V Magazine UVA Autumn 2014

art. fashion. film. culture.

j u x t a p os it ion v magazine | v11 issue no 2 | autumn 2014

V

MAGAZINE

AUTUMN

editors-in-chief brendan rijke gloria roh features editor amy miller fashion editor meredith wadsworth photographer michal kozinski student artists ann friendly clark james j nemar caroline nilsson quang pham anderson ranch nick watson

2014

writers chiara brown peter dailey aidan landen jane lee jessie miles paula omiyi vanessa owens gloria roh ty vanover tamar ziff designers lauren barnhorst caitlin fischer sandy hoang sara neel vanessa owens deja price lianne provenzano

ta b l e o f con t e n t s 04 part I : editorials

14 why we still judge books by their cover

06 popular music palimpsets

16 fashionable protest

08 airwaves are the new wave

18 student spotlight

10 the university divide

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22 part II : student art

when did streetwear leave the street?

13 alone on the runway

alumni spotlight

30 part III: fashion shoot

LETTER F RO M THE E D I TO R It is common human error to view the world through a black and white filter; cultivating our perceptions as dualities, leaving no room for greys. However, even a black and white photograph isn’t simply black and white. The colors do not lie on separate spectrums, but rather intermingle in a mix of grey hues to form a complete visual; its richness rooted in the symbiosis of opposites, bringing to life something much more complex.

In this year’s Tenth Anniversary issue, we have turned to our diverse student body for editorial submissions analyzing these varying relationships between opposites, and how seemingly disconnected realms of society (and time) have intermingled to create new and unexpected results.

As we celebrate our tenth anniversary, we also celebrate the completion of our most exciting photo-shoot to date, shot on loca-

tion at Charlottesville’s one-of-a-kind IX Art Park. Pulling from the theme of juxtaposition, ‘Art School’ is composed of the dichotomies of old school and new school, “high” and “low” fashion, art and academia; calling into question the blurred lines between each. We are also excited to have the privilege of partnering up with Hanuel to feature stunning jewels and accessories. In this year’s fashion spread, we have featured some of their most unique items.

We hope that through this issue our readers will take away fresh perspectives on the relevant issues that permeate our culture of dualities on a variety of levels.

We continue to strive for excellence with thought-provoking and analytical articles accented by potent imagery and design.

Happy reading!

AM Y M I L L E R features editor

3

PART

1

‘os

popULAR MUSIC palimpsests

The Revival of the 90s in the Music of Today

by paula omiyi

2 014

has without doubt been the year of 90s nostalgia. In the fashion world slip dresses, flannel, chokers, crop tops, extra heavy lip liner have ruled high street fashion, and denim is having a big moment. In the music industry, however, the decade’s influence has gone further than Iggy Azaelea’s epically styled Clueless video for her hit song “Fancy”. In fact, the insurgence of 90s influenced music is more than just a trend. Much of the music that has dominated the charts this year have been dance

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“Their music sounds like what we grew up on, it’s crazy and it’s that real House, you know, feel...

It’s new but it’s not new.”

records by Grammy nominated artists such as Disclosure, MNEK and Duke Dumont, and other talented artists quickly on the rise (e.g. BANKS, Kelela, AlunaGeorge, and others) have been heavily inspired by a time when deep house, UK Garage and R&B were the three kings of club music.

House music emerged in the mid-80s in Chicago, IL; UK Garage (UKG) had its beginnings in London, UK in the 90s; and R&B was developed in the 80s but flourished significantly in the 90s. There was a wealth of talent in the popular music of the time, which led to classic hit records such as “Show Me Love” by Robin S., “Return of the Mack” by Mark Morrison, and Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody” and countless more.

Today, a large number of artists have renovated and blended the three to create new sounds that some have been struggling to name; attempts have included “Future R&B”, “ElectroSoul”, and “Alternative Dance.” As expected, social media has a large part to play in the growth of a cult like following of leading producers in the genre (e.g. Kaytranada, Bondax, Ryan Hemsworth) and the musicians themselves. YouTube channels like TheSoundYouNeed and

MajesticCasual have gained massive followings for their eclectic selection of house mixes of early 00s R&B tracks and fresh music from up and coming artists. Soundcloud is another forum through which many rising musicians connect with fans but also with each other. Platforms like this help push the boundaries of this genre further by enabling collective inspiration and collaborations. As stated by David Adams, a member of the music team at SoundCloud, in the BBC Radio 1 special titled The Story of Future R&B, “...the most important thing for a lot of young creators, is not always an audience of listeners; it’s actually an audience of other creators.”

The most important thing to understand about this new crop of popular music is not the name it’s been given or the city it started in, especially since it has proven to be increasingly difficult to label and forerunners have emerged from all over the world (Montreal, London, Paris, Washington DC).

The most compelling aspect of it all is the ability for these musicians and producers to really “get it” and understand the vibe and energy behind popular classics of the 90s. Mary J Blige, soon after a hot collaboration with Disclosure, recorded her new 7

album in London. In an interview on New York’s Power 105.1 Breakfast Club radio show she says of Disclosure, “Their music sounds like what we grew up on, it’s crazy and it’s that real House, you know, feel…It’s new but it’s not new.” It seems as though being born and growing up in the time that many may deem as the golden age of house, R&B, and UKG was enough exposure to inspire a generation. The creativity behind these popular hits surely bespeaks the talent of these emerging artists who manage to use throwback musical blueprints to feed their own remarkable originality. As expected, these new sounds appeal to a wide range of individuals providing, nostalgia to older generations and 90s babies (like many of the artists are themselves), to the teenagers of today and across a whole spectrum of genre-specific music fans. Ultimately, this sensation is the brainchild of the few who are gifted in the art of getting it and who have true musical understanding of a time before their own. It is safe to say that the world is excited to see the growth and development of this shape-shifting sound that is sometimes for raves, sometimes soulful, frequently both, but always authentic.

A I R WAV E S

AR E T H E N E W WAV E Radio is making a comeback on Grounds with new student-run station, WTJX . b y va n e s s a ow e n s Stationed in the depths of Lambeth and owned by the Board of Visitors, WTJU has been central to the University’s alternative music scene for decades. Despite its close ties to the University, the station did not have a very significant amount of student involvement in the past.

Nathan Moore, a general manager at WTJU, had the idea to create a new branch at WTJU that would be completely run by students. In the fall of 2013, under the leadership of alumni Hannah Patrick and fourth year Corrigan Blanchfield, Moore’s idea came to fruition and WTJX was born. The first semester of programming featured 56 stu-

dent DJs. One year off the ground, WTJX now has nearly 150 student DJs with scheduled programming for twelve hours per day. Blanchfield anticipates a move from online-streaming to FM programming by the beginning of the 2015/2016 school year.

vinyl section at Urban Outfitters tells the fascination that pre-tech media holds for young adults today. However, I would like to think that student radio holds more cultural value than say, a twenty-five dollar Radiohead record from the mall.

One cannot help but wonder what is driving the success of this old media form on grounds. An oversimplified explanation would be that students are drawn to the ‘throwback’ aspect of student radio, holding it as a token from the heyday of the underground music scene.

After all, one look at the sizeable

The catalyst behind the new station’s growing popularity is the expanded opportunity for student engagement. WTJX serves as both a creative outlet and a social platform, bringing together like-minded students to share music and other creative pursuits. In this way, the DJ community has become a

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“ There are so many opportunities for people to share music, but what once was the tangential feature of [student radio] is now the personal appeal that makes it stand out over listening to the Spotify playlist that xusername created. “

social club of sorts for those students involved, and the WTJX studio provides the perfect clubhouse. The new station has taken over a studio room in Lambeth, and the students also have access to WTJU’s impressive music library. With floor-to-ceiling vinyl and seemingly endless bins of CDs, the room looks like it came straight out of High Fidelity. The library is constantly updated with new releases, and students who wish to avoid over-reliance on online music sources will pull from the collection for their shows. Like its parent station, WTJX is commercial-free, freeform radio. This gives the students complete creative control over their individual programs, and at any given time of day you may switch on and hear genres ranging from folk to West Coast rap.

The opportunity for student involvement with WTJX extends far beyond the studio. WTJX has paired with Crozet Pizza to provide student DJs on Thursday

nights, giving students the chance to experience putting on a live set. Events such as these have been essential to WTJX’s growth, as the Crozet nights give DJs the satisfaction of a tangible audience and expose the station to the larger portion of the student body that does not ordinarily listen to college radio. The WTJX community also keeps students informed about music and art events around Charlottesville.

WTJU’s rock department is currently expanding its publication of album and concert reviews, and students are encouraged to cover local shows for the station’s website. The station emphasizes the importance of connecting with the local community, and aims to expand its role as a tastemaker on grounds by fostering connections between students and the larger Charlottesville music scene.

WTJX has tripled in size after just a year of programming, and the anticipated move to FM streaming promises future growth for

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the station. Programming Director Corrigan Blanchfield is confident about the future of student radio on grounds: “People get really jazzed about hearing their voice on the radio or hearing the voice of someone they know on the radio… Music is obviously something people have always been interested in, will continue to be interested in, and like to share. So I feel that now there are so many opportunities for people to share music, but what once was the tangential feature of [student radio] is now the personal appeal that makes it stand out over listening to the Spotify playlist that x-username created.”

College radio as a media form might be far past its day as a major tastemaker, but the peripheral role that the station plays in creating a community for musically inclined students may just be its saving grace.

t he university by jane lee

Fall foliage grazes the 195 year old brick of Central Grounds. The scarlet walls house a student body of the nation’s brightest students; preprofessional aspirants engrossed in business, health, and science courses. They are ready to change the world.

Half a mile away rests the UVa Arts Grounds, a disconnected extension of the University that nurtures the rich architecture, drama, dance, music, and art efforts of the school.

It boasts multiple studios, an art museum, theater, music building, and various sculptures by feature artists.

Despite its influence, some students do not know the Arts Grounds exists, validating an undeniable lack of awareness of art at UVa. The paradox of art’s presence at the University reflects an old debate with new relevance. Why is art on Grounds marginalized despite the rich art-based resources offered both at the University and Downtown? The mere location of the Arts Grounds is a major red flag; it is already predisposed to disconnection, geographically and figuratively, from the rest of the school. The physical separation intensifies misunderstandings about art creation and

art participation for students not directly invested in art studies. A barrier to art’s perceived accessibility is inevitable if the large majority of students are unaware of art expression as offered in the Fralin, architecture school, or Culbreth Theatre.

It is undeniable that racial and social codes also play a heavy role in the disunion. Historically, art has held a stigma favoring the wealthier class. The issue persists in a society in which government-funded arts initiatives are few and far between.

UVa is most definitely affected; the student population at local art events is often highly homogeneous in terms of race, socioeconomic status, and overall presentation. Both at UVa and Downtown, the audience consists of predominately Caucasian attendees of middle to high socioeconomic status—there are disproportionately fewer members of Hispanic, African-American, Asian, or other minority groups. At all of the art galleries, the homeless population remains on the outskirts of participation, despite the explicitly free galleries and music shows.

Why should we care? We can admit that art redefines the mold and honors the unusual. Our generation

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calls for innovative acts of creation to touch the public and compete with the rest of the world. We as a university can strive to acknowledge and seek out art’s connective power, its ability to portray symbolic expressions of humans and bridge the gaps of diversity. In addition, art has an integrity that lasts beyond the scope of rationality and the short-term. In the words of Professor George Sampson, an art proponent here on Grounds, “Art creates a residue of human creation that offers us a glimpse of the past as well as a vision for the future.” It encourages us to imagine things ahead of the current, to create something unknown, and live out loud. We can turn to art for versatile learning, fostering creative academic environments that stretch the most logical thinkers on Grounds.

As stated in the documentary “Gray Matters,” a film which follows the work of architect Eileen Gray, “It is hard to tell where Gray’s furniture ends and architecture begins.” Our university can embody the same spirit of Gray’s iconic work. UVa can become a place where it is difficult to tell where ideas end and art begins.

divide “The mere location of the Arts Grounds is a major red flag; it is already predisposed to disconnection, geographically and figuratively, from the rest of the school.�

W hen D id

Streetwear Leave the Street?

B y A idan L anden

my friends don’t put much money “ Meintoandclothes.

We don’t want to look like

“

we’re trying too hard, you know, to be garish and trendy.

The year was 1980. A locally well-known Southern-Californian surfer by the name of Shawn Stussy decided to start printing his popular surfboard designs on graphic t-shirts; a novel idea at the time. The idea behind the shirts was simple: offer people an alternative to traditional labels, expensive high fashion, and provide a creative outlet through clothing. As Stussy’s shirts slowly evolved into one of the most popular and critically celebrated fashion labels on the planet, this simple idea gave birth to something bigger: the medium of streetwear. Combined with nfluences from hip-hop and skate culture, Streatwear offered individuals, especially urban youth, a chance at self-expression through what they wear, which was significant in a world turning towards the rock-embraced high fashion labels of the late 80’s and 90’s.

Fast-forward to today, where street-wear enthusiasts spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on labels like BAPE and APC, not because they offer a form of self expression, but simply because of the name on the tag. Streetwear has reached a point where its largely led by example, with so many adolescents trying to dress like their favorite artists and celebrities, and worshipping the brands they preach. Gone are the days of creativity and fighting the trend, long reign the Hypebeast and sneakerhead. No longer does hip-hop support alternative style, as the phrase, “It ain’t Ralph tho,” continues to haunt my dreams (You’re still the man, Kanye).

How are the streetwear enthusiasts supposed

to individually express themselves when all that anyone cares about is the tag? This isn’t streetwear, this is conformity with a high-fashion twist. This is an unhealthy, expensive reliance on what other people and the media think, which is what allows for the rise of trends. Thanks to rappers, athletes, and really any public figure, wardrobe staples such as drop-crotch pants, five panel hats, and Versace along with other fashion labels have dominated streetwear circles, creating a sense of uniformity, the opposite of what streetwear was intended to achieve. This goes directly against the ideology of Shawn Stussy himself, who said in 1992, “Me and my friends don’t put much money into clothes. We don’t want to look like we’re trying too hard, you know, to be garish and trendy.”

So how do we fix streetwear? How do we reintroduce Shawn’s vision to society? The solution is simple really; we need to resist the seductive call of pop-culture, which is admittedly hard because, come on, who doesn’t want to be Kanye, and have the strength to express ourselves. It may sound cheesy, but after all this is what the amazing medium of streetwear is about. I refuse to sit back and let streetwear die. It’s a beautiful thing, it allows any old person to wear a walking expression of their personality without needing talent or a fat wallet. So lets rally together and take streetwear off of the runway, out of the hands of the corporations, and bring it back to the street.

ALO NEton he

RUNWAY

Why the Modeling Industry is Suffering and Why You Should Care

By Ty Vanover

E

arlier this year, photographer Terry Richardson faced a hailstorm of sexual harassment accusations from a number of female models who claimed he demanded sexual favors in exchange for modeling jobs. These accusations aren’t the first—Richardson faced a slew of similar accusations in 2010. In light of the most recent claims brought against him by female models, many male models have also shared accounts of being sexually harassed or assaulted by photographers and other personalities in the fashion world who promise to advance their career if they succumb to their sexual prodding. By and large, these accusations have been swept under the rug and work in the modeling industry continues much as it has for the past 30 years.

The chief travesty in this situation is not that photographers like Terry Richardson have not been held accountable for their harassment, though this is deplorable. What is most alarming is that we live in a society that has chosen to ignore the gender inequality so present in the field of modeling and fashion. In a society that prizes the ability to suppress vulnerability, put your nose to the grindstone, and “get the job done,” an alarming number of fashion industry big wigs have dismissed claims of sexual harassment as petty, labeling the model soft and unfit for the hustle and bustle that accompanies a job in the fashion industry. The unspoken message is clear: crying out about unwanted sexual contact on the job will not rectify the situation. It only makes you a weak worker.

The public, too, tends to ignore this assault, lumping it in with a culture that is on another plane, out of synch with their day-to-day lives. It isn’t hard to see why the general public delegates the fashion industry to another sphere—for years, the industry has been synonymous with highbrow society, $3,000 handbags, and waifish, blonde-haired beauties strutting down a runway. But behind the chiseled jawlines and Photoshoppable waistlines, the mascara and Louboutins, the models we see plastered on the covers of magazines are human. They’re 4susceptible to pain and can be compromised just 4the same as you and I. This problem isn’t a fashion problem, it’s a human problem.

This problem isn’t a fashion problem, it’s a human problem.

The solution to inequality in the modeling industry isn’t clear-cut and I don’t pretend to have a catch all answer the question of rectifying it. I do know the first step, however—our culture must subsume the fashion world into our greater fight for the recognition of each human’s right to his or her own body. We aren’t divided into separate spheres, we’re united as human beings, and the refusal to acknowledge inequality in the modeling industry only impedes our collective progress. No man is an island.

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the advice that we all recieve:

WHY WE STILL JUDGE BOOKS BY THEIR

COVER by jessie miles

“J

essie, that woman’s lipstick does not look good on her,” shouts my seven year-old sister in her signature sassy voice. Kids say the damnedest things. However, if you are anything like me, you find yourself hushing them and correcting their blunt manner, saying things like “some people like to be different,” all while quietly, or possibly subconsciously, agreeing with them. It’s not because you are rude, or because you think you are superior to others based on their appearance; it’s because as a society we have been taught to conform to the social norm, from “fashionable” clothing to “stylish” hair and makeup. The way we present ourselves to the outside world whether it be for increasing our social standing or climbing the management ladder, is critical. It is a lesson that has persisted throughout time and even though we know it is wrong, we still judge books by their covers and people by their appearance.

Imagine, a life where no one would think twice about how we wear our hair or if we dare to wear practical, but perhaps not the most stylish, shoes to work or school, without the overwhelming and petrifying fear of being

judged and rejected by our peers based on our appearance! In a perfect world, our hard work would speak for itself, the most qualified applicant would always get the position because they have spent the time mastering a skill set that is invaluable to an employer, and no one would be denied the same utmost respect based on their aesthetic taste. But you know that if you are the most qualified applicant, what you wear to work will not have an impact on your chances of securing the position, right? Wrong.

Unfortunately, that is not the world we live in. Ours is one where, due to the pack mentality of our society as a whole, we are conditioned to evaluate others based on their outward appearance.

Don’t believe me? Say you have an interview for your dream job.

What would you wear? You will most likely wear something that will make you memorable, but not too flashy, something you do not often wear, or you may go out and buy a whole new outfit all together, which is perfectly normal.

But why? You may be nervous, perhaps even anxious, but if you know you look good, you have one less thing to worry about.

The problem then becomes, that even though you may be the bestdressed interviewee, or terribly 15

underdressed, if the interviewer has a different aesthetic than you, your opportunity at the position may be endangered.

So why then, after being told countless times that it is diminutive and hateful, do we still judge one another based on appearance? We were all taught that no two people are exactly the same.

However, my observations in regards to our society, infamous for our judgmental tendencies, is that even though we may speak about acceptance, it is the act that counts. Now, I am not saying that we all have to love each other’s choice of outfits and praise one another’s style, but having a positive, open-minded attitude towards fashion in general, is a department that we as a society seem to be seriously lacking in.

It is with the assistance of these judgmental beliefs that, as a society, we have created a social and professional environment rooted in and centered on one’s outward appearance. This cultural norm has made the advice we all received as children invalid. It sounds hypocritical, yes, but even though we know it is wrong, we still judge books by their covers and people by their appearance.

FA S H I ON A B L E P ROT E S T

BY TAMAR ZIFF

F

or the past year, the French have been indignant. Beginning with the explosive protests in May 2013 against President Francois Hollande’s failure to fulfill campaign promises on economic refoarm, the people of France have seldom hesitated to raise voices and picket signs over a variety of grievances, ranging from government ineptitude to broader issues such as the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. Recently, on 30 September, a group of women marched down a Parisian boulevard, yelling generic, neo-feminist slogans such as “History is her story!” and “Divorce pour tous!”, as well as airing support for Emma Watson’s recent campaign to involve men in feminism, called “He for She.” Unsurprising, perhaps, but for the fact that the women were clad in thousands of dollars worth of Chanel, and that the ‘protest’ was engineered by current head Karl Lagerfeld as the mode of display for the brand’s spring and summer designs at Paris Fashion Week. Led by style icon Cara Delevigne, dozens of thin, blonde,

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predominantly Caucasian women strutted down a runway outfitted to look like a Parisian street, high cheekbones aflame.

The ‘faux-test’, as it came to be known, caused a stir in the fashion world, and drew criticism from some who saw it as disingenuous to the feminist cause. Yet Chanel – both the designer and the brand – has abetted female empowerment for decades; in a sense, Lagerfeld’s feminist ‘fauxtest’ paid tribute to Coco herself as the woman who consistently outfitted – and whose legacy continues to clothe - generations of progressive women.

Since her modest beginnings on 21 Rue Cambon, where Coco (nee Gabrielle) set up her first atelier with financial help from English socialite Arthur “Boy” Capel, Chanel has been quietly promoting feminism through fashion. Chanel created clothing that allowed women to move and breathe with an ease that had never before been possible for women in high society. Her eschewal once and for all of the dreaded corset, compounded

by her incorporation of pieces such as jersey suits and loose sweaters provided an elegant and still resiliently effeminate respite from the cumbersome haute couture in Paris at the dawn of the 20th century. After her death in 1971, Chanel’s maison de couture was run by a variety of nameless assistants until Karl Lagerfeld took hold of the runway and pret-a-porter lines in 1983 and ’84, respectively.

to support ‘feminism’ as a bland, neutral term, pertaining in some nebulous to the empowerment of women. In doing so, he, perhaps unintentionally, brought to light the need to deepen of the ‘feminist’ cause, not so much ‘spreading the word’ but defining and explaining it.

Lagerfeld remained faithful to Chanel’s requirements for designs that made women habillée but happy, updating the look according to contemporary fads without sacrificing the delicacy, minimalism, and versatility at the crux of Chanel. Chanel’s clout is most manifest in the substantial sociocultural power that the ‘Chanel suit’ has come to hold for women in the working world; the femalesuit is now often referred to as a ‘powersuit.’ The designer brand, as seen during PFW, is imbued with a bold individualism, qualified by a quiet power and a sense of motion – women may live for Lanvin, or Dior, but they can live – and, evidently, protest - in Chanel.

“

The ‘faux-test’ was not meant to commemorate Coco. What it most underscored, in fact, was how the ‘cause’ of feminism itself has been molded, co-opted, and misused in so many contexts as to be rendered generic enough for ‘fashionable’ appropriation.

Lagerfeld’s use of clever subversions of feminist slogans – e.g. “Feminism not masochism” – and senseless but ‘activist-sounding’ phrases – e.g. “Free freedom” – illustrated just how trendy it is

The Chanel ‘fake-protest’ during Paris Fashion Week was not, in itself, a critique of societal treatment of women, but a subtle commentary on those who engage in that critique, and how they

The ‘faux-test’ was not meant to commemorate Coco. What it most underscored, in fact, was how the ‘cause’ of feminism itself has been molded, co-opted, and misused. go about it. Feminism should not be reduced to a series of ‘icons’ and their banal promises and imperatives – it is not just Emma Watson, and Beyonce, and a long line of beautiful, mediapopular women.

Feminism, now, is fashionable, and that’s great. However, it must be more sharply defined, its goals more starkly rendered – otherwise, we risk all our feminist protests becoming ‘faux-tests’.

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student spotlight

MAI-VI NGUYEN

When we contemplate fashion-centric regions, Charlottesville, Virginia doesn’t quite meet the mark.

Meet Mai-Vi Nguyen, a fourth year student in the McIntire School of Commerce who is already making an impression in the fashion industry despite the limitations of studying at a southern school that lacks a fashion program. 400 miles separate her from one of the world’s greatest fashion epicenters, but this distance isn’t proving to be much of a challenge for Mai-Vi. She’s learning to create her own opportunities, and this may be the inspiring truth behind every aspiring individual.

M

M

ai-Vi always loved fashion, but she entered college with the intention to study business, something she sought as a practical and achievable career goal.

She claims to have had a life-changing semester in 2012 when a fellow student at the time, now graduated, spammed a few list serves asking if anyone was interested in starting a new fashion CIO. Thus sparked the humble beginnings of Futures in Fashion Association (FIFA) and a pivotal time in Mai-Vi’s career that allowed her to drop the search for finance internships and commit to pursuing the dream – fashion.

Mai-Vi is now the co-founder and President of FIFA, a social and professional organization that aims to foster a community for students interested in any aspect of fashion. Before FIFA, just a few niche fashion organizations existed on grounds.

“If you wanted to do editorial fashion, students went to VMagazine; if they were interested in modeling, they would do Fashion for a Cause,” explains Mai-Vi. With the rise of UVA Lookbook and potential signs of a more fashion-appreciating student body, FIFA was created as a general fashion organization to serve a variety of interests.

FIFA aims to show students that it’s possible to work in the fashion industry despite attending a school that doesn’t offer fashion related courses. Guest speakers, resume workshops, and career resources are made available to students who are eager to network and educate themselves about a feasible pathway into the industry. The organization has already made quite the impression at the University; in fact, Student Council awarded FIFA with the Best New CIO award in April 2014.

“We’re still in shock to this day!” Mai-Vi attributes the award not only to the hard work of the organization’s officers, but also the growing, solidified interest in fashion among students at the University. “That’s why we’re successful - our members come out to events and show support.”

Around the time when FIFA was coming to fruition, Mai-Vi decided to enter the Vince Camuto “Interview Style 101” contest.

This was a nation-wide competition offering a summer internship in New York with Vince Camuto, the namesake line of the global design brand, Camuto Group. Students entered by posting photos of themselves dressed in their dream interview outfit to the competition’s Facebook page. For two weeks, Mai-Vi’s friends and friends of friends helped garner votes so that she could take advantage of this unique opportunity. She ended up as one of the top 20 vote recipients, and after two rounds of interviews, she was chosen to intern at Vince Camuto that summer.

During the internship, Mai-Vi worked on developing Vince Camuto’s social media and online content, an appropriate experience for someone who had just won a coveted fashion industry internship through Facebook. It was this unconventional victory that got her foot through the door. “Fashion is now more accessible to everyone. It always had this image of being a glamorous, hard-to-reach industry, but I feel like social media is kind of closing that gap between the consumer and designer and retailers,” she says.

Mai-Vi has since then snagged internships with Rodarte, a high fashion brand of clothing and accessories, and Factory PR, a public relations and events agency specializing in fashion clients. After a productive summer planning events in New

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York, she asked Factory PR if she could come back to help out at New York Fashion Week in September, which she happily skipped a week of school to attend.

“It’s still very surreal. You see all these big names sitting front row and all the editors and bloggers running in and out to the next show…it’s crazy but I love it. I helped out with a ton of shows including smaller presentations, the Rodarte show, and Betsey Johnson’s show. I was usually working backstage, dressing models and arranging VIP guests. I also got to attend some shows, which I didn’t expect, but once you do have connections in the industry, you just meet more people who can do those things for you.”

In a similar fashion, FIFA continues to provide opportunities and resources for members to fulfill their own aspirations, whether it’s getting those competitive internships or attending shows at New York Fashion Week. Now in its second year, the organization wants to expand its parameters, starting with increasing male membership. “It’s a big, typical fashion stigma that we’re trying to get over, this idea that everyone in fashion is a girl who loves clothes. Luckily, we’ve had Keith George from Gilt and Matt Maring from Hollister as guest speakers, so we’re really hoping that these guys can reach out to more male students.” In addition to expanding diversity of membership, FIFA also plans to reach beyond the borders of the University and collaborate with more local Charlottesville shops.

Just this fall, FIFA participated in the Tom Tom Fall Block Party, and more collaboration is already in the works for the spring.

Mai-Vi is convinced that building these key relationships is what builds a strong foundation for any organization.

Her advice to students trying to get their foot in the door of the industry? “Put yourself out there and try to work as much as you can. At any company, if you just submit your application and leave it there, nothing is going to happen. You need to pick up the phone and call HR or search for people on LinkedIn and UVA alumni networks. Network and actually keep those connections. Try to make real, lasting relationships.”

“Second, you have to work really, really hard. Coming from UVA and Virginia makes it even tougher. If you really want this, spend some time on your laptop researching people, jobs, companies, and read as much as you can about the industry. It shows when you’re truly passionate. There are a million people who want to work in the fashion industry but those who are really committed stand out,” says Mai-Vi. She admits that she has seen popular University resources such as CavLink and Commerce Career Services offer more fashion and retail related opportunities since she was a first-year, but still not enough. “If you want to work in fashion, it takes a lot of your own commitment, time, and effort to look into opportunities and find stuff for yourself.”

Despite her growing credentials, Mai-Vi’s biggest accomplishment is perhaps simply coming to the realization that fashion can be a realitic goal. “Before, I had this vision of fashion being inaccessible and unattainable, but, when it comes down to it, the industry is a huge multibillion dollar business. Clients are trying to sell their clothes and make money, and after having done a lot of the dirty work myself, it’s definitely opened my eyes to all these different aspects of the industry. I’ve realized that it’s not as glamorous as it seems. If you really want it, you can get there.”

SHANNON’S WORLD ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

by Peter Dailey and Chiara Brown

Y

ou’ve probably seen it before.

In a defunct and seemingly derelict two story masonry brick ex bottling company’s headquarters, rests the lifeblood of America’s budding small town economy; the streets quiet, the vibe laid back, the creativity tangible, eclectic, but most importantly, spreading.

Descend eastwards towards the bottom of Wertland, traverse a sea of red solo cups and last night’s broken promises, avoid a stray cat or two, and you’ll find the international HQ of Shannon Worrell (herein referred to as S.W.) and her company Mi Ossa.

The door opens with a metallic scrape, and S.W. peers her head through the gap. “Hi, come in,” she smiles.

She speaks with a detectable drawl, although upon deep and scrupulous editorial rummaging, your humble correspondents were unable to pin 20

down its precise locale or origin. Inside, warm rugs abound, with a modernist twist in the decor, it is clear that love has gone into its decoration.

Hailing from Charlottesville, VA, S.W. began her relationship with art during her years at UVA. A religious studies major, with half graduate degrees in both creative writing and filmmaking (she likes to think of them as making up a whole degree when added together) she spent most of her time writing and performing her original music in intimate Charlottesville settings, often with her friend Dave Matthews.

When UVA released her into the world in the late 80s, she had already forged rapports across UVA’s MFA program for creative writing (then and still a trailblazing venture). Citing eclectic inspiration ranging from professors Gregory Orr, and Rita Dove, to

the United States’ incumbent Poet Laureate Charles Wright, it was clear that S.W. could never be far from the core of creativity in Charlottesville. After touring the country and exploring the bounds of her music career (far more successful than she would let on in person), S.W. found herself back in Charlottesville, ready to start a family.

S.W. and Mi Ossa partner Nora Brookfield were in Port-au-Prince, Haiti helping rebuild after the destruction wrought by the devastating 2010 earthquake, when they stumbled across an immense culture of entrepreneurship and artisanship. The city, and nation at large, was sprinkled with designers and metal workers trading their goods in an otherwise stagnant economy. Shannon and Nora saw the level of care and precision with which complex and elaborate jewelry was being expertly created; all with rudi-

mentary tools in makeshift housing.

The level of craftsmanship clearly surpassed anything that could have been manufactured by big businesses. For these people, the jewelry trade was the main source of their livelihood.

S.W. and Nora saw the marketability of these goods, but also realized the critical nature of local businesses and the unique quality of craftsmanship that can only be distilled in grassroots settings. Soon, S.W. would find herself intertwined with jewelry artisans across the city, and indeed the world, as she rediscovered the hidden industry of craftsmanship and care, flipping the normative American outlook on business from quantity to quality.

“The cool thing about being creative is you can switch from one discipline to another,” notes S.W. as she leans a Mi Ossa bracelet clad arm on a long wooden table. Can you name a 21

violinist that plays in a heavy metal band as one of your employees? S.W. can, and she did, the irony/awesomeness not lost on her, this assorted talent just one example of Charlottesville’s myriad creative souls. Her employees are never discouraged from letting their creative juices spill over into different artistic disciplines.

S.W. stands as an ambassador for truly fair trade, in a markedly unfair 21st century. Not only did she rediscover an industry in an economy and country suffering from endemic destruction and poverty, but also she helped bolster droves of people, businessmen and businesswomen alike, united under the common pursuit of perfection and artisanship, all while singing in the chorus of America’s quietly brilliant small-town economy.

part iI

Shield (cage) steel and stone The idea of balance in art is very important. In most forms of art visual balance is essential for a successful piece; in sculpture though, not only does a piece need to be visually balanced, but also it needs to be physically balanced. With this series I attempt to push this relationship between object and gravity, and experiment with the visual preconceptions of what it means to be physically balanced.

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QUA N G PH AM Subway Map: Unfold gouache on paper Everything broken down to its essential form is folded. From the biological protein that mysteriously folds itself to the spoken words that bend airwaves to reach the ears as sounds, the complexity as well as the fundamentals of origami tries to depict the essence of geometric creases existing in nature. Unfolding a crumpled subway map reveals an unending journey through abrupt changes in space and time. The destination is never clear, but the path continues to unravel.

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C A ROLI N E NILSSON Minor Thoughts

woodcut on handmade paper In exploring the ways that people spend their timee alone, I have found (especially in my own experience) the duality of our relationship with ourselves. This image can be read in the same way; either as a soft kindness or as a subtly violent choking.

Moona/Luna relief and intaglio prints on stained handmade paper, acrylic medium & pigment I find the human attachment to permanenec extremely interesting. The idea of finding safety in something remaining constant for the long term is tenuous at best, because nothing in our lives ever stays the same. Even the moon, in its stony solidity, changes faces at times. Meteors collide with it, the sun casts it in different shapes. Its position in the sky alters our perception of it, so even if it is, for all intents and purposes, the “same� from day to day, we never experience it in exactly the same way.

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Yearning to Breath Free bronze

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A NDE RS ON RANCH Collaged Monotypes

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Emily Dickenson and Elizabeth Chapin Holland zerox of old photographs

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PART III

art schOol

Brendan Rijke Gloria Roh Amy Miller CREATIVE DIRECTORS Michal Kozinski PHOTOGRAPHER Meredith Wadsworth FASHION DIRECTOR Morgan Toliver MAKEUP ARTIST

Sandy Hoang Laura Ann Leaton Stefano Rumi Connor Walton Yule Wang Hannah Yoest MODELS jewelr y & accessories courtesy of HANUEL

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