Clutch Spring 2020

issue 27

Throughout the past few months, we have been tried and tested, forced to come face to face with our new reality amidst 2020’s global pandemic. We have been told to pause our social gatherings, our celebrations, and our daily way of life that we have come to know and love. Perhaps now more than ever, we are fighting for a deeper connection with others at a time when we need it most, at a time when we no longer reject a life of normality and routine. Yet, despite this worldwide obstacle, we wanted to finish what we started in January and create a publication that promotes creativity, individuality, and connection.

This spring 2020 issue is a tribute to the passage of time, and the progression of always moving forward.

Time Lapse was inspired by the social constructs that drive our every function—more specifically, the use of numbers to quantify all that is. Time itself is an abstract concept, ceasing to exist without the construct of numbers. As time continues, technology becomes more ingrained into our everyday life. We are bombarded with influence without even knowing it. By transforming this idea into visual content, we emphasize the use of geometry and interesting composition in our photos to create an aesthetic that mirrors our personal, nostalgic experiences.

Our creative process always begins with the end goal of provoking thought and personal reflection. Here and now, we find ourselves in the year 2020. Over the past decade the world as we knew it has made drastic changes in fashion and society; even Earth herself has undergone immense physical changes. This year marks the end of a decade, yet the beginning of a new chapter. An opportunity arises to pause the continuous monologue of events and emotions that encompass the story of our life, appreciating each influence that has shaped our individuality along the way. We encourage you to ask yourself: Where have you been? Where are you now? How did you get here? Life is a continuous progression, and through this publication, we hope you can relate to our experiences.

Together, we will look back and see this part of our lives as a time when it made us come together in ways we never could have imagined. Together, we will look optimistically towards the future while still honoring the present. Together, we will allow ourselves to be shaped by this new reality to improve us as a community.

A very special thank you to our amazing staff, our assistants Makayla and Isaac, and to those reading this issue and welcoming our creative visions into your lives. The past year serving as Editor in Chief and Creative Director has been an incredible voyage to say the least. We look forward to seeing the future of Clutch and all that it has to offer in the semesters to come, as we continue our life’s progression of time.

Signing off for now, Caitlyn Daley and Caitlin Madlinger

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CONNECTED BY DICONNECTION

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BUT MAKE IT MODERN

RUNWAY

PAGING HUMANITY

C O N T

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DIAL TONE

69 MENSWEAR

WORLD WITHOUT END

85 EDITORIAL

NEXT LEVEL

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DIRECTOR: Meaghan Slater ASSISTANTS: Hannah Boucher, Bana Habash, Elise Nguyen OUTFIT CREDITS: Wonsaponatime

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Beauty: Defined

By: Shay Weinberg

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here are no words that could perfectly define what beauty is. Society has continuously set standards of beauty that we aimlessly follow and constantly compare ourselves to. Growing up, TV, magazines, movies, and advertisements are examples of outlets that helped society set standards of beauty. Like it or not, we all have an image in our heads of what beautiful means to us. But, if everyone is beautiful for the things that make us so different then why do we try to align ourselves with the social constructed definition of beauty? With the increasing influence of social media platforms, it’s become an alarming issue that individuals constantly compare themselves to what they see in the media.

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It’s almost second nature – we see our favorite celebrity post a photo and dream that one day we will look exactly like that. But the truth is, the beauty of social media platforms such as Instagram is that it’s all a façade. We only show our followers what we want them to see. Users are free to use editing platforms to tweak their physical appearances: they might appear to be wearing makeup even when they’re bare faced or sport outfits they may not even own. We try so desperately to fit into the mold of “beauty” that society has defined for us. Likes do not measure the rate of success of your picture or how beautiful you are to your followers.

It’s 2020 – be unique, be you, be proud of the things that make you different.

Leave Linearity to Graphs By: Jordan Glover The concept of linearity has always been intensely drilled into the human experience and societal expectations—this notion that most things will, or should, follow a forward-moving path, much like a river current that constantly rushes forward in a straight shot without changing direction. By ‘things,’ I refer to everything abstract under the sun: success, progress, healing, recovery, development, self-improvement. It all stems from our heavy reliance on time as a guiding principle in any given context of life, even though time is kind of a social construct. But while we cannot alter the inevitable passing of time, especially for its nature as a universal constant, it’s important to recognize that nothing is truly linear except for that fact alone.

“I am not done changing,” John Mayer sings in one of his flawless ballads. We are all constantly in flux as human beings, striving to better ourselves each and everyday, all as perpetually unfinished works-in-progress. At least, that’s how the mentality should be–that there is always a new direction you can move in, and that there is no set “path” to follow for anything, other than maybe an academic map when completing your major, or a marked trail leading you to a waterfall. But even then, you can discover your own alternative route and still arrive at the same destination.

In other words, nothing has a fixed timeline.

Even though the traditional route tends to be attending university for four years, you can still obtain that dream job having gone for five, or even six. A heavy devotion to linearity can be incredibly toxic in so many ways, but mostly in terms of self-esteem and comparison, which we know is the thief of joy. Our lives all go in different directions, from different trajectories, because we all come from different backgrounds, so why would we all follow the same

exact path? It’s important to understand that routines are malleable, meant to fit the mold for whatever contexts they correspond to.

Take rehabilitation, for example, whether it’s for addiction, mental health, or physical therapy. It’s unrealistic to believe that after a set of treatments, one is completely healed and recovered, but we feel as though that should be the case. You hear countless stories of relapse, because when we put so much pressure on ourselves to move forward even when we’re not ready, we eventually reach a breaking point, and progress suddenly starts to move backwards—words can’t describe how discouraging and detrimental this is.

We are never done evolving. If you feel as though you are complete, you have the wrong idea. To be vulnerable to exposures that will change you, and to let them happen, is the strongest and most powerful thing you can do for yourself. If you are successful, or you have recovered from something devastating, you should be so proud. But know that if you do find yourself encountering those struggles again, it was not meant to be linear, because nothing is.

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[Mental] Hea By: Ignacia Araya I had tickets to see him in Orlando. His new album, Swimming, played on repeat with no hesitation. I thought it was the best thing since The Divine Feminine, and it was even hard to top that one. It was never supposed to be this way. For his biggest fans, it was no secret that Mac Miller battled mental health. It seems like with all the expensive clothes and fancy events comes the price of fighting demons that the media doesn’t usually show. For many, the mere idea of seeing a celebrity struggle is not only hard to imagine, but it’s also offensive.

How can someone with so much material wealth be unhappy while so many others seem to be able to get by with so little?

Mac Miller’s battle came to an end on September 7, 2018. Celebrities aren’t the exception to struggles with mental illness.

We sing the morbid lyrics at the top of our lungs but don’t piece it together—the fact that these could be cries for help. Some find solace in words like “I’ve been losin’ my mind,” because if Mac can battle with mental illness, they can too. Songs with lyrics that push the envelope find ways to comfort the most vulnerable. Talking about this on a public platform brings about the conversation of whether or not we are do-

ing enough to battle the stigma associated with opening up about mental illness and seeking treatment. Artists like Mac attach mesmerizing sounds to lyrics about anguish that allow us to tap into what he is feeling and how we are dealing with our own problems ourselves. This type of reflection is deemed as art but speaking out about it on a different platform could be viewed as weak.

Celebrities are usually held to a higher standard since it’s presumed that with all the cars and money and opportunities comes an endless stream of happiness, so why are they so depressed? What more could you want?

While it is true that having economic stability is an important factor when it comes to determining happiness, it is important to remember the rule: correlation is not causation.

Yes, living comfortably tends to make us happier as it usually equates to us gaining more control of our lives; being able to afford insurance to protect the people and things we love, having more choices when it comes to where we decide to live and so

We sing the morbid lyrics at the top of our lungs but don’t piece it together—the fact that these could be cries for help.

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alth is Wealth on. After our most basic needs are met, we try to supplement that with excess materials that we don’t really need since we cannot be much happier once we fulfill the basics.

Filling the void with material goods doesn’t amount to being rid of our problems, sometimes it means that those problems are amplified. All of those fancy cars, beach houses and private jets, while nice, can’t really be factored into the equation of absolute happiness. There are hardships that celebrities like Mac face, ones that not even all of the money in the world can treat. In fact, there are studies that suggest that money actually does buy happiness when it is splurged on others, not oneself.

Therefore, living comfortably is not the solution to all, especially in-

ternal struggles with mental health. While one individual’s pain is incomparable to another, Kid Cudi has also fought off demons and has been equally, if not more, vocal about his struggles. His lyrics transmit his own struggles and have paved the way for him and other influential celebrities to voice how they’re not at peace. This grounds listeners and brings us on the same playing field as the people we look up to the most; it’s a reminder that they are not just a voice behind the speaker or a face behind a screen but rather they’re capable of feeling the same rollercoaster of emotions that we endure.

The fight with anxiety, depression, and other illnesses applies to everyone and those with record labels are not a special case. Sharing stories of their hardships helps others relate and find comfort in the fact that they will get through this together. Even so, there remains a stigma attached to speaking out about the struggles, especially drug addiction. It’s a disease, one that is surrounded by a negative environment that reduces the desire to seek mental health resources for treatment. For me, the one year anniversary of Mac Miller’s passing served as a reminder to check up on your friends.

The ones that might bail last minute with no explanation, or the ones that are a little more quiet than usual. It may be harder for some to seek help more than others, so the simple act of checking in could resonate with someone more than you would think.

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DIRECTOR: Laura Kirkpatrick ASSISTANTS: Ansley Stevens, Jenna Evans OUTFIT CREDITS: Wonsaponatime

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Self Obsessed By: Stacey Novitski

We’ve all likely found ourselves taking a Buzzfeed quiz, possibly one that says “Are you more Ellen or Portia?” or “Which Bachelor are you most compatible with?” Why is it that we are so curious to know? To lump ourselves into a group, a category? There are more personality quizzes at our fingertips than we could ever imagine. Do they really help us figure ourselves out, or are we ourselves the only ones capable of actually doing that?

Although this trend has immensely risen with the rise of the digital age, humans are pack animals and have had an innate need to belong from the beginning of time. This is where the concepts of society, culture, and trends stem from. It becomes easy to feel lost if you cannot group yourself with others. You would feel weird about yourself, like an outcast—is there something wrong with me? We are all searching for that stamp of approval that says that the way we are makes sense, and that we aren’t crazy or delusional. The results of these tests primarily serve the purpose of validating the fact that there are people out there like us too.

There is actually a cognitive process that pushes us to group things together in order to make sense of this world. This process is where stereotyping comes from. According to Malsow’s hierarchy of needs, human behavior is intrinsically motivated by the need for belonging and love. This need falls in the middle of the hierarchical pyramid. If you think about it, humans have survived over millions of years by bonding together- early humans who formed groups were more likely to survive. In a sense, bonding ourselves with others serves as a survival instinct. This could be the reason why we are so fascinated by these tests.

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Aside from the popular Buzzfeed personality quizzes, there are more intricate methods of grouping ourselves with others. We have horoscopes, Myers-Briggs personality tests, and enneagram tests.

These tests help us dive deeper into what we do and why we do these things, who we are compatible with, etc. The Myers-Briggs personality test specifically spells out to us our preferences in perceiving the world, allowing us to categorize ourselves in one of sixteen personality types.

Enneagram tests describe our patterns in conceptualizing the world and managing our emotions, putting us in one of nine personality types. And then of course we are all familiar with the twelve astrological signs.

Although there is a benefit to doing these tests from a personal development point of view, it still seems crazy that in a time when we grew up being told that we are so “special” and “one in a mil-

lion” we still feel better knowing that we are the same as hundreds of millions of other people.

A concern that arises from this newfound trend is whether or not we are answering the questions truthfully when taking a personality quiz. Most people only see what they want to see, navigating their answers to lead to their desired outcome.

Most likely, you have already formulated an opinion on where you fit in in society, and now you are taking this quiz to validate what you already think. This phenomenon is called confirmation bias: it stems from the idea that we are only capable of seeing the world in a way that confirms our perceptions. So if we all have our own unique perspectives on life, why do we feel a need to group ourselves with others? If you think about it, we begin to formulate our perception on someone else’s perception...perception-ception, if you will. In our modern world, where we are praised for being unique and standing out, it seems silly that this is something we still do.

Another question that arises is whether or not you are taking these tests to get a better sense of yourself, or a better sense of how others see you. Do we really use the instagram face filter to see if we are Monica or Rachel because we want to know, or because we want our followers to see us in a certain way? We have convinced ourselves that the way others see us essentially defines our place in society- am I the goofy friend in the friend group, or the Type A clean freak? In our twisted minds, either being the Monica or the Rachel in the friend group ultimately tells us who we are.

At the end of the day, the beauty of personality quizzes is that they give us the freedom to define ourselves.

Before we had all of these resources and information at our disposal, people had no choice but to group themselves with the social circle they were given at birth.

People blindly accepted the ideas and saw life through the perceptions of others. Although humans will always have a desire to fit into a certain group, this newfound obsession with ourselves allows us to see and accept the uniqueness in ourselves, even if it’s through an algorithm.

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Virtual Fashion in a Material World By: Lizzy Zarello 3D printed clothing and textile designs are nothing new in the fashion industry. Designers like Iris van Herpen have been dressing celebrities such as Beyonce, Solange, Lady Gaga and many more in 3D printed designer pieces for over 10 years. However, a new frontier is arriving that the majority of mainstream folk don’t know. With the controversy of fast fashion looming over consumers’ thoughts, new designers have created what some may consider the future of fashion: digital-only clothing, 3D-rendered garments that exclusively exist virtually. The purpose is to create photorealistic fashion where a person can pick a photo of themselves and photoshop it. In May 2019, the first and only digital fashion house called the Fabricant was founded by animator Kerry Murphy.Murphy is not only promoting a solution to fast fashion, but he’s striving to build a community of “Digital Fashionauts.”

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This form of fashion is extremely accessible.

It’s as easy as downloading an online software and buying free virtual clothing online.

Then, the piece is at your mouse cursor’s fingertips, completely customizable to the consumer. With this software and online tutorials you can adjust sizing, color and the silhouette of the piece itself. This gives any tech-savvy individual with spare time the ability to learn how to become a digital fashion designer.

With this comes the never-ending debate of whether virtual clothes are really the future of fashion or an online trend that’s bound to die off. With the new movement comes a little controversy. Many question if this will only promote the hypebeast, influencer culture of buying clothing simply for the online flex. Meanwhile, others see this as the perfect opportunity to create clothing while decreasing the ecological footprint of fast fashion. However, what many don’t consider is this platform allows so much more creativity and accessibility. Designers can use textiles and silhouettes that wouldn’t be possible in the physical world. Most importantly, if these digital pieces were made, the cost could range up to thousands of dollars. Digital fashion is the ballin-on-a-budget, fashion lovers wet dream. What would be considered an exclusive and high-end designer piece, will soon become a filter that you can download for free.

However, this movement still hasn’t reached its full potential. Murphy created a Facebook group with eleven other designers a year ago and has now expanded to over four hundred. Despite how you may feel when thinking of virtual clothes, changes have to be made when it comes to sustainable fashion and these ‘Fashionauts’ may be the solution.

modern but make it

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DIRECTOR: Sam Lane ASSISTANTS: Jillian Burrowes, Caroline Moon OUTFIT CREDITS: Wonsaponatime

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Tik Tok on the Clock By: Hannah Boucher 21st century culture peaked when our attention span maxed out at 6 seconds while watching vines. That sounds like an insult, but consider the talent it takes to create a 6 second video that has someone doubled over laughing for at least 20 minutes. It was one of society’s greatest downfalls to let Vine die, but with the rise of Tik Tok, we have hope again. Gen Z has taken those mere 6 seconds of attention span and somehow extended it to 15 and sometimes even 60 seconds. Going even further than just providing comedic relief throughout the day, Tik Tok is teaching lessons to a generation that are useful in and out of daily life.

Since joining Tik Tok, I’ve learned how to receive an itemized bill from a hospital so it removes hidden unnecessary charges, how to make a dorm-friendly Mac ‘n’ Cheese, what workouts to do to get toned ballerina arms, how to throw it back and how to do the infamous Renegade. I can’t even begin to count the number of 15 second videos I have saved to my favorites tab or my camera roll that I have never once gone back and looked at. If I had a nickel for everytime I’ve zoned out in Managerial Accounting, thinking of the logistics of how Tik Tok couples manage to do these yoga challenges, I’d have one nickel, but the fact that it even happened is crazy. I have to say, these Tik Tok dance challenges are a workout regimen if I’ve ever seen one. With 15 new dances coming out daily, it’s become a trend to compile all these dances into one lengthy dance. Executing months worth of dances and doing it as well as Charli and Dixie D’Amelio or Addison Rae is a summer body workout plan.

Tik Tok /ˈtiktäk/: a sound produced by a clock, a signal of time passing. It gives a very important message that time is running or moving at its own pace without waiting for anyone. So, the concept behind this social application is to pass the time like the “tick tock”

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of a clock. People like to be entertained and have easy access to that entertainment, which is what makes an app like Tik Tok so perfect; it’s a moving screen with our interests tailored to it, available right there on the iPhone that’s already glued to our hands 24/7.

But what makes Tik Tok so addictive? There are many right answers, but the fact that it’s so easy to be a creator instead of just a watcher is one of the most impactful. You don’t have to be famous or even talented to go viral on Tik Tok; the algorithm is much more user friendly than Instagram’s. Observing the algorithm firsthand, I’ve noticed that creators just have to keep posting enough eccentric content, make-up tutorials, cooking videos, or dance challenges until enough people engage with it and boom, they’re on the For You Page. For those of us who can’t quite keep up with Gen Z, the For You page is the equivalent of an ex- plore page where Tik Tok curates videos for you to see based on your likes and what type of content you spend the most time on. Once you get that fame, Tik Tok’s algorithm keeps sending your videos through to be seen, so it really is that easy to be famous.

Politics and Garments Collide By: Carla Testa

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ashion is a viewfinder when looking in the UK. She wore it under another shirt, through the lens of history. With its only to unveil it right as paparazzi snapped anthropological roots, it serves as a time a shot of her shaking the prime minister’s capsule and absorbs much of what is hand. Her simple designs gained immense happening in the society surrounding it. We take popularity after being featured in Wham!’s elements from our environment as we see it and music video, “Wake Me Up Before You Goreflect that in the products we turn out. Fashion Go,” as well as being worn live by Queen is a tool for communication; people convey who in 1985. It was around this time that other they are and where we’re at in history. We see designs started picking up on the trend and this in the way different cultures dress, how our hopped on the bandwagon. peers dress at work or school, and even in the Today we see thousands of shirts and media whether it be a celebrity or politician. Put other accessories with simple slogans on simply, what we wear comthem letting us know municates to others how we what that person is about.

We take elements perceive ourselves and how From Prabal Gurung’s from our environment “The Future Is Female” we want others to perceive us. Fashion reflects what’s as we see it and reflect shirts to Trump’s infagoing on around us and has mous “Make America remained on a constant loop that in the products we Great Again” hats, we see in how people express themacross various mediums turn out. selves, bringing back trends the impact her work has from decades past, and pomade both in the fashlitical activism through fashion statements have ion industry and when it comes to political roots in the 1900s and remain impactful today. activism. During 2017’s New York Fashion In 1983, British fashion designer Kathrine Week, we saw designers such as Ashish send Hamnett took the concept of making “What you their models down the runway in their own wear, what you stand for,” literally. Although slo- form of Hamnett’s slogan tee. Ashish made gan tees and graphic tees had been around for his agenda clear and had a very anti-Trump the better part of the century, she felt the need runway with models wearing sequined tops to reinvent them. Understanding that much of strutting phrases like “Unify in Adversity.” the fashion industry is seeking inspiration from It is unlikely that these sorts of designs will other’s work, she took that to her advantage and ever fall from fashion as they are simply a decided to release a line of shirts with big block mirror of our culture and what we are faced letters saying “CHOOSE LIFE” across the front. with. Hamnett is a visionary who has helped While the original meaning behind this line was make us comfortable with showing who we an anti-war sentiment, pro-life activists later are and what we stand for so openly even reinvented the slogan and wore her shirts, giving with the risks it sometimes presents. In her a new meaning to her piece. own words, it is imperative for “a successful In 1984, she was invited to London Fashion T-shirt [to] make you think, but then, cruWeek’s reception where she would meet Marcially, you have to act. ”With this thought at garette Thatcher, a woman whose politics she the forefront of our minds, we must band vehemently disagreed with. Prior to attending, together and do what we believe is necessary she made a shirt that said, “58% DON’T WANT for the causes we align with and improve our PERSHING,” referring to a protest on US missiles future.

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Through the Decades o By: Cassie Sombat

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The fashion world has seen its fair share of conventionally female trends throughout the decades, but what stands out about the past 100 years of fashion are those pieces that you would never wear in front of your grandmother.

Let’s throw it all the way back to the 10s, the 1910s: the decade characterized by hobble skirts with narrow hemlines. Doesn’t sound too bad? Tell that to Pope Pius X, who requested that all bishops published letters disapproving the trend. While these hemlines accentuated and flattered women’s legs and backsides, they also sparked a controversy throughout the decade! The pastors may have still had a hand in the government, but the women had a hand in one of the first fashion statements setting the tone for the 1900s.

Swinging right into the 1920s, was the contentious trend of the bikini, but not just any bikini. Entertainer Josephine Baker performed in a notoriously tiny bikini made of rubber bananas, which was deemed as “next to nothing.” Her costume sparked quite the upheaval during her European tour in 1927. Before she was permitted to wear it publicly, she had to give a private performance to a police committee. Baker was praised for overturning racist and sexist occurrences, while reclaiming her body as a strong black woman.

Hello, power pants! The 1930s was when women went to work, supported their families financially, and needed a sense of comfort while doing so. The concept of women wearing pants shattered gender norms and paved the pathway for women to wear pants to this day. While women’s wardrobes became more for leisure, there were still strict limits, especially in on famous Hollywood hangout, the Brown Derby. According to the Los Angeles Times in 1933, actress Marlene Dietrich, a cabaret singer, entered this hangout wearing none other than.. pants, and the owner

literally refused to seat her. It would be decades before the owners ban on pants were lifted.

And yet here we are, over 80 years later where women wear pants on a daily basis. So although pants were criticized then, they are now a classic part of a women’s wardrobe.

Us? Being wasteful? Definitely not in fashion during World War II. Instead, Christian Dior created a “New Look” which included a voluminous skirt that required yards of excessive fabric. Due to the rationing of fabrics, the 1940s was a time of simplistic designs, in order to use every last piece of fabric in clothing pieces. Of course when Dior created this skirt, it was viewed as an insult to our economy’s scarce amount of fabric. It caused such outrage, that there is an infamous photo captured by Walter Carone, of older women ripping Dior

of Controvertial Fashion clothes off a women.

Two words: Marilyn Monroe. The 1950s sparked the decade of curve-enhancing bullet bras, often worn under sweaters. A Pittsburgh police superintendent reacted to this trend by saying “We’re headed for national chaos.” Was it the idea of the Cold War? Or just the trend of the bullet bra?

So you’re telling me my favorite small car could have also been my favorite piece of clothing?

The mini skirt was introduced by a British designer, Mary Quant, in the 1960s. Quant claims that she named it after her favorite car, the Mini Cooper.

Coco Chanel, however, labeled this trend as “awful.” It sounds like youth and rebellion was quite foxy in the 60s. Can you dig it?

About time for some edge. In London, Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLauren started dressing punk rockers

in bondage, latex, provocative T-shirts that said phrases like “God save the Queen, Sex Pistols.”

This counterculture movement of the 1970s was frowned upon by older generations.

Thought you would only see a wedding dress on a bride? Guess again. Madonna shook her career when she performed “Like a Virgin” at the 1984 VMAs, turning a wedding dress into a symbol of pure female sexuality. This now infamous performance was not seen as an inspiration at the time. In fact, Madonna’s publicist deemed her career “over before it started,” because of the provocative performance.

Eat this up–Calvin Klein faced backlash in the 1990s when featuring Kate Moss in an ad. Models looked “underfed,” which became a grand topic of public controversy. Fashion photography glamorized models and their thinness and drug addiction. This trend led to major body image issues such as body dysmorphia across society, as it created an unrealistic portrayal of the female body.

J Lo? More like J Glow. Jennifer Lopez wore a green chiffon dress with a plunging neckline designed by Versace to the Grammys in 2000.

Yeah.. that’s hot. This dress became so widely sought that it literally inspired Google’s image search function. The rest of the 2000s: you just got served.

Okay so the tea is, fur and exotic animal skins are OUT. I mean it. Faux fur and lab-grown leather became important for consumers as blacklash against animal cruelty hit its peak. In the 2010s, luxury fashion labels like Coach and Burberry vowed to stop using animal skins and fur.

Throughout the past 100 years, fashion has struck with both havik and inspiration. Stepping outside of the box for women has given us things like pants, which we consider a total normality today. As we progress into the 2020s, what chaos will ensue next?

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DIRECTOR: Brenna McWah ASSISTANTS: Keely Sherman, Courtney Koneski OUTFIT CREDITS: Wonsaponatime

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By: Caitlin Madlinger

Behind the scenes of the exclusive production that is New York Fashion Week lies a collection of individual stories and personal feats. The road to becoming a successful fashion designer is undoubtedly difficult, and there is no specific formula to achieve this career path. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit New York City during this exciting event to attend a variety of up and coming designer shows. It was surreal to be in an environment filled with inspiring artists and industry professionals. Each designer I witnessed showcase their work during fashion week had their own personal style, while maintaining one common principle: an extraordinary passion for their craft.

Many people dream of becoming a fashion designer, yet the misconception that the fashion industry is impenetrable causes a great deal of discouragement among young creatives. I was lucky enough to witness many incredible designers during NYFW, yet one label stood out to me initially for its geometric designs and sleek aesthetic. The brand is called “She Does” and is built off of the principle that women can do anything and be anything, while embracing femininity and strength simultaneously. After interviewing Audrey Waldron, the founder and CEO of the “She Does” label, I was truly inspired by her personal story and the evolution of the brand.

I was initially eager to learn more about Waldron’s educational background, so I began the interview by asking her where she learned to become a designer. She proceeded

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to tell me how she studied political science and public relations at Southern Utah University, with the goal of earning a practical degree despite her creativity and ongoing love for fashion. Like many college students attempting to navigate their future career, Waldron was focused on getting a sound education rather than following her passion.

Unfortunately, design is often considered an unrealistic career path to many students who do not exclusively study this at an elite, fashion-oriented university.

After graduating from college, Waldron proceeded to become a flight attendant.

However, it wasn’t until after she was married with three children that Waldron began to develop a passion for health and fitness, which led her to become a brand ambassador for a swimwear company. While working as a paid ambassador, Waldron realized that out of the hundreds of swimwear pieces she now owned, it was rare to find the perfect combination of fabric and style in any given suit. Because of this, she had the idea to create her own line of swimwear, customized to fit the needs she found necessary after being surrounded by hundreds of different silhouettes and materials.

For Waldron, design was always a passion, yet she initially suppressed these emotions because she didn’t think it would ever turn into a career for her. Curious about the evolution of the brand, I proceeded to ask her how the brand “She Does” began. Her response encompassas the brand’s identity:

“I didn’t want it to just be swim, I wanted it to be a women’s lifestyle brand, so she does swim but she does sports, she does fitness, she does style, she does sexy, she does inspiration, she does recipes, she does nutrition, she does it all.”

Waldron stated how as women we wear many hats, and that’s really where the premise of the brand came from. She proceeded with the question, “Why can’t women do it all? It was more or less coming up with a name that encompassed the lifestyle brand for women.” Waldron herself encompasses this “all-doing” woman, as she currently resides in Virginia with her family working a 9 to 5 job on top of her career as a designer and businesswoman. She travels to New York periodically to collaborate with her design partner Graehme Field to sustain the She Does label, as the basis of the brand is ecommerce.

This past fall, She Does officially launched their website, shedoesofficial.com. Waldron was shortly approached by hiTechModa, a fashion show production company that combines traditional fashion shows with cutting edge technology and ideals in the industry, to be featured in their NYFW runway show early February. Waldron, alongside her design partner Graehme, worked collaboratively to put on a flawless show featuring a variety of designs inspired by a very modern, sexy, 50s style. Initially, Waldron’s Instagram page was the source of inspiration to create a sexy swimwear line. Now, we have 12 other She Does suits to look forward to that cater to more sizes and ultimately encompass more women.

I proceeded to ask Waldron what she felt has been the biggest challenge in her career as a designer, which she responded, “I would say manufacturing for sure.” Several of Waldron’s friends in the industry suggested she go to a website called “Maker’s Row” which

is a useful resource for a lot of beginning designers. Waldron knew she wanted an all-encompassing manufacturer to take her from beginning to end, in order to ensure a lot of quality control. When asked if you need to know how to sew to be a designer, she responded saying it was encouraging but not crucial. She explained that although she did have the technical skill of sewing, she did not feel it was a necessity in becoming a designer. However, I was impressed to learn that the cover ups presented at the She Does runway show were sewn by hand the night of.

I concluded our conversation by asking, “What do you want people to take away from your designs?” It was clear to me from the start that the She Does label was designed with intention.

“The whole idea is I want women to feel empowered, to feel comfortable to feel confident in the suit, and the whole idea of the brand is I want women to come to this and have it be a community. I know it’s particularly challenging because the world offers women a lot of opportunities to wear a lot of hats, and to do all these things, and were often dealt with a kind of ambiguity not necessarily faced by men, but I want women to have the takeaway that they can be strong, they can be fit, sexy, classy they can do all these things.”

“Women today can have it all. We can have our education, our careers, our marriage, our family, single life etc., but you know there are tradeoffs in balancing all the options which can be a challenge. In the end, most of us have to choose what works best for us, so I want women to feel confident in that. To be like, this suit isn’t really working for me but I really dig this one and feel confident in that…something for everyone.”

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How do you enter a new decade?

How do you enter a new decade when the one prior raised you?

Memories of playing on iPod Touches with our corded headphones And using pictochat on our silver DS on the bus ride home from school And our first razor flip phone. We had no idea that a renaissance was just beginning.

A renaissance where kids menus are replaced by massive tablets And crayons are replaced by a stylus.

Our first experience with the new wave of communication was also the world’s.

We grew up test-driving technology and growing up with each new iPhone release.

We grew up at the same pace technology did. No longer are we the 90s babies

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but rather the digital agers.

How do you enter a new decade when the one prior raised you?

We use Find My Friends to see where everyone is going out on a Friday Night rather than just calling. We FaceTime while watching the same TV show Rather than just watching it in the same living room.

How we have distanced ourselves yet brought ourselves closer.

Physically separated yet digitally connected At all times.

Maybe this is why we appreciate the vintage arts so much.

Film photography, thrift stores, second-hand clothing.

Because anything that can connect us to before is worth holding onto.

By: Elena Ciaccio

Class of Hungry and Homeless By: L’Jai Brown

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whether it be concerns about the safety ollege is hard. It’s tough. Yeah, of their living situation, or concerns about there are good times, parties whether or how they could afford to pay and football games and life-long rent or utilities. The stress of worrying friends and the like, but mostly, college means class, midterms, papers, and about what you’re going to eat, or where you’re going to sleep, on top of the stress professors who don’t always care. It’s trythat accompanies course work makes ing. But what if your biggest test was one college almost impossible. you took outside the classroom, outside What can you do to help? It’s simple: of campus? What if your biggest concern wasn’t Chem II, but rather where you’re go- reduce the stigma. In a country that often criminalizes or condemns poverty, it’s easy ing to sleep tonight or what you’re going for those who struggle with food or housto eat— if you’re going to eat.

It’s easy for some of us to think of college ing insecurities to feel ashamed. When we acknowledge that there is nothing as the last step before the real world, the wrong, dishonorable, or disgraceful about final lap before adulthood and the actual being poor, those who responsibilities that acKnowledge shouldn’t need assistance will company it, but for many of us, college is the real be hoarded by those who feel more comfortable it. world. It isn’t a test of recan afford to access it. asking We can also encoursilience or a final period for hand-holding. It’s a Everyone should have the age professors and to be more test of survival. opportunity to learn. teachers mindful of those less Last year, The Hope fortunate. Textbooks Center for College, Community, and Justice took a survey. They and access codes are one thing, but when professors require students to print out knew college students struggled with getting access to basic needs, and they wanted lengthy articles, buy library cards, or to find out the actual numbers. Their results purchase subscriptions to learning tools were astonishing. According to their survey, or third party sites, they actively discriminate against the low-income students more than 40% of students at four-year who can’t afford to do so. Even if you can institutions reported limited or uncertain afford to do so, you should urge your proavailability of food within the last 30 days. fessors to look into other more cost-effecNearly half stated that they couldn’t aftive and inclusive ways of teaching. But, ford to eat nutritionally-balanced meals. by far, the most helpful thing we can do This means that for Florida State, home to around 33,000 undergraduate students, ap- is advocate for affordable college education for everyone. Knowledge shouldn’t proximately 15,000 of them are concerned be hoarded by those who can afford to about their next meal. access it. Everyone should have an opporBut food insecurity isn’t the only issue tunity to learn. College is hard, but maybe plaguing college students. Nearly half of we can all work together to make it a little the student body at four-year universities easier. reported some type of housing insecurity,

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“My Vote Doesn’t Count” By: Ignacia Araya

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on’t be the comment section on Facebook, don’t be the person in the back of the classroom raising their hand saying they read a headline and jumped to conclusions, and don’t be the person at the dinner table with no opinion. Whenever you scroll past a news article, there’s someone else clicking on it and making well informed decisions about the policies that guide their everyday lives.

For every Election Day you spend at home watching Netflix, there’s a person at the booth inserting a ballot into the machine that will make decisions for you for years to come. Primaries, midterms, and presidential elections are crucial, defining points in American politics that govern the decisions that impact the people you love, money you make, education you receive, and even the air you breathe.

Some take their ability to show up to their polling locations for granted and for others, it is until you hear the stories of those who wish their voice were heard that you might change your mind.

Felons were “granted” the right to vote in Florida for a brief moment in 2019, but that false hope that they would

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be able to take part in our democracy was shortly stripped from them when the Florida Legislature decided that they would need to pay off their fines and fees related to their conviction before they could show up to the polls. These fines are sometimes more than triple digits. Participating in voter registration, you get to see right through the eyes of those who say they can’t vote and into the feeling of despair because they are not able to make decisions for themselves and their families. Those who are not citizens are also halted from the process; some people who have lived here for longer than I have are sometimes not able to register.

It may be until you realize both the hopelessness of those who walk past the voter registration form and can’t put the pen to the paper, and the happiness of those who cry of joy once they are given that right that you will start to contemplate how lucky you are to be able to make those decisions for yourself. The deadline to register to vote for the Primary Election in Florida is July 20th. Please register online or in person. Your vote is a terrible thing to waste.

Gentrification By: Hannah Boucher

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entrification is defined as a process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses.

There are many pros to gentrification, but there is one big con that can’t be avoided; the fear of displacement. Displacement happens when long-time or original neighborhood residents move from a gentrified area because of higher rents, mortgages, and property taxes.

We can all agree that pushing people out of their communities is an awful part of gentrification, but what most people don’t agree on is how many more good things there are than negatives. In low-income areas, as wealthier people move into the area, they bring higher incomes. This gives more money for the community and business investments. Over a period of time, more businesses are built which is more job opportunity and beneficial for the community. More tax revenue means more investment in community infrastructure, including roads, parks, and schools. In many economically depressed or low-income areas, old buildings are often left to deteriorate because of lack of funding. Gentrification brings people to the community with a wide range of interest and skills.

A Great example of the positive effects of gentrification is Brooklyn, New York. Although deemed to be one of the worst cases of gentrification negatively, it’s also acknowledged that it’s very much needed. The first instances of gentrification in NY occurred in the 1960s, with advances in knowledge jobs like lawyers, bankers, media employees, etc. Through the next few decades, the balance between the blue- and white-collar economy was noticeably shifting. Creative occupations began developing and higher income jobs became more com-

monplace. Taking a look at gentrified Brooklyn now, we see safer neighborhoods, cleaner properties and more opportunities for business ventures. Gentrified Brooklyn is a great place to safely raise families and communities without having to make the commute to Manhattan from Connecticut. Gentrification gives the opportunity for art and culture to flourish even more so than before due to availability of financial funding.

A study done at the University of Chicago and the Philadelphia Federal Reserve bank debunks the idea that gentrification is equivalent to displacement of communities. The most important points to take away from it were; The demographic composition of gentrifying neighborhoods, post-gentrification, remains highly mixed, demographic changes in gentrifying neighborhoods are those that are generally associated with better outcomes for low income children growing up in these neighborhoods, and poor neighborhoods that don’t gentrify decline.

The picture of gentrification has shades of truth in it. Some developers are dining on caviar and champagne off the humdrum condos with which they have littered the city. And like all major socio-economic changes, gentrification has made many people indisputably worse off. Still, you have to ask: What’s the alternative? Yes, displacement is considered a negative attribute of Gentrification, but can we stop the growth of cities for fear of historical ties? Rather than focusing on how to battle Gentrification so it doesn’t displace vulnerable and special populations, we should be focusing on a way to support these populations, so they aren’t so vulnerable, and cities have the ability to grow and expand.

Opinion

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spoke that our undergraduate career was shortly coming to an end and the nostalgia started to hit, but we had no idea that our college careers would come to a strict halt so soon.

We were stripped of what would’ve been our last moments as undergraduates at Florida State University. It’s hard enough to say goodbye to the campus that you are forever indebted to, but it’s even worse when it’s unexpected. We blinked, and then received the message that school was transitioning to online instruction for a couple weeks due to COVID-19. A couple weeks turned into the rest of the semester, and that was it.

That was senior year, but let’s look at the bigger picture.

We won’t have graduation as planned, but people around the world are fighting for their lives.

While it’s difficult to look past how this is affecting our inner circle and the bubble of college that we’ve known for 3.75 years, turning on the news gives a different take on how we should be digesting this. There are some of us that are fortunate enough to have the stability of a room over our heads and food on the table during these turbulent times. Some of us have the privilege of waking up at 2 PM during this pandemic and completing our to-do list of logging

A New Normal By: Ignacia Araya To the seniors that were supposed to have their last hurrah at the Spring Tailgate, The ones that had many more late-night Stroz dates planned, The ones that sang the FSU war chant as an undergrad but didn’t even realize it would be the last time, The ones that didn’t get to say goodbye to their roommates, The ones that didn’t get to go visit their freshman year dorm one last time, The ones that weren’t prepared for a long-distance relationship just yet, The ones that planned graduation day to a tee, The ones that still had more memories to make, No one could’ve predicted that this would be our reality. Just a couple weeks ago, we all

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into our Zoom class and going right back to bed. I’ve seen people adamantly following their quarantine routine and keeping a steady schedule and others waking up in the middle of the day eating their quarantine snacks in bed and multiplying their average screen time. Either works.

Amidst the gloom that we feel from our short semester, we can’t lose sight of the ones that matter the most and are suffering greatly during this pandemic.

The sick are at war fighting the virus and facing the internal battle that is the uncertainty of their future; the virus makes its own timeline and its course is still far from predictable.

These individuals, along with the first-responders, are the ones we need to keep in mind when we feel that nothing worked in our favor our senior year. The reality of the people on the front lines of this fight is one that I couldn’t even picture in my worst nightmare. Scarred with indents on their faces of gloves and masks that they are to wear for hours in double digits, they are helpless in this battle that sees no end while putting their

own lives at risk. Their sights of suffering and death will forever be ingrained in their minds as they make tough decisions and face ethical choices that are unprecedented.This is not to say that we aren’t allowed to be disheartened at how our semester wrapped up; it’s natural to be confused, upset, and disappointed all at once. We’re a part of a major historical event that we don’t know the proper reaction to and that’s okay. Doing our part and banding together against this virus is the least we can do, all while keeping the sick and first-responders in mind whenever we think about leaving the house for the nonessentials.

While being overwhelmed with constant floods of new information can be anxiety-inducing, we need to take a step back and focus on the things that this virus has brought to light; one of the most significant being that the Earth can finally breathe again. India can see the Himalayas, the Venice canals have become clearer, wildlife is enjoying their freedom to roam the streets that were once theirs, and pollution levels have plummeted. While it is unclear whether or not these changes will have lasting effects, these unintended benefits are daily doses of refreshing news that can keep us recharged for these long, repetitive days. As we continue this transition into a new normal, savoring the time that we’ve had to put our lives on pause is crucial to making the most out of quarantine. Picture this: it’s your first day out of quarantine, you get to see your loved ones again. Will you be proud of the person you’ve become since the lockdown? Keep your head held high and encourage yourself and others to engage in activities that your pre-quarantine busy schedule might’ve not allowed you to partake in. Explore that creative side of yourself that has been waiting to emerge, be mindful of your friends who might be struggling, and seek comfort in the wealth of resources that can keep you uplifted. It’ll be over soon, just hang in there.

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DIRECTOR: Caitlin Madlinger, Caitlyn Daley ASSISTANTS: Isaac Quillet, Makayla Hineman OUTFIT CREDITS: Wonsaponatime

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Today: The Big Melting Pot of Yesterday By: Stacey Novitski

twist an old idea and make it relevant.

This concept is exactly what we see in Humans are creatures of habit. Most people will say that history repeats itself, but we all know fashion. We constantly see pieces making a comeback a few decades later, whether its that it is the human habitual nature that creates 90s skater skirts or bell bottoms. Vintage the patterns in history. There is one thing that itself is becoming a trend altogether. Why drives our actions, historical patterns, and ideas is it that we are so fascinated by outdated and that is inspiration. Most successful business leaders will tell you that the reason certain com- trends? The answer is inspiration. Similar to panies are successful is not because of what they artists and writers, designers continue to be inspired by statement pieces from the past, sell, but rather why they sell it. They essentially and sell a vision by which consumers are sell us a vision, or a different perspective, and inspired. that is exactly where “new ideas” come from.

So considering that no idea is 100% origiInspiration has the power to get us to rethink an old invention, and envision it through a mod- nal, then what value do “original” ideas really have? I mean, if you really think about it, if an ern lens, in its own updated form, to acclimate to the new world. So in a sense, no idea is 100% idea hasn’t been thought of in the millions original. We create based on inspiration and the of years humanity has been alive, is it a good idea? If one thought of an idea, what are the powerful work of those who have preceded us, chances that someone in the world, or in the and paved a path. For example, if you look at famous works of literature like Romeo and Juliet history of humanity, hasn’t already thought of it? Probably very low. Ultimately, ideas and Harry Potter, Shakespeare and J.K. Rowling service their significance from their relevance actually took inspiration from previous poems to the modern world. What makes an idea and literature and one would never guess that original and valuable is whether it can solve their works weren’t 100% original. The artists, modern problems and adapt to our modern writers, and geniuses we idolize whose “original work” we see in museums were not as original as world- an idea that will con tinue to inspire future generations. we might think, they were just smart enough to

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CONT RIBU TORS

CONNECTED BY DISCONNECTION BEAUTY

MODELS

Vanessa Moyers, Julia Champ, Aidan Neal

PHOTOGRAPHER

Adi Cohen, Bana Habash (Assistant)

PAGING HUMANITY

RUNWAY MODELS

Lily Dominguez, Aura Esterling, Yasseen Semsem, Tanner Silver, David Lott

PHOTOGRAPHER John Harrington

BUT MAKE IT MODERN TRENDS MODELS

Amelia Jorn, Courtney Gifford, Anna DeJonge

PHOTOGRAPHER

Kristin Ringuette

DIAL TONE LIFESTYLE

MODELS

Faelan Switzer, Olivia Kidd

PHOTOGRAPHER

Michael Switzer

WORLD WITHOUT END

MENSWEAR MODELS

James Hurley, Claudia Abdelhaq, Daniela Tung

PHOTOGRAPHER

Jimmy Weber

NEXT LEVEL EDITORIAL

MODEL Alyssa Lanuzi PHOTOGRAPHER Kristin Ringuette