Turning flowers into fashion takes a heightened level of consideration. Flowers can only spend so long out of water and botanics move differently on the runway. Crum has learned to play with new techniques that she wouldn’t typically incorporate into her studio work, like dye products and deer netting—a plastic chicken wire. The good thing about working on a design day-of, she says, is learning from the other designers in the room.
Read MoreSweater weather has officially hit Northwestern! With the days darkening and the temperatures dropping, there’s no late-fall wardrobe essential that can compare to the humble, beloved sweater. Like reliable beater shoes in summer, sweaters are the staple you can always depend on to get you through the chilly morning walks to campus or the midnight crawls home from Mudd during midterms. They’re a cozy compliment to any fall outfit, and fun prints and patterns can make any gray day exceptionally bright.
Read MoreWith the rise of these aesthetics, I asked myself the question: can a woman dressing feminine be empowering? I think it can. In a society that constantly puts down femininity, I think it is powerful to embrace it as a woman. Femininity doesn’t necessarily have to have a negative connotation. We are expected to behave like men because they are the standard for most things in society. Masculine traits, like being assertive and being driven, are, by logic, praised. Through dressing in a feminine way, women that are part of these aesthetics reclaim their femininity, and they are proud of it. Women do not have to hide their femininity and can embrace all sides of their identities.
Read MoreWhat can Frida Kahlo’s illustrious career contribute to conversations about modern vanity? For one, she often toyed with her identity throughout her life. Her self-portraits were a way to confess, connect and create. These three qualities are the same hallmarks of social media. Its initial draw was the ability for fellowship, networking and keeping up with friends. Now, it has all but become an industrial complex, pervading every corner of our lives and rewarding us for engagement.
Read MoreI hopped on the “Project Runway” bandwagon in 2012. As a second grader with a new paper doll fashion design set from F.A.O Schwarz, I had turned to “Project Runway” for the ingenuity and fervor I hoped to harness on my construction paper and glitter: elegant drapery, intricate bodices, exquisite tailoring … all brilliantly executed before the lights dim for the start of the runway show. When Tim Gunn announces the formidable “Your time starts now!” in his iconic, velvety bravado, the contestants appear to defy the first law of thermodynamics and make something out of nothing.
Read MoreFrom colorful fuzzy socks, to that necklace you never take off, to earrings inherited from family, to a thrifted jacket you got for only $8: we all have pieces we could never part with because they carry with them a story. My gray cashmere zip-up hoodie with holes scattered along the seams looks like nothing special, but it has been my mom’s favorite hoodie since she was in college, and I feel close to her when I wear it on campus. Before our mass consumer spending over the holidays, it is important to take these moments to appreciate the stories behind the pieces we already have, that are priceless to us because of their story.
Read MoreAlthough the reasons for Telfar’s hype may be a mystery, numbers don’t lie. Some are buying to support a more inclusive fashion industry, while others might just want to dress like their favorite celebrities. Nevertheless, Telfar has already rewritten, and continues to rewrite, the status quo around luxury goods.The question now is whether or not Clemens can maintain this growth or if Telfar will be immortalized as a fad of the 2020’s.
Read MoreAre you a Bella bot or a Matilda minion? This is the not so age-old question that has been dominating my For You Page recently. It refers to a TikTok trend wherein users classify themselves as Bella Bots (as in the model Bella Hadid) or Matilda minions (in reference to the Swedish influencer Matilda Djerf). These videos typically consist of creators showing off their outfits next to captions like “deciding if I wanna be a Bella bot or Matilda minion for the day,” “serving Matilda minion today,” or “one bestie is a Bella bot & the other is a Matilda minion. … I don’t make the rules.”
Read MoreCoastal grandmother is an aesthetic that, like many, gained notoriety and fame on Tik Tok. The term was coined by TikTok user @lexnicoleta, who says that if you enjoy “Nancy Meyers movies, coastal vibes, recipes and cooking, Ina Garten, cozy interiors, and more” this aesthetic is the one you’ve been looking for. Most Tik Tok aesthetics have a short life cycle, taking the internet by storm for months only to end up in thrift and resale stores immediately after. Coastal grandmother, however, has a different trajectory, thanks to its roots and connection to upper class life.
Read MoreIt took me a long time to love my Ethiopian heritage. My pride in my culture and identity grew once I started to love my hair. Black people have a very emotional relationship with our hair. It’s clear from a young age what the cultural beauty standard was: white, straight blonde hair, blue eyes. Lack of representation plays a significant role in this. Even though I went to very diverse schools my whole life, I was still the only or one of the only Black people in my classes. It’s hard to appreciate your identity if there is no one around you that looks like you.
Read MoreUnderlying these so-called revolutionary looks is a larger conversation about appropriating queer culture. Actor Billy Porter criticized Styles’ cover photo saying that it only captured mainstream attention because he is “white and straight,” since Porter himself is known to wear lavish, untraditional looks on the red carpet. As gender-fluid dressing becomes more mainstream, it’s important to remember its roots and history as a larger socio-political movement.
Read MoreWhat used to be the largest lingerie retailer in the United States is now a brand name riddled with accusations of fatphobia, transphobia and ageism. Victoria’s Secret is attempting to redefine its influence by featuring models with a more diverse range of body types and skin tones in their advertisements. As they do so, the fantasy of a slim, tall woman with a 32B-cup bra size disintegrates – the fantasy that the company itself created.
Read MoreHalloween may have passed, but Evanston’s howling winds, 6 pm sunsets and fiery red foliage perpetuate an autumnal stay-of-mind. Come early November, some may not have completely shed their witchy alter-egos. If you’re still feeling spooky, check out this admission letter from Miss Robichaux’s Academy, the witch school from “American Horror Story: Coven,” season three of the FX horror anthology. One of her pupils is bound to resonate with you!
Read MoreHomecoming is a major event at all universities. It’s a week where alumni get to see how much their school has grown and changed while enjoying the university-sponsored and student-led events planned throughout the week. Most schools have similar events every year; however, Howard University puts a unique spin on their homecoming week. Homecoming at Howard has a different theme each year. The themes are typically built around ideas of building their community towards the future and their pride as a top HBCU.
Read MoreIt's the night before traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday with bags to be packed and miles to be crossed. Chaotic beads of sweat drip down your forehead while you yank your carry-on out from under your bed. As it sits empty in the middle of your room, you realize you have bigger fish to fry. Politically incorrect grandparents to drown out, awkward confrontations about your love life and a sudden realization that turkey is eaten to celebrate the forced removal of Native Americans. Yippee! Amongst all this pandemonium, the last thing you need to spend time worrying about is having the right clothing for the holiday. And that's what this is for! An all-purpose, all-inclusive guide on how to pack when giving thanks.
Read MoreTaylor Swift is a mastermind, and nothing in her album roll-outs is accidental—including her outfits. From the perfect red lip to the latest leg-lengthening bodysuit, each Swift album unveils a new side to the singer-songwriter’s style, and the Midnights era, based on her latest record-shattering release, is no exception. At times shimmering and at others subdued, Swift’s recent looks perfectly represent the album’s basis on a special kind of self-reflection that can only occur in the middle of the night.
Read MoreThis is just it—the alien aesthetic creates a “new world” which allows us to play with, or even completely forget, gendered beauty norms. If gendered beauty norms expect women to have perfect, arched brows, then let’s shave them completely. If there is an obsession with women’s feet, then let’s turn our feet into reptile feet. Let’s show that you can still be gorgeous when you break these norms.
Read MoreIn the seams of Agatha’s and Sophie’s adventures, fashion illustrated their emotional development. Once the two girls arrived home, they returned to their original clothes because they finally, know who they are: maybe a little evil and a little good, but certainly best friends. Fashion allowed for experimentation, social change statements and an expression of identity; Fashion allowed them the versatility to discover the pieces that best fit them, and to me, that’s the magic!
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