à la mode

A growing style of classic dance attire and modern interpretation.

Ballet style centers around a few main details— the light pink hues, opulent fabrics of tutus and satin, dainty sweaters, tights and leggings, leotards, and of course the ballet slipper.

The model off—duty look is the desirable, effortlessly chic appearance of celebrity style. Model Lily— Rose Depp has been an influencer of this aesthetic by styling basic pieces with a feminine, ballet-esque touch, consisting of bodysuits with jeans, wearing ballet flats with any outfit, and adding textures like pointelle and lace into every—day wear.

Junior Ashly Pryor, dancer since age 2, is an avid ballerina at

WORDS and ART by MILLA HIRSCH

State Street Ballet Academy. Ashly knows the ins—and— outs of ballet style; she said,

“For in—class practice it’s very, delicate, and very feminine [clothing] I would say… leotards, pink colors, stuff like that, and then for shows it’s the tutus… and the corset kind of tops.” Feminine style mixed with grungier pieces have a juxtaposition in streetwear style, as aspects of modern trends combine with classic pieces of clothing. The ballet aesthetic acts as a muse in runway fashion and designer collections of editorial works and wearable styles, as seen in Christian Dior looks.

Recently, Zara released a New York City Ballet Collection, which includes photographs advertising the ballet aesthetic with sweaters, tulle pieces, cozy accessories, and even a version of dance—able ballet slippers.

Ashly has noticed a few trends that reflect the ballet aesthetic, she says “Shoes, jewelry, and maybe like the tops you wear… like corset tops.”

Ballet has affected Ashly’s personal style, “The colors I wear are very pastel… and I guess just my style is very feminine…my hair is up…delicate jewelry, and stuff like that,” she said.

Clothing brand Orseund Iris designs dance inspired bodysuits with ties and delicate frills. Even SKIMS sells popular pointelle pieces. Accents of ballet are found in Nordstrom, Miu Miu, Pretties Venice, Rouje Paris, Brandy Melville, Jacquemus, and also athletic brands like Alo Yoga that cater to their audience of dancers.

Ashly said style in the world of ballet is “constantly changing… two years ago we were wearing completely different brands… I am now wearing YUMIKO, kind of like a trendy ballet brand.” From the lavish beginnings of ballet in Italy to 2022, ballet inspiration adds a special element of attention to detail and soft touch.

Collage of ballet styles featuring junior Ashly Pryor.

The popular television series, “Euphoria”, depicts today’s youth in a shockingly dark light, but the question is whether this shower portrays the truth or not.

WORDS and ART by ELLI WESTMACOTT

Euphoria. A profound feeling of elation and happiness. A feeling many spend the entirety of their lives chasing. To feel euphoric is to encounter a pure sense of joy, untainted and somewhat divine, but the natural rush of Euphoria is not to be confused with the artificial, drug-induced feeling of happiness.

Sam Levinson, the producer of the popular and highly controversial Netflix series “Euphoria,” conveys this brewing of drugs and party culture to numb the pain of one’s everyday life. Through graphic content and aesthetic lifestyles, “Euphoria” proposes many debates over how the underlying message is told.

“Euphoria” first found its fans when it came out in June 2019. The show spotlights the life of a 17-year-old, Rue Bennett, and her struggle with drug addiction and mental health issues. It follows her and other characters depicting other insecurities that are common during the high school years.

The show hones in on the issue of drug addiction amongst youth and the themes of discovering one’s sexuality, casual sex, insecurities regarding body image, excessive party culture, the challenges between youth and adult perspectives, and more.

One may wonder why something as simple as a television show could have so much power over viewers. There are many different opinions on this series.

“Euphoria” is a raw depiction of today’s rising generation, whether it be through social media, gossip and cancel culture, pressure to mature, or the normality of masking one’s feelings of insecurity. Many of these issues manifested within the past decade, so generally, those growing up in this bizarre media-dominated world can find a more profound correlation with the characters and the addictions or weaknesses they represent.

“I think our generation relates to it [“Euphoria”] because it depicts something new and more accurate than other high school shows. The plot is more real and relatable,” junior Fiona Hernandez said. “It also evokes emotion and sympathy for the characters.”

Another reason people can reflect on their own lives through “Euphoria’s” twisted and dramatic illustration of today’s society is because of the diversity of the cast, whether it be regarding race or sexuality.

On top of the spotlight on sexuality and identity, each character represents a destructive addiction of some sort.

When interviewing senior Zoë Stephens, she put each character into context on the essential issues the characters represent.

“Cassie lost a father figure early in her life, which has made her search for male validation in her relationships. She always wants to be enough, but she never is and this drives her to a point of insanity… Rue is not a character who glorifies anything. She represents the fear, anxiety, and depression that teens may experi-

ence, and how coping with drugs is affecting her and everyone around her in absolutely negative ways. Jules portrays the difficulty and successes of finding your identity.” The topics in “Euphoria” are candid portrayals of the darkest parts of surviving the teenage years, but the rich and graphic content intertwined with enchanting color and “euphoric” scenes involving drugs makes people question whether it can be harmful to those watching.

In an interview The Hollywood Reporter conducted with Sam Levinson, the director addresses this and the horror it brings to adults, especially parents, who have watched “Euphoria.”

“There are going to be parents who are going to be totally freaked out,” he said. “It’s a good insight into how hard it is to grow up in this time.”

But some wonder whether the show is entirely accurate while portraying the difficulties of finding oneself in today’s environment.

The second season’s kickoff stirred some controversy over whether the show is genuinely relatable or not. To raise awareness of the inaccuracies of the show, the Drug Awareness Resistance Education program responded by stating that the series “chooses to misguidedly glorify and erroneously depict high school student drug use, addiction, anonymous sex, violence and other destructive behaviors as common and widespread in today’s world.”

Levinson does introduce heavy topics such as casual sex and severe drug abuse as normal activities, which inflict a feeling of unease upon his watchers. Stephens follows up by talking about the glorification of this series.

“I would say that this show romanticizes the modern teenager, whether it is the outfits, school, partying, severe mental issues, or lack of parental figures.

“The plot is more real and relatable. It also evokes emotion and sympathy for the characters.” -Fiona Hernandez

My mom has brought up to me articles regarding how Rue deals with her anxiety and depression and how it can be unhealthy for someone like me, who struggles with both of the mentioned, to see how she copes through drugs and dissociation.”

The show depicts the lives of each character in the darkest possible light, which inflicts shocking hopelessness onto those following the series.

Zendaya, who plays Rue Bennett, addressed this distress before “Euphoria” first premiered by saying, “Euphoria is for mature audiences. It’s a raw and honest portrait of addiction, anxiety and the difficulties of navigating life today. There are scenes that are graphic, hard to watch and can be triggering. Please only watch if you feel you can handle it.”

Because the show is most famous for its cinematography and vividly glamorized wardrobe, some viewers look up to the characters and aspire to live that lifestyle.

“Euphoria” is a representation of the loss and insecurity that spreads like a virus through young adults and the deprecating ways of dealing with emptiness. When younger viewers don’t understand that, they see sparkles and sedation, which romanticizes the use of drugs and party culture.