Ink Magazine; Vol. 9.1

VOLUME 9 | ISSUE 1

MCKINLEY DIXON DENZEL BOYD EARS + EYES ONLY VIGILARE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Ink 9.1 Culture 1-21.indd 3

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JUSTICE DWIGHT

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PLUMAS

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SHA CHAMBERS

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GOOD CLEAR SOUND

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MCKINLEY DIXON

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DENZEL BOYD

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TRANS MODELS IN FASHION

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RUNWAY YOUR WAY

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EARS + EYES ONLY

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VIGILARE

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IN MY CLOSET

68

INCLUSIVITY IN FASHION

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DRY HEAT

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DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

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Fall 2016

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Shelby Herndon

Siona Peterous MJ Minutoli

Kelly Reyes

Josh Maclin

COPY EDITOR

Dina Alemu

Sarah Thaw

Shaun Jackson

ART DIRECTOR

Moriah Briscoe

Alyssa Michener

Kristina Dickey

WEB EDITOR

Selah Marie

Will Singleton SENIOR FASHION EDITOR Aaron Ni’jai JUNIOR FASHION EDITOR Cierra Artis FASHION EDITOR-AT-LARGE Giovanni V.

Julia Block Bridget Guckin D’mani Thomas Porcelyn Headen COVER ILLUSTRATION Megan James +

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Allison Oberlin + Andrea Philbin HEAD ILLUSTRATOR

Ryan Schultz INSIDE COVER

Alissa Pivaral

Justice Dwight

Ink Magazine and the Student Media Center Offices

DESIGNERS

817 W. Broad St. P.O. Box 842010 Richmond, Va. 23284 Phone: (804) 828-1058

Ashley Moody

Ink magazine is a student publication, published quarterly with the support of the Student Media Center.

To advertise with Ink, please contact our Advertising representatives at inkmagazineads@vcustudentmedia.com Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the VCU Student Media Center.

All content copyright © 2016

by VCU Student Media Center, All rights reserved.

Printed locally.

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EDITOR’S NOTE As my first time producing an issue as Editor-In-Chief, I felt a lot of pressure in every aspect of putting this together. But, at the end of the day, your best work comes from personal experiences and issues that hold much importance in your life. As a person of color who is also a part of the lgbtq+ community, I felt it would be a disservice to not address the social climate in which the minority exists in today.

To empower the minority is to fight against the hateful rhetoric this election year has helped promote. 2016 has been a historic year, and not necessarily in a good way. I’ve spent this year witnessing the loss of black lives, the loss of brown lives, the loss of queer lives, and the loss of empathy. It’s difficult to live in America in 2016 as a minority and not let fear get to you. I realized that I

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would not let myself succumb to fear when my mother called me a few weeks following the Pulse shooting, asking me to be careful. To be completely transparent, I was afraid at the time. But fear will not spark change and we should never give in to it.

Fight for change can come in many different forms. Whether it be through poetry, painting, musical composition, or direct action, we can use these forms to empower each other to mobilize.

Each artist featured in this melanin-packed issue has their own individual story to tell. It has been a pleasure to collect these stories that showcase the movement of change and empowerment, so those like me can have faith in a better future.

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Justice Dwight 22 year old local artist “celebrating the beauty of black culture.�

Justice is our featured artist for the inside cover of this issue.

He is a local painter who frequents various vending events in the area and is consistently featured in galleries. He began his career as a full time artist in 2014, and continues to showcase his work at events and on social media, where he has gained a large following from his unique style of painting. He uses pop art as a medium to communicate social issues by celebrating the beauty of melanin, drawing the attention of many within and outside the Richmond city limits.

You can keep up with Justice and delve deeper into his work here:

INSTAGRAM justicedwight SNAPCHAT justicedwight TWITTER justicedwight 3

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justice dwight

1/2 page ad

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PLUMAS

EL PUEBLO UNIDO 6

JAMÁS SERÁ VENCIDO fall 2016

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BY KELLY REYES Photography: Porcelyn Headen

PLUMAS, a gender inclusive organization at VCU, works towards galvanizing the local Latinx community through service opportunities and direct action.

of the VCU chapter, clarified that the term is gender inclusive, which means that PLUMAS is inclusive of latinx students who do not identify as either male or female.

In order to mobilize for the progression of the Latinx community, three principles are vital: advocacy, educating one another, and direct action in the community.

“There are definitely a lot of people who use they/them pronouns who would definitely not feel included if given the choice between latino or latina,” Camille said.

These three principles are the foundation of PLUMAS’ mission statement, which focuses on empowering latinxs to take action by creating awareness.

Political Latinxs United For Movement and Action in Society (PLUMAS) is a student run organization comprised of politically conscious latinxs who actively volunteer in not only the VCU latinx community, but within the local latinx community as well.

It is important to have access to spaces in which people who look like you and share the same experiences can come together to create a sense of belonging within the movement.

What sets PLUMAS apart from other hispanic centered organizations is that they use the term “latinx” rather than latino or latina. Camille Brenke, the President

“And then our language, Spanish, is very gendered. So even if you were talking about a group of male and females you would say latinos. It’s male dominated, that word. So we try to use Latinxs.”

PLUMAS was first founded by the Latinx student community at the University of Maryland in February of 2013. Their mission statement is dedicated to providing a safe space for latinxs to discuss issues that impact their student community and beyond. The VCU chapter of PLUMAS, which was established in the fall semester of last year, is the second chapter in the nation.

Camille had been thinking about starting an latinx organization since her freshman year, but it wasn’t until last year when a friend mentioned the PLUMAS

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EL PUEBLO UNIDO JAMÁS SERÁ VENCIDO

chapter at UMD, that she decided she wanted to establish a chapter. She recalls the emergence of Donald Trump’s rhetoric concerning the immigrant population as one of the events leading up to the start of the VCU chapter.

“I think the racial tension this year has had a huge part in mobilizing our community. Our stories have been at the forefront of the media and we can feel this huge conversation rising with our names in other people’s mouths,” she said.

“This is part of the reason why PLUMAS has had such interest. The climate right now is perfect for this kind of organization.”

While PLUMAS focuses on latinx issues, it is not an exclusionary group based on heritage. Allies are more than welcome to join in on raising awareness regarding the socioeconomic disparity that plagues latinx communities.

“If you are a Latinx, expect to find a home. If you are an ally, expect to hear our voices and our struggles and don’t expect to be made comfortable in our spaces,” said Camille.

VCU prides itself in being a diverse institution, but it lacks the resources that the diverse population needs. Latinx undocumented students often find themselves without the proper resources to make it to college, let alone remain in college long enough to earn a degree. It is most definitely possible, but the odds are stacked against them.

PLUMAS aims to dismantle this problem by offering undocu-ally training once a semester to anyone that is interested. Undocu-ally training is a four hour session to teach allies how to advocate for undocumented students on campus, primarily through educating them on the daily issues those students face. Educating allies about the experiences of these students is necessary in helping them. One cannot provide students with the support they need to stay in school if the problem is not understood. Undocu-ally training gives these students someone to go to who will advocate for them when the university is not responsive to their needs.

“

If you are a Latinx, expect to find a home. If you are an ally, expect to hear our voices and our struggles and don’t expect to be made comfortable in our spaces.

Undocu-ally training took off as a grassroots effort, as members of PLUMAS began by emailing

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professors they thought were “cool” in order to gain interest in the program. They reached out to the focus inquiry professors at VCU in particular, because of their vast connection to the freshman class, which made spreading the word easier. Undocu-ally training is not limited to professors.

Anyone who is interested can sign up to learn ways in which they can support undocumented students.

Latinx students are in need of support throughout college. As many of us are either first generation or undocumented, it is difficult to stay on track throughout college.

The latinx student retention rate is very low, and while there are latinxs who are able to complete their degrees, the graduation rate is not growing at the rate that other minority groups are.

Undocu-ally training is a fantastic way to provide resources on campus, but the issue goes beyond college. PLUMAS members volunteer in the local latinx community at the Sacred Heart Center. They participate in the “College and Career Bound” programs that provide latinx youth mentorship from older latinx students. Too many of these first-generation or undocumented students don’t have the

opportunity to seek guidance at home when it comes to school or seeking higher education.

I am a latina first generation college student. Applying to colleges was the equivalent to being thrown into a pool to learn how to swim. You can’t ask your parents how you should go about accessing an application, let alone how to complete it. That is not to say that there are not latinx parents that do have this knowledge, but mine didn’t, and that is the case for millions of other latinx students.

Making it through the application process as a first generation college student was one of the most stressful times of my life. It is hard to imagine how it would have gone had I also been an undocumented prospective college student. Legal and institutional socioeconomic barriers work against latinx youth, as well as the lack of access to information.

PLUMAS combats such issues by ingraining themselves in the local latinx community and taking direct action in providing students with the resources they need in order to continue their education.

This is done through mentoring, translation, and by directly asking

Diego Orbegoso, Legislative Chair, and Harold Claros, Event Coordinator, at the PLUMAS e-board meeting.

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Saira Ramos and Vicky Padilla.

the community what they need. Richmond schools are underfunded and therefore, unable to provide adequate resources to accommodate the language barriers. To help, PLUMAS members volunteer at local elementary and middle schools to translate parent-teacher conferences for parents who cannot speak english.

“You wonder what it would have been like if you weren’t there,” Camille said.

“These are parents that are coming to the school. They want to be involved, but there’s this barrier.”

Diego Orbegoso, the PLUMAS legislative chair, is active in keeping up with local, state, and national legislation. Diego actively engages with the local community and says one of the biggest struggles latinxs face in being socially active is that not all latinxs have the privilege to do so.

“The privilege I speak of is the privilege of not having to fear your explicit demonstration out in public, not fearing being stopped by public authority, not fearing putting your family at risk if a demonstration of political action goes wrong and hits the fan,” Diego said.

This is especially relevant during President Obama’s administration, in which more immigrants have been deported than any other administration before him.

It is absolutely vital to continue to engage with the community to empower them to speak up. United, these students provide each other with the space they desperately need to mobilize, while educating each other in the process. PLUMAS will continue to battle these issues plaguing the latinx community and make it clear that they will not let the community fade away.

You can keep up with PLUMAS at:

facebook.com/plumasvcu

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PLUMAS

TOP ROW L-R: Harold - Event Coordinator Ana - Education Chair Saira - PR Chair Vicky - Education Chair BOTTOM ROW L-R: Jess - PR Chair Rodrigo - Vice President Gabby - Historian Joel - External Affairs ink

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EVOLUTION THROUGH BEATS Bettering the underground scene and finding an authentic voice 12 fall 2016

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BY ALYSSA MICHENER Album Cover: Jason Pevey

“I saw the same shows, the same jam bands and same toxic people left and right…I don’t fuck with this. This isn’t diverse. How can I better this?”

she can find, finding inspiration from consistent discovery. While most samples are taken from records, Sha also pulls from her conversations and experiences.

The dialogues she samples turn into audible conflicts addressed through sound. She pulls inspiration from Wu-Tang Clan and similar artists who create intros and interludes that bring a piece of harsh realities into music.

Any sound bites are fair game to Sha, drawing inspiration from anything and everything.

Sha Chambers became progressively more frustrated with the underground music scene in Richmond after moving downtown in the summer of 2015. Since integrating herself within the community she has become a prominent force in changing the scene and creating a more inclusive environment for poc After collecting sounds she chops and queer musicians. She began them up, arranging them in her curating shows at her former home studio, “I will literally sit home with likeminded artists there in a dark ass room and and friends, drawing consistent you’ll just be able to see my inspiration from them and their shoulders moving as I’m pressing music. A few months after the buttons and arranging things.” move, she purchased her first Using her body as a metronome sampler and began to create her she creates rhythms that own sound. emphasize the feeling or message she desires.

Sha’s music can be described as feel-good melodic beats, taking “I’ve always battled with myself samples from genres ranging on how I fit into this body and from sunshine pop to Motown. society,” Chambers said. “I came She reflects, “I feel like my music is almost like cryptic messages of me retelling stories already written, it’s like the perfect campfire.”

Her sound is a result of actively listening to any and all music

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I don’t fuck with this. This isn’t diverse.

How can I better this?” ink

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EVOLUTION THROUGH BEATS

SHA & BEN

Find Sha and Ben on Soundcloud:

soundcloud.com/shashakusky soundcloud.com/bedroomhijinks

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Photo above shot by Dastan Sady Kov.

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out and it didn’t change me as artist but made the creative process easier, I could focus less on myself as a person and more on the music and this character in my head.”

In the past summer, Ben Escobar, Sha’s best friend, became a collaborator on their recent project ‘Nu Shorts’. In regards to the collaboration Ben said, “What makes a good friendship is support, and I’ve always felt that from Sha. Laying down Nu Shorts in a night was a trip.” The collection of hip-hop instrumentals were released publicly and sold in tape format.

Once the project was completed they took it to local rappers, who in turn added verses to the piece.

This resulted in a re-release titled “Nu Shorts with Stains.”

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G O O D CLEAR SOUND

How Slam Poetry Challenges Social Barriers and Inspires Personal Understanding

BY SIONA PETEROUS Photography: MJ Minutoli

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If you happen to walk into the Depot on Grace Street on a Wednesday night, you’ll find a group of people, most of whom are strangers to each other, enjoying an open mic. The Depot is reminiscent of a studio you’d find in the rust belt and the open layout only enhances an environment that exudes a laid back, welcoming vibe.

Open mic nights are hosted by VCU’s award winning slam poetry group, Good Clear Sound (GCS). Both Amanda Pressman, president of GCS and Shelby Edwards, vice president of GCS, expressed that they wanted the open mics to be a safe space.

“We can never guarantee that a problematic person won’t come through and say some shit.

So it may not be entirely safe,” Pressman said.

“But we can strive for a better community, a better space. If someone crosses a line, we can call them out.”

I was able to make it out for one of GCS’s open mics at the Depot. It’s set up for anyone to just sign a sheet and perform their work with no pre-screening. When a performer at the open mic actually did cross a line and broke the

unofficial contract of being a safe space with a distasteful joke about sexual assault, they were instantly greeted with an uncomfortable hushed silence.

Byron, a member of GCS and one of the two MC’s for the event, quickly removed them from the stage. He told the performer, “You gotta get off, now.” It was a reminder to the crowd that content that is triggering or offensive isn’t allowed at these events.

Pressman and Edward explained that the concepts of inclusivity, identity and respect for people’s experiences is threaded throughout GCS. As Edwards puts it, “I think there are definitely tiers of experience, but no one looks down on one another.”

This is why GCS has open forums every Sunday to encourage people to try spoken word and they also host events like creative writing workshops. However, GCS is arguably most known for their slam poetry.

“People don’t understand how intense training for CUPSI or any competition is,” Pressman said.

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GCS

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“Seriously, last year we were practicing up to twelve hours a day.”

Their work is evident. GCS has won multiple awards at the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational (CUPSI) and is recognized as one of the most competitive teams in the United States.

Pressman’s interest in poetry began when she immigrated to America from Indonesia in 2002.

“Poetry was a way I could refine my English when I came to the states,” she said.

Edwards has been active in GCS since her first RamSlam during her freshman year, four years ago. She has a lifetime background in music, song-writing and theatre, so poetry was a natural progression.

Pressman sums up the goal of spoken word by saying, “It’s about communication. It’s about communicating through visuals [and] making sure people hear you the first time, [and] understand you the first time.”

“I started to edit my own speech.

I don’t have to beat around the bush. I can say something and authentically know what I mean,” she said about her process of editing poems to fit three minute slots.

Both believe that women of color share a unique relationship with the poetry and the arts at large.

“The arts give us, as women of color, a place to go,” Edwards said.

GCS also allowed her to understand her own intersectionality.

“I’m multifaceted,” she explained.

“I don’t just fit into one box”.

When discussing the role the arts plays in addressing social progressive issues, “Art is a passive medium to make a subtle uplifting statement.

I think that poetry is an active medium [to do the same thing],” Edwards said.

For Edwards, it comes down to directness.

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“Anywhere you look, whether here or abroad, the arts has a fantastic relationship with social movement,” Pressman added.

“I don’t know why that is. I’d say it’s cause artists are more empathetic, but that’s not true, plenty are assholes. I just know the connection is there.”

Despite the connection between arts and politics, Edwards feels her poems haven’t been impacted by inescapable election coverage, “just yet.” But she goes on to express her like of playing devil’s advocate and looks forward to see how the election impacts poems on the stage in coming weeks.

Pressman also doesn’t feel like the election is impacting her

poems any more than usual.

“I immigrated to America in 2002 from a Muslim country,” she said.

“I’ve experienced this xenophobia already, I’m just not surprised.”

For both women, GCS has been an inclusive space to explore the nuanced nature of race, oppression, gender and social issues.

They describe GCS as a place of rare sense of unity.

“There’s nothing better,” Pressman said.

“It’s like an immediate sense of community because of the fact that you’re sharing all your scars with each other.”

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MCKINLEY 22 fall 2016

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Y DIXON ink 23

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BEING BLACK I 24 fall 2016

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BY SARAH THAW Photography: Porcelyn Headen

I remember the first time I saw McKinley Dixon perform. It was in the spring of 2015, in the basement at a friend’s birthday party.

Since house shows make up such a prevalent scene in Richmond, it’s not unusual to have a band or two performing whenever there is a party. What made McKinley different, however, was the fact that he didn’t just perform over some beats. He also featured a live saxophone player, an instrument in particular that I had never seen before as part of a performance in a house show setting.

The vibe of the dimly lit basement transformed from typical Richmond grunge into one of a small jazz club…a jazz club of drunk college students with solo cups in hand.

As soon as he began performing, the crowd was vibing. His words carried the weight of real world issues and the problems plaguing our society. Specifically, his lyrical content spoke directly on the experiences and struggles of being black in America.

With the smooth layering of heavy lyrics, hip-hop beats, and a live instrumental accompaniment, a reflective silence fell over the crowd. The performance was one that would stick out in my mind for months to come, and over a year later, he didn’t just fade away into the distance.

At only 20 years old, McKinley has made a name for himself in the community.

He is originally from Minneapolis, Maryland, but currently resides in Richmond, Virginia where he is a senior at Virginia Commonwealth University majoring in kinetic imaging.

It was here in Richmond that McKinley got his start to music. It began with a song, “We Lovin’ That Jazz,” and an album of demos, “Peter Truman,” that he shared with the Richmond and VCU hiphop and jazz communities to show his seriousness about his craft.

According to McKinley, this was what initially sparked the community’s interest in him as a musician.

Musically, a main source of his inspiration comes from orchestral arrangements. His appreciation of the complex layering and operation of orchestras, a prime example of synergy, resonates strongly with him in his own creative process.

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Ultimately, d shit f

fucking t 26 fall 2016

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y, doing this t for myself is

tight.

“There’s nothing that shows working together better than an orchestral piece,” he said.

Working together proves to be a key theme within McKinley’s work, as his music contains a number of features from other artists. Together, they create content that is not only appealing to the ear, but also evokes emotion and deeper reflection upon the listener.

However, this isn’t exclusive to other musicians, rappers, and singers. For one of McKinley’s tracks, he wanted to have a feature from a speaker, someone in the poetry or public speaking realm.

Upon hearing that Dr. Cornel West would be speaking at VCU, McKinley attended the event and waited several hours afterwards, in hopes to get something that he could use for one of his tracks. He ultimately succeeded, as the distinguished intellectual and black activist spoke into McKinley’s phone as he recorded, supplying him with a sound bite that fit perfectly into a song he was working on. ink 27

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It is evident that McKinley is dedicated and driven by his motivation to create the best content that effectively conveys his message.

He released his mixtape, “Who Taught You To Hate Yourself?” in early 2016, the first installment in a series of three. He is currently working on the second one in the sequence, “The Importance Of Self-Belief,” which continues the story from the first mixtape and will prelude into the last one, “Announcing Humanity.”

“There’s a whole story behind it. The first story is that a boy sees a drive-by in his neighborhood. How does the person involved with that deal with it? Police brutality, racism, and gang violence are brought up. The Importance of Self-Belief is from the perspective of the boy on the other side of the street and how he deals with all of these different emotions that come from encountering this, watching this. The third one is going to be all hip-hop beats, it’s going to be straight rapping,” McKinley said.

I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.

He said that the process of creating his first mixtape allowed for a lot of personal reflection.

“Ultimately, doing this shit for myself is fucking tight and allows me to get a lot of pent-up energy and displacement and harm and pent-up sadness out,” he said.

But what he is concerned with above all, is helping others who may be fighting similar battles. Throughout the process of creating his mixtapes, he brought an issue to the forefront that he felt needs to be addressed, especially within a society that challenges the notion of it.

By highlighting the internal and external splendor and importance of black children, he hopes to get this simple, yet predominant message across: “Black children are beautiful.”

McKinley hopes to provide a sort of therapeutic experience for healing, a way to connect with those who can identify with or relate to his struggles. His main goal in creating music is to support himself and others, and to gain and cultivate the positive power that comes through that.

He wants to be able not only to provide himself and others with an outlet of expression and release, but also have the authority to create and enforce safe spaces for shows, where everyone feels comfortable to enjoy the music that liberates and empowers them.

To stay up to date with McKinley’s music, follow him at:

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Illustration by Megan James ink 29

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BLACK CHILDREN ARE

BEAUTIFUL 30 fall 2016

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Tr

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n o i t a rs

g n i ak ca e p eri s d m n a nA l ro ty i t n ali o f c rut o o eb g g lic n i o t p t Le out ab

i m r o f s an

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FILM STILLS BY DREN SOFFER

I need to breathe, I need to fly, I need to interact as much as I can with any and

everything.

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BY ALYSSA MICHENER Photos provided by Miranda Leung

Control and communication are important to Denzel Boyd, a 21-year-old graphic artist, and senior in the graphic design program at Virginia Commonwealth University. His artwork reflects this in its ability to be formally pleasing and conceptually effective.

Through a process of attention to patterns and rhythms, his resulting reaction creates a body of work that can be described as clean and innovative. Although a large amount of his pieces have been typography and graphics based, he has a growing interest in textile and fashion design.

he deemed his “chaotic period,” paved the way for his work moving from paper to digital means.

Denzel’s work usually starts with an emphasis on formal elements with recurring patterns of modernist tendencies. His goal is to achieve a relationship between order and chaos, with an added layer of abstraction. He is a self-proclaimed control freak and usually finds himself taking on the leadership role in any collaborative project. However, this typical pattern and dynamic was dismantled the moment he entered his current project.

“I am a designer, but also an artist that’s multidisciplinary. I can’t stay in a box. I need to breathe, I need to fly, I need to interact as much as I can with any and everything,” he said.

During the summer of 2016, Denzel applied to Young Art’s Transformations film project. In honor of the program’s 35th anniversary, over 125 alumni applied to work together in groups of three to create five short films fitting into the concept of ‘transformation.’ As one of the fifteen chosen artists, he was paired with a Tyler Rabinowitz, a filmmaker, and Joseph Webb, a tap dancer. The three artists exchanged images, poems, videos, and any source of media that inspired them, as part of the planning process for the project.

“Everything communicates to me and I need to communicate back.

It’s a conversation that’s happening at all times.”

His foundation in painting, which

Through this communication, they came across a viral video of the Northwest Tap Connection.

The video was of a protest dance to the song, “Hell You Talmbout”

by Janelle Monae and Wondaland Records, which spoke on the mass murdering of African Americans by police. The video and discussion of current events sparked an idea for their film concept, which was highlighting the names of those who have died and promoting radical transformation by keeping the conversation alive.

“I was a little apprehensive to conceptually include a political or activist stance,” Denzel admitted.

“But I’m realizing that you can’t escape the conversation and you shouldn’t want to if your heart desires this type of transformation, especially in racial justice.”

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Despite his initial unease, he dove into the project, realizing that he is innately included in promoting media and has a responsibility to direct the dialogue.

As the graphic designer for the project, Denzel took on his role by spearheading the visual language of how the information would be presented. From the start, he knew that he wanted to work with flags, a medium that fit within the form of protest and allowed him to utilize his skill with typography.

The flag would present the names of individuals that fell victim to police brutality between 2015 and 2016, but he felt something was missing. Through the process of research and retrieval of information, he was drawn to the letterform X. “When I researched it, the very first definition read that an ‘X’ is an ancient symbol for change or transformation, long associated in medieval or renaissance art with the coming of the messiah, who shall make all things new,” he said.

“And at that point I almost flew out of my chair.”

The deeper he dug into archived information about the letter, the more associations he found with multiplication, Malcolm X, the signatures of slaves, and the representation of death.

“I have to repeat this ‘X.’ It’s communicating change and transformation, so every single time that it’s worn or presented, that’s what it’s protesting,” he said.

“That’s what it’s advocating for. I started thinking about the deaths and how they are being multiplied over and over and over again.”

His contribution to the project became a screen-printed flag of each name multiplying each other and t-shirts for the dancers with the letter ‘X’ printed on them. The act of screen-printing felt essential for Denzel, paying close attention to detail as each name was memorialized on fabric through a labor-intensive process. After 23 screens were printed, the 12-yard banner housed each of the names, with inevitable imperfections and markings that result from utilizing this method of printing.

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Boyd’s typical clean presentation was disrupted, initially causing him frustration.

“Why am I concerned about this?” he questioned. “This reflects even more perfectly what I’m trying to communicate. And that’s just the nature of screen-printing, the imperfections, which reflect the imperfections of our history.”

Poetically encapsulating the project, his design work reflects his style, but more importantly, speaks directly about this important issue.

Denzel Boyd reflected on the importance of educating oneself, having the insight that results in informed conversations, and taking on the role of speaking out. To him, neutrality on important social issues, such as police brutality, is a form of passivity. He found importance in such, refusing to remain neutral on the subject.

“History has never been on our side because we weren’t the ones writing it,” he said.

“So I took upon myself to do my best to at least write something, even if it’s a scribble, that can make an impact on a lot of people.”

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“

History has never been on our side because we weren’t the ones writing it.

So I took upon myself to do my best to at least write something, even if it’s a scribble, that can make an

IMPACT

“

.

on a lot of people Denzel Boyd

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Photo by Daniel Diasgranado

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Editor’s Choice Aaron Ni’jai

Senior Fashion Editor

In the last two years I, along with my amazing staff, helped push Ink Fashion to new limits. We went from being just a 12 page fashion editorial, to now having 48 pages of breathtaking fashion imagery and thought-provoking articles. I’ve also been here through the amazing changes at Ink with four amazing Editor-In-Chiefs, each having a unique aesthetic. This position has had its ups and downs, with trying to make deadlines, editing articles, and ensuring a quality product for all the Ink readers to enjoy. With all of the early mornings and late nights, the hard work is always worth it at the end of the day. I’m sad that this is one of my last issues as Senior Fashion editor, but I’m proud to say that this is one of the most progressive issues of Ink we have ever published. This issue is here to shine light and dismantle hyper-masculinity, destroy transphobic sentiments, and eradicate institutionalized racism. As you read these pages, I hope you absorb and reflect on all the social issues and underlying problems that we have in our society.

This may be the last time you’ll see me as editor, but it isn’t the last time you will see my work. I will always create and try to change the world. Make sure you keep up with me at Aaronnijai.com and on Instagram: @Iamnijai. Until next time… peace, love and light!

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CREATIVE CONFIDENCE: Unleashing the Creative Potential With Us All

Some people assume that being creative is for the “creative types,” but in actuality, anyone can be creative. In the book “Creative Confidence,” IDEO founder David Kelley and his brother, Tom Kelley, talk about unleashing the creativity that lies within each and everyone of us.

They’re both believed to be the kings of design, creativity, and innovation. In the book, David and Tom give tips and strategies that will allow everyone to tap into their creative potential in their work lives, personal lives, and give new ways on how to approach and solve problems.

Whether you’re a designer, accountant, engineer, or marine biologist, this book can help you become more productive and creative in your everyday life.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

MILITARY JACKETS

I laugh hysterically at people that think Black Lives Matter is a terrorist organization or an AntiWhite Cult. These people are ignorant of the meaning behind the phrase and the group. BLM was created in 2012, after George Zimmerman was acquitted after killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The movement is rooted in the struggle and dehumanization of black people in America.

BLM goes beyond just fighting against police brutality. It pushes to get rid of anti-black racism that is ingrained into our society.

Something that even the black community sometimes forgets is that when we say “Black Lives Matter,” we mean, in the most inclusive way possible, every life matters. This includes, and is not limited to, black queer and trans lives, black disabled lives, black homeless lives, the lives of black children, lives of black women and any other marginalized group that is sometimes forgotten about in other black liberation groups. This movement and mindset is for anyone that believes that black lives really do matter, and deserve to be treated like, for lack of a better term, all lives.

This season, Alexander Mcqueen, Balmain and Burberry all had a few things in common and one of them were military jackets. This structured but light layering piece is a must have this fall. With the right option, this jacket can be styled in many different ways. It is a versatile, neutral piece that can also be used as a statement. You can wear this with a button up for fashionable business appeal, or calm it down with a more casual look. There are many cuts available, from traditional masculine silhouettes to modern, slimmer fits. This unisex, army inspired look would be an excellent addition to your wardrobe.

That’s what life is all about, continual growth. So whatever it is ... Do better.

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Editor’s Choice

Hey everyone!

This is my first issue as junior fashion editor under Aaron, and I’m so stoked for you all to see what we at INK have put together in this issue. I joined one and a half years ago as an editorial assistant, and became creative director last year. The promotion to junior editor was definitely a lot of responsibility to take on, but the whole INK staff is a stellar group of talented friends who helped get everything you see, onto print. I’m looking forward to growing this magazine as much as we can and really repping the richness of Richmond culture in all of it’s aspects. Here are some things I want to share with you all so you can get to know me a little more.

Cierra Artis

Junior Fashion Editor

I wear every color of the rainbow: grey, white, black, denim ...

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GALLERY 5 Truly one of my favorite music venues out here in Richmond. It also doubles as a gallery space.

Gallery 5 opened up to save the life of Steamer Company No. 5.

Built in 1849, Steamer Company No. 5 is Virginia’s oldest firehouse and Richmond’s oldest police station and jailhouse.

Now it’s a community-motivated hub for the downtown arts community where they host some of my favorite First Friday events.

Whenever I need something to do, there’s always a chance that Gallery 5 will have a show going on during the week that I could attend, and often for free!

I’ve discovered some of my favorite bands from the free shows at Gallery 5, from numerous genres, local and out of town.

My faves are Ava Luna, Night Idea, Majjinboo, and Dumbwaiter. If there’s a show happening, I just go, with no idea of what the lineup will be like. With an open mind, you won’t be disappointed, and it’s part of the fun.

Check out gallery5arts.org for the schedule and maybe I’ll see some of you there!

SUSTAINABLE BRANDS A year and a half ago, I donated every fast fashion item I owned, from every color and pattern, and vowed to only invest in brands that I could support with a clear conscience. I hope that within our lifetime, fast fashion will be on it’s way out. Textile waste, which is produced at a much higher rate than its decomposition time, is one of the largest polluters on our planet.

Most fast fashion items are made of synthetic fibers such as polyester, which has very few effective disposal methods outside of recycling. That’s why it’s important to invest in brands that will help sustain the planet and your wardrobe’s versatility. We should also seriously consider the ethics of fashion. Slave labor in garment factories is very real and very dangerous. I’m sure many of us are familiar with the 2013 Savar factory collapse in Bangladesh.

The brands that produce and price garments sustainably, ecologically, and ethically do exist.

However, many of these brands are flying under the radar, with minimal advertising and greater investment into their practices.

Here are some suggestions I have for some very good looking brands to check out: Everlane (transparent pricing and premium basics), The Reformation (Looks like Zara and feels much less guilty), Naja (intimately ethical), and if you just want a super soft basic tee for under 10 dollars, EConscious.net has all the organic cotton you could ever want.

MODERN OUTDOORSWOMEN If you’ve seen my Instagram, you’d know that I spend a lot of my time outdoors. I only started photographing a year ago, and just got the right camera for it in May. But let me tell you, that fresh mountain air is addictive.

Although I know I’m not the only one who has ever caught the hint from nature photographers, outdoor apparel and gear ads, and maybe even friends, that the land of the outdoors is pretty male-dominated. But that doesn’t mean strapping that on a 40-liter pack and spending a weekend on the Appalachian Trail isn’t for everyone. Ruby McConnell emphasizes inclusivity in the world of adventure in her book, A Woman’s guide to the Wild: Your Complete Outdoor Handbook. I picked it up at Elliot Bay Book Company in Seattle, during a road trip this past June. It’s perfect for novices and seasoned pros alike due to it being richly packed with very practical information, a bit of humor, and the occasional satirical jab at female stereotypes in the outdoors. If you want to know how to start fires with wet tinder, how to take care of restroom business at an appropriate distance from camp, or how to braid your hair away from your face like the badass trail-blazer you are, then this is a stellar book to keep around for weekends.

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Left: Hari Nef original - Photo by Kate Owen Top Right: Laverne Cox - Photo from Netflix Bottom Left: Arisce Wanzer - Photo from In Transit Mag

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“We’ve always been here and now you know it. Welcome,” Dominique Jackson, transgender model, said in a trailer for Oxygen’s reality TV show, Strut.

Jackson is signed to the first transgender modeling agency known as SLAY Model Management. Cecilio Asuncion, the owner of SLAY, revealed to the digital publication GOOD that he began his agency to increase representation regardless of anatomy. The show will follow Asuncion’s models consisting of FTM (female to male) Laith De La Cruz, Virginia-native Arisce Wanzer, Ren Spriggs, Dominique Jackson, and Isis King, as they strive to become successful models.

Just as we can expect from any reality television show, the trailer isn’t without fights between models and awkward casting calls. The cast is multigenerational, they come from different backgrounds. Each with their own set of personalities, the models stand proud and unabashed in who they are.

Outside of the slim positive representation we rarely come by, the majority of transgender characters are represented as tricksters in the media trying to “swindle” cissexual heterosexual men, killers, or villains.

These poor portrayals in the media contribute to a lack of understanding and high disregard for transgender people at large.

The Advocate reported that within the first 8 months of 2016, more than 19 homicides were reported.

Most of the attacks were against transgender women of color.

Although representation has improved, the undercurrent of violence hasn’t changed, even for celebrities.

As Laverne Cox, who starred as Sophia Burset in Orange is the New Black, has said in an interview with TakePart, despite her high visibility, the harassment doesn't stop.

Trans Inclusion in Fashion

Although harassment and violence is still a reality, the power of representation has proven to be beneficial, as many marginalized people can project themselves into being something bigger than what the world has deemed them to be. Even though most would consider fashion to be superficial and not something that affects the world at large, it remains a vehicle for change.

There have been many moments in the last decade regarding fashion’s

inclusion of transgender models, such as Lea T’s 2010 Givenchy campaign and controversial Vogue editorial. There’s also Hari Nef, an up-and-coming trans model signed to IMB, who has walked for Hood

By Air, Adam Selman, Eckhaus Latta and more. She has also been featured on Amazon’s Transparent, thus increasing her reach.

Some models have found a door into fashion, but it’s no guarantee that all will make it. In response to the lack of opportunity, agencies specific to transgender models have emerged. Like the aforementioned SLAY Model Management and Trans Models modeling agency run

by MTF model, Peche Di. Located in New York City, Trans Models launched in March of last year. In an interview for Forbes. com, Di explained that she began this agency because, “the fashion industry isn’t as inclusive as it could be.”

That sentiment rings true as Project Runway’s Tim Gunn criticised the use of transgender models in 2014.

Telling the Huffington Post in an interview that it’d be unrealistic for a fashion designer to dress a trans model.

"So, to be looking at women's fashion on a tall, skinny guy with no hips, there's no way you can project yourself into those clothes,” he said, despite the fact that many men and women have full, thin and in-between body types.

It’s not gender that’s the issue, but transphobia within the industry.

In response to Gunn, Andreja Pejic, then known as Andrej, called him out over Twitter. Breaking it down that fashion is more than how a specific gender, or lack thereof, might look.

“Perhaps they are exploring acceptance, expanding the idea of beauty and challenging the gender binary!” Pejic said.

The responses of cissexual people in the fashion industry, like Gunn, are those that are steeped in ignorance. If fashion is about expression, then gender should be expressed without fail. Considering fashion modelling isn’t based on what’s between a model’s legs, but about what they can offer on the runway or in front of the camera.

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Runway, Your way: locals only

BY ANDREA PHILBIN Photography: Will Singleton Styling: Will Singleton and Andrea Philbin Make up: Katie Williams

Ink readers know and love runway season and all the inspiration that it offers. However, it can be difficult at times to actually pull off wearing the trends-- which might make quite the statement in the laid-back environment of RVA. Richmond’s hidden gem boutiques offer great pickings to help take the latest trends by storm and make it your very own this season.

Runway, Yourway.

The Interview

Minimalist Futuristic

Pull off an even sharper take on the classic Navy Powersuit

Approach this season with a deadly seriousness that’s also effortlessly cool.

Runway: Altuzarra Resort 2016

Runway: Yohji Yamamoto Fall 2016 Ready-To-Wear

Yourway: Blue Bones Vintage dress and belt; Addison Handmade & Vintage blazer; Your own fave pair of boots.

Yourway: Yesterday’s Heros jumpsuit, boots, and bracelet

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Workwear Agnst

Basic Statement

Day-To-Day Stripes

Because your mid-week “I don’t care what I wear” blues doesn’t have to look like it.

A basic color palette that’s anything but; Power Primaries.

While you’re already mixing things up, don’t be afraid to experiment with the exploding masculine crop trend.

Runway: Sibling Spring 2014 Menswear Yourway: Blue Bones Vintage blouse, Overalls, Sunglasses; Yesterday’s Heros Boots

Runway: Acne Studios Fall 2016 Read-To-Wear Yourway: Blue Bones Vintage coveralls; Yesterday’s Heros boots, jewelry, pins, bandana, (not pictured); Addison Handmade & Vintage sunglasses

Runway: Dior Homme Spring 2015 Menswear Yourway: Yesterday’s Heros Denim crop top, jeans, boots; Blue Bones Vintage shirt

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For Ears and Eyes Only Featured Artist: UnĂŻx 52 fall 2016

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BY CIERRA ARTIS Photos by Porcelyn Headen Featured Artist : Unix

With a musicality as clean and unfussy as his style, NeoSoul musician Unïx tackles issues of human rights, empathy, justice, and unity head on with a pure and direct sound all his own. Armed with an acoustic guitar and a knack for thoughtful delivery, he paints his lyrics with raw and dramatic vocal flourishes that leave a powerful impact.

He looks as jazzy and classic as hesounds with a fun and playful spin.

Unïx doesn’t stray from colors as bold as his vocal crescendos; and as he danced in the vast halls of the art museum, it was apparent that for Unïx, the music never stops.

Explain your aesthetic, look, or brand. How does it play a part in your identity as a musician?

As of recently, I have been waking up and throwing on whatever feels the most comfortable. I feel like if I have to think about it, then I shouldn’t put it on. If I wear color, it’s usually just enough to be noticed. If anything, I’d say that describes how I operate as an artist the most.

Do you have a specific strategy for songwriting?

If so, can you explain it a little bit?

I definitely attack every song that I write differently, but the one thing that must remain the same is the genuine emotion and feeling that I drench every note in. Music is nothing without the feeling… and neither is life.

Which statement is most accurate: your music inspires the way you live or the way you live inspires your music?

I would have to say that my life inspires the music that I create.

I find things that I am deeply moved by and I’m almost forced to write about it. I write music in hopes that there is someone else out there that will hear it and agree with every word that I say.

I know, I’m strange, right?

If people only take one thing away from your music, what would you want it to be?

Feelings are all that I want to leave with the listeners. We live in 2016, the place where people don’t feel anything anymore, the place where an innocent life can be taken and no one would even blink twice. I just really wanna challenge my listeners to feel.

love that guy? It kinda adds a fun surprise to every day. You wake up and see another person there that’s willing to do anything… well almost anything, to keep a smile on your face. How fucking cool is that?

Who are your greatest musical influences?

Well. I am made completely of Donny Hathaway ballads and Stevie Wonder bops. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that there is any specific artist that has inspired me because I am inspired by so many things. Right now, I am inspired by artists that can make a song that throws me into a constant bop. I fucks with that toe-tapping, hand-clapping ass music. A homie of mine, Rob Milton, has this song called “Jump and Move” and it gets my gears going every time I’m around to see him perform it.

Do you have any rituals when you’re working on your music?

Strangely, I don’t believe that I do.

I might throw a piece of gum in my mouth if I feel like my breath is humming louder than the music.

How has your music evolved throughout the past few years? Why has it evolved the way it has?

For quite some time, I have been on this journey to writing simpler and catchier lyrics. I was told by many that those were the songs that would sell. I used to take at least a month to complete a song because I thought way too much about what other people would

think. My music has finally gotten to a place where it can’t be altered. Nowadays, I pick up the pen and just go, making tiny adjustments after I say exactly what I mean. However, I’m still not into writing riddles or complicated lyrics. Yuck.

How does it feel to perform? What is your ideal setting for a performance?

Performing is unlike any other feeling in the world. I especially love when I get to perform in front of an excited crowd. It is the best when everyone in the audience is singing your music and giving you all of that energy and love back. I feel superhuman every… single…. time.

Where do you see yourself going next in your musical or creative journey?

Honestly, I don’t know exactly where music is going to take me and that’s the most exciting part of it all. I feel like if I knew where I was going I’d be there already.

Ya know?

Do you have any advice for young musicians out there who may be afraid to pursue their endeavors in music?

All I can say is... do you. You may have some strange ideas that people won’t get but do that shit anyway. The last thing you want is to look back and regret stuff! Also, have as much fun with it as possible because you will be doing that shit for the rest of your life. Might as well cha-cha through it all.

What are you most excited about right now?

Ya know, I’m mostly excited about being in love. I’ve been in a relationship with this guy for almost 3 years but not until recently did I fall in love. I think I was just super afraid of exposing myself to anyone other than God and my journal. He has coached me through one of the most depressing times of my life and stuck around when I had nothing but a song in my mind. How could I not ink 53

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Sweater - Vince Necklace - Forever 21

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Vigilare Refusing to look at the camera and love it I think a heart was broken when this was taken Society told me to be submissive, So I started smoking and changed my pronouns to hurricane D’mani Thomas

Photography: Dina Alenu Model: Rori G. Style: Ashlee Walker Makeup: Katie Williams Hair: Joshua Eugene Campbell Creative Director : Aaron Ni’jai Assistant : Allison Oberlin

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Blouse - Equipment Slacks - Ralph Lauren Shoes - Betsey Johnson Necklace - Aldo Belt - Orciani

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Blouse - TopShop Shorts - Zara Shoes - Circus by Sam Edelman Cuff - Sophia & Kate

Choker - Forever 21

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Coat - Rebecca Minkoff BodySuit - Zara Clutch - Zara Skirt - Milly Socks - Asos Boots - Forever 21

Necklace - Forever 21

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Top - H&M Necklace - Vintage

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Sweater - Theory Earrings - Argento Vivo Belt - Forever 21 Boots - Zara

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Blouse - Vince Legging - H&M Boots - Halogen Earrings - Kenneth Jay Lane Bag - Zara

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Jumpsuit - Rachel Antonoff

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IN MY CLOSET

BY SHELBY HERNDEN Photography : Selah Mane Creative Assistant : Shelby Hernden

Brandon

Explain the accessories or articles of clothing that mean a lot to you. Why are they important? What’s the history?

I find that the clothes/ jewelry I tend to love the most are those that have a history behind them.

For example, I’m practically never without my great grandmother’s first-anniversary ring. For her to have held onto it through the War and Depression were feats among themselves; times were tough and I’m sure the temptation must’ve arose to get whatever cash it would’ve fetched to help ease some of the financial burden. Sadly, I never got to meet her; she passed away some years prior to when I was born. Even still, from all the stories I’ve been told about her, I feel that I still got the chance to know her, even if only from hearsay. She was a remarkable woman; not

Most people use clothing as a device of showcasing personality. We typically wouldn’t pay money for and adorn our bodies with something that doesn’t suit us or doesn’t fit the type of person we want to be. Identity is central to the wardrobes of Ramla, Brandon, and Briana. These individuals maintain fashion forward, daring, versatile looks all while proudly and unapologetically keeping true to who they are.

in the sense that she somehow juggled all of the gender-defined responsibilities that society dictated for women at that time, but more so in the sense that she was this blunt, witty, and just generally serendipitous rebel, damning the cynics and their ignorance. It is her righteous attitude and sense of independence that comes to mind whenever I look at the ring; reminding me to be true to myself (not to sound too Hallmark-esc).

What inspires you to create your personal style?

I hate to boil this down to a single aspect of my life, but it probably does hold the most influence on my fashion choices; I love the 1980’s. Specifically, I like the radical colors, the evolution of the punk-aesthetic, and the big, styled-up hair.

What would you say to a student or anyone that wants to dress uniquely like yourself, but is afraid to?

I would say to go for it; now is the time to explore that aspect of yourself. Richmond is probably the epicenter of artistic expression in Virginia (maybe even further), so if you were going to go bold and try to express that inner-you for the rest of the world to see, this would certainly be the place to go out on that branch. Not only that, I feel as though wearing what you genuinely like, not what some corporate-catalogue says you ‘should’ like, is a little liberating; you get more comfortable in your own skin walking down road.

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R

ing articles to express myself without it having to be short or too revealing. I am grateful for these two major factors because they keep life interesting and inspire my closet to look its best.

What would you say to a student or anyone that wants to dress uniquely like yourself, but is afraid to?

I would tell any student to not be afraid to be themselves because of the opinions of others.

Each person has their own mind therefore their own style and for of expression. There can only be one form of yourself, so you can either choose to blend in the crowd and be boring or stand out. Out of the entire world, there is not one person that is exactly like you, meaning you have something unique to offer everyone.

Don’t listen to people and worry so much about what other think because their opinion is just as boring and irrelevant as their style. You’re a flower child waiting to blossom so conquer the world with your shine and presence.

T

Do you have anyone(celebrity, fashion icon, etc.) you look to for fashion inspiration?

Honestly I don’t have anyone specifically that I aim to look like but I do go on Tumblr and Instagram for fashion inspiration. I’m always being inspired and learning when I scroll down my social media and so far it’s been working great. I go from looking at celebrity fashion or your average Joe’s fashion blog from NY. It all depends really.

Ramla

Explain the accessories or articles of clothing that mean a lot to you. Why are they important? What’s the history?

The articles of clothing that mean a lot to me are the big statement pieces. I love clothing that speaks to you and invites you to come take a look. I feel the same way when it comes to accessories as well because such a small pieces can have such a huge impact on the outfit.

Statement pieces do a wonderful job when the rest of the outfit is simple but you need that pop.

Sometimes the right pair of shoes or the purse can do just the job. Which is why I wore the brown floral jacket because simply by looking at it, you feel its power.

What would you call your style?

I would like to catch my style eye catching, bold, and…...FIERCE! What inspires you to create your personal style?

I believe I have a unique style due to my background of being Muslim and Eritrean. I have a natural attraction to more rich and bolder colors and statement pieces due to my culture.

Africa is filled with all sorts of art and beauty that it’s impossible to not become obsessed. My Islamic faith inspires me to dress in a more modest manner always remembering that God is watching you wherever you go. It allows me to expand my horizon and think of different cloth-

What are some misconceptions you have heard for those who wear a hijab?

One big misconception about hijab is that girls who wear it don’t work out. People believe they simply don’t work out due to their religious dress code of having to cover their bodies.

Hijabi girls feel very insecure to go the gym because they feel very different. Everyone around them is in some form of short and tight clothing, while they have to attain modesty and keep it loose and long. Exercise is required for Hijabi women just as much as it is required for everyone else. It upsets me to hear that people are afraid to complete daily life tasks for the fear of being judged or made fun of. Hijab is not meant to stop one from doing anything in life, it simply means one can do anything in life while showing gratitude to their God. I need girls who wear hijab to go to the gym while embracing their hijab, telling the world that they can’t stop you.

How do you tie in a hijab to your outfits? Do they become the centerpiece of your outfit?

Hijab is actually not too difficult to work and incorporate into outfits. Sometimes if the outfit is busy and popping then your hijab can be simple so it doesn’t become a distraction.

Simply Vice Versa, if the outfit is a litting dull today, then you can use the hijab as a main centerpiece and allow it do all the talking for you. I love those days because you really get to show off how beautiful the hijabs are and catch peoples eye.

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Briana

Explain the accessories or articles of clothing that mean a lot to you.

Why are they important? What is the history?

I have a shirt from the 90’s I thrifted that says ‘Black Beauty is the Black Woman’.

Even though I have no idea who owned the shirt at first, I would like to think a (queer) black woman owned it before me. I honestly convince myself that the person who owned it before me was definitely sapphic.

What would you call your style?

My style changes from ‘femme boi’ to ‘high femme’. I don’t think I have a concrete style.

What would you say to a student or anyone that wants to dress uniquely like yourself, but is afraid to?

I would go ahead and do it! I think that

dressing the way I do really boosts my self confidence, and I definitely get more compliments than I do negative comments. But do it at your own pace - I’m naturally really introverted and shy so it was something I had to build up my confidence to do. I think that Richmond is a really good space to express yourself though, I usually am not the only one dressed uniquely on the street.

How do you define gender neutral style vs how the media portrays it?

For me, gender neutrality is something that I feel, and not necessarily something I present. Most of the media thinks of gender neutrality in terms of Ruby Rose - the thin conventionally attractive white person with an undercut who wears masculine clothing. However, the way someone presents

themselves in what they wear should not determine the way we see them as a person. Clothing can be an expression of gender, but it also can just simply just exist as an expression of feeling.

Explain your shopping process?

I pretty much only shop at thrift stores which can kind of be overwhelming sometimes.

But usually I pick up the weirdest things, things with interesting textures and bright patterns. Right now I try to mostly look for pieces from the 70’s.

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Inclusivity in Fashion

BY SHAUN JACKSON Illustrator: Bridget Guckin

Think back to London Fashion Week circa 2013, it was a time of vermillion, capes, and turtlenecks. However, one of the most interesting things to arise from LFW was Bethann Hardison’s compiled list of designers who featured only one or no models of color in their shows last season.Â

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After being joined by Naomi Campbell and Iman (both of whom joined Hardison’s antiracism Diversity Coalition) the CDFA and designers around the globe began to take a look at their whitewashing practices but the question begging to be answered now is: how far have the designers come in actively employing more models of color. In the same hilt, you have Eddie Enniful, one of Black Fashion’s most prolific stars, who is constantly encouraging more diversity within the industry, from schools to internships to mentorships and on the runway.

Given the events of this season’s fashion week, designers like Marc Jacobs have let us know that not everyone has received

the memo, even three years later.

Granted Jacob’s insensitivity to these issues are linked in cultural appropriation; the issue remains the same – there is still a disproportionate lack of models of color in the industry. While there are designers like Kanye West whom this past season had a runway that was comprised entirely of models of color, these gains are simply not enough to assuage the fact that between London, Milan, and New York models of color only comprised about 25% of runways this season.

This issue has multiple layers and as such it cannot be remedied with just one solution. This is not just an issue that belies designers but also brings a lot of attention to the casting agencies they work

with, who in certain aspects, should be held as accountable as designers.

Diversity is one of fashion’s greatest strengths. Diversity is also one of our society’s greatest strengths. As the industry begins to celebrate these diversities equivocally, fashion will find itself making progress; both on and off the runway.

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DRY HEAT Photographer : Joshua Maclin Models : Lue Doris + Jeri Hiraldo Stylist : Christopher Quarterman Makeup: Katie Williams Creative Director : Aaron Ni’jai Assistant : Tina Dickey

Masculinity is a dry heat, a heavy handed slap The fall afterwards If I told you there was a utopia here, would you believe me?

If I told you that this sand held god, Led them to sleep, Would you come be with us?

Come be with us D’mani Thomas

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Black cashmere wool turtleneck long sleeve top - Jose Duran Shoes - Nicopanda 72 fall 2016

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Black and white sheer net top - ShocKVintage for DRTY SMMR Black pinstriped trousers - ShockVintage for DRTY SMMR Chain ring bracelets - Laruicci Shoes - Nicopanda

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Printed Sweatshirts - Black Pyramid Sweatshirt fleece lace up apron top as skirt - Whatever 21 Chiffon layered skirt - Alfredo Leija for DRTY SMMR Blue jeweled cuff - Haus of Topper

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Pink feather earring - Haus of Topper Rose gold chain bracelet Choker - Laruicci Boots - Pikolinos

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Black net jersey - Scotch + Soda Red and black striped button down shirt - Scotch + Soda Gold and silver leaf necklaces - Harrison Morgan Gold Bracelets - Qiyada

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Black quilted jacket - Mused Salmon Double waist skinny jeans - Whatever 21 Multi colored chain bandana - Laruicci Rings - Laruicci

Pink and black ribbon top - Nicopanda Faux fur panda bag Nicopanda Leather trousers - Scotch + Soda White chain link bandana - Laruicci Ring - Laruicci Boots - Pikolinos

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Reversible faux fur jacket - Jose Duran Camel hair draped skirt - Jose Duran Grey ‘’Richer’’ hoodie - Vie + Riche Earrings - Laruicci Boots - Pikolinos 78 fall 2016

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Reversible faux fur jacket - Jose Duran Camel hair draped skirt - Jose Duran Grey ‘’Richer’’ hoodie - Vie + Riche Earrings - Laruicci Boots - Pikolinos 80 fall 2016

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Hoodie - Black Pyramid Draped wool skirt - Jose Duran Choker and cuff - Laruicci Boots - Pikolinos

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Grey printed top - Alfredo Leija for DRTY SMMR Grey plastic printed trousers - ShocKVintage for DRTY SMMR Shoes - Nicopanda

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Pink and black faux fur bomber jacket - Nicopanda Black fur hood - Mused

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Designer Spotlight: Morning Portal

BY JULIA BLOCK Photographer: Aaron Ni’jai Makeup Artist: Katie Williams Hair: Joshua Eugene Campbell Model: Roshelle Summer Stylist: Cierra Artis Assitant: Will Singleton

Interspersed between photos of ironic beach scenes, you’ll find shots of models coolly staring at you, wearing asymmetrical shirts and mesh dresses. Alex Curley’s Morning Portal is an amalgam of resort wear chic and androgynous minimalism. One hundred miles away from Richmond, Curley draws from both D.C. and his expertise in sculpture received at VCU. We sat down with the artist to discuss Morning Portal and his avant-garde approach to fashion.

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INK: Where did the name Morning Portal come from?

Alex : A few years ago, I was working on a series of projected installations inspired by the light that illuminated space through windows. Morning Portal was originally the name of one of the artworks from that series. I thought it sounded dreamy and hopeful. Morning Portal also seemed to make the perfect connection with clothing as a portal for other worlds. I didn’t want my brand to be my birth name, I wanted it to be about something more than myself. Morning Portal felt right.

INK : What inspired you to become a designer and create genderless fashion?

Alex: Personally, clothing is an extension of my body and has always been important in my expression of self. It’s really important for me to create garments outside of gender expectations because gender identity is different for everybody. Clothing has the ability to make people feel empowered, and I would like to create things that empower people in their own expression of self.

INK: Is there an essential part of your design process?

Alex: It definitely has to be my time spent alone. This past year I moved away from Richmond to the D.C. area to teach. In the beginning, I didn’t know anyone and honestly, I felt very lonely.

The quiet solitude I experienced eventually became incredibly inspiring, and it pushed me to begin Morning Portal in a very pure, uninterrupted context. I was able to have a studio practice with absolute focus, where I became completely absorbed in my creative process. It’s a really magical feeling when you’re working without any distractions and you lose track of time. During the winter months, I remember spending the weekends and evenings inside, sewing and listening to music for hours and hours. It was an immensely gratifying experience and I’m happy I’m able to share that work with you now.

INK: Who is your ideal muse and what type of person do you see wearing your clothes?

Alex: I have so many friends with creative pursuits in Richmond and they all inspire me. One in particular is my close friend and ambient witch pop musician Gemtone, who has been incredibly encouraging of Morning Portal and debuts many of my pieces at her performances. I like to think someone who wears Morning Portal is a very strong creative individual. Gemtone embodies that to me.

INK: Have you ever considered branching out into other areas of fashion design, like accessories or other projects?

Alex: I’ve crafted a series of brass armored rings and I’ve recently collaborated with Lonely Pine Jewelry to create a collection of resin rings. I am also collaborating with Atlantic Desolation on a Morning Portal zine that will be released very soon!

I’d like for Morning Portal to be a larger creative project in addition to the clothing line.

INK: What’s your earliest memory with fashion?

Alex: I think this all started in high school when I made my first 6 piece collection inspired by space aliens. From an early age, I’ve been fascinated by

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clothing design from fantasy and sci-fi movies and video games. I definitely think my aesthetic will always pull from those original sources. As a shy, queer, art kid, fashion seemed to offer opportunities to express my identity. I realized I could build my own context in the world through art and it became a very powerful tool for me to grow.

INK: Have you ever doubted pursuing a career in this industry?

Alex: Yes all the time! This industry can be complicated and problematic. I feel very much like an outsider. Morning Portal has a very slow construction process when compared to the fast pace the fashion industry operates on. I make everything myself, so these pieces take a lot of time.

I enjoy having a more independent and DIY practice where I can define things my own way, on my own time.

INK: How difficult was it to execute your ideas into tangible garments and did you have to adapt any once you started making them?

Alex: I value change and transformation in my design process.

When I am making a garment, I start with a specific intention, either conceptually or aesthetically inspired. As I begin to make the pattern and work with the fabric, my original idea usually goes in another direction entirely.

I appreciate and celebrate the challenges that come with these changes. The result can be very surprising.

INK: What helped you grow as an artist?

Alex: Actively listening to the perspectives of other people.

Taking risks and learning from my failures has helped me the most as an artist. When you feel too comfortable with your work, you’re not challenging yourself enough, you’re not learning, you’re not growing.

INK: What type of impact has being a sculpture student at VCU had on your career?

Alex: My fine art background in sculpture really influenced me to think critically about interior spaces. From there, my attention

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turned to the space around the body, and I began to explore a relationship between sculpture and clothes. I tend to think about clothes as a type of soft sculpture that relies on the body. Morning portal pieces are never fully complete until they’re worn.

INK: Where do you see your design aesthetic in the future? Has this collection impacted that at all?

Alex: I want to continue to design garments that uplift the wearer’s state of mind by complementing movement of the body and physical comfort. In terms of aesthetic, I would like to continue to play with color, texture, and minimalism. I have a lot of collaborations in the works right now and things are already changing! I think Morning Portal will continue to evolve into something I can’t even imagine now. Change and the unfamiliar are exciting.

Name: Alex Curley Website: morningportaldesign.com Instagram: @morning_portal

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Get this Look

BY GIOVANNI V.

Fashion for men this season will be about expression, and this fall, I ask everyone to fully express themselves without limits, to become boundless and captivate a room. For this article, I will be choosing three archetypes but will be taking a different spin on it. Hopefully this will push others to find that inner spark and allow themselves to truly be seen this fall.

The first look is my take on the business suit. For starters, the pants should stop just above the ankle, allowing you the wear unique pattern socks that fit your style and personality. You can choose one of the dominant colors in the sock pattern to match a shirt to, pulling the outfit together along with a tie or bow-tie. Oxford shoes with a thick sole can be paired with the look for added dimension to the overall look and feel. The blazer is a slim fit, but a fitted blazer will achieve the same overall effect, based on your preference.

The next look is a casual one. A skinny or fitted chino, based on your personal preference, along with a button up shirt and coat, featuring a wool collar finish. It is important to note that each item is different in color, but they complement one another to bring the look together.

This eliminates the need to use the same color over and over again.

The last look is the combination of dress casual and urban. This look allows for the most freedom. It starts simply with the pairing of an overcoat, hoodie and jeans. The hoodie can be substituted with a sweater for a similar look. The shoes are loafers, but could also be taken even more casual with a pair of your favorite sneakers.

Each one of these looks have great versatility, allowing you to customize them to fit your personal style.

Jack Threads Waffle Sweater $59 Jack Threads Iron & Resin Todos Santos Pullover Hoodie $89

Virgin Blak Street Vintage Style Damaged Blue Denim Jean 42.50 TOPMAN Camel Wool Rich Overcoat $220.00

A.S.A.P Rocky TOPMAN Tan Suede Tassel Loafers $120.00 90 fall 2016

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H&M Cotton Suit Pants $49.99

H&M Leather Oxford Shoes$129

H&M Premium Cotton Shirt$24.99

H&M Blazer Slim fit$99

Paolo Stella

Indigo Stretch Skinny Chinos $50.00O TOPMAN

H&M Premium Cotton Shirt$24.99

TOPMAN Tan Borg Collar Wool Overcoat $160.00

Jack Threads Florsheim Castellano Monk $130

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“Almost always, the creative, dedicated minority has made the world better.”

—Martin Luther King Jr.

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