The WALK Fall 2018

Behind the Scenes photographs by Nathaly De La Paz, Sky Karasik, Skylar Scafidi, Chris Oh, Alisa Wadsworth, Teresa Xie, Erica Xin.

Copyright © 2018 The WALK Magazine. All rights reserved. Written, edited, photographed, and designed in house. For permissions, please email thewalkmag@gmail.com or visit our website at thewalkmag.com. Stories edited by the editorial staff will carry bylines of the original author. Please report corrections to thewalkmag@gmail.com. We will post corrections on our website.

The University of Pennsylvania’s premier fashion magazine, The WALK was founded in 2006 as a student initiative and continues to be a student fueled organization. The WALK Online was launched in 2010 as a sister to the print edition. The WALK aims to satisfy our community’s widely-demanded fashion fix year-round.

To get involved or learn about advertising and partnership opportunities, please contact us at thewalkmag@gmail.com.

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FALL 2 018 • VOL . XIII, No. 1

Emily Cieslak Editor-in-Chief

Davery Joso, Natalia Rommen Creative Directors

Siyuan Liu, Edward Kim

Kiki Dominguez, Annabel Ware

Chrissy Walker, Krishna Sivakumar

Vanessa Wanyandeh

Design Directors

Marketing Directors

Finance Directors

Video Director

Jessica Sulima

Natalie Sadjo

Lobo Itzol

Caroline Gibson

Eugenie Shin

Editorial Director

Operations Coordinator

Social Media Director

Photography Director

Website Director

EDITORIAL

Fashion Editor Emily Schwartz • Features Editor Varshini Gali • People Editor Nadira Berman Copy Editors Jessica Schmitt, Amy Marcus, Amanda Steinborn Writers Eugenie Shin, Rachael Ruhland, Amanda Kwon, Alexandra

Nichols, Francesca Catania, Eliana Waxman, Tyler Lawson, Sarah Llewellyn PHOTOGR AHY

Full-time Photographers Chris Oh, Emily Johnson, Noel Zheng, Elizabeth Lemieux, Sky Karasik • Part-time Photographers Alisa

Wadsworth, Jennifer Higa, Jin Ma, Kara Hu, Braden Saba, Skylar Scafidi, Shirley Yang, Justine de Jesus, Nathaly De La Paz, Gracelynn Wan, Erica Xin, Teresa Xie, Madison Kahn VIDEO

Videographers Joy Lee, Sydney Judge, Morgan Jones, Sofia Janak, Stacey Chen, Minsuh Park

DESIGN

Assistant Art Director Selina Nie

Layout Designers Andrea Frost, Minsuh Park, Bhavana Shyamsundar, Lauren Lokre, Shiqi Chen, Claire Marucci Illustrators Edmund Cai, Cathleen Gui, Jessi Olarsch, Gracelynn Wan

ST YLING & BEAUT Y

Fashion Director Paolo Nasr • Beauty Director Madison Kahn

Apparel Stylists Carly Ryan, Arianne Wong, Felix Cui, Isabela Salas-Betsch, Zuqi Fu, Jean Chapiro, Lucinda Mileto, Emma Harris, Arya

Akal, Alexandra Pisacane, Jason Pak, Bo Ku, Charlene Ngige, Ami Diane, Jaewoo Kang, Amy Win, Serena Liu, Ania Swider, Sydney Schwartz • Beauty Stylists Giovanna Sena, Emily Shu-yun Yao, Alyssa Gonzalez, Keri Zhang, Sydney Schwartz, Via Lim, Hagar Samir, Jules Wonodi MANAGEMENT

Strategic Projects Coordinator Danielle Goh

Corporate Sponsorship Coordinators Ariana Callender, Katie Levinthal, Isabella Losada, Patrick Kordeliski, Sheryl Chen

THE WALK ONLINE

Website Manager and Designer Edward Kim • Managing Editor Sarah Llewellyn • Creative Director Lauren Tappan Asst. Webmaster Seung Hyouk Shin, Zulfi Soomro Fashion Editors Meredith Mitchell, Caroline Harris • Health & Beauty Editor Adriana Richmond • Culture Editor Del Patel • Features Editor Sue Lee • Fashion Writers Javier Perez, Ravi Patel, Sarah Lee, Tara Yazdan Panah, Bebe Hodges, Tyler Williams • Health & Beauty Writers Changyue Yin, Helen Qi, Esther Jin, Charlene Ngige • Culture Writers Rachael Ruhland, Mariri Niino, Kyle Whiting • Features Writers Marina Gialanella, Tyler Daniels Beauty Stylists Jules Wonodi, Keri Zhang, Ennie Gantulga, Stephanie Tan • Apparel Stylists Yuni Kim, Alice Zhao, Pryce Davies, Marina Gialanella • Photographers/Videographers Nathaly De La Paz, Jessica Saad, Stacey Chen, Erica Xin

MARKETING

Internal Outreach Alisia Escobar

Event Coordinators Anna Jellinek, Allison Domm, Brendan Lui, Kennedy Benjamin, Anna Callahan, Eliana Margherio

SOCIAL MEDIA

Content Producers Raena Greenbaum, Emma Harris, Caitlin McNamara, Amanda Simpson

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CONTENTS

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Hyper-real

PHOTO ESSAY

The body becomes art in both its perfect and disfigured form.

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Ugly Is the New Black How high fashion is embracing the unconventional.

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The Battle Between Less and More It may be time to leave your minimalist outfits behind.

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Passing the Reign Behind the contouring and cinching, drag fosters families and safe spaces in Philadelphia.

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Moguls and Their Uniforms Why celebrities choose to wear the same outfit every day.

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Renting the Glass Slipper Explore the opulent world of designer clothes—without the prohibitive price tag.

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RedRum

PHOTO ESSAY

Raw meat, red lights and skin-tight latex tango among butcher knives and chopping blocks.

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Would You Rather Go Naked?

Changing consumer attitudes have compromised the prestige of real fur.

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Benevolent Boxing

CLUB FEATURE

They may fight each other in their spare time, but Penn Boxing Club is one of the least divisive groups on campus.

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30 Minutes with Lesley Wolff

ALUMNI FEATURE

Lesley Wolff (C’93) discusses her wild, whimsical life as a Los Angeles comedian.

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Never Keep Your Truth Tamed How one woman’s trauma became her tool to help others.

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It’s a Barbie World

PHOTO ESSAY

Life in plastic? Is it really fantastic? The WALK goes back to the early 2000s to find out.

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Art for Climate Change Art that addresses environmental issues has the potential to inspire change.

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Cover Look: UNTAMED “Drag is art, and all art is beautiful. When you’re on that stage, you curated exactly what you wanted and not a single damn thing is going to stop you,” Ricky Mangerie, right, said. Drag queens inspire us to be untamed.

It’s not only about having the boldness to wear engulfing fur coats or glittering ball gowns; it’s about breaking boundaries. When the 21-year-old computer science major at Drexel enters the stage as Starkist Kunt, he is shattering stereotypes. When Zsa Zsa St. James, left, performs as a Filipina queen, she is increasing inclusivity in Philadelphia.

Paired together, the mentor and prodigy are unstoppable. It’s easy to be tamed when you are on your own, but as a team, few forces can hold all of you back. For our cover, we gave Zsa Zsa and Mangerie full freedom to showcase their flair. Read more about their incredible friendship in Passing the Reign on page 18.

Directed and styled by Emily Cieslak, Davery Joso, Natalia Rommen. Styled by Paolo Nasr, Charlene Ngige, Amy Win, Zuqi Fu, Serena Liu, Jean Chapiro, Jaewoo Kang, Isabela Salas-Betsch, Arya Akal. Makeup by Madison Kahn, Gio Sena, Emily Yao. Modeled by Zsa Zsa St. James, Ricky Mangerie. Photographed

by Sky Karasik.

The TheUntamed UntamedIssue Issue 55

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR N

Photographed by Braden Saba.

othing is neutral. It’s a phrase I have heard again and again over the past months, whether discussing a new art exhibit or a football play at a tailgate. The notion certainly is not new, but in today’s political and environmental climate, it could not feel more relevant.

So why should clothes be neutral? And I don’t mean in the figurative sense. Articles about the political messages behind a hat have already been done. I mean literally, why should fashion be minimalistic? Why should I only wear black, grey and beige when I have so many influences pouring in and so many emotions to pour out? I have always considered putting together an all-black ensemble too easy to be stylish; rather it’s the art of finding the balance among wild prints, textures and silhouettes that separate the fashion pros from the posers. With the flamboyant revival of Gucci, shoulder pads and popular culture decadence (hello Cardi B and the Crazy Rich Asians blockbuster), the fashion pendulum has finally swung back to fabulous and fun.

Thus the theme of UNTAMED for this issue came naturally. There’s not a ton of mystery behind the word, and that’s the point. We want you to know you’ll be getting some sex, some politics, some conspicuous consumption. So much of our lives require restraint and control. When you pick up this issue, we want you to quit that habit and put it all out there. We did.

I am not saying the process was always smooth, yet what allowed us to reach creative freedom was asking ourselves why not? We are a student fashion and lifestyle magazine. Why not cover a sports club with sick gear? Why not play with meat in a local butcher shop? Why not step off campus and delve into the city-wide drag scene?

Rachael Ruhland’s cover story on the performing art goes beyond the makeup and clothes. By visiting their dressing rooms and watching their shows, Ruhland discovered how the lives of three queens beautifully collided and formed a new family in Philadelphia. Drag is not merely about dressing as the other gender; it is about expressing your truest, most untamed self. Your people will naturally come.

At Penn, it’s so easy to only think about what is to come rather than where we come from. Our Capture That winner embraces the past and the time in our lives when perhaps we were the most untamed, childhood. We weren’t afraid of crazy, colorful clothes then. Let’s not be afraid of them now.

Yours truly,

Emily Cieslak Editor-in-Chief

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ONLINE

THIS FALL Catch up on the latest from our online publication.

Top Left. Pantsuits: Off the Runway and onto Locust by Bebe Hodges.

Middle Left. A Dreamy Glow by Yuni Kim (Apparel Stylist), Nathaly De La Paz (Photographer), Jules Wonodi (Beauty Stylist), Jamie Lee (Model).

Bottom Left. A 3-Dimensional Art Form by Tara Yazdan Panah.

Top Right. Shades of Simplicity, Moments of Motion, by Lauren Tappan (Online Creative Director), Nathaly De La Paz (Photographer), Jules Wonodi (Beauty Stylist), Morgan Jones (Videographer), Vida Lugo and Kyle Oden (Models).

Bottom Right. PASS THE AUX: Contact High by Kyle Whiting.

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Hyper-real. Directed and styled by Emily Cieslak, Davery Joso, Natalia Rommen. Styled by Paolo Nasr, Carly Ryan, Lucinda Mileto. Makeup by Madison Kahn, Gio Sena, Emily Yao, Jules Wonodi. Modeled by Yasmine Wallis. Photographed by Sky Karasik, Chris Oh.

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UGLY I S T HE NE W

B L A C K The fashion world has embraced styles formerly considered “ugly.”

But are Penn students ready to rock the trends on campus?

By Nadira Berman. Modeled by Sarah Thomas. Photographed by Teresa Xie.

I

s ugly the new pretty? With the emergence of several unconventional trends in the last few years, it seems “unflattering” styles are becoming more and more mainstream. Fashion influencers are posing in chunky sneakers, oversized sweatshirts and Birkenstocks. In line with maximalism, they are leaving behind more conventional, “normal” trends. Styles that were previously considered the opposite of trendy now signal wealth, influence and status.

Today, more accessible brands and retailers are making “ugly” sneakers commonplace, as Urban Outfitters did by selling the Fila Disruptors. But the trend has its roots in high fashion. Designers like Balenciaga and Vetements embraced the ugly trend, granting it legitimacy in the eyes of celebrities and other influential figures in the fashion world. The iconic Balenciaga Triple S sneaker might be the most famous example of the trend thus far. The clunky shoe combines styles from three different sports, utilizing sneaker molds from running, basketball and track.

Yeezy sneakers have become debatably more “ugly” as well, with the release of the superchunky Yeezy Mudrat 500. And if you thought normal Birkenstocks were ugly, wait until you see the $400 furry Birkenstocks released in collaboration with Rick Owens. Beyond just shoes, brands like Vetements have purposefully created awkward proportions in their clothing, with asymmetrical hemlines and overly lengthy sleeves.

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But how did the trend start in the first place? The Independent reports it began in 2014 with the re-release of the Adidas Stan Smith sneaker as the first example of the ugly sneaker trend. From there, a domino effect occurred, with ’90s sportswear becoming prevalent on the runways as well as on influencer Instagram accounts. Many participants in the trend were wearing these styles ironically, as a way to stand out from the crowd. Harper’s Bazaar writes that brands needed to create more and more outlandish looks in order to compete and maintain relevance. They report the #MeToo movement may have also played a role in its growth, as women are increasingly rejecting the beauty standards set by men and by society as a whole.

Whether high fashion or fast fashion, men’s clothing or women’s, what “ugly trend” items have in common is their rejection of traditional standards of beauty. That could mean outlandish proportions, unappealing colors or simply clothes that were once considered “tacky.”

But does the ugly trend have a presence at Penn? Most students say no. “I’d say in general it’s not as prevalent on Penn’s campus as it might be on other campuses, for instance, at artsier schools,” Lori Kim (C’19) said.

Students like Amber Williams (C’19) tend to report that they would feel uncomfortable wearing the trend at school. “It’s not something that I would wear. It’s just such a stretch from

conventional styles, and I find that I tend to wear things that are conventionally accepted.”

Even though cheaper brands have started to contribute to the look, some Penn students still find the extremely high price point of some of the trend’s most popular items a barrier. “I’ve always considered these pieces ugly, so that’s not going to change,” Jacqueline Uy (C’19) said.

“I think the only thing that’s changed is the price tag.”

Kim agreed the price of “ugly” styles is a particularly negative aspect. “The one thing that bothers me about it is that you have to be of a certain socioeconomic status in order for people to appreciate what you’re wearing,” Kim said. Those who do wear the trend may be able to maintain a certain air of exclusivity, because of their knowledge of the designers and ability to afford the items.

Despite the critiques, some still enjoy the trend, and even if they would not personally wear it, they can appreciate it from afar. “I would rather be associated with wearing something unconventional, but in reality, I would probably be more willing to and more likely to wear something basic,” Merry Gu (C’21) said. She continued that those who wear these unconventional styles gain some merit by being perceived as risk takers.

Sofie Praestgaard (C’19) is fully embracing the trend, citing comfort as a major reason she loves her ugly sneakers (brown Nike Air Max 95s). She also pushes back against those who think the trend needs to be high fashion. “It started with brands that are so expensive. Now it’s more like you can pull it off with thrift store stuff or anything really,” Praestgaard said.

Social media has played a particularly large role in building awareness and acceptance of the ugly trend. “It’s definitely made the trend a lot more appealing for me,” Kim said. Bloggers have normalized and popularized the style.

When influencers and celebrities wear these items, Gu said the look becomes more palatable and easier to accept. Because Kim Kardashian and Bella Hadid are rocking chunky sneakers, their followers have begun to perceive these items as trendy.

For now, the future of the trend is unclear.

Some Penn students think it will soon be dead, just a flash in the pan. From normcore to maximalism, pretty to ugly, trends come and go. “I feel like there’s always something new, and now more than ever before, trends are constantly changing,” Uy said. 2

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the battle between

Less & More

Normcore has been ruling everyday fashion for years now. But maximalism has started to make its way back to the runways and celebrity style. Can this trend take hold once and for all?

By Sarah Llewellyn. Modeled by Ella Spurr. Photographed by Lizzy Lemieux.

W

e’ve all heard it countless times before: the old saying that preaches “less is more” and that simplicity is the key to being chic and fashionable. Coco Chanel once said, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory.”

And for a while, that advice stuck—you’d be hard-pressed to find someone wearing something other than plain white sneakers, jeans and a sweatshirt. But recently, with a quick scroll through Instagram, it seems as though more people are rejecting a minimalist style of dressing in favor of adding accessories and embellishments to their outfits. Springing up alongside simple, (sometimes ugly) neutraltoned ensembles are layers, volume, color and all things extra. Simply put, maximalism is making a comeback.

With that said, the lasting hold of the normcore trend has been hard to shake.

Normcore, a combination of the words normal and hardcore, first appeared as a definite trend in the early 2010s and has taken the nation 16

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by storm over the past few years. It relies on ironic, casual pieces inspired by ’90s fashion: mom jeans, dad sneakers and your brother’s old quarter-zip sweatshirt. Today, normcore has seen several iterations, appearing in mainstream designer collections such as the athletic-inspired wear from Yeezy and the almost genderless basics of Acne Studios. Yet the most raw form of normcore is label-less, and that is the beauty of this style: it does not discriminate between thrifted and expensive pieces. At its heart, normcore is the antithesis of maximalism: it makes a statement by deliberately not making a statement.

However, with recent examples on the runway, it’s clear maximalism is having a moment. Proportions have gotten bigger, prints have gotten louder and colors have gotten brighter. Since appearing in the spotlight with his first collection for Gucci in 2015, Alessandro Michele is often credited as the arsonist that lit this maximalist fire in the designer world.

His eye for layering knows no bounds; it’s

not rare to see a floral print skirt under a brightly-colored oversized cardigan with a patterned jacket artfully draped on top.

Michele’s Gucci is known for its richness in fabrics and textures, gaudy accessories and voluminous pieces. His penchant for maximalism has spread to other designers as well. Prada’s Fall 2018 ready-to-wear collection showcased oversized, puffy coats layered over neon pink, orange and yellow dresses alongside classic Fair Isle, plaid and tweed fabrics. This over-the-top aesthetic is not exclusive to the runways either; perhaps the most striking example of today’s maximalism is in the street style of various fashion weeks across the globe.

This isn’t the first time that the simplicity of minimalism has been challenged by maximalism. In the art world, the maximalist movement emerged during the 1960s and ’70s as a response to the minimalist art of the previous decade.

Pioneered by artists like Frank Stella, minimalism was known for simple geometric shapes and an often monotone color palette. In Stella’s words, “What you see is what you see.” The hallmark of minimalism was its literal interpretation and nothing more—similar to the principles behind normcore. On the other hand, maximalism was a glorification of excess. In art, it was about creating drama and emotion, and it often reflected the cultural climate of the time. The unapologetically loud aesthetics of maximalism were conveyed in works by artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose striking paintings—akin to a visual slap in the face—used bright colors, bold lines and abstract shapes to challenge society’s ideals of race, gender and class.

So where does that leave us in 2018? The ’80s aren’t completely back, yet maximalism is certainly bleeding into today’s style as a threat to the normcore of yesteryear— but why? It’s possible people want visibility, and by wearing something more noticeable, you get more attention. And this attention is not limited to simply receiving more likes on social media—it can be politically charged as well.

The idea of making your voice heard is becoming more important in our society, so in this way, maximalism can be seen as a loud, sartorial expression of self. In a world where your image means so much, maximalism is a way to take ownership of your look and make a statement. For example, just this past

October, Lady Gaga was honored at ELLE’s Women in Hollywood event, and she dressed in Marc Jacobs. But she wasn’t wearing a gown— instead, she donned a sleek, almost shiny light brown suit of very dramatic proportions.

Shoulders exaggerated, fabric draping, Lady Gaga was literally covered in excess; it was maximalism at its finest. In her acceptance speech, she revealed the reasoning behind her bold outfit choice: “To resist the standards of dressing to impress. To use what really matters: my voice.” By subverting the expectations of red carpet fashion, Gaga proves how what you wear can be used to send a message. In the same vein, by adopting a maximalist style, you too can express your most pressing emotions, thoughts and passions.

At Penn, students are open to the idea of maximalism: “I could definitely see some people pulling off this style,” Javier Perez (C’20) said. “It’s way more interesting visually than the way people normally dress here, I think normcore is starting to feel overdone.” Some students worry achieving a maximalist look would be unrealistic in their day-to-day college lives. “I’m not sure I would have time to dress like that,” Alice Liu (C’20) said. “But it’s really eye-catching and unique!” While it’s unclear whether or not maximalism can truly replace normcore, one thing is certain: maximalism is fighting for its place in the spotlight. So maybe the neutrality of normcore is getting old after all. Maybe less is just... less. 2

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It’s not easy being queens.

But these drag performers have found their communities in Philadelphia’s vibrant drag scene.

By Rachael Ruhland. Photographed by Sky Karasik.

Opposite. Vinchelle, Boxers PHL.

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here is no distinguishable dressing room. Instead, the second half of the second floor of Tabu Lounge and Sports Bar is a flurry of teased wigs, calculated struts and an assortment of stilettos—all size 11 and up. The 12th Street sports bar is both a Philadelphia gayborhood classic and a quintessential stop on the city’s drag scene.

Tonight’s theme: “Let’s Smash”—a loving tribute to the world of Super Smash Bros from the 20 drag queens performing to their sea of adoring fans waiting (im)patiently by the bar’s third floor stage.

While some performers stand in front

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of wall-to-wall mirrors practicing sultry facial expressions and mouthing along to the Rihanna songs blasting downstairs, Zsa Zsa St. James is bodysuit deep in the middle of readying herself for the night’s performance. Having come from an earlier show in Westchester, her face is already perfect—prominent cheekbones and glowing skin highlighted by detailed contouring and three inch lashes. She is, quite literally, the face of beauty.

Her face may be flawless, but her body has not yet made the transition. Amidst the sticky floors and watered-down strobe lights of the closed off section, the caterpillar must finish

Above. Areola Grande, Boxers PHL. Opposite. Zsa Zsa St. James, Tabu Lounge and Bar.

turning into a butterfly; it is time to get ready.

Zsa Zsa is only one of many who must prepare themselves for the night’s performance.

Maneuvering behind the bar-turned-dressing room is a challenge; the queens struggle with cinching and padding while barkeeps move to-and-fro in tight quarters. The space is a less-than-glamorous mixture of buckets of ice and toppling towers of Shock Top coasters.

Despite their larger-than-life personalities, in this moment, the presence of the queens is secondary to the bar’s main functions.

The vulnerability of the makeshift dressing room is palpable, at least to its observers.

The confidence and excessive bravado of the queens’ performances is nowhere to be found.

Instead, painted faces offer a stark contrast to closed-lip smiles and not-quite-awkward-yetstill-tangibly-uncomfortable eye contact— the kind that can only emerge over repeated locker room nip slips. In light of the fearless performances that came later in the night, ducked heads and the scurry of pantyhose laden tiptoes feel decidedly out of character.

Hours later, Zsa Zsa’s performance surpasses every expectation the dressing room failed to muster.

Deep in the suburbs of eastern Pennsylvania, a then 17-year-old Ricky Mangerie felt an inexplicable urge to make the City of Brotherly Love his new home. He didn’t know why and he didn’t know how, but he knew that Philadelphia would free him. Four years later, Mangerie is a computer science major at Drexel University, midway through his third year of a five year degree program and completing a full-time internship. To everyone who asks, and even those who didn’t, he confidently describes himself as a free spirit. When the workweek is over, Mangerie sheds his coat of high-achieving pre-professionalism and sends his kitty out to play. On his days off, you can find him fully tucked and covered in glitter, but be careful— he’ll only respond if you call him Sunkist Kunt.

Mangerie is a drag queen, which Merriam-Webster defines as “a usually gay man who dresses as a woman and performs as an entertainer especially to caricature stereotypically vampish women.” To Mangerie and other performers, this definition is garishly narrow and misses the true depth and meaning of drag.

“Drag is art, and all art is beautiful,” Mangerie said. “When you’re on that stage, you curated exactly what you wanted and not a single damn thing is going to stop you. It’s art and it’s beautiful and it’s yours.

That’s important.”

The dictionary is not the first to miss the mark; drag has a long history of being misunderstood.

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Vinchelle, Boxers PHL.

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Iris Spectre, Boxers PHL.

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“You’re born naked and the rest is drag.”

Iris Spectre, Boxers PHL.

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This popular line from RuPaul’s autobiography, Lettin’ It All Hang Out, validates many in the drag community, while sending the simple message that drag is so much more than simply playing dress-up. Drag is anything and everything you want it to be. Though it has been popularized through the likes of RuPaul and his infamous (and seemingly infinite) seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the practice is not a recent phenomenon—only one that has recently started to gain more positive reception.

Before the years of VH1 and the likes of internet and TV personalities, drag was done in secret, deeply submerged within the underground club and bar scene. For years, drag was only really accessible to those in urban centers. In those times, it was seen merely as tangential to theatre culture, considered to be the wackiest and wildest sides of the dramatic.

Throughout the years drag has transformed within these many iterations and gained a cultlike following of fans in the process. According to the enthusiastic patrons of local gayborhood bars, Philadelphia is THE up-and-coming spot on the national drag scene.

Tabu is one of Philly’s many hotspots for drag, offering weekly drag and burlesque shows for the community’s many fans. Other popular hangouts include the Voyeur Nightclub, Franky Bradley’s, Bob and Barbara’s Lounge and more recently, Boxers PHL. Bob and Barbara’s is home of the longest running drag show in Philadelphia, and Franky Bradley’s is home of “Philly’s Foxes,” Zsa Zsa’s own performance group. Though many queens are unaffiliated with a certain club, a common thread among the most prominent queens on the scene is a home base bar and a group to perform with.

Mangerie came to Philly under the blind assumption that the city would change him, though he didn’t expect these changes to include fishnets and hairpieces. The nature of these changes may have been unexpected, but his journey-into-drag is pretty standard. He was first introduced to the world of drag through RuPaul’s Drag Race and later through connections forged within the LGBTQ community. In Philly and the world at large, there’s no denying the inherent connection between the LGBTQ and drag communities. Drag is a safe space for many LGBTQ people regardless of whether they are fans or performers as it celebrates individuality and freedom of expression. After months of watching Drag Race, Mangerie soon found himself sitting down with local star, Areola Grande in an intimate hair and makeup tutorial.

Grande is a 24-year-old, Latinx queen

Zsa Zsa St. James, Tabu Lounge and Bar.

from North Philly who was eager to help Mangerie and give back to the Philadelphia drag community by helping out a newbie performer.

“When I walked into this community, I was a poor, Latinx queer person who really didn’t have a lot. And being queer really isolated me from the community I grew up in and that translated all through high school,” Grande said. “I owe a lot of my adult life to the Philly drag community. This community gave me everything, and if I can help someone find themselves in it, I will.”

Grande doesn’t view themself as a role model, yet they are certainly an icon. Even within queer spaces, a lack of diversity is still an issue. The Philadelphia drag community is no exception. Grande is not only part of a small community of Latinx performers. They are also one of few “big girls.”

As an invested member of the Philadelphia drag community, they believe it is their job to advocate for empowerment and greater representation of all types of performers.

“I’m very fat positive. I love that I’m a big girl. Usually when you see a big drag queen it’s comedy and it’s funny,” Grande said. “My goal is to be sexy because sexy comes in all shapes and sizes. I can do anything that little girls can do.”

Philadelphia’s drag scene may struggle with diversity, but Grande believes the community is in full support of working to fill these gaps. Queen-to-queen support is a common thread within the community, whether in the form of answering a new queen’s questions or cheering on a sister when earning a coveted spot on the eponymous Drag Race. To many within the community, fellow performers are family.

Soon after his session with Grande, a chance encounter would spark the beginning of Mangerie’s very own drag family. Over a shared cigarette at Tabu Lounge and Sports Bar, he was rushed into the world of Zsa Zsa. Like Grande, Zsa Zsa does not view herself as a role model, though she does feel as though her presence as Filipina queen has paved the way for other performers of color. At the age of 34, she likens herself to an old woman— ready to dole out sage advice to any newcomer who wants it. She knows how important it is to have a stronghold of unconditional support. Without hers, she would not be here.

“I was raised by strong women. I grew up with them,

I loved them and they are my idols,” Zsa Zsa said. “I knew women. I didn’t want to be one, but I knew how to love them, and I’m honoring my love for them.”

Besides guiding Mangerie in navigating the overwhelming scape of the Philadelphia drag scene, she also offers emotional support and endless love. The two regularly share makeup tips and sleepover secrets. A chance meeting and exchanged Instagram handles quickly turned community into family.

To Zsa Zsa, drag is not mere mimicry, it is a token of love and honor—but it is also her job.

As a performer, she is a firecracker; a small mass of chaotic energy. Off stage, she is still lively but significantly subdued. Zsa Zsa maintains an easy confidence and tangible charm, but she asserts that there are differences between her at her day job as a wedding planner and her nights on the stage. This is intentional. For personal reasons, she keeps a boundary between the two.

“I do my stuff on stage, and then I’m done,” Zsa Zsa said. “It’s a job, and I love it, but it’s a job.”

Her words are simple but her argument is sound. Both pre and post performance there is no room for questioning.

Watching Zsa Zsa is like letting go of a balloon before having the chance to tie it off. Forgotten are the awkward hesitations and uncomfortable pauses of her pre-performance demeanor. In a 90 second lip sync to Die Antwoord, a pink ball (literally) of energy speaks to each member of the crowd. At first, no one is certain of how to respond. Within seconds, her energy is contagious. Cheers and screams of encouragement erupt on all sides of the stage, and there is soon a pool of crumpled singles at her feet. Wearing a homemade inflatable Kirby costume, Zsa Zsa’s movements are limited, but her erratic eroticism still manages to create conflicting images of sex appeal and utter insanity. Under a sheath of pink fabric bound to an inflatable suit, her movements are technically perfect. She is a classically trained dancer and it shows. When the DJ cuts her music, it is clear that the audience’s initial confusion is long forgotten. They carry the energy of her performance in their ongoing screams and cheers. The only silence in the room comes from Zsa Zsa, who waddles off the stage to reverse the process. 2 The Untamed Issue

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MOGULS & THEIR UNIFORMS Most of us only wear uniforms out of obligation. Web Director Eugenie Shin tries to uncover the reason why high-profile fashion figures and entrepreneurs choose to always wear versions of the same outfit in public.

By Eugenie Shin. Illustrations by Gracelynn Wann and Edmund Cai.

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hen I think “uniforms,” I don’t usually think “fashion.” Most people would consider the concept anti-fashion, if anything. If you were ever personally victimized by dowdy plaid skirts and illfitting polos during your formative years, you probably shudder at the thought of ever wearing the same outfit every day again.

Uniforms are also deeply symbolic of groups. We recognize police officers, Starbucks employees and Penn Nursing students immediately through their uniforms.

When we watch the World Cup or the Super Bowl, we know to associate each team with their respective jersey designs.

We strive to feel a sense of belonging by donning specific colors and numbers as we cheer them on.

In short, uniforms unify. They are strict visual markers, tightly woven into the fabric of our everyday lives.

But what if we look beyond this conventional, tame conception of uniforms and consider that they can be voluntary rather than mandatory and fashion-forward rather than inexpressive? And where can we see such fascinatingly oxymoronic moments in the intersecting worlds of fashion and business?

Many notable figures in the fashion world insist on maintaining signature looks. Anyone can spot American Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour from a mile away due to her distinctive pageboy bob, dark sunglasses and tweed ensemble. Ironically, because she is almost always spotted with her eyes shaded, some might say her sunglasses invert the function of going incognito. Wintour reportedly sported her “uniform” even while pregnant by tailoring her many Chanel skirts. As for her sunglasses, they are actually corrective lenses for her deteriorating vision, but she has also explained that they shield her reactions to fashion shows from the public.

Karl Lagerfeld, head creative director of Chanel, is another fashion powerhouse who continues to dress in the same combination of items time after time. He is, without fail, always seen in a high-collared white shirt, thick black tie, skinny black slacks and leather gloves. Of course, his look would not be complete without a slicked-back, blindingly white ponytail, dark sunglasses and a permanent Resting Bitch Face. Some speculate that he wears high collars and gloves to mask signs of aging, while Lagerfeld himself says his choices, laden with historical references, are supposed to evoke a sense of anachronism. Regarding his signature “suited-and-booted look,” he says in an interview 26

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with Marie Claire, “I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that. It is like a mask. And for me the Carnival of Venice lasts all year long.”

Among the many designers who seem to gravitate towards “voluntary uniforms,” Alexander Wang chooses an aesthetic that I’m sure resonates with many Penn students including myself: 50 shades of black. Loose T-shirts, crew-necks and skinny jeans seem to be his go-to. Wang’s minimalism is reflected in his urban, often neutral-toned designs yet not in his sunny disposition and infectiously high energy. His uniform is very focused on practicality, and he notes in a GQ article that his “uniform is the same in winter and in summer—black is black, whether it’s

cashmere, cotton or denim. When you pick neutral colors and stick to them, you can wear them all together and wear them anywhere.” Again, like Wintour and Lagerfeld, Wang maintains an easily recognizable hairstyle that finishes his look—a long wavy bob.

We can also look beyond the boundaries of the fashion world to find non-traditional uniforms. Certain famous entrepreneurs, at least from what we can tell, wear the same clothes every single day. Steve Jobs, for example, developed a reputation for the “black turtleneck look” in which he literally wore a black mock turtleneck, high-waisted blue Levi’s and New Balance sneakers. In the same vein, Mark Zuckerberg lives in grey T-shirts and hoodies. Entrepreneurs and CEOs who are strangely dedicated to wearing the exact same thing 24/7 often claim it’s all about choice minimalism.

In an interview with The Independent, Zuckerberg said, “I really want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community.”

And last but not least, the Queen of England herself is spotted in variations of the same uniform in her public appearances. Unlike Wang who opts for an all-black look, she is an avid color-blocker from head to toe. She has been seen in stunningly vibrant shades of bright red, yellow, magenta and more. While she wears a hat during the daytime because of royal etiquette and gloves for hygienic reasons (Imagine how many germy hands she’s shaking at every public appearance!), what many people don’t realize is that the Queen uses her small handbag to send discrete signals to staff, such as putting it on the floor when she wants to exit the conversation she’s in. Heartwarmingly, her one-tone looks are not only fashionable but also serve a deeper, more thoughtful purpose: they help the people of England recognize her, even from a long distance.

There is a lot of literature on the subject of why prominent individuals across industries make the conscious choice of creating a signature look. A lot of them—as I’ve

pointed out—describe how form follows function in the practical sense, whether it is to minimize choice and save time, for medical purposes or even to send secret signals.

But in my cynical opinion, the uniforms are a branding tool more than anything else. Although celebrities and public figures strategically building an iconic look is not exactly a new concept (Think Audrey Hepburn’s legendary little black dress), personal branding carries more importance than ever before because of the rise of social media marketing. Amidst a chaotic media culture saturated with images and videos, the only way to stay memorable as the face of a business empire is through consistency. The key here is to closely align one’s “uniform” with the ideals one wants to associate oneself and the organization with; for example, Wintour and Lagerfeld’s blasé demeanors and masked eyes evoke a certain sense of unapproachability and mystery, which are qualities crucial to establishing an image of luxury and exclusivity. Zuckerberg’s carefully crafted casual ensemble endeavors to relate to Facebook’s perceived target demographic of teens and 20-somethings and falls in line with his motivational personal narrative—a college dropout who earned the coveted title of youngest self-made billionaire.

Traditionally, uniforms carry special ideological weight because they represent a group. But it is apparent they can also carry special ideological weight because they represent an individual, and in association, the individual’s organization. Anyone could, in theory, be inspired by or copy Lagerfeld’s outfit, but adopting his uniform would not invite him or her into a group like a Lakers’ jersey would.

In other words, the individualistic uniform is only meant for a specific individual and is meaningless outside of that context. Ultimately, uniforms—on a conceptual level— serve a broader and more complex function in modern society than one might initially assume. Traditionally, they corporealize the need or desire to conform, provide social unification and place individuals in easily distinguishable categories. However, as exemplified by the idea of “voluntary uniforms,” they can also facilitate personal branding and hence propel consumer culture. 2 The Untamed Issue

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RENTING THE SLIPPER I borrowed designer clothes for a week. Here’s what it’s like to dress like a member of the elite.

By Alexandra Nichols. Modeled by Lauren McLeod. Photographed by Madison Kahn.

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pon walking into a Barneys, Neiman Marcus or Saks, I am whisked away into another universe: one in which every clothing rack, shelf and table are neatly arranged with complementary colors, and even the sale section remains perfectly intact. One in which I am addressed only as “miss,” and where, in certain sections, I am graciously offered a glass of effervescent champagne. Most importantly, one in which a price tag is simply a number, and every piece is mine for the taking.

Unfortunately, a quick glance at my bank account slams me back to reality.

The ostentatious, kaleidoscopic faux furs and ornately beaded gowns drew me in, but the three-to-four figure price tags sent me right back. Ultra high-end designer pieces often reflect a level of luxury which can make even the most spendhappy shoppers hesitate. Hence, when I stumbled upon the concept of renting these designer pieces at a fraction of the original price, I was intrigued. Rent the Runway is an online service that allows women to rent high-end clothing for a certain period of time—from a few days to a month or longer—for up to 90 percent off the retail price. Rent the Runway also offers the opportunity to purchase clothing being phased out of rotation at a steep discount. Founded in 2009 by Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss, Rent the Runway was inspired by a $2,000 dress purchase that quite nearly sent Hyman’s sister into debt. Hyman ventured back to Harvard Business School with the idea of renting, rather than buying, designer pieces. Since then, Rent the Runway has grown to a company serving over 6 million customers with more than 400 designer partners, and I was given the chance to try and see what all the hullabaloo was about myself.

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SHOPPING AROUND When you click into the Rent the Runway website, it has a streamlined, monochrome look that provides a stark contrast to the chaos of fighting for a dressing room at Urban Outfitters or the last embroidered mini skirt at Zara. Having chosen the “RTR Update” rental package, I was able to pick out four pieces to stay in my closet for $89 per month. I also have the option to swap out any of the four pieces starting next month. As I clicked around the website, I noticed multiple items I added to my cart were not appearing in my RTR Update package. I then realized not every item on the website is available for rental in every package. So I watched the gorgeous intarsia Proenza Schouler sweater slip through my metaphorical fingers. Not all was lost, though! Once I found the section for Update-eligible garments, I was able to scroll through dozens of pages of designer pieces. From Jason Wu mini dresses to chunky Vince sweaters, there was no shortage. A jacket junkie myself, I gravitated immediately towards a furry little Opening Ceremony number. Once I picked out three other items, I headed for the checkout.

My saving grace was the copious amount of reviews on the site that accompanied almost every item. They gave me a good idea of what the items would look like in person and on my person, rather than me blindly picking an item and hoping it would fit. This feature also gives Rent the Runway a leg up on traditional online shopping. Not only did most reviews come with a picture but they also had the weight and “usual size” of each woman wearing it, so I could directly compare how it fit on them to how it might fit on me.

THE UNBOXING Judgment day finally arrived! My elation at the free two-day-shipping was quickly tarnished by the fact that I ordered on a Friday evening, and the clothes didn’t roll in until Tuesday due largely to the two-dayshipping lull that is the weekend. The clothes came in a black garment bag, folded and zipped to about the size of a pizza box (multiple people inquired whether I was delivering pizza, rather than $2,000 worth of sartorial choices). Hangers and all, the items looked clean and free of any snags, pilling or other general signs of wear.

If they had the tags attached, they could have passed for new. I was pleasantly surprised, especially given the entire premise of Rent the Runway involves passing around the same garment again and again to various people. My other choices, a pink chunky turtleneck, a black and silver star-print sweater and a pair of flared embroidered jeans, all showed promise.

LOOK 1

MY REBIRTH AS A FUR BALL Opening Ceremony, $695 The first piece was my favorite of the four by far.

Coincidentally, it was also the riskiest, given the jacket had zero reviews on the site. However, the plush, luxe, furry interior coupled with the unexpected herringbone fabric exterior was exactly the sort of unexpected twist I sought from a designer coat in the upper three figures. The sleeves were also adjustable, and I was able to roll them up as far as needed to accommodate my shorter-than-average wingspan. The jacket fit snugly, though I was still able to fit some thin layers underneath (granted, they probably weren’t needed on that particular 50-degree day). The crowning achievement of this look, though, was that the jacket was reversible. Not one, but two extravagant pieces of outerwear all wrapped up in one zippable black garment bag. In all honesty, being able to easily change up my look truly sealed my love for this coat and will make it all the more difficult to pry it from my fingers at the end of the month.

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LOOK 2

PRETTY IN POM-POMS Rachel Zoe, $395 My love also runs deep for this sweater. I had total confidence in this piece from the moment I hit “Add to Cart,” especially given the ample glowing reviews. It did not disappoint. Though certainly one of the tamer designer pieces available on the site, the fringe detailing, the pom-poms and that “come-hither” blush pink shade meant I couldn’t pass this one up. The knit fit perfectly both in the torso and arm length. My one complaint was the batwing draping of the sleeves, a feature not wholly apparent on the model. Still, a winner in my eyes.

LOOK 3

“THE COOL GIRLS LIKED THEM” M.i.h, $285 I’m not going to lie to you, these jeans gave me pause on the website. I went back and forth before finally deciding to go through with the selection. The bright red star embroidery and flared wide-leg were certainly outside my usual zone of comfort. Then again, if there’s any time to take a leap of faith, its while you’re wearing $300 designer pants. It was a singular review, in fact, that finalized my commitment to this piece. One reviewer proudly recounted the admiration she received from the “cool girls” upon wearing these jeans, and I could feel my middle school self gravitating closer and closer to the purchase button. If these jeans were all it took, how could I say no?

While the fit was spot-on, the length of these jeans unfortunately required a trip to the tailor. Rent the Runway understandably doesn’t allow alterations to their rentals, so wearing the jeans with four-inch booties would have to do for now. My vertically-inclined friends, however, could not sing enough praises for this piece when they insisted on trying it on. I must admit that the jeans did feel unmistakably “cool.”

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LOOK 4

NOT-SO STARRY-EYED Milly, $385 I had such high hopes for this sweater. As you may be able to tell from my previous selections, I am having a moment with stars right now, and I had faith this sweater would be the answer to my star-studded prayers. The black and silver design, high neck and slouchy fit seemed to check all the boxes. I even sized up in the hopes of achieving that perfectly-oversized-yet-effortless look.

Unfortunately, when the sweater arrived, it was not quite large enough to look intentional yet not fitted enough to pass as the right size. The neckline was not high enough to be a turtleneck yet higher than a traditional crewneck, and too loose to pass as a mock neck. The overall look was just...meh.

FINAL THOUGHTS Rent the Runway pleasantly surprised me. While I had heard high praise of their designer dress collection, I did not expect their ready-to-wear selection to be as robust as it was. Their review section and customer service would give Nordstrom a run for their money.

Getting pieces in silhouettes you are comfortable in and styles you haven’t tried it, in my humble opinion, is the best way to take advantage of the rental system. For the price, RTR Update is great for a special occasion or an event for which you want to look particularly stylish. Day to day, except for a chic select few, the pieces may be a bit flamboyant. Rent the Runway is a great occasional splurge for students to step outside their comfort zone, but be ready to sift through to find your star pieces.

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RedRum. Directed and styled by Emily Cieslak, Davery Joso, Natalia Rommen. Styled by Paolo Nasr, Felix Cui, Amy Win, Arienne Wong, Ania Swider, Sydney Schwartz, Amy Diane, Isabela Salas-Betsch, Jason Pak, Arya Akal. Makeup

by Madison Kahn, Gio Sena, Emily Yao, Hagar Samir. Modeled by Seb Dombrowski, Nancy Cui. Photographed by Lizzy Lemieux, Erica Xin on site at Cappuccio’s Meats, Philadelphia.

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WOMEN & MEAT

By Jessica Sulima.

D

ecked out in latex bodysuits, our models lifted up Cappuccio’s Meats’ daily selection like they were trophies.

In a subversive move, these women were commanding a male dominated stage and exhibiting control over the very thing they have so often been equated with. But, unfortunately, the men peering through the shop window thought otherwise. For them, the prize was gawking at the scene that unfolded before them.

It’s been one year since the eruption of the #MeToo movement, and the concept of “female empowerment” is still an elusive one.

Taking into account a long history of female objectification—of women being treated as “pieces of meat”—is it now more empowering to cover up or to bare it all?

Last December, model Emily Ratajkowski received backlash for a video she shot with LOVE Magazine for their annual advent calendar.

Wearing nothing but lingerie, she seductively slathers herself in spaghetti for a minute and a half—and does so in the name of feminism. The advent calendar was themed #StayStrong in an attempt to celebrate strong women. But the idea did not sit well with many viewers, who felt the images were akin to stereotypical depictions of female objectification. In other words, the video responded to the sexualization of the female body by further fetishizing it. Feminist Current writer Meghan Murphy tweeted, “I am beyond appalled that Emily Ratajkowski references the #MeToo campaign in DEFENSE of women’s objectification. Weinstein abused women BECAUSE he saw them as objects that exist for his pleasure/use/titillation.”

It’s becoming increasingly clear that modesty is making a comeback. Dressing conservatively can be seen as a way by which women take control over the display of their own bodies. In honor of the Times Up Initiative, actresses wore black to this year’s Golden Globes; the somber color reflected the idea that women are more than what

they wear on the red carpet. In June, the Miss America Organization announced contestants would no longer be judged based on their physical appearance and removed the bathing suit contest from the competition. That same month, resale company ThredUP reported there was a spike in customers getting rid of high heels, and The New York Times attributed this decline to the #MeToo movement.

But some women believe the best way to take control over their bodies is to embrace their sexuality; clothing choices should not carry the burden of responsibility for the male response. In an Instagram post detailing her LOVE Magazine shoot, Ratajkowski explains, “Being sexy is fun and I like it. I should never have to apologize for that. My life is on my terms and if I feel like putting on sexy underwear, it’s for me. Personal choice is the core ideal in my concept of feminism.” She continues, “I have been so disappointed to hear women talk about ‘modesty’ and ‘our responsibility’ as if we need to, yet again, adjust to make it ‘easier’ for the rest of the world. I’m tired of having to consider how I might be perceived by men if I wear the short skirt or post a sexy Instagram.”

When Jennifer Lawrence was criticized for wearing a thigh-split, low neckline Versace dress to a February photo call for her film Red Sparrow, she wrote in a Facebook post, “This is sexist, this is ridiculous, this is not feminism.

Overreacting about everything someone says or does, creating controversy over silly innocuous things such as what I choose to wear or not wear, is not moving us forward. It’s creating silly distractions from real issues. Get a grip people.

Everything you see me wear is my choice.”

Perhaps the question is not which mode of dress is the most effective tool for change, but rather, whether or not female self-expression should be judged at all. The concept of the “right” way to dress negates the freedom of choice—an element inherent to feminism.

For this WALK photo shoot, our models are disrupting the rules. They’re making a choice. 2 The Untamed Issue

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Would You Rather Go Naked?

Genuine fur has lost its status and remains in limbo in the fashion world as fauxs take over.

By Amanda Kwon. Illustrated by Jessi Olarsch.

F

ur was long upheld as a status symbol in fashion for decades, but its prestige has taken a turn in recent years. A hallmark of luxury fashion since the early 1900s, fur coats were embraced by Hollywood starlets and socialites, who established them as a symbol of status and wealth. In the early 20th century, powerful fashion magazines, following Vogue’s lead, often wrote off faux furs to their readers as a poor imitation for those who could not afford the real thing. However, as the demand for furs grew beyond the elite crowd, imitations boomed. As one fur expert told The New York Times in 1924, “Whenever a fur becomes fashionable, the trade hunts for a substitute, because the girl in Sixth Avenue wants to look like the fashionable woman on Fifth, and we must help her find her way.”

By the 1970s, fur coats gained full-fledged rivalries with animal rights activists, led by organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). PETA’s most viral campaign targeting fur in fashion featured models Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell in the nude with the slogan “I’d rather go naked than wear fur” plastered over their bodies. Since then, PETA has continued to be one of the world’s leading animal rights advocacy groups, particularly against fur, exposing cruelty in fur farms and publicly shaming those who wear it.

Today, the crusade against fur persists, particularly among the new generation of consumers who are much more conscious of the brands they buy from. Last June, Yoox Net-a-Porter, the Italian online fashion retailer, surveyed 24,000 of its customers prior to announcing its furfree policy and found that 72 percent said social or environmental considerations drove their purchasing decisions at least some of the time, and 58 percent said having more information about the product’s ethics and sustainability would influence their buying choices. To meet these shifting attitudes, luxury brands have been decreasing their use of fur or attempting to avoid the controversy, at the very least. This past July, Fendi, originally a furrier, rebranded its Couture Weeks show from haute fourrure to haute couture, no longer drawing attention to fur in their collection. Though fur was still present in its collection, it was significantly less prominent compared to the brand’s past seasons.

Though many companies have gone fur-free to be more ethical or appeal to consumers, fur is clearly not going anywhere. The global production of mink, which accounts for 85 percent of the global fur trade, has grown dramatically, reaching 84 million pelts in 2015, and the export of crocodilian skin has rebounded at full force since the global recession and the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on American alligators.

In 2016, almost two-thirds of the women’s fall collections in New York, Paris, London and Milan fashion shows included fur clothing.

Even with this high production, the introduction of high quality fauxs and mass production of real fur have undoubtedly compromised the prestige of genuine hairs. The executive director of Humane Society International UK, Claire Bass, explains that many companies rely on the price point and quality to differentiate real from faux, but with fauxs becoming more and more convincing, this becomes difficult. Even a cheap price tag does not immediately exonerate a product, because countries

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such as China and Poland have mega-fur farms that produce real fur very cheaply. As a result, there have been many cases of products from fast fashion brands that claimed to be fur-free found when actually containing real fur, further confirming that genuine fur is no longer associated with luxury and high price tags.

But the alternative to fur is not so innocent either. Imitation hairs are typically made from petroleum-based products (typically plastic), which create pollution during production and release fibers when washed. A polyester-fleece jacket can lose 1,000,000 fibers per wash that eventually find their way to the ocean. Additionally, fake fur cannot be recycled, so clothes are dumped in a landfill without any chance of biodegradation. This, combined with improvements slowly being made in some fur farms such as 24/7 drinking water, and toys for the animals, have shown that at times, real fur may even be more sustainable than faux fur.

With the tension between the sustainability of real versus faux fur comes the understanding that mass outrage and consumer decisions are rarely fully informed. Rarely are consumers armed with facts and figures to justify which is more detrimental to the environment. This leads to the biggest reason why furs are such an easy target: their extravagance.

The very grandeur and blatant luxuriousness for which furs were coveted are now characteristics rejected by younger consumers who strive for ethical and political consciousness.

On the other hand, leather, also an animal byproduct, is a much less contested material, perhaps because it is associated with practical and utilitarian aesthetics. As Marylyn Carrigan, professor of consumer ethics at Coventry University, said, “people often make assumptions about the responsibility of products, i.e. that somebody somewhere up the supply chain is looking after the ethics for them.” Unfortunately, this is rarely the case, and when consumers feel outrage, they will make themselves heard. 2

Jenna Wang (C’19)

Benevolent Boxing The Penn Boxing Club members spend their time conditioning, sparring and competing, learning how to, well, beat each other up.

Yet they also form a community that’s diverse and adoring, making them one of the most unexpected groups on Penn’s campus.

By Emily Schwartz. Styled by Emily Cieslak, Natalia Rommen, Davery Joso, Paolo Nasr, Charlene Ngige, Zuqi Fu, Lucinda Mileto, Serena Liu, Emma Harris, Jaewoo Kang, Alexandra Pisacane, Ania Swider. Makeup by Madison Kahn, Emily Yao, Sydney Schwartz, Via Lim. Photographed by Teresa Xie and Skylar Scafidi on site at Title Boxing Club, Philadelphia.

“Kill him!”

These were the last words Skyler Palatnick (C’20) heard before the bell sounded that signaled the start of the first boxing competition of his college career. The thenfreshman was standing in the ring at a gym in North Philadelphia, what he would refer to as “enemy territory,” and he heard one of his opponent’s fans shout the words. Palatnick himself had a few fans in the room—his mom and dad who had come down to Philly from Long Island for the occasion, his brother who had ventured off Penn’s campus to watch him fight, his childhood boxing coach and several of his teammates from Penn. There were about eight. He was grateful for their presence, but The Untamed Issue

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it didn’t come close to the 50-some people supporting the other boxer in the ring.

The fight was called the Cliff Johnson Ringside Championship. Palatnick had been paired with a fighter who was, in his eyes, “big and muscular and strong and looked a little bit like a miniature Mike Tyson.” Given his opponent’s size and the lack of home-ring advantage, the odds were most certainly against him. Palatnick kept to himself until it was his turn to fight (second to last, meaning he had to wait four hours), listening to music and avoiding passing by the 44

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fights before him so as not to psych himself out—the first boxer from Penn lost.

It was finally time for Palatnick’s match. This was when he stepped in the ring, when he heard the other fans cheering, when the “kill him!” registered. The first round was fairly even. In the second round, Palatnick took off, gaining some ground against his opponent. The third round began with the other fighter trying to knock Palatnick out in attempts to avoid falling too far behind, but Palatnick wore him out in the beginning and he was too winded to keep

up the pace. Several minutes later, Palatnick won the match.

“All his fans were there rooting for him...and he was a big intimidating dude, and I won,” Palatnick—a shorter fighter—remembers. “That fight was my most memorable.”

Fast forward two years: Palatnick is now co-president

They may fight each other in their spare time, but Penn Boxing Club is one of the least divisive groups on campus.

Above. Skyler Palatnick (C’20)

and co-trainer of the Penn Boxing Club. At its core, Penn Boxing Club is a group of students on campus passionate about and interested in boxing. The club has three main components: exercise and conditioning, sparring and competing. Some members participate in just one area, while others are involved across the board.

“It’s almost like a boxing club for everyone,” Palatnick says. “Anybody who likes boxing can join this club and basically get what you want out of it.”

“A boxing club for everyone” describes the group well.

For a collection of people who spend their time punching the life out of each other just for fun, the club members are some of the most kind, welcoming people anyone could find on Penn’s campus. This is one of the reasons Stephen Chukwurah (C’19), former co-president and current Executive Board member, joined his freshman year.

Chukwurah grew up watching fighting movies as a kid.

He never boxed before college, but was always drawn to its action and was fascinated that people actually paid money to hit people in the face. He describes himself as a very confused freshman with little to no direction, so when he found Penn Boxing at Penn’s club fair his freshman year, he signed up on a whim out of pure curiosity.

“Everything else seemed a bit daunting and challenging,” Chukwurah says. “So many clubs have interviews to get in, but with boxing, they were just like ‘It’s your own time, join on your own,’ and I really connected with that.”

Palatnick agrees. The club members are “from literally any part of Penn, because boxing doesn’t really separate people,” he explains. It’s an ironic yet uplifting concept: a sport literally rooted in fighting is the sport that brings people together.

Like Palatnick, one of Chukwurah’s most personally significant moments with Penn Boxing also involved a seemingly unbeatable challenge. It was his first practice, and Chukwurah was so tired he threw up. Twice. “I came back, and they were like, ‘You threw up but you came back?

What’s wrong with you?’ ” Chukwurah says. “And that’s why I knew I wanted to be committed, because if I was gonna do something, I wanted to do it to the fullest.”

Both Chukwurah’s and Palatnick’s stories are examples of one of the most unifying things about Penn Boxing’s Executive Board—each member has had an experience with Penn Boxing that almost brought them to their lowest, and each one uses their experience as inspiration and motivation for staying so dedicated and involved.

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him in the stomach. Since he had only just begun sparring, he and Palatnick were only doing shots below the face so Gomez could get used to getting hit. He was wearing an inch-thick body pad over his stomach, but just a few seconds in, Palatnick caught him perfectly between his elbows and stomach with an uppercut, and Gomez instantly fell to his knees.

“Everything that was in my mouth went out of my mouth,” Gomez says. “My mouth guard, the moisture, my tongue. It was great. And I just immediately dropped. And I was like, I want to be able to do that.”

For Hope Lu (CW’20), co-president with Palatnick, her moment was also her first time getting hit. Members were matched up with a partner so one boxer could raise their arms while the other hit their stomach for a minute or two before switching off. Though it started off easy, after the second or third round, Lu’s core had never been that worn out. “I was like, this is the reason why I want to come back, because I want to be able to do that and not feel the way I feel right now,” Lu says. “I feel like that’s something that applies to everybody in the club. Everyone’s a little bit pain seeking, in a way, or looking for improvement.”

Palatnick won a fight against a mini-Mike Tyson.

Chukwurah vomited repeatedly. Gomez fell with the wind knocked out of him. Lu couldn’t feel her core. Withstanding pain is not only the most unifying quality of the club’s members but also the most distinct. For most non-boxers, improvement is not always equated with struggle and pain.

Yet for Penn Boxing, as Lu points out, the two are one and the same. It’s a group of people actively looking to endure difficulty to become better versions of themselves. It’s another ironic-yet-uplifting aspect of the club—that only after a rough moment did the club’s appeal really reveal itself—and speaks to both the lessons boxing can teach, as well as the character of the people attracted to learning those lessons.

The club itself has also fought its fair share of challenges, the biggest being recognition from the Student Activities Council (SAC). Penn Boxing isn’t officially recognized by SAC because they’re viewed as a liability to the school due to risk of head injury, meaning they don’t receive funding or any other backing from the council. This makes it much harder to host events, and prevents them from practicing on campus because spots in Pottruck Health & Fitness Center are too expensive.

Gomez takes issue with the lack of recognition and support. “Football is a thing, and they get way more injuries than we do,” he says.

Despite the obstacles, the club makes it work. They use spaces in boxing gyms around Philly and in campus dorm buildings. They compete against boxers throughout the city.

They work closely with a coach, Cliff Johnson, who helps lead practices and in Lu’s words is “exactly what I would think of when I hear ‘West Philly boxing coach.’ ” It’s proof of how ingrained it is in Penn Boxing to persevere even when something tries to keep them down.

“It’s one of the best things I did coming into Penn,” Gomez says. “It gives you something to work towards that’s not academic. It gives you something that teaches you how to work towards something and have those pitfalls. You literally have to get back up and keep going.” 2

Skyler Palatnick (C’20), Luis Gomez (C’21)

Hope Lu (CW’20)

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Increasing Student Knowledge of Retail & Fashion

Executive Leadership Lectures Lunchtime Speaker Series Executive-in-Residence Program

Wharton International Program Trip Industry Career Treks Retail Career Advising

Penn Fashion Week

Learn about careers in retail & fashion Baker Retailing Center St. Leonard’s Court 3819 Chestnut St., Suite 310 bakerretail@wharton.upenn.edu 215.5.RETAIL bakerretail.wharton.upenn.edu

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ALUMNI FEATURE

30 MINUTES WITH

LESLEY WOLFF After graduating from Penn, Lesley Wolff faced a far from easy life. Yet her creative journey and risk-taking led her to become one of the most accomplished and versatile comedians in Hollywood.

By Eliana Waxman. Photograph courtesy of Lesley Wolff.

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t was always in my blood, from the beginning.” Those are the words Lesley Wolff (C’93), performer, teacher, writer and showrunner, said over the phone in her car when recounting her journey to becoming a comedian in Hollywood. She had just picked up her dog from daycare, wading through the L.A. traffic with surprising optimism.

From the beginning, Wolff loved making people laugh. Growing up near Philadelphia, she looked up to female comics like Gilda Radner and Catherine O’Hara for inspiration.

“I always thought comedy was empowering for women. Because as a woman, you were always a facilitator or a sidekick.” Wolff was the class clown as a kid. “As a child of divorce, you need a way to distract yourself.”

That love for comedy and, later, writing, kicked into high gear during her time at the University of Pennsylvania. An English major with a concentration in poetry and a theater minor, Wolff spent her spare time as a member of Tri Delta and Friars Senior Society.

However, it was as the director of the female sketch comedy group Bloomers where she felt the most impact.

“Bloomers was the epitome of fun,” Wolff said. “Just laughing and creating was my best memory from Penn.” Her favorite sketch, she recalls, was about an Italian cooking show run by the mob. Their star dishes were the individuals that they murdered.

After college, Wolff kept on writing and telling jokes, working at the Philadelphia Theater Festival and performing as a member of Comedy Sportz. She said these experiences helped her grow intellectually as a comedian, yet she soon began to feel a bit stuck.

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“ “You have a choice to take a chance and make your choice or don’t... but why not?”

”

“It felt like I was hitting a ceiling, so I decided with a friend to come out to Los Angeles,” Wolff said. “I was going to be a big TV writer. But my personality was more that of a performer than staying in a writers’ room.”

After lots of “competition, rejection and comparison,” Wolff returned to Philadelphia at age 28 feeling a bit defeated. “It was my mom who said, ‘Lesley, it’s now or never,’ ” Wolff said. Several months later, she returned to L.A. Those words, along with many auditions, led her to huge success as a showrunner, performer and casting director, working with the likes of Chelsea Handler, Bobby Moynihan and Will Ferrell. Wolff now teaches standup in Hollywood.

She is currently working on her comedy workshop Fresh Faces, which will ultimately showcase at The Hollywood Improv, a world

famous comedy club. She describes it as a “culmination of newcomers” to comedy.

“It’s like a coming out show. You get to tell your story and tell your truth,” Wolff said.

“Being able to showcase yourself on stage as a newcomer is the most untame thing about this business.”

Wolff’s number one lesson from her Fresh Faces comedy course? “I’m adamant about everyone having a unique voice. If everyone else can do your set, it’s not your set!” Many students begin without a word to say. She loves seeing people gain their voice through confidence. “I’m the comedy fluffer. I literally can find a way to make everyone see the best in themselves,” Wolff said.

Her favorite part of being in comedy is she can play by her own rules. “I love that I’m freelance because it allows me to take a breath, not be chained to a desk 24 hours a day.” Each day, she said, is different, and depending on her role that day as a casting director, actor, writer or teacher, she feels and is treated differently.

“When I’m a casting director, I allow myself to be a goofball.” Wolff adds, “People are kissing your ass; people want stuff from you.”

Yet when it comes to getting on stage, things function quite differently. “There are a lot of hoops to jump through to showcase yourself on stage as a newcomer, and a lot of times you have to provide an audience,” Wolff said. “It’s really a part of the business of standup. Until you’re a name that draws a crowd, you must promote your own shows.”

Comedy, Wolff said, is about numbers and waiting for your chance. “You have a choice to take a chance and make your choice or don’t… but why not?” 2

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Never Keep Your Truth Tamed

Sixteen years ago, Frida Farrell was the victim of sex trafficking. Today? She’s the lead actress in a film she created recounting her very experience with the ordeal.

Farrell herself tells The WALK why she made a film about her kidnapping and how she hopes to change the world through her truth.

By Tyler Lawson. Photographed by Bobby Quillard.

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he winning movie of the Raindance Film Festival’s Inaugural Indie Award, Selling Isobel, tells a disturbing and heart-wrenching tale about a young, aspiring model who was drugged, raped and sold for profit after being kidnapped at what she believed to be a photoshoot. The biggest twist of the entire movie? It is all based on the true story of the lead actress in the film, Frida Farrell. The WALK had the opportunity to speak with Farrell herself, the lead actress, co-screenplay writer, co-producer and driving force behind this horrifying and cautionary story.

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The 38-year-old Swedish native is no stranger to eating cans of tuna during tough times and faced a lot of rejection when it came to Hollywood roles. However, after encountering closed doors, she decided to open some up herself by eventually starting her own film company, Development Hell Pictures, in 2010. Through endurance, hard work and talent, Farrell and her team were able to win numerous awards to fund other feature and smaller films for her company.

This path ultimately allowed her to write and produce the film, Selling Isobel. Numerous factors led her

to create a movie based on her past traumatic experiences with sex slavery. One of them being her vision to empower other survivors.

Farrell originally started out modeling at the age of 16, traveling to work in cities such as Paris, Milan and New York. By age 22, she transitioned into the acting world and graduated from London’s prestigious Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

According to The Independent, it was also at the young age of 22 that Farrell endured an experience that would change her life forever. On a September night in London of 2002, the model was approached by a photographer who said he wanted to cast her in a photoshoot. While her first shoot with the middle-aged man passed smoothly and professionally, when she returned to take more photos she found herself in peril.

There was no longer a photo studio in the apartment and the photographer ditched his easy-going facade. He locked his doors, pulled out a knife and gave her a drugged drink with no ultimatum. Farrell found herself trapped in an apartment where she was raped by multiple men, including the photographer – her kidnapper – for three days.

“The blood in my veins froze. I literally felt my body going cold, and I broke an instant sweat all over my body,” Farrell said of when she first realized she was trapped. “I had all kinds of thoughts running wild in my mind...My whole body was shutting down. I searched the bathroom for anything I could use as a weapon. There was nothing.”

On the third day, he left the apartment without locking the door and Farrell escaped. She was able to inform the police, but to this day, she still does not know if her kidnapper was ever found.

Farrell lived 10 years without ever speaking about the incident. Why? “I didn’t tell anybody except my husband, my mother and a friend because I was so scared,” she said.

Like most survivors of sexual assault, Farrell felt terrified of being judged and shamed for actions that weren’t her own.

Despite enduring years of turmoil and damage, she came to the realization that the issue was bigger than her. Thus, the decision to create a film, her own personal masterpiece, was born out of her desire to help others. The film serves to help others by illustrating the dangers of the modeling industry. It serves to help others understand the narrative of sexual abuse victims. It also serves to help others feel emboldened to address their own assaults.

“You can’t hide the truth. It’s going to come up at some point,” Farrell said. “The earlier you deal with it, the better life will be.”

When asked if she had any advice to give to someone who has been through a traumatic experience, the former model said, “The hardest part is starting to talk about it.

After they start to talk ... they won’t need much advice after that.” She strongly believes that, just like everyone else, she is not a victim but a survivor. Likewise, all survivors deserve to have their story be told whenever they are ready to tell it.

Her conviction for raising awareness about this issue certainly had an impact on the audiences who watched the film. Farrell recalled how after the first screening, an overwhelming amount of women gathered around to talk to her, many of them coming forward for the first time about their own traumas. In fact, every time the film is shown, she encounters the same bonding experience. The film is intended to serve as a cautionary tale, yet the creators have found that it also serves as a platform for survivors to come together and work towards a better, safer future.

This is a future Farrell continues to work toward. Since she opened up about her story, she has been asked to be a guest speaker by organizations such as UNICEF and is currently assisting other organizations with their endeavors to help raise money for survivors.

Above all of her actions, she believes the only ways to truly solve this problem are through education and policy changes, such as those enacted by her native Sweden.

Enacted in 1999, The Swedish Sex Purchase Act makes it illegal to buy sex. It does not make it illegal to sell it. This makes it possible to jail the predator of prostitutes and not the prostitutes themselves. It is a big step towards taking the blame off of those who might have been coerced into such activities and placing it on those who keep the system thriving.

Farrell has not stopped working on the film either. Two years after the movie’s debut in 2016, it finally had its first release to the public at a Los Angeles premiere on Oct. 26, 2018. It is now available for download on iTunes, Netflix and Amazon under the new title Apartment 407.

All viewers of the film can agree that Farrell’s movie is raw, terrifying and emotional. It not only opens the audience’s eyes to the dangerous modeling world, but it also provides a safe space for survivors to speak about their experiences. The film makes survivors feel less alone and trapped in their healing process. In a society where we are finally starting to address the frequency of sexual abuse, the movie is particularly impactful. And if there is one thing you can take away from Selling Isobel, it is to never tame your truth. 2

The WALK Magazine would like to thank our partners for supporting our Fall 2018 issue.

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It’s a Barbie World. Directed and styled by Emily Cieslak, Davery Joso, Natalia Rommen. Styled by Paolo Nasr, Felix Cui, Carly Ryan, Charlene Ngige, Zuqi Fu, Arienne Wong, Emma Harris, Sydney Schwartz, Ami Diane, Alexandra Pisacane, Jason Pak. Makeup by Madison Kahn, Gio Sena, Emily Yao, Alyssa Gonzalez, Keri Zhang. Modeled by Tyler Williams, Sebiga Lee, Nikki Comizio.

Photographed by Alisa Wadsworth, Kara Hu, Shirley Yang on site at Scoop DeVille, Philadelphia.

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Art for Climate Change Francesca Catania tracks how contemporary artists address climate change.

By Francesca Catania. Photographs courtesy of the artists.

A

rt has a unique ability to evoke powerful emotions.

For centuries, it has been used as a political statement or plea to change an existing system.

The problem is that measuring the impact of art on social change is impossible. Art cannot directly impact policies, but it can inspire change. It is the indirect, and perhaps the more effective method of persuasion. People, by nature, dislike explicitly being told what to care about or what to believe. Art, however, persuades subtly, while preserving the audience’s autonomy of thought. In fact, contemporary artists have taken to using their craft to address climate change through striking, public installations. Artists such as Mel Chin, Cai Guo-Qiang and Naziha Mestaoui have spent years creating pieces of art that cause the viewer to question his or her relationship with the natural world, touching on a longing for harmony between humans and nature.

This past summer, The New York Times Magazine made climate change the focus of the third installment of a project called “T Agitprop” which commissions artists to create exhibitions that reference current crises. The word “agitprop” is often used to refer to communist propaganda in the former Soviet Union, but The Times has reclaimed and repurposed the word for their brand of morally conscious propaganda.

As part of this program, Chin was commissioned to create a piece referencing climate change and envisioned combining both the physical and virtual world. He fashioned an enormous wooden shipwreck in the middle of Times Square titled Wake. This ship was modeled after the USS Nightingale, a ship in the 1800s that carried cotton, coal, munitions and, for a time, slaves. The ruins of the ship seem to represent economic prosperity at the expense of humanity and morality.

With the help of Microsoft, the immense display was paired with a virtual experience: an app called Unmoored allowed viewers to conceptualize the idea of a New York underwater. Hundreds of boats rose to the height of buildings creating thick traffic overhead, while plankton and other small sea life floated beside the crowds of Times Square. To Chin, the piece provoked a specific question: How will you rise?”

The power of these sorts of exhibitions is in the number of people they can reach. Approximately 400,000 walk through Times Square every day, and this exhibition lasted for almost two months. Millions of spectators passed a 60 foot recreation of a wooden shipwreck in the middle of Times Square and tried to decipher its meaning.

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In 2014, Cai displayed his work, The Ninth Wave, in Shanghai. His environmentalism has consistently influenced his art, which contains subtle and not-so-subtle references to humans’ dire relationship with their surroundings. The Ninth Wave is based on the eponymous Russian painting showing weary sailors on the brink of death about to be hit by the ninth, most powerful wave of the tsunami. In Cai’s version, fabricated animals take the place of the soldiers in the middle of Shanghai.

Although this piece is immediately reminiscent of Noah’s Arc, there is no salvation in sight for these animals.

Predator and prey alike are stuck on a crowded, archaic ship on the brink of death against the backdrop of the incredibly modern city. The stark contrast of the ship against the skyline reflects Cai’s longing to return to the ancient ways of life when humans were in harmony with the natural world.

The entire exhibition is littered with nostalgia. Nostalgia for a China that is not ravaged by a pollution crisis; nostalgia for a time when nature could flourish unhindered by the touch of humanity. This exhibition directly followed a

Left.

A virtual forest and message of love displayed on the Eiffel Tower for the 1 Heart 1 Tree project. Photo courtesy of artist, Naziha Mestaoui.

The Ninth Wave. Photographed by Wen-You Cai.

controversial incident where 16,000 dead pigs were found floating through the Huangpu River, an event that stirred an uproar against pollution in China.

Not only have Cai’s pieces reached audiences in each location he displays his work but also through his documentary on Netflix, Sky Ladder. He is evidence that environmental art can create discussion around the globe, and his power to engage and evoke curiosity in millions is far from trivial.

The project entitled 1 Heart 1 Tree, by Naziha Mestaoui, has been exhibited around the world since 2012 and was shown at the UN Climate Conference in Paris in 2015. This project continues to create tangible impact in the form of 55,000 trees planted across Australia, Brazil, Senegal, India, France, Peru and the Ivory Coast. The concept arose from the artist’s idea that “there is no conflict between nature and technology.”

Spectators at the show were able to “grow” their own virtual tree using their iPhones. They watched the trees grow in sync with their own heartbeat on the city’s beautiful monuments. For every virtual tree, one real one was planted to accompany it. Even now, people continue to donate money to plant trees across the world through their website, 1heart1tree.org.

Mestaoui was inspired by the time she spent living with the Asháninka tribe in the Amazon. Struck by their connectivity to the environment, she endeavored to create

a work that reminds viewers that trees are in fact vessels of wisdom and life. The site of the virtual trees in such perfect harmony with the monuments of Paris is visually breathtaking, and the message is inarguable: we are responsible for our own future, and we can be in harmony with nature again. This message of conservation was strewn across one of the most famous monuments in the world, the Eiffel Tower.

It is human nature to react to spectacles. Climate change has proven over and over to be something we do not want to confront, perhaps because we find it unsettling or too unpleasant to think about. However, scientific facts and statistics do not have the capacity to resonate with people in the same way that a visually shocking or beautiful exhibition can. Additionally, art is rarely polarizing in the way politics are. Through the exhibitions of Chin, Cai and Mestaoui, the viewer experiences climate change as a story with consequences, rather than merely a natural process. There is a certain element of transiency to all three of these pieces which reflects the ephemeral nature of the Earth. The Earth as we know it is fleeting, and its wellbeing is truly dependent on our actions. With the continuing push of current legislation to decrease environmental regulation, it is vital to emphasize the gravity of the issue at hand. Artists are making their voices heard in this fight. 2

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In the seventh installment of our Capture That challenge, teams of The WALK photographers and stylists competed to articulate their own interpretations of our theme, UNTAMED, for a chance to have their photos featured in our Fall Issue. Photographer Lizzy Lemiux and stylists Isabela Salas-Betsch, Jean Chapiro and Sydney Schwartz chose to interpret the wildness of childhood. Modeled by Meerabelle Jesuthasan, Shelby Latterman and Dixon O’Banion.

Childhood is untamed. The world is new and exciting. Long days on the playground are spent running, jumping, screaming, climbing, laughing and creating. Everyone is your friend and anything is possible. Your imagination runs wild. This photoshoot captures these nostalgic feelings with bright and bold outfits that throw you back to your days on the playground. It encourages you to not forget your inner child. Be untamed.

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