Issue 12

ISSUE 12

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FASHION IS THE ARMOUR TO SURVIVE THE REALITY OF EVERYDAY LIFE. TO DO AWAY WITH FASHION WOULD BE LIKE DOING AWAY WITH CIVLIZATION.

Bill Cunningham

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SHY OF SALT meet Marina Peng.

COLOR FLOOD writing on the wall.

23 SWEET TOOTH indulge.

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DECONSTRUCTED freehand sketching.

30 THE CHASE (pup included).

32 SAM & LAVI the inside scoop.

ISSUE 12

editors-in-chief SARAH ETTINGER CHARLOTTE JONES GRANT PHILLIPS

editors AVIVA MANN PAULINA GALLAGHER

director of layout GRANT PHILLIPS

director of photography BONNER WILLIAMS

directors of blog CARLA STEPPAN LUKE SUMMERLIN

directors of social media PAULINA GALLAGHER KARALENA DAVIS

editorial photographer GRACE WANG

contributors ELLA YOUNG SABRINA ROBERTS ELANA SASSON LIZZIE WELLINGTON RAISSA XIE LIZZY CHALSEN TALIA LAIFER GRACE WANG ARI SPITZER KLARA KOBYLINSKI ARIEL APPLBAUM OLIVER BALTAY

layout INGRID CHANG LEXY COPITHORNE MICHAEL TARAZI

founders JACOB LENARD FELICIA PODBERESKY CHANTAL STRASBURGER

Armour has picked up its paintbrush and stepped up to the canvas. Fashion and art inspire and draw from each other and the boundry between the fields can become hard to distinguish. Our staff decided to explore that distinction with this issue. We researched, sketched and explored all types of media, from graffiti to line drawings and imitation art to metalwork. We found numerous inspiring creatives – both internationally acclaimed and local (read: yet to be internationally acllaimed). Make sure to check out Wash U sophomore Marina Peng, who allowed us to spotlight her amazing jewelry business, Shy of Salt (pg. 8).

We embraced different forms of art in our editorials this issue. We took a trip to the Flood Wall in downtown St. Louis to witness the colorful expression of graffiti that stretches for hundreds of feet (pg. 12) and then we got our own hands dirty with our Deconstructed editorial to create a multi-layered photo-illustration effect (pg. 34).

Lastly, we researched some fantastic artists and trends that combine fine art and fashion. Canadian-born artist, Chloe Wise, has taken the world by storm with her “Chanel Bagel bags,” adding a bit of tongue-and-cheek to the fashion scene (pg. 22). In addition, the “Fly Art,” trend has taken fine art to a whole new level, looking back to the works of Vermeer and Botticelli (pg. 42).

The entire Armour staff is so excited to share our issue with you, and we hope you find some inspiration from our artistic adventures!

And as always, get your Armour on.

Cheers, Sarah, Charley and Grant

Tr e n d i n g w i t h A r m o u r S t a f f illustration by PAULINA GALLAGHER

Charley Jones – Leopard Coat Sarah Ettinger – Anthropologie Earmuffs Grant Phillips – “Twin Peaks” TV series Aviva Mann – Topshop Fuzzy Sweater Paulina Gallagher – Fendi “Bag Boy Karlito” Bonner Williams – Colorful Camera Strap Grace Wang – Madeon by Pay No Mind (ft.

Passion Pit) Luke Summerlin – Drake Karalena Davis – Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

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MENS NYFW written by KLARA KOBYLINSKI

With regard to fashion, since when does New York fall short in comparison with London, Paris and Milan? Since the advent of Men’s Fashion Week. New York is the last major fashion capital to host a separate week of shows devoted entirely to menswear—a necessary adjustment in a culture where womenswear shows often dominate media and press attention. However, New York City’s fashion scene is shifting, as a week dedicated to menswear is steadily in the making, thanks to efforts by the CFDA and the drive of several designers themselves.

Images from left: 1.Givenchy 2.Saint Laurent 3.Lanvin 4.Saint Laurent

Hosting a separate week is a necessary move; as of now, once menswear designers reach a certain threshold of success here in the United States, they often leave for Europe to show their collections in hopes of more extensive press coverage and investor attention. Wouldn’t it be nice to welcome back renowned designers such as Calvin Klein and Thom Browne this year? If successful, the program will launch as soon as the summer of 2015 to show Spring/Summer 2016 collections. Why move men’s week to July rather than having shows simultaneously with womenswear designers? Proponents of a move tout the logic of the decision, pointing out that there exists a separate market, niche of editors, and professional buyers for womenswear and menswear. Hosting gender-separate shows would maximize the number of influential viewers at each show and minimize the possibility of overwhelming customers. Additionally, the fashion calendar is already almost completely

booked and difficult for viewers and consumers to follow—regardless of whether you’re lucky enough to attend in person, or simply review the shows online.

Because events would be held later in the calendar year, no financial investment would be required to build new venues for the ever-expanding number of designers showing (a fact that brought the NYC Economic Development Corporation and the mayor on board). If New York fails to add a third fashion week this summer, many more venues will have to be made to hold all shows simultaneously. Still, the biggest hurdle in the way of Men’sFashion Week is sufficient funding and a strong media partnership. The few naysayers to the proposal point to a similar 1995 project that ran for only four years before it dwindled. But with sales in menswear on an upward trajectory, 2015 might be the perfect time to reinstate a bigger and better week for men. New York Fashion Week is the largest fashion week in the world in terms of number of runway shows and attendees. But it’s time to reassess the fashion calendar, welcome back our premier designers that have fled to Europe, and give menswear the spotlight it deserves. If we fail to make changes, can New York Fashion Week remain globally preeminent?

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CREATIVE PROFILE

MARINA PENG written by LIZZIE WELLINGTON

Marina Peng, a sophomore in Sam Fox, is an aspiring young woman who has taken what was once a childhood pastime and has grown it into a business. Marina had always found jewelry making to be a fun hobby, but it wasn’t until she fostered this passion by taking jewelry making classes at St. Louis Community College, that her hobby became one of the most important aspects of her identity. And thus, last semester she developed Shy of Salt, her own jewelry business on etsy.com.

The online store opened on August 14th, 2014. She additionally has earned herself a pop-up shop at the St. Louis Galleria’s Urban Outfitters. Marina, an employee at Urban Outfitters, collaborated with another employee who sells ceramics and had access to the pop-up shop preceding the Christmas holiday.

Marina explains that the most satisfying aspect about the pop up shop is getting to witness a stranger’s positive reactions to her work. Most of her customers have been close friends, ones that may have felt obligated to respond positively—but the reactions of strangers validated her work as a viable business. Marina uses various social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to advertise her jewelry pieces to as many audiences as possible. Marina’s pieces are filled with flare and personality.

However, with success and growth comes challenges. Now that Marina has a legitimate business, she finds it difficult to meet the demands of both classwork and production. Although time–management can be difficult, Marina enjoys taking an hour out of each day to decompress from academics and indulge in her passion.

As for the future, Marina plans on finding a fashion–based internship outside of Saint Louis over the summer in order to gain exposure to different regions and teaching styles.

After college she hopes to expand her existing Etsy store and potentially sell her line in a large department store.

In the meantime, Marina plans to continue down this creative path with her Esty store and to take more jewelry-making classes to expand her skillset while in the Art school.

Images Source: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShyOfSalt

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Eco Friendly Fashion written by ELANA SASSON

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We are amidst the beginning of an eco-friendly revolution. Composting is on the rise, more and more print is going digital, and public transportation and fuel-efficient cars are reaching an alltime high. However while we are consciously trying to change our daily habits to be more sustainable and earth-conscious, we are missing a major point.

The one trillion dollar garment and textile industry contributes the second highest levels of pollution to clean water, and is one of the most chemically dependent industries today. The fashion industry is well known for poor working conditions in factories all over the world, minimal environmental regulations, and child and slave labor. Additionally, the production of a single garment often involves at least three countries and almost always ends up in a landfill. So for an industry that supports a glamorous lifestyle, the hidden facts get ugly.

But the amount of waste we produce on the consumer side is shameful. More than one million tons of textiles are thrown away every year. According to the EPA Office of Solid Waste, each American throws away 68 pounds of clothing and textiles per year, making up 4% of the municipal solid waste.

Each season, the fashion industry introduces new trends and “must-haves.” We quickly accumulate more stuff, and easily dispose of our old belongings. “Fast-fashion” both accommodates and encourages this wasteful practice. Big retailers like Zara, H&M, and Forever21 get in mass daily shipments of new clothes and attempt to achieve the highest volume of turnaround possible, getting as many clothes out to the consumer in the shortest period of time. At their core, these companies are designed to make the consumer feel out of touch with the trends, so the vicious buying circle can flourish. Because these clothes are cheaper, we are more financially able to transform our closets on a whim and we are buying more than we used to. Truth is, we are paying a pretty penny for bad quality clothes - often with lead and hazardous chemicals involved in their production. While we may be paying less per item, the environment is dealing with the repercussions.

Luckily, there are ways to maintain your desired aesthetic with a clean conscious and an even cleaner planet. Eco-friendly fashion and the new face of thrift shopping have never looked so good.

The Reformation The Reformation, a brand with a factory in LA, and stores in LA and Soho, may be one of my first loves. This brand has a strong cult following not only from 90’s crazed city girls, but also celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Rosie Huntington-Whitely. The Reformation not only designs flattering silhouettes, but it also offers a sustainable alternative to high fashion.

The Reformation has a strong ethos of wanting to avoid waste.

They elegantly craft their pieces from repurposed vintage clothing, surplus materials, and sustainable fabrics. They have a strong focus on using virgin materials, made from environmentally conscious close-loop factories that reuse water, rather than ruining clean resources. Every part of the Reformation’s process is admirable. CEO and founder Yael Aflalo says, “We incorporate green solutions in everything we do. We recycle, use clean energy, eco friendly packaging, energy-efficient fixtures and appliances, recycled hangers, eco-friendly tote bags, unbleached/chlorine free paper products, organic and sustainable kitchen products, 75% recycled paper content, FSC certified paper, soy-based inks, recycled/sustainable office supplies, non-toxic janitorial products…just to name a few.” Unfortunately, the Reformation and other eco-friendly brands’ meticulously moral process parallels their pricetags. While this reveals just how many cost saving techniques other “fast fashion” companies are using to lower prices and hurt the environment, not everyone can be a customer of the Reformation. However, for those of us with more conservative fashion budgets, domestic resale gives us all the answers.

Domestic Resale Bib and Tuck, Poshmark, and Vaunte are just a few recently started domestic retail sites that are giving “thrifting” a whole new name. For those of us Buffalo Exchange fanatics, online shops like Bib and Tuck reinvent the way we shop secondhand.

With a strong focus on quality, Bib and Tuck and ilk allow you to do spring cleaning in the best way possible, and even shop for free. For the past couple of months I have gathered garments from my closet that I never wear, but are too good to throw out, and have listed them online at a self-determined price. To limit myself from the lures of online retail, I now only shop with the profits from my sold clothing, and do so in other people’s closets. Each site offers something slightly different. Some prioritize top designer brands, while others allow you to send in your clothing in bulk, and quote you on what they can sell. For those who value brand association, sites like Bib and Tuck and Vaunte allow you to buy heavily marked down designer items, most of them virtually unused. Using virtual dollars I have spent no money, still find myself in ownership of plenty of fashionable clothes, and have limited my waste generation to packaging and shipping instead of the massive amounts of resources that go into creating new items.

While I always tried to think about where my food comes from, I realized I never knew where my clothes came from. I find that I now think deeply and practically about every purchase, ensuring that each item I buy plays a significant role in my wardrobe. As more and more options for eco-friendly fashion become readily available, I believe the choice between being a trendsetter and being sustainable will never have to be made again.

Images Source: https://www.thereformation.com

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COLOR FLOOD

photography BONNER WILLIAMS models ALEXIS GIGER & JORDAN FINKELSTEIN

EXPLORING ISRAEL written by ARI SPITZER

Ask any student who goes abroad if they did not think twice about the shirts, the pants, the jackets, the accessories he or she packed into those fateful TSA–approved fifty pounds, and ask whether or not that “Meow You Doin?” Urban Graphic T reflects their aspirations or identity. In the United States the wisdom of not judging a book by its cover keeps us from opening our eyes to the texts that we wrap ourselves in every time we walk out the door for fear of offending, for fear of thinking prejudicially, and because doing so has become symptomatic of the pernicious American tendency toward materialism. When abroad, from the home you know, you have no choice but to suspend these inhibitions, and become sensitive to even the tiniest details of your surroundings. Here, your eyes pay as much attention to the “superficial” details we all, somewhere deep inside (for some not so deep), hope catch 18

the passerby’s eye.

When in doubt and looking for immersion, take public transportation. As the train approached Jaffa Center, the crowd began to coalesce around the door. Wrestling my way through a crowd, I bumped into about every segment of Israeli society. Step forward, turn my head up and the contoured edge of the Hasidic man’s traditional black hat protrudes at my face.

Orthodox men in Israel, and Jerusalem in particular, dress in loosely cut black or navy suit jackets, with trousers and white shirts, white tsitsit poking out from beneath, and black shoes.

To my left was an orthodox woman whose hand, grasping onto the bar overhead touched mine and recoiled immediately. She was shomer negiah—the prohibition against men and women who are not married or too closely related (God forbid it)

touching. Orthodox women, like men, have a dress code that permits little in the way of promiscuous dress. I could not help but notice that even within the confines of the Hasidic frame, this woman had managed to arrange an outfit that revealed no skin, but instead featured a head–covering with an arabesque design, brimming with deep shades of auburn, gray and violet.

Here the central style tenet was modesty. The perpetually formal dress code among the orthodox is an echo of Jewish orthodoxy’s sixteenth century Eastern European origins. The Hasidim are not the most adventurous bunch when it comes

This does not mean style is completely lost on the value of resilient fabrics with pockets where you need them. As with most generalizations, this rule fails to apply to the whole of the country. In cities like Tel Aviv and Haifa, for instance, the styles are more cosmopolitan. In Tel Aviv especially, a decidedly fashion forward coastal city home to the Israeli military’s intelligence operation, and consequently, most of the Israeli tech industry, styles are less modest, and more modern. There, you are just as likely to see someone dressed in Normcore, as you are to see someone dressed in a vintage outfit.

to fashion, but the consistency with which they hold to the traditional outfit speaks volumes about the strength of their conviction to their faith.

And that goes for every city, and even every neighborhood in Israel. Move from one to the next, and styles will change as you go.

Sway back to the right and I collided with a young Israeli soldier, struggling but failing to avoid contact with the gun strapped across her side. We exchanged the “I just rubbed up against an erection, didn’t I?” eye contact. In Israel, the military is a presence unlike any other. Every Israeli serves under conscription, save for religious or educational exemptions.

Service in the Israeli Defense Forces is an experience that binds many in the country together, and informs much of the cultural aesthetics, especially fashion. On the Israeli color palette, aside from black, green takes the top spot. The utility jackets, loosely cut, sometimes cargo pants, and rugged (usually Chelsea) boots. Lightly blue, stone washed denim is another staple.

These are elements of the Israeli military uniform by design or by wear, and all are commonplace items in Israeli wardrobes.

Versus how Americans seem to find the balance between the two competing impulses of function and style, Israelis certainly come out in favor of the former. If there is one style rule in Jerusalem, it is the primacy of function.

Wherever you go, St. Louis, Los Angeles, New York, Berlin, Tel Aviv, or for me now, Jerusalem, fashion remains a statement of identity. A person’s wardrobe, the pieces, their material, texture, color, graphics, contours are expressions of a moment, that person’s moment. It is a profoundly collective, yet deeply intimate mode of expression. Our wardrobe choices capture political struggle, economic travails, and cultural aesthetics—in other words, society—sometimes, even more honestly than a written or spoken articulation can.

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Health Goth: A Commentary on Contemporary Trends in the Digital Age written by ELLA YOUNG

Health Goth: ever heard of it? Unless you are a tumblr-obsessed, “avant-garde” fashion devotee, I’m guessing not. It wasn’t until last month that my in-the-know friend gave a name to black outfit trendsetters I’d seen popping up on Instagram.

Once I knew what it was, the more I started to see it. I’d like to note that this is not an article detailing Health Goth’s history or a how-to guide of “the look.” I would like to examine this trending style of dress as a means to dissect the nature of Internet fashion trends as a whole.

Okay, if you are still with me at this point, you are probably wondering, “What the hell is this Health Goth anyway?” It’s pretty simple: imagine a girl with black hair and thick eyeliner shedding her angsty band shirt for a black Nike sports bra and hitting the gym. All black athletic wear, tech driven and brand conscious, defines the basis of the Health Goth movement.

What began as a Facebook page back in May 2013 developed into a subculture with a small cult following. In an interview with VICE magazine the Health Goth Facebook page creators defined the movement as “a collection of styles and mindsets that already exist—like street goth, various internet stuff, and clothing fetish videos—that we’ve brought together on Facebook. It’s also obviously influenced by sports advertisements and the rendered environments they create.”

This “monochrome futuristic sportswear” can be seen sprouting up on runways and in stores, most readily in Alexander Wang’s H&M collection. The goth sports luxury line really caught on amongst consumers, selling out within days. Other designers

have caught on to the trend as well, such as Nasir Mazhar and Mary Katrantzou’s partnerships with Adidas.

A push to innovate and embrace the advances of technology has gripped the fashion industry, manifesting in newly engineered fabrics, 3D printed dresses, and the incorporation of specialty textiles like neoprene into ready-to-wear. Partnered with a surge of athletic inspired styles and accessories (i.e. the popularity of tennis shoes seen from on the Chanel runways to the streets with norm-core followers), this inspiration resonates with Health Goth and may explain its rising popularity. But I question the use of the word ‘popularity,’ for until now, how many of you had ever heard of this pseudo-trend?

Fads come and go, but with the prevalence of social media, trends spread more quickly. The collective group constituting a fad may seem wider because people have constant access to images of other people’s interpretation of trends. By connecting people from all over the world, is social media encouraging us to form false connections between peoples’ dress? Is there an actual connection between sportswear, technology and those who simply choose to wear all black athletic clothing? Or have trend forecasters simply invented the concept of Health Goth by projecting a fad upon these gym-goers. As with other obscure Internet trends like Vaporwave or Seapunk, Health Goth may be just another hyped up notion of a trend seen in blog posts, but rarely in person. Ultimately, it is up to us to decide Health Goth’s existence and incorporation into the fashion world, otherwise it may exist as nothing more than a Facebook page.

Image Source: www.shoptilyoudrop.com

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Artist Spotlight: Chloe Wise written by SABRINA ROBERTS

When actress India Menuez showed up at the premiere of Chanel No.5’s short film with a bagel-shaped, Chanel-embossed purse in tow, the fashion world went into shock. Had diet-obsessed Karl Lagerfeld released a handbag styled after one of the densest carbs on the market? The answer, naturally, is no. The mysterious accessory is actually the brainchild of up-and-coming Canadian artist, Chloe Wise. The New York City based painter, sculptor and short film creator is known mostly for her satirical and unique approach to her art. Wise’s work showcases her sheer artistic talent as well as her penchant for irony. In addition to branding bread products with high fashion logos, Wise has produced a series of trendy tampons (Irregular Tampons,) a sculpture consisting of fake nipples with piercings in them (QUIT PLAYIN’ GAMES WITH MY NIPS) and a Star of David made of bacon (Star Of David Schwimmer.)

Chloe Wise’s fascination with pop culture and the fashion world fuels her creativity, and has lead her to produce art such as the coveted bagel bag. Though fashion bloggers and designers alike were taken aback by the reveal of the purse, Wise makes it clear that her intentions remain in the art world: “It’s interesting when art transcends its intended context and gains viewership from an accidental audience, or infiltrates a new setting—in this case, the fashion world.” Wise uses art and humor to expose how simply ridiculous the culture and society is in which we exist.

Image Sources: http://www.chloewise.com, http://www.torontolife.com

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sweet tooth

photography PAULINA GALLAGHER makeup CARIANNE LEE models MJ BROWN, GEMMA BAUGH, & KAT AHN

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STYLES & SPACES interview by RAISSA XIE photography by PAULLINA GALLAGHER & RAISSA XIE Professor Marisa Bass Assistant Professor of Art History and Archaeology; Research Specialization: 1400-1700 Early Modern Art; Netherlandish and Dutch Art and Architecture.

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What piece or place in your apartment do you think best represents you or is your favorite?

Probably my office, because that’s where I am always working. I particularly like this room, though. One thing that I abhor personally is having rooms designed around televisions, because then immediately people walk into a room and rather than look at each other, they look at the television. I wanted this room to be designed around books instead.

So maybe this room because it’s the one that most people see who come in from the outside.

What’s the story behind this photograph?

This is a photograph by a Dutch photographer named Hendrik Kerstens. He is a self-taught photographer, and the genesis of his work was that his daughter the only subhect he photographs - came home from horseback riding one day wearing her riding cap, and he thought she looked like a woman in a Vermeer painting. She’s posed like the Girl with the Pearl Earring, so he started making a whole series of her posed as Vermeer’s woman, but with funny modern interventions – like this is a Furla purse bag on top of her head. I love him!

What do you think of the apartment complex in general? It’s beautiful!

I like it! Actually I was travelling and in London the few months before I moved here, and so I rented it site unseen. I knew it had been recently renovated and I thought it was hilarious because the bar downstairs is designed after this hotel in Vienna called the Hotel Sachar, this very old hotel. The owner of this building went and saw it and thought it was fantastic and thought he would replicate it in St. Louis. That always amused me, as somebody who lived in Europe - the attempt to recreate something in St. Louis.

And the building is interesting because it was designed as the apartments to the Chase Hotel, here on the corner, which is one of the older hotels in St. Louis.

Where did you come across this/find it?

I had seen his work several times, but I saw it in an exhibition in New York one time when I was there, and I convinced the gallery to give me a discount, because I am an academic, so that was the only way I could afford it.

What is the story of your dog? How long have you guys been together?

I got Boucher a few months before I came to St. Louis. I had always wanted to have a dog with whom I could travel with, but up until I got this job I had travelled too much to really justify it. She travels very well – I just detest the idea of putting a dog underneath a plane – so she’s my little portable accessory.

What’s her name again?

Boucher, she’s named after an 18th -century artist, but her nickname is Bou, like my boo, so it’s both high brow and low brow.

So you mentioned that you traveled a lot, how do you think that influenced your design aesthetic?

Well, I think I was first drawn to Dutch art, and that’s why I chose to study it.

But then as a grad student I lived in Amsterdam for 3 years, and the Dutch are incredible at design, and they’re incredible at using small spaces to full advantage and not overcrowding them.

I think America in general could benefit from the principle of using space better, in the way that people are forced to do in modern Europe.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH

BY LIZZY CHALSEN SOME OF THE PERKS of interning at a showroom over the summer include sneak peaks at next season’s styles, impromptu photo-shoots, spying on celebrity buyers, changing into samples when you get to work, and huge discounts on designer clothes. The one thing I didn’t expect, however, was to be stopped in the security line at LAX by one of our designers asking if I was wearing their clothes.

SAM&LAVI is a contemporary womenswear company that first launched in Fall 2010. The brand, which is run by husband-wife duo Sam Arasteh and Lavi Mirzak, combines sleek styles with colorful and eccentric textiles to create a unique look for women of all ages.

My fellow interns and I immediately fell in love with the brand, and Sam and Lavi became our mini celebrity crushes.

As a result, when I wore my favorite SAM&LAVI t-shirt on line for security, and the man behind me told me he and his wife were THE Sam and Lavi (with boarding passes for proof!) I may have freaked out more than a tiny bit.

Since then, the brand has been blowing up- especially after Blake Lively uploaded pregnancy photos onto her new style website, Preserve, wearing her favorite SAM&LAVI look. You can imagine my excitement, then, when Sam Arasteh agreed to speak with me for an exclusive interview for Armour Magazine.

Here’s a look into what she had to say.

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HOW DID THE TWO OF YOU MEET? AND WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO CREATE YOUR OWN BRAND?

He stepped on my toe at a party. I wanted to make something with him, he was smart and so cute to so I didn’t mind spending so much time with him.

WHAT WAS YOU HISTORY WITH DESIGN BEFORE SAM&LAVI?

[I have] always been designing- from clothes to furniture to spaces and homes.

Sam has always been a business man.

WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF CREATING YOUR FIRST COLLECTION?

Trying to get people to stop telling us what to do. Everyone always said “You know what you should do…”

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EXCITING SALE?

Japan!

WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST IMPORTANT IN FASHION?

Making sense and not overdoing it.

Make sure your clothes are clean, smell good and are cared for properly.

Oh and please please please fit well.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU THE MOST?

Scenery. It can be in real life, a movie, a picture in a magazine. Oh and alone time in the car with my favorite music YA! BLAKE LIVELY RECENTLY ANNOUNCED HER PREGNANCY WHILE WEARING YOUR DESIGNS, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

Pretty much bought the styles for Preserve [her style website] and ended up wearing it herself!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNG DESIGNERS?

Make a beautiful story.

WHERE DO YOU THINK SAM&LAVI WILL BE IN 5 YEARS?

Retired on a yacht/island and start a Design school with an emphasis on beautifying living standards.

SHOP SAM&LAVI HTTP://WWW.REVOLVECLOTHING.COM/SAMLAVI/ BR/8BC509/ HTTP://WWW.POLYVORE.COM/SAM&LAVI/ SHOP?BRAND=SAM%26LAVI

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de con struc ted photography GRACE WANG models EDEN DIAMOND & ANDREW KAY illustration GRANT PHILLIPS

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After careful observation of the WUSTL community, we formulated a hypothesis: it’s hard for men to express themselves through their clothing. To test this, we conducted a social experiment, and it went as follows: Ariel and I approached random students on the WUSTL campus, and screamed our favorite hobbies at them. “Tennis! Squash!

Almost any racquet sport!” To the next five people, we yelled our favorite fabric patterns. “Paisley or GTFO!” Needless to say, these ten people did not react particularly pleasantly. For the last five people, I stripped down to my tennis racquet socks, and Ariel, his trusted paisleys. We then approached these people and struck up normal conversations; three of the five asked whether I played tennis. While this is indeed hyperbole, we concluded that the hypothesis was true.

As men, we are limited in what we can wear compared to women. 95% of most male wardrobes consist of pants, shorts, T-shirts and button downs. Most men won’t walk around in a shirt patterned with bulldogs eating bacon. This is why socks can be such an interesting part of our style. They allow us to add a noticeable amount of flair to our appearance without changing all that much. For the men who prefer simple

apparel or basic color schemes, the addition of a bold pair of socks can be a subtle touch that spices up an outfit.

This may seem trivial, but it’s been scientifically proven that the little things do count. In addition, eight out of ten researchers here at Armour. agree that black is the new white, and just about any colorful pattern is the new black. By the properties of transitivity, you should probably swap out the white Nikes mid-calves for something a little more jazzy.

embark in a new era where uncoordinated left and right feet are no longer seen; where men aren’t afraid to roll up their pant legs and show some ankle. We invite all style conscious gentlemen to take the pledge andswap their stained, sweaty tube socks for elegant, bright ones. The perfect compliment to your well-worn and weathered shoes is a snazzy pair of socks. writing and photography by ARIEL APPLEBAUM & OLIVER BALTAY

Speaking of Nikes, when most guys focus on stepping up their footwear, they usually look at shoes. Although having an expansive sneaker collection is nice, it can get expensive. Not to mention time consuming if you’re waiting in lines to buy the newest releases. Socks are much easier. You can find funny, patterned socks anywhere from Target to unique sock boutiques, such as SockShop or Happy Socks. They range from a meager few dollars, all the way up to $820 for exclusive Peruvian wool. Unless you have serious money burning a hole in your pocket, we recommend you choose the former.

At these rates, you can acquire several pairs of socks for the price of one sneaker.

Socks are clearly an underdog in our wardrobe, and we all know everyone loves a comeback. As such, we hope to 41

F LY A R T written by TALIA LAIFER Image Source: http://www.rad.co

High art and hip-hop could not be any more opposite, but the two worlds have collided, and in a big way. Besides for Jay-Z rapping about Picasso, and Kanye canoodling with big artists, Art and Hip-hop have come together through fashion with brands such as Fly Art Productions. Fly Art takes snippets of popular rap songs and plasters them across famous art images on shirts and sweatshirts. The founders of the brand, friends Gisella and Toni, first published their ideas on a tumblr, which instantly went viral. The cheeky combination of classical images mixed with explicit rap lyrics, about women, body parts, and money, was something that appealed to so many different Internet users, and quickly became a huge fad across social media. While I find myself cracking up at the combination of Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles de’ Avignon,” which I studied in Art History last semester, with the lyrics of Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” across the images of Spanish prostitutes, I realize there’s got to be a bit more to this aesthetically entertaining trend. While the Art World and the Hip Hop world are famous for their exclusivity, they both sell to the mainstream public, which seems to be the reason this fashionable combination has become such a trend.

From a distance, this trend is aesthetically pleasing. But what does it say about our internet-crazed society? We live in the Instagram age, where instead of mattering if we enjoy our lives and our style, its more important that our followers validate our lives and our fashion senses. “Artsy” is no longer a term used to describe genuinely artistic and stylish people, instead it is slang thrown around for people whose Instagram posts got over 100 likes. “Enjoying art” and “being cultured” no longer mean enjoying the works of talented artists, rather it signifies capturing some modern art installation from the camera of your smartphone, and uploading it to social media.

Although Fly Art became popular through the viral nature of the internet, in truth, it has turned classical art into something that this social-media crazed generation can learn to appreciate again. As we move forward in history, we should be able to bring historical art pieces with us, and modernize them to fit the societies we live in now. Fly Art does just that, and speaks to the bigger picture of how to incorporate true art and meaning into the smartphone filled world we live in now. While true art-enthusiasts may complain that people who sport this trend are ignoring the culture of art, Fly Art has made art “cool” again. Textbook artworks can now be spotted all around campus, which is something to celebrate, not frown upon. I may be a biased Art History student and Kanye worshipper, but I, for one, am definitely applauding this trend.

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