of women we see on screen, but the depth of their stories, and the range of their concerns,” according to Neda Ulaby of NPR. The countercultural revolution in the ‘60s, however, paved the way for change. Feminist sentiment surged, most evident through the publication of Betty Friedan’s Feminine Mystique, the formation of the National Organization of Women and the approval of birth control pills. And in the realm of film, the role of female protagonists shifted accordingly — the days of damsels in distress gave way to a new era in which “feminine” and “strong” could go hand in hand. To say that these women are strong, however, is not to dismiss their distinctive senses of style. For these heroines, style becomes an expression of strength — an assertion that female characters can have dimension and panache. Let’s take a look at some of these fictional badass girl bosses. 22 • STITCHFASHION.COM • FEBRUARY 2015
The Graduate (1967) Just seven years after the Pill went on the market and only three years after the Civil Rights Act prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of sex, The Graduate’s Mrs. Robinson seduces recent college graduate Benjamin. Though settled in her role as a wife and a mother, Mrs. Robinson is simultaneously a woman of the new generation, defiant of the normal sexual desires deemed acceptable in her society. And her style is equally enigmatic— though Mrs. Robinson wears the black shift dresses and big statement studs that any stylish sixties housewife might, she pairs them with sexy lingerie and bold leopard-print pieces that are anything but demure. Take a cue from Mrs. Robinson and mix black wardrobe staples with a statement animal-print piece like a coat, skirt or handbag.
Annie Hall (1977) Clad in pleated trousers, oxford shoes, a vest, a white buttondown and a men’s tie, Annie Hall asserts her role as a modern ‘70s woman — she is intelligent, ambitious and independent. She takes a stand against her boyfriend Alvy’s tendency to objectify and degrade women, ultimately breaking up with him to pursue a career in music. To capture Annie’s menswear-inspired look, try a tie-neck blouse with wide-leg trousers; top it off with a felt, wide-brimmed hat and structured handbag.
Clueless (1995) Cher Horowitz may come across as ditzy and shallow, but this 1995 reincarnation of Jane Austen’s Emma is far from it. Admittedly selective, Cher takes pride in her single status, focusing instead on being a loyal friend. This unapologetically feminine heroine always makes a point to get what she wants; her loud, schoolgirl-inspired style merely reflects her strong sense of self. Though Cher’s trademark plaid yellow skirt suit may be better off left in the ‘90s, wear knee-high socks or boots, a mini skirt and a cute cropped sweater to bring her look up to date.
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f
female leaders on campus
By Rose McBride Photos by Tara Sennott
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lthough 2014 was a great year for feminism, closing the gender gap is still a work in progress. Women hold 52 percent of all professional-level jobs, but they’re only 14.6 percent of executive officers, 8.1 percent of top earners, and 4.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs, according to a 2014 report from the Center for American Progress. But six fierce Northwestern women are chipping away at these puzzling numbers.
sam yi, supplies for dreams
frances fu, pha
As the Executive Director of Supplies for Dreams, a nonprofit mentorship program that provides field trips and school supplies to students in the Chicago Public School District, Sam Yi keeps busy. The Northwestern senior serves as the external face of the organization, oversees the marketing and development teams and takes care of administrative duties for the group. Yi knew she wanted to join an education-related volunteer group as a freshman, and when she found Supplies for Dreams, she also knew it was a perfect fit. “I was like, ‘I want to change the world, and this is where I want to start,’” Yi says. She describes her leadership style as more relationship based, and her motto as, “This is who I am, this is why the group is important to me and should be to you too.”
As the president of Panhellenic Association, Frances Fu (‘15) has learned to empathize with her fellow female leaders. Passionate about women’s issues, in her oversight of 12 sororities, Fu gets to advocate for women. In her position, she serves as liaison among the Panhellenic Association, administrators and other student groups on campus. Fu has also previously served as the president of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy and as a member of SHAPE. Dedicated to health and wellness issues, she thought she could be a good resource for the Greek community and decided to run for president. “I think that something that all the Panhellenic chapters share is a really strong sisterhood, and the desire to not only be better for themselves but for their communities,” she says.
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julia watson, asg
fallon schlossman, i am that girl
As ASG’s president, senior Julia Watson executes projects at both the community and national level, meets with campus figures, engages with other universities and more. Watson says she’s proud to be a campus leader, but she’s noticed that others’ perception of her gender does affect her – when she can’t stop to talk to students spontaneously, she says she’ll often be written off as being “in a bad mood” or “stressed out.” One particular barrier for female leaders, Watson says, is maintaining an authoritative role while still making time and attention for everyone. During her campaign, she says she felt a lot of pressure to do everything rather than delegate tasks. “It’s so difficult for women in general to navigate that line of being able to be like, ‘I’m in charge and this is what’s happening,’ and still being there for people all the time,” Watson says.
Last fall, Fallon Schlossman (‘17) founded the Northwestern chapter of I Am That Girl, a national organization advocating female empowerment. The mission statement for I Am That Girl is turning self-doubt into self-love. “When I was trying to find out in May if people would be interested in it, the responses I got from every single person who had heard about this group were so incredible,” Schlossman says. The organization is in the beginning stages of development, and Schlossman is working toward its official recognition as a Northwestern student group. She holds meetings in which girls empower one another through discussing personal, local and global issues. “Being the leader of this organization, for me, is being the person to finally say we need this here, and I will do it and prove that we need it,” Schlossman says.
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anisa mian, ges
ciara mccarthy, the daily
As co-director for the Global Engagement Summit, Anisa Mian (‘15) is one of the two heads running an annual international conference. GES unites students from all over the world to discuss and plan for social change, and the program includes mentorships, professional development training, workshops, critical discussion and keynote speakers. “I really found that [GES] was what I looked forward to most at school and what I liked spending my time doing,” Mian says. Mian says that being a woman in her position isn’t uncommon, with her road paved by previous leaders. “With the position I’m in and what it entails, I am representing a group of 70 people, and being a female really makes me feel empowered in that way,” she says.
Editor-in-chief of The Daily Northwestern, Ciara McCarthy (‘15) started writing for The Daily her freshmen year and later held different editor roles. “I wanted to be as involved as possible and be a part of The Daily’s future, and I learned so much from the people who edited me,” McCarthy says. “I would love to think that I’m able to give something similar to new writers.” In terms of her role as a woman in a leadership position, McCarthy has always felt comfortable taking risks and trying new things. “It has been really cool because as I went through different roles at The Daily, I worked with and for a lot of accomplished and professional women who I look up to,” she says. “I think that it’s great for women to work around women who inspire them.”
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E H T O T S E F I N A M gney trice Ha a e B d n ngs a k h Spelli a r Kranya , a S m r : a e s P r m o a d t r n c er Dire r: Alix K , Amelia Bell, a el, Lilly Scheer e h p a r Seid Photog atsala Kumar , Isabel e n V i l : s C l e r mbe Mod -Rozo tants: A ocio Mendez s i s s A t Se n, R Kaufma y d d a M
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Left to Right: Vatsala, Pam & Amelia
Above Top: Staring at Stars Skirt: Wilster Left Tank: Vintage Skirt: H&M Jumpsuit: Ecote
Above Tank: Vintage Skirt: H&M Right Dress: Derek Heart
Above Top: H&M Jeans: J Brand Left Blazer: Urban Outfitters Romper: Urban Outfitters Shoes: Silver Slipper
“BITCH” A FEMALE DOG, A FOOL, AND A FEMINIST? THE PROBLEM WITH HAVING TOO MANY USES FOR SUCH A STRONG WORD. By Lizzey Johnson
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CLIPART BEST
ne night over Thanksgiving break, I was out to dinner with my best friends from high school. We ordered food family style and my friend Nina had better access to it than I did. “Pass me some, bitch,” I told her facetiously. The boisterous table went quiet, and Nina raised her eyebrows in alarm. “Whoa, chill,” she defended. “No need to use the word ‘bitch’ over a pot sticker.” I couldn’t help thinking about Nina’s words long after our meal had ended. Throughout fall quarter, I had noticed a gradual demise in my speech. I had fallen into the spiteful habit of using expletives as colloquialisms, even as terms of endearment. Living in a house of 60 20-year-old females, I had grown comfortable with tossing the term around as a means of flattery. After all, being called someone’s “Main Bitch” has become a superlative accolade; “My Bitches” is a distinctive term reserved for our closest companions. In Nina’s case, I had falsely assumed that society’s obsession with the word had taken away its sting.
A word as harsh in tone as in meaning, “bitch” has a wide array of definitions. In one strange sense, it is positive. Many of us aspire to join the ranks of feminist, badass bitches like Sophia Amorouso, the famed founder of NastyGal. Yet with the aura of coolness that the term suggests comes the pejorative reality of its connotations. No one’s ever put “bitch” and “nice girl” in the same sentence. The harsh reality is that to be a glorified bitch, you also have to be callous. The usages I find most ironic are the ones that use “bitch” to both mock someone’s weakness and highlight someone’s strength. “Don’t be a bitch” is an idiom employed to peer pressure people into more daring pursuits. Yet, calling someone “a badass bitch” glorifies the strength and achievement of the most daring women we know. Over the course of history, the word has transformed in meaning and usage. Shakespeare used “bitch” in his texts, but never to insult a woman—the word was periodically more often used to insult a man. By the 18th century, however, its meaning had grown into a term used to describe a “lewd” woman being likened to a whore. It wasn’t until 1920 that the word became more akin to its contemporary form and pervasive in common dialogue. When women could finally vote, suffragists became centerpieces of cultural discourse; consequently, the word “bitch” became a more colloquial term tossed around at dinner tables and in tabloids. It was not until the progressivism of the 1960s and ‘70s that women became more comfortable with identifying themselves as “bitches.” Slowly but surely, the term became a quasi-compliment: a bitch may be icy and mean, but she surely had her shit together. But as the word stayed with society over the following decades, a problem arose: the word’s use became far more ambiguous. We now have virtually limitless definitions for bitch, spanning spectrums of achievement and disposition. Interestingly, its use—and effect—varies
dramatically depending on which gender says it. While this opinion is obviously subjective, a girlfriend recently told me that when a girl calls them a bitch, it strikes like knives, but when a man says it, its almost empowering. The ambiguity and gendering of “bitch” is precisely the problem: We can’t make a positive of something that is historically negative, and so when we use it as a compliment, we have to defend our word choice. When we say somebody is a “bad bitch” in a good way, we have to explain or justify such nomenclature— “she’s hardworking, she is successful, she gives no fucks.” Bitch Media, an organization that publishes content dedicated to assessing pop culture from a feminist lens, told me that the cultural problem with the word bitch is that, in essence, people are afraid of it. “When it’s being used as an insult, “bitch” is an epithet hurled at women who speak their minds, who have opinions and don’t shy away from expressing them, and who don’t sit by and smile uncomfortably if they’re bothered or offended. If being an outspoken woman means being a bitch, we’ll take that as a compliment. We stand firm in our belief that if we choose to re-appropriate the word, it loses its power to hurt us. And if we can get people thinking about what they’re saying when they use the word, that’s even better.” While I admire Bitch Media’s warm embrace of the word, I can’t say I am anywhere close to comfortable with it. The word still rings in my ears when its directed towards me, and I can’t say that hearing it from a guy’s mouth lights a fire in my soul, like it does my friend. Society is growing closer to turning “bitch” into a positive, but we aren’t there yet. We need to remove the ambiguities from the word and decide to define it as one thing—to let the “badass bitches” of the world give it its meaning through their achievements. I may not want to be a bitch, but I would kill to be Sophia Amorouso—so I guess I’m on my way.
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LA
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WHAT’S IN A NAME? By Mackenzie Broderick
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afraid of picking herself up after a fall. There are no roller derby teams near Northwestern, so before my freshman year I put away my helmet for good. But come winter quarter, I noticed posters advertising for NU Burlesque tryouts. Drawn once again to the glamorous life, I spent the next few months as Gem Fatale, burlesque performer. The effort to reclaim the word “bitch” may seem trite, but I’ve learned how important names are. As Slain Austen and Gem Fatale, I was able to create multiple identities that encompassed my entire personality. As a young woman, I often feel I’m placed in certain boxes that are difficult to escape. College student, daughter, sister, writer— each one of these is only a facet of who I am, not the complete picture. Yet it’s difficult to own these contradictions when people seem to only acknowledge one or two traits. Madonna or whore. Bitch or good girl. Women are forced into polar, opposing spheres, when really we contain all these different and contradictory characteristics. I’m a reserved person, but as Slain Austen I could be aggressive. I’m an old soul, but as Gem Fatale I’m suddenly sexy. Trying on a different name gives me freedom, not to be someone else, but to express parts of myself that are difficult to reconcile. To be myself entirely. What’s in a name? Slain Austen, Gem Fatale, Mackenzie. These women, different as they are, all exist inside me.
SNOOKER CARROT: THE NOUN PROJECT
ick up the pace and catch up, Slain!” My head snaps up as I dig my skates into the floor, keeping my eyes forward as I skid around the curve. Out here on the track Mackenzie Broderick does not exist—there is only Slain Austen. Throughout my life, I’ve tried many different sports, and failed at all them. I’m not sure what drove me to keep trying, when it was obvious I was more suited to reading instead of running. Maybe I wanted to please my family, maybe I wanted to be like all my friends who played sports, but by the time I reached sophomore year I was desperate. In order to ditch the high school lacrosse team, I tried out for roller derby. Living in Portland, Oregon, I wasn’t surprised to learn we had a junior roller derby team, populated with young women with names like Jesus Feist and Scream Cheese. They were superheroes in fishnets and skates and I wanted to become one, so I joined the practice. A roller derby name is earned: I skated, and fell on my face, for months before moving up and choosing my name. The only way Jane Austen, my favorite author, could belong on the track was if she became edgier, more intimidating; and thus, Slain Austen was born. Slain Austen became my alter ego — Mackenzie could never slam into the bleachers and hop right back up, knock a bitch down, or skate backwards. But Slain could. Slain Austen was tough, and not
PHOTO CREDIT
DUBBLE BUBBLE PHOTOGRAPHER: Ceci Marshall MODEL: Eric Xiong CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Maddy Kaufman
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PHOTO CREDIT
TOM FORD
PHOTOGRAPHER: Sean Su MODELS: Britt Jordan and Natascha Buschmann CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Beatrice Hagney and Sarah Spellings
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