Looks of UniSA

Interviewer Stephanie Montatore Your Look (Matters)

This year at Verse, we have tried exploring student life through multiple stylish angles and lenses. Most notably, in this corner of the magazine, we have found a nuanced, fresh and fashionable means to divulge insight into the identities and passions of uni youth in the segment we call Looks of UniSA. From sustainable fashion to vintage fashion, from one-on-one interviews to single voice analyses, what we have discovered most with this segment is just how much a person’s look speaks to who they are. So, in this final edition of Looks, we are taking things back to basics. Similar to our first edition, we sat down with three awesome students to understand, yet again, how their look defines them. Specifically, as the year wraps up and a handful of our cohort enters the workplace, we aimed, this time around, to explore how our students plan to continue their unique style far into the “real” world of the workforce. If there is one thing we hope you took away from Looks in 2021 is... Take pride in your appearance. Sometimes it isn’t “style over substance”. Sometimes the style is the substance.

54 LOOKS OF UNISA

LOOKS OF UNISA

Photos Rebecca Maloney Rebecca Maloney Tell us a little bit about you; what are you studying and what makes you, you? My name is Rebecca and I have a wide range of interests and passions, some of the main ones being health and fitness. I love being active and I always like to try to consume products that are good for me. Although, funnily enough, for most of my life I did not exactly consider myself a “creative” person in the traditional sense. However, here I am, in my third year of studying Interior Architecture. What does clothing/fashion mean to you? Is it an important means of your self-expression? (Why/why not?) Fashion is something that I have embraced more so throughout my time at university. I love that I can dress to express myself, whether that is a sporty, casual, or professional look. How do you feel your style has evolved overtime? What factors do you think have encouraged this change? As I have gotten more into fashion my “style” is something that has gained more depth and has many different sides. This was mostly influenced by starting my studies and wanting to have varying versatile outfits. However, during my studies, I read a journal that mentioned that once you know the rules, you can break the rules. This is something that I think is extremely important to remember in many creative outlets. When people ask me if something “goes” together, I typically say that if you’re wearing it then it’s going together. I do this because I feel that if it is something that you personally like and are happy in, then that should come before the “rules” surrounding fashion. As you move into industry after studying, how do you want to present yourself and why? What do you want your co-workers and employers to see? Recently partaking in work placement, trying to find clothes that are work appropriate was a challenge and it also introduced another dimension when buying clothes. In the workplace and particularly in the creative field, one’s style can be seen as rather important. I try to find a balance of being professional but also fitting for my style and age, particularly playing with colours and textures. And finally, what clothing pieces make you feel most confident and secure in yourself and why? A staple piece that I always wear is a light wash wide leg jean; they are both comfortable and very versatile, making them easy to style with other pieces. I also really enjoy pairing shoes with my outfits, whether that’s Air Force 1s for my casual outfits or cute ankle boots for my work outfits.

Gagan Photos Gagan Kaur Kaura

Tell us a little bit about you; what are you studying and what makes you, you? My name is Gagan (I also go by Gigi) and I am an International student studying a Bachelor of Mathematics (Data Science). I believe what makes me me is my comfort in my own skin and contentment with who I am. I don’t wish to be anyone else even though there are things I don’t like about myself. There may be a lot of instances where I have envied people for their styles, their fashion sense, or their personalities, but there isn’t anything I would change about myself for or because of anyone else. What does clothing/fashion mean to you? Is it an important means of your self-expression? (Why/why not?) Fashion is a way of expression for me. I like to express not just my moods or my personality through my outfits but also use it to practice self-love and acceptance. Fashion is a source for me to destress and release all negative emotions. On my worst days, I like to dress exceptionally nice even though all I could have planned is grocery shopping. Picking the outfit, the accessories, putting them on, and applying make-up is almost like a soothing therapy session that I have with myself where I can clear my thoughts and make space for the comfort that fashion brings me. Fashion is what made me achieve self-acceptance as, in my late-teens, I started playing around with my style, trying new things, where I would pick my outfits and makeup looks the night before and feel confident throughout the next day. Fashion is what made me be at peace with myself and who I am. How do you feel your style has evolved overtime? What factors do you think have encouraged this change? My style has evolved massively throughout the years. I used to mostly play it safe and put almost no effort or thought into my style even though I did have a liking for trendy looks. It had a lot to do with my low selfesteem and the environment around me as I come from a conservative country and lack of self-dependence. As soon as I had an income, moved to Adelaide, and began my self-acceptance journey, I became very experimental and daring with my style. I am not scared to try new things that may make me stand out a lot, but I am not scared to blend in the crowd either. As you move into industry after studying, how do you want to present yourself and why? What do you want your co-workers and employers to see? I would still want to be as expressive with my style as I am now as I don’t want to lose my edge. But I might need to tone it down a bit to fit into the professional environment. What I like to do when I must stick to a strict dress code is have one element in my look that stands out. It could be a piece of jewelry, an unusual color palette, or an uncommon combination. If possible I would like not to get rid of any of my piercings and hair colours too, as they are a part of how people around me know me. I would also like my coworkers to know me like that too. And finally, what clothing pieces make you feel most confident and secure in yourself and why? That is a very open-ended question for me; there are so many factors like the occasion, the place, and the weather. As long as my outfit doesn’t make me uncomfortable or make me wish I should have worn something else, I feel confident and secure. LOOKS OF UNISA

LOOKS OF UNISA

Vinola Joseph Charles Jothi Photos Vinola Joseph Charles Jothi Arokiamary Arokiamary Tell us a little bit about you; what are you studying and what makes you, you? I am Vinola, I am currently doing my Masters in Health Services Management at the City East campus at UniSA. I think my attire makes me, me. I often dress according to my emotions (I know it sounds funny, but it’s true). For instance, if I am thrilled, I might treat myself to a colorful top and pair it with skirts or jeans. When the opposite happens, I won’t mind walking around in suits. I think that makes me, me. What does clothing/fashion mean to you? Is it an important means of your self-expression? (Why/why not?) Clothing makes us all feel good in our otherwise very vulnerable skin, and we all have our moments of vulnerability. Clothing is an essential means of my self-expression because it represents me. Aal paadhi aadai paadhi is a Tamil proverb that means half-human, the half dress makes our identity clear. I believe before I introduce myself, my attire speaks for me. So, it is indispensable to use clothing in a proper way to express our emotions. How do you feel your style has evolved overtime? What factors do you think have encouraged this change? I think my style has evolved to be more confident and bold. The prime factor would be the area I now live in, my friends, and the other people around me. When I see people who look and walk boldly in their clothes, it makes me want to wear that confidence too. As you move into industry after studying, how do you want to present yourself and why? What do you want your co-workers and employers to see? I want to present myself as brave, bold, confident and compassionate because I want to inhibit all of these qualities and be introduced to others as such. My employers should see these empowering qualities through my actions and clothes. And finally, what clothing pieces make you feel most confident and secure in yourself and why? A top with a knee-length skirt, top with jeans, a dress and a saree (the traditional attire) would make me feel most confident and secure in myself. This is because of the freedom I feel when I wear those clothes. It helps to be myself, and the comforts make me confident to speak and stand for myself. ▪