THE WINTER ISSUE ✖ 2020
BEAUTY BEYOND BOUNDS
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GET INTO IT
THE WINTER ISSUE
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MULLET MAN
BEAUTY BEYOND BOUNDS
Bringing the 80s into 2020. Take a look into the life of UO’s very own Mullet Man, Sam Miller.
Beauty is multidimensional, and these beauties are here to show you just how much it is.
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BODY EMPOWERMENT Everybody with any body is beautiful, and there’s an empowerment that comes with owning it.
FASHION DUCK IT UP 06 A EUPHORIA MENTALITY 14 NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 42 POWERSUITS 48 WINTER FASHION 54
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LIFESTYLE MASTERS OF SELF EXPRESSION 08 FEMINISM AND FASHION 10 IT’S PERSONAL 12 LOOKS THAT KILL 40
BEAUTY POP IT LIKE IT’S HOT 44 NON-TOXIC BEAUTY 52 SOLSTICE GATHERING 56
INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH
ALIGN APPLY TODAY! EMAIL ALIGNMAGUO@GMAIL.COM WITH INQUIRIES
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ALIGN Editor-in-Chief
Allison Barr EDITORS Danika Taylor, Kelly Franks SOCIAL EDITORS Lillian Hotchkin, Britt Bosworth SOCIAL TEAM Donna Homayoun, Amanda James, Sydney Kuhn, Maria Mbodj, Reanna Balmediano, Becca Schomer, Hayley Sharkey, Emma Casey DESIGNERS Sam Nguyen, Chloë Friedenberg, Kaeleigh James, Mo Rayburn, Madison Marozik, Kaylee Smith, Lindsay Andrus, Elora Hanawa, Becca Schomer, Emma Casey, Sarah Philippona, Evie Goodman PHOTOGRAPHERS Jonathan Roensch, Emerson Brady, Veronica Szmit, Mariah Botkin, Lara Waibel, Kaycee Rogers, Madelyn Stellingwerf, Madz, Taylor Buck, Kimmy Harris, Maddie Knight, Athena Nguyen, Andie Davis, Hayley Sharkey, Audrey Chu, Laura Alterman WRITERS Lisa Deluc, Mya Miller, Kiara Straub-Da Silva, Emerson Brady, Kaela Maloney, Lauryn Pan, Gillian Arthur, Charlotte Foote, Shannon Daeknke, Lena Felt, Julia Walsh, Sydney Kuhn, Kaylee Smith, Sam Nguyen STYLISTS Lilyana, Emma Claire Ellis, Kiara StraubDa Silva, Shi Violet Herring, Lena Felt ILLUSTRATORS Eleanor Klock, Eilise Shannon, Anna Maestas
PAGE 16: Beauty comes from everywhevere, and Elora Hanawa finds beauty in street style.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I’VE CALLED ALIGN MY “BABY” recently is concerning. This term has been one of incredible growth, and one I am extremely proud of. Since our last issue, we doubled our team and amount of content. I got to watch bonds form, passion executed, and excitement shared over final products. These parts are what I cherish the most about this irreplaceable project. This season, we crafted so many original, creative articles. Following alongside every project’s progress was incredibly rewarding, and I’m excited about every outcome. Something I’ve always emphasized while running Align is that I want it to be a sanctuary for everyone to express their art authentically. That’s what’s so great about this issue, so many team members and styles came together to create a content entirely unreplicable. Everyone should be so proud of everything they created. I hope while you read this that you can feel our passion and our pride. I hope you feel inspired as you dress for the winter and express your own creativity. Bigger things are in store for 2020, and I hope you’re along with us for the ride.
I want it to be a sanctuary for everyone to express their art authentically.
So much love,
Allison Barr
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THRIFT PIECES
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This is another way to stand out in a crowd. Head to your local Oregon thrift stores for vintage pieces no one else will have. There are also a couple of specific Instagram stores that sell vintage UO pieces like @bounceback_thrifts. You can also cut and crop these.
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PALE YELLOW & EMERALD GREEN Sometimes bright neon yellow paired with neon green is a little bit in your face and can clash. Stick to the paler baby yellows that aren’t as hard on the eyes or emerald greens. Also, don’t think that you can only wear green and yellow on game day, a huge trend this year was a baby pink duck t-shirt sold in the kids’ section of the duck store.
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SIMPLIFY Don’t think that just because it’s game day you have to wear something that includes the words “ducks” or “Oregon.” Wearing simple green and yellow is just as effective. Pull pieces that you already have from your closet and make them fun!
U P Written by Mya Miller Photographed by Taylor Buck
Don’t you remember the day you committed to the University of Oregon, was beyond excited, and immediately hopped on the Duck Store website to buy some cute Oregon apparel? Maybe you can relate and maybe you can’t, but it’s safe to say I was a little disappointed, not by the Duck Store clothes, but by the fact that I was not a fan of the look of green and yellow together. Oh, how naïve I was. Come my first freshman year game day tailgate and I quickly realized that customization is key and there are so many ways to make green and yellow go great together! With that being said, here are my best tips on how to rock your game day look.
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CUSTOMIZATION This is my most key tip. Unfortunately, everyone buys the same shirt from Hirons or hoodie from the Duck Store, if you want to stand out get creative! Cut your shirts in unique designs, order custom made pieces from Etsy or Instagram marketplaces. At the same time, don’t think that you have to spend big bucks to stand out. Some of the best pieces I’ve seen have been hand-painted denim or shoes.
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ACCESSORIZE Another way to make your outfit more ‘you’ is to accessorize with fun pieces. A yellow or green bandana can go a long way. I have a pair of light up green sneakers that I got for $30 on Amazon and I don’t think I have ever gotten as many compliments before!
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PREPARE FOR THE WEATHER As much as I love to believe “it never rains at Autzen” unfortunately that’s just not the case. Make sure to layer by wearing long sleeves under your Oregon shirt or investing in a cool green or yellow jacket. Furthermore, I would recommend staying away from wearing shoes you love because the walk to Autzen can get muddy and so can the tailgates. Doc Martens are a great option because they go with everything and are easy to clean.
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DON’T NEGLET THE BOTTOM While the easiest thing to do on game day may be to throw on an Oregon sweater or hoodie, some of the coolest pieces I have seen keep the top half relatively plain and go all out on the bottoms. For example, green and yellow overalls, or bootcut baby yellow jeans.
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HAVE FUN WITH IT At the end of the day who cares what I say, wear what you want and what makes you feel comfortable. While game day fashion can be fun and trendy at the end of the day, we’re all here to support the ducks & have fun with friends so don’t stress too much about what you’re wearing!
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Masters of
Self Expression Local Band Novacane discusses style, star power, and music.
WRITTEN BY EMERSON BRADY ILLUSTRATED BY ELEANOR KLOCK
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Dylan Latimer parks his friend, and bandmate, Zach Clifton’s beat up banana seat bike outside Cafe Roma and rushes inside. Immediately Clifton tells him to bring his unlocked bike inside. They begin bantering about how one of them could take down a bike thief from inside the restaurant until Latimer caves and brings the bike in. After the bike debacle, we decompress about our weekends, and they begin to tell me stories about their day jobs. “I was telling someone the other day, the hollandaise here changes lives,” lead singer for Novacane, Latimer proclaims. By day Latimer and bassist Oliver Lester can be found in uniform working as waiters at Eugene’s cozy brunch spot, “The Glenwood.” In the evenings they trade their all-black uniforms for gold chains and monochrome turtle necks, and, with the help of new drummer Zach Clifton, become Novacane. Novacane has been a band since Latimer and Lester were in middle school and has since become one of the staple indie bands in Eugene’s house show scene. Growing up together as a band, Latimer and Lester have seen firsthand how much development Novacane’s style has undergone sonically and aesthetically. Lester says, “When a band first starts their kind of a slave to their influences for the first two, three years, however long it takes to start developing their own sound/style.” Changing influences throughout the years fluctuated the band’s aesthetic and music. Lester reluctantly admits that their first and biggest inspiration was Blink-182. We all share a good laugh for a minute until Lester chimes in “Seriously though without Blink 182 I’m not sure where Novacane would be today.” His tone shifts as he begins to describe how their sound, stage presence, and style deeply influenced the foundation of Novacane. Latimer admires that “every song off of every album heavily influences their hairstyles and the clothes they would wear. Just seeing how their clothes fell against their amplifiers, and the guitars they would use impacted our style as a band.” The sincerity in their tone convinces me that Blink 182 is the reason why Novacane is here today. As Novacane grew up so did their tastes in music. Their style became more centered around the sounds and fashion of the sixties and seventies. Musical and cultural icons like Jimi Hendrix and Cream began to have more of an influence on their style. The sixties and seventies aesthetic that Novacane integrates into their style has become fairly popular in the music scene lately. The blue bell-bottoms, overalls, and turtlenecks of the seventies have become staple pieces at house shows. Lester imagines the reason this aesthetic is so popular at the moment is that “... Pop cultural patterns are always kind of relapsing. People in the sixties went to thrift shops and got old British soldier jackets, that’s what Jimi Hendrix wore, that’s what Eric Clapton wore. I think kids go into thrift shops wearing what their grandparents wore.” Latimer, however, argues that it’s not just a sense of nostalgia, but that “everything was just more interesting at that time… You start to fantasize about what the world would be like if everyone was caught up in some crazy self-expressive outfit.” To say that Novacane’s look is self-expressive would be an understatement. Each band member’s sense of style is unique to themselves, but together as a band becomes this cohesive theme. Their attention to style, and aesthetic is what sets them apart from other bands. Latimer emphasizes that “For us, it’s very important before a show that I have no hair on my face, and that we’re in cute outfits. We want to make sure we’re bringing a personality to the performance.” Lester explains that just a year or so ago they were very into the idea of coordinating their outfits to match a specific color scheme and
theme. However, “Moving forward I think we now want our style to be a little more individualized.” Clifton adds, “It honestly feels like a direct parallel with the music too. We all have different personalities when we play. We’re all individuals, but we try to sound cohesive. It’s the same thing with our sense of style.” Over the summer they gained inspiration from a band they toured with, Fashion Jackson. Lester loved that each member of the band had a signature piece that they wore. It was as if each person got to wear a bit of their personality on their sleeve and be unique individuals together. He related this to how The Beatles style transcended throughout the years. “In 1964 they had their Beatles haircuts and suits, but by the time 1967 rolled around they were all individuals but still matched.” When asked how they would depict their style for shows, they insisted on describing each other’s styles. “Zach’s always naked,” Latimer declares. Zach laughs, and begins to describe a typical outfit for Oliver, “He wears cords, and striped shirts a lot. His trademark is his red vans. Recently he’s been rocking the turtleneck and tee-shirt look.” Lester explains that “When we first met Zach he was very into metal. He had the Slayter pins and all-black outfits. Once he joined the band he kind of switched up his style a bit. He started wearing a lot of colors and started cuffing his pants. I think we each have an identifiable piece of footwear too. I’ve got red Vans, Zach has high top Converse, and Dylan has his Doc Marten ‘Creepers’.” Clifton would say Dylan’s style is always changing. “He’s been on a suit kick lately. He’s got this beautiful blue suit he wears. He’ll wear some beautiful paisley collared shirt, and then the next day wears a tee-shirt. I never know what to expect, but it’s always incredible.” While Latimer knows they’ve grown out of their phase of matching for every show, he still fantasizes about wearing matching tuxedos for a show. “If we’re a band for five more years it’s gonna fucking happen.” When asked how style and music are interconnected they all almost unanimously say “Self Expression.” Lester adds, “Music as a whole is centered around encapsulating a singular moment. That singular moment being what that songwriter was feeling at the time or what you as a listener were feeling at the time. I think that style can represent a time period, and also a way a person is feeling.” Novacane’s musical infusion of rock and roll, and funk is enough to make them a great band, but their understanding of the role fashion plays in music is what gives them star power. Latimer recalls the moment he learned the secret to playing a show confidently. “I remember this one blue room show where I wore a jumpsuit, threw glitter on my face, and it was one of the most polarizing things I’d ever done with fashion. I had this moment of like wait you can do this at parties… It somehow aided the aspect of I don’t have to be self-conscious.” Lester, and Clifton agree that letting fashion be apart of their music has aided their self-doubt. Latimer concludes, “Once I can put on all these crazy clothes, and look at myself in the mirror, it makes it easier for me to display my art.”
Music as a whole is centered around encapsulating a singular moment.
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My is not your FASHION
WRITTEN BY KELLY FRANKS ILLUSTRATED BY DANIKA TAYLOR IN SEPTEMBER 2016, DIOR MADE WAVES AT ITS SPRING 2017 fashion show when the opening piece was a t-shirt that read “WE SHOULD ALL BE FEMINISTS.” Many brands followed Dior’s lead of coming out with ‘feminist slogan tees,’ but with them, came many implications of such graphic tees. The Spring 2017 show was Dior’s first show with new creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s first-ever female creative director, so Chihuri’s decision to make a message of girl power seemed like a fitting one. This plain, white cotton tee was priced at $710 USD, and was only put on sale for a few short months online, and an even shorter amount of time in stores. Immediately, I thought the price point of this tee was problematic. At such a high price point, is Dior promoting a feminism that is intersectional? For a shirt that reads “WE SHOULD ALL…” this shirt of such a price point is very exclusive, which contradicts its seemingly inclusive intentions based off the feminist slogan. 10 ALIGN
The $710 price tag made me contemplate the implications of paying so much to wear a feminist slogan. Considering Dior remains largely a women-targeted brand, how does the hefty price tag reflect on the fact that women are still being paid less than their male counterparts for the same work? Gender aside, the price tag does not reflect a piece of clothing that is accessible to all, let alone even most consumers. Turns out, Dior donated ‘a portion’ of proceeds from this tee to the Clara Lionel Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by singer-songwriter Rihanna who has been seen out and about wearing the tee herself. Knowing that at least some of the proceeds were going to a nonprofit made me feel better about the hefty price tag. However, the mission statement of Clara Lionel Foundation reads: “We believe in the right to education as a weapon against injustice and inequality, and the right to health as a necessity for happiness and productivity.” Nowhere in their mission statement was an explicit mention of efforts to combat gender inequality. While in no way am I trying to ar-
gue the good that the Clara Lionel Foundation does, I think it is important to question if the donated portion of proceeds from a $700-priced t-shirt aiming to promote feminism could be placed in the hands of an organization that is more explicitly aligned with the values of feminism. The Clara Lionel Foundation aims to “benefit impoverished communities across the globe, with healthcare, and education, among other various programs” BUT it is not specifically geared towards empowering women. It is a good cause, but is it the right cause for proceeds to be donated to? It is also interesting to note that the actual amount of proceeds raised for this foundation from this shirt’s sales is nowhere to be found. The ‘portion’ of proceeds donated per shirt also remains unknown to the public. Another interesting detail of this t-shirt’s journey is that it was only on sale in stores for fourteen days. This shirt was the piece that was front and center at the season’s show, and was trying to raise awareness of a relevant movement and was benefiting a well-renowned Nonprofit. This short window of time in which the tee was available for purchase made me wonder if raising awareness on feminism is just a trend for Dior? After all, this t-shirt did make its mark on popular culture. Dior received a great deal of praise for the piece on social media. Celebrities like Rihanna and Natalie Portman wore it at the Women’s March on Washington, DC. Rapper A$AP Rocky even wore the tee during the music video of A$AP Mob’s “Wrong,” which, again, created a flood of praise for A$AP Rocky on social media for showing his ‘solidarity’ on the issue. A$AP Rocky wearing this particular shirt for this particular song, however, raises many issues. Some of the lyrics read, “I don’t need to seek attention // Just to keep these womens on me // I know it’s wrong… Sometimes I take advantage just ‘cause I’m a star,” and referencing “classy bitches,” and “ratchet bitches,” throughout the song as well. The song says all this as he wears the Dior shirt that reads “WE SHOULD ALL BE FEMINISTS.” Is it okay for him to speak of women in such a derogatory and objectifying way because he “knows it’s wrong”? It felt as though A$AP Rocky wore the shirt to be more marketable; hoping his fans would see this as him hopping on this feminist train because it was now seemed like such a relevant trend in popular culture. This leads me to wonder what A$AP Rocky’s definition of feminism is- and what were his true reasons for wearing this shirt in the video? I think before praising the rapper for being such an ‘upstander,’ in the feminist movement of today, it is important you ask yourself this question, too. With this particular tee, Dior created waves in the fashion world where feminist slogan tees were, without a doubt, the newest trend. Leading, more affordable brands like American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, H&M, ASOS, and Forever21 soon followed Dior’s lead of the trend of feminist slogan tees. But, unlike the high end company, the vast majority of these tees from more affordable sellers did not donate any portion of proceeds to any sort of charity. Slogans on these tees read anywhere from “Girls Supporting Girls,” and “Girl Power,” to “I am Everything I need,” “Girl Gang,” and “Boy Bye.” Some of the tees began to get even more questionable with their choice of wording with “Baby Girl,” and “Good Girls Club.” Though these shirts are greatly more affordable than Dior’s original version, questions of intersectionality are still raised by these ‘feminist’ slogans
that these major brands are posing to the public. In the men’s section of these same stores are graphic tees that simply read “GANG.,” or “DANGEROUS.” These slogans place individuals into either one of two gender categories: male or female, with slogans that share stereotypical representations of each respective gender . However, many individuals in 2017 have voiced that their gender expression does not fit into either of these categories. The tees often give no room for fluidity in gender expression, and therefore, how intersectional can they really be? Forever21 is generally one of the most affordable major retail stores, and being as it is one of the major sellers of ‘feminist slogan’ tees, it is important to note why their products are so affordable. Graphic tees at Forever21 start at a whopping $6 USD. How is this possible? It’s possible because working laborers work overtime at non-livable wages in sweatshops under poor working conditions. Buying said clothes directly supports sweatshop labor that many women fall victim to as mistreated workers. The CEO of Forever21 is a male, a male we can all agree makes an income much greater than the workers who actually make the clothes his company sells. His company is using feminism to sell goods and make profit at the expense of women who are working in sweatshops with low wages and dangerous working conditions. For some consumers, the reason they may wear these feminist slogan tees could be the same reason they bought Kylie’s newest lip kitbecause that’s what’s in right now. Or, it could be because they saw their favorite rapper wearing one in a music video. While not all wearers of feminist slogan tees might have this mindset, I think next time we see a ‘feminist slogan’ tee, it is important to consider the implications of these tees. Will your feminism outlast this fashion trend? If you consider yourself a feminist, will your identity as a feminist go beyond wearing a graphic tee? Do you feel these graphic tees promote a feminism that is intersectional? So, next time you consider buying or wearing one of these ‘feminist slogan’ tees, I ask you to consider a few things: Its price. Why might it cost what it does? Who might have made it, and under what conditions? Are any of the proceeds donated to an organization that aims to empower women or combat gender inequality? The rhetoric. Does the wording imply a feminism that is inclusive? What is your feminism? Is it intersectional? Do these t-shirts represent what feminism is to you?
The tees often give no room for fluidity in gender expression, and therefore, how intersectional can they really be?
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Right: 1. memories returned 2. open ya third eye ski mask 3. A taste of mania 4. A friend of the trees 5. nadi system 6. screen bean
it’s personal Written by Sam Nguyen Photographed by Emerson Brady Titzandfriends. It’s a bit crass, but at the same time, it’s intriguing. Why “titz”? Why a ‘z’ and not an ‘s’? Who are the “friends”? While it’s logo is a pair of breasts, “Titz” actually refers to the clothing brand’s creator, Nick Titzler. Titzler, a senior at the University of Oregon, considered changing the brand name for a while, but it was the only name that felt right for what Titzler wanted to create. Titzandfriends is pushing the boundaries of small-scale fashion. For Titzler, it’s not just about making t-shirts: he’s making fashion personal. Titzler is always coming up with business ideas, but Titzandfriends was the first one that he pursued. The combination of his desire to be an entrepreneur and passion for drawing pushed him to start the brand earlier last year. Soon after Titzler started working on the brand, his friends joined the team, completing the “andfriends” portion of Titzandfriends. His high school friend, Antoine Nguyen, works with Titzler to design the clothes. His friend Carter Grant, who he met at a party, takes photos and helps with other production tasks. There aren’t strict roles for any one of them so they take up whatever tasks need to be done to make the products or develop the brand. While balancing school with running a clothing brand is challenging, the Titzandfriends team makes it work. They call each other when they can’t meet in person and pull together photoshoots. After classes and homework, Titzler works into the night printing shirts on a press named after bodybuilder “Big Lenny”. The latenight print sessions end up doubling as hangouts as they get sucked into what Grant calls a “vacuum of activity.” They play “ridiculous” music and share funny things that they find on the internet, many of which can 12 ALIGN
probably be found on the fun links page of the Titzandfriends website. Because their work on Titzandfriends never stops, they use their work time as quality time together. When Titzler started making clothes, he didn’t want to replicate what he saw with other brands. Titzler discussed extensively with
Nguyen and Grant about how they didn’t want the brand to rely on a logo. Titzler wanted to push the boundaries of fashion’s ability to be personal and original. Instead of just slapping
a logo on his shirts, Titzler wanted to make clothes that reflected his life. All the clothes are designed by Titzler or his friends and include things from their lives. Each piece has hours of meticulous planning behind it. “No clothing brand focuses on anything personal,” said Titzler. “There’s not a clothing brand that’s focused on people’s experience going through life. So that’s kind of what I wanted to do.” Some Titzandfriends designs draw directly from personal experiences. The “nadi system” design of the new drop is an intimate look into Titzler’s life. The intricate design includes all of the things that makes Titzler claims makes his life worth living. It includes names of people that influence his life, song lyrics, and poems. The design took hours even with both Nguyen and Titzler working on it. Other designs are a product of his friendships. One design Titzler and Nguyen made was of the Gustav cannon, the heaviest mobile artillery piece ever built. Their shared interest in history was the inspiration for the design. Because they enjoyed the cannon so much they brought their idea into reality, printing and selling a shirt with the cannon on it. Whether lighthearted or deeply affectionate, Titzler’s designs each have a story. “I actually can, like, express myself and put myself into this in a way that I never really imagined,” Titzler said. “I feel like doing this has taught me so much about myself. It’s taught me so much about everything. Growing up in the heart of Silicon Valley, Titzler never thought of what himself as creative. “It’s kinda funny because before the beginning of this summer, like none of my friends or anyone who knew me would call me an artist or anything like that,” Titzler said. “I
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guess I didn’t realize that what I was doing was art.” Before he started drawing, Titzler filled notebooks with his writing. He wrote to process his thoughts and experiences. Over the last summer, Titzler coaxed himself into developing his drawing skills. He quickly realized how drawing helped him process his thoughts in a way writing couldn’t. “I love the way it makes my mind feel,” Titzler said. “Like someone is pressing a cool washcloth on my forehead versus writing which feels more like one of those Gatorade jugs emptying out.” Now drawing is all Titzler does. During the past summer, he would wake up and then cre-
ate five to ten drawings. He’d repeat the pro cess again before he went to bed. “If I don’t draw, I just feel like I’m going crazy,” Titzler said. His room is plastered with his drawings. Some are intricate and pieced together while others are sketches created in the moment. Some eventually make it onto a Titzandfriends shirt. Titzler’s drawings and experiences over the summer are the inspiration for his newest new line of clothes that he dropped at the beginning of November. With this new line, Titzler wanted to step up the designs. The new pieces are all a part of a story arc that Titzler hopes his followers will be able to decipher for themselves. Titzandfriends has grown into its own image of being original and personable. The brand forgoes popular aesthetics for artistic fulfillment. The clothes are self-expression materialized and dispersed. In every design, you can recognize Titzler’s humor, creativity, sentimentality, and pas-
sion. The effort of Titzler and his friends can be felt in every piece created. Titzandfriends encapsulates life. And like Titzler says, “Life is about your friends. It’s about having fun.”
FOLLOW TITZANDFRIENDS AT: titzandfriends.com @titzandfriends on Instagram
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Written by Kiara Straub-Da Silva Photographed by Audrey Chu
When it comes to Maddy, confidence and sex appeal are everything. Each of her looks is meticulously thought-out and pulled together. She loves to highlight her eyes with sharp wings of eyeliner and rhinestones dotting her eyelids. 14 ALIGN
At the intersection of Skins and Twin Peaks lies HBO’s Euphoria–a less-than-typical teen television drama. Euphoria tells the stories of characters Rue, a sixteen-year-old girl who is tied up in the complications of overcoming drug addiction; Jules, a transgender girl searching for her place within her new hometown; Kat, a self-conscious girl who undergoes a transformation; and Maddy, a teenager who is caught in a toxic relationship with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Nate. Euphoria’s unique take of the modern teen experience doesn’t stop there. The show is often praised for the unconventional makeup looks that are portrayed by its characters. Glittery eyebrows, bejeweled eyelids, and bright blue eyeliner are some of the staples used by the show’s head makeup artist, Doniella Davy. The style of Euphoria’s characters drive the show. The makeup, in particular, is often used to convey their personalities and emotions. Maddy, a girl who prides herself on her ability to use her own sexuality to get what she wants, and emanates confidence, will stamp rhinestones on her eyelid crease before school. Jules will smear neon green and orange eyeshadow across her eyelids in an unrefined manner because she doesn’t take herself too seriously. Rue, who in most episodes is shown free of makeup due to her desire to remain under the radar, but in one scene is shown with upside-down triangles of gold glitter beneath her eyes as she cries. Each character’s individual style is unique to themselves and their story.
Above:Kat gets in touch with her darker side and gains confidence. She uses dark tones in both her eye and lip makeup and will occasionally draw upside-down crosses beneath her eyelids. Left:Unrefined, colorful, occasionally reckless, and definitely a rule-breaker, Jules throws caution to the wind and does whatever she wants. This is apparent in her makeup: Jules uses unconventional color combinations and geometric shapes drawn from eyeliner to have fun expressing herself on her own canvas: her eyes. Rue likes to stay out of the way and under the radar. Often shown without makeup, the rare times that Rue dresses herself up are defined by her penchant for glittery eyes.
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beauty beyond WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY DANIKA TAYLOR FROM RIHANNA’S FENTY BEAUTY TO STREET STYLE INSPIRATIONS LIKE Harry Styles and Priyanka Chopra, beauty in 2019 has been on its way to bigger and better things. Body inclusion. Diversity in race and ethnicities. LQBT+ representation. But it’s not there yet. While we have Jillian Mercado on the runway, we still have Victoria’s Secret’s CEO saying their clothes are only meant for skinny women. And while we praise Ashley Graham and Iskra Lawrence for their body positivity activism, the beauty industry continually uses the white, gay male as the representative of the LGBT+ community. We should know by now, beauty is so much more.
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It’s different for Elora Hanawa, a 20 year old college student at the University of Oregon. When she’s in an airport, no one will ever catch her wearing pajamas or other typical, comfortable airplane clothes. Why? Because she’s carrying a culture with her, and the judgement and perceptions people have of her and other people of color are under fire 24/7. “It’s like you need to look presentable, look put together or else people will talk down on your ethnicity,” says Hanawa. She recalls a time when she flew into Dallas, Texas. Hanawa had to book a hotel for an overnight stay and was the only brown person she saw while there. “It was totally fine until I had to take a shuttle to the airport and everyone (predominantly older white males) was talking to everyone, but no one would talk to me. I dressed in street ware, so maybe they’re not used to it.” She feels that every year as everyone is growing up and getting farther away from the history that people are starting to accept more people and cultures, and they’re appreciating and learning about them instead of dissing them. “I feel like media is a big part of what’s pushing us forward,” says Hanawa. “Because if you watch Euphoria and see the makeup and what people wear, no one used to wear that, but now you see people do that more, and be more adventurous with how they chose to present themselves with their hair, makeup, and outfits.” On the topic of cultural appropriation, Hanawa thinks it’s good if people can incorporate different cultures into beauty and fashion— like get inspiration from the different cultures, but to not try and mimic them like a costume. She understands that people want to braid their hair or get cornrows, but still wants people to recognize it is still cultural appropriation. Hanawa hopes people will become more accepting of different types of styles, especially street
ware and girls wearing guy’s clothes. With Nike collaborations and the growing popularity of brands like Off White and designers like Virgil Abloh, this style is definitely on the up and up. But in the end, she just wants people to feel comfortable in what they want to wear. Her word of advice? Wear what you want, be who you want and really just don’t give a fuck about what anyone else thinks of you because it really what you think about yourself that matters. Who are your style inspirations? “For the makeup industry the first person who comes to mind is Jackie Aina, a YouTuber. I used to go hard on makeup tutorials. There weren’t people of color being represented, but then Jackie came and people started loving her. I think she’s definitely helping change the culture.” Hanawa feels that the push of YouTubers and people like Rihanna who make makeup are spreading awareness, and are changing the standards, like how drugstores don’t often carry foundations for darker skin tones. She is also inspired by celebrity fashion. Fashion influencers like Danny Lee and Karuchi are branching out and sharing their unique styles, which is something inspiring to her. She also appreciates how the Kardashians helped normalize wearing comfortable clothes while making them look cool. Another fashion icon is Jaden Smith. “He has a really unique style, and I always enjoy looking at what he’s wearing. Plus, I wear a lot of guy clothes, so I’m always like ‘that’s kinda cute’.” Last words: “Sometimes I’m just like oh my God, I’m going to wear these weird pants, but if you own it who cares about it. Your opinion is the only one that really matters at the end of the day.”
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Gustavo “Junior” Rameriez Rohas is ready to see something new in the fashion and beauty industry. Junior is a 21 year old student studying advertising with a focus on art directing and copywriting. He wants to see more risk taking with makeup, and different silhouettes for the traditional shirt and pant. Junior wants something he hasn’t seen before. “For me too,” he says. “Sometimes I get sick of my own style and wardrobe. I hope I can change it up and get more looks this year.” What’s his style? He likes to let the clothes speak for themselves and often finds himself thrifting to see whatever will speak to him. What he isn’t a fan of is brand superiority. While he likes to wear brands, he tries to avoid the “oh this is designer” complex. For Junior, it wasn’t until he took a couple classes like intro to queer studies that got him interested and thinking about the lack of intersectionality in our society. But once he started reading more about it, he felt moved and wanted to keep it alive in his heart. While he used to look at people and want to look like them, he’s learned to love himself. “It took me a really long time to see what other people saw as flaws, as my strengths,” says Junior. He acknowledges there will always be things he’ll probably wish he could change, but the love he has for everything else about himself outweighs what he can’t change. Junior feels he’s seeing intersectionality a bit more in the fashion and beauty industry, in terms of skin color, but he knows it goes beyond that with representing people from the queer community, people of different body shapes, and abilities. “It’s really important to show them, and that’s where I want to see it go,” says Junior. “I think disabilities is one of the least talked about aspects when you talk about intersectionality and I’d love to see that become a bit more inclusive.” But when it comes to cultural appropriation, Junior believes there’s a hard line between appreciation and appropriation, and often people don’t know how to stick to the appreciation. He wants respect of others cultures and for people to not add to existing stereotypes. “You need to be ready to receive, if you’re talking to someone from that culture, you want it to be okay with them.” Word of advice? “Blur the lines of what people expect you to wear. People will categorize you like you’re an e-boy or you’re a hipster. Like no, you can be all of that.” Junior wants the negativity to be taken away from the labels. He wants people to be able and confident to wear whatever they want to wear, and to switch it up whenever they feel like it. “Who’s setting those boundaries, and why are they there in the first place?”
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For sixteen years, Maria Mbodj lived in Dakar, Senegal where the people around her celebrated and appreciated her beauty. It was a place where she never felt like she was less than, where everyone around her has the same skin tone and she didn’t know anyone darker than her. But then she moved to Eugene, Oregon five years ago and it became a whole different story. She felt that her beauty was overlooked in the states. “It wasn’t the same. It felt like I went from being [on top] to [the bottom] because not only am I a black woman, I’m a dark skinned black woman, which is a whole different conversation,” says Maria. From internet bullying about her skin to demeaning face-toface interactions, Maria soon grew a strength to not depend her beauty on what others think. She had to pick herself up from the ground, and tell herself that she is beautiful, that she is enough. Soon Maria took her intersectionality and embraced them. “I’m a black woman, Muslim, and dark-skinned. All those things mesh together and make me who I am. My nose is wide and I got big lips, but I feel like embracing that I am unique, and just because I don’t fit the European standard of beauty, doesn’t mean I am any less beautiful.” She is amazed at the strength she gained to not care about what other people might think about her or perceive her beauty. “Oregon taught me that even though it’s bad, I’m the only one who can define my beauty.” Maria has high praise for Rihanna’s Savage Fenty, especially her most recent runway show during New York Fashion Week. She admired how it showcased that anybody can wear lingerie, and that they brought a lot of different people together. Maria loved seeing this change, especially after Victoria’s Secret’s recent scandal about their lingerie being only for skinny women, and she is excited to work in the 22 ALIGN
industry. “Even though there are a lot of scandals with Gucci and H&M, I feel there is a new generation of people who are definitely trying to do the right thing,” says Maria. A way to avoid many of these scandals, Maria thinks, is to use people from the culture that someone is showcasing. She uses the recent Marc Jacobs runway show where white models were wearing dreadlocks, which is a prominent hairstyle in the African American and black community, as example. “Why not hire models who already have the dreadlocks instead of trying to put the dreadlocks on people who don’t have it?” Culture is something that is really held to heart, so Maria thinks people need to be more mindful about crossing boundaries. Who are your favs? Besides Fenty, Maria has a couple favorite brands. “I really like Balmain and Vera Wang. I like Balmain because they are different when it comes to the design. It’s bold, it’s out there.” Not only is Balmain a favorite brand, but Maria would like to work for the company in the future. What trends do you hope to see in 2020? Maria hopes to see continual inclusivity in fashion, especially when it comes to people of color. She acknowledges that the pool of models has definitely become more expansive, but still would like to see more diversity in body sizes. “Usually when you talk about fashion, you think skinny. It’s not just a pool of people who like fashion, it’s everyone who is involved in fashion in some type of way, shape or form,” says Maria.
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Chiara Cheng is a 21-year-old YouTube and Instagram influencer who reps for brands such a Shein. Even though she has influencer status, Chiara doesn’t like to spend too much money on one article of clothing, preferring to get a lot more items for less. For Chiara, it’s important that fashion is affordable for everyone. “I know not everyone can afford the clothes that they want, some brands just put a really high price when in reality the cost of making the item was not so expensive,” says Chiara. Growing up in Italy, she was brought up in western culture, and therefore western beauty standards. However, Chiara was also affected by Chinese beauty standards. “As an Asian, I grew up wishing I was Caucasian because I thought Caucasian people were prettier,” says Chiara. “I guess that was just the idea that was put in my mind because I was surrounded by so many white people and I was the only Asian. I always wanted to change my Asian traits.” In Italy, she rarely saw any Asian representation and it’s something she hopes to see more of in 2020. Not only does she want more Asian representation, but she hopes there will be more acceptance towards all body sizes, especially in Asia. “I really hope that becomes a norm because in Asia if you’re not super thin, you’re considered overweight,” says Chiara. She remarks that because of this standard, many Asians and Asian Americans struggle with their weight. Chiara did not escape this struggle either. “I was never super slim or never thin enough compared to their standard. So my parents definitely didn’t have any problem pointing that out,” says Chiara. And it wasn’t just her parents. When Chiara used to go back to China to visit her relatives, they would say the same thing. She sums it up to a cultural attitude. Weight wasn’t the only aspect of beauty she struggled with growing up in an Asian culture. Her dad wouldn’t let her go out to swim or to the beach because he didn’t want her to become more tan, “Because if I got tan that meant I was going to get ugly.” But now Chiara has learned that beauty is subjective, and because she has matured, she is more confident about herself. She doesn’t think there should be specific standards that define whether a person is beautiful or not. “Once you get to know a person better, if their personality is an amazing personality, you start switching your perspective,” says Chiara. “Beauty is an idea we have in our minds, but that idea isn’t as stiff as we think.” She does believe that the industry is in a better situation than it was even just a year ago, or a decade ago. When asked what was great about the fashion industry in 2019, Chiara remembered the Savage Fenty show and Rihanna’s beauty line. “It was very inspiring and shows us that we are on the right track,” says Chiara. “We’re not perfect and there’s a lot of space for improvement, but we’re on the right track.” 24 ALIGN
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Eleanor Klock is a 20-year-old journalism and Spanish major with a minor in multimedia. She loves thrifting and prefers small boutiques on Instagram to mainstream brands. “It’s a lot more personalized style, they’re not hoping on the trends like big brand fashion,” says Eleanor. Although she does appreciated brands like Fenty and Aerie for its inclusivity and body diversity. She believes it’s great that the fashion and beauty industry is changing and becoming more inclusive, but sometimes she feels that some companies are using it as a fad—that they’re trying to be inclusive or show certain people with the wrong intentions. “I still feel some resentment towards some big fashion brands because they have been so one-sided for the life of the company, then all a sudden they’re trying to come off as an inclusive and progressive brand-- which is great—but you can’t deny the fact that they’ve been only appealing to one body type for so long,” says Eleanor. “Race or ethnicity or identity shouldn’t be a marketing tool.” While there have many bumps in the journey to a more inclusive fashion industry, some of the changes Eleanor has seen makes her look forward to the future of beauty and fashion. “Inclusivity of hair has been a big thing, being comfortable with kinky hair styles, or more looks and haircuts and styles for people who have different types of hair instead of conforming to the look of straight hair,” says Eleanor. She believes it’s important to incorporate the nature of how someone is supposed to look instead of trying to mold them into someone else. It’s hard for Eleanor to place herself in one category or the other. “Since I’m mixed race, I don’t really see myself as one category or another. I’m sort of in a weird in-between stage.” While she grew up in a Filipino community, she also grew up in a really white area. But this doesn’t hinder her, as she has grown to feel that she can be a part of either community and has become more comfortable with herself over the years. Her confidence began to build while she was in high school when she started to not really care about what other people thought of her. Before she was trying to fit a certain look that everyone else had, but then she started to embrace that she the fact she was never going to look a certain way. “I decided to be more creative and express myself in the way I wanted to because like fuck it,” says Eleanor. She was a big thrifter in high school, but tried not to do it as much at first because it wasn’t deemed as cool. However, soon it became popular and Eleanor was excited to start putting her thrifting skills to use. “I knew all these good spots and went out of my way to dress how I wanted,” says Eleanor. Another moment that helped Eleanor gain her confidence was when she started school at the University of Oregon. Being around new people and new opportunities grew her confidence, and she was learning to fully dismiss the idea that she wasn’t beautiful. “You’re exposed to a certain type of media your entire life. It got better, but that has an impact on you when you’re growing up and you’re not what other people say you should look like.” ALIGN 27
What’s more 2019 than taking care yourself? Face masks, yoga, and obviously dumping those toxic friends were all up and coming trends of this past year. Beauty in 2019 was all about personal growth and health, and 21-year-old public relations major Lorenzo agrees, “Being physically fit for your own health, it transcends into [beauty].” More than taking care of yourself, Lorenzo finds beauty within people’s intersections. “I feel that sometimes if a lot of your identities are stigmatized, you keep those hidden.” True beauty, he thinks, is letting those identities be seen, expressing them and showing them to the world. Lorenzo hopes next year the fashion and beauty industry will see some drastic changes, including the end of fast fashion. The effect of fast fashion on the environment is detrimental, and he hopes brands start to recognize that more and transition to sustainable fashion. He also wants to see more gender neutral clothes. This past Halloween, he tried shopping for a costume, but found it difficult to find anything that suited him, “I didn’t want to wear all the stuff that was labeled for men, but there’s nothing in the women’s section either. There was no in between.” He ended up making his own costume and buying all the individual pieces. Along with gender neutral clothes, Lorenzo wants to see a larger implement of gender neutral changing rooms. Lorenzo says his intersectionality affects how he views himself
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a lot. Within the last couple years, he has become more aware of his intersections and how they position him in the world. “I do have a few points of privilege that I definitely try to take advantage of to benefit people who are marginalized,” says Lorenzo. “For example, I’m a gay man, but I still present a little more as a cis man because I do tend to dress a little more masculine here and there.” He uses whatever opportunities he can to have conversations with his family to talk about minority communities. Recently he showed his mom POSE and had conversations about the marginalization of black trans women. Lately Lorenzo has been trying to let the feminine side of him come out. He used to wear makeup, but stopped after his family started viewing him in a certain way. Now he’s trying to get back into it, “It’s definitely been a long trip, a long journey of self-discovery.” What are your favorite brands? “Fenty Beauty and Anastasia Beverly Hills.” He loves Fenty because of their inclusivity. Recently they highlighted an androgynous makeup artist and beauty influencer, which Lorenzo thought was awesome because of how rare it is for beauty brands to use trans or non-cis people. Lorenzo is a fan of Anastasia Beverly Hills’ colorful shadow palettes and their recent collaboration with Jackie Aina where they released makeup palettes that would work with darker skin tones. “It’s really amazing that POC are getting this space and this platform.”
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BAILEE WALKER
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My Body, Empowered Written By Lauryn Pan Photographed By Maddie Knight MY NAME IS BAILEE WALKER and I am a junior Public Relations major and Computer Information Technology minor Are you in any clubs? What positions are you in? Jobs? I’m a website designer and Blog editor for Womxn & Film, and an intramural volleyball ref. Do you keep up with the fashion industry? Favorite brands/ designers? Yes, I love fashion and fall fashion week is one of my favorite times of the year. Some of my favorite designers are Jeremy Scott, Oscar de la Renta, and Micheal Costello, and Virgil Abloh. Have there been times in your life when you felt underrepresented? Where? I feel underrepresented in a lot of things on a daily basis because I am a queer woman of color going to a PWI (predominately white institution). How do you find ways to love yourself? What do you love about yourself? I use daily affirmations from an app called Selfish Babe and it just reminds me that everything is okay and that I’m amazing. One thing that I really love about myself is how big my heart is. I will do anything for the people I love and being a positive attitude in people’s lives makes me really happy and proud to be me. Describe a time when you felt powerful. This summer I worked as a SOSer here and I learned how to really stand up for myself and other people. It was the first time I really felt in control and I had to actually lead. I felt like I could honestly do anything. I had great people around me who would support me and I had people look up to me and truly come to me for help and advice. It was a really empowering experience. How do you think the lack of representation in the industry affects our society today? As for the fashion industry goes I did feel like there was a huge lack of plus-sized models that were actually plus-sized. They are getting better at it but a size 12 model is considered plus-sized which is just so not true and feels kind of like a slap in the face coming from a person that a size 20. So I think seeing people who are an average size being posed as plus-sized models isn’t healthy are true for people who are. It’s continuing a stigma that I can’t be fashionable or seen as beautiful because I’m truly plus-sized. ALIGN 31
“I love that I am growing. I love that I am not afraid to switch up my style and I am open minded to new things in my life.” What is your name and major? My name is Cheng Lee and I am a junior advertising major. Are you in any clubs? What positions are you in? Jobs? I work as a creative team leader and graphic designer at the Mills International Center and I work as a graphic design assistant at Student Services and Enrollment Management at UO. I am also apart of APASU and I am also on the production team for Ad Team. What inspires you? I am really inspired by the people that I surround myself with. Having that close-knit group of people that never give up on you inspires me to grow as a person with them. I look up to those people because they make my life move forward. I wouldn’t be able to be the person I am today if it wasn’t for the people I surround myself with. A lot of those people are women of color. It is really nice to have people who can relate to me in the same identity aspects. As for fashion, I am inspired by the music that I listen to. Right now, I am really vibing with UMI. I just really love her tomboyish hip hop look even though she is an R&B singer, but I also connect deeply with her music. Do you keep up with the fashion industry? Favorite brands/ designers? I don’t keep up with the fashion industry as much, I think it’s because I started thrifting a lot of my clothes. I don’t pay attention to brands as much, but I am really interested in sustainable brands because I learned that the fashion industry is one of, if not the, biggest contributors to climate change. The fashion industry is a very invasive industry right now with how workers are being exploded and people overseas are underpaid so I am just being conscious of what I buy. Have there been times in your life when you felt underrepresented? Where? I have definitely felt underrepresented in US media and I think it is particularly obvious in the fashion media. There are of course some Asian models, but there are very few. The standards for models in the US are tall, skinny and typically nonwomen of color. For me, I am a very petite girl so I don’t short models in fashion media. There is not a lot of opportunity for Asian models in the US. It’s disappointing. 32 ALIGN
How do you find ways to love yourself? What do you love about yourself? One way is through fashion. I can wear whatever I want and I can be whoever I want that day. I can express my personality by looking different every day because I feel different every day. I know that I am constantly changing and that’s just how I show it to people. No one has any control over how I look. I love that I am growing. I love that I am not afraid to switch up my style and I am open minded to new things in my life. I love that I can be compassionate to myself and be willing to be better. Describe a time when you felt powerful. Last spring term it was a time in my life in which I was a hot mess. A lot of things were just going on in my personal life and it was just seeping into my school work, mental health and my physical well being. During this time, I swear my friends and I went out every day to McDonald’s. Sometimes even twice a day, we were just eating trash. It was just not a good lifestyle to live. I stayed in Eugene over the summer to take classes and to start my new job and some of my best friends stayed with me. When the summer term started, it was great because we were all motivated to do all these creative things, go to the gym every day and started cooking and eating together. We all decided to work on ourselves over the summer and it was great that we all were there for support. That was one of the most powerful things that I overcame. I took back the control that I lost over my own life. How do you think the lack of representation in the industry affects our society today? The lack of representation in media affects everybody because if we are not represented in the media that we consume then society is setting standards for us that unrealistic. People spend their lives trying to be someone that they aren’t when they would be embracing who they are. I remember being a little girl and not having anyone to look up too because of the lack of representation. Brenda Song was one of the very few people I could see myself being as, but if you were going to ask me to name some Asian actors and actresses I could only name a handful. I think that is really problematic.
CHENG LEE
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OLIVIA GUTIERREZ
“There are so many different people in this world, yet the media and fashion only show one specific type of person.”
My name is Olivia Gutierrez and I am a junior majoring in advertising. Are you in any clubs? What positions are you in? Jobs? I am a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and I am apart of Women in Creative Industries. What inspires you? In both your daily life and fashion. My friends and family inspire me the most in regards to my life because they are all very artistic, strong, passionate people. When it comes to fashion, I pretty much inspire myself and wear what I like. However, I do take some inspiration from Devon lee Carlson. Who are your icons? My icons are Winona Ryder, Stevie Nicks, Harry Styles, and my beautiful mom! Do you keep up with the fashion industry? Favorite brands/ designers? Fashion is very important to me. Being able to express yourself through your clothing is something that I think is really cool. I’ve always had a natural instinct with fashion and trends. I’m not sure when it began or how it formed but I’ve always been told that I’m stylish, and my friends often ask me to shop for them or help them pair clothing together. A few of my favorite brands and designers are Gucci, Acne, Opening Ceremony, Yves Saint Laurent, Virgil Abloh, and I’m honestly impressed with Tyler Okonma’s recent fashion ventures. I remember I purchased my Gucci belt after graduation with the money I saved from my waitressing job in high school. While I admire high-end fashion and the visions these designers possess, I mainly shop at stores like Aritzia, Reformation and Planet Blue due to their sustainability and stores like Madewell, Free People and Urban Outfitters due to their affordability. Lastly, I pair everything I own with any of my five pairs of Dr. Martens. They’ve pretty much been the only shoe I’ve worn since middle school.
Have there been times in your life when you felt underrepresented? Where? As someone who understands her place and privilege in society and the fashion industry, I can’t say there have been times where I have felt underrepresented. The only time I struggle with finding my size in the fashion world is because I’m super tall and my legs are too long, making everything too short on me. How do you find ways to love yourself? What do you love about yourself? Working out is my favorite way of loving myself. Over the summer, I grew an addiction to indoor stationary cycling and I went every single day. I grew close with my instructors and peers in the cycling community, and their love, support and encouragement helped me find a new way of loving myself and my body. Cycling has made me strong, happy and confident with myself. Outwardly, I love my height and my big eyebrows because they help me stand out and define who I am. Describe a time when you felt powerful. The day I released my debut album ‘Olive Collins’ for the world. I had been working on that album my entire freshman year of college in LLC North. I have wanted to make music for as long as I can remember, so being able to actually create something like that that you’re proud of was a pretty powerful, special moment for me. How do you think the lack of representation in the industry affects our society today? It creates a false narrative of what people should look like. There are so many different people in this world, yet the media and fashion only show one specific type of person. This affects the minds and bodies of women who struggle with their self-image, as well as boys who are given a false display of what a woman looks like. ALIGN 35
HANSIKA RAU What’s your name and major? My name is Hansika Rau and I am a junior majoring in journalism Are you in any clubs? What positions are you in? Jobs? I work for Greenhill Humane Society as an animal care technician in the cattery. I get to work with cats all day so it’s pretty cool. What inspires you? A lot of what inspires me is myself. I draw inspiration from the things that I like and what’s going to make me feel good. In terms of style, I like collective things. Anything that doesn’t look like its supposes to go together I am probably wearing it all together at once. That’s just how I stay the truest to myself. I just look at my closet while getting ready and decide that whatever I wear will look good on me, and it does. Who are your icons? For sure my first icon is my mom. Not that she is an icon to everyone, although she should be, but she is just a really strong lady who has done 36 ALIGN
a lot in her life. Especially being an immigrant and women of color while trying to hold on to her femininity while expressing her culture while being defined by western societal norms, she still persevered through that. So me sitting here having the option to wear whatever I want, I am going to take advantage of that. She does whatever she wants and that’s why she is my icon. Do you keep up with the fashion industry? Favorite brands/ designers? I am definitely someone who doesn’t stick to brand names. I didn’t grow up with money so that wasn’t something that I lived by and it’s not something that I got used too. I don’t like to show my wealth through material goods. I pretty much just shop at thrift stores. I also like to repurpose a lot of my parent’s clothes. I like the styles they had through the thought the 70s-90s so when every they clean out their closets I just go and raid what every they don’t want. The majority of my clothes
“I feel powerful everyday. I pretty much exude power.”
are actually my dad’s. His button-up shirts with cool designs and big baggy jackets that I have now are some of my favorites. Have there been times in your life when you felt underrepresented? Where? I am part of a very underrepresented population, not because I am Indian but because I am someone who is of Indian origin but a natural born citizen in the United States. I identify as American just as much as I identify as being Indian, so it leaves me in a weird position in terms of identity. It’s caused a lot of personal stress in the most basic form of not knowing how to dress. I remember being younger and being uncomfortable wearing things that had too much cultural significance. I was embarrassed because I knew that the other kids would call me out and pick on me because what I was wearing didn’t look like what they were wearing. I would not dare step foot in completely traditional Indian clothing for fear of backlash and discrimination, but also because at
this point in my life, that is not who I am. How do you find ways to love yourself? What do you love about yourself? Loving yourself is hard. People never hit a point where they completely love themselves because there is always more things to learn to love about yourself. But how I love myself is I remind myself not to compare myself to other people. The media and our society have constructed this way of ranking each other by beauty and attractiveness, but you just have to pull yourself out of that. The first thing that I love about myself is that I have grown to become more me. In the sense that I used to be a very quiet closed off person and a real introvert. Now I am pretty much the opposite because I realized that life is short and I don’t have enough time to be sitting around quiet while being scared of what people think of me. Describe a time when you felt powerful. I feel powerful every day. I pretty much exude power. But my most powerful moment was actually my lowest moment as well because it was the moment I knew that I needed help with my mental state. It was a time in my life where I wasn’t going to get through that hardship alone, no matter how headstrong or prideful I was. It’s very empowering to succumb to aid because as people we want to be self-sufficient and be able to do things by ourselves but its harder to realize that you need help than trying to do everything by yourself. How do you think the lack of representation in the industry affects our society today? In 2017, Kendall Jenner was on the cover of Vogue India. I think that shows how much farther we have to go in terms of representation. While it’s never going to be ideal and not every single person on Earth will be represented, we still have entire classifyed minorities who are being completely and purposely cut out of the media. People don’t realize how severe seeing Kendall Jenner on the cover of Vogue India is. It’s not just the representation for the minority, it’s for that little girl in India who is looking at Vogue India asking why she doesn’t look like that. We have to get to that point where I am not surprised to see a person of color on the cover of a magazine. The more our society represents minorities in our daily lives, the better it will get. ALIGN 37
Mullet Man
Written by Gillian Arthur ♦ Photographed by Jonathan Roensch
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f you don’t know who Sam Miller is, you might know him by another name, “Mullet Man.” Bike technician and environmental studies major, Sam just might be the only person you’ll ever know to have won a mullet contest. I had the pleasure of talking with him about his $700 rock-climbing gym membership and what it means to be a mullet man. Gillian: Alright, well the first thing I’m dying to know: How did you find out about the mullet contest? Did you start growing a mullet and then decide you wanted to be a part of it? How did this all happen exactly? Sam: Oh yeah well that’s a bit of a story so I’ll just tell it. Gillian: Yes! Please do. Sam: So I never thought of a mullet as a tangible haircut until I had seen my roommate Dante with some semblance of a mullet. They identified their haircut as a mullet so that for me really shifted my understanding that a mullet could be a haircut that you or I have so I decided I wanted to try it out. I’ve always had this style of growing my hair out then cutting it really short. So I grew it out and instead of buzzing it all off I had my mom kind of work to make it a mullet because she’s used to mullets right? Growing up in the 80s and 90s so the first time I had a mullet was in May of 2018. And I’ve had one since and I have my mom or my girlfriend Sabrina cut it every two months and it just keeps going like that. I’ve never had a barber cut it as a mullet but it’s become, slowly over time, part of an identity. I started being known as “Sam the guy with the mullet” or “the mullet man” and then in March of 2019, I found out about this competition that was hosted by a rock climbing gym in Portland called Elevation. I thought that was the coolest thing. Not because I was interested in the prize of a rock climbing membership but just for the opportunity to be in competition with people who are also in this sub-category of “mullet” so I thought for a long time what I wanted to submit then in September at the deadline I submitted my photo and shared it on social media. There was just such a huge outpour of support from family and friends. Parents of friends, who I don’t even know, who just have this nostalgia for the 80s and 90s, voted for me. That’s how I ended up winning the competition. It was entirely digital. To date, I’ve never shaken hands with the person who organized the competition. It’s just all been on email. Gillian: Would you say that having a mullet, because you said it became a part of your identity, has also shaped your lifestyle? Do you feel in some ways you’re more inclined to dress retro? Sam: Oh sure, yeah. For better and for worse. I actually used to wear a pair of glasses that were 80s specific, wide-rim glasses, and then I actually had to stop wearing them. I’ll still wear them from time to time. But just because it felt like I was being too much of a caricature and not being myself. And that’s something that’s really important to me: making sure I’m me and not someone else. But I’ll do that in other ways. Like I got a cheap pair of headphones that I’ll wear, like the kind you get on airplanes. The Coby brand. And I’ll wear those. I love wearing sweaters and Converse. Things that are seen traditionally as an 80s or “older style.” But that’s also kind of been my style before that. So it’s been pretty consistent. Gillian: Beyond Dante do you find inspiration for your mullet anywhere else? Potentially on film? Sam: Yes, oh definitely. The Michael Jackson Beat It music video is like ... that’s what I ... I guess I had seen that before my haircut but certainly afterward it was like: that’s what I wanted to live up to. Gillian: End goal. Sam: Like that was the pinnacle of what it could be. At a certain point this summer I cut my hair because my mullet was 13 inches in the back. I felt like it was very pronounced. But it wasn’t the haircut I wanted. It was
too much of a show. I wanted something a little more “natural.” Gillian: Are there any “do’s and don’ts” of having a mullet? If you were to give advice to anyone wanting to grow out a mullet, what would it be? What’s the learning curve? If you could share your wisdom with us. Sam: I can really only think of “do’s.” If anybody ever asks or is thinking about getting a mullet it’s fun and it’s a worthy experiment regardless of your background with it or your gender. It’s just a fun thing to do. I have heard of a drullet. Gillian: What? What is that? Sam: It’s a dreadlock mullet. So I don’t recommend that. But there are lots of different types. I think really the only barrier is just identifying that haircut with a mullet. Gillian: Do you feel a sense of empowerment from your haircut? Sam: Yeah, I do. I do feel a sense of empowerment. I guess in the sort of way that some people aren’t able to have the haircut because they are men and they are balding or because they are people who are in jobs where they aren’t able to. I’ve also had that crisis. Can I continue to live a lifestyle and have a job? The answer is right now, yes. But... it is something that even if you do feel powerful and comfortable in your own body it is something you’ll think about from time to time. Gillian: Shifting gears a bit, do you have a routine for maintaining your hair? Sam: The same as anyone else who takes care of their hair, really. Showering with shampoo and conditioner and combing. I do comb it backward against the grain but when it dries it breaks out of that. But there isn’t any special product I use. Definitely taking care of your hair is very important. Gillian: How would you say your mullet has transformed since you got it? Sam: It’s gone from kind of an experiment to a joke to almost something I cherish. To the point where I’ll hold on to it even if it affects other aspects and in that respect as it does start to affect other aspects, like prospects for jobs or social circles it makes me reexamine what my priorities are and why things are that way. But at the end of the day, it’s just a haircut. Gillian: Is there any way of defining a mullet? Because it’s true, there’s this fine line of: “Is it a mullet? Is it not?” Sam: Well I guess the easiest definition would be like: “wait, is that a mullet?” is a mullet. I had that happen to me today where I saw someone and was like: “Is that a mullet?” and to me, that’s a mullet. Gillian: Is your mullet something you want to keep for a long time? Or are you just going to see where it goes? Sam: I want to keep it. I’m not rigid about it. If there is a circumstance where I have to cut it, it’ll be sad for me. Unless I change my mind about how I feel. But for now, I like it and I want to keep it. Gillian: Well I certainly hope it stays. ALIGN 39
Looks that
KILL Know how to shop eco-consciously
Written by Lisa Deluc Photographed by Kaycee Rogers
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OU’VE BEEN TOLD TO BIKE TO WORK, DITCH plastic straws, and you’ve even started separating trash from compost, yet the second largest polluter in the world is rarely targeted by mass media. According to Sustain you Style, an organization created to help inform fashion consumers, the fashion industry is in part responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, rainforest destruction, soil degradation, waste accumulation, the build up of microfibers in the ocean, water pollution, and excessive water consumption. 100 million people in India do not have access to clean drinking water, yet 85% of the daily needs of water of its entire population could be covered by the water it uses to grow cotton. A family on average throws away 30 kg of clothing each year and only 15% is recycled or donated leaving the rest to accumulate in landfills or are immediately incinerated. Polyester, a prevalent fiber in our clothing takes over 200 years to decompose because it contains plastic. The dyeing and bleaching of fabric as well as the use of pesticides on cotton farms contributes to massive amounts of pollutant accumulation in the soil and water. Ultimately, the apparel industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions through the process of production, manufacturing, and transportation. Although these facts may seem discouraging, there are many ways in which as a consumer you can help reduce this cycle of destruction. It all starts with the consumer’s choice and your power of purchase. First, the most important step in the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle process is the reduction piece. Therefore simply being cautious of your consumption is key when trying to reduce your environmental impact for any industry. A huge part of the problem leads back to the excessive consumerism cycle that is continually reinforced by consumer culture. Therefore general consciousness and a “buy less, buy better” mindset can make a huge difference. Yet there remain many ways in which you can continue to purchase clothing and express yourself without feeling guilty. An important aspect of eco-conscious shopping is looking at the type of material you are purchasing.
First you can choose organic fibers and natural fibers that do not use chemicals during production or processing. Another important choice in fibers is knowing which ones use fewer liters of water, such as linen, recycled fibers, hemp, and organic cotton. Some fibers to stay away from are polyester, rayon, viscose, and leather. Looking at where that article of clothing was produced is also an effective way of minimizing your greenhouse gas emission footprint. Buying clothes from companies that are carbon emission neutral is a great first step! Companies like Reformation, Earth Positive, Raven + Lily, Soul Flower, and Chnge, to name a few. Some larger companies are also working towards carbon neutrality like Patagonia and REI. Though understandably so, these brands have a price range far higher than most college students are able to afford. A good way to shop eco-consciously without the big price-tag, is by thrift shopping and buying second hand. This brings in the second piece of the 3R cycle with Reuse. Although, an important part about thrift shopping is knowing the store’s policies and researching what local stores do with excessive clothing. Some stores can burn or throw away the items that do not sell, while others make more eco-friendly decisions with their excesses like donating to shelters or recycling mills. Finally the last R of Recycling can help reduce the gargantuan amount of waste of which the clothing industry is responsible for. Bringing in your old clothes to thrift stores, recycling centers or homeless shelters is an environmentally conscious way to dispose of old clothes that could be put to good use. Ultimately, the most important step in shopping eco-consciously, as emphasized by a number of sustainable nonprofits, is reduction. Simply buying less but better quality products ensures a cycle that avoids impulse buys and other such unnecessary purchases that hurt more than just your wallet. Buying from eco-friendly brands, thrifting, and donating are other great ways to contribute to a culture of conscious buying, all the while feeling comfortable in your clothes!
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NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS Photographed by Veronica Szmit
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Photographed by Allison Barr
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Show Your Colors
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Power Suits
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“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” - Coco Chanel Written by Gillian Arthur Photographed by Andie Davis
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oco Chanel wasn’t wrong about this. And neither was Katherine Parker in Working Girl (1988). Fall is here, which, for most of us, means business. It’s the time to put ourselves out there: a time to seize new opportunities. Whether you are seeking a new job, looking to move up in an existing position, or hoping to land the perfect internship, showing anyone you mean business starts with one thing: power dressing. In the classic 80s film (and ultimate workplace success story) Working Girl, protagonist Tess McGill learns how power dressing can be used to leverage her position as a receptionist in order to make it big on Wall Street. It goes back to the saying, “dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”
As the epitome of power dressing, Tess’s boss Katherine dresses for the job she has. Tess does not. But this is only true at the beginning. I won’t spoil anything for those who haven’t seen this truly magical movie (if Joan Cusack and a young Harrison Ford aren’t enough to convince you to watch this film, I don’t know what will), but I will say this: Tess heeds Chanel’s advice and through power dressing, changes the trajectory of her career. In the 80s, power dressing would’ve meant big shoulders. But its 2020 and power doesn’t come from shoulder pads. Power dressing in the modern age is about being bold (don’t be afraid to experiment with color and patterns) but more importantly, being true to you. Show your colors. Show your power and the world will surely bow at your feet. ALIGN 51
favorite non-toxic beauty products Written by Laura Alterman Illustratored by Anna Maestas Switching to non-toxic/natural beauty products can be super overwhelming. A lot of products that are branded as “natural” contain just as many random ingredients as synthetic based products, so it’s important to scan over the ingredients list. Some ingredients you want to be sure to avoid are; mineral oil, talc and propylene glycol. I tend to break out or get irritation from products, so over the last few years I’ve been on a mission to find non-toxic and minimal ingredient beauty products that are so good that I would still choose to use them over a traditional beauty product. In my experience, it feels unrealistic to completely replace all traditional beauty products and makeup with non-toxic natural ones, but it does give me some peace of mind to know that at least some of the products I use are not detrimental to my health. With natural beauty products it’s also important to keep in mind that every product has its downsides, but making the effort to be conscious about what you’re putting on your skin is what matters in the long run.
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Eu Genia Shea Butter Shea butter is the mother of all moisturizers, even coconut oil. A little bit of shea butter on any dry areas overnight works wonders. Especially in the winter everyone’s lips get so dry, so this is absolutely essential to have on hand. I love the combination of oils and moisturizers in this brand, but the most powerful ingredient is shea butter. The shea butter creates a barrier effect while the other oils sink deep into dry lips or skin to heal. I use this as an overnight moisturizer type of lip/face mask. Ingredients: shea butter, shea oil, baobab oil, and moringa oil
Maya Chia: “The Highlight of the Day” The Highlight of the Day is by far my favorite highlighter of all time, it’s staying power is significantly better than any regular highlighter I’ve tried. It comes in a tiny tincture style glass bottle, and a little goes a long way. You only need to blend one drop on each cheek to get the perfect application. It seriously stays on all day, but sinks into your skin without looking cakey or harsh. Ingredients: Chia Seed Oil, Broccoli Seed Oil, Coconut Alkanes (and) Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, *Calendula Flower Extract, *Sunflower Oil, *Vitamin E, Mica, Titanium Oxide, (+/- Iron Oxide, Tin Oxide, +/-Boron Nitride, +/-Carmine) *2% Essential Oils (*=organic).
Lulu Organics Dry Shampoo Dry shampoo is absolutely essential for in between days, and this one really takes the gluten-free cake. The powder is mixed with essential oils so it absorbs excess oil while making your hair smell fresh, without being too overpowering and perfumey. To use it, sprinkle the powder into your hands and run your fingers through your roots. This dry shampoo is also dope because it comes in a powdered shake-style container, rather than in an aerosol can, which as we all know is not the best thing for our lovely planet. This product also doesn’t cause residue buildup or irritation (for all my sensitive scalps) due its minimal ingredients.
Ingredients: *organic corn starch, white clay, baking soda, *organic horsetail powder, *essential oils/ *USDA Certified Organic
Cocokind Mai-Light The Mai-Light is the most majestic iridescent highlighter stick. It also *actually* looks great on all skin tones (I have confirmation of its majestic effect on various skin tones from friends who use it too). I usually apply it on my cupids bow, on the high points of my cheeks and under the arch of my eyebrows. It looks best when lightly blended in with clean finger tips. The highlighter has pink hues but a pretty neutral base color, it blends in seamlessly with whatever skin tone it goes over. Ingredients: *castor oil, *jojoba oil, *sunflower seed wax, *mango butter, *maitake mushroom powder, mixed tocopherols, *rosemary extract, *calendula extract, mica, titanium dioxide, and iron dioxide (*=organic). (titanium dioxide is toxic in powdered products due to risk of inhalation, but this isn’t powder).
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