V Magazine UVA Autumn 2015 by V Magazine UVA

V MAGAZINE AUTUMN 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS Editor in Chief Gloria Roh Features Editor Eric Leimkuhler Creative Director Lauren Jackson Head Curator Sandy Hoang Fashion Directors Linda Meliani, Meredith Wadsworth Photographers Michal Kozinski, Michelle Miles, Gloria Roh Writers Dylan Bedsaul, Chiara Brown, Leonardo Colon, Pete Dailey, Claire Mooney, Vanessa Owens, Anna Sawyer, Tamar Ziff Designers Lauren Barnhorst, Caitlin Fischer, Sandy Hoang, Lauren Jackson, Margaret Rogers, Gloria Roh, Priscilla Thai Student Artists Emily Anthony, Jessica Burnam, Sandy Williams IV

part one editorials 06 10 12 14 16 18 19 20 24

Where Did All the People Go? Chiara Brown Conforming to Non-Conformity Pete Dailey Album Review Leonardo Colon The Power of Words Jessica Shalvey Economics of Fast Fashion Vanessa Owens Hip Hop and Fashion Anna Sawyer The Dynamics of Art Claire Mooney An Intersection Of Art and Dissent Tamar Ziff Interview with LeiLei Secor Dylan Bedsaul

part two: student art part three: fashion

letter from the editor The comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there. If you are a loyal follower of V Magazine, you may notice that our print issue feels different. To follow suit with the radical changes that V Magazine has made in content and design over the past few years, we are excited to present our publication on a smaller 7x10in dimension printed on matte paper to complement our transition into a journal of critical and creative pieces celebrating art, fashion, film, music, and culture. You’ll also notice that this issue has not one, but two fashion shoots - a decision that I made ambitiously, perhaps too ambitiously, to accommodate the ever-increasing student interest and enthusiasm for fashion here on grounds. We’re thrilled to present “Transposed,” which centers on modes of transportation and the idea of moving forward, and “Past Present Modern,” which explores the idea of the modern working woman in menswear inspired clothing. With that, I present the theme of the Autumn

2015 issue, which plays with ideas of transition and transformation. Our writers have thoughtfully pieced together editorials that feature the revival of vinyl or the multifaceted meaning of the Berlin Wall, encouraging us to reflect on how the world around us is constantly being redefined in new or familiar ways. In the words of Chiara Brown in her poignant piece about our very own Charlottesville, “Where Did All the People Go?,” how can we progress and also preserve? To the talented writers, designers, photographers, models, fashionistas, and editors who brought this publication to life for the sake of art and expression - thank you for demanding more than just the status quo. Happy reading!

Gloria Roh Editor-in-Chief

T R PA E N O

WHERE DID ALL THE PEOPLE GO? HOW SMALL CITIES ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF AMERICA BY CHIARA BROWN

I recently returned from a trip to Madison, Wisconsin, after experiencing my first time in the American Midwest. During our charming weekend visit to a friend’s college campus, we decided to indulge in an uber ride, too tired to walk from a sumptuous meal downtown. We quickly discovered that our driver, Josh, had also grown up in our hometown of San Francisco, and was a recent transplant to the city. He divulged that he was twenty-four, and after a brief stint in New York City, he had been unable to pay his exorbitant rent. Fleeing the cliche of shellshocked twenty-somethings calling home for cash, Josh found himself in search of a city that would surely excite without threatening to bankrupt him. He sought the same culture and diversity that he loved about San Francisco and New York, but within his post-grad budget. His story is an increasingly common one: hefty student loans were largely to blame for his move from the Big Apple. Yet so far, he had found that life in one of America’s many vibrant small cities was decidedly to his liking. This small encounter seems to speak to a marked trend. The shift in the American cultural landscape towards small cities is not just dominated by young professionals interested in mason jars and craft breweries, but has also been prompted by artists and families seeking to experience city life without constant penny pinching. As New York, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago and other national meccas continue to evolve, so do their populations, cultural complexities, and prices. CBS News recently named New York City the “most expensive city in the U.S.,” putting the cost of the average rent

“Where Did the People Go” [cont.] at close to $3,783 a month and homeownership in the range of $1.36 million. Numbers like these make it virtually impossible for young professionals, artists and lower income families to carve out space in these metropolitan areas. So instead, they are looking outside of the suburbs. A turn back to the country’s small cities has swept the nation, inspiring many faces of modern America to pack up their vinyl collections, paint brushes, and young children in hopes of giving small town living another chance. Although this may be a creative leak from some of America’s biggest cities, in other ways it has spurred exciting shifts. It has forced postgrads and innovators to flock to places that you have to squint a little harder to see on the map. Suddenly, a new appreciation for the small has breathed life back into cities that might once have seemed stagnant in their development; take, for example, Charlottesville, Virginia. With a concentration on local food movements, arts, culture and small business ownership, Charlottesville is one of the many small cities redefining its image. Charlottesville, founded in 1762, has often mirrored the progressive attitudes that were hallmarks of founder Thomas Jefferson. New aspects of the city’s cultural fabric harken back to this, reestablishing forward thinking relationships to the growing urban area. The Local Food Hub fosters relationships with nearby farmers with the intention of reconnecting the Charlottesville community to its food sources. The McGuffey Art Center, which provides memberships to artists in exchange for studio space, is an important platform for them to share their work, and for the community to interact with its art scene at little to no cost. Numerous concert venues such as the the Southern, the Jefferson and the Garage provide musical outlets for new artists, while community-building urban planning – such as the downtown mall – creates spaces for interaction and local diversity. With this in mind, the mass exodus to small town America has begun to impact the type of city Charlottesville is projected to become. The revitalization of the downtown mall, and new projects on the corner such as The Graduate Hotel and Roots Cafe, all stand in stark contrast to old Charlottesville standbys such as The Boar’s Head and the College Inn restaurant. The city is expanding and evolving, but with the influence of a new age, the looming question of whether or not Charlottesville will maintain its unique qualities remains. The dilemmas posed by the gentrification of cities across this nation are critical to examine as the new American city faces the future. Progress, growth and change are vital, but it seems that a balance must be struck in order to protect the color and character of places which are rapidly becoming monochromatic. How

A TURN BACK TO THE COUNTRY’S SMALL CITIES HAS SWEPT THE NATION. can we progress and also preserve? In many big cities, this controversy has stemmed from the rise of new money and influence, which have put a high premium on ‘modernization’ in its many forms. As a result, integral aspects of a community’s cultural fabric have been compromised in order to make way for these newer takes that often exclude the existing and historic communities. The Mission neighborhood in San Francisco is the perfect example of this. Traditionally home to the city’s largest Latin American population, and previously one of the lowest income neighborhoods in the city, the growth of the tech bubble has changed its ethos. Where once stood reasonably priced houses and family run businesses are shiny high rises and juice bars selling $6 smoothies. With the gradual crescendo of rent prices, the diverse families which made up the neighborhood have been pushed out by high costs. Many see the revitalization of the neighborhood as a positive shift for the city, while others criticize the displacement of families in exchange for monocultural enterprises and wheatgrass shots. Diversity of population and opportunity are two key factors which contribute heavily to maintaining interest and community in urban areas. Without these different voices, cities lose the the small idiosyncrasies which make them distinct and unique from one another. In many ways, cities like Charlottesville are giving us another shot, a chance to do it right

this time. With burgeoning creative projects both through the town and the university such as the Contemplative Sciences Center, a university initiative to bring mindfulness into Charlottesville, and continued potential for development of neighborhoods like Belmont, the possibilities for growth are numerous. And yet we are still responsible: America must work to keep the pieces of its cities cultural fabric intact while enacting change. The conservation of the singular qualities of these communities will lie in the marriage of progress and preservation. The small cities of America are growing with fervor, but it is important that this time, they grow on our terms. As our drive through Madison drew to a close, I asked Josh what his favorite aspect of living in a big city was. He replied simply, “I just feel like I can breathe here, New York was such a frenzy all the time I couldn’t even think straight.” I looked out the window and realized that Madison, just like Charlottesville, had a lot more to offer than what immediately meets the eye. I started to think that maybe New York after graduation wasn’t the move for me. These cities were hip, fresh and growing. They had artists, restauranteurs, and musicians. They had art parks, open air concerts, farmers markets, and outdoor plays. They could give me room to breathe, too. image courtesy of Roy Van Doorn

Conforming to

NON-CONFORMITY

The Rise of the Vinyl Record in the Digital Age By Pete Dailey

A generation can never know itself.

The people, the individuals, the component parts of any form of social outlandishness, any sort of desire to be different are numb from criticism, deaf to dogma. They look forward – far, far forward – glazing over the potholes on their cultural road to recognition. This is what unites Deadheads, and Goths alike: a basic and natural human desire to leave something behind. An affront to total erasure. A footnote in human history. A zeitgeist. What will history say about us, the noble, materially content denizens of the early 21st century? Is our predilection for all things vintage, like, all we have going for us?

Gwen doesn’t touch UVA. Instead, he passes time just off the downtown mall, in a clean, well-kept, expertly curated record store named Melody Supreme. Your humble correspondent crosses the threshold and enters his world, rich with dust jackets, and today, bathed in the sound of early 90s hip-hop. “I listen to everything. All types of music.” The store is simple. It’s easy to navigate if you know what you’re looking for, or easy to get lost in if you’re losing your record store virginity. Gwen sees a lot of virgins. That’s us. We flock in from the neighboring Urban Outfitters looking for “vinyls”, our eyes bright, heads flushed, enamored by the prospect of owning something that we don’t really understand, care for, or need, but desire nonetheless. We lust for an aesthetic novelty which is not new.

Our grandparents and parents alike were privy to record store culture. They invented “cratedigging”, the art of rummaging through bins of vinyl in the hope of finding obscure, off-the-beatentrack type noises. So why, in the age of satellite radio and instant streaming are record sales only increasing? Some of the most talented and musically gifted artists of the modern era are now printing vinyl as well as streaming digitally. Our generation created Record Store Day, an annual convocation of audiophiles who meet in independent record stores the world over to promote the continued enjoyment of their shiny, black raison d’être. We’ve overseen the measured yet consistent renaissance in the emergence of record stores and its culture. What’s spinning this revolution? Is this simply a glimpse in the sun for a generation of aging hipsters, or is this a grassroots

movement representative of a wider societal divergence? And, perhaps most importantly: is our zeitgeist, our mark on history, really just our ability to appropriate old things and call them new? If so, we worship the dead. We idolize our grandparents’ basement. And, It appears that the recent resurgence in record sales can be attributed to two phenomena; the intrigue of our generation, and a group of people dedicated to record culture and its perpetuation. The former occurrence availed itself to me midconversation with Gwen. Like clockwork, a young starry-eyed student was doing the rounds of the store. She fumbled with the record sleeves, mouth gaping, trying to look like she was a seasoned vinyl savant. The latter, the notion that the culture of vinyl is here to stay, is less obvious in Charlottesville. Gwen opened Melody Supreme to fill a gap in the local market, but his clientele is comprised primarily of loyal, regular customers. As of yet, Charlottesville’s record culture is not in line with the global vogue of increased record sales. What’s more, Gwen is not so sure that this is a revolution either. For him, business has only gotten better, but it’s never been crazy. Record buyers are unpredictable, so he sees no immediate trend. I’m informed, in a hefty French accent that, “some people come in and buy exactly what their parents listened to. Some buy mostly new stuff. Others have a more diverse taste. A lot have absolutely no idea where they are, what they’re doing, or looking for. They have no history of records, no culture.” This culture helped democratize sounds, rhythms, noise. Records were the first marketable and practical medium for music dissemination, and without them, the world would be a quieter place. From the sweaty, ecstasy-laden disco dance floors of New York and Chicago in the early 80s, to your Grandfather’s collection of elevator music, vinyl was the medium that pumped out the message of every generation, every movement, every embarrassing hip gyration in your kitchen when you thought no one was watching. Soon eclipsed by CDs and MP3 players, records began to see the inside of cardboard boxes with increasing frequency in the mid 90s, until eventually they became a regular sight for only DJs and the most hardened of vinyl junkies. The move towards digital is undeniably great because you can immerse yourself in almost any kind of music from the comfort of your own kitchen. But what is lost, however, is the culture

surrounding records, the ambiance of stores where different kinds of people are all looking for different kinds of sounds; where a fan of the Bee Gees can cross paths with a Metallica enthusiast. Music brings people together like nothing else, but our current culture places an undue premium on individuality. Everything is tailored to you, to make you feel like you are without a shadow of doubt the most important, singular, solipsistic, existence in the world. Music is no longer about discovery – it’s about curation. Spotify and other streaming services hemorrhage cash each quarter to get the best software and programmers on their side, to make sure that when you get home from a tough day in the trenches of adult existence you can mindlessly press play and shuffle your way through a world of “recommended for you” audio nirvana. It’s comforting to know you have this, and I am indeed in no way advocating a regression to pre-streaming days, but there’s a tragic contemporary disconnect between music, the actual sound, and music, the mode of thought, the worldview. Music imbues every aspect of our life; it is one of mankind’s favorite sensory experiences. In a moment of unfettered joy or absolute sadness, music can be there. It’s more consistent, less intrusive, and sometimes completely preferable to human contact. Music is not just an escape, however. It can facilitate conversation, arguments. It can give you the chills or make you do anatomically impressive things with your body on a Friday night. The vinyl record, then, is neither the past nor the future. For people like Gwen, and a still niche, but growing number of millennials, records simply represent music; the medium is unequivocally the message. But this message must not become lost in a deluge of the postmodern penchant for once conventional objects of the near past. When we adorn our loft apartments with these machines with no desire to learn of their history, their impact, or their purpose, we debase their meaning and objectify an object which once represented the pinnacle of human creation and ingenuity. Within the recesses of any city, town, village, or hamlet you’ll find them; dust covered, sullen with years and years of neglect. Some are warped, poorly conditioned. Others eagerly await their rightful purpose: one more glorious spin at thirty three revolutions per minute. Melody Supreme is located at 115 4th Street SE, Charlottesville, VA. www.melodysupreme.org

CO M E ON A S U LT RY H ON E Y M O ON W I T H

Lana Del Rey

T H E CINEMAT I C C H ANTE US E OF IN DIE POP M AKE S A DELI CIO U SLY M E L AN CHOL IC, TRIPPY CO MEBACK ON N E W AL BUM

by Leonardo Colon

hen asked to describe Lana Del Rey’s musical style and persona, the answer may not be as straightforward as one might think. Lana is not only in complete control over her music and image, but she has learned to completely master it in her newest record, Honeymoon. Taking cues from her previous two records—the orchestral, hip-hop debut album Born To Die, and the self-described “narco-swing” rock record Ultraviolence—Del Rey’s third musical production not only basks in the elusive but dangerous “gangsta Nancy Sinatra” image she previously created, but exudes a feeling of confidence and thematic continuity in the face of what others envision her to be. Strangely enough, the record is rebellious in its unabashed consistency with her previously established image, despite constant media scrutiny calling for the overhaul of her image and style by throwing false claims of contrived and superficial meaning in her music. By listening to the songs and their meanings, however, one can clearly see that these stories were hoaxes.

The themes throughout the record are often surprisingly complex and serve as each other’s antithesis. The album’s first single, “High By The Beach”, serves as a double-entendre narrative of abandoning an egotistical lover to seek a more independent lifestyle. In proclaiming, “[L]ife, camera, acción, don’t need your money, money to get what I want,” Lana eschews media attention in favor of maintaining her sense of artistic integrity. She details her attempts to find both peace and solace in a lover, while acknowledging the trivialities and regrets that often occur in relationships. This definitely constitutes a “double-take” on the Honeymoon title of the record – in Lana’s world, there is no wistful getaway of newly-wed lovers. She coyly alludes to this thematic contrast in the song “The Blackest Day,” claiming that blue “is [her] favorite color and [her] favorite tone of song.” This notwithstanding, Lana’s new record is far from depressing or uninspired. Songs like “Freak” and “Art Deco” uplift the spirit of the record in what

can be described as new-age, mellow trap music — both slightly reminiscent of her smashing duet with The Weeknd on his song, “Prisoner.” In a nod to her previous record Ultraviolence, “God Knows I Tried” and “Religion” lull the listener into the feeling of an oldie rock concert, with strong guitar elements and a scent of 1960s nostalgia, heralding the likes of the previously-mentioned singer Nancy Sinatra and noir filmmaker David Lynch all while bringing her own unique angle on it that uplifts her image beyond mere homage. Couple those with the aptly-named ballad “Swan Song”, in which Lana threatens to throw away everything she ever worked for just to stay with her lover, and you have one emotionally-charged record. In essence, the record’s contrasting themes of fierce independence mixed with solemn sacrifice round out the emotional spectrum of the album, adding a unique layer of humanity that demands multiple playthroughs. Songs like the vintage-Italian “Salvatore”, the ethereally-domineering “Music To Watch Boys To,” and the David Bowie-inspired ballad “Terrence Loves You,” are so sonically and lyrically rich that they take a couple of listens to truly capture and appreciate the various instrumental and metaphorical nuances that are in each record, growing more on you with every replay. One of the best songs on the record is “24”, an alluring and dark contender for any James Bond movie. Ironically, she approaches the theme of love in it with the same sense of incredulousness she offered in the movie soundtracks for Maleficent, The Great Gatsby and The Age of Adaline. By the end of the record, Lana wraps up the experience by giving listeners a blast from the past through her eerie rendition of Nina Simone’s famous song “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”. At a glance, one might assume that “Honeymoon” is the type of album that can only be fully enjoyed through quiet introspection. However, make no mistake, as Lana Del Rey’s newest album is as extremely versatile in the way it can be enjoyed— from riding the bus to your class, to driving on the open road, or even for binge listening with your friends—as it is in melding seemingly exclusive concepts together. To quote from her poetic interlude “Burnt Norton”—an ode to T.S. Eliot’s eponymous poem – the variety of situations in which this record can be enjoyed, “remain[s] a perpetual possibility only in a world of speculation”, with its rich lyrics, breathtakingly cinematic instrumentals and captivating motifs proving that she as has carved herself a place as a virtuoso trailblazer for modern music.

By Jessica Shalvey

“

You must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all.

Peter Weir’s 1989 film Dead Poet’s Society maintains a huge presence to this day in both the scholarly and artistic worlds. In Charlottesville alone, the film was featured in the 2014 Virginia Film Festival, with a post-screening discussion with a writer and producer; it has been a popular choice for movie nights hosted by various literary societies and clubs on Grounds; there has even been a UVA club named in its honor. Why is this film – a literary romp about an unorthodox teacher at a traditional all-boys prep school, and the pupils he influences – still so significant a quarter century after its release?

- John Keating, Dead Poets Society ment, and connection. Words create conversation. A lack of words can create flatness, yet too many words can lead to a distraction from a real course of development. When using words to make progress, using the right words (and right amount of words) is vital. When a discussion merely fashions the illusion that progress is being made instead of working towards actual change, then the point of conversation is lost. However, when discussion is used correctly, it can become a tool for stopping or lessening violence, influencing public opinion, consoling and comforting, and bettering the path of humanity. In the film, as the students spend more and more time with Professor Keating, they continue to build confidence to positively impact the environment around them while also growing in the understanding that they are each individual artists. However, Keating must still advise the boys to “be wise, not stupid” in their pursual of free thinking. Language can build, but it can also shatter.

The short answer to this complicated question: this film makes its audience think. It forces its viewers to reconsider everything they know about literary freedom, the power of the English language, and what it means to be a part of the human race. As John Keating (played memorably by the late Robin Williams) declares to his eager students, “No matter what anyone tells you, words and ideas can change the world.” Words are often the very root of our emotions. We may read a letAnd indeed they have. The selec- ter from a loved one and feel haptive use of language is profoundly py, we may overhear a conversaimportant to create a thriving and tion and feel hurt, we may hear a flourishing environment, espe- sermon at church and feel hopecially at a university with the in- ful. Hearing lyrics to a certain song tellectual firepower of UVA. Word may recall a certain memory or choice, as much as we take it for evoke nostalgia, much like looking granted, can become the differ- at an old photograph. Words are a ence between awkward small talk link not only to others but to ourand a thoughtful impact on the selves — our own feelings, ideas, mind of another. It also has the conflicts, and aspirations. Without ability to erode barriers between them, we become lost. Our words daily society and the intellectual become our culture, varying from world. place to place and from person to Words are compromise, commit- person. UVA even has its own culture of words — from “grounds”

”

to “first years” — which is unique to this university and contributes to its sense community. When words mean so much to us, even subconsciously, it begins to make sense why we are so angered by lies and dishonesty. Unlike the other professors at the preparatory school who believed the boys were too young to understand many aspects of the “real” world, John Keating felt that absolute honesty to his pupils was a necessity, and revealed both truths about the world and truths about the individual. Lying is an abuse of the beauty of words, and can create hatred and negativity from something that should be used towards love and grace. Like the boy who cried wolf, who abused the power of words, no one will listen when your words cease to hold value. Language has become the link to passion. As Keating taught his students, whether pursuing science, medicine, art, politics, history, or any other path, words are the connection between thoughts and actions. You can research, communicate with peers, come to conclusions, and reflect on both your joys and your sorrows only with the aid of language. Life will continue with or without our contributions to it, but if we hold this unique power of language and do not use it then we risk wasting an opportunity that is crucial to our being. Words are both our lifeline and our freedom, and profoundly impact our sense of identity — we must use them to find ourselves. As John Keating reflects about life, “the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”

FAST

fashion & the tyranny of trends By Vanessa Owens

was sifting through piles of clothes in a boutique dressing room, trying to decide which of my 15 items to hand back to the clerk, and which would make it into my ever-expanding wardrobe. As I surveyed my mountain of crop tops and sweaters, I found myself feeling cheated by the $100 price tags. After all, I was certain that I could walk across the mall to H&M and find almost identical items for a fraction of the price. So I rebelled: I went straight there and bought three items for less than I would have paid for one garment at the boutique. Did I need the extra two shirts? Probably not, but I was following the strong economic incentive to consume more for less. In an industry that has become reliably homogenous through the influence of trends, the cheapest garment price has come to be accepted as the fairest price. Yet this raises a difficult question: fair to whom? With the success of â&#x20AC;&#x153;fast fashionâ&#x20AC;? retailers such as H&M, Forever21, and Zara, buying on a budget no longer implies a sacrifice of style. These chains are noted for passing imitations of designer labels through

their extremely short supply chains â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in fact, a fast fashion garment moves from design concept to store rack in as few as three weeks. With the rise of fast fashion, cheap clothing has lost stigma. Supermodel Kendall Jenner paired H&M with Givenchy at NYFW, and high-fashion magazines feature low price imitations of runway looks. At the surface, the rise of these retailers seems like an innovative way to bring the sleekest runway themes to the masses. However, as we become more tuned in to the latest fashions, we are more disconnected than ever from the external consequences of our buying choices. The rise in fast fashion corresponds with changes in consumer behavior, as the price of American clothing has plummeted over the last few decades. The Atlantic reported that American clothing consumption has steadily increased, even as we devote smaller fractions of our disposable income to apparel. Clothing consumption now accounts for just 3.1% of disposable income expenditure, compared to 10.4% in 1960. Yet according to the American Apparel & Footwear

Association, annual garment purchases have increased by more than 50% over the last two decades. In today’s retail environment, there are two ways to make a profit: sell a few luxury goods with a high markup, or a large volume of lower quality goods with a low markup. The latter model has dominated the fashion industry over the past several decades as textile manufacturing has shifted to low-wage areas of the Global South. According to the American Apparel & Footwear Association, 97.5 of American clothing

outlets. With a short supply chain, the reaction time to a new season’s trends is almost instant. You can find replications of recent runway looks just weeks after their debut, almost as quickly as consumers can find them on Instagram. Yet all is not well: the pressure to produce fashion at a cheaper and faster rate undermines any sort of ethical incentives in the industry, and the consumerist culture fueled by fast fashion is beginning to receive some backlash. Last spring, “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver devoted

American purchased 63 garments in 2013. This comes to more than one clothing item per week. Low quality clothing is now the status quo. When a zipper breaks or pants tear, the economic incentive is just to replace the item rather than find a way to fix it. This disposable attitude towards clothes has altered the role of fashion in our lives. Constantly buying and disposing of clothes every season distracts us from taking the time to thoughtfully curate our closets, and obsessing over the cheapest

“‘TRENDS IS A DIRTY WORD...FASHION TODAY IS SO MUCH MORE ABOUT INDIVIDUALITY AND REFLECTING ON A WOMAN’S CHARACTER THAN TRENDS." - Anna Wintour is imported, compared to 43.8% in 1991.Outsourced manufacturing has become the norm, and companies are able to produce expansive volumes at little cost. Consider this: Forever21.com offers over 1,000 different designs in its “Blouses & Tops” category alone, the majority of which are priced well under $40. This influx of cheap clothing has largely erased out our domestic garment industry. The withering of domestic manufacturing makes it difficult for independent designers and small companies to find affordable ways to produce their clothes in the U.S. As a result, one would be hard-pressed to find an American-made garment in your local department store. When we consider the market effects of massive consolidation in the fashion industry, it becomes apparent that we are shopping under an illusion of choice. Ironically, high fashion and luxury labels are driving the insatiable demand for cheap clothes. We live in an increasingly fleeting and style-conscious age, as the average American can now keep up with trends through a multitude of digital

one of his epic rants to exposing the negligent sweatshop conditions that are feeding our revolving closets. He pointed to the sad reality of much of global garment production today: a pattern of child-labor scandals and deadly factory conditions that stretches back to the early 90’s. Some have worked to expose the troubles with an insatiable demand for trends. In 2013, Elizabeth Cline’s novel “Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Fast Fashion”, tried to do for clothes what Morgan Spurlock’s “Supersize Me” did for food. Cline reports that in 1950, world fiber consumption was at just over 10 million tons. Today, that number has grown to more than 82 million tons. The natural resources that go into fiber production annually use 145 million tons of coal and almost 2 trillion gallons of water. For decades, we have allowed the cultural and geographical disconnect from our clothes to relieve us of the responsibility for our purchasing decisions. Ignorance of our consumption choices is no longer excusable in an age of increasing environmental crisis and economic inequality. The American Apparel & Footwear Association’s 2013 report found that on average, every

garments eliminates their sentimental value as tangible keepsakes. Fashion is how we express ourselves as we go about our lives, and this self-expression should have more meaning and longevity than fast fashion can provide. Perhaps, instead of buying a bundle of cheap garments, it is time to consider spending our money on a few high-quality, ethically made clothing items. By buying from Fair Trade labels, independent designers, or secondhand stores, we can lessen our environmental impact while sending a market signal to fast fashion companies to clean up the act. Anna Wintour made headlines at NYFW F15 when she said, “’Trends’ is a dirty word.” In an interview with Style. com, she explained, “fashion today is so much more about individuality and reflecting on a woman’s character than trends.” We can all take a cue from this. By developing a strong sense of personal style, we can release ourselves from the tyranny of trends. If we worry less about owning the latest or cheapest thing, we can develop a meaningful relationship with the things we wear.

FROM

HIP-HOP TO HIGH FASHION:

A BURGEONING RELATIONSHIP BY ANNA SAWYER

When you think of hip hop and the culture that surrounds it, is high fashion one of the first things that comes to mind? Sure, fashion and hip-hop have had an influence on each other since the genre’s infancy – rapper fashion choices have had influence on mainstream style. Still, the reach of hip-hop’s cultural gravitas usually stops short of runways and haute couture. That is, until now. Fast forward to 2015, and the enclaves of high fashion have begun to embrace the world of hip hop in unprecedented ways. The lines between two worlds – one sonic and literary, the other visual and textural – are blurred and broken down with each passing season. Hip hop artists have evolved beyond being mere tastemakers: in some cases, they are transitioning into the role of designers. Take Kanye West, for example, who took the first step into the design world last February with the release of his first clothing line, Yeezy Season 1 - a collaboration with Adidas. More recently West took it a step further by releasing a solo line, Yeezy Season 2, during New York Fashion Week in September. In an interview with Vanity Fair, West said of his involvement in the fashion world, “My toe is barely in the door, my foot is barely on the gas, I’ve got to press down harder.” How did this relationship evolve from creating mainstream trends to stitching designer labels? V Magazine explores.

Hip Hop artists were tastemakers, bringing their style mainstream, influencing and creating style trends.

EARLY YEARS

Rapper’s fashion choices influenced fashion trends across the country. Their influence brought the “streetwear” style mainstream. A 1988 NY Times article laid out the most prominent elements of the hip-hop streetwear style, which they dubbed “the uniform”. This included: 1) Untied Reebok, Adidas, Nike or Avia sneakers 2) Baseball caps worn at a jaunty angle 3) Shirts and jackets with large logos 4) Unisex Spandex, denim or bold-patterned pants 5) Gold chains and jewelry spellingout the wearer’s name 6) Rings that span several fingers and knuckles

THE TRANSITION

Hip-hop artists move to embraace more “luxury” brands.

Beginning in the mid 90’s, rappers started to wear (and rap about) more expensive labels such as Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger to boast their success. Designers took advantage of this, exchanging wardrobes for this lyrical “advertisement” and eventually catering collections to denizens of hip-hop.

THE NEW WAVE

Artists break into the fashion industry as designers.

In the early 2000’s, hip-hop artists saw a new opportunity to influence fashion: by creating the clothing, and not just the trends. One such artist was Pharrell Williams, well known for his extensive work as a producer on hits like “Hot in Herre” and “I’m a Slave 4 U,” and solo hits like “Happy.” Already a prominent style icon, Pharrell delved deeper into the fashion industry in 2005 when he partnered with Nigo, the founder of Japanese luxury brand BAPE, to create the Ice Cream and Billionaire Boys Club lines. Sean Combs also launched Sean John – a high-end label that has received critical acclaim since its inception, garnering nominations from the Council of Fashion Designers of America for excellence in design. Most recently, Kanye West has followed in their footsteps. From the launch of his label in 2012 to his runway show in 2015’s New York Fashion Week, West has experienced seamless success in this new venture.

realizing the dynamics of art via the BERLIN WALL

by Claire Mooney

n my way to Alderman library, I noticed something different, something missing. It appeared the panels of the Berlin Wall had been removed from the display case. This made sense. It was a temporary installment, and it had been on grounds for over a year now. Eventually, it had to be removed. Even still, I had grown accustomed having the panels on grounds and was dismayed by the loss of them. However, after walking further, I realized that the wall was

This is a testament to the dynamics of art. Art is fluid, and ever changing. The brilliance of a work of art can be witnessed in the vast spectrum of emotions it conjures, the amount of connections and divisions that can be formed. Art is important not solely because it makes people think, but because it makes people think differently, and provides a medium for these thoughts to be shared and discussed. Art’s greatest gift is to serve as a forum to not only questions others but also ques-

in fact still standing – and was relieved. “Thank God,” I thought, “the Berlin Wall had not fallen.” It was not lost on me that before this moment these sentiments had probably only been shared between soviet politicians and their supporters, whose ideologies I do not share. Hence, the connection I felt towards the Berlin Wall came as a bit of a surprise. For me, the wall is an important reminder that there are places beyond the UVA bubble. While the University is a wonderful place to call home, the bucolic image of grounds can occasionally give one tunnel vision. It’s possible to forget that there are things in this world without Georgian architecture, Thomas Jefferson’s influence or a reference to ancient Greeks. Ironically, the wall that once imprisoned millions within a regime of conformity can now serve as a medium of escape.

tion oneself. The motivations of the original artist or group of artists in Berlin who graffitied the panels is unknown. It may have been an act of hope, or frustration, or pure boredom. Moreover, it is quite likely that the experiences of the panels’ first viewers were drastically different from the experiences of the UVa students who currently observe the panels. What is significant is that decades later the panels continue to move people to thought, or even to simply take a second out of their day to pause. The Berlin Wall, no longer a barrier to freedom, now functions as a mural, but this does not erase its historical significance. Art is multifaceted. The same piece can be both triggering and therapeutic, offensive and hilarious. Perceptions of art change with time, and the ironies and hypocrisies that weave themselves within a piece’s history inspire uniquely human fallacies.

an intersection of

ART AND DISSENT B Y TAMAR Z IF F I don’t think Thierry played by the rules in some ways; but, then there are not supposed to be any rules. So, I don’t really know what mine is. I mean I always used to encourage everyone I met to make art, I used to think everyone should do it. I don’t do that so much anymore. (Banksy, Exit Through the Gift Shop) One of the lesser known facts about graffiti is that it is the plural for the “graffito,” which, derived from the Italian sgraffio, refers to the marks found on ancient Roman architecture. Directly translated, sgraffio means “scratch”; according to that definition, any kind of writing on walls would count as graffiti. In popular culture, however, the term is largely associated with “urban graffiti…[that] uses spraycans,” which first emerged in the 1960’s in New York City. The art form literally began underground, with graffiti artists tagging subway cars with monikers they chose to represent their style. Tags began to proliferate, and eventually, tightened security measures on the subway lines in the early 1980’s pushed the artists into the daylight. By then, the graffiti movement had spread well beyond City, and broadened to include “stenciling and other forms of street artwork [as a result of] the arrival of the art school new wave and punk.” Graffiti served as the progenitor for more complex forms of (illicit) urban creative expression, often referred to as “street art.” The two terms – graffiti and street art – are often used interchangeably, yet there is a significant – albeit sometimes im-

perceptible – distinction between traditional graffiti tags and the variegated “throw-ups” murals, stencils, and paintings that proliferate on the metropolitan canvas. Graffiti, particularly in dense American urban centers in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, was a means through which socially disenfranchised youths could “claim space” in a time when renovations of and rising real estate prices in certain areas shunted the poorer denizens of the city, most of whom came from minority groups, into one tight region, precluding access to certain sectors. The original tag was a way to defy financially and racially circumscribed urban boundaries and appropriate – albeit briefly – otherwise exclusive space. The illegality of the act was the fulcrum of the endeavor: graffiti had to subvert mainstream norms in order to attain meaning; any acclaim for size and style that artists received hinged on the difficulty of execution – i.e. avoiding law enforcement, painting speedily, such that the larger and gaudier the tag, the more of an affront it poses to law enforcement authorities, who failed to deter it.

While graffiti was arguably viewed as mere vandalism, street art has – through the popularization of artists such as Banksy, Shepherd Fairey, and Keith Haring, to name a few – gained a significant mainstream following and been incorporated into the conventional system of art valuation and viewership: for example, in 2008, at the onset of a massive recession, a Banksy piece sold for over $1.5 million; that same year, the Tate Modern held its first display of street art – the exhibit opened on the same day that members of the notorious DPM graffiti crew were sentenced to jail for pursuing, in the words of Judge Christopher Hardy, “a self-indulgent campaign to damage property on an industrial scale.”

a poignant social message, though not in the pointed manner of graffiti artists. For example, Tel Avivbased artist Dede’s signature piece is a band aid, often accompanied by strange, bald and wide eyed figures.

Therein lies the distinction between the two: while graffiti focuses on elaborately and artistically claiming space in the name of the artist, street art seeks to relaying or depicting a message or image determined by but distinct from the identity of the artist. That is, the street artist uses the urban canvas in a much less pointed way than the graffiti artist, though both could be seen as equally vain and equally egregious in the forced imposition of a name or work on the eyes of passersby. I will focus on street art, as it is more modern and more malleable and has become globally legitimized and commoditized – if not formally legalized.

1) Street art as ‘urban’ art: democratized and decontextualized Many other museums, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, have since held street art exhibits, bringing unprecedented renown to urban artists around the globe; this form of art, rather than being associated with the charged and controversial protestations of an urban underclass has become part of mainstream chic due to both an elite flirtation with polite dissent and a fascination with neutralized “gritty” counterculture – see: affluent Caucasians enjoying rap music that focuses on ghettoization, poverty, and other urban ills. There is a particular aesthetic associated with street art that mixes cosmopolitanism and romanticized struggle, or the fantasy that life’s truths are more visible – ‘real’ – in the urban underground. This fascination with unfiltered, unmoderated expression – and the supposed meaning it gives to platitudes - both feeds and is fed by the democratic nature of the street-as-canvas, and the creativity with which the citizen-turned-artist can take advantage of a vast and seemingly limitless medium. With street art, there is infinite opportunity for innovation: some artists use it to relay what they feel is

The band-aids – the Hebrew term for which is ‘plaster’ – carry myriad connotations: they are Dede’s childish, earnest yet feeble attempt to fix…something, one of the many ills plaguing Israeli society, or humanity as a whole. This form of ‘generic’ dissent or commentary is characteristic of street art: it is popular criticism of popular culture, protest for the sake of undirected angst, the visual manifestation of the disgruntled restlessness of youth. The aesthetic value, as distinctively ‘urban’ art, is undeniable, but in terms of legitimate dissent, much street art is aimlessly idealistic, referencing an inchoate desire for something other than the status quo, or underscoring nonsensical elements of it (Banksy is quite good at this).

“Now I Can See!”, Bogota 2014

“An Intersection of Art and Dissent” [cont.]

2) Street art in context: localized commentary Street art gains sociopolitical meaning only if it presents a direct and local commentary on substantive norms or practices. Whereas decontextualized, generally ‘urban’ pieces can easily be abstracted from the city and reproduced and immortalized in a gallery, or purchased at an auction to add chic to the family home’s wall decor (an ironic state of affairs, as creating street art is still largely criminalized, though the product can – when appropriately commoditized – be legitimately bought and sold.) This form of art presents dissatisfaction, but not specified grievances – it is the most palatable of social commentaries. Where street art’s dissenting nature becomes visible is when it is, truly, enfolded in the city’s embrace; when it belongs wholly and exclusively to the walls it has been placed on. Downtown Bogota, in an area called La Candelaria, is host to a multitude of jarring murals and pieces that directly touch upon issues particular to the nation. For example, the mural on the right depicts what is

Bogota 2014

likely an indigenous Colombian woman, testifying to the marginalization of indigenous groups in rural areas as their land is forcibly appropriated by powerful left-wing (FARC) and government-sanctioned rightwing paramilitary groups, locked in the longest-running civil war in history. Two weeks ago, Amnesty International released a report averring that any peace deal reached between FARC and the Colombian government must include assurances as to “the rights of Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities to return to their lands and decide how they are used are prioritized above companies’ desire to exploit those lands for their own profit.”

This instance of street art, then, serves as keen political commentary in a manner that the previous pieces do not. It necessitates awareness of Colombia’s social and political ills, a sense of which can only really be gained by living there for some time. It is thus that true dissent in street art is noticed only by the local, and thus that the art truly belongs to the street – the Colombian street – rather than any urban paradigm.

Mural in Getsemani, Cartagena, 2014

Collage of Diego Rivera paintings, downtown Bogota, 2014

In the early 1980’s, as the U.S. was going through an epidemic of crime and drug abuse, social scientists Wilson and Kelling came up with the “broken window theory” of criminal behavior, which states “at the community level, disorder and crime are usually inextricably linked, in a kind of developmental sequence. Social psychologists and police officers tend to agree that if a window in a building is broken and is left unrepaired, all the rest of the windows will soon be broken.” Thus, the likelihood of serious criminal behavior was increased by the commission of misdemeanors that visibly affected the environment: namely, graffiti. Kelling was hired by the New York Transit Authority as a consultant, and he quickly appointed a new subway director, David Gunn, who contended that “graffiti was symbolic of the collapse of the system” and endeavored to eradicate it. By the 1990’s, most of the subways had been scrubbed clean, and, particularly under the administration of Mayor Rudy Giuliani, crime rates dropped dramatically. Giuliani attributed the decrease in serious crime to the targeting of “so-called petty offenses.” As he stated in a speech in February 1984: “There’s a continuum of disorder. Obviously, murder and graffiti are two vastly different crimes. But they are part of the same continuum, and a climate that tolerates one is more likely to tolerate the other.” However, a study done by the National Bureau of Economic Research contests that assertion, stating that “[the] decline [in robberies and motor vehicle theft] was

Mural in La Mision district, San Francisco, 2015

not the result of more of those involved in misdemeanors being incapacitated from further crimes by being in prison…an increase in misdemeanor arrests has no impact on the number of murder, assault, and burglary cases.” It is unlikely that the presence of graffiti in certain neighborhoods motivated criminal behavior, or that the apprehension of artists reduced it; similarly, there is no reason why street art should remain criminalized when it can, through the beautification of derelict neighborhoods and the consequent attraction of street-art related tourism and a bohemian culture. Street art “for art’s sake,” taking the form of intricate, expansive murals across broad swaths of urban canvas. Be it in La Candelaria, San Francisco’s Mission District, or the poorer neighborhoods in Cartagena, street art is both indicative of a thriving passion for the space in which we conduct the act of living and a desire to adorn surroundings – dismal, perhaps, disenfranchised – with beautiful things and in doing so celebrate the sheer creation of art, on the most cracked and broken surfaces.

Wires to Riches THE GIRL WHO SPUN COPPER INTO FOUR YEARS OF TUITION B Y DYLAN BEDSAUL

ometimes, the source of a great new accessory can be best-kept secret – especially when the coveted designer ring you’re sporting was made by your own hands. Second year student LeiLei Secor arrived on grounds with a secret of her own, but thanks to major news sources like Huffington Post, Seventeen Magazine, Yahoo News – and her personal favorite, Entrenprenuer.com – this humble entrepreneur’s “little secret that [she] didn’t like to talk about” became inspirational fodder for the young and driven.

vendor] are photography and search tags.” For the former, she takes vivid photographs that she stages and executes entirely on her own. As for the search tags, she adds these herself, too. When making her search keywords for the site, she puts herself in the shoes of shoppers, asking herself questions like, “If I’m looking for this [type of piece] of jewelry, what am I going to look up?”

Secor was “a regular high schooler” before deciding to open her own jewelry shop through the peerto-peer online marketplace Etsy. “Designed By Lei” initially offered macramé and beaded bracelets, but these items didn’t get many bites from casual shoppers surfing the site. After a few days, Secor decided to switch her approach when she stumbled upon an online tutorial for wired jewelry.

For the photos – which are remarkably professional for an amateur, self-made vendor – she uses household items and elements of nature to craft the perfect image. “When I first started I had a basic, hundred-dollar, point-and-shoot camera,” she says, demonstrating the delicate position of her hand when modeling jewelry. The photos are all self-portraits of sorts, with pieces modeled on her own hands and ears. “I found that the best way to take pictures of jewelry is on an overcast day with a plain background,” she remarks.

“I was like ‘Oh this looks cool. I can do this.’ I kind of just go with whatever I see that looks cool,” she says. She compares her designs to pieces that she finds in millennial staple retailers such as Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, and Anthropologie.

She now has an assortment of staging materials, including a piece of wood she painted with leftover paint from her mother’s kitchen remodeling project. Rustic branches and earthenware pottery hold rings, drop earrings, and other delicate pieces.

When probed about the sales tactics behind her Etsy success, Secor is straightforward and pragmatic: “The two most important things [for an online

Though her business ethos is remarkably simple and resourceful, it is undeniably effective. Secor has made over one hundred thousand dollars, much of

which she uses to pay her out-of-state tuition and Before her shop took off, she “was considering dofees. She is just 8,000 sales away from her goal of ing Engineering.” As of now, she credits the shop for selling 20,000 pieces before she graduates from having “spurred [her] interest in the Comm School.” U.Va. “I really like business,” she says. She is especially When asked how she balances school work with a drawn to “the marketing aspect” of growing an enthriving online business, LeiLei seemed unfazed by terprise. She isn’t totally sure about what she would the time commitment. concentrate in, though. “I’ve got to get in first!” Despite her success, humility remains one of her stron“It really only takes me a few hours a week,” she gest trademarks. claims. “I only take four or five hours to make jewelry during a standard week, and then it’s answering Still, even with a booming Etsy business, LeiLei says emails or managing the online shop, which doesn’t her future doesn’t involve a curated storefront. really take that long.” Though her products have been adopted by several national and international boutiques, she has no curBut finals season is a another story. “Around finals rent plans to open her own jewelry store. my sales, like, quadruple,” she laughs dryly. “Last year I was up until one or two in the morning before my “I have goals, but they’re not to be the next Tiffany last final… making jewelry.” and Company.” That’s certainly a different narrative than what most college students complain about. Of course, Secor is no slouch academically or artisanally. As a result of her shop’s success, she was awarded the NFIB Young Entrepreneur of The Year in 2014.

She does, however, plan to continue with the shop after college.

Despite the sacrifices, it’s not all work, stress, and bills in the relationship between Secor’s business and U.Va. Ultimately, “Designed By Lei” has helped her to decide on what she wants to study in the classroom.

Though after a short lunch, it sounds like cutting back isn’t quite in her nature – nor does it align with the increasing demand from shoppers as word of “Designs by Lei” spreads far beyond Grounds.

“It’s a hobby… Even if I have to cut back on it a little, I can still do that.”

T R PA O TW

y nthon A y l i by Em Photo

top: Long Island (2014). Photograph, dark room print. 9x6in. bottom-left: Self-Portrait (2014). Photograph, dark room print. 9x6in. bottom-right: Manhattan (2014). Photograph, dark room print. 9x6in. opposite: Brooklyn (2014). Photograph, dark room print. 9x6in.

E M I LY AN T H ON Y Fourth Year, Media Studies, Studio Art Minor I wanted my portfolio to convey the emphasis I put on people in my photography. Some I took at Carterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mountain Vineyard, where I focused on framing nude women in secluded, expansive settings. Others are from New York, where I sought people who seemed to mimic their immediate surroundings in Long Island, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.

Animus (2015). steel, wire, rubber, tubing, stockings.

A Relic of the Future (2015). wood, wire, muslin, oil paint, foam, bike tires, zip-ties. 77x33x57.5 in.

left: Surrogate II (2015). steel. 32x24x83 in. middle: Hoppers I-IV (2015). steel, wire, zip ties, foam. I: 21x21x35 in. II: 19x19x30 in. III: 18x18x26 in. IV: 19x19x15.5 in. right: Surrogate I (2015). steel. 32x24x83 in.

J E S S I CA B U RN A M Aunspaugh Fifth Year Fellow

Using sculptural means, I create a world full of strange otherworldly objects and beings that exude vitality. Alienesque and creature-like, they bristle aggressively. Mysterious and elusive, they appear ancient and futuristic, body-like and foreign. They are both familiar and ambiguous, possibly visiting this world but most certainly belonging to another. Photos (this page) by Mina Pirasteh

The Vertiginous Sky (2015) Mixed Media I took the title for this piece from a short story by Vladamir Nabokov that said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;People invent crimes, museums, games, only to escape from the unknown, from the vertiginous sky.â&#x20AC;? Like some of my other work I think this has a lot to do with the idea of perpetual dream chasing, or maybe a never ending grind.

S AN D Y W I L L I A M S I V Fourth Year, Studio Art

A Swan Song (2015) Mixed Media When I brought my mom to see this she said, “So what is this about?” And I probably knew she was going to ask me this, but at the time I just couldn’t figure out how to explain everything that had happened in the past year. - Then she said, “I think this is how I’ve been feeling,” - I said, “Yeah me too” When I first started making this piece I wrote, “What does it look like to be stuck between my dreams and reality?”

transposed Meredith Wadsworth FASHION DIRECTOR

Katherine Durham Zoe Katz Marcela Lazaro FASHION ASSISTANTS Michal Kozinski Gloria Roh PHOTOGRAPHER Morgan Toliver MAKE-UP ARTIST Laura Ann Leaton Rose Mesina MODELS Clothing Courtesy of URBAN OUTFITTERS

PA S T, P R E S E N T, M O D E RN f as h i o n di re c t o r L IN DA M E L IA N I f as h i o n as s i s t an t M A E L IS A S IN G E R p h o t o g rap h e r MICH E L L E M IL E S mak e - u p art i s t MOR G A N T OL IV E R mo de l s I M AN E AB B A- K AK A, A R IE L KA O, BR A E L Y N S CH E N K

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