BEYOND the VALLEY
Deerfield Academy’s Fashion Publication
Beyond the Valley
Fall 2024 Magazine Contributors
Editor-in-Chief: Abby Tang ‘25
Managing Editor: Leela Portny ‘25
Faculty Advisor: Amie Creagh
Photographers: Anneke Wittink ‘25*
Abby Tang ‘25
Ella Waag ‘26
Josie Kalish ‘26
Cece Cramer ‘26
Evelyn Kunde ‘26
Skye Maves ‘27
Anne Kelly ‘27
Writers: Evelyn Kunde ‘26*
Hawk Okpokwasili ‘25
Alva Fink ‘25
Silvie Sobotka ‘26
Anne Kelly ‘26
South Asian Student Alliance
Latin American Student Alliance
Graphic Design: Caylah Yang ‘26*
Valerie Trevino ‘26
Social Media: Hawk Okpokwasili ‘25*
*denotes head postion
Dear Reader,
I would’ve never imagined that I would be the editor-in-chief for Beyond the Valley when I first joined the club at the end of my freshman year. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given. Special thanks to Campbell Fealy ‘24, Beyond the Valley’s previous editor-in-chief, and Olivia Hohmann ‘24, the club’s previous managing editor Campbell continues to inspire creativity in my work, as well as keen attention to detail and love for all things beautiful. Olivia’s reliability in quality work and efficient work ethic are admirable, and I strive to emulate the qualities of both Campbell and Olivia in all my work this year as the new editor-in-chief for such a special club.
When I started thinking about what I wanted the fall magazine to look like, I wanted to focus on the Deerfield context culturally, artistically, and symbolically. This meant involving the alliance program, bringing more faculty collaborations, featuring a variety of styles with more cost-efficient options, and highlighting some of the hidden aspects of our Deerfield Days. Thank you to Mr. Lee for helping connect us with all the alliances and the participating alliances for providing an authentic take on cultural fashion and educating the student body through a unique medium.
Additionally, the 2024-2025 board of BTV has decided to move away from articles and focus more on the publication's photoshoots and artistry. We may bring articles back from time to time, but we want to place the emphasis on the different styles highlighted in the magazine. We also recognized that one clothing brand was over-concentrated in previous issues. We had an unrealistic take on the student body’s wardrobe. Hence, we discouraged our models from picking items from that brand to make the magazine more representational and attainable to all students.
I want to sincerely thank all the models, photographers, writers, editors, and everyone who sat with me in the Caswell and the Library after dinner. This magazine truly would not have been possible without the dedication all of you put into making it special. Beyond the Valley seeks to showcase individuality, artistry, and thoughtfulness in putting together an outfit It has been a joyous time capturing the different ways in which Deerfield students deliberately choose to capture their personalities. Happy Fall, Deerfield. I hope you enjoy this issue of Beyond the Valley's magazine and the many more to come.
Sincerely,
Abby Tang, Editor-In-Chief
“In German culture, we wear “Tracht” to formal events and traditional celebrations Boys usually were lederhosen and Girls a Dirndl and some might add a Jankers, a jacket The traditional dress was popularized through Octoberfest, a National celebration that takes place in Munich ” -Alva Fink and Silvie Sobotka
Photographed by Ella Waag ‘26 Featuring Alva Fink ‘25 and Silvie Sobotka ‘26
Photographed by Leela Portny ‘25
Featuring Kabir Sheth ‘25, Svetlana Deshpande ‘25, Ellora Devitre ‘26, Zohan Subhash ‘26, and Tashvi Reddy ‘27
South Asian Student Alliance
“Indian cultural dress is incredibly diverse, with each region of India offering something different. From Sarees to Kurtas to Dhotis, Indian clothing boasts bright colors and intricate designs, embodying the richness of South Asian culture ”
-Kabir Sheth, Chair of South Asian Student Alliance
Latin American Student Alliance
“The dress I chose for this photoshoot is a a common dress in Guatemala. I got it while shopping in the markets with my aunt, it’s a simple design and is a more modern look on the cultural look of traditional Guatemalan attire.”
-Alex Godoy,
Chair of Latin American Student Alliance
Photographed by Abby Tang 25 Featuring Alex Godoy ‘25
Photographed by Cece Cramer ‘26 Featuring Sophie ‘26 and Brooks Simonds ‘28
Photographed by Skye Maves ‘27 Featuring Janet ‘25 and Ruth Ogbeiwi ‘27
Photographed by Josie Kalish ‘26 Featuring Jonny ‘25 and Cori Scagel ‘25
Photographed by Evelyn Kunde ‘26 Featuring Georgia ‘25 and Maclean Ball ‘28
SUSTAINABLE Fashion
FEATURING
VIVIAN WAN & SKYE GEORGIADIS
by Ella Waag ‘26 and Josie Kalish ‘26
Fashion Waste at Deerfield
While the fast fashion industry provides an affordable and convenient way to stay up-to-date with trends, it is responsible for significant environmental damage. Fast fashion has grown in popularity, meeting the desire for affordable and trendy clothing. However, its appeal and accessibility also drive rapid production and high consumption rates, which heavily impact the environment.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 17 million tons of textile waste (112 pounds per person) are produced each year in the U.S. Although some discarded clothing is disposed of properly, less than 15% is recycled, most end up in landfills. Beyond the disposal, the dyeing and finishing processes used by many fastfashion brands contribute to 20% of global clean water pollution, according to the European Parliament. Each wash of garments releases 1.7 grams of microplastics, adding to ocean pollution.
At Deerfield, fast fashion is very present among the student body, especially for events like dances and spirit weeks, where quick, cheap outfits from sites like Amazon are often worn once and then discarded. In the class -dress setting, brands such as Princess Polly, Zara, and Aritzia are commonly seen around campus. Many of these brand’s marketing strategies and price points do not align with the stereotypical image of fast-fashion. Because of this, students who purchase these brands aren’t even aware that they’re contributing to the fast fashion industry.
Sustainable fashion aims to minimize the environmental impact of the production and consumption of clothing by using eco-friendly materials, equitable working conditions, and promoting consumer awareness. Reformation, Veja, and LoveShackFancy are examples of brands on campus that embody environmentally conscious principles. Creating a sustainable wardrobe, however, doesn’t require breaking the bank. More affordable alternatives include shopping locally, buying secondhand clothing online like Depop, Poshmark, or TheRealReal, utilizing Deerfield’s student-run thrift store, or sharing clothes with friends to get the most wear out of each item.
Vivian Wan ‘25 began thrifting at the start of high school as her individual sense of style emerged. “I think the beauty of the thrift,” said Vivian, “Is that you get a cross-section of the clothes that everyone in a society wears—there’s so many different styles represented.” She also expressed concern about the detrimental effects of the fashion industry, and feels rewarded for doing her part to reduce her impact through secondhand shopping.
With small steps and increased awareness, students at Deerfield can help shape a more sustainable future in fashion. Simple actions such as donating to and purchasing from the Deerfield thrift store can reduce the environmental toll of the industry by rethinking how we buy and discard clothing. Ultimately, we strive to make fashion choices that show our individuality and commitment to protecting our planet.
Lora
CLOTHING BRAND HIGHLIGHT
“continuetonotonlytakerisksbut beuniqueandkeepyoursenseof individuality”
LotteryLoveApparelisabouttaking LotteryLoveApparelisabouttaking rrisksforwhatyoulovebeforeyourisk isksforwhatyoulovebeforeyourisk llosingwhatyoudreamandbettingon osingwhatyoudreamandbettingon yourself.Istartedthebrandmy yourself.Istartedthebrandmy sophomoreyearatDeerfieldAcademy sophomoreyearatDeerfieldAcademy andhavebeenrunningitout andhavebeenrunningitout ofmy ofmy dormeversince.Mynewestpiecefor dormeversince.Mynewestpiecefor exampleisanunevent-shirtwitha exampleisanunevent-shirtwitha vintagewashthatreads:takerisks;get vintagewashthatreads:takerisks;get rrich;throwfits.Thestructureoftheshirt ich;throwfits.Thestructureoftheshirt iitselfsymbolizesimperfectioninlife tselfsymbolizesimperfectioninlife andhowthingsmightgetmessy. andhowthingsmightgetmessy. My My goalwithmybrandisto goalwithmybrandisto senda senda messageofhow messageofhow oneshouldn’tlose oneshouldn’tlose sightofwhotheyareandcontinueto sightofwhotheyareandcontinueto notonlytakerisksbutbe notonlytakerisksbutbe uniqueand uniqueand keep keep ttheirsenseofindividuality.Iam heirsenseofindividuality.Iam excitedtocontinue excitedtocontinue rreleasingunique eleasingunique pieces.Lookoutforthevarsityjacket, pieces.Lookoutforthevarsityjacket, comingthiswinterthatwillbedifferent comingthiswinterthatwillbedifferent tthananythingyou’veeverseen hananythingyou’veeverseen. .
~HawkOkpokwasili‘25, ~HawkOkpokwasili‘25, FounderofLotteryLove FounderofLotteryLove Apparel Apparel
Teacher Feature: Lina Samawi
Lina Samawi, Deerfield’s Arabic teacher and international student advisor, spent ten years in Jordan’s Kings Academy as a class dean and teacher before Deerfield. Ms. Samawi connected with the East Coast boarding school circuit through the Arabic year program, which offered students an Arabic study-abroad experience at King’s Academy. When Head of School John Austin came back to Deerfield, Ms. Samawi pushed for more opportunities for Arabic learning at Deerfield Academy.
Ms. Samawi’s outfit in this photoshoot was one that she felt best represented her home and culture. The centerpiece of this outfit is her Amman scarf – a traditional Jordanian scarf. What drew her to this scarf was its design featuring Amman’s seven hills and local buildings. The scarf also has an illusion of some sort, which she believes to be part of its unique charm. Despite its modernity, Ms. Samawi loves that the scarf, still ties in traditional Jordan culture in a day-to-day outfit.
Ms. Samawi believes fashion is a way to wear symbolic meanings, such as her Amman scarf. Her Amman scarf is just one example of how she ties her Jordanian culture to her fashion. In the winter she will still sometimes wear a traditional red and white checkered Jordanian scarf to add “a pop of fun color,” but it also makes her feel at home. Ms. Samawi believes that these little touches of home in her outfits are empowering as their meaning goes beyond the piece of clothing.
by Anne Kelly ‘27
BRAIDING
Photographed by Anneke Wittink ‘25
Featuring Victoria Oguta ‘25 and Nathan Adu-Gyebi ‘26
