W27 December 2018

FIT

DECEMBER 2018 Volume 51

Issue 3

December 2018

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MASTHEAD

Mason Auman Editor-in-Chief

W27

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Sophia Ostapenko Managing Editor Jenna Henley Treasurer

EDITORS Thuy Anh Dang Ishna Bisht Alivia Matthews

ART Erin Tucker Art Director Lara de la Torre Photo Editor Alexander Lopez-Guevara Thuy Anh Dang Jackeline Portillo Ariana Paino Jenna Henley Dawn Bauer Designers

CONTRIBUTORS Thuy Anh Dang Lara de la Torre Toni Blackburn Ishna Bisht Hannah Krebs Mary Helen Guastello Mason Auman Dawn Bauer Erin Tucker Brittany Evans Yajie Niu Lola Cornillon Sophia Ostapenko Jenna Henley Hannah McIntosh Alexander Lopez-Guevara Alivia Matthews Ariana Paino

Throughout the course of this semester, I have worked to make W27 an environment which sustains itself on inclusivity. We seek to involve the entire FIT community with the production of our monthly issues, and with each edition that has been plopped onto stands on 27th street, I have been increasingly more impressed. Your input and your submissions are integral to our output and the quality of the contents within these pages. So, simply put, thank you.

In order to reach the next step in our evolution as a publication by you and for you, however, we need more. We need more articles, more photographs, more illustrations and more ideas.

You are a student at a university that is brimming with talents - including your own. I implore you to reach out to me with those talents, even if you’re unsure what machinations I could possibly use them for, and together we can make W27 bigger, more thought-provoking, and an even greater reflection of the quality of our FIT community. You’ve got until January 28th to sit and stew on some ideas while the once-attractive snow turns to sludge - I hope to be regaled with them upon our return.

Until Then,

Ellen Davidson Alexandra Mann Faculty Editorial Advisors

Professor Albert Romano Faculty Advertising Advisor

ON THE COVER: Illustration by

Mason Ryder Auman President and Editor-in-Chief, W27

W27 Newspaper

@W27 Newspaper

Alexander Lopez-Guevara @W27 Newspaper Editor’s photo shot by Steven Molina Contreras

www.w27newspaper.org www.issuu.com/w27newspaper

FIT

DECEMBER 2018

contents CAMPUS LIFE

OP-ED

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Twisted Wonders: FIT’s Runway 27 Show

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I Moved Across the World and I Still Got Cat Called

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Diary of an Intern

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Falling Into Nostalgia: Why are we so obsessed with our past?

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Cooking Over Winter Break / 7 Fashion Books to Read at the FIT Library

CULTURE

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How Horror Television Has Remained Relatable

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Thank U, Next / The Legacy of Stan Lee

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“Bohemian Rhapsody”: A Glorified Greatest Hits Album Boy Erased, A Film Exposing the Reality of Conversion Therapy

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The Debate About Hedi Slimane

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A Story All Our Own: “The Stone Diaries” is a Jaw-Dropping Commentary on Being Tenacious with One’s Life

FEATURES

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Give Your Holiday Outfit Over to a Vintage Pleasure

W27 is PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER. PLEASE RECYCLE AFTER READING. A FIT STUDENT ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION.

HOFIT

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Humans of FIT

NYC

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How Your Mindless Coffee Habit is a Hazard to The Environment

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Ebony Bolt and the MTA Holiday Train Show

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The Mystery of Fractional Addresses and Streets in NYC

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Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again

THE GALLERY

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Christa Camp / Daniella DiCarlo

STYLE ON 27

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Style on 27

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CAMPUS LIFE

W27

BACKSTAGE

TWISTED WONDERS: PHOTO COURTESY JULIA D’AMBOLA

FIT’S RUNWAY 27 SHOW

BY THUY ANH DANG

Raul Flores This year, Runway 27 really wants to showcase student designers, so they emailed the whole student base at FIT to submit a look or several looks for the selection. I mainly design menswear, but I also have some women’s wear in the show.

Alice Wang Being able to witness many talented designers from the school showing their art pieces is truly a great experience. I had a friend who had her garment shown in the past show, so I applied through there. One of my other friends also recommended that I do it. I design mostly intimate apparel and special occasion. The aesthetic of the theme is very eclectic and dramatic, but I tried to add a modern twist. The appliques from my two gowns presenting in the show are all hand sewn.

PHOTO COURTESY TALES BY PRILLY

Aimee Nielsen I previously had a whole other career, hated it, quit to pursue my fashion dreams, so being able to participate in the show is important for me. I used a lot of activewear textiles and made them into couture pieces that are versatile to be worn during the day, or to the beaches. For this theme, I used red and black as my main colors. The process was about a month. Thinking took more time than the execution honestly.

PHOTO COURTESY TALES BY PRILLY

Shalini Natarajan & Khush Kakkar This is our first year at FIT. We together created a garment especially for this show. Knowing the theme and how big the platform of this show is, we were very excited. We spent a few nights watching Alice in Wonderland to get inspired and finally took inspiration from the Cheshire Cat, one of the main characters in the movie.

PHOTO COURTESY NI OUYANG

Anna Zamanberdiyeva This is my first semester at FIT. Having three months worth of sewing experience, I am kind of nervous. At the end of the day, it is your work, so when you are designing, it is not easy to see it from the spectators’ point of view. I made a ball gown inspired by roses and the Queen of Hearts. Did a sweetheart bodice, a red heart shape for the queen, a lot of layers. It took me three to four weeks. My machine broke down twice so I had to bring the whole thing to sew at school. It was really heavy to carry.

Hannah Myers My design is a bit like a Commes Des Garçons. I made it about a year ago.

I thought it would be suitable for the Mad Hatter section. I have been watching the show since freshman year and this is the first time one of the pieces I enjoyed making is presented in the show. The president and vice president of Runway 27 are my good friends. Knowing their passion and hard work, I would love to support them. Plus, as a designer, whenever I am listening to music and sewing, I fantasize about moments like this, imagine what I would say if I am in an interview, how I would like to present myself to the media and the press. After sleepless nights, finally getting to see your garment in a live professional atmosphere is so rewarding.

FIT

DECEMBER 2018 RUNWAY

At 6:00 pm on the night of Runway 27’s fashion show, I made my way backstage, overwhelmed by the energy and the anticipation of the show. Models in intricate gowns behind sound systems were applying their makeup. Models practiced their walks and poses in front of mirrors. Staff members were in quick meetings before the show, others were running barefoot to fix last minute mishaps. “The energy here is amazing. Everyone here has been working so hard from day one to make sure this is happening and it is more noteworthy that this is student run. The models here are also students. We were trained to walk by professionals. I applied and here I am,” said Joanna Mingo, one of the models. Needless to say, FIT’s Runway 27 show is one of the most anticipated fashion events at FIT. This season’s theme is “Twisted,” inspired by Alice in Wonderland.

Two-hundred VIPS, over 800 audience members, and over 20 designers. Those are the impressive milestones this runway show had achieved. An hour before the show officially started, I managed to interview some of the talented designers about to have their garments shown on the runway.

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PHOTO COURTESY: CAT TRZASKOWSKI

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CAMPUS LIFE

W27

Diary of an Intern:

BY LARA DE LA TORRE

A

s a junior here at FIT, I’ve begun to feel the mounting pressure synonymous with graduation. Where am I going to work, what am I going to do in a world as broad as photography … am I good enough to find work? These are the questions floating around in my head with each passing day, the end of this semester only bringing them into even sharper focus. The one thing that has kept the worry at bay, though, is my internship with HelloFresh. Since October 8, I’ve been working part-time at their photo studio assisting the two in-house photographers with photo shoots, video shoots and any day-to-day administrative tasks they may need help with. Combining my passion for food and my life-long love for photography, starting at HelloFresh was a lightbulb moment for me. Here’s a look at what a normal day in the studio is like for me...

7:00am: I’ve always enjoyed having a

flexible amount of time in the mornings to go through the motions of my usual routine: shower, get ready and eat breakfast. Having to rush around because I slept in or miscalculated the time it takes to get things done has never produced positive vibes for the remainder of my day.

8:40am:

With a 15-minute walk to the studio from the Kaufman dorms, I usually get in a couple of minutes early.

PHOTO COURTESY LARA DE LA TORRE. FOOD STYLING BY DARIO SQUIRES

9:00am: If my co-workers are already

in before me, I immediately check with them to see if they need anything/what could I be doing to help kick-start the workday. Usually, I’m handed over the keys to the equipment closet, which I’ll use to retrieve any gear that’s needed. If we have a shoot, the kitchen is usually prepping and/or already starting to cook the dishes we are scheduled to be photographing over the course of the day.

10:00am:

By this point, our day is almost in full swing. With prepared food already making its way out of the kitchen and onto our sets, I’m usually switching back and forth between the needs of each photographer and anyone else in the studio that may need help: fresh batteries for the cameras, taping down wires to make sure no one trips, hand-modeling if a utensil needs to be held in a detail image or if a pot needs to be stirred for a GIF.

11:00am-12:00pm:

Shoots are going full-blast by this point in the early afternoon. Occasionally, if things are in a lull because we’re waiting for a batch of brussels sprouts to brown in the oven or for some risotto to reduce, I’ll be sent out to run errands: go toWhole Foods for some groceries we overlooked, head to B&H to pick up a piece of equipment ordered online, check Adorama for a specific cord we’ve been looking for for weeks, etc.

1:00pm: Usually around this time, we’ll

have reached a comfortable point in our workflow and people start trailing off to break for lunch. The best days are when the long wooden picnic table in the middle of the studio is laden with food that’s already been shot, ready to be served and heated up for whoever wants to eat it. Over the course of the seven weeks I’ve been working at the studio, though, I’ve realized that I need to start bringing my own salt shaker with me; tragically, a lot of food does not have to be seasoned/ salted to look beautiful in photographs.

2:00pm-5:00pm:

If the shooting schedule that day isn’t too hectic, we’re all usually winding down over these last couple of hours. Once we’ve triplechecked that everything that needed to get done that particular day has indeed been taken care of, we begin to break down sets (if they’re not needed the next day) and store gear back in the equipment closet for the night.

6:00pm:

By this time, we’ve completely wrapped up and are ready to head home for the night. If it’s a Friday and no one has any pressing plans to get to, we’ll sometimes all sit together for a bit, chatting about the coming weekend while snacking on any leftovers. The sense of community and teamwork that fills every corner of the studio is definitely my favorite part of working at HelloFresh.

Seeing such healthy relationships in a professional environment definitely sets a high standard for my future workplace.

It’s these evenings that make me feel like a part of something; these evenings that give me hope that if I found a spot here at HelloFresh, after graduating I’ll surely be able to find someplace just as wonderful in the midst of this wild, chaotic city.

FIT

DECEMBER 2018

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PHOTO COURTESY TONI BLACKBURN

Cooking Over Winter Break

BY TONI BLACKBURN & LARA DE LA TORRE

I don’t know about you, but I know I’m bound to have at least one of these mornings when winter break starts. So, to prevent a desperate scramble to figure out what to cook, we already figured it out for you. Two easy recipes that could be applied in so many different ways during the long break ahead - th0e perfect time to do a little bit of home cooking. Happy holidays!

“Autumn Apple Chips”

by Toni Blackburn

Picture this: you’ve just woken up in your childhood room, nothing but silence surrounding you. A sudden wave of panic sets in, you scramble to find your phone. “Why didn’t my alarm go off??! I’m going to be so late to class, what am I gonna do?,” you worry aloud. Finally freeing your phone from the twisted up sheets near your feet, you punch the home screen button to reveal the time and the date: “one PM on…Christmas Eve…?,” you whisper to yourself. A soothing sense of relief floods in, replacing the anxiety that had begun to rear its ugly head. “Thank God,” you sigh, flopping back into bed. Before you can begin to doze off again, though, a stirring in your stomach reminds you it’s lunchtime.

7 Fashion Books to Read at the FIT Library

BY ISHNA BISHT

Not all students take complete advantage of our library. Well, it’s a huge place. We are busy people. Our world revolves around visuals. So why read? These 10 books that I have shortlisted from hundreds will make you want to read. These are stories about people and their journeys.

These books give a visualization of the industry we’re preparing to dive into. The glamour, the hustle, the competition, tips and tricks and the controversies — it gives us knowledge on how to survive and thrive. It is a shortcut to success with a pinch of entertainment. Enjoy the nonglamorous, backbreaking behind-thescenes of this glamorous industry.

1. Grace - A Memoir by Grace Coddington – Want to learn how Vogue functions? What better source than high and mighty Grace Coddington herself. In this book, the former creative director of Vogue will give you an insight in the Vogue head

Tossing the covers aside and hopping out of bed, you stroll over to the kitchen, hoping to find something to eat. A quick rifle through the fridge and cupboards reveals nothing already ready to heat up and devour. “Guess I’m going to have to cook something,” you grumble to yourself. “What to make…?,” you wonder, eyes scanning the shelves.

2-3 apples of your choice (I used Rome.)

2 teaspoons of cinnamon 1) Preheat your oven to 200°.

2) Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

3) Wash your apples (since you won’t be removing the skin).

4) Using a sharp knife, core your apples and then slice them thin.

5) Bake for 4 hours - flipping slices half-way through the cooking time (if you’re using both the bottom and top racks in your oven, switch the two trays halfway through to prevent overcooking on either tray).

6) Once time is up, let food cool for about 20 minutes.

office and her journey to reach there. Want to work at Vogue? Better prepare yourself.

2. Diane – A Signature of Life by Diane Von Furstenberg – When the inventor of the wrap dress and the current president of CFDA is giving you her life’s journey on a platter, you have to take it. When one of the world’s most powerful women tells you what made her so strong, you learn from it. This is an autobiography full of information about the industry without the emotional drama. Well, maybe a little.

3. Gods and Kings by Dana Thomas – The title refers to two of the most celebrated designers ever. Their avant-garde style, out-of-the box thinking and rebellious art had the world wanting more. Alexander McQueen and John Galliano ruled the world until the day everything changed. This is their story. The rise and fall of two of the most unique designers the world has ever seen.

4. Hollywood by Edith Head and Paddy Calistro – If you are interested in costume design, this book is for you. Eight-time Academy Awardwinning costume designer Edith Head tells us her tales of Hollywood. Her exceptional talent made people realize the importance of costume designers.

7) Seal in an air tight container and add to your salads or simply carry as a to-go snack.

Enjoy!

“Grandma’s Marinara Sauce”

by Toni Blackburn

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes 1 medium-sized carrot 1/2 celery stalk 1 small onion 1/2 red bell pepper 3 cloves of garlic crushed or dried basil leaves 1 teaspoon of oregano 1 teaspoon of rosemary 1 teaspoon thyme 1 tablespoon of olive oil or grape seed oil 1) Open can of tomatoes and set aside.

2) Crush and chop garlic cloves.

3) Either dice carrots, onions, celery, and bell peppers or add them all to a food processor and pulse till contents are evenly chopped up.

4) In a medium-sized pot, sauté the vegetables with the garlic until everything is golden brown.

5) Pour the canned tomatoes into the pot and stir well, let mixture simmer for about 15 minutes on low heat.

6) After time is up, season with salt and pepper.

7) Store this sauce either in the fridge for immediate use or the freezer if you want to set aside for long-term. Great for pasta, sandwiches, and pizza!

5. Roots of Style by Isabel Toledo – This autobiography is by far the best I’ve encountered. It isn’t just concentrated on this amazing designer’s journey but also tells us how important it is to follow your instincts and how to discover your personal style.

To make it more fun, it also contains illustrations by her extremely talented husband Ruben Toledo.

6. Bergdorfs on the Plaza

by Booton Herndon –We all know about this luxury department store. But has anybody ever wondered about Bergdorf? What was his story? How did he come up with this multi-milliondollar idea? This book tells us all about this historic department store, which is home to high-end brands catering to premium clients.

7. The Fashionable Savages

by John Fairchild – This book written by the heir of Fairchild Publications is a fresh perspective from a man’s point of view of this industry. A man who was sent to Paris to manage one of the Fairchild offices but ended up in the fashion world. A man who transformed fashion journalism.

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CULTURE

W27

How Horror Television Has Remained Relatable

BY HANNAH KREBS Mild spoilers for The Haunting of Hill House lie ahead.

husband, Nell is haunted by the bent-neck lady again.

I recently binge-watched the first season of the Netflix horror series The Haunting of Hill House and was surprised by how terrifying it was. Over the years, I have watched a few other horror series, but none of them were as moving or dramatically brilliant as this one.

I have always been interested in the horror film genre because of its unique ability to have a profound influence on viewers emotions. I also appreciate its diversity in subject matter.

However, I have only seen a few horror series, mainly because many made in my generation are not highly regarded. With that in mind, I will explore popular and well-received horror series throughout history with the purpose of understanding how they have evolved into the cult producing giants of today.

Based on Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel of the same name, “The Haunting of Hill House” tells the tragic stories of the Crain family members, who are tormented by their pasts. The series focuses on the inescapable influence of their childhood home, Hill House. Hugh Crain, the father of five children, purchases Hill House in the 1980’s, with the goal of flipping the house for profit. Shortly after moving into the house, his wife and children begin to have strange encounters. Steven, the oldest son, is the least affected. Shirley, the oldest daughter, cares for a family of stray kittens that die suddenly and inexplicably. Theo, who is born with a sensitivity to spiritual and emotional forces, is grabbed by an invisible hand one night. The youngest children, Nell and Luke, are twins who are constantly haunted by ghosts. Nell is traumatized by a deformed woman she calls “the bent-neck lady,” and Luke is followed by a freakishly tall man wearing a bowler hat and carrying a cane that he taps on the floor whenever he moves.

However, the apparitions in Hill House are not the only source of the Crains’ mental anguish.

One of the major mysteries in the series is the cause of and events surrounding their mother’s death. Their father found her body but didn’t tell his children about her mental state prior to her death. He simply told them and the public that his wife had killed herself, leaving many questions unanswered. Her death has tormented all the members of the family and led to their separation and mistrust of each other.

Hugh rarely contacts his children, and Steven, after earning huge profits for writing a horror fiction novel about his childhood at Hill House, has become estranged from his siblings. Shirley was so devastated by the deaths of her adopted kittens that she became obsessed with making death appear less horrifying. She now owns a mortuary where she works with her husband.

Theo is a psychologist who, due to her ability to feel pain so intensely, is afraid of having serious relationships. Luke is a heroin addict on the road to recovery. After the unusual death of her

Early psychological gems such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents changed the way the public viewed TV horror. For one, this series ran during the 1950’s and 1960’s, a time when televisions were becoming increasingly more accessible.

But, before this series, most watched horror films in theaters. Subject matter in these series were different, too. They focused more on their characters’ flaws and eventual growth as the episodes progressed rather than, for example, telling a story about a monster or aliens destroying a town.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1965) was an anthology series produced and hosted by Alfred Hitchcock that featured dramas, thrillers and mysteries. At the beginning of each episode, the audience would listen to an eerie theme song before being greeted with an equally ominous “Good eve-eee-ning.” Hitchcock had already directed films for decades before making this acclaimed series. While Hitchcock was extremely popular already, by hosting this series, he became a figurehead of American horror.

Decades later, suspenseful, artistic horror series still garnered the attention of viewers.

Like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, shows such as Twin Peaks filmed in a simple, yet intimate way and strategically placed eerie music throughout the episodes. Although technology had advanced greatly since the 1950’s and many more channels were available for viewers, many horror series made during the 1980’s and 1990’s still focused on psychological torment and character development.

Twin Peaks is a horror-mystery series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It follows the FBI investigation of the murder of Laura Palmer, the homecoming queen of the fictional town

of Twin Peaks, Washington. As time goes on, the main character, Special Agent Dale Cooper, realizes that there is more to the story than what he initially thought. In Laura’s life and death, evil forces surrounded her, invisible to the rest of the town. Supernatural beings from “the Black Lodge” come together in a human form called Bob, a screeching demon with long gray hair wearing a denim jacket. The series is known for its surrealism and quirky humor, but expresses that human suffering is the most terrifying thing of all.

Currently, psychological anthology series are making a comeback and mental anguish continues to be their most important characteristic. Not surprisingly, with the rapid advancement of technology, horror films have begun to play on the fears of the increasing reliance on it. Influenced by The Twilight Zone (1959-1964), an anthology series focusing on characters that have strange, sometimes disturbing, experiences, Black Mirror warns its viewers of the isolating and dehumanizing effects of technology on society.

Black Mirror is a British science-fiction anthology series created by Charlie Brooker. It explores the unexpected consequences of new technologies on the world. Episodes are set in an alternate present or near future and employ a dark and satirical tone. “The Entire History of You” and “The National Anthem” expresses that the age of social media has simply provided us with easy access to weapons for psychological abuse. “White Bear,” an episode that opens with a woman waking up in a mysterious house with no memory of how she got there, is an alarming commentary on contemporary crime and punishment.

Throughout the history of horror series, psychological suffering has been a major theme. It is a condition that everyone experiences, whether it is as small as the stress of everyday life or as serious as the loss of a loved one. It is easy to relate to characters who feel emotionally trapped because we have all had similar feelings. We empathize with these characters and connect with them. This is one of the reasons why horror series are so relatable, even though there may be supernatural or extraterrestrial elements involved, the emotions and thoughts characters express are still very human.

FIT

DECEMBER 2018

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BY MARY HELEN GUASTELLO With Thanksgiving under our belts (or over, depending on how well you stuffed yourself), the holiday season is well under way, meaning the end of the year is vastly approaching. And with each year that goes by, we should take time to reflect on what we are thankful for. Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa — this year in particular — everyone should be celebrating Ariana Grande.

Less than three months ago, Ariana Grande released her fourth studio album, sweetener, an era her fans expected to last at least a year before Grande would begin hinting, presumably on Twitter, about a new album. As the world played sweetener on repeat, some began to believe not only that God is a woman, but perhaps that God could be Ariana Grande — her music being what she preaches. And just when you thought her musical presence couldn’t get any more divine, Grande unexpectedly blessed us with her latest single titled thank u, next. Upon its release, the single broke the Spotify record for the most daily listens by a female artist, reaching approximately 8.2 million Spotify streams within its first 24 hours of release. The song

exceeded its own record the following day reaching over 8.5 million streams (Spotify.com Charts). In addition, the single successfully debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, most recently maintaining No. 1 for three consecutive weeks, and became the first pop genre song to reach Apple Music’s Top 100 Global Chart (Billboard.com Charts). Billboard also announced within the same week that Billboard’s Woman of the Year award would be presented to Grande.

Thank u, next is Grande’s most ambitious and successful single yet. It is a breakup song that hasn’t been heard before, unparalleled in its approach and is perhaps one of the most simple, straightforward, no-bullshit songs to ever exist. Oh, and did I mention catchy as fuck?

Her lyrics, sincere by nature, reveal striking emotions towards four of her exes — Big Sean, Ricky Alvarez, ex-fiancé Pete Davidson and the late Mac Miller — all of whom she thanks for being part of what led her towards loving and accepting herself.

She reflects and repeats throughout the song, “One taught me love / one taught me patience / one taught me pain / now I’m so amazing,” all of

which are emotions integral to selfacceptance and self-growth, two of the most obvious themes present in the song. Grande beautifully articulated the meaning behind thank u, next, tweeting, “No drags … no shade … jus love, gratitude, acceptance, honesty, forgiveness … and growth.” Her song and explanation go beyond that of a breakup, it elaborates on a notion suggesting how humanity should be filled with gratitude and thankfulness, reminding us to treat one another the way we wish to be treated, and to only love because as Ariana sings, “God forbid something happens.”

While her lyrics remain simple — “thank you, next / thank you, next / thank you, next / I’m so fucking grateful for my ex” — there is extreme beauty and complexity in its simplicity that provides the listener with understanding, comfort and relatability. She justifies that she doesn’t owe anyone anything, that she’s using music to reflect on what she’s loved and lost. She expresses no vengeance or resentment, she’s simply communicating that it’s time for her to move on and say, “thank u, next.”

Ariana Grande has an immense amount of emotional intellect, talent and courage and somehow remains positive and resilient while facing some of the most unfathomable tragedies. And with her latest single, she explains that there may not always be an answer for the way things turn out, but it’s okay and remember to give yourself time to heal. After the release of thank u, next, Ariana has proved that this isn’t another era, but rather her being unapologetically Ariana Grande. If you haven’t listened to thank u next, it’s important that you do. And if you don’t take anything away from it, at least the song is a smash.

The Legacy of Stan Lee

BY MASON AUMAN On November 12, 2018, comic book industry icon and frequent cameoer Stan Lee passed away at the age of 95. Legions of fans have since been lamenting the loss and celebrating his life, one of way-paving and pioneering, with admiration and joy.

But this sentiment is not shared by the human embodiment of a smug moldy sandwich with an inflated conception of his own intellectual value — Bill Maher — who recently claimed that Stan Lee’s creations and the comic books that foster them are emblematic of a decline in culture. In Maher’s own words: “But then 20 years or so ago, something happened — adults decided they didn’t have to give up kid stuff. And so they pretended comic books were actually sophisticated literature.

And because America has over 4,500 colleges — which means we need more professors than we have smart people — some dumb people got to be professors by writing theses with titles like Otherness and Heterodoxy in the Silver Surfer. And now when adults are forced to do grown-up things like buy auto insurance, they call it ‘adulting,‘ and act like it’s some giant struggle.”

The comedian(?) goes on to equate an interest in comic books to the idiocy that resulted in a Donald Trump presidency. By diminishing the value

of comic books and asserting that they are somehow lesser because of, well … he never really specifies, Bill Maher plants himself firmly in the company of middle-aged men who deem anything of cultural importance to a different generation beneath them — as if he wasn’t there already.

But this isn’t about Bill Maher, it’s about Stan Lee and the work he did to make comic books the exact opposite of literarily bankrupt.

Stan Lee was a singular force in the comics industry — responsible for the dominant style and characterization with which characters are currently written and the existence of many of our favorite heroes. It goes without saying that the lauded Marvel Cinematic Universe wouldn’t exist if not for the work of Stan Lee, but I’ve said it anyway. Lee began working in comics in 1939, performing administrative duties like filling inkwells and grabbing lunch. His first textual input to the industry was fillertext in a Captain America book, under the pseudonym that Stanley Lieber would eventually make his legal name. Lee went on to write backups and original stories, becoming interim editor of Timely Comics after the previous leaders parted in 1941.

After serving in the military, Lee began writing stories that expanded on burgeoning superhero archetypes.

The point of difference through which Stan Lee found his voice was the humanity — or initial lack thereof — of the characters featured in mainstream comic books. With the creation of Spider-Man and The Fantastic Four for Marvel Comics, Stan Lee incepted the concept that super-powered characters didn’t need to be gods. Instead, more compelling and complex tales could be told if they dealt with the same emotional battles and turmoil that we as human beings face. As Spider-Man, Peter Parker is plagued by the intricacies of growing up and becoming an adult, and through that journey readers are able to find themselves and a space of support for their own struggles. As The Thing, Ben Grimm of the Fantastic Four is forced to weigh his desire to help people against the reality that those he seeks to aid are horrified of his appearance.

He is, after all, a giant rock monster.

I would argue that this achieves the opposite effect of what Maher contends. The humanity that Stan Lee breathed into otherwise largerthan-life characters is what brought them out of their fledgling creation and childish connotations and into a realm of serious storytelling in the same way we consider novels or films.

Lee, along with Gene Colan, created the first African-American superhero — Falcon. Again, this exemplifies Lee’s education to have comic books reflect real life. Marvel Comics, because of

Stan Lee, is “the world outside your window.” And that world includes people of all colors, beliefs, sexual preferences and identities. Because of what Stan Lee helped build, and the foundation he laid, Marvel was able to produce a powerful allegory for racially motivated bigotry and prejudice with the X-Men, whose existence as “mutants” — individuals with a specific gene that is present at birth — and the unfounded hatred they face because of this gene, mirrors the experience and continued fight of minorities in America. Further representation in Marvel Comics can be found in Matt Murdock, a blind man who defends Hell’s Kitchen as Daredevil.

Stan Lee, as the ringmaster of Marvel Comics, steadily guided the company and its output for most of his life. His brilliant and ingenious contributions are the very reason so many of us enjoy the rich and imaginative cinematic experiences we are able to enjoy today.

To accept these films and consider them serious media, something that has become the default in public discourse, must inherently mean the acceptance of comic books as serious and important literature. Anything that you might see on a screen has been taken from these pages. In many cases, taken from Stan Lee’s pages — and his mind. It is a mind to which we owe a great deal.

10 CULTURE

W27

“Bohemian Rhapsody”: A Glorified Greatist Hits Album

BY DAWN BAUER

B

efore I get into anything about “Bohemian Rhapsody,” I need to make a disclaimer: I am a big Queen fan; I grew up on them. Typically when I find myself in love with a musical artist or group, I become obsessed and find out everything there is to know about them. I have never felt this need with Queen, though. I loved the music and I believed in it, and that was enough for me. They will forever be my favorite band, and that’s that.

When I found out about the film being made, I was excited to say the least. I decided not to go into the movie having done any background research on the band other than what I had gathered during my lifetime as a fan— this was a mistake.

This movie is so dependent on the viewer being a fan and already knowing the story director Bryan Singer is supposed to be telling. The pacing and development was really off and made it hard to figure out just what they were trying to convey with this telling. It was a tad too ambitious, if I have to narrow its flaws down to one thing.

Queen is such a huge and encompassing entity to try to capture in one film, and this was a poor attempt. The band itself made the movie watchable, not the filmmakers, and that’s where it failed.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” begins with the build up to a performance, later discovered to be the benefit show Live Aid. Just as the band is about to go on stage, we cut to 1970 Freddie Mercury at home with his Parsi family that he is actively rejecting. He goes to see a local band called Smile and, after the show, finds out that they lost their lead singer. Freddie offers to join, and thus Queen is created.

The coming scenes are a whirlwind as the band gains more recognition and Freddie falls in love with Mary Austin, whom he met at the Smile show. He proposes to Mary and makes her promise to never take off the ring. Things seem to be going great with both Freddie and the band as their album has charted in the U.S. and Queen gets to go on tour there.

At this point in the film, it starts to get a bit messy. Freddie, expectedly, starts to question his sexuality, fully steps into his drama queen persona and begins to fall off the wagon. This tension eventually leads to Freddie going solo and, subsequently, feeling more and more alone since he has lost both the band and Mary, which brings us to the climax of the film.

Mary comes to check in on Freddie since his manager Paul has been keeping him in the dark. Freddie finds out that Queen has been offered a spot in Live Aid, and Mary is now married and pregnant. This news brings Freddie back to reality and forces him to get his life back on track. He fires Paul, reaches out to the band in attempts to get back together, and goes to the doctor to get tested for AIDS. Freddie slowly but surely pulls himself together and makes up with Queen, and they hastily try to get their spot in Live Aid back. The band works tirelessly to get their act up to scratch for the event. At rehearsal, Freddie announces that he has AIDS, but doesn’t want anyone’s sympathy. For Live Aid, he reconnects with the people he has lost over the course of the film: his parents, Mary, and Jim Hutton, a waiter he fell in love with years ago at one of his lavish parties.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” closes with Queen’s Live Aid performance and how massive a success it was for the benefit. After the roller coaster Freddie endured over the highlighted timeline, it’s an uplifting and positive conclusion.

Freddie Mercury establishing himself as an icon, and the AIDS crisis, so if you’re going to title it after a song by the band, “We Are The Champions” would make more sense.

However, because it was called “Bohemian Rhapsody,” there’s this ridiculously long scene depicting how the band fought for this song and even left their contract with EMI because they believed in it that much.

It’s an important part to the story of Queen but seemed dragged out to rationalize the title.

Overall, it’s worth watching if you love Queen, but not if you’re trying to find out anything about the band or to see if you should become a fan— which you should, if you’re still on the fence. It’s a wanna-be emotional, overcoming-adversity type of film, without the punch at the end to get the tears going. I’m disappointed, but not heartbroken. It was an enjoyable viewing experience to see the band get together and flourish, despite how inaccurate it may be. It didn’t ruin Queen or Freddie Mercury for me, but also didn’t make my love grow.

Rami Malek almost single-handedly saves this film. His performance is incredible and is the only point in which I felt my belief was actually suspended. For the duration of the movie, he was, indeed, Freddie Mercury.

In addition, there were scenes sprinkled in of Queen in the process of making hits like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “We Will Rock You,” which redeemed the movie a bit.

With all the miscellaneous Freddie subplots like coming to terms with his sexuality, struggling to determine the difference between platonic and romantic love, and the risk of contracting AIDS, these scenes bring the story back to home and emphasize the family that Queen really is.

Reflecting on the movie, it feels as if the film was written around the name. The reasoning for wanting to pick “Bohemian Rhapsody” is understandable since it’s generally understood to be the most iconic Queen song, but to call this film “Bohemian Rhapsody” is unjustified. The main themes of the film relate to Queen being a family, PHOTO COURTESY 20TH CENTURY FOX

BY ERIN TUCKER

FIT

DECEMBER 2018

Boy Erased,

A Film Exposing the Reality of Conversion Therapy

BY ERIN TUCKER

Mild spoilers may lie ahead.

PHOTO COURTESY FOCUS FEATURES

Boy Erased,​a drama and coming-of-age film directed by Joel Edgerton, follows Jared and his experience enrolled in a gay conversion therapy program. Jared is outed to his parents, which presents a challenge to their conservative beliefs.

The story follows him through his time in the conversion program, which is, tragically, still a reality today. Although at times predictable, B ​ oy Erased​ is a mustsee film that will definitely make you feel something.

The film is based on a true story, from the memoir of the same name written by Garrard Conley that focuses on “identity, faith, and family”; a recollection of when his parents enrolled him in the program at 19.

The screenplay for the film, which was released in early November, was written

by Joel Edgerton, who also plays Victor Sykes, the conversion therapy lead. The cast also features Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman as Jared’s parents.

Jared is played by Lucas Hedges. Hedges has an impressive lineup of recent Indie movies, roles in Manchester by the Sea​,​ Lady Bird​, and ​Mid90s​.

In an interview with Indiewire, Hedges opens up about his own sexuality, as he feels he owes it to this very vulnerable part to speak as honestly as he can. He first learned of how sexuality exists on a spectrum from his sixth-grade health teacher. “I recognize myself as existing on that spectrum,” said Hedges. “Not totally straight, but also not gay and not necessarily bisexual.”

The beloved, Troye Sivan, also plays a part in the film. He has been outspoken about his identity and a strong advocate for the LGBTQ community through his fanbase.

His character in the film is a boy, Gary, in the conversion therapy program. Sivan’s much-loved music is also featured in the film and the trailer.

Being a drama, ​Boy Erased​ is full of many raw and painful scenes. Jared’s father is the pastor of their Arkansas Baptist church. Jared is confronted with the choice to either attend a daily church-run conversion program or lose his family.

“Your mother and I, we cannot see a way that you can live under this roof, attend service, work at the dealership,” said Jared’s father, “if you’re fundamentally gonna go against the grain of our beliefs.

And against God himself.” Jared chooses the program in hopes of being “fixed” and not losing everything he has.

Once Jared’s mother drops him off at the program, we see just how harmful the language and lessons are. “Jared, God will not love you the way that you are,” says Sykes, the leader of the program. Antigay rhetoric of the program is justified through religion. Edgerton’s direction of the film poses the idea that maybe religion should be more accepting. After all, the main unifying theme of the bible is love.

A central theme of the film is the relationship between Jared and his mother, Nancy. She is the one who pulled him out of the program early, and ultimately possibly saved his life. “I love God and I love my son. It’s just that simple,” said Nancy, after realizing the program was hurting much more than it was helping.

Although it feels we live in a much more accepting world now, many places here still carry on a very conservative mindset and view of the world.

This experience of Jared’s is all too familiar to many teens in the states, a mirror of so many LGBTQ youth. Gay conversion therapy on minors is still legal in 36 states. According to the generations study, 700,000 LGBTQ adults have gone through conversion therapy, 350,000 of them in their adolescence. ​Boy Erased​ is focused on bringing awareness to this issue. Creating a ban on conversion therapy would protect thousands of teens.

It’s important to note, not everyone’s stories are as forgiving as Jared’s.

The film touches on the tragic end conversion therapy can lead to. A boy named Cameron is struggling in the program (really as they all are). Jared and he become acquaintances. Shortly after Jared leaves the program, he receives the news that Cameron has killed himself.

This scene is unexpected and leaves the audience even more upset with conversion therapy.

Conversion therapy and this traditional mindset of demonizing sexuality just creates a sense of shame in LGBTQ youth, who grow up in traditional homes and communities. Shaming youth for their sexuality only makes problems surface.

Environments where expressing your authenticity is looked down upon only makes people hide themselves and resent who they really are. Suicidal thoughts and attempts occur at much higher rates among LGBTQ youth; creating an accepting and loving environment can help reverse this.

You can find information on how to protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy at bornperfect.com.

“Born Perfect is a campaign to end conversion therapy through legal advocacy and awareness-raising. Born Perfect has been the catalyst that passed legislation to protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy in 14 states, more than 45 cities, and counting. We are working to ensure people can be their true selves and live authentic lives.”

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W27

CULTURE

The Debate About Hedi Slimane

BY THUY ANH DANG

Y

es, Fashion Week was two months ago.

So why are we still talking about Hedi Slimane? On November 21, 2018, Vanity Fair selected Slimane as the current number one most influential French person in the world, so I had to stop and further investigate.

How has Slimane, a controversial enigmatic figure, surpassed the popularity of the French president Emmanuel Macron?

Even now, as we walk to the streets of New York, we can still spot working women in high neck sweaters gracefully gliding in their wide leg pants. They carry box shaped or mini luggage handbags that easily hold a bag of makeup, a phone, maybe even an iPad. Functional. Comfortable. Effortlessly chic. One major icon able to enhance the success of this trend was, without debate, Phoebe Philo, once Celine’s creative director.

Celine Vipiana, founder of Celine may have pioneered a platform of luxurious leather vests, and pastel suits that favored function over frivolity, but Philo, appointed in 2008, was the one that pushed Celine to become known as the feminist brand. Noticing the needs of comfort from working women, she produced timeless loose fits that stripped from what was perceived sexually attractive. She made elegance the new kind of sexy. Until now, these silhouettes are still massively produced by high end brands and fast fashion. Needless to say, Philo was a massive figure of influence.

Yet, it took Hedi couple of months, probably just a night, to obliterate that contemporary minimalist vision Philo has spent for the past ten years crafting so carefully.

No neutral grays, no beiges, no women of all ages, no office appropriate, his debut collection was visibly black, seductive, grunge inspired, one could even say “malnourished.”

But this didn’t stop him from tailoring men suits onto women. Though he may have refined the looks compared to his past works at Yves Saint Laurent, it was unidentifiable

from what was known by long time Celine lovers. What was more enraging was his decision to delete all the images on Celine’s Instagram page to replace it with images of nonchalant adolescent portraits on top of his new Celine logo, in a slightly sharper font, without an accent, to coincide with his vision. Unlike Philo’s luxury, his luxury was to misbehave and not meant to solve life issues. It was more so a documentation in the revolution of gender neutral youths.

Hedi Slimane’s talent has proved him worthy of his fame. His career started as a fashion marketing assistant at Yves Saint Laurent, then creative director of ready-to-wear men’s collection. In 2000, Slimane took over as creative director for Dior Homme, and in April 2002, became the first menswear designer to ever receive the CFDA International Designer Award. After Dior Homme, he returned to Yves Saint Laurent, and managed to increase Yves Saint Laurent‘s revenue to over 1 billion dollars. But, similar to Celine’s logo, the “Yves” in “Yves Saint Laurent” was removed when Slimane was creative director. “The reactions to the logos are always very emotional (...) All of this was anticipated. But it had to be done.

The grandes maisons are alive. They must evolve and unearth the essence of what they truly are — everything but indifference…” he replied in an interview with Business of Fashion. Slimane, like every designer, adds his own DNA to his revolution in design.

Therefore, it is arguable to say that it is not Slimane’s fault, but LVMH, who appointed him, understanding the incompatibility. It proved to work under Yves Saint Laurent, a brand more sharply tailored, more rebellious, but is it working in Celine? May be too soon to tell, but currently, the media is responding otherwise.

He received criticisms from a number of fashion publications, who accused him of misogyny and misunderstanding what the brand has stood for over the past decade.

Hollywood Reporter went as far to call

Hedi the “Donald Trump of Fashion.” He found them homophobic and entirely fabricated. In multiple interviews, one with Business of Fashion, Slimane commented: “A designer is someone who expresses himself authentically through what he feels. Each has his way to tell about his time. My perception of fashion has always been influenced by a certain classicism and the legacy of couture, the spirit of Paris, where I was born and grew up, day and night. (...) It belongs to me, and in return, I am compelled to it.,” and one with WWD: “(The criticism was) not by the French press naturally, but exclusively by the Anglo-Saxon press, which has radically different values to ours … We need to protect ourselves (...) from the organized conformity of single mind-set, without even talking about cyber harassment, which restrains our freedom.”

In a sense, his reasoning is rather correct and logical. It has always been hard to swallow change, but it is not unusual for a designer to change, partially or completely, the DNA of the brand. The logo is one thing, the collection is another, but it could also be the way he treated journalists during Fashion Week. He let them stand instead of sit.

Some journalists found him obnoxious and disrespectful, so the backlash could have turned personal. However, we could also question, with understanding on the cause he is trying to fight for whether he will end up making Celine almost exactly the same as his past Dior or Yves Saint Laurent. If that is the case, then where is the uniqueness of each brand? We could also question the compatibility of his vision to the modern world. Coco Chanel once said: “Fashion reflects the world we live in.” However, in a time where diversity is not only in the form of sexuality but also in body shapes, skin tones and beauty marks, is his vision still digestible in the eyes of the modern consumer? The debate is ongoing.

PHOTO COURTESY INSTAGRAM

FIT

DECEMBER 2018

A STORY ALL OUR OWN: “The Stone Diaries” is a

Jaw-Dropping Commentary on Being Tenacious with One’s Life

BY BRITTANY EVANS

I

f the tersity of Hemingway’s sentences and the sensuality of Fitzgerald’s vernacular manifested on a page, the product would look something like “The Stone Diaries” by Carol Shields. With full-bodied landscape that lacks long-windedness, Shields moves the reader through an entire life-story of a character, leaving no stone unturned and no plot point unmentioned. “The Stone Diaries” is at once a vulnerable biography and an exploration of the mysteries of humanity.

The book is a retrospective narration through the eyes of Daisy Goodwill Flett on her own life. Written in past tense, Flett has become the witness to each moment that she has walked through and experienced. From the brutality of her childbirth to her own funeral, the text acts as a fictitious autobiography, with its speculation of life, the mysteries of fate, free will and how relationships affect us. It is richly textured in its combination of character descriptions via Daisy and musings on Daisy via her peers. This raw nature leaves the reader breathless as each vibrant stroke is absorbed.

The readers are taken directly into each moment of Daisy’s life, from the brutality of her own birth and her mother’s death in the minutes that followed it, her father’s triumphs and successes, and her own personal victories and tragedies. The reader is intimately acquainted with the fullness of love the people in her life have for her as well as the overwhelming loss she experiences due to the natural course of life itself. Shields allows us into the family circle by telling Daisy’s story through Daisy’s knowledge of how other people viewed and experienced her. We build relations with Daisy’s mother, father, daughters, sons, friends, husband: these each point back to and undergird the small, big world of Daisy Flett Barker.

As we dip into each decade, the text encourages the reader to evaluate how much of a say he/ she has in his/her own days and therefore story. Can you truly call it your own when so many impede upon and ultimately change the ways days fall out? As Daisy darts from moment to moment and from time period to time period, we are met with the startling and painful truth that often our days are dictated and affected through another’s own actions surrounding it. What is ours is the way we take that story and sew it into our DNA to carry with us ever onward. Through sharp wit and sensory verbiage, Shields challenges the reader to be tenacious with one’s life. To seize

it, to hold it, to make it one’s own, despite the universe’s meddling with it.

As the text ends, the reader travels back through the decades prior while Daisy lies in a hospital bed, awaiting her final breath. We dip in and out of fragments of life and of conversations we, as the reader, were able to be apart of in some regard. She recounts and remembers unfinished business left scattered around her house: receipts never documented, library books never returned, lists never finished. In many ways, her death unravels this carefully crafted story. The embroidery thread of each moment was Daisy herself, without it, these scattered bits of her contain no meaning.

Daisy becomes a friend to the reader, through sweeping scenes and incredible vernacular, Carol Shields creates a world entirely transporting and brutally visceral. This marvelous dialogue asks the tough questions on the beauty and temporality of life and is brutally honest in the answers it delivers: how necessary in our today.

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FEATURE

W27

Give Your Holiday Outfit Over to a

Vintage Pleasure

BY YAJIE NIU

Those who love vintage may have read a beautiful book: “A Vintage Affair.” The writer depicts a glorious sight of a petite vintage store lying in the heart of a British town - vintage designer gowns draped gracefully over mannequins, Hermes handbags glistening in display cabinets, beautiful lace lingerie folded neatly in boxes. When I first arrived in NYC, as a vintage lover, I scavenged everywhere looking for good vintage stores and came to conclusion that vintage stores in NYC can be classified into two categories: ones that sell genuine vintage goods which are ridiculously overpriced, and others that claim to sell “vintage” but which actually are cheap thrift items from the 1990s, 2000s, or present day. Although the latter may contain some genuine vintage at a reasonable price if you dig hard enough, not everybody has the patience to go through crumpled garments clustered tightly together. Until I discovered a hidden gem in the city, David Owens’ Vintage Clothing.

The petite store stood quite low-key between two other storefronts, I could’ve easily ignored it if it wasn’t for the sign that read “David Owens’ Vintage Clothing.”

I entered and was kindly greeted by Christopher Jowett, an FIT alumni who graduated from Fashion Business Management in 2013. Christopher was recommended by his career counselor because of his love for vintage; he has been working as an intern for David Owens since he graduated and is now the manager of the store. Christopher’s duties include buying vintage with David in different locations, arranging the store displays and working on social media promotions of the store as well as receiving customers every day.

I took some time to look around while he was tending to another customer. The small store contains an array of vintage, menswear on the left and womenswear on the right side of the room; the vintage ranges from casualwear to formal outfits, daywear to dinner, bows and ties to leather handbags. Fluffy fur coats hang on the red brick walls, the Art Deco style lights cast shadows on the rich autumn colored garments; for a split second, it felt like I was time travelling back to the fifties as I browsed through the womenswear section. I was surprised to find everything in such a good condition - clean, neatly arranged and wrinkleless. I reached for a tag: it read the year of the garment along with a moderate price listed. There were some garments that caught my eye: an Emilio Pucci dress in a simple silhouette but with his signature print in wild, vibrant colors; a black party dress from the fifties with tiny red roses embroidered across the bust and a starchy tulle petticoat; a

vintage ruffled blouse ironed crispy clean.

I fingered the fabrics which may have existed for a length of time longer than my age and tried to imagine their first owners in them, but even for today, they remain fashionable, fancy wearing that black dress to a New Year’s Eve celebration! You could become the queen of the party. “Where do you source vintage from?” I asked out of curiosity. “Most of our stock comes from wealthy ladies living in the upper East side,” he replied, “They are the ones who hold the most designer vintage plus they know how to take care of garments well.

There are also people who bring their vintage to the store, we go through all the items and keep the ones that are in good condition and special enough. Another source are the vintage warehouses in Long Island and New Jersey. “For example,” he gestured to the rack next to me which contained some designer suits: “These are from the wealthy clients. They don’t really care about the garments they’re desperate to get rid of, therefore we are able to sell those at a moderate price.”

I noticed that most of the vintage in the store were dated no later than the 1980s.

“Most of the items we have are genuine vintage from the 1940s to 1970s, we do purchase designer vintage, but we make sure everything is authentic when we make a purchase.” Christopher explained.

We came to the same page that everything produced after the 70s shouldn’t be named “vintage,” since they come in synthetic materials, are being mass produced and lack a certain charm of uniqueness.

“But do you ever sell anything that’s contemporary?” I asked. He took out a Miu Miu purse from the display window and handed it to me: “We do gather designer items that are contemporary but in very good condition. This Miu Miu was from a couple seasons ago, but it’s like brand new.” He pointed to my Ted Baker purse and added with a laugh, “You surely could use a new ‘FIT signature big black purse’ for the new semester.” I examined the purse carefully, there was obviously no wear and tear. For a designer purse in mint condition, $150 didn’t sound that bad. We shared a bit of our stories about vintage with each other, I soon learned of Christopher’s love for vintage since he was a young child. “I love vintage so much! Ever since I was a kid, I would go to thrift stores and local flea markets on a scavenger hunt for vintage. Every piece contains such a rich history behind them, their constructions are so much more carefully done than now, since we live in a world of mass production. You could go to a class and discover three girls dressed in similar black dresses from Zara like yours, but with vintage it’ll never happen, because everything was made

FIT

DECEMBER 2018

so unique back then.” Speaking of best vintage finds, Christopher proudly told me that he had once sourced an Hermes Kelly handbag from the 1950s, the period when the Kelly bags were popularized by Moroccan Princess Grace Kelly, which was sold almost immediately when they added it in the store. I told him about my vintage shopping experiences in London and Paris. “If you get a chance you should really go to France for sourcing vintage,” I informed him, “there is this store in Paris that has the largest collection of vintage designer suits, I’ve seen a Yves Saint Laurent priced less than 300 Euros, the flea markets in France also have really good vintage.”

During our conversation Christopher went to pick up a phone call, I overheard the conversation about Emelio Pucci selling their garments in an outlet in New Jersey. When he finished I asked him his opinion on designer brands selling cheap at outlets. It indeed gives people who desire designer goods but have low budgets the chance to obtain what they want, but at the same time it would’t it impact the vintage business? But, vintage lovers would refrain from these garments in outlets, since they would much prefer the garments that were produced during the designer’s golden age. Usually an avid fan of vintage could immediately tell the difference between the designer’s authentic designs and the later designs taken over by someone else. “There is a possibility that people who bought an Emelio Pucci dress from the outlets would look him up and learn more about Pucci himself and his most classical designs.”

Christopher stated.

Vintage plays an important role in the fashion industry and should be given more attention. The primary reason behind it is because every item tells a story about the past, they are the most classic image of the era, the most direct source of evidence scholars can reference to when doing research; unique designs, innovative draping methods and intricate details constantly inspired designers to incorporate design elements into their

works, blending the classical designs with modern approaches; vintage is a form of sustainable fashion at the same time: the garments produced before the 1960s all contain natural fiber contents (since synthetics such as polyester weren’t popularized after the 60s), therefore they are environmentally friendly. Head over for some holiday shopping, treat yourself to a one of a kind vintage outfit for the celebrations; pick out a small vintage accessory as a gift for a beloved one, may it be a silk scarf, a cuff link or a small wallet; or just sink through the rich history every garment has to offer. Christopher also gives first time vintage buyers some tips on how to take care of vintage garments: “When you buy a piece of vintage, it’s very important to follow the care instructions on the label. Those garments have been through decades, so they should be treated gently. Fur should never be stored under warm temperatures, silk garments should be folded and placed carefully; the best way to store cotton garments is by hanging them in garment bags after you steam them at low temperatures.”

Before I left, I took a photo of Christopher in front of the display window of the store where he had spent so much time on what he was passionate about. He smiled at the camera, with the mannequins dressed in vintage carrying a few decades of history sparkling behind him.

Store address: 161 Rivington between Suffolk and Clinton Street.

Hours of Operation: Daily 11am-7pm *From December 1st, FIT students and faculty members can receive 5% off entire purchase with valid college ID. Offer expires on December 31st, 2018.

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OP-ED

W27

I Moved Across the World and I Still Got Cat Called

What the Olsen Twins forgot to tell you about systematic oppression in Passport to Paris.

BY LOLA CORNILLON Studying abroad in Paris has opened my eyes towards it all. The food, the architecture, the fashion, the people, the dialogue. I’d like to say my opinions on Paris weren’t heavily influenced by hours of watching Madeline or Mary-Kate and Ashley movies, but I may be wrong there. The traditional association with Parisian life exists along patisserie delights, beautiful buildings and beautiful people, and lifestyles of glamour and leisure in the 7th arrondissement, but like all cities, the romanticism is only what you make of it, and the ancient architectural beauty of Paris exists along the timeworn and very relevant problems of today.

When I first moved to Paris, I felt strangely at ease. I say strangely because it’s odd to associate ease with moving to a new country, let alone continent. One may say, congrats! You passed levels 1-10. The reality is that I felt strangely at ease because of how unexpectedly at home I felt. The skies of Paris in September are a welcoming, bright and seemingly cloudless blue, and the buildings are much shorter than New York’s, which has the temporary effect of making you feel immediately local and comforted by the size. Ultimately, Paris’ height makes me feel grounded. Grounded in such a way that puts me inside the landscape, instead of that New York, lurking from above/behind/outside kind of distant relationship we so often experience. Unfortunately, height or less height, the reality is that the streets of New York that sometimes bring us down and can age one at double-speed, exist too, in Paris. Because those streets are occupied by age-old systematic injustices, and as a female in the 21st century, I continue to have love-hate relationships with the places that make me feel oppressed.

My life in Paris isn’t so different from New York.

In both cities, I eat pasta, I smell expensive per-

PHOTOS COURTESY LOLA CORNILLON

fume and I smell musky cologne, I see expensive people and I see much less fortunate people. I am greeted by the occasional wafts of sewage, sweaty hot dog, and B.O., I do not charge my phone enough, I say I will read more books, I endure mass crowds of belching tourists, I walk home alone with my keys in between my knuckles, and I have encounters with those types of men that believe women lie in that grey area existing somewhere between the country housewife and the subway rat.

Recently, I was on my way to England for the week, carrying my best-friend’s grandmother’s faux Louis Vuitton duffle bag (as one brings to England), feeling as if I had anxious white girl in a seemingly suspicious Parisian neighborhood but trying to play it cool, stamped on my forehead. Though my arm muscles could hardly keep up with the weight of the duffle, I managed to keep the bag steadily perched on my arm, focusing on nothing other than getting to the train station. Practically wheezing while power-walking, I abruptly came into contact with an individual. A tall lurking figure with dark facial hair, and an alarmingly patriarchal smirk on his face.

We momentarily played a game of “Who Will Be the First to Move?”, similar to the classic, “No, you hang up first!” phone call banter, but instead, with much more aggression and one party without any remorse over hanging up first. With my head down and body composition reflective of a human who can only move in a steady parallel direction (for she will drop her bag and break into immediate anxiety tears if forced to alter her position), I was promptly shoved out of the way as this adult man ran directly forward, thrusting my body to the side. In continuation with his persistent acts of chivalry, after I was out of his way, I received a kick to the shin from his ugly sneakers, before he walked away. I don’t remember what his sneakers looked like, but for the sake of the story and my perception of this mean man, they were ugly.

The longer you live in a city that infatuates you, the easier it becomes to notice what makes it comparable to every other city, the trash. When the vacation goggles begin to fade ever so slightly, you begin to notice the dialogue, what you didn’t hear before. Hear, as in, the “How are you?” that the Voldemort-sounding creep whispers in your ear on the street, sending immediate shivers down your spine as you try to forget that that even happened. Or the parade of men on Rue Saint-Denis that whistle as you walk by, and force you to speed walk to the apartment door, punching in the numbers with a momentum that only a combination of fear and anger can create. Now suddenly the fifty-year old man who gives you that uncomfortable smile as to suggest, “You’ve done well today,” no longer reads as friendly Parisian man welcoming you to the city. Fuck off. I would like to hope that thinking this could be any type of friendly approach does not mean avoidance, naivety, or denial, but rather, that it illustrates the level of vulnerability from moving somewhere new, with expectations

or none at all, that offer a new hopefulness to replace experiences that have previously seen the worst.

The city of love and baguettes certainly does exude the magic that we have all read about, but with that magic, comes a realization that the same sort of wickedness exists. The unfortunate nature of how we perceive places in the most romantic of ways makes it harder to accept when we stay in them long enough to recognize their faults. The question is, how do we grapple with immersing ourselves in old cities, still with old, and very relevant problems? Perhaps we recognize that change is a long process, and as we expand our horizons, learning to grow alongside these expansions and new perceptions of the world, we are not always growing in unison.

FIT

DECEMBER 2018

Falling Into Nostalgia Why are we so obsessed with our past?

BY SOPHIA OSTAPENKO

It is midnight. You’re seated in front of your laptop, where you stumbled upon a folder that has some baby pictures of you. Now, you are reminiscing over your childhood. You start to remember how you would come home from school, turn on your favorite show and proceed to fill your afternoon with some fun snacks and games.

You wouldn’t worry about anything but the newest episode of your favorite show on Nickelodeon popping up on a TV-screen, or your favorite Disney channel star drawing the Mickey Mouse ears correctly. And now, you have fallen through a nostalgia hole.

ternet. The internet makes us look back at times we were not even alive during, or imagine the future we are not sure of. Since nostalgia is a part of past experiences, we look back at certain things and wish we had them at the moment. Think the comeback of Polaroid photos, or the popularity of vinyl records. Yes, we might not use the Polaroids for a long time, or we might still pay for Spotify while buying a vinyl record, but the experience and the ownership of something that once belonged to the past makes us feel warm and sentimental.

On another hand, there are clothing stores and fashion lines that are now based on selling second-hand 20th century clothing, or make clothing that resembles the looks of the past. The fashion spectrum of nostalgia could simply stem from the fact that there was no groundbreaking fashion breakthrough since the 1990s, if not earlier. The repetition of trends has begun in the 1990s, with silhouettes resembling the 1960s and 1970s, just with different color palettes. The next time your mother says that she owned the jacket you have just bought 20 years ago, you would certainly believe that she is speaking the truth.

In the entertainment industry, music is a big factor since it influences our behavior and eventually turns into something we associate events with. No wonder Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” reenters the charts every year; the song has been associated with the Christmas season as much as the color red. Hence the reason why it has also become the most iconic Christmas song to date.

As someone who gets nostalgic quite often, I began to wonder why are we so attracted to remembering and thinking about our past? For some individuals, myself included, it might have been that our childhood was great. For others, it might be associations with simpler, easier times that make them want to go back to something a bit more carefree. Yet, nostalgia has also shown up a lot not only in individuals’ lives, but in various industries, such as entertainment, technology and home décor.

When it comes to films, we all shed tears when Mufasa died, and we all loved to see Simba grow.

Now, when the film is being reproduced with different graphics, it is not the plot that we are aiming to look after in the movie; it will be the

memories associated with the film itself. Possibly, the reason why the older Disney films and cartoons are turned into their newer versions is because there is a desire to deliver those same feelings and emotions we once experienced to the newer, younger generation, who is going to be captivated by the updated graphics more than the generation before it.

From an advertising and marketing standpoint, it is simpler to rebrand a brand by using an older logo or tagline than it is to come up with something that would deliver just as high of an impact. Brands are using the positive aspects of nostalgia in order to trigger emotional responses from older generations and create newer associations for the newer generations.

Yet, maybe the reason why there is such an attachment to the past is because as millennials, we are not ready to grow up just yet. Sooner or later, we might not be able to dwell in the memories of the past, but until then, we are going to live through some of the past experiences of our lives and cherish every memory until an opportunity to make a new comes along.

Spice Girls are going on tour, Mariah Carey is releasing an album, The Lion King, Dumbo and Mary Poppins are all getting a facelift by becoming live productions with new graphics—it all feels like the 1990’s all over again. Yet, what attracts everyone to the concept of nostalgia? Is it the memories? The lack of motivation to create a new concept? Or maybe, is there something beneath the surface that forces us to occasionally revisit the past?

The feeling of nostalgia in the Millennial generation might stem from none other than the in-

PHOTO COURTESY WALT DISNEY PICTURES

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HOFIT / NYC

HOLIDAY EDITION

W27

HoFIT HUMANS OF FIT

BY JENNA HENLEY

SHANEE KIM NON-DEGREE SEEKING What are some family traditions you and your family do on the holidays and how long have you done them for?

Our family each has a designated food that we make. For my part I make the dessert and we’ve had this tradition since I was 7. We learned about this tradition from an old family friend.

What is a New Year’s resolution you hope to achieve for 2019?

My main resolution is I hope I can love myself and not give myself fake love. I pretend to have confidence, but in reality, when I get home it’s all fake. I want to learn how to appreciate myself and lose weight. Hahaha. My appearance is something I care too much about and it hurts to know that I can’t love myself because I hate the way I look now.

What is a memorable gift you have received and given?

The best memorable gift I received was a letter from an old childhood friend I haven’t seen that turned out to be a confession letter, haha it was so cute. The most memorable gift I have given was a portrait painting of my friend’s grandma since her grandmother passed away during her hardest time.

JOHN DINH FASHION BUSINESS MANAGEMENT What are some family traditions you and your family do on the holidays and how long have you done them for?

When I was little, my mom would hire a Santa Claus to give me and my little brother presents for Christmas. We would stay up till 9 or 10 on Christmas Eve and that’s when he would come and give us presents. We sadly don’t go that tradition anymore because we are too old now. It was cute while it lasted. Now we have a family Christmas dinner every year, and also do a gift exchange.

You’re walking down the street, what holiday song would you be playing in the background and why?

It has to be Jingle Bell Rock because when I was in elementary school, me and some other students would perform in our school’s Christmas talent show. I was dress as Santa Claus;

the fake beard and everything. And also because of the iconic movie Mean Girls.

What is a New Year’s resolution you hope to achieve for 2019?

Definitely I need to be smarter on saving money and not spending as much of it on clothes. I would also love to be positive, caring, and loving to people and animals around me. Lastly, I need to stop procrastinating. I say that every year, but I think this is the year that it will stick.

DANA LIUZZO FASHION BUSINESS MANAGEMENT What are some family traditions you and your family do on the Holidays and how long have you done them for?

Every year since I was little, on Christmas Eve my family makes a big seafood dinner. It’s an Italian tradition to prepare seven fishes so we make all different types of dishes from crab legs to clam chowder to shrimp cocktail to steamed mussels. It’s one of my favorite traditions during the Christmas season.

PHOTOS COURTESY JENNA HENLEY

If you could be a character in a holiday movie, who would you be and why?

I would definitely want to be the “Hero Girl” in The Polar Express! That’s one of my all time favorite Christmas movies and she’s such an inspiring character who shares the gift of friendship and the spirit of the holiday season.

Besides who doesn’t love a singing heroine?

What is a memorable gift you have received and given?

The most memorable gift I’ve received was tickets to see Jersey Boys on Broadway! I’m a huge Broadway fan and I was so happy to see the show before it was closing. And it was truly amazing! I think the most memorable gift I’ve given was to my cousin a few years ago. I gave him a box inside a box inside a box filled with one dollar bills and it was so funny and exciting to watch him unwrap it!

FIT

DECEMBER 2018

How Your Mindless Coffee Habit is a Hazard to

The Environment

BY HANNAH MCINTOSH

Buying you daily coffee in a to-go cup isn’t as efficient as you think It’s 7:03 a.m. on Monday morning. Three Seat Espresso and Barber, a concept coffee shop that offers espresso in the front and a barber shop in the back, in Manhattan’s East Village, opened three minutes ago.

The barista, a tall man in his mid twenties wearing a flat brim hat, sets up the espresso machine, while a young woman wearing a vintage button-down and blue apron, piles flaky croissants into a glass pastry case. The shop is small but still airy and bright. Sunlight streams in through the windows, and bounces off the white countertops, creamy pale yellow cups, and dark brown wood tables.

Despite the apparent morning calm, a nervous energy radiates from the two people behind the counter. They peer out the windows, looking up from their work, anticipating the arrival of their early morning customers leaving the weekend behind.

Then the stream of customers begins. A thirty-something man, barely awake but fully suited, mumbles something rapidly, already inserting his credit card into the machine before he’s received any response from the counter girl. He grabs his paper cup at the end of the bar, slaps on plastic lid, and leaves as quickly as he came. A woman in workout clothes, glistening with sweat, comes in with a small shaggy border collie. Before she says anything, the barista hands her a plastic cup, already lidded and strawed, anticipating her usual order.

As the morning continues, the mood lightens. Pleasant chatter develops between the customers and the baristas, and people seem considerably less peeved. What remains the same, in fact, increases, is the rapidly amassing quantity of used plastic and plastic-lined paper cups.

Some go out the door, while an innumerable amount are tossed in the trash bin, which is taken out at least twice before 12 p.m. By the end of the day, it has been emptied roughly six times. Of course, Three Seat Espresso and Barber is only one of 1,700 coffee shops in the five boroughs. Clearly, while coffee is a vital part of our daily routines it’s a habit that poses a critical threat to the environment.

“We are discovering more and more the problems with plastic,” says Arthur Kopelman, founder of the Coastal Research Education Society of Long Island, and a professor at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. “Much of it ends up in the

“To go, please.”

world’s oceans. It will eventually break in widely attributed to smaller and smaller pieces called microthe rise and growth plastics which enter the food webs on every of capitalism in level. So yes, single use plastic has horrible America. ​There’s no doubt that we live in consequences. They should absolutely be a work and productivity obsessed culture, eliminated.” and one that increasingly feels more com petitive. Kopelman believes playing into According to data from the Earth Day Netthis competitive nature could be the key to work, across the world, 500 billion plastic reducing waste from coffee consumption. cups are consumed yearly, along with the

500 million straws thrown away daily. In From a cultural standpoint in America, bea mind-stunning statistic from the World hind this mindless consumption of single Economic Forum, by 2050 plastic in the use plastics, is the absence of reverence ocean will equal the weight of all the fish for coffee as a quality product, and also as combined. a facilitator for leisurely enjoyment, as is

the case in many European countries. Such “I am constantly encouraging customers to relaxed coffee drinking practice is not inuse ceramics instead of paper cups when grained in the US, a country that seems to they sit in and not to use a lid or straw for focus on the beverage for its utilitarian purto-go drinks,” says Aaron Cook, founder poses. For example, in France, where picand CEO of Three Seat, as we sit together turesque cafes and bistros line the streets, on a bench outside the shop and sip esprespatrons spend an average of 131.5 minso from a small yellow cups. “I hate seeing utes (the highest in a 2017 study reported waste.” he adds.

by Statista) sipping espresso and leisurely

conversing. In contrast, in the U.S. people The massive accumulation of plastic waste spend an average of 59 minutes (the lowest via the general public’s coffee habit might in the study). The idea of contemplating be, in part, a product of a lack of incentive. and savoring this indulgence seems lost on People are less motivated by rewards, than Americans. they are by the prospect of being fined.

That’s the essence of Daniel Kahneman Coffee shops like Three Seat are working to and Amos Tversky’s prospect Theory. Rathshift this mentality in America to one more er than coffee shops giving a discount reflective of the cafe culture in Europe and when customers brings in their own cups Australia. (as many establishments do), perhaps the

more efficient method, in terms of alterna“We try to be a destination spot for people, tives to check environmental harm, would particularly on weekends when they have be to fine those patrons who neglect to more time,” explains Cook. “We want to bring their own vessel. create enhance the environment of what

people consider modern cafe culture not “​ To drive people toward sustainability, only through our product and ambiance, people should have to pay more for things but by being environmentally friendly.” that have a high social, environmental, and

economic cost,” suggest Kopelman. “This He and other believe that only slightly more is the true cost. People would then go for effort, consumers can make smarter choicthe cheaper option, which would also be es on account of the environment. Sitting the one that is sustainable. That would be a down in a cafe creates far less waste, and powerful economic driver.” provides a moment of slowness in one’s

busy life. Reminisces T.S. Eliot’s J. Alfred Understanding that the true cost of one cofPrufrock: I​ have measured out my life with fee is far greater than a $3 dent to the wallet coffee spoons. could shift people to make smarter choices

regarding how they consume their morning But with coffee widely served in plastic and caffeine. paper, and in the midst of a rush, this would

be an impossible feat, metaphor aside. But Kopelman advocates people need to start there’s hope. The next time you enter a cofbringing their owns cup. People should fee shop, take a moment to think about the think about the true cost of these plastics true cost of your purchase and its environcup - the fossil fuels, the drilling, the waste mental reverberations. And since you’ll be - these are all real costs that no one has to taking a moment to contemplate, you may pay for immediately,” says Kopelman. as well have your drink to stay.

The Protestant Work Ethic, a deeply ingrained belief within American culture, is

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20 NYC

W27

Ebony Bolt and the MTA Holiday Train Show

BY ALEXANDER LOPEZ-GUEVARA

This year marks the 17th year of the annual Holiday Train Show at the New York Transit Museum’s Grand Central Gallery Annex and Store. The store, tucked into the gorgeous interior of one of the most iconic and recognizable buildings in the city, houses a collection of posters, books, fun accessories and more that recognize the cultural relevance of the New York City Subway system. The colors and letters associated with the system have become imbedded in any New Yorker’s perception, and there’s really no other institution that does a better job of appreciating that sector of the New York experience.

of the subway and architecture with the human experience. Another key—quite possibly the most paramount element— is the amount of diversity depicted. If the goal of any artist is to depict something that reflects the essence of New York, it will somehow always lead back to the diversity of the place. After all, if we are to trace back the history of New York and its cultural value in America over the last 100 plus years, it cannot be ignored that such a place thrived on the participation of many different backgrounds that permeated the landscape—and it continues to thrive to this day for that same reason.

The New York City Transit Museum, famously located in Brooklyn, just a few steps away from the Borough Hall station, recognizes the relevance of art and its effectiveness in delivering trans-historical themes and images to the millions of people that have ridden and continue to ride public transportation. You may have seen the Poetry in Motion series, or the long, horizontal posters that suspend over the seats of some of the trains running up and down New York. There are entire murals carefully composed at every station—with new projects just on the horizon—and there are mesmerizing posters lining the walls of the underground platforms.

Recently, a new mural has been unveiled at the Grand Central Gallery Annex that takes on the depiction of a diverse and colorful New York in a cool and non-romantic way. The wall covers the entire left side of the space—and it holds itself like a kaleidoscopic experience for everyone that walks into the store. Each figure in the mural—who is an obvious commuter— has their own individual look, gesture and color, which are packaged like a holiday gift for the eyes to feast on.

The gift-giver: Ebony Bolt, an FIT Alumni and a current artist and textile designer who was given the opportunity to showcase her brilliant work for the eyes of almost 750,00 people that pass through Grand Central every single day. An avid observer of the New York City commuter life, she has mentioned that she feels like she takes a trip around the world when she steps into a train, given the conspicuous diversity.

As an artist, she focuses on reflecting and including the masses, which recalls the idea

If you happen to pass these works of art as you make your way to Grand Central, keep in mind that the art itself has been curated by some very intelligent, open, New York minds; the art takes into consideration the effectiveness of a great color palette and the relevance of mixing the machinery

that an artist is one that reflects the time— always. Nina Simone stated it best: “A–––n artist’s duty, as far as I am concerned, is to reflect the times. I choose to reflect the times and the situations in which I find myself. That to me is my duty.”

Ebony Bolt (who can be found on Instagram @ebaony_bolt) recently shared images of her posing next to the mural alongside friends and coworkers. Amy Hausmann, who is currently the senior curator for the New York Transit Museum, was one of those people. Hausmann was previously the senior art director for the MTA Art and Design department. Stepping into her most recent position has paved the way for even further encouragement of up and coming artists who love New York (like Bolt). She recently carried out an assignment with illustration students at FIT in their senior year. The assignment: create a poster for the MTA that reflects the relevance and wonder of the subway systems. Many students chose to illustrate experiences at sites like the Bronx Botanical Garden, the Museum of Natural History, and the Brooklyn Bridge. With her direction, students were able to produce works that reflected the importance of the lines that take them to these fabulous locations. It’s a dream come true for any current illustrator to create work for the MTA—so it’s great to hear that a fellow FIT Alumni got the chance to do it! Head over to the Grand Central Gallery Annex and Store to take a look at Bolt’s wonderful art, and to also soak up the atmosphere of a place devoted to celebrating the value of the New York transit system!

PHOTO COURTESY ALEXANDER LOPEZ-GUEVARA

FIT

DECEMBER 2018

The Mystery of Fractional Addresses and Streets in NYC

BY ALIVIA MATTHEWS

When we think of the structure of New York City, we think of the meticulous grid-like system we see on Google Maps and the organized street nomenclature of Manhattan. Home to some of the most famous streets and thoroughfares in the world include fashion-centric 5th Ave, Madison Ave, Park Ave, and 6th Ave: Avenue of the Americas. However, some of us have had to stop and double take at the coveted 6 ½ Ave. You read that correctly, there is a street in New York with a fraction in it. As Atlas Obscura put it, “Tucked away amidst some of the most famous addresses in the world is New York’s only fraction of a street.” In fact, this 6 ½ Avenue runs along several streets, from West 57th Street to West 51st Street and is rarely visited or toured by public groups. However, this isn’t the only occurrence of its kind in the city.

Although the occurrence is somewhat of a rarity, they aren’t that hard to find and do have a story behind them. To give a little background, the infamous street grid of Manhattan was made possible by the Commissioner’s Plan of 1811, which laid out regular lots in the city that were 25 feet wide and 100 feet deep. Many of the neighborhoods in modern-day Brooklyn adopted the same concept. Some reasons for the fractional addresses are actually pretty straightforward. James Nevius, author for the New York Post and tour guide, leads tours across the city. When touring Greenwich Village, he takes them past the infamous 75 ½ Bedford St., which was home to poet Edna St. Vincent Millay and dubbed the narrowest house in New York City (Nevius). While curiosity is primarily intrigued by its tiny 9 ½ foot width, the question of the reason for it’s half address is actually quite simple. The home was built in 1873 and wedged between 75 and 77 Bedford Street. Originally a driveway, the house was built in this area to accommodate the rapidly expanding neighborhood without interfering with its initial structure. Therefore, No. 75 ½ was seen as the only logical option. However, not all of the stories behind these addresses are so simple.

While New York’s gridlike system seems convenient it has actually forced property owners into all kinds of numerical contortions. Around

the time of the establishment of the Commissioners Plan, people were still going mobile via horse and carriage.

Even though a relatively small amount of people actually had horses or used them stables were built anyway and were accessed by short ‘horse-walks’ between buildings. This was particularly true of Greenwich Village and explains the reasoning behind some of the half addresses and the tiny building sizes.

Elsewhere in Greenwich Village we see reasoning behind these addresses as even more intriguing. One particularly famous block is Saint Luke’s Place, “an elegant block-long terrace of homes built in the 1850s that at various times has been home actor Robert De Niro, Nickelodeon-famous journalist Linda Ellerbee and former mayor Jimmy Walker” (Nevius). The eastern end of the row is numbered 10, 11, 12, 12½, 14, and we all see the absence of the number 13.

Jane Forman of Sotheby’s International Realty, who repped the home when it last sold 20 years ago confirmed that it turns out that back then, the notion of the number 13 being cursed was no myth. The reason for the odd numbering was a case of triskaidekaphobia, the fear and extreme superstition of the number 13 (similar to superstition of Friday the 13th, paraskevidekatriaphobia).

Thirteen was “an unlucky number at the time it was built” she says, just as “there are many buildings in New York that do not have a 13th floor.” While some fractional addresses are the result of poor planning, like the happenstance of 2 ½ Grove St, the rest were to add to the real estate of New York. Examples include “jewel box” 265½ W. 94th St., one of the 27 Tudor cottages built in the 1920s for nightclub owner Thomas Healy. In the late 19th century, the burden of construction began shifting from individual builders to developers, who would buy up entire blocks and build row houses. One developer purchased seven lots between Sixth and Seventh avenues in the early 1880s, along Carroll Street in Brooklyn.He built 10 houses, all just 17½ feet wide.

Since these seven existing lots had already been assigned street numbers, three of the homes received fractional addresses in order to fit them in without upsetting the existing arrangement, which just goes to show you how crowded New York can get. In today’s

time, fractional or otherwise unusual addresses do result in some hiccups and confusion, especially as they have had to change to adjust to modern housing nomenclature standards. Working in a tight constrained space forced architects back then and now to innovate — the Wingersons’ home, for example, had central heating all the way back in the 1870s to avoid installing clunky radiators, while Mendel incorporated sleek sliding pocket doors — making every quirkily numbered home unique.

So whether you are a New York native or are visiting for the first time, these are some of the quirky enigmas of the city to look out for. The backstory behind the fractional addresses can now be something to think about and give you a new outlook on your surroundings.

Keep an eye out for these now that you know they are not a myth!

PHOTO COURTESY MATTEO MODICA

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22 NYC / THE GALLERY

W27

ANDY WARHOL:

BY SOPHIA OSTAPENKO

From A to B and Back Again

W

hether you love or hate him, Andy Warhol became one of the most iconic artists of the 20th century.

Through his use of Polaroid photography, play with advertising, passion for filmmaking and a fascinating social life, Warhol used himself and the subjects of his life for his work. His Campbell’s Soup Cans piece not only launched Warhol’s career, but also increased the sales of the soup company, with some cans being signed by the artist himself. Therefore, when the Whitney Museum of American Art announced their exhibit, “Andy Warhol-From A to B and Back Again,” it launched a string of curiosity about the master behind the madness.

The Whitney Museum dedicated three floors to the artist. When a visitor first walks into the museum, there is a relatively small gallery on the first floor, which displays all of the famous people who were once a part of the Warhol social circle. The images were all done through a streamlined production method. Warhol would take photos of his subjects using a Polaroid camera and then, as the Whitney Museum mentions, use “the resulting images for silkscreen.” The idea behind capturing his famous friends on camera was to display a “portrait of society,” which would represent “Who’s Who of Warhol’s circle.” Some of the celebrities depicted were Debbie Harry, Aretha Franklin, Roy Lichtenstein, Carolina Herrera and Giorgio Armani, among many others.

As the visitor proceeds, the exhibit extends to the third floor. On that floor, films and video projects of Warhol’s have found their home. Among them are Andy Warhol Eating a Hamburger (1981), The Underground Sundae (1967), Cadence Commercial (1965), Factory Diary: Julia Warhola in Bed, and Andy Warhol’s TV Season 1 and Season 2 (1981 and 1983).

Besides the series of videos that invite any visitor to sit down and observe the culture of the 1960s-1980s is also a series of posters that Warhol added his touch to. The posters are all famous ads; think Lemon by Volkswagen and Chanel 5 № per-

PHOTO COURTESY MATTHEW CARASELLA

fume. Yet, what makes them more than just ads are Warhol’s signature touch of pop-up colors and almost cartoonish depictions.

When the visitor completes the tour of the first and third floor galleries, they are prompted to reach the top and the most complex one of them all: the gallery on the fifth floor. The fifth floor is home to some famous pieces, such as Camouflage Last Supper (1986), Ladies and Gentlemen (1975), which is a series depicting New York’s drag and trans community, and Mao (1972). However, the fifth floor also peels off the layers beneath the famous paintings and depicts original sketches, drawings and projects of Warhol. Some of them are drawings of Truman Capote’s hands and face, since the two were very close and Warhol would call and write to Capote almost every day. Others are the Death and Disaster pieces; they depict various American tragedies in true Warhol fashion yet, the message behind them wasn’t stripped away. Some of the pieces among the series are the Mustard Race Riot (1963) and Suicide (Fallen Body) (1963). The gallery also presents Warhol’s famous undertakings, such as Interview Magazine, which was founded by Warhol in the late 1969.

As one walks through the exhibit, it becomes clear that Warhol aimed for thought-provoking, mad and attention-grabbing pieces. He wanted to do the unbelievable and the controversial, breaking boundaries and aiming to mold himself into history. Although he gathered just as many critics as he did fans, the history of art would not be the same without Warhol’s contribution in it.

If you are interested in stopping by the exhibit, the student ticket will cost you $18 with a valid student ID. In addition, the best times to attend would be during the week and early in the morning on the weekends, due to how quickly the crowds begin to gather later in the day.

DECEMBER 2018 23

FIT

Each month, we feature artwork from FIT students. Whether it’s something you’re pursuing professionally or just trying to have fun with, nothing is too big or too small for The Gallery.

THE GALLERY

Christa Camp Illustration, 2nd Year “ I take a lot of inspiration from the runway and editorials. I also enjoy making illustrations for fashion influencers, friends, and family.

Mixing mediums is always exciting.

Watercolor and ink are my favorites to experiment with. My art is very stylized, blending fantasy and fashion together. “

I Don’t Like Myself

By Daniella DiCarlo I can’t spin spider webs out my back I just find myself tangled in their beginnings I find myself trying so hard to let you know I find myself loving the world so truly in the palm of my hand Wanting to cry Because nothing ever meant more I lose myself depictions of Renaissance paintings In the sequential beginning of my creations The words They spill off my tongue So I can’t tell you anything It dances around me trying to find its own place in your mouth All the blank stares As if it means nothing My words can’t travel fast enough to your ears So I don’t share them Their heads soft like dandelion tuff Their hearts so mellow they scream Words never meant less You’d never know though Because I can’t seem to get out of my shower I can’t seem to get out of my bed The milky silence Deafening Maybe I’m just that girl The one you’ve read about in all your books The girl who cries and cries and cries Telling you that you don’t love her Just to make you feel like your world is crashing into a million pieces You’re at a loss for words They seem to come up Then down in your throat You can’t say anything She’s problematic She knows she is Yet all she can do is sniffle Letting the sea take her in Her tears becoming the ocean She can’t help but hate you And everyone else in it

Because truly she walks moon like landscapes alone Picking up the waste from the tide People’s dirty garbage becoming growing treasure With the many personalities in her head All talking at once Making her feel calm Making her feel less like you didn’t leave her here To pick her own skin And bury herself in the sand So what?

I don’t like myself Spending my days wishing to be someone else’s gardening soil Not being able to get you out of my head I wish I could mean as much as a pile of stake Maybe in a way I do To everyone who has ever pursued me I am tender As you cut me in two Releasing my words and stories You plug your ears with cotton swabs She talks about herself too much What do you know?

Probably nothing Probably just what you think I know as much as dandelions let me As much as the ocean has caves Maybe my heart is a little bit deeper than the cuts on your leg That’s okay I like to drink my used tears They always find their way through veins No you can’t make me feel better No they can’t either As much as artificial people like to sing I am the only one who can kiss my cuts Without burning my lips Nothing will ever make any of us happy No human No thing Just a soul With the right amount of raspberry paste

DECEMBER 2018 24

FIT

style on 27.

BY ARIANA PAINO

JINSHIL CHOI

COMMUNICATION DESIGN

“I don’t really know. I just really like the patterns. I just play around with different things to match for the rest of the outfit. I put together these two sweaters because of the cold weather. Oh, and I got the hat from Buffalo Exchange that I really like.”

TAJAHANAE AIKEN INTERIOR DESIGN

“I literally just threw it on. I was like, ‘I’m gonna be late so I just put it together.’ And I wanted to wear my Vandals today. They’re Vandals 2k’s and these are like my favorite sneakers so I threw those on. I like primary colors, so I got the red, blue, and yellow in my earrings.”

In the winter months, it can be difficult to wear fashionable and chic outfits due to how unpredictable the weather can be. I went around campus looking for students who were able to balance style and comfort to stay warm. So, I asked them how they put their outfit together for that day.

RACHAEL MCCALL AMC

“I like to be cozy. I am a commuter so it’s really important for me to be comfortable. Inspiration wise, I think I kinda just stem off of how I’m feeling or, you know, people around me and stuff like that. My boyfriend owns this brand [indicating hoodie], actually, so I always rep it.”

ADI

AMC

“Well, I just bought these [shoes] so I was like, ‘I’m wearing them today.’ This [jacket] I got from a thrift store and this [dress] got from a thrift store... I basically thrift all my clothes. That’s basically how I pick out my outfits. Oh, I wanted to wear a dress today, but it’s cold so put on the stockings.”

EMILY MARTINEZ AMC

“Comfort is number one, especially since I have classes all day so I at least try to be comfortable.

I like the color pink; it’s my favorite color. I always wear pink and black.

I think they’re the best duo. But yeah, comfort comes first before anything.”

SAI MUN FOO AMC

“I’ve been into jumpsuits and like pieces recently. I have on this one-piece from Cos, the turtle-neck is from... So, I buy a lot of clothes from a Chinese website that’s by Alibaba, so they have really cheap clothes that are good quality and a lot of Chinese designers sell their clothes on there, which I’m into now. I like to wear high heels.

I like to put semi-masculine outfits with high heels, I think that’s a nice contrast. The bag is from Proenza so that’s a bit of America right there.” @saisosexy