TREND spring/summer 2012
blogger special heidi kuan
thedesertfoxx.com
JENNY ONG
neonblush.com
berlin fashion week BEAUTY REVOLUTION: ANDREJ PEJIC
LETTER
FROM the EDITORS
You know that feeling of sudden realization of how much you
love something or how intrigued you are by something that you did not look so much into before? A surge of passion triggers you to take hold of that “something,” and the next thing you know, it’s as if you just turned to a new page in your life. At Trend Magazine, we value each of our staff and contributors for these very reasons as they bring to the table their inspiration and ideas unique to each of them. In this issue, we share with you the various people and things, big and small, that made us pause in wonder before we eagerly set out to further explore and create. Neon and the detachable collar are just two of our favorite trends that we refused to let go after seeing them on the runway and on the street. Our love and anticipation for summer inspired us to pull together our favorite mid-century inspired swimsuits and head down to Scripps Beach in La Jolla. Our featured student, Heidi Kuan — a film-maker, artist, and trend-setting fashion rebel thedesertfoxx — instantly caught our eye after seeing her on MTV’s style blog, and we were eager to dig deeper and find out who she is.
We hope that as you flip through these pages, you are able
to sense the passion and drive behind the magazine that allow us to merge multiple cores into one. Got a moment like that yourself? Share with us at trenducsd@gmail.com! Happy well-being!
Yours Truly,
Stephanie Tsao Editor-in-Chief
Tiffany Mo Creative Director
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Crosby Noricks The San Diego Fashion PR Girl
BY: NATALIE BUI
We probably all have been familiar with Aliza Licht, the trendy superwoman behind DKNY’s public relations girl, as she brings us all the enchanting behind-the-scenes fashion shows, V.I.P parties scenes, and sneak peak fashion lines right from New York City. However, San Diego has our own unconventional Fashion PR Girl, and she’s made it big too – in a scholarly sense: Crosby Noricks. As the founder of PRCouture.com, she gives us the inside scoop of what happens in the realm of the fashion PR industry and what it is all about. “Back when I was in grad school, there wasn’t anything about fashion PR. No one was investigating the trade and academia of it – it wasn’t actually even considered real PR. Is fashion PR the ‘softer’ PR? Is it less strategic than corporate PR? Are the pre-conceived notions of fashion being superficial and snooty- true?” That’s how PR Couture started back in 2006 – all because of self-interest in the fashion world, Crosby began to blog. She began interviewing people to feature on her website and established an online forum to question and utilize fashion PR,
in a time where fashion PR wasn’t taken too seriously yet. It began this mini-revolution, allowing visibility behind scenes, changing the negative stigmas of the fashion world, and proving how powerfully reflective fashion PR is in retrospect to our modern culture. “You know, they are not a bunch of vapid, dippy girls running this industry. They are entrepreneurial, business minded, strategic, smart, and talented women. I wanted to share their story.” And with these young workers’ growing independent fashion agencies, we see that Fashion PR is not any softer or strategic than corporate PR. “In fact, it is an empowering, feminist step into the industry for women,” she claims. Sex doesn’t have to be the only thing that sells. The ‘Look Book’ isn’t the only way to show case outfits. These women have to find new, creative approaches and outlets on advertising information everyday. “In an industry that is so aesthetically driven, visually focused, and celebrity-based it becomes a lot about first impressions. You have to keep track of who likes what and when, what story is published
and where… As a publicist, you are working on current shows for the season and the future ones as well. You gotta be ahead of the game, but you gotta be in the present at the same time. It requires an ability to multi-task and juggle 100,000 things at once… sometimes you do get burnt out!” Crosby laughs. Fashion Publicists are essentially communicating on behalf of the brand, constantly innovating new strategies and tactics for the company, and are the game changers to how we perceive the fashion world. Not only are they the right hand man to the brand name, but they are also stylist advisers, telling them what to wear at the awards shows, fixing budgets, and negotiating contracts and deals, signing models. These women in the industry are inspiring, powerful, and unfeigned. They give us the honest truth of what we want to see. Whatever our culture is ready to see, they bring it out, and what we aren’t ready for yet, fashion publicists plans on how to bring it into the playing field. They “create things, build things, and then brand things,” as Crosby puts it. They are the brains and
the heart for the company, tying all the glamorous and the not so glamorous together. Fashion PR means you have to know a little bit of everything, with a cross over between business and creativity. And with PRCouture. com we get to see the tricks of the trades and the different start up stories and functions of designers and branders. Her newly released book “The PR Couture Guide to Breaking Into Fashion PR” is a useful manual to aspire young college women in hopes to cracking their heels into the industry. Forget Yahoo’s generic news on “The Best Interview Tips” or “ 10 Things to Not Put Onto Your Resume.” Crosby is sharing advice that she wish she had when she was younger, exposing the top PR agency’s contacts, actual interview questions from these agencies, and even how to use twitter as a job search tool. For starters, what’s the first piece of advice she offers to aspiring bloggers and tumbler users? “If you are not just posting anything and everything that has the word ‘fashion’ in it, and you are writing things that you are genuinely interested in, then it translates. It reads.”
versatility
PHOTOS BY: DANNY JUARE, STYLING BY: NATASHA WILSON
OUR stylist natasha shows us how to rock a detatchable collar
1. TO CLASS: Wear your collar
under a crew neck sweater with trendy colored pants and sneakers for a fun twist on this comfy-casual look. Collar: Etsy, $35 Sweater: Topshop, $30 Pink jeans: Topshop, $90
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2.TO WORK: In the creative industry, it’s exciting to play up color and fun designs, but with the collar and a structured blazer, your style still reads sophisticated and professional. Blazer: Zara, $90 Shirt: Topshop, $72
3. OUT ON THE TOWN: Take this
look uptown and downtown for a fun night out by pairing the collar with a brilliant jewel-toned dress-the look a sexy classic. Dress: Topshop, $92
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4.WEEKEND CASUAL: Get street
chic by pairing a denim vest and high-waisted shorts with this collar – it’s the perfect outfit for your weekend strolls anywhere you go! Denim vest: Topshop, $70 Shorts: Levi, $44
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blogger profile: NEON BLUSH.COM
BY GRACE LIU
Jenny Ong is the perfect picture of a Californian girl, inside and out. Hailing from LA, she combines her laid-back yet sharply curated style with her photography into the blog Neonblush. com (formerly Jennyfromtheblock.com). The blogger has since gained a solid fan base among the fashion-conscious crowd and was recently nominated for Chictopia’s Most Influential Blogger of the Year. Here, Jenny talks blogging, life, and the importance of keeping it real.
GL: HOW DID IT ALL START? JO: I was always tagging along on my older sister’s shopping trips and flipping through her Vogues and InStyles. After I started dressing myself up in 8th grade, I would get Best-Dressed in school, which really encouraged me to pursue my personal style. I spent the first few years of college ignoring the little voice in the back of my head that told me there has to be more. I needed an outlet for my creative streak. My outlet eventually came in the form of a blog, which I started senior year.
GL: FASHION-WISE, WHO INSPIRES YOU? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR “LOOK”?
JO: I’m really bad at describing things. I am a horrible blogger [laughs]. But I would say I’m attracted to the clean-cut,
structured look. Designers like Balenciaga, Proenza
GL: HOW DO YOU FIND THE TIME TO BLOG WITH YOUR BUSY WORK SCHEDULE? JO: I work full-time and sometimes overtime on
[Schouler], and Philip Lim do it very well. I also play
weekends. When I get some downtime, my boy-
up my casual looks with bright colors that pop and
friend would help snap photos of me while we’re
well done prints.
about town. But it gets tiring to always have to take
GL: WHAT’S IT LIKE TO WORK FOR A DENIM HOUSE LIKE KASIL?
pictures, because sometimes I just want to relax and
JO: Working on the latest collection has really given
have to blog for yourself. Being so busy that I have to
me an idea about what aspect of fashion I want to
set aside time is a reminder that I want to do this.
pursue. I discovered that I enjoy working on the big
in coming up with the concepts, details, and fit for
GL: THAT’S A VALUABLE TAKE AWAY. WHAT OTHER ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ALL THE HOPEFUL BLOGGERS OUT THERE?
the pieces.
JO: In terms of photos, definitely take the time and
picture, which includes the comprehensive brand image and look-book. I assist the creative director
live the moment. One thing I’ve learned is that you
patience to pick out the best few of the bunch. Your pictures are the meat of your blog, so a keen eye to detail and variation definitely shows. With the fashion blogging scene expanding so rapidly nowadays, I would say the most important thing is to know what you’re getting into. Most bloggers go into it expecting to get sponsors, gifts, clothes…. and when that actually happens, its very easy to lose yourself and your style in order to keep the offers coming. Always remind yourself who you are, because without that you become a billboard for someone else. It is better to represent your own fresh take on fashion, and that, frankly, is what will get you noticed.
BEAUTY REVOLUTION TRANSGENDER MODEL ANDREJ PEJIC TURNS HEADS AS A NEW SYMBOL OF BEAUTY IN THE FASHION WORLD BY: NIKKI CHAN PHOTOS: ANDREJ PEJIC PORTFOLIO Fashion’s newest weapon in its arsenal is Bosnian-born Andrej Pejic, a 6-foot-1 bleached blond beauty with cheekbones that could cut and an enviable pout. Pejic, at just 20-yearsold, has already walked for Jean-Paul Gaultier in New York Fashion Week this past January and landed a position as spokesmodel for Dutch company HEMA’s pushup bra. Pejic, although in high demand for womenswear, is a male. According to an interview with the Washington Post, although Pejic commonly wears women’s clothing he does not identify as transgendered. He still identifies as a man. Pejic is currently ranked at No. 18 on the top 50 male models list, according to Models.com. “I know people want me to sort of defend myself, to sit here and be like, ‘I’m a boy, but I wear makeup sometimes.’ But, you know, to me, it doesn’t really matter,” Pejic told New York Magazine. “I don’t really have that sort of strong gender identity — I identify as what I am. The fact that people are using it for creative or marketing purposes, it’s just kind of like having a skill and using it to earn money.” Androgyny and gender-bending identities on the runway have been making a reemergence as of late. Lea T of Brazil and Isis
King of America’s Next Top Model are recent examples of transgender models making their way into fashion. The inclusion of transgender and androgynous models signifies a progressive new reality in fashion’s ability to be both innovative and artful. However, Pejic who at 6-foot-1 wears a woman’s 2 or 4, may also symbolize an image of unattainable and unrealistic beauty for fashion’s female demographic. Although biologically male, Pejic retains characteristics that fit within current standards of beauty. His thin frame and long legs make him an ideal model, as he can essentially wear anything. However, placing Pejic at the forefront of new beauty towards a female audience brings up complications of femininity. Pejic has made it clear that he is not transgendered, however as a salesperson to women, his image can be at times confusing. Arguably, most models do not fit within the sizes and shapes of the average woman. But Pejic’s frame is unattainable for any woman and it suggests the positioning of an ideal female body as one that is absent of any curves. Associating Pejic as an image of new beauty thereby denies traditional feminine shapes of
beauty value. Regardless of this, Pejic and other androgynous models continue to defy popular conceptions of beauty. Their presence in fashion is important, as it challenges the public to look past gender conventions and to view these individuals as models. Pejic’s unarguable natural beauty enables him to model for both menswear and womenswear, suggesting his enigmatic look as key in his rise to success. This sort of ‘passing’ as a woman and being hailed as a muse for designers, like Jean-Paul Gaultier, evokes sentiments of the 1990 documentary “Paris is Burning.” The documentary explored the world of ball culture — a community-driven subculture in New York that mixed gender, race and sexuality identity politics. The same themes in “Paris is Burning” have afflicted Pejic in his rise to fame. Men’s magazine FHM controversially listed him as one of the top females, and a photo of a shirtless Pejic in female makeup was censored by Barnes & Noble bookstores. Pejic’s presence in fashion is undoubtedly important, marking a new stage in fashion that is undefined and uncontrolled by social barriers of the past.
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heidi kuan
thedesertfoxx . COM UCSD’s very own up-and-coming style blogger
O
ver
the
past
few
years,
blogging
has
taken
the
fashion world by storm—it seems that almost every stylish girl walking down the street either has a
blog or has aspirations of fashion blogging. What
makes our Cover Girl Heidi Kuan, of “The Desert Foxx,” so
exceptional among this sea of bloggers—aside from her striking
features and remarkably eclectic sense of style—is the fact that one inevitably gets the feeling that she is the real deal.
While she admits to harboring dreams of travelling the world
and winning an Oscar, she also wishes to one day own a ranch and roam among the wild horses. It is this sense of high and low that makes Heidi’s sense of style so inspirational and relatable at the same time—she succeeds at mixing the chic and androgynous aesthetic of Dutch street style (she spent thirteen years of her childhood in Holland!) with the casual bohemianism of our college campus in La Jolla.
I have no doubt
that it is this exceptional quality in Heidi that makes her so appealing to her many loyal followers, and which will allow her to stand the test of time.
BY: KATHRYN CULLEN
the interview
T: I see that when you were in Holland, you went to school at the Royal Conservatory where you studied Ballet‌ how has dancing influenced/moved you? H: It allowed me to meet all kinds of people; musicians, artists, composers, choreographers, etc, all of whom have inspired me in some way. Going to a school like that has definitely changed my life, but it is a long story.The pointe shoes have definitely deformed my feet too. T: Have any women in your life influenced your style aesthetic? H: Definitely my mother, whenever I look at old photo albums she always looks so elegant and graceful.
clockwise from top left: skirt: brandy melville, $37 sweater: fabulous rag, $44 denim vest: brandy melville, $49 trousers: fresh boutique, $46 shirt: topshop, $64 pink cardigan: brandy melville, $34 floral bustier: brandy melville, $27 skirt: brandy melville, $24 opposite page: t-shirt: model’s own shorts: brandy melville, $40
T: When did you first become interested in fashion? How has your style evolved? H: I think it started when I was about 12/13. I don’t quite remember exactly. I think it just “matured” a bit, if that’s even possible, I definitely went through the typical teenage punk/”emo” phase. T: Do you find it challenging to dress the way you want on such a casual college campus? H: Sometimes. It’s not the most inspiring environment, but at one point you just have to stop caring. To be very honest, I usually roll up to class in sweats and hoodies because I am lazy. T: Do you follow the runway shows or mainly shop high street items? H: I do follow runway shows, but can’t afford it right now, so mainly shop for high street items. T: How would you describe your style? H: As having an identity crisis? It depends on how I feel or what currently inspires me. I still haven’t found one particular style that I can commit to, and I hopefully I never do. It keeps
life a lot more interesting when I have the option of playing around with different styles. I do rarely wear heels though. T: How long have you been blogging? H: Since 2009, before that I had another blog for about a year, so almost 4 years now. T: Do you have any advice for girls who aspire to be fashion bloggers? H: Have patience. It takes a while for people to start reading and following. And blog about whatever you want and don’t blog because you want x amount of followers or comments. T: Do you have any future aspirations within the fashion industry? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? H: I’ve always wanted to be stylist, but there is so much that I like and want to do with my life right now that I haven’t really actively pursued it. In five years, I hope to be graduated, happy, employed? Not sure, I don’t want to look that far ahead yet.
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BY: SARAH CHUNG
The world’s most coveted car stood parked in front of the giant, black tent with “Mercedes-Benz” inscribed at its head. Chauffeurs were rushing cars in and out. Bustling crowds of paparazzi and press transformed the red carpet into a jungle. Guests with towering dangerous heels and bold styles made their way down the red carpet and into the tent, a world far different from the frigid cold streets of Berlin just a step outside. Once the coats came off, the fashionistas were in. Fashion Week is an internationally anticipated event that takes place in Berlin, Milan, New York and London. I was fortunate enough to attend this 4-day event where the veterans and the newly-rising names in top fashion get to debut and exhibit their latest collection of the season. Whether it were famous European socialites or simply fashion-appreciators, this was the Mecca of fashion and truly the one place where everyone dressed their best and allowed runway to meet the real world. On the first day, I was able to sit in for Italian designer, Dimitri’s runway show. Scampering for seating was just as a busy scene as it was in the main lobby, but once the lights dimmed, and the runway unveiled, the heavy bass of the electronic music started bumping, hushing the audience to a silence in awe and anticipation. Dimitri’s line undoubtedly set the tone for the Fashion Week kick off. Focusing mostly on dark colors like black, purple and gray, for the season, Dimitri’s retro-inspired line looked to be the perfect attire for the modern, career woman. Donned in long coats with high slits, the classical texture of pleats mixed with bolder elements like fur and snake leather, Dimitri’s clothing line tastefully applied the sexy Italian touch to boost the classy, career woman-look. The following days were just as much of a show-stopper as the previous. Karlotta Wilde’s presentation was just as simplistic and casual as her clothing line. Her show was set in a studio with mannequins suspended in mid-air, displaying casual, yet elegant everyday attire for women. She made her exhibition easy to focus on, with a black and white short film, playing in a loop, which nicely set the complacent mood that complimented her clothing line. The controversial German designer, Patrick Mohr, who was infamous for having bearded models for his fashion show in 2010, swept the runway once again...without the beards, of course. Although his show was set at the exact same venue as Dimitri’s, the red lighting and music set for a totally different atmosphere. Inspired by more of a casual, street wear, for both men and women, Patrick Mohr’s line was impressively practical. From ponchos to high waists, simple hoodies to leather gloves, I honestly would say that this was the perfect example of making casual, fashionable. If I don’t say myself, the men’s wear was probably my personal favorite. His signature color was obviously red, with intricate lace trimmings and an almost-holographic textile flashing between red and black under different lighting. Aside from a model that nearly fell 4 times, this show was dead-on most memorable! Sebastian Ellrich, Eva and Bernard, and Odeur, interestingly enough, opted for a more interactive, exhibit. Sebastian Ellrich’s line had the 1960’s vintage feel to it. The show was located off-site at an
empty loft that has been transformed completely for the sole use of the show. Each room was a set that portrayed different everyday scenes such as “Piano and Cigarettes” or “Breakfast in the Dining Room”, with each model poised and dressed in their appropriate outfits by Sebastian Ellrich. Towards the end, the models walked in a rotation in the main reception room, allowing the audience to get a closer and more personal look at the details of each look. Designers like Eva & Bernard and Odeur also set for the more personal exhibit where they had models standing poised for guests to do a walk-around to view the clothing more closely. While Eva & Bernard offered a more organic, feminine style, Odeur offered a polar opposite, with it’s more ominous line from the Swedish designers, a unisex clothing line through their motto that while “sexuality remains a constantly arguable and intriguing topic, fashion should have an open floor for all demographics.” Fashion Week truly was a true and grand appreciation of fashion as an art. To be surrounded by people from all over the world, gathered in one venue for the duration of Fashion Week really expressed fashion’s influence throughout the world.
Photos: mercedes-benzfashionweeks.com
Berlin Mercedes Benz Fashion Week STAFF WRITER SARAH REVIEWS HER EXPERIENCE AT MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK IN BERLIN, GERMANY
we are youn e are young we are young
PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANNY JUARE STYLING BY NATASHA WILSON, MICHELE NGUYEN, GRACE LIU MAKEUP BY mariana potts HAIR BY nicole derosa MODELS GEORGIE SANTOS, STELLA TWIGGS
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A lot like Summer PHOTOGRAPHS BY cole anetsberger STYLING BY carrie seely & tiffany mo HAIR & MAKEUP BY donna vazquez MODEL ellesse tzinberg
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STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF STEPHANIE TSAO FEATURES EDITOR sophie lee WRITERS natalie bui nikki chan sarah chung monica chang kathryn cullen erin fukushima whisper menil EVENTS gayaneh davoodian carrie mcfarland connie xiao chloe xu PUBLIC RELATIONS christine chang sonali mehta
CREATIVE DIRECTOR TIFFANY MO STYLISTS michele nguyen carrie seely natasha wilson DESIGN shine fu kimberly ngo GRAPHICS dorothy lee grace liu julia layton SOCIAL MEDIA diana youn ADVERTISING tiffany chin WEBMASTER dorothy lee
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