February 2017 by W27 Newspaper

Volume 49

Issue 5

February 2017

MASTHEAD Daniel Nissim Editor–in–Chief

W27

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Andrea Navarro Managing Editor Kayla Renshaw Treasurer

EDITORS Kayla Renshaw Meghan Kane

ART Rose-Ann Reynolds Art Director Lara de la Torre Art Director Ashleigh Spurgeon Joyce Xu Erin Rouse Henry Barrow Designers

CONTRIBUTORS Taylor Koontz Martin Allen Samantha Burgin Christine Santos Sophia Ostapenko Erin Taylor Lara de la Torre Carmen Li

Ellen Davidson Alexandra Mann Editorial Faculty Advisor Professor Albert Romano Advertising Advisor

Sorry for the delay, folks. You don't know how difficult it is to put a paper together full of fake news and alternate facts. You pretty much have to read every reliable news source and print the opposite. Well, enough politics. There was more than enough going on on campus to distract one's self from the harsh realities of the outside world. The Black Student Union held their annual fashion show featuring some great student designs. Three of the "Central Park Five" spoke on campus to a soldout crowd. And of course, New York Fashion Week was back. This month we're featuring Ashleigh Spurgeon, a great graphic design major. I believe this is a first for W27. We're dedicated to showcasing the many talented students across FIT's various majors, and Ashleigh's work exemplifies this initiative.

There are a couple of events upcoming in March. The FIT Student Government Association elections are already underway and will run until the 17th. You can vote online at sga.fitnyc.edu. On March 14th, we'll be at the club fair from 12-2 in the Great Hall. W27 is always looking for new members. Apart from new members, we could really use your feedback. What sort of stories do you enjoy? We're putting together a student panel, so if you're interested, or just want to give some feedback, contact us at w27_newspaper@fitnyc.edu.

"Do, or do not. There is no try." --Yoda

Cheers,

Daniel Nissim Editor–in–Chief

W27 Newspaper

ON THE COVER:

@W27 Newspaper

"Paris Agreement" By Ashleigh Spurgeon

@W27 Newspaper

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

FIT

FEBRUARY 2017

contents ON THE BLOCK

HOFIT

Super Runway: An Interview with Nicolas Galvis

VR Day: FIT Faces the Future

HAUTE CULTURE

Black Student Union Rocks the Runway

Undiscovered Treasures: New York City Transit Museum/Jude Law Flexes Small Screen Muscle in The Young Pope

10 Ways to Get Involved at FIT— and Get Paid While Doing It

The Gallery

Looking Back to Look Forward/V-Day: The V Doesn't Just Stand for Valentine

Cultural Fellows at a Glance: FIT's New International Advocates

DEAR INDUSTRY

MONTH IN REVIEW

20 Immigration Ban FIT SPEAKS

Activism is Lived, Not Worn: The Issues with the Industry’s Attempts to Make Activism Fashionable

My First Time at Fashion Week

Why We Need DIY Venues

Where Would We Be Without the Arts?

Will Trump Kill Fast Fashion?

Humans of FIT

STYLE ON 27

FEATURES

Finding Love in NYC in the Digital Age

Change Through Design: A Graphic Designer's Quest

Oscar's Preview

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

Style on 27

ON THE BLOCK

W27

SUPER RUNWAY

An Interview with Illustrator Nicolas Galvis By Meghan Kane Nicolas Galvis, a former fashion design student, is enjoying his second semester in the one-year Advertising and Marketing Communications program. Between walking to campus from Kaufman Hall to enjoy the culinary offerings of his meal plan and walking six-plus miles on a given night to meet his Tinder dates, Galvis illustrates female comic book characters in current designer looks. He talked to W27’s Meghan Kane about his project, what strong women mean to the gay community and styling different body types/

Meghan Kane: What led you to begin this project?

comic book characters to your sexuality?

Nicolas Galvis: I love

NG: The gays rally behind

drawing female comic book characters. In fashion art, you don’t get the same variety of movement as you do in comics. In comics they’re kicking, they’re fighting, they’re upside down. So when I came to FIT for my first semester in fashion design, I really valued the knowledge I gained in terms of drawing the female figure, and I combined that with my comic book character art. These characters don’t have the ideal fashion art body of the tall, slender, 7-head figure so I mixed their thicker, more muscular forms with what I learned about rendering. I thought, these are my favorite people, I’ll dress them in my favorite clothes.

strong female leaders. Gay icons are most commonly women. So yeah, the idea of a strong woman is empowering for many gay men including myself. I like how in the little speech bubble before she attacks someone she’ll have a sassy quote. Male characters don’t get a sassy quote — they just start fighting. It’s so boring! I think there’s a lot more creativity behind the female characters. To want to rebelliously promote the feminine is part of gay culture. The idea of a woman being just as deadly as the male characters is something I want to support as a gay man.

So I go through each and every collection on Vogue. com and choose looks to put on my favorite characters, and it’s time well-spent. I feel like since I want to work in this industry I should be looking and learning what’s in, what’s out, what the major brands are doing and which underrated brands should be receiving attention. Even if no one sees my illustrations, I’ll know that a specific brand made that great pair of shoes in Fall 2015.

MK: So you identify as a gay man. Would you attribute any of your admiration for female

MK: How do you go about choosing which designer looks you are going to draw? How do you assign each one to a character?

NG: Some of the women have somewhat larger bodies and I try to illustrate them in the most flattering way possible. I’ll either want to show the body off or cover it up, depending on what I know about the character’s personality. For example, She-Hulk is a very muscular woman, but she’s not abnormally muscular like The Hulk. She’s always portrayed in comic books as having abs and broad shoulders. For her, I ended up

going with this metallic jacket from 3.1 Phillip Lim and it’s cropped so it shows off those abs. The jacket itself is puffy so it doesn’t seem like her shoulders are naturally big and masculine, but it shows her muscles in a flattering way. If a character is more mysterious I’ll aim to dress her in something more intricate. Batwoman is certainly one of those characters so I drew her in this black Marc Jacobs dress. But DC recently had her come out as a lesbian so I made sure to put her in the Marc Jacobs boots with the rainbows on them. So I sort of feel like a stylist sometimes.

PHOTOS COURTESY: NICOLAS GALVIS @SUPERRUNWAY

MK: Has that contributed

wide appeal.

to your views on body inclusivity in the fashion industry?

MK:Is there a message you

NG: I think there has been progression toward body inclusivity in the fashion industry. There are clothes out there that fit larger women, but they’re not necessarily in the forefront. This project has shown me that sometimes there are looks in the collection that don’t make it into production and those are sometimes the clothes that would fit full-figured women. So much of it is about styling. I’m disappointed when those pieces aren’t produced because they have the potential to garner such a

strive to deliver through these illustrations?

NG: If you have an idea that you are passionate about and you have the time to do it, do it. It’s very fulfilling. Even if you think two things won’t work well together, just try it. I didn’t think Rogue from X-Men would look good in Versus Versace but I just finished her drawing and I think she looks great. Who says you can’t combine your passions? Nick’s project can be followed on Instagram@superrunway.

FIT

FEBRUARY 2017

VR DAY

FIT Faces the Future BY DANIEL NISSIM The classroom is the perfect setting to test out new technologies. Through trial and error, students and faculty find new methods to improve curriculum. Feb. 3’s VR Day, presented by FIT’s Information Technology division and the FIT/Infor Design and Tech Lab, was a look into the future of VR and its place in the classroom setting. Students had the chance to try out Google’s Tilt Brush in the newly opened FIT/Infor Design and Tech Lab, and faculty enjoyed a day of presentations and discussions as to how the FIT staff can best implement these emerging technologies. Professor Debbie Deas, Professor Karen Pearson and Professor Tom McManus led the morning discussion. Professor Deas spoke about motion tracking technology and how software can aid in the design process. Professor Deas noted how the visceral reaction of seeing your actions can lead to an emotional connection. Next, Professor Pearson talked about virtual reality and how it can improve science curricula. Professor Pearson’s Labster pilot program is comprised of about 100 students from a mix of intro level courses. The Labster program allows students to study at their own pace in a comfortable environment. It provides instant feedback and gives students “access” to otherwise expensive lab equipment. Professor Pearson noted that the program isn’t perfect, but software

like this can be improved with more direct input from the faculty utilizing it. Professor McManus discussed 360-degree video capture and VR. Some of his classes have started testing simple 360-degree cameras — providing a new viewing experience with a new set of challenges. Professor McManus led a short tutorial of the Google Tilt Brush software as an aide demoed the system. Tilt Brush places the user in a three-dimensional VR space with infinite possibility. Fine Arts students can create a sprawling universe, and fashion design students can test out new designs on a mannequin. Tilt Brush is a relatively simple program with endless potential in the classroom setting.

extremely comfortable. It’s intimidating at first, but you’re not even drawing — you’re building.”

Throughout the day, students stopped by the FIT/Infor Design and Tech Lab to try on Tilt Brush through an HTC Vive setup. Tilt Brush is difficult to manage at first, but after a while it feels natural. “I loved it, actually. It’s much more different seeing it as a spectator, but when you’re drawing it’s so cool. After I went in it, I felt like I was already used to it. I loved the whole experience of seeing it in 3D and moving around,” noted Illustration major Albert Collado. Illustration Natalie Smith added, “It’s

VR Day was also the big opening of the FIT/Infor Design and Tech Lab. “The general mission of the lab is to engage faculty and students solving industry problems using design and technology,” according to Michael Ferraro, the Executive Director of the FIT/Infor Design and Tech Lab. One of the first projects students and faculty will be working on is developing a training manual for the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software. PLM is not specifically developed for fashion designers, so as a

competition, students in Professor Chin-Juz Yeh’s Design for ScreenBased Media course and Professor Christie Shin’s Advanced Digital Typography course will interview various professionals involved in the design process. First prize is $3,000 and students will have the opportunity to continue to develop their proposals through a summer internship. “It’s a way of getting the students involved in exciting projects and getting the best out of them and then giving them an opportunity to do a really creative internship over the summer,” Ferraro summed up. FIT is at the forefront of incorporating these new technologies, and with the introduction of the FIT/Infor Design and Tech Lab, students and faculty will continue to explore new applications. From film to fine arts to fashion design, the possibilities are endless.

PHOTOS COURTESY: SMILJANA PEROS/FIT

ON THE BLOCK

W27

Black Student Union Rocks the Runway BY DANIEL NISSIM FIT’s Black Student Union rocked the runway on Feb. 3 with their 24/7ashion Runway Presentation. The Haft Auditorium played host to a slew of student designers and entertainment led by DJ Sir Manny. BSU Vice President Sadé Lewis notes, ”One of the most significant things about producing BSU's 24/7ashion Runway Presentation is that it creates a platform for FIT students and other students to display their work. Often, we look to those with high levels of success as inspiration, but our runway presentation allows us to find inspiration within ourselves. Our show is by our peers and for our peers”

Designs from The Mesh Series, Vibe, P.Y.6, Ire, Sunflores Plethora, Bretagna, Sheer Passion, She, Dorshelle Guillaume and Onyekachi Ike graced the runway. In a word, the show was sexy. From intimates to revealing dresses, student models worked the runway while students enjoyed the music. It was a very different atmosphere for a runway show — one with a greater communal spirit. Fourth-year Fashion Design Student Brandon Savage said, “I thought it was great. A lot of the models were amazing. The music was amazing, and the vibe was good. It was very inspiring.” Radhaisy Delacruz, a fourth-year fashion business management major, added, “My very close friend Anissa modeled in it, and she just rocked the stage.”

The BSU team did a great job producing the show. “Putting on the runway presentation isn't easy. We have faced so many obstacles along the way. However, anything great takes a lot of hard work and dedication. What makes it all worth it in the end is the excitement and pride of the student designers and models that participate. They invite their friends and families every year and get to show us all what they can do and love,” added Lewis. FIT has a variety of fashion shows every year — each with its own charm. BSU’s 24/7ashion show was an energetic, upbeat celebration of fashion and its students. Cheers to the Black Student Union and a show well done.

PHOTOS COURTESY: MICHAELA LAWSON

FIT

FEBRUARY 2017

10 Ways to Get Involved at FIT— and Get Paid While Doing It BY ANDREA NAVARRO

A new semester has begun and along with it an opportunity to become more involved with FIT’s campus life. Joining one (or more) of the many student clubs and athletic teams are great options, but if you are on a budget like most of us are, then getting compensated for your services is most likely what you are looking for. Compiled below is a list of positions that any FIT student (yes, even international) can get on campus: 1) Student Government Association (SGA) Hired by: Department of Student Life Stipend: $1000 per semester (President), $800 (Board of Directors), $700 per semester (Executive Committees) How to apply: Elections take place each spring semester. 1 year commitment minimum. The Student Association is the voice of 10,000 students. They make sure that students are accurately represented throughout the college and their rights and voices are heard. SGA oversees and funds more than 60 clubs and organizations through a student activity fee which is included in every FIT students tuition.

The main mission of LAs is to create intentional opportunities for students to learn what it means to lead at FIT and in their community. Facilitating Leadership Weekend every semester, completing a leadership project relating to a cause that interests them and attending events relating to leadership are integral parts of the program as well.

Hired by: Department of Student Life Stipend: $500 per semester How to apply: Complete an application and interview. Orientation Leader recruitment takes place during both the fall and spring semesters. To apply or get more information about the program, students should contact Catlin_ Wojtkowski@fitnyc.edu. 1 year commitment minimum. Orientation Leaders are the first contact that new students have with FIT, so they really make an impact in the overall experience of incoming students. OLs are known for being energetic, inviting and making a real effort to interact with fellow students. This is a great position for students who want to get involved at FIT but cannot commit too much time during the whole semester. Since the main responsibilities of OLs are assisting with Orientation Week, during the first week of the semester, this position is perfect for those not willing to commit a lot of time.

Hired by: International Student Services Rate of pay: $10 per hour

Hired by: The Counselor for Leadership Programs in the Department of Student Life Stipend: $700 per semester How to apply: Complete an online application, interview, attend one Leadership Weekend and at least two Leadership Workshops. 1 year commitment minimum.

5) Resident Assistant (RA)

3) Orientation Leaders (OL)

4) Cultural Fellow (CF)

2) Leadership Ambassador (LA)

international students, help in facilitating events hosted by International Student Services and the Office of International Programs and assist in international-related activities and development.

How to apply: Complete an online application and interview demonstrating your interest in foreign cultures. The Cultural Fellows program offers international students and students with extensive international experience the opportunity to work on campus in educational contexts, such as international student orientation and co-curricular events. Cultural Fellows engage in peer-mentoring outreach with new

Hired by: Office of Residential Life Compensation: For a 1 year commitment minimum, RAs get a single room at the rate determined for the building in which the RA is housed. They also get a Tuition Stipend of 5 disbursements each semester equivalent to New York in-state tuition ($2,295 per semester for lower division, $3,235 for upper division), as well as an additional $450 housing stipend for RAs living in apartment style rooms each semester, and $550 for RAs living in traditional stay rooms each semester. How to apply: Recruitment and information sessions start in October. Students are given an application and recommendation form, and are then required to assist with various one on one and group sessions to see if they are a good fit for the position. 1 year commitment minimum. RA’s main responsibilities include acting as facilitators for the residents of the FIT student dorms and the residence hall community as well as serving as role models that enhance the development, safety and behavior of the residents. 6) Academic Tutor Hired by: The Academic Skills Tutoring Center or The Writing Center Rate of pay: Depending on your degree level — $12 per hour (No degree, Associate's Degree), $15 per hour (Bachelor’s Degree) and $16 per hour (Master’s Degree)

How to apply: Fill out a tutor application, bring it to the Academic Skills Tutoring Center with a resume, a copy of your DARS/transcripts or your degree (if you have one). Applications are accepted every semester.

challenging in midterms and finals season, when students flood the library and computer labs to study for exams.

To be a tutor at FIT you must have received an A or A- in a particular course, or have a letter of recommendation from a professor. Tutoring is based on need, and students are only allowed to tutor a maximum of 25 hours a week (20 hours for international students). To tutor a foreign language, students need to contact the Chairperson of the Foreign Language department to be approved for the language they would like to tutor.

Hired by: Technological Department of the Library

7) Tour Guides Hired by: Admissions Office Rate of pay: $12 per hour How to apply: Go to the Admissions Office and ask to fill out an application. Student Tour Guides are in charge of representing FIT to prospective students and showing them what the college has to offer in terms of facilities, programs and activities. They also work in the Admissions Office inputting data, responding to students emails and various other office work.

9) PrintFX/Graphic Lab assistants

Rate of pay: $12 per hour How to apply: Go to the office of the Technological Department of the Library at the end of the semester and ask to fill out an application, followed by an informal interview. Only full time students qualify for this position. The assistants at PrintFX satisfy all your printing needs. Their main responsibility is to process all the students’ printing orders, both in person and in online form, to make sure that all printing is done accurately and on time (If you drop off a project before 1:00 pm, you’ll be able to pick it up the same day). Graphic Lab assistants can guide students with the selection of the right material for a project and a full explanation of the lab’s services. 10) Fitness Center facilitators Hired by: Athletics & Recreation Department

8) Lab monitors:

Rate of pay: $12 per hour

Hired by: Technological Department of the Library

How to apply: Go to the Athletics & Recreation Department and ask to fill out an application.

Rate of pay: $12 per hour How to apply: Go to the office of the Technological Department of the Library at the end of the semester and ask to fill out an application, followed by an informal interview. Only full time students qualify for this position. Lab monitors make sure everything at the library runs smoothly. From making sure that there is no eating or drinking near the computers, helping students with technical issues (in the computers or when they are printing) and tracking down the right book for your research projects. This position is very limited, getting hired mostly depends on your availability. The position gets specifically

Although most of the students currently working at the fitness center are members of FIT’s athletic teams, this position is not exclusively for them. Fitness center facilitators make sure that all the gym equipment is properly placed and running, take notes of all incoming students entering the gym and can even help facilitate some of the fitness classes. Knowledge of equipment, fitness and athletics is necessary.

ON THE BLOCK

W27

Looking Back to Look Forward BY TAYLOR KOONTZ

On the night of Feb. 15, the Haft Auditorium was packed full of students, faculty and guests for a special event. Three members of the Central Park Five shared their stories of being arrested, convicted and jailed for the assault and rape of a female jogger in Central Park — a crime that they did not commit. Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam and Raymond Santana not only spoke to the audience about what happened to them in 1989, but also about what they’re doing today to make a difference and the lessons that they’ve learned along the way. The event was a collaboration between the Presidential Scholars Program and the Office of Educational Opportunity Programs. FIT President Dr. Joyce Brown began the event with opening remarks. “Today, if anyone mentions the Central Park Five to New Yorkers of a certain age, they will instantly know the reference,” Dr. Brown said. “They will be able to recite chapter and verse of what they think took place.”

After showing a 20-minute excerpt from the film, “The Central Park Five” by Sarah Burns, Richardson, Salaam and Santana sat down with faculty moderator Professor Daniel Levinson Wilk and student moderator Shayna Fairclough to discuss what happened in the past, what they’re currently doing in the present and what can be done in the future to make sure cases like this don’t happen again. “Every single citizen in this country one day gets a letter in the mail saying that they’ve been called to serve on jury duty,” Salaam said. “The unfortunate part about our case was, there were jurors who were so uncomfortable and couldn’t find any real reason to declare us guilty, but they were pressured. One guy in particular said later on that he found a random excuse to vote us guilty, just so he could get out of the courtroom. We need people to stick to their guns. We need people to really evaluate what they’re seeing and not be tricked by the same things that ruined us.”

After the panel discussion, audience members were invited to ask questions. Many of the students in the audience had seen the film when it premiered in 2012 and were inspired to attend this event because of it. “I thought the Central Park Five event was insightful and inspirational. To get to hear the actual members of the Central Park Five speak about their experiences and how they’ve started to assimilate back into normal life was quite moving, especially in a society where those who spend jail time are often alienated upon returning to society,” said FIT student Charlie Kim, 18.

the Central Park Five’s views on the justice system and today’s political climate. “I heard about the Central Park Five when I first watched the documentary,” said FIT student Lizzy Scheuerman, 18. “I’m really glad I attended this event because the Central Park Five discussed a lot about the judicial system and how men and women of color are still to this day usually guilty until proven innocent, not innocent until proven guilty.”

part about what they do now is talking to the students. “We didn’t have the college experience and now we love these engagements because of you guys,” Santana said. “We get to live the college experience through talking to you, by educating you and telling our story.”

As for Richardson, Salaam, and Santana, their favorite

Other students decided to go to the event to hear more about

V - D AY :

THE V DOESN’T JUST STAND FOR VALENTINE BY TAYLOR KOONTZ

On Valentine’s Day, most FIT students were talking about their plans for the evening, the gifts they got their significant other, or how they think they’ll be single forever. However, this past Valentine’s Day they were talking about something else entirely: vaginas. The Vagina Monologues, written by Eve Ensler, began in 1996 as an episodic play. It has since turned into a global non-profit movement. Each year thousands of V-Day benefit events take place that are put on by volunteer activists around the world. FIT’s performance of The Vagina Monologues took place on Feb. 14 in the Katie Murphy Amphitheater. It was put together by The Department of Student Life, FIT’s Campus AntiViolence Education Group the Theater Club and Half the Sky. The production was directed by Kayla Hopkins and Christina Ferrari. The monologue was performed by a small cast consisting of Arielle Kleeman, Cassandra Gagnon, Jeanette McKenna, Julia O’Donnell, Katie Zatyko and Kayla Hopkins. Each actress played different roles throughout the performance including a sex worker, a Bosnian survivor of rape and a vagina workshop participant. “I decided to act in The Vagina Monologues because I was involved in theater in high school and wanted to become more involved at FIT,”

said Julia O’Donnell, 19. “I knew The Vagina Monologues was a great show to be a part of because the topics are very relevant to society even though the show was written in the 90s.” The monologue touched on many topics related to vaginas and what women think about them, including matters such as sex, love, rape and birth. The introductory monologue included three women that described all of the different words people have for their vaginas. Another monologue, “My Vagina Was My Village,” was on the darker side as a woman described the pain and suffering she went through as a mutilation victim in a Bosnian village. “I like that the show can range from being light-hearted and humorous, such as acting out different kinds of orgasm moans, to very serious issues like rape and mutilation,” O’Donnell said. Throughout the entire monologue, recurring themes of self-love, female empowerment and self-discovery were touched upon. “I love The Vagina Monologues because it openly talks about a wide array of women’s issues and experiences in a very dignified, respectable and tasteful way, which is very refreshing,” said Arielle Kleeman, 19. “It brings us out of our comfort zones by speaking about things that should be spoken about, but aren’t. Things that have been taboo and disregarded for ages.”

PHOTO COURTESY: TAYLOR KOONTZ

FIT

FEBRUARY 2017

CULTURAL FELLOWS AT A GLANCE FIT’S NEW INTERNATIONAL ADVOCATES BY ANDREA NAVARRO International students at FIT constitute 10% of the student body— a number quite significant for a state college that is on the smaller side. The Cultural Fellows program was designed to cater to this particular group of students, while also encouraging the FIT community to go out and experience these opportunities themselves. We talked with the coordinators of the program and some of the Cultural Fellows to better understand what it’s all about from the perspective of the creators and the students who will implement it.

Cultural Fellows Coordinator

The Fellows

Andrea Navarro: How would you describe the Cultural Fellows program?

Delaney Lavorata, 19, Fashion Design (Sophomore), Deer Park, NY

Allison Olly: The Cultural Fellows are acting as ambassadors to the larger FIT population, sharing their experiences —either by studying abroad here or having gone abroad to another country— with people who may not have had that opportunity yet but could possibly want to.

AN: What made you decide to apply for the position? Delaney Lavorata: I loved studying abroad in Italy for my freshman year so much— it changed a lot of my views and opinions. After being away for a year, I learned a lot about myself and how small my world experiences were.

AN: Why do you think it was important to create this program? AN: What excites you the most about being a Cultural Fellow? AO: As administrators we can take care of the paperwork and regulations side of being an international student, but we are not in the position to help on a more personal level—and that’s something that other international students or students that have studied abroad can be able to do because they have gone through the same experiences as these students.

International Student Services Director

DL: Cultural Fellows is awesome because international students seem to be really excited to have familiar faces on campus who they can count on. When I came to FIT, I missed out on a lot of opportunities because I felt distant and uneducated on the different options and resources that are on campus. FIT is much more than my initial bad experience; through Cultural Fellows I can use what I learned on my own and help other students. Terrance Wu, 22, Advertising and Marketing Communications (Junior), China

Andrea Navarro: Why do you think it was important to create this program? AN: What made you decide to apply for the position? Erika Rohrbach: We actually referred to an article printed in W27 a lot of time ago saying how some international students didn’t feel comfortable in the classroom and how some professors didn’t know how to include them. We thought of other questions and concerns that we had heard over time, and peer mentoring was something that made sense in terms of creating this program.

Terrance Wu: I wanted to engage with the FIT international community as an international student myself. I also know how difficult and stressful life can be when students are just coming in from a completely different culture to study in America. I thought that by sharing my personal experience, I could help those who are new to the US assimilate to the American culture quicker.

AN: How do you hope the program will evolve?

AN: What do you expect to gain from this experience?

ER: Right now we are looking for the fellows’ help in creating an inclusive atmosphere to prospective students and help them orient themselves even before they get here on campus. We also want the fellows to help in the classroom and partner with faculty and offices like Study Abroad to help widen the international perspective on campus, so it can be useful to other students, both international and not.

TW: Being a Cultural Fellow is something that could be useful in the future. Personally, I want to meet more people and learn things from other cultures that I previously didn’t know about. Developing other skills such as public speaking are also a great part of the the CF program.

Attention all artists! WANT TO SEE YOU WORK IMMORTALIZED IN PRINT AND DISTRIBUTED ACROSS CAMPUS? Then send your work to w27_newspaper@fitnyc.edu

W27 is open to feautring all art & design majors For our March issue, please submit samples of your work by March 17th

DEAR INDUSTRY

W27

WHY WE NEED DIY VENUES BY MARTIN ALLEN

In 2017, there are a dwindling number of all-age, do-it-yourself (DIY) venues/ art-spaces around Brooklyn. Lovably divey, loud and tiny venues such as Shea Stadium, Market Hotel and Trans Pecos come to mind as some favorites. But sadly, in recent months, many of these spots have incurred the interest of the police or fire department for various reasons, often having to do with liquor licensing discrepancies — an issue that plagued Market Hotel back in October. It is truly sad to see the law coming after many safe, beloved and special places simply over bureaucratic terms with regards to liquor licenses. In the instance of Market Hotel, the venue had applied for and received special licenses in the past and had followed laws plain and simple. Ultimately, it was a charge of “warehousing liquor” that rendered the venue closed this fall. Market Hotel has maintained what seems to be a good rapport with the law, and it’s a shame to see these venues closing, albeit often temporarily, for they are crucial parts of the communities they belong to. Not just for sweaty punk shows, venues like Market Hotel and Shea Stadium host public forums, benefits and other various community-oriented events that are a force for good in New York. What makes these places special is not that they sell cheap booze, but the sense of a loving and safe community that they cultivate. In a time of live music where the all-ages show is hard to come by, venues like Shea act as a place where fans young and old can enjoy all the things a live performance has to offer. The troubling part, however, is that liquor sales are a major source of income for these venues. It's not enough to charge nominal entry fees, so the venues have to support themselves with other means of income. That is where the booze seizures create a problem.

PHOTO COURTESY: BROOKLYN VEGAN

If the venue is not allowed to sell liquor even when all rules have been followed and maintained, they can no longer afford to be putting on shows at the rate that makes their space so accessible. Seeing a show at a place like Shea Stadium, the Bushwick venue that was recently shuttered for a brief time, is a special thing. From the moment you walk in, you are welcomed and made to feel a part of the Brooklyn DIY community. In times such as these, with political tensions and world strife at the forefront of everything, we need Shea Stadiums and Market Hotels. New York needs them. America needs them.

PHOTO COURTESY: FREE WILLIAMSBURG

FIT

FEBRUARY 2017

WHERE WOULD WE BE

WITHOUT THE ARTS? BY KAYLA RENSHAW

FIT’s website states: “FIT: Where creativity gets down to business.” The question is, where would FIT be without the artistic creativity that propels us forward as an institution? The answer to that otherwise grey question may not be that far off in the distance. Thus far, President Trump has followed through with many of his initial promises, but defunding the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities is more than just signing an executive order. Families, communities and artists across the country would feel the effects of this action. Over the duration of Trump’s campaign, he consistently said that he was going to cut spending on programs he deemed unnecessary or believed were overfunded. The reality of the situation is that these two organizations account for less than 1/10 of 1% of our yearly budget. According to the New York Times, and both of the organization’s websites, the government grants each organization $148 million annually — virtually nothing when the country has a $3.8 trillion budget. The fact of the matter is that these two programs don’t just throw away the funding they receive, both promote creativity and growth in many different areas revolving around the arts. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funds and promotes creativity in communities by providing all Americans with opportunities to participate in and experience art as they wish. On the other hand, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) allocates grants to institutions across the country such as museums, libraries, colleges and universities as well as public radio and television stations. Cutting funding will cause many foundations to close their doors, including public broadcast stations, where most funding comes directly from the government.

Illustration, Fashion Design, and Fine Arts, the school heavily relies on the arts to promote creativity within and around the community. Cutting programs that promote this growth will impact the way future artists view their craft and the industry. Aislinn Foley, a sophomore Illustration major understands the restriction the defunding would promote within the art community. “If Trump were to cut budgets on art programs, it would mean a cut from creativity,” she said. “Children’s creative boundaries would be limited to 4 options on an app, and they would not see what a simple crayon and paper could unleash. Cutting the arts is restricting the imagination.” The new academic building set to open on 28th Street was designed by SHoP Architects as a result of a competition sponsored by the NEA. The competition resulted in a $75,000 reward provided by the organization. Without contests such as this, innovative and fresh ideas will be few and far between. As stated on FIT’s website, “one of New York City’s premier public institutions, FIT is an internationally recognized college for design, fashion, art, communications and business. We’re known for our rigorous, unique and adaptable academic programming, experiential learning opportunities, academic and industry partnerships and commitment to research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.” FIT has always embraced the arts. Eliminating these programs would erase a large part of our identity as an institution.

The NEA assists community colleges in implementing first year seminars and programs that make transferring to fouryear universities easier on students. The organization also helps fund projects that deal with the humanities. Although for FIT, the slashing of these programs is more than just a few budget cuts here and there. Hosting majors such as

PHOTO COURTESY: PICOGRAPHY

DEAR INDUSTRY

W27

Will Trump Kill Fast Fashion? BY SAMANTHA BURGIN

PHOTO COURTESY: TIME.COM

If you were to take a peek at the tag on your t-shirt, there is a 97.3% chance the country of origin listed is not the USA, according to the American Apparel and Footwear Association. The apparel industry, which is worth $225 billion in the US according to data by Wazir’s from 2012, relies heavily on production in developing countries. A fact worth worrying over considering a major keystone of President Trump’s campaign was embracing American production and reducing reliance on China’s manufacturing and Mexico’s workforce. In order to effectively make this switch, Trump announced his opposition to trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA lays out the regulations on trade between the USA, Mexico and Canada, making the exchange of goods between the three countries easier and cheaper. Imposing higher costs to import goods from other countries would cripple most brands who outsource labor to countries around the world. These foreign factories may have questionable morals — some with evidence of child labor and unfair wages. Bangladesh is a popular pick for companies trying to squeeze every bit of profit out of $9.99 tee shirts. The country recently had several protests over the 32 cent hourly minimum wage, which often comes with dangerous working conditions. Ethical or not, the ability to import apparel from these countries enables the companies trying to provide the inexpensive duds the typical American consumer demands. Consumers have grown accustom to $1.90 tank tops at stores like Zara, H&M and Forever 21. A soaring tariff would not only be absorbed by the company, but passed on to the consumer. Americans have demanded lower and lower costs — valuing deals as more important than ethical production. While

“Americans have demanded lower and lower costs, valuing deals as more important than ethical production.” forced labor for pennies an hour is easy to oppose in theory, the reality is that Americans want the cost of their products to remain unaffected. Even if international production is inhibited, would American clothing factories flourish? The Department of Labor estimated that in 2005, 75% of apparel factory jobs in the USA were populated by recent immigrants. Trump can’t have his wall and a profit, too. Additionally, the recently out of business “Made In LA” pioneer American Apparel serves as a cautionary tale. Their platform was built on supporting US manufacturing, but the reality was that the H&M down the block had the same basic tee shirts at a fraction of the cost. Consumers vote with their wallets and cheap clothing wins. Will Trump legislate and tax apparel imports? For all of his support of American production, the reality is that Trump and his family (like every company in the business of increasing profits while lowering costs) have imported products made worldwide. Ivanka Trump, who has her own fashion label, produces some items in Hong Kong and China, proving the reality of the matter: international production keeps the fashion industry afloat. This is true whether you are Forever 21 or the daughter of the president of the United States. Will fast fashion die at the hands of Trump’s push for American production? Only time, and the American consumer’s wallet, will tell.

FIT

FEBRUARY 2017

BY CHRISTINA SANTOS

There are eight million people living in the five boroughs of New York City. Some are married, but even more are single, based on a study by the Pew Research Center. Marriages are down 5% and barely half of U.S adults are married. As fewer people are committing to each other, it appears that millennials have other priorities compared to past age groups. According to the Pew Research Center, millennials are in less committed relationships than any other generation in America’s history. If you’re looking for someone to hold your hand and browse museums with you, the abundant number of people in this city should ease your mind that you’ll eventually find someone. There are more than enough people in this city so there’s bound to be someone for you, right? But if you factor in dating apps, a busy schedule and all the hectic things that go along with life in NYC, finding someone to love becomes that much more difficult. Before the era of smartphones and dating online, your only option of meeting someone came from finding them in person. If you’re the old-fashioned type, you might have the hopes of meeting your significant other while walking through Central Park or at a cafe. But the chances of this happening are slim unless you make the first move. New Yorkers are generally

very busy people and this adds to the stress of meeting someone new. The fact is, a lot of people in the city don’t meet face-to-face. Even though we come across countless people on a daily basis, most people don’t have the courage needed to approach someone they’re interested in. The dating scene, like pretty much everything else in New York, is unlike anywhere else in the country. The city is an unusual yet exciting place. You can get anything you want from a simple swipe on your phone — including a relationship. Dating apps and social media have made finding love incredibly easier, but at the same time things are much more complicated. Although it seems that these people are available, it’s much harder to decipher whether or not these “matches” are your one true match. At your fingertips, you have myriad options. Back then, the dating scene during an era like the 90s required much more effort to find a partner — there were no text messages or social media. Many would have to go on several dates to determine whether or not you should continue seeing each other. But now with the use of social media, you can find out from the comfort of your own bed that someone is not meant for you just by quickly looking through their Instagram page. Thanks to technology, you

don’t even need to speak to someone to know that you’re not interested in dating them. Since dating has become digital, does this mean romance is dead? Millennials have made it clear that being in a committed relationship is not important to them. According to the Pew Research Center, 59 percent of adults ages 18-29 were married in 1960, and according to a poll from Gallup, 64 percent of 18-29 year olds are not living with or married to a partner. This could be for a number of reasons or the fact that millennials are also openly involved in what’s known as “hookup culture”— being involved with someone with no strings attached. With apps like Tinder and Bumble available it’s no wonder Generation Y is labeled as the hookup generation. According to The Huffington Post, online dating is the second most popular way to meet someone. As society advances, the way we meet people evolves as well. Millennials have been known as the “digital generation” and with that comes a new way of dating. Technology has made its way into our everyday lives and dictates the way we do most things — including the ways we find love. Although less millennials are coming together to find marriage, it doesn’t mean that your chances of finding love are non-existent.

PHOTO COURTESY: PIXABAY

FEATURES

W27

CHANGE THROUGH DESIGN: A GRAPHIC DESIGNER'S QUEST BY DANIEL NISSIM

FIT is home to many talented artists and designers. They host large fashion shows or galleries, but often, students don’t get the chance to observe this fine work without a trip to D-building. Ashleigh Spurgeon, 20 is a third-year graphic design major who recently completed a project, “Paris Agreement,” highlighting climate change issues — an all too relevant topic within today’s political climate. She believes that through design, one can affect change. I sat down with Spurgeon to discuss her work and her time studying graphic design.

Daniel Nissim: What led you to study graphic design? Ashleigh Spurgeon: I was in AP Photography in high school, and I started focusing on fashion magazines. And so I started designing covers and spreads, basically following YouTube tutorials. I loved “The Devil Wears Prada,” so I always wanted to come to New York City and live that life. So when I went to Portfolio Day, I found FIT, and I talked to someone there and they told me about the communication design program would be best for me. From there, I focused on graphic design for my bachelor’s [degree].

DN: Why don’t you tell me a little bit about the program. What is it that you do in graphic design? AS: The thing is, we kind of do everything. We kind of learn every type of application that graphic design has — packaging, experiential like in a space, wayfinding. I have a wayfinding class right now. Web and digital design is really big right now because everything is moving to digital, even though I love print. I love creating tangible items like magazines and booklets, which we do in our core class, but we kind of learn a little bit of everything.

DN: How do you think the graphic design program fits in with the other majors? AS: Going here, fashion is kind of in every major — it’s an overarching inspiration in all of the majors. So we focus really on designers throughout the curriculum that influence everyone. We take into consideration how fashion design focuses on detailing and placement of things and just how that relates to graphic design. The imagery of some of the other majors, we create the graphics around it like in a museum or something.

DN: So, why don’t you tell me a little bit about “Paris Agreement” that’s on our cover. AS: The “Paris Agreement” was for my core studio class last semester, and it was basically creating a campaign for a world event or creating a brand for something in the news. So the “Paris Agreement” was based on agreement between multiple countries from the U.N. agreeing on climate control and how to take steps and setting goals on how they can get their environmental footprint down. So the “Paris Agreement” aimed to make doing that seem more fun for everyone so like in each country a whole society can get involved to focus on the environment and how to be conscious of what we’re doing to the environment.

FIT

FEBRUARY 2017

DN: So, would you say that you have some sort of activism streak that’s important in your work? AS: I focus a lot on how I feel I guess, so I try to do projects and see them from something genuine in myself that I can be proud of — just that I can be confident in giving to the world.

DN: Along that line, what inspires you? AS: I guess it’s just a feeling. Music inspires me a lot — just trying to get in the mindset of creating and making something work and how it works and how all the pieces fit together. It’s getting the basics down and then trying to make them work together and be balanced and creating a whole encompassed piece.

DN: What are some design campaigns or graphic designers that you love? AS: I work at American Eagle, and they just did a whole new rebranding. It’s called “#WeAllCan.” I kind of got to see the whole way that they rebranded themselves and repositioned themselves. It was super interesting for me. It got me really exciting working there because I could be passionate about it. They just took a step back and tried to focus on the consumer and who’re they’re talking to and trying to get people to be themselves — “who are you” and “who are we” and “what can we do for each other.”

DN: What’s in store for you after graduation? AS: I’m not really sure yet. I’m trying to find an internship. I’ve always wanted to work for a magazine because that’s where it started — it’s always been a dream for me. But I really love American Eagle, and I have talked to them about internships in merchandising because I really like stores in the retail space and the psychology behind the consumer and how they present themselves and how they sell.

See more of Ashleigh's work online at www.ashleighspurgeon.myportfolio.com

FEATURES

W27

OSCAR’S BY W27 STAFF

EVIEW

PHOTO COURTESY: LIONSGATE

ANDREA NAVARRO I hope to see “Moonlight” win every category it’s nominated fors— it’s really such an essential film. Beautiful and heartbreaking and just so important considering the political climate of this country. Besides that, I only ever watch the Oscars for the fashion. But really, don’t we all?

DANIEL NISSIM There are a lot of great films nominated for best picture this year, but “La La Land” really stands out. Hollywood today puts out so many derivative, hollow movies. “La La Land” was

KAYLA RENSHAW If anyone deserves to win an Oscar it is definitely Emma Stone. Ryan Gosling too; I think both of them have kind of been the faces for our generation so it would be great to see them both

MEGHAN KANE I have a small crush on Casey Affleck and he was breathtaking in “Manchester By The Sea” so I want to see him win Best Actor in a Leading Role. I know he’s made some mistakes in the past but it's evident that he’s really grown and matured and I'm proud of him. I also want to see Dev Patel win Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Lion.” The Oscars can get boring but the beautiful men make it better. There’s also the “fashion” but that’s pretty much just a bunch of humdrum column dresses anyway.

TAYLOR KOONTZ I would like to see "La La Land" win best cinematography. The film is set in modern day Los Angeles, however the lighting, colors, and amazing camerawork transport the viewer. In "La La Land," Los Angeles is turned into a city filled with fantasy, nostalgia, and romance. Every scene in this film is breathtakingly beautiful, and I hope at the Oscars give cinematographer Linus

MARTIN ALLEN I hope to see “Manchester by the Sea” take home best picture. It took my breath away as a poignant and apt view into what life is like for many New Englanders. As a New Englander myself, it was a special film to take in.

CHRISTINA SANTOS I hope to see “Suicide Squad” win in the category for best hair and makeup. This film was one of the most talked about superhero movies of the past year, and the hair and makeup in the film was very elaborate. I’m excited to see them win in this category and be acknowledged for their great work.

SOPHIA OSTAPENKO I truly, undeniably hope that “La La Land” will dance its way through the victories in every single category it’s nominated for the way Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling danced in the movie. It was a beautiful movie with fantastic actors, set, and an incredible behind the scenes

SAMANTHA BURGIN I'd love to see “Suicide Squad” win the Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar category. Not because I enjoyed the movie (or even watched it) but solely for the styling of Harley Quinn. Her look perfectly captured an updated view of a classic character, and spawned loads of imitations. It's an unlikely film to be considered for the award, but a fun option for a sometimes stuffy

FIT

FEBRUARY 2017

HOFIT BY SOPHIA OSTAPENKO

Alyssa Barbanell Major: Advertising & Marketing Communications What is your biggest struggle right now? “Managing work and school. I work full time and go to school full time, so it’s all of managing time. I plan ahead, knowing that I leave work and have to go home and get my homework done before I can do anything else. Just time management.”

Sakeria Williams Major: Advertising & Marketing Communications What is your biggest struggle right now? “My biggest struggle as of right now is creating a balanced life of making sure that I eat healthy, workout, while going to school full-time.”

Chrissy Kokkinos Major: Advertising & Marketing Communications

What is your biggest struggle right now? “Well, I just transferred, so transitioning from one school to FIT. It’s a completely different thing that I was doing over there-I was doing media, but I was very confused about what I was doing, so when I came here, I am more in love with what I am doing here than what I was doing there. But, the thing is, that it’s two completely different environments. Here, it’s like you sort of have to have a look to go to FIT, so I am trying to be myself without trying to be someone that I am not just to fit in.”

PHOTOS COURTESY: SOPHIA OSTAPENKO

HAUTE CULTURE

W27

Undiscovered Treasures: New York City Transit Museum BY ERIN TAYLOR

2 3

New York Transit Museum 99 Schermerhorn St Brooklyn, NY 11201 Hours: Monday: Closed Tuesday-Friday: 10A-4P Saturday-Sunday: 11A-5P Admission: $10

A C E N Y T M

The New York Transit Museum was founded in 1976 and is housed in a 1936 subway station in downtown Brooklyn. According to their website, the New York Transit Museum is “dedicated to telling and preserving the stories of mass transportation — extraordinary engineering feats, workers who labored in the tunnels over 100 years ago.” And they do not fall short. When I first visited the museum I nearly walked past it, not realizing that the entrance to the museum is just like the entrance into any subway station. When I found my way into the museum, it was as if I was traveling back in time through public transportation. I saw a different side to New York history — a piece of history that has shaped New York into what it is today. The first platform of the museum is full of visuals and displays showcasing the history of the train, bus and modern subway, from start to finish. Additionally, there is a collection of all the subway turnstiles from the past years complete with a wall display of all the subway “cards” from years prior. Between 1904-1920 there were paper tickets — two with which you could purchase a $0.10 ticket during rush hour and a $0.05 ticket for off-peak fare. In 1920, the

nickel was used as the common currency for a subway ride. Later in 1948, the price went up to a dime. Soon after in 1958, the subway token was introduced and was worth about $1.50 to $2.00. The subway token was not officially out of circulation until 2003 when the MetroCard was introduced. There are two vintage buses sitting in the middle of a room, available for you to sit in and steer. When you descend the stairs onto the subway platform you are immediately surrounded by 20 vintage subway cars dating back to 1907. You are free to walk in and out of the subway cars as you walk down the platform that spans a full city block. The museum is definitely worth a second visit. The 20 trains housed at the New York Transit Museum are rotating — guaranteeing that each visit will never be the same.

Rating: 8/10.

Jude Law Flexes Small Screen Muscle in The Young Pope BY MARTIN ALLEN

Perhaps the most impressive thing about HBO’s fascinating new mini-series, “The Young Pope,” isn’t the way it captures Vatican City’s stark beauty and darkness, or the fact that it boasts an impressive international cast that includes seasoned actress Diane Keaton. It is Jude Law’s impeccable role as the fictitious, newly-elected first American pope, Pius XIII. Law, who is known best for his big screen roles in Sherlock Holmes and Cold Mountain, portrays one of the most enigmatic and challenging characters in recent TV programming.

PHOTO COURTESY:WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The series deals with many controversial topics that the Catholic Church has been associated with in the past. Pedophilia, adultery and the question of homosexuality among church members are tackled in the show in a way that is both aggravating

and alluring. One thing that makes the show stand out is that it is very hard to tell who the villain/hero is. One moment you are sympathetic to Pius XIII and the next you are shocked and appalled by his actions —one dictatoresque papal address comes to mind. The fact that it is so difficult to figure out who to root for is a bit of a drawback. Nevertheless, supported by a host of other European actors, Law’s complex character shines through in such a way that shows true dedication to his craft and a keen sense of dark humor. “The Young Pope” is sure to subtly shock and intrigue viewers in a way reminiscent of “Mad Men” or “Breaking Bad.” You can watch all six episodes of The Young Pope on HBO.

Rating: 4/5.

FIT

FEBRUARY 2017

The Gallery Rober Baynes Major: Illustration

Art is why I live and breathe.

" "

I should get a headlamp so I can keep the room dark but still see right in front of me so I can do stuff. I guess I could use my phone for light but headlamps are handsfree.

Jake Morse Major: Illustration See more artwork on Instagram Instagram: @morsejake

"The Plight of Rowland Decker"

20 MONTH IN REVIEW

W27

Immigration Ban BY ERIN TAYLOR

PHOTOS COURTESY: ERIN TAYLOR

The student walkout was held on Feb. 7. Students were excused from classes and in some cases encouraged to go. The student walkout was led and organized by Zainab Koli and Isalina Sanchez with about 30 FIT students who participated. A larger, New York City wide protest was organized by Beacon High School senior Hebh Jamal. About 300-plus students across New York left school and gathered in Manhattan’s Foley Square. A majority of the students at the protest were in middle and high school. Many of the students out protesting were enraged by the results of the recent election. The group protesting was diverse. Even though the weather was cold and rainy, spirits were high. To pass the time, students came up with chants like, “No ban. No wall. Justice for all,” and “No hate. No fear. Refugees are welcome here.” Students at the protest came all the way from Flatbush, Brooklyn and LaGuardia, Queens. Many of the students came on their own accord, saying that the Trump administration operations have been wrong from the very start. “We’re 14 and obviously can’t vote,” expressed a group of youngsters from Brooklyn Prospect High School. “We feel powerless and don’t want to sit back and just let these injustices continue.”

On Jan. 27, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending immigration from seven countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia. Seven countries that have one thing in common: they are all primarily Muslim countries. This executive order is what he says is a part of his extremist plan to keep out “radical Islamic terrorists.” Hence the appropriate nickname: the Muslim Ban. The ban suspended the admission of Syrian refugees indefinitely and barring their entry into the United States. Also barred from entering the U.S. for 90 days are the six other countries included in the executive order. Ultimately, U.S. Federal District Judge James Robart issued a restraining order The backlash from this executive order can be seen everywhere and from people of every age and ethnicity. Many of the students at the protest held signs on Feb. 3 negating the executive order. with the Nazi Swastika next to Donald Trump’s face, clearly comparing Trump Before the ban was suspended, over 60,000 visas were revoked, according to to Hitler and asking, “Will history repeat itself?” And if so, will we let it happen? the Seattle Times. Officials were also directed to provide additional screening that was meant to “ensure that those approved for the refugee admission do not pose a threat to the security and welfare of the United States.” “We don’t want them here,” said President Trump in his statement on the executive order during the ceremonial signing at the Pentagon. “We want to ensure that we are not admitting into our country the very threats our soldiers are fighting overseas. We only want to admit those into our country who will support our country and love deeply our people.” “We don’t want them here:” a phrase that has become one of the cornerstones of the Trump administration. Signs with the slogan “Go back to Africa” and similar phrases were written on signs almost everywhere across America during the Civil Rights Movement. Spoken like a true patriot, President Trump further explained the necessity of the immigration ban during an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, stating that Christians in Syria are “horribly treated” and assumed that under previous legislative powers that “if you were Muslim you could come in, but if you were a Christian, it was almost impossible.” This sounds like a similar situation where if you’re from Europe you come in, but if you’re from the Middle East it is almost impossible. Unfortunately, this is the reality we live in and since the order went into effect people everywhere have been voicing their opinions. Protests against the Immigration Ban have sprouted up nationwide and even here in the FIT community. President Joyce F. Brown voiced her opinions on the Immigration Ban in an email sent to FIT employees stating, “I write to reaffirm FIT’s unyielding commitment to tolerance and inclusion.” Later in the email President Brown mentioned that the day the executive order was instituted, Jan. 27, was also the International Holocaust Day. She said this “underscored its bitter irony and reminded us of America’s own dark days during World War II when we interned our own Japanese-American citizens and refused entry to desperate Jews fleeing Nazi persecution.” President Brown and FIT faculty are not the only people from the FIT community speaking out against the Immigration Ban. Students organized a walkout protesting the executive order in hopes of raising awareness not only at FIT but nationally as well.

FIT

FEBRUARY 2017

ACTIVISM IS LIVED, NOT WORN: The Issues with the Industry’s Attempts to Make Activism Fashionable

BY MEGHAN KANE

As I scrolled through Instagram the other day, sifting through poems and declarations from public figures and acquaintances alike in regard to the Muslim ban instituted by President Trump, one post stood out to me. It was by Lindsay Peoples, the Fashion Market Editor of New York Magazine’s The Cut. Peoples, always one to use her platform to comment on political and social issues as well as injustices within the media and the fashion industry, posted a screenshot of @voguerunway’s picture of the back of a t-shirt from model and activist Adwoa Aboah’s organization GURLS TALK that read “All The Gurls Were At The Women’s March On Washington.” Fine. But here’s the kicker: Vogue Magazine’s caption said, “It’s chic to be active” and invited people to view the ways people made the Women’s March cute. “It’s not ‘chic’ to be an activist,” Peoples said in her Instagram post. “These are people’s lives at stake. Racism is real. This Muslim ban isn’t about national security — it’s about white supremacy.” Although I have never considered activism an opportunity to be “chic,” which, by the way, is a word so cliché it holds little to no meaning anymore, I began to think about the way areas of the fashion industry have been handling recent social and political issues. Many took to the comments and suggested, some not so politely, that the publication should hire more people of color to run their social media accounts. Rather than ask their followers to take action for the sake of helping the afflicted, what many people look at as the end-all and be-all of fashion, the common man’s “fashion bible” if you will, essentially encouraged people to try on activism like a pair of lace-up pants. Activism cannot and should not be looked at as a trend. Although Vogue undoubtedly made a misstep, it was nonetheless a misstep in the right direction. They should have refrained from bending the Women’s March into what was intended to be entertainment and instead used their status to call for action. But I heard other people point out that if the idea of being “chic” drives people to take a stand and fight for others, what’s the harm? While this post about chic activism was surely better than a statement against activism, the harm is that the purpose of fighting is then easily lost. If people don’t have an

understanding of what they're protesting or trying to achieve, then the fire beneath that fight will die off like wedge sneakers. But feminism is trendy. Feminism sells. So as soon as I saw Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s popular line “We Should All Be Feminists” emblazoned on t-shirts tucked into to sheer, glittering floor-length skirts in Dior’s spring 2017 runway show, I was skeptical. This was Maria Grazia Chiuri’s debut collection as the first female creative director of the 70-year-old brand so the sentiment was palatable. But the context. Oh, the context. Unlike Aboah’s GURLS TALK shirts or even the official Women’s March shirts which donate proceeds to the causes for which they raise awareness, the Dior shirts are for profit and do little more than feed into the idea of activism being fashionable and offer an easy, albeit costly, way for the consumer to feel or appear socially active. Also, think about the women who actually can afford this seemingly inclusive item. That in itself immediately offsets the dull attempt at calling for action, if that was even the idea behind the shirts.

rows, each button was accompanied by a card listing actions people can take to get involved. The CFDA encouraged everyone who received one to post a picture using the hashtag #IStandwithPP. They donated $5 to Planned Parenthood each time a photo of the button was posted with the hashtag. In related news, Business of Fashion introduced #TiedTogether — an initiative which emboldens designers, models and show attendees to incorporate white bandannas into their ensembles throughout the approaching fashion weeks to promote the inclusivity of all people. But like the controversial, and now stale, trend of wearing safety pins to represent solidarity, these appearancebased forms of activism require, well, action in order to truly accomplish change. Make feminist fashion accessible. Make feminism accessible. And don’t make light of strife for clicks or views or economic gain. Activism is a lifestyle — not a trend or a fashion statement. It is something lived, not worn.

“We should all be feminists.” This is true. But when Dior put those words, made popular by a Nigerian author and activist, on a cotton t-shirt worth $700, on thin, cisgender models, I couldn’t help but think “what do you mean by ‘all?” I think as an industry largely built on women, historically non-inclusive toward people of color, exploitative and nonreputably exclusive in an all-around way, we should do better. Fashion is an excellent communicator. But intent is so important. And like in this current political climate, so is access. Imagine a little girl from a low-income family, your grandmother, a model on the cover of Vogue and a woman next to you on the train and Rihanna were all wearing the same shirt — a shirt that read, “We should all be feminists.” Of course, the label on the inside wouldn’t say Christian Dior. But the point is, even though it’s as cliché as the word “chic,” actions speak louder than words. The CFDA announced its partnership with Planned Parenthood and its plans to raise awareness for the organization during New York Fashion Week with pink buttons that say “Fashion Stands With Planned Parenthood.” Distributed to the front

PHOTO COURTESY: GLAMOUR / WIREIMAGE

FIT SPEAKS

W27

My First Time At

Fashion Week BY LARA DE LA TORRE

Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be an artist. Like every creative, I experimented with many different mediums throughout high school until I finally settled on photography — my current major. But years before that epiphany, I was just a little eight year-old girl running around with a sketchbook and dreaming of a fabulous future in fashion design. As I got older, I went on to discover the world of editorial fashion. I began collecting Vogue; any issue that I could get my hands on would be squirreled away onto a special shelf in my room. My dad regularly had business trips to different parts of Spain and China, so of course I had to request Vogue issues from abroad. Italian, French, Spanish, Mexican, British, Czech and Japanese Vogues all accumulated over the years on that one special shelf in my room until it almost cracked in half under the weight of all that paper. By then, I had reached high school and had all but given up my dreams of fashion design aftercoming to terms with the sad reality that I wasn’t as good as I thought I was growing up. After facing a much larger group of people in a bigger school, I finally realized what we alldo at one point in our lives: that there’s always someone who’s more talented than you know you could ever hope to be. And I realized that that was ok. I could still love art just as much, I just had to keep searching for that one thing that I would be exceptional at — my niche. Which is why when I found my passion for photography in my sophomore year, I felt blessed. I had found my true home. After graduating high school and continuing on to study photography for two years in Philadelphia, my journey ultimately lead me to FIT. The moment that I heard that volunteering for New York Fashion Week was possible for all FIT students, the little eight year-old fashion designer inside me was jumping for joy — eager to be given the chance to live her dream of seeing and helping at a real fashion show. Fortunately for her, I was given the opportunity to volunteer for Fashion Gallery NYFW as an usher/production assistant. The day began at 5 AM, the butterflies that ate away at my insides served as my alarm clock. I was so unsure of what to expect — terrified of the unknown that I was about to face. Was everyone going to be as rude and snobby as fashion industry people are portrayed to be on television? Were all of the volunteers going to be made to perform menial, seemingly degrading tasks as shown in the movies? So many of these questions swirled around my thoughts

as I walked to the hotel where the events were to be held. Once I reached my destination, I was informed that my position would consist of setting up chairs in the main runway room, fixing gift bags and leading people to their seats — virtually any general task that was required for things to look more uniform and run smoothly. The woman who was my supervisor ended up soothing my nerves; she was very sweet and would often provide comic relief whenever tensions were getting high amongst the producers, which they often did. Three shows were put on in the one day I volunteered — four hours apart. As the day progressed, I became more efficient. By the last show, my little eight year-old counterpart and I were experts. Over the course of the sixteen hour day I volunteered, my eyes were opened to a world of grandeur and style. Being able to see the people I had previously watched for years in the pages of my magazines, alive and well right in front of me, was unreal. I was able to see that New York Fashion Week is a truly extraordinary seven days in which the beautiful and eccentric get together and celebrated their crafts. A world in which the beautiful and glamorous exterior seen by the public was balanced by the behind-the-scenes internal stress of preparing and organizing every minute detail of the show. The outcome of every show, whether it be a failure or a success, is dependent on the contribution of hundreds of hands whose passion for this industry is unbelievable and incredibly admirable. Watching people who love this work so much so that they were willing to give up sleep, food and comfortable shoes was impressive. I can only hope that one day I will be able to have a job that inspires me to be as dedicated and committed as the people I worked with. I was able to watch all three shows that day, each one more impressive than the last one. Granted, each show, floor plan and designer came with their own challenges, but it was no obstacle for me and the beautiful team of girls I shared the experience with. We all laughed together, got confused and frustrated together and ultimately, worked hard together. It was a day that I know I’m never going to forget simply because I was able to gain an experience that not many people will get the opportunity to participate in. Or, as Nigel, Stanley Tucci’s character in “The Devil Wears Prada,” said, “A million girls would kill for this job.”

PHOTOS COURTESY: LARA DE LA TORRE

FEBRUARY 2017 23

FIT STYLE ON 27

STYLE ON 27

BY CARMEN LI

Stay Warm, Stay Chic!

Who’s you favorite designer from February’s NYFW?

EMILY REED FD

"I love Alice & Olivia. She is my favorite out of everybody." It’s kind of your style today though.

FREDERICK MILLER FD

"The Wyne show is cool. I’m exciting about Thome Browne which is happening this week."

CHRISTOPHER KAN FD

"I personally love Raf Simons, so I really like his debt collection for Calvin Klein. I also like Proenza Schouler, but for this season is kind of boring and I definitely want to see more creative work from them."

BLAIR CONNER PHOTOGRAPHY

ADRIANNE CHOI FD

"To be honest, I don’t know if I know anyone from right now. I don’t keep up on fashion stuff."

"I’m a big fan of Public School and I don’t know if you know the brand called A-COLDWALL, ACW. Those two are my favorite for NYFW."

How about your favourite photographer?

"I just can’t afford it so I try to go to some thrift stores and find something similar."

"Francesca Woodman has always been a wonderful person. Right now ryan mcginley is always fun to follow!"

LEON HERNANDEZ ACCESSORIES DESIGN

"Accessories Design: I didn’t really see too many collection in fashion week. I was interning for people. I’m like working on my own project." Are you going to have your own line? "I don’t want to say that cause everybody wants to do it. I just want to make some clothes."

ADRIANE TAN FBM

"I really like Public School. I think they did a phenomenal collection. This season they heavily focus on out leisure wear, which I believe they did amazing on."

REECE LOU FD "Proenza Schouler is kind of my favor during NYFW, but my favorite designer is from UK — JW Anderson."

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