Speak up

the speak out issue winter 2018 josephine adler photography christine szczepaniak

SPEAK UP

#SOULSCENE

GUCCI.COM

SPEAK UP winter 2018

the speak out issue

starring.....kenady watson, dj morales, josephine adler, christine szczepaniak, xavier simms j, ashley hamilton, sam lotko, kate gottfredson, anna van harskamp, samiksha dangat, nala wu, jemma castiglione, prathamesh sawant, elinor hilton, elianna alaya, kat aritsy, samruddhi palshetkar, franceska bonnevie, desiree ellen, janet wang, khadeine ali, makanxee morales, madeline douglass, jenna foxhoven, sharline richards, brittany heath, noelle lauren beene, daniel rou, jose rodriguez, tash charitonuk, nadia egipciaco, faith newton, savannah rain brown, edgar rodriguez, giulia cholewczynski, ty, tayja strickland, dyani anderson and emily grace budine.

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SPEAK UP

the speak out issue no. 348 what’s a present issue that sticks out to you?

editor-in-chief Devon Moyer creative director Raquel Benjamin art director Danielle Blake producer Tanvi Jain editorial director Keyotta Mills

editor-in-chief Domestic Violence creative director Mass Incarceration art director Sexual Assualt and Racism producer Animal Rights, Harassment

contributors

kenady watson, dj morales, josephine adler, christine szczepaniak, xavier simms j, ashley hamilton, sam lotko, kate gottfredson, anna van harskamp, samiksha dangat, nala wu, jemma castiglione, prathamesh sawant, elinor hilton, elianna alaya, kat aritsy, samruddhi palshetkar, franceska bonnevie, desiree ellen, janet wang, khadeine ali, makanxee morales, madeline douglass, jenna foxhoven, sharline richards, brittany heath, noelle lauren beene, daniel rou, jose rodriguez, tash charitonuk, nadia egipciaco, faith newton,

models kate ottfredson Domestic Violence and Mental Health Awareness sam lotko Gun Control giulia cholewczynski Big Pharma nadia egipciaco Racism jose rodriguez Government Control edgar rodriguez Global Warming ty Human Rights

savannah rain brown, edgar rodriguez, giulia cholewczynski, ty, tayja strickland, dyani anderson and emily grace budine.

designer kenady m. watson Racism within Gay Community photographer daniel rou Gun Control

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SPEAK UP 212 E Broughton St. Savannah, Ga 31401 United States

CONTRIBUTORS

Daniel Rou Photographer

Devon Moyer Editor in Chief

Christine Szczepaniak Photographer

DJ Morales Photographer

Raquel Benjamin Creative Director

Nadia Egipciaco Sneaker Designer

Jemma Castiglione Photographer

Dyani Anderson Seamstress

Danielle Blake Art Director 35

Emily Grace Budine Photographer

Giulia Cholewczynski, Stylist

Tanvi Jain Producer

Keyotta Mills Editorial Producer

EDITOR’S NOTE Spring 2018

Speak Out Issue Let’s Talk About It

The SPEAK OUT issue is about not holding back. It’s about facing inner demons, gathering the words in the back of your mind and expressing feelings without worrying that they won’t resonate well with the people around you. Issues in today’s world will never be resolved if we don’t start the conversation. Everyone has a voice and sharing stories, opinions, facts and ideas will help in pushing these issues out into the spotlight. Those voices are in the SPEAK OUT issue and they are not holding back. Every article and interview in this issue contains discussions of meaningful issues in today’s world that not only address the issues but adds a personal view and raw emotions into them. Every single person in the SPEAK OUT issue truly inspires us to keep the conversation going.

Josephine Adler’s outlook on what it means to be “plus-sized” will resonate with women and encourage people to question if there is a plus size in the world. Kenady Watson’s passionate views on issues in the fashion industry and what it means to be a black, gay man will open up new perspectives in your eyes. The women who have the courage to speak out against their sexual abusers and stand together for the #MeToo movement show that they refuse to submit to a male dominated world. Some have written heartfelt, upsetting stories to show other women they are not alone and will support each other.

Some have written anonymously showing that we still have a distance to go to eliminate the shame associated with these situations. The gorgeous, strong women who showed everyone that unconventional beauty is just simply beautiful, not something that should be downplayed due to unattainable beauty standards in the media. These are the voices of the world today. This is the beginning of a long conversation that we will refuse to end until we have a conversation and a resolution. We will not compromise, we will not back down and we will not stop speaking up. Use this issue as a tool to start gathering opinions, research, stories, and begin to SPEAK OUT for this world and everyone in it.

DEVON MOYER, EDITOR IN CHIEF 36

world is about

Beauty in today’

most perfect.

who looks the

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on this page Sam Lotko models wear all clothing own

Photography Jemma Castiglione

Uncoventional?

From top to bottom Kate Gottferdson and Ashley Hamilton

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Anna van Harskamp

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Samiksha Dangat

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Nala Wu

BEA

unconve

AUTY

entional

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Plus What ?

Photography Christine Szczepaniak

model Josephine Adler is wearing own clothes

“ But especially for curvier women I think that they are fetishized, so its either people hate your body or people want sex and no in between. “

“ There is no such thing as an actual size. I’ve been like 9, 12, 14, 16 so I’ve discovered that size doesn’t exist either.”

JOSEPHINE Devon Moyer

How would you describe your personal style? I would say it’s whimsical, colorful, and definitely a little ironic and not to be taken seriously. I think that’s my personality. Just keep it light and fun and don’t take yourself too seriously. What made you color your hair the way it is? I’ve been coloring my hair since I was little, like with streaks. But I feel like it’s definitely been a way to have fun like outside of anything. Well I also went to public school, so I was always able to express myself like that, so I was lucky. I feel like even maybe escapism, - that’s my theme for senior so i talk about that a lot- but it’s definitely puts me in my own fun little world in my head, literally. Since this was a plus sized shoot, what do you think the best term for that word is? Because we’re trying to figure out what’s the meaning of plus sized? What does that word even mean? Were all different sizes so why is that the word used? I feel like we’re discovering now it’s all encompassing because it can be just anyone that slightly runs outside of straight sizes. For me, I teeter in between.

I can get away with buying stuff from the regular section in forever 21 and H&M but I also can go to Fashion Nova. So, I think that a lot of people also do that. There is no such thing as an actual size. I’ve been like 9, 12, 14, 16 so I’ve discovered that size doesn’t exist either. It’s actually kind of nice because it makes you realize that actual clothing sizes don’t really exists because it just depends on that one brand. So, do you feel like we should get rid of “plus sized” like I always ask myself what does that even mean? Like plus what? Yeah! Like when does plus size start and when does skinny start and when does regular start? Exactly,and we have curvy as a word too... Curvy as in a slimmer fat? And then plus sized could mean any big size, as big as you can. So, I think that there also might be issues with that. There’s light skinned privilege, there’s curvy privilege. Like some not being able to go to Forever 21, like being much bigger than me. So, I think there’s maybe a privilege in that, and obviously like having a nice ass and titties instead of having a fat stomach. I noticed, personally, that there is a bunch of Ashley Grahams now… Right Exactly! So, it’s having that hourglass shape and stuff but what do you want to see more of? I feel like this has been basically saying that these labels don’t exist, so I think we need to see more of people that don’t fit one slot. More everyday people, and that is everyday people. Do you have any words of advice or anything to say to the other “plus sized” people? Oh, that’s a good question. I guess I’ll think about what I would want to hear from someone else. I think that… alright, alright, I’m going to say that the slimmer people, the Ashley Graham’s, should really identify the privilege of that because really, it’s in style as we know because of Ashley Graham and, lord knows, the men like it. So, I feel like those curvy women specifically should acknowledge that and also know that they are all a part of the same community, but I think that we need even bigger people than me and obviously women of color that are bigger and older people that are bigger. I don’t see any fat old people in magazines but maybe that would be better. Maybe it would make them spend more money, isn’t that the people with money? And the average size in the US is a 14. Right! And we were just talking in class about how there is something called 67%. Like 67% of people are over size 16 or something like that, but the majority of clothes aren’t made for them. I think that if we could just keep spreading the knowledge and awareness, and doing stuff like this, I think that’s like the best thing we can do.

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You keep touching on privilege, which is kind of an interesting point and you get that that doesn’t just fall under skin color, but it goes with age, and sizes. What makes that a point for you to touch on? Well when we’re talking on minorities and feminism and people who aren’t this and people who aren’t white. Being like the minorities, I think that were talking about this social issue, like we have to talk about all of them. So, I think that’s probably why it’s so all-encompassing and also, for me, I grew up in New York and it was such a melting pot and I was always so aware that people are a rainbow- I know this sounds so hippie, but people are a rainbow so like everyone is so different so i knew that i didn’t come from a place where everyone looked the same so to me it’s more normal to see diversity. How do you think these labels personally affect you as an individual If you keep yourself away from the society? I think that people want to label you.They want to say, okay you’re curvy, or you’re this or you’re that. Definitely with dating it’s always a lusty thing. Because you have like this body, i don’t know, I feel like any women can identify with that. But especially for curvier women I think that they are fetishized, so its either people hate your body or people want sex and no in between. That’s a real point. I guess we’re going there girl. I feel like I’m reading a Tumblr post. I think that there is a lot of extremes with that but at the end of the day you’re just a normal person, that just like eats and poops and has sex. I don’t know, like everyone else! When you see in media, up until recently, its either very sexy or very don’t be like that or fear that. So, by finding that in between and finding that normal, is coming about now. It’s still new though so i think young women like me have to fight through, fight the good fight and remember that you are normal. Do you have anything to say to the people who are the reason these labels still exist and who still believe that physical appearance is the most important part of a person? Mean people, bad people, ignorant people... Well I guess if they are willing enough to listen, because there are the people that are like too far gone, like you hate it, i get it. And well, obviously, plus sized people get accused of being unhealthy and i guess that’s the biggest argument, weight and stuff. But we all know that we smoke cigarettes and we do drugs and we do so many other things that are unhealthy for our bodies that don’t have to do with weight at all and we can’t dictate to anyone else what they should do with their bodies. The healthiest thing you can do is be mentally healthy and not hate your body, so I’d say that’s the healthiest you can be in my opinion. Everyone has good experiences, and everyone has bad ones. Has there been one that has stuck out to you the most, good and bad, because we don’t want to focus on the negative without focusing on the positive? I mean, obviously, the scariest thing is being catcalled, which so many women face. I’ve built a thick skin with it, but I know it’s something I’ll face my whole life and so will my friends. It’s a pretty sad thing. But also, I feel like I was insecure as an adolescent and I was so scared to date because I was like I look different, I’m bigger. Then I dated, and I was like, okay, that doesn’t matter at all and I feel like for a lot of people that isn’t validation but for me it was to know that that didn’t have an effect, that was not a factor at all for stuff like that. That made me realize there were fears I my head that didn’t actually exist which i feel like that’s what insecurity is. Its fear that doesn’t’ exist.

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MARIJUANA

Kyotta

“Marijuana,cannabis or pot, whatever the term may be for you, has a long history dating back to ancient cultures. The difference between then and now, is that it was initially used as an herbal medicine, in Asia around 500 BC. Within America, the history goes back to early colonists, whom grew hemp for the use of rope and textiles. Racial and political views are what led to the criminalization of marijuana in the US, however in today’s world of medical and recreational marijuana use on the rise, the status of marijuana state by state is changing.”

Central Asia, is where cannabis or hemp plant originally evolved, which they then introduced to Europe, Africa, and soon the Americans. During those times the hemp fiber was used to make a variety of things such as clothing, rope, and seeds were utilized as food. Many believe that early hemp plants had lower THC levels, however produced at higher levels for healing practice and religious ceremonies.

Cannabis took a long trip through pre and modern worlds, but it was not until the 20th century that it finally made its way to the United States. Many mexicans immigrants were fleeing during the Mexican Revolution and there access into the country is when cannabis arrived. This triggered earl, prejudice views, which claimed that, “Mexicans were frequently blamed for smoking marijuana, property crimes, seducing children and engaging in murderous sprees.”

Medical marijuana emerged in the 1800’s by Sir William Brooke O’Shaughnessy. Sir William was an irish doctor, who linked the benefits of marijuana with less stomach pain and decreased vomiting in people whom were suffering from cholera. The selling of cannabis did not come about until the late 1800’s, when extracts began to be sold in pharmacies and offices of doctors from Europe to the United States to treat stomach problems and other illnesses. Later is was discovered that THC was the key component that offered benefits to medical marijuana. The compound interacts with different parts of your brain which is we get that relief from nausea while prompting hunger. Success from the introduction of medical marijuana has paved the way for broader views and action for the legalization.

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LEGALIZATION

a Mells

Out of fifty states only eighteen, and the District of Columbia allow consumption and possession of marijuana for medical purposes. Doctors are allowed to prescribe the drug to treat illnesses such as glaucoma, menstrual cramps, and most commonly cancer.

Many people are in hopes their states will follow the lead of other states, providing the relief they are so desperately searching for.

Greek historian, Herodotus, first mentioned the use of marijuana as recreational when explain how the Scythians, Iranian nomads would inhale the smoke from cannabis seeds and flowers in order to get high. Marijuana wasn’t used for recreational purpose in the US until the 1900’s. This is the timeframe when many believe that Mexicans immigrating over to the US, introduced it to our culture. By 1931, the drug had been outlawed by twenty-nine states, due to the persona of the drug. In today’s world marijuana, is the most popular, and accessible street drug. In recents studies, 44% of American adults use marijuana on the regular. Many people explain that they like the way it makes them feel. The alteration of the mind is amazing when the feeling is relaxed. Marijuana is seen by many as a social drug, a way to let free when with friends and others. However, the fact still remains the same, the drug is illegal for recreational purposes in forty-one states.

Colorado, Washington, Alaska, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Vermont, and Oregon, you are the hope for the rest of the country.

Legalization of marijuana in different parts of the US are expected to rise over the next years. There are many pros to the legalization of marijuana. Medical benefits for those suffering will now be available, reduction in crime and violence, and many believe that prohibition of marijuana is an intrusion on one’s freedom. In 2016, 587,700 people were arrested in regards to marijuana, which surpasses the numbers for rape and murder combined. Lastly, marijuana is one of the top selling agricultural products, imagine the numbers that would do, not only state wise, but the US as a whole. In 2017, marijuana sales were expected to be $9.7 billion in North America, which was a 33% increase over one year. By 2021, as more states legalize, and markets enter the online world, the expected marijuana market will hit $24.5 billion in sales. Talk about growth? Let’s get to growing.

4:20

Photography Kaylee Patricia Bolson from left to right Jose Rodriguez, Xavier Simms J, Nadia Egipciaco, Faith Newton, Savannah Rain Brown, Edgar Rodriguez, Giulia Cholewczynski and TY models styled by Giulia Cholewczynski

from top to bottom Jose Rodriguez, Nadia Egipciaco, Faith Newton, Giulia Cholewczynski

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from left to right Xavier Simms J, Jose Rodriguez, Nadia Egipciaco, Edgar Rodriguez, Faith Newton, Savannah Rain Brown, TY and Giulia Cholewczynski

TY and Edgar Rodriguez

“ Herodotus, first mentioned the use of marijuana as recreational when explain how the Scythians, Iranian nomads would inhale the smoke from cannabis seeds and flowers in order to get high.�

Disclaimer:

all use of paraphernalia was staged.

I may not be able

story, and although

“This is my

myself�

Anonymous

to speak up for

able to fight back,

to rewrite it, I am

I didn’t issue my forgiveness.” LK

“A voice swallowed by stifled screams, I didn’t say it was not okay; that it will never be okay. I didn’t demand an apology.

“ I was made to taste like candy. Girls don’t taste sweet, they taste like gasoline, ready to set fire. No means no, and me too means: You are not alone. ” Anonymous

#Me Too

Photography Daniel Rou

from left to right Brittany Heath, Sharline Richards, Desiree Ellen,

Nala Wu, Janet Wang, EKhadeine Ali, Madeline Douglass, Franceska Bonnevie,

Noelle Lauren Beene, Regan Stacey, Dj Morales, Makanxee Morales and Jenna Foxhoven models wear own clothing

#ME TOO Keyotta Mells

Harvey Weinsten, Donald Trump, the list goes on, and yes sexual assault is real. Sexual assault comes in different forms, and it doesn’t discriminate.Often swept under the rug leaving victims feeling helpless it is now time to make a voice for so many and speak up.

In recent years, groups and movements focusing on victims on sexual assault have been the answer to many prayers. #MeToo movement was founded by Tarana Burke in 2006, to help survivors of sexual violence and make leadway for a road of healing. She has brought victims out the dark and into the forefront through their stories with one ultimate goal: END SEXUAL VIOLENCE. Ten years have passed since the birth of this empowering movement, but the stories don’t stop, and the uplifting social justice issue has sparked attention everywhere. Speaking out is never easy, and for those of you who do we support you, we applaud you, we love you.

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“Angry! I fou Angry, a swallowe Angry, she whispere

LK

back row: Desiree Ellen, Madeline Douglass, Regan Stacey, Khadeine Ali middle row: Janet Wang, Makanxee Morales, Brittany Heath, Noelle, Lauren Beene, Dj Morales

K

front row: Sharline Richards, Nala Wu, Jenna Foxhoven and Franceska Bonnevie

und my fight! ed voice surfaced. ed, “Never again!” ”

Photography Kaylee Patricia Bolson Danielle Blake

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model wears own clothes

Tash Charitonuk

Photography Daniel Rou

You are Cordially Invited to...

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Celebrate Pride Celebrate Authenticity Celebrate Each Other Celebrate You

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model is wearing gown by Kenady M. Watson

Onset gown assistant Dyani Anderson

Tayja Strickland

Designer Kenady M. Watson

Photography Emily Grace Eudine

KENADY M. WATSON “I want people to feel things when they see my garments. I want people to know. I want people to love. I want people to go YES! I don’t want them to be like this is beautiful, this is lovely. I want an emotion. I want a direct emotion.

I want you to feel like you’re going to cry from beauty because that is what I used to feel, and I still feel from some designers.”

Interveiw conducted by Danielle Blake Transcribed by Devon Moyer So, tell me a little bit of what inspires, you to create these pieces and how did you fall into this? Why timepieces? To be honest, it was probably just the most basic engineered reason. I was in love with Dior. The old, old Dior, like when he was still alive. Then I started researching other early designers. I was in love with Paul Poiret’s things because they were so different, it was like this whole early 20s thing going on, I’m like really? Like Harlem pants and lamp shade dresses. I’m in love. I was never too crazy over the Coco Chanel aspect, like I love her and everything she did, but I wasn’t in love with it enough to pursue that style. I was taking classes and then I learned from Professor Denni about Charles Worth and I looked him up and I realized that, good god, this man did the things that I wish we still wore and I wanted to try to bring those things into evening wear again because there’s a beauty behind those things that I don’t believe is expressed or shown these days. I want a woman not to have to show so much to feel appreciated and maybe that sounds a bit native or out dated, and I don’t mind showing a little skin, I’ve actually tried it in certain ways, but I still believe there’s an elegance in showing as little as possible. I believe in evening gloves. I believe in the old Hollywood glitz and glamour, but I also do believe in modern times but a little blast from the past never hurt anybody. It definitely does not, and it shows in your work. Honestly I have been very much impressed with myself but I’ve also been knocked down a lot because I technically do not have the training to be a attempting things like this but the more classes I take, a professors like Professor Stephanie Foy who push me and allow me to be free and she knows I do not have the sound construction background to do these things but she believes that if you just continue to walk and don’t begin to run, you’re never going to get anywhere.

She allows me and pushes me to do these things. Of course, I have experts like Tammy, who yell at me because they feel like I’m doing things I’m not capable of but my thing is I didn’t come here to do things that I’m capable to do. I came here to do things that I could never imagine doing.

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How do you go about researching before you begin to sketch? This dress, honestly, I won’t even lie to you, it came to me so easily. I didn’t have to do very much research at all, I actually don’t research anything. I don’t believe in looking at other designer’s runways, I rarely pay attention to New York Fashion Week even though I probably should, but I have a thing like many other students in other majors, if I continue to look at other artist’s work I feel as though at some point I’ll self-consciously wind up copying it. So, no, I don’t do research. I know the silhouette that I want, I put on some music and I draw, I sketch, I touch fabrics, I drape. No one in the past has looked at what everyone else is doing unless they were creating a line and needed to know what the season was about. But if they were just creating for themselves. I was not concerned with what Alexander had going on, what Maryam had going on, I was concerned with what Kennedy is doing and with what Kennedy wants because if I get wrapped up in everyone else’s bullshit then I’m not producing anything original of my own.

The way a designer sketches I feel like tells a lot about them and gives another perspective into what’s going on in their minds while creating. Do you see your style of sketching shows a little bit more about you? I watched a lot of anime growing up. I’m a huge nerd, like no one can tell though because you don’t imagine this burly, black guy to be all like, “oh yeah Sailor Moon,” and know stuff like that but my sketching style has developed from watching anime and cartoons. I watch cartoons all day long, my boyfriend hates it. He hates it. I will sit there and watch Gumball and Dragon Ball Z and things like that and I’m like there are so much fashion in these cartoons and anime that you just don’t know and personally I feel like people need to be well rounded. I don’t think people branch out enough in terms of what they classify as appropriate to be qualified as fashion. Or qualified as a reference. Cartoons, animation, this is fashion. Like this is fashion, it is, and people don’t realize that because they don’t watch cartoons and that’s the thing. Censorship and plagiarism is a huge thing in fashion and I get so sick of it. These designers, they are online looking at this stuff and just taking away from it, redoing it and calling it their own. I don’t believe in that. I have found some high end haute couture that I’m just like, “I know where that’s from” and I can’t call anyone on it because like who am I, you know? But it’s like I saw that cartoon, I saw that show that your little assistant might have said, “oh I came up with this design”. No you didn’t. And that’s my thing, you have to branch out into every aspect, every possibility. Don’t just go read some books, go to Pinterest, go to Tumblr, you can not. You have to look at old films, contemporary films, you have to actually go out into society and ask these women what they are wearing, what they care about. Because you need to not only have that relationship with yourself and know what you want but you need to know how to provide for women around you. And I want to know how to provide for the women around me.

At SCAD there is a lot of critiquing that happens, but I can tell with how much effort and time you put into every single piece that you are so passionate about what you do. Is it ever hard to take or hear criticism? I don’t mind when people come to me and tell me what I’ve done wrong because it’s not as though I don’t know. I’m working, I’m learning and it’s not that I don’t know what I’ve done wrong, it’s the fact that I have to make the mistake and I have to recognize it and learn from it. I can always hold my composure because it’s going to be that way in the industry where I have actually people who matter telling me what’s wrong and what’s right and I have to be comfortable with that. I only genuinely get upset when, like a few weeks ago Professor Tammy made me cry because I came to her asking questions about a design I was attempting because I needed help and she’s the queen of evening wear and she has a huge technical background in evening wear and she said, “what you’re showing me is costume.” And I can never have my work called costume because, as a designer who wants to go into 100

Tayja Strickland model is wearing gown by Kenady M. Watson

Kenady M. Watson

“I want people to know that I am a very emotional artist. I am in love with my work.

I’m in love with what I do. I’m in love with the feeling. I’m in love with all of it. And I won’t be deterred”

the world of evening wear and haute couture, that is devastating. And I just couldn’t take it, I just left, and I had my sad time. I cried, then took what she said, and I went and asked Professor Stephanie who told me “don’t listen to people’s opinions, you need to stay true to you because if you listen to them you’ll lose yourself and you are finding yourself.”

I took what Stephanie said and I ran with it, but I also keep going back to Tammy and go back to my critics because I need to find a way to make them value what I have to offer. I can’t just get upset because she thinks “oh it’s costume” I have to take that as, not only as a designer, but as a human, as another artist and I want another artist to value what I do. Take what they say with a grain of salt, dissect what they are telling you, be able to tell whether its shade or whether its fact. And I could tell what Tammy was saying was from the best place, which she was right, the colors that I chose was a little bit too much, the idea was too much, so I simplified it and it became something elegant that I was actually going for. So, I value her input as a professional. I don’t value the input of most students because like me they’re still learning, so there’s not much you can teach me. That was so elegantly put. And that’s the thing. I’ve been pointed out for that, that apparently the more someone tries to upset me or come for me, the more elegant I get verses breaking down and just cutting them off. I don’t know why that is, but in a more professional setting the angrier I get the more composed I have to be. And then as soon as I’m away I’m myself again but I will not let someone take me out of character over something that I believe in. I know I’m an amateurevening wear designer, I don’t have a name behind me but personally I don’t need one right now. I just need to be able to experiment. This is experimentation time. Don’t be afraid of it. So, you mess up. Do you know how many times I’ve messed up on these things? I won’t even lie to you, I’ll tell you the truth, over the break, because I don’t stop, I was watching these old movies, I was watching Gentleman’s Prefer Blondes and I saw the exaggerated shape of the breasts and I wanted to know what was going on underneath of Marilyn’s gown. I realized I might have been a bullet bra. So, I went, and I looked up bullet bras. I wanted to know how to make this point, and they don’t teach you things like this. This is self-exploration. I have seventeen different versions of this at my house because I couldn’t get it right because I kept wondering what I am doing wrong. Then, I found a way to angle the breasts the way I wanted, and I left it open so everyone could see. I didn’t bone it because I wanted people to be able to open it up and see that everything in here is done by hand. I don’t have a sewing machine, this is done by hand. Everything. Every last bit of it and I left I open so that way they could challenge me and say, “oh you’re lying.” If you flip it that’s hand stitching, it’s not machine stitched. This entire dress was hand stitched and then machine stitched. I have to do things by hand. Yeah, I could finish it off, I could make it look pretty but I need people to see that I’m still a student, I’m still working, I’m still trying.

It could be clean, but I need you to know the effort that I put into it, I don’t need you to guess.

Do you have any advice or insight to give someone going into studying fashion? My thing is I’ve had to become comfortable with failure in order to get to success. Want I want to express to freshman and people at Junior level, like myself, is don’t be afraid. Do not be afraid. If the text won’t help you, if you don’t get along with your professor, go look the stuff up. I didn’t know how to do all this. I honestly did because I’ve been studying it for so long like looking at it, it’s not that hard to figure it out but you have to actually want to do that. Find a senior who will let you just watch them. Don’t bother them, if you have a question, minimize it to three and let them work but watch them. Learn how to do these things from upperclassmen. When you came here [SCAD], no one was holding your hand and when you leave here, I guarantee that no one will be holding your hand. And you have to want it. And that’s all I’m going to say. You have to want it. Like give it all away.

The fashion industry is one of the industries that has long supported the gay community.

Do you feel comfortable in the industry or is that just an illusion the industry has? I feel completely comfortable with who I am, what I do and my industry. I honestly do. I feel like the industry is built off the backs of gay men, I mean Christian Dior is the father. I feel comfortable in my industry and I feel like my industry needs me. Look at drag queens, they come up with some of the most beautiful and original things, while they might not be technically sound, these bitches make it work. They’re out there sewing and doing things that the [fashion] industry is now pulling into theirs. Because they realize that. Avant Garde is something that is all its own, it’s out there, it’s different, it’s far beyond fashion to where it is art. And that is exactly what I believe drag is. Drag is its own thing, It’s the club kids scene, these huge oversized shoulders, hats, breasts, exaggerated femininity. It is what the industry needs as far as having something to look to. And I believe that the gay community has so much to offer fashion. So, I’ve been comfortable in my industry. I do believe the world is not comfortable with me.

That actually goes into my next question for you. Because you feel comfortable in your industry, do you feel comfortable in society? Where the political climate is at right now, how do you think that affects you, not only being gay but as a black male in America? I feel as though black artists are not appreciated and it’s not just a feeling it’s something you can actually see. When you go online and do research, you don’t see African or African American huge name designers. You might see some that almost got to that peek, almost. They might have not even gotten that close, i might be exaggerating.

There was a gentleman by the name Willi Donnell Smith who had a line called Willi Wear.

He was an African American man, he was gay, and he was a designer. I had never heard of him and he’s not taught in fashion history books, he not taught in anything.

These are people that you have to go look up. You don’t see African American designers in these books. It’s very disheartening because you do have other cultural designers in these books and they’re a small minority too. Which is bothersome as well because most everything America has, has been taken from other countries and other cultures, so America itself does not have a culture in my eyes. It’s something that’s a mixture which is why America is known as the mixing pot but that’s okay because we need to be able to take and borrow from one another, but we also need to be able to give credit where credit is due. You need to be honest with yourself, where you got it from. You can’t take something from another culture and not care for that culture specifically because of their race but use their things. You will not use Aerobic silhouettes and only have white models.

That’s not appropriate. But speaking on Willy, he was having his own shows and having to produce his own things and he was working with people at Vogue at a point in time, but Willi also got sick from AIDS and he never finished his life’s work. It just faded away. His website from the 90s is still up and it’s still that dial up style. No one has ever taken it down.

It’s just there, and that is something that is historic to me. It’s still there. Speaking of not being comfortable in the industry as a gay, black man I don’t like the fact that recently Offset, in one of his songs, said that “I cannot vibe with queers” and yet he wears gay designer’s garments. I don’t agree with that. And then have the nerve to try to justify that and say he didn’t mean it like that, queer means something different but the last time I checked, especially being thirteen and going to a gas station and being called a faggot because I had pressed hair, I’m pretty sure queer still means the same thing in every language. Then, I also stopped listening to Cardi B because she tried to defend him and say he didn’t mean it like that. The African American community, we’re not accepting gay people. People ask me, “Ken why do you always hang out with white kids, why do you always hang out with Asian kids, you do you not hang out with black kids?” Because it’s very seldom that I am accepted by my own people. There are many other students 104

here who adore me, and I adore in return. I appreciate their culture and they appreciate me for me. But when it comes down to being in a room filled with other African Americans it can go very good or it can go very south. And from my experiences, I’m twenty-four years old, no one can tell me that, oh that was just a one time thing. I’ve grown up with it. My family is almost the same way. Even though they love me and support me, my mother is the other person who loves me truly for who I am. And the thing is, you miss out on some good people whether they are gay straight, black, white, Asian, whatever, you miss out on some really, really good people. Designers! You miss out on many, many good designers because you have this stigma of what being gay is, being what a black man.

You can’t be that way. I’ve had some of the best experiences with my friends and my friends are taking care of me and they don’t care that I am black, they don’t care that I am gay, they don’t care that I didn’t have as much money as them. They care about the things that i do. I’ve been here [Eckberg Hall] all night one time, actually a few times and they’ve brought me pizza. Girls that don’t even know me ask me “are you okay, I’m going to get coffee, do you want anything?” They don’t care about race. What I love about specifically SCAD is I haven’t had any racial issues because everyone here isn’t concerned with what you look like, they care about, bitch, what are you doing, what can you provide? And I can’t thank SCAD enough for giving me a place where I can express myself because back home in St Louis, even though I’m a big and bold person, there were still things that you couldn’t walk around the street and wear. I came to savannah ready to embrace who I was and get away from the negativity back home. I can walk down the street and where a shirt that says, “Adam and Steve not Adam and Eve” and “I’m the baddest bitch” and everyone around me is like, you go! There’s a lot of expression that you get to do and be freed from when you come to SCAD and when you travel and when you go do things and I feel like the black community is so jolted because they haven’t been offer opportunities. We don’t get opportunities like this; our parents have to break their backs to give us opportunities like this because nothing is handed to us. But the simple fact is you can’t be bitter, you can’t be upset, you can’t be crabs in a bucket your entire life.

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“I’m literally just imagining a woman who is feeling exactly what I’m feeling and what she’d be wearing and how it would feel. Like what does this music look like, what does the color look like, what do you see when you hear this music is what I ask myself. If you can figure out what that pain looks like, then you can make it beautiful and no one even knows that your suffering, but this is exactly what your suffering looks like.”

Tayja Strickland

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Tayja Strickland

safe working conditions

with educational opportunities,

Employees are treated well

treatment of workers

conditions and fair

environmentally safe

At What Cost Photography DJ Morales

Samruddhi Palshetkar, Kat Aritsy, Elianna Alaya, Elinor Hilton and Prathamesh Sawant models wear sourced saris

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Samruddhi Palshetkar, Kat Aritsy, and Elianna Alaya

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Elinor Hilton

Elianna Alaya

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LABOR RIGHTS Devon Moyer

For all the progress that has been made in business management theory that stresses that happy employees are the most productive employees, the harsh reality is that the bottom line drives labor management decisions. Multinational corporations have proven time and again that they will go to the lowest cost provider of labor and will take full advantage of third world countries and the poverty that exists within those areas of the world. It is up to ethical companies and the consumers of the world to make sure that these corporations are held accountable for the decisions they make and the work conditions in their factories and the factories of their suppliers.

Apple is one of the largest companies in the world and by their own account, hold themselves and their suppliers to a high standard in making sure employees are treated well with educational opportunities, safe working conditions, environmentally safe conditions and fair treatment of workers. However, not a year goes by without a report of Apple or one of its suppliers’ employees enduring some or all of the above. China Labor Watch, a New York City based human rights activist group that monitors companies in China, issued a report in January 2018 that describes working conditions at a Catcher Technology factory that makes casings for iPhones. The report describes conditions where workers stand 10 hours per day, six days a week. They are required to handle toxic substances without proper training and without protective gear, such as goggles or face shields. The gloves that they use are not thick enough to protect them from the corrosive effects on their skin. The floors are reportedly covered in oil which causes slipping hazards.

While Apple is a prominent company and violations by their suppliers are high profile, they are not alone in the corporate world. Walmart, Home Depot and many other Fortune 500 companies have been plagued by labor rights issues. While these companies may not be directly responsible for these conditions, their drive to be the low-cost retailer and to maximize profits will guarantee that these issues will continue. If the corporations themselves will not police their suppliers, it is up to the consumer to make sure these corporations abide by humane standards.

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microfibers are in every piece of manufactured synthetic clothing�

Photography DJ Morales. Garments made by Devon Moyer from recycled material. “plastic

Plastic is NOT Fantastic

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PLASTIC IS NOT FANTASTIC Devon Moyer

Conservation is an important responsibility to which everyone should contribute, from individuals to entire industries. The fashion industry bears its own responsibility to minimize detrimental effects on the environment. For example, plastic microfibers are in every piece of manufactured synthetic clothing. When synthetics are washed, these microfibers can be shed as plastic lint. They make their way through plumbing into sewage systems and eventually into our oceans. If you gathered all the plastic particles, it would amass into more than 50 billion plastic bottles. That’s half a million tons of plastic floating through the oceans! This plastic is consumed by sea life, traveling up the food chain until it makes its way into our bodies. The saying, “you are what you eat” takes on a whole new meaning now that our daily food intake includes plastic.

Microfibers aren’t the only cause for concern for the fashion industry. The fossil fuels used in the manufacturing process to produce these clothes are also detrimental. Currently, the carbon footprint of the fashion industry is the same as that of all international flights and cargo planes combined. This problem is exacerbated by the “disposable” culture in which we live. It is not unusual to wear clothes 7-10 times before throwing them out.

Because of the phenomenal growth of fast fashion, consumers now consider it the norm to toss out clothing after just a few wears. This is equivalent to a full garbage truck of clothing dumped in a landfill every second. If we continue on this path, by 2050 the weight of our disposed clothing will be ten times that of our current world population.

To stop this cycle, fashion brands need to stop using materials that endanger our environment, like plastic microfibers, and start to innovate, using safer materials and processes for production. Instead of using fossil fuels to create their fabrics, replace them with algae or bamboo materials. And of course, recycling old garments to stop the creation of unnecessary waste. There are companies out there that are doing their share in trying to conserve.

Tonle’ is a Cambodian clothing store that is a zero-waste brand. Their collections are handmade without the use of any machinery and consist entirely of textile scraps making their production chain completely sustainable. Their brand alone saves 22,046 lbs. of materials from going into landfills, prevents 154,324 tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere and conserves 46 million gallons of water every year. As a zero-waste manufacturer, they even make their own paper using the remaining scraps of discarded fabric, paper from patterns and natural glue. No material is wasted.

Titania Inglis is a designer that creates minimalistic but edgy styles. She sources her fabrics from sustainable textiles like dead wool stock from New York’s garment factories, Japanese organic cotton and Italian vegetable-tanned leather. Not only does she think about the materials but how to keep her clothing from entering landfills. To avoid that problem, she creates garments that have multiple ways of being worn to maximize the utility of each piece and help keep her client’s wardrobes simple. All of her clothing is produced in a small, family owned factory in New York.

Matt and Nat, which was adapted from material and nature, is a completely vegan brand selling eco friendly bags. The lining of the bags are made from recycled plastic bottles and the bags themselves with vegan leathers which are less harmful to the environment.

There are many ways to improve manufacturing processes to make them safer for the environment. The companies mentioned above are providing exciting fashions in a sustainable manner. With more companies dedicated to improving their methods, the fashion industry can do its part in helping conservation efforts.

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