18 MILLION CRACKS

It’s no secret that Generation Z, also known as Gen Z, has a strong chokehold on popular culture right now. This generation has the power to break celebrities and brands, and they are not afraid to use it. This generation has rather specific tastes, and tends to favor accessibility for all, social justice, ethical and sustainable practices. Additionally, they are not afraid to boycott brands that don’t align with their beliefs, no matter how historically popular that brand is. This has directly contributed to the rise and fall of certain brands over the past couple of years, and we are going to map out those successes and failures using the design from a game most Gen Z-ers probably played in their youth, Chutes and Ladders.

LADDERS

Louis Vuitton: Using popular Gen Z icons Emma Chamberlin and Charli D’amelio as the new face of their brand in 2020 was a great move for this iconic luxury fashion house. Those celebrities align with Gen Z’s powerful views, making Louis Vuitton seem more accessible, even if the price range is not any more accessible to most young people than it was before, therefore helping it climb the ranks.

NIKE: Nike has never really gone out of style, but it does havea lot of competition. Making Colin Kapernick the face of their brand has really helped propel Nike ahead of competition, especially since the rise in popularity of the Black Lives Matter movement in June 2020. Ladder!

Gucci:As written by Luxe Digital- “Gucci embraces genderless fashion and a sustainable supply chain, two important values, especially for the coveted younger generations of luxury shoppers. For example, Gucci launched its first sustainable collection Off The Grid and introduced eco-packaging.” That quote says it all, Gucci has become a Gen Z fave! They’re movin’ on up.

Reformation: Gen Z can’t get enough of this earth-friendly femaleowned clothing brand. You’ll see Reformation all over Tik Tok and Instagram. The brand does a great job of being very transparent about their carbon footprint and their plans to eliminate it on their website (Gen Z LOVES transparency, duh). Reformation keeps up with current trends but also keeps their clothing classic and simple. Perfect for Gen Z, so up they go.

Shein:

For those of you who know a thing or two about this generation, you probably saw this one coming. If you didn’t know, Gen Z HATES fast fashion, and online retailer Shein is the definition of fast fashion. Shein has been linked to unethical labor, unsustainable practices, and stealing designs from smaller creators - making it a definite no-no for this generation. Down the chute they go – along with their reputation!

Victoria’s Secret: Victoria’s Secret used to be all the rage–but not anymore. Gen Z has worked their influential magic to banish this brand from relevance. In an interview after the 2018 fashion show, Chief Marketing Officer Ed Razek made a statement saying that the brand should not include transgender models because they don’t fit into the VS “fantasy” idea. Victoria’s Secret sales plummeted, even after Razek released an apology. The brand was forced to do a drastic PR change, prioritizing inclusivity, which just shows the power Gen Z has to control the industry. Bye Bye, VS!

Alexander Wang: Needless to say, Gen Z does not support designers with sexual assault allegations, and they especially do not support utilizing power to silence victims speaking up about allegations. This scandal happened in December of 2020. Wang not taking accountability loses major points with Gen Z, and his brand has suffered as a result. Long Chute for you!

Danielle Bernstein :

AKA WeWoreWhat

Danielle Bernstein has been officially canceled by Gen Z, and you can plainly see that by scrolling through any teenage girls tik tok page or reading the comments on her instagram, @WeWoreWhat.

Danielle has been exposed multiple times for blatantly stealing designs from smaller creators, especially POC designers. Gen Z is not down with that, therefore she is canceled for the foreseeable future. Danielle is going down!

WRITING: ELOISE MCNAIR LAYOUT: EMMA FENDER

Content Director: Elizabeth Nitz Content Assistants: Victoria Schneider, Melina de Groot , Taniya Pierce , Jocelyn Peña Styling: Skylar Perez, Issy Regas Beauty: Ashlyn Daughenbaugh, Elizabeth Kish Photography: Stephanie Lopez Videography: Emma Fender Writing: Haley Wolf Layout: Jomarie Cortese, Nastasia Rozenberg

Female Rage

The glass ceiling has been the clear barrier between women and equality since the beginning of time. This hypothetical road block has been put in place by the men around us to keep women out of power in all aspects. Back in 2008, Hilary Clinton said in the speech that ended her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination that “although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it, and the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time.” Especially in the fashion industry, we see this notion that women are in-charge and dominate the industry, and yet it is still men in the majority of these high ranking positions. The meaning behind this shoot was to embody the strength and passion of women throughout time, and to showcase our most powerful emotions that will hopefully, one day, shatter the glass ceiling above us.

Oftentimes, these strong emotions are viewed as unladylike, hostile, or unapproachable when worn on the face of women, but when worn on the face of men, they are viewed as professional, captivating, and influential. This double standard is something that we aim to break down and take back throughout this piece. Women can be strong, angry, passionate, and in-charge all without bringing a negative connotation to them.

MEN TELLING WOMEN WHAT TO WEAR

As stated previously, the fashion industry is considered to be one that is dominated by women in most aspects. However, many of the world’s top designers and CEOs are still men. Alexander Wang, Raf Simmons, and Giorgio Armani are some just to name a few. If this industry is really so female dominated, then why are there still so many men trying to tell us how and what we should wear? This has been happening since the beginning of time, and yet somehow we are still getting stuck in this cycle of men dictating our fashion choices. While it may not be as direct or conscious as it once was, there are still many instances of men actively defying women’s rights to control their clothing choices. Just this past summer, “Several female activists [were] fined in France for wearing “burkinis” in a Grenoble swimming pool.” It may be 2021, but these issues remain prevalent and apparent in the lives of women all over the world.

Dressing for the Male Gaze

In conjunction with listening to what men are telling women to wear, dressing for the male gaze has been a recurring sentiment for decades. Whether that’s a school dresscode worrying about young girls “distracting” the boys, or society claiming that women are dressing to attract attention from the opposite sex, this theory has gone on for too long. Especially in recent years, women have been expected to conform to what makes men “comfortable”. Even in instances of sexual assault, a woman’s clothing has suddenly become a plea or desire for grabbing, touching, and other unwanted fondling from men. At the Met Gala and many other high fashion events this year, we have seen an increased number of women showing off their lingerie and underwear as a statement. “What’s interesting about this trend is that it isn’t just fodder for the male gaze… what you’re seeing now is an individual female choice.” This is the beginning of a movement, and after too long, it’s time we started changing that narrative. I am not dressing in hopes of you looking at me. I am not wearing this to get attention. I am not looking to go home with you because of the top or jeans I chose to put on. This notion ends now. I wore this because I wanted to.

Highlighting Women in Fashion

After discussing men for so long, it is time we highlighted the women within the fashion industry who are making strides towards shattering the glass ceiling above us one collection at a time. Aurora James is just one of the many amazing women in the industry designing to make a difference. She is the creative director and founder of the luxury brand “Brother Vellies” as well as an activist fighting for equality in all aspects. James was tasked with designing a dress for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at this year’s Met Gala. AOC was adorned in a floor length, white ball gown with the words “Tax the Rich” sprawled on the back. In an Instagram post, James said “with access comes great opportunity. We can never get too comfortable in our seats at the table once they’ve been given. We must always continue to push ourselves, push our colleagues, push the culture and push this Country forward.” We are looking forward to seeing what else Aurora James and Brother Vellies have in store for the future. Another amazing woman in fashion is Sonia Syngal. Sonia has been the CEO of GAP since 2020, and she is one of few female CEOs in the Fortune 500. Syngal led the company through a global pandemic after being named CEO only a few days before the lockdown began. After everything that happened last year, she is happy to finally be in a place where she can just enjoy her job. In an interview with Stanford Business Syngal said “follow your passion and know that you can change the world. Watching others or helping others do it is not nearly as fun.”