Volume 17 - S/S 2014 editor in chief design director fashion director photo director creative director editorial director fashion editor production coordinator marketing coordinators creative contributor writers Myles Badger Gabrielle Chu Ashley Czarnota Andrea Fernandez Ahmi Goldberg Sofya Levina Isabella Pierangelo Brendan Scully Daniel Tehrani Jaqueline Weiss fashion assistants Blythe Bruwer Nikolai Jackowski Maggie Main marketing assistants Arman Ataman Esther Glasionov on the cover Model: Claire Onderdonk Photographer: Evan Tetreault
Jamie Emmerman Maria Pulcinella Danielle Brizel Zeynep Abes Nikita Merrin Catherine Pears Stanislav Ledovskikh Austin Wilder Kate Amery Max Kondziolka Daniel Tehrani photographers Carina Allen
Augustin Demonceaux
Chelsea Foster Joanie Jenkins Matthew Lewis Rory McCann Sam Massey Maya Rafie Caterina Stahl Evan Tetreault Michael Thorpe Evan Walsh illustrators Sofya Levina Anna Sullivan
special thanks Emerson College, Kathy Emmerman, Joe O’Brien and Shawmut Printing staff, William Beuttler, Markie Fisher, Sharon Duffy, and Emerson College SGA.
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table of contents culture 12 Spotlight 18 A Genre All Its Own 20 A Source of Speculation 24 Why You’re Not a ’90s Kid 28 Social Maintenance 30 Industry of Imagery
fashion 34 The Makeup Mystique 38 Silhouette Sham 40 More Than Pretty 46 The Rules Are: There Are No Rules
features 50 Dear Diary 66 White Lies 80 Plastic Fantastic 90 The Shadow
“STREET SCENE” photos by CHELSEA FOSTER & NIKITA MERRIN
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letter from the editor
F
rom childhood, we are told
not to lie. Our noses will grow like Pinocchio’s; we will lose the trust of those who matter most. In the midst of innocence, the simplest fib feels like the wickedest sin. But as we age, despite all cautions, we begin to lie every day. And beyond the act of it, we begin to rationalize. We tell ourselves lying can be out of necessity, to protect, to get ahead, to defend. But we know it can also be to be hurt, to steal, to deceive, to repress. We’ve even created subcategories of lying in an attempt to make sense of it all: bluffing, exaggerating, bullshitting, fabricating, fibbing, omitting, white lying. In this issue of em, we aim to explore the modern understanding of lies. The twenty-first century has ushered in an unprecedented increase of communication and media; with that, the possibilities for deception have increased exponentially. We decided to turn the tables and explore how em, as a culture and fashion publication, adds to and subtracts from our heightened culture of lying. From our photo feature, “Plastic Fantastic,” which showcases four fabricated, hyperstylized female personas, to our culture piece, “Social Maintenance,” which examines the identities we create for ourselves online, each aspect of this issue strives to question our current understanding of lying, and in turn, truth. As my second and final issue as Editor in Chief, I’m proud to consider em a fundamental component of my time at Emerson College. Watching the publication mature in the last three years has been my most rewarding professional experience to date, and I am immensely fulfilled by what we’ve accomplished. I am entirely grateful to my creative, dedicated staff, and to those before me who provided such an opportunity. The creation of “Lies” would not have been possible without the devotion of our new Creative Director, Nikita Merrin, and Production Coordinator, Austin Wilder, as well as the continued dedication of Fashion Director Danielle Brizel, Photography Director Zeynep Abes, and Senior Editor Catherine Pears. As always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the issue. Jamie Emmerman, Editor in Chief
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SPOTLIGHT: I LIED text by CLAIRE ONDERDONK photo by MICHAEL THORPE
“i’ve already got the sleeping arrangements blueprinted in my head and everyone’s too high to argue.”
SOPHOMORE YEAR, SECOND SEMESTER KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK “Get the door!” yells Drew. “I’m not getting it, he’s going to recognize me!” Danny whines. “Danny, get in the basement you mongrel! And don’t make any noise.” KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK I answer the door. “Hi Kuan! How are you, come on in.” “Hey Kuan,” says Drew abashedly. “Did you get our message about the smell?” “Hey, yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s the plumbing from the downstairs bathroom. Since you use it so infrequently, the waste just sits in the pipes and ferments. I’m pretty sure you just have to run the water for a bit, but I’ll go check it out.” “Great.” (FUCK!) MOMENTS LATER “Yeah, so it should start smelling a lot better in no time. You have a guest staying? He seems to have a nice little setup down there.” I’m blotched with redness, “Oh yeah he’s just staying for the night. He’s in transition and needed a place to stay for a bit.” “Ah, okay, well then I’ll be back next week for the rent. See you guys.”
G
ood joke, Kuanster! Rent probably won’t be ready and Danny’s been living with us for four months. It’s not our fault you decided to rent us part of a house. Yes, yes, you explic-
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itly said no more than three inhabitants as it is already specified as a two-bedroom. But what’s one more? And then another? Our living room is decorated almost completely in furniture and artwork from the mother of my roommate, Tyler. She moved out of her home the same time we moved into ours, and needed storage. It’s a thrown-together aesthetic I have yet to see in other households. Maroon and gold oriental rugs, magnified suede couches that make you look miniature when you sit on them, a six-foot-long accent piece of sandalwood hung over the litter box, a deep orange papier-maché pumpkin the size of a dishwasher, and the cats. They find small beads; I had no idea how many small beads and bead-like objects existed within the nooks and crannies of old New England houses. None of us brought the small beads into the house. I don’t even know where to buy beads. The cats will play with a small bead for an indefinite period of time until you throw it out. It’s best to take the trash out completely as one of them always tends to tip it over and play with its contents. They also insist that any open container of liquid be spilled onto the floor immediately. Inch-by-inch, Merkin (three years old, inherited by Chelsea, who is a six-foot mass of condescension that I will indubitably bitch-slap one day) scoots a cup of water across the coffee table with his little Judas paw until it is tipped over and emptied. But then there’s Sinead O’Connor. Sinead is the exception. She is a dying, sixteen-year-old tri-tone beauty who brings me exquisite joy. I pick her up and bring her to my bed and do my homework. I respect every noise she utters, and every time she sits on my computer I sit peacefully and watch her struggle to keep her eyes open. When people are over they can barely finish a thought without yelling, “Sineeeaaad.” We love her. She needs to know we love her before she dies.
JUNIOR YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER “Kuan’s coming over, make sure Katie’s boyfriend puts the couch cushions back in,” says Drew on her way out. “God’s anus dude, I can’t even look at him. I’ll leave a note by his Etnies.” KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK “Ffffwow, this is… wooo! Pawrty house! Tyler, wake up.”
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GOOD JOKE, KUANSTER! RENT PROBABLY WON’T BE READY AND DANNY’S BEEN LIVING WITH US FOR FOUR MONTHS... YES, YES, YOU EXPLICITLY SAID NO MORE THAN THREE INHABITANTS AS IT IS ALREADY SPECIFIED AS A TWO-BEDROOM. BUT WHAT’S ONE MORE? AND THEN ANOTHER? “Hey guys, just here to pick up April’s check,” chirps Kuan as he cracks open the door. “Got it,” Hannah comes out with her “BITCH” choker still on from last night. “That’s a huge duffle bag,” observes Kuan, staring at Katie’s boyfriend Max’s crap. “Yeah, ha ha, no he’s that MIT kid from across the street. He just got back from, uhhh, Cincinnati and was locked out of his house. I met him once before so I said he could crash here,” I lied. “Good neighbors.”
JUNIOR YEAR, SECOND SEMESTER
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he household head-count is in constant flux––during the end of this past summer, especially. I’ve already got the sleeping arrangements blueprinted in my head and everyone’s too high to argue. Enzo, Kira, and Seth can sleep on the upstairs pullout. I’ll sleep with Drew. Noah and Dom can sleep in my bed, and Zach can sleep on the downstairs couch. Tatianna decided to move in early before Hannah cleared out, so Tatianna and Hannah can sleep together––get to know each other via nudity. Noah drank too much lemon Pucker’s and has barfed on the kitchen floor. He now mysteriously smells of tacos––none of us is especially surprised. So Hannah takes him to her room and clothes him in androgynous loungewear. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK These days the paranoia of Kuan noticing an extra Hispanic boy in the house is over. There are as many of us as we say there are, and the only things we lie about are, “No, [Cont. on 47]
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SPOTLIGHT: I LIED text by CATHERINE PEARS photo by ZEYNEP ABES
”I’D SLOWLY TURN MY HEAD TO FACE HER, SHRUG, AND MUMBLE SOMETHING LIKE, ‘WASN’T ME.’”
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OME NIGHTS IT WOULD BE A BAG of lime-flavored tortilla chips with half a jar of mango salsa, or maybe two rolls of Oreos and a couple glasses of milk. I would come home from school, my mom would leave for the gym, and once I heard that garage door shut, I’d make my way to the kitchen, grab a box, bowl, or package of joy and land on the couch. An hour or two later, I’d hear the garage door opening, knowing it was either my dad coming
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home from work or my mom returning from the gym. I’d quickly stand up, brush the crumbs or wipe the stains from my shirt, and bring the empty plastic container, jar, or carton back to the kitchen. I’d pick up whatever garbage was already in the trash can and hide the packaging of whatever I’d just eaten underneath. If there were ever any scraps remaining, I’d tuck the leftovers into the back of a cupboard so maybe my mom would forget it was ever there and, hopefully, never know it was eaten. She’d walk in and I’d immediately ask what was for dinner. She’d narrow her eyes at me, asking what I’d eaten since she’d left. And every time I’d lie and say nothing, or a yogurt, or some carrot sticks, or something that was equal to zero calories in her eyes. Then she’d cook some chicken and put it on top of a few pieces of lettuce and my dad would say it was “rabbits’ food” and ask where the starch was. She’d tell him to look down at his stomach––that it was probably already there. Later in the night, she’d open up the cupboard in the bottom corner of the kitchen, between
SHE’D COOK SOME CHICKEN AND PUT IT ON TOP OF A FEW PIECES OF LETTUCE. MY DAD WOULD SAY IT WAS “RABBITS’ FOOD” AND ASK WHERE THE STARCH WAS. SHE’D TELL HIM TO LOOK DOWN AT HIS STOMACH––THAT IT WAS PROBABLY ALREADY THERE. the oven and the dishwasher, where the only sweets in the house were kept. She was searching for that one bite of something tasty she was going to allow herself for the day. And when she discovered that one box was missing she’d scream, “WHO ATE ALL THE REDUCED FAT SHORTBREAD?” I’d be sitting in the living room with my dad, pretending I couldn’t hear her yelling from 20 feet away and continue staring at the TV screen. My dad ignored her too, until she’d walk into the family room, hands on her hips, her nose scrunched up, wrinkles making a deep valley in the center of her forehead, disgusted that anyone could consume so much in so little time. After a few minutes of staring at the side of my face, I’d eventually give in and slowly turn my head to face her, shrug, and mumble [Cont. on 48]
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SPOTLIGHT: I LIED
text by AHMI GOLDBERG photo by CARINA ALLEN
“AT THE AGE OF 16 I WAS BLESSED WITH A HORMONAL, OVERLY INVENTIVE IMAGINATION.”
S
HE PLACED A HAND ON MY thigh as I watched the flight tracker on the headrest in front of me. The plane icon blipped over the north coast of Venezuela and into the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean. I turned to her, saw her face illuminated by the blinking lights of the wing. I stared into her azure eyes. I told her that they were deeper and bluer than the waters we flew over. She said she thought she loved me. A tear fell down her cheek. No. Don’t cry. I wiped it away with my thumb, and pressed my lips softly against hers. Fine, none of that really happened. But it would have been sweet if it did, right? Maybe? The dull truth of my story is this: On a nonstop flight from Buenos Aires to JFK in January of 2010, I was by chance seated next to a beautiful woman who had flowing blonde hair, a tight-fitting blue striped sweater, and tiny khaki shorts that showed her long tan legs, which were immediately goose-bumped in the air-conditioned interior of the plane. Before takeoff she shook my hand, introduced herself as Esther, a 22-year-old American grad student who had been studying in different towns throughout Brazil. Shortly afterward, she put on a sleep mask and slept for the entirety of the flight. Facts like that don’t make for a very exciting story. But they did provide a nice framework for me to weave a tale of love found at 30,000 feet. At the age of sixteen, I was blessed with an affinity for fabrication and a hormonal, overly inventive imagination. I returned to school after winter break with the swagger of Joe Biden in a smile
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contest. It was a time when it felt like every guy had a list of sexual exploits, and stories were swapped at lunch tables like Snack Packs for a tin of Pringles. I spit out this story without a moment’s hesitation, completely devoid of remorse that I was grossly overexaggerating a mundane meeting between a pubescent teenage boy and a disinterested, unaware older woman. I recounted the experience of my suaveness on the plane at every party I went to for months. It was never the same story twice. Sometimes Esther was blonder, or bustier, or older. There was one version where I rang for the flight attendant to bring us a bottle of red wine. Sometimes we just had a few make-out sessions, sometimes she led me back to the lavatory, and sometimes we waited until all the other passengers were asleep and in our seats proceeded to make the most quiet, passionate love in the history of commercial air travel. I fancied myself a romantic at this time. It was blasphemous to besmirch the name of my sweet, sweet, Esther. And so I wove my tale with the same affection I had fictitiously shown to her, with the gentlest of care and attention. And now some nights I sit on the sill of my bedroom window, a glass of Malbec in hand, and stare out at the blinking lights of planes tracking across the sky. I think of love, so brief, so fleeting, and so powerful. And I drink to Esther, wherever she might be, and thank her for all she has done to help me get through my late teens. Okay, so I’ve never done that either. But you probably wouldn’t believe me now anyway. em
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“A GENRE ALL ITS OWN: WHAT’S REALLY REAL?” text by JAQUELINE WEISS illustration by SOFYA LEVINA
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HILDREN ARE TOLD THAT lying is bad. But people have made their fortunes telling lies, and you don’t have to see The Wolf of Wall Street to find an example: just wander into Barnes and Noble. There you’ll find sections marked Romance, Food, Study Prep, and of course Fiction and Nonfiction. But the fiction/nonfiction distinction may no longer be so clear, with sub-genres like “creative nonfiction” and “semifictional” on the rise. Most books that are published as memoirs are assumed to be 100 percent nonfiction, but can we as readers be so trusting anymore? “Lying in the genre, like lying in life, is a breach of trust, and that’s never a good thing,” said Jerald Walker, Writing, Literature and Publishing Chair at Emerson. “Readers trust that if a writer says something happened, it happened. When it is discovered that a nonfiction writer has misrepresented his or her material, it makes it difficult for readers to believe other nonfiction writers, so the genre suffers.” James Frey’s popular A Million Little Pieces, originally published as a memoir in 2003, tells the story of an alcoholic and drug addict coping his way through a six-week, twelve-step rehabilitation program. The memoir garnered negative attention when The Smoking Gun published an
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exposé three years after the book had launched. It detailed holes in Frey’s story, setting off a chain of events that included issuing refunds, adding a publishers note in new editions and, most notably, an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey. “I wanted the stories in the book to ebb and flow, to have dramatic arcs, to have the tension that all great stories require,” Frey said in a note to his readers published in The New York Times in 2006, explaining why he had decided to make the changes to his story. Emerson College faculty member, Ashley Rivers, believes the rules of nonfiction are straightforward. “Since lying means that a writer intentionally misrepresents the material, I think the ethics are pretty black-and-white: don’t do it,” Rivers said. “And when writers have done it in the past, the resulting backlash and correction keeps me optimistic that there is a high demand for honesty in nonfiction.” After Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, was published in 2007, there was a similar backlash. In the memoir, budding humanitarian Mortenson begins the transition from registered nurse to activist committed to creating educational opportunities for girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The authors detail the cofounding of the Central Asia Institute, a nonprofit that purports to have assisted in building over 170 schools. [Cont. on 48]
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CULTURE: A SOURCE OF SPECULATION
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A SOURCE of
SPECULATION
WHO WRITES YOUR NEWS? A LOOK INTO MAINSTREAM AND ALTERNATIVE MEDIA THROUGH THE LENS OF BIPARTISANSHIP AND NEUTRALITY text & illustration by SOFYA LEVINA RIGHT NOW, IN AGGREGATE, MAINSTREAM news sources, blog posts, independent magazines, and dissident outlets are publishing one story for every word that I type in this article. With so many different outlets producing so much content so quickly, it isn’t clear where to turn for honest, progressive news coverage in the twenty-first century. The most obvious answer is to look to media conglomerates such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, or the BBC. For over 100 years, however, grassroots newspapers and other forms of alternative press have been living in the shadow of William Randolph Hearst and Adolph Ochs, while simultaneously holding the baton for progressive activism. So one has to wonder what makes for a successful media outlet in the twenty-first century, and whether it’s reasonable to trust
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CULTURE: A SOURCE OF SPECULATION
a handful of corporate-owned publications for the overall mystical nature of the female reprothe majority of public information. ductive system, viewed through the mainstream Mainstream media publications have estab- lens of shows like CNN’s Crossfire. The format is lished strong reputations primarily because of always the same: one person is against abortion; their longevity, corporate ownership, and per- one person is for abortion. They yell at each ceived lack of bias. But let’s consider The Lib- other for five to ten minutes, then the segment erator, a paper established in 1831, which pub- ends and everybody temporarily agrees to dislished articles exclusively agree until they cut to comconcerning the abolition of mercial. CNN logs approxTHE FORMAT IS ALWAYS slavery and later women’s THE SAME. ONE PERSON IS imately 300,000 viewers a rights, nonstop for 35 years. day, which is 100 times the AGAINST ABORTION, ONE Its circulation was small–– readership of The Liberator, PERSON IS FOR ABORTION. yet its approach is 100 times only 3,000 readers–– three quarters of which were THEY YELL AT EACH OTHER less effective. Crossfire’s black. In an 1838 issue, the FOR FIVE TO TEN MINUTES, format is no way to highpaper declared its mission light important issues that THE SEGMENT ENDS, AND was to redeem ”woman as affect real people in very seEVERYBODY AGREES TO well as man from a servile rious ways. to an equal condition,” and DISAGREE UNTIL THEY CUT This adversarial frameTO COMMERCIAL. that it would support “the work seems to be univerrights of woman to their sally applied to almost any utmost extent.” That’s pretty progressive even pressing issue throughout the mainstream meby today’s media standards. The paper wasn’t dia, and it falters in so many ways. There are alattempting neutrality; rather it sent out a call to ways more or less than two sides to an issue. The action and a challenge to mainstream percep- solution to the national debt is not hiding in eition. ther of the Democratic or Republican camps: it’s Now, let’s fast-forward 173 years to the ever-ex- an incredibly complex dilemma with a myriad of haustive debate on abortion, birth control, and potential solutions, which is not well served by a
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false dichotomy. On major news channels, however, the options are always looked at through a black-and-white lens, very little background information is given, and viewers are forced to pick a side regarding a subject they don’t fully understand. This is where the alternative media comes in. You can read The Freeman to see the libertarian perspective on the economy, or The Advocate to learn about the fight for gay rights without wasting time reading about someone’s attempt to validate their homophobia as a legitimate argument against gay marriage. You can read Ms. magazine if you are interested in educating yourself about feminism, The Nation about the liberal point of view, or watch Fox News to understand conservatives. The one thing none of these organizations does is hide behind neutrality. And the best part is that you don’t have to agree with any of them. If people begin taking bits and pieces from each source, perhaps there will no longer be such a thick line drawn between people of different parties, which may open up a more informed and tolerant discourse on complicated issues. It’s true that not all alternative media is trustworthy, or has social justice in mind. It is also true that mainstream media has been instru-
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mental in social change during the twentieth century. Who could forget Watergate and the Pentagon Papers? There has also been some tremendous work done in long-form journalism at papers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, both of which uncovered social injustices on a level to which only highly funded media outlets can aspire. But things have changed with advent of television’s twentyfour-hour news cycle: now the airwaves seem to be filled with useless speculation, speckled with only a few moments of clarity. Since the decline of the newspaper, competition to produce the most information the fastest has pressured reputable news organizations to turn around content so quickly that important issues get reduced into one simple format: present a group of facts from one perspective, state the opposing view, draw a neutral conclusion. Good journalists work hard, and those who pursue the career with a passion for the truth will produce a great body of work that informs people with a nuanced view of the facts, and maybe even changes laws. However, with new corporate media ownership and consolidation, maybe outlets such as The Los Angeles Times and ABC News are no longer the best platforms for this type of well researched and dedicated work. em
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CULTURE: WHY YOU’RE NOT A ‘90s KID
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“WHY YOU’RE NOT A ‘90s KID” THE REALITIES OF A DECADE WE CAN’T QUITE RECALL text by ASHLEY CZARNOTA photo by JAMIE EMMERMAN
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HOSE BORN BETWEEN 1990 and 1999 regard themselves as ‘90s kids. Photosets of early-2000s TV shows with the caption, “Only true ‘90s kids will remember these,” have become all too common online, especially when posted by kids still in high school. In reality, most of the self-proclaimed children of the ‘90s’ fondest memories of the decade were potty training and snack time during day care. The ‘90s saw the dawn of hip-hop, alternative music, rapid technological advancements, and a nuanced fashion sense adopted by both sexes. The ‘90s were a time of rebellion: a time that most people reminiscing about it can’t even remember.
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CULTURE: A WHY YOU’RE NOT A ‘90s KID Journalism professor and music critic, Tim Riley, thinks that nostalgia has gotten a bad rep. “Most consumers have nostalgia for the decade they grew up in–very natural–and nostalgia has turned into an abusive term,” he says. “I think nostalgia is highly underrated, indulge in it all the time, find nothing wrong with it, and wish there wasn’t such a stigma around it.”
“NOSTALGIA HAS TURNED INTO AN ABUSIVE TERM,” SAYS TIM RILEY. “I THINK NOSTALGIA HIGHLY UNDERRATED, INDULGE IN IT ALL THE TIME, FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, WISH THERE WASN’T SUCH A STIGMA AROUND IT.” While the current generation, dubbed the New Millennials, focus on what they think of as the greatest decade, they may be directing their energy too heavily toward a past that they don’t fully understand. They tend to disregard the problems of that decade and the ways in which those problems have affected the present day. Unlike previous decades that held distinguishing features, such as the hippie movement of the ‘60s or the disco craze of the ‘70s, the new millennium hasn’t presented an overarching theme that Millennials can grab onto. Movements such as grunge, the rave scene and hip-hop spread like wildfire within youth culture during the ‘90s, aided by new technology such as cable television and the Internet. If the ‘90s are going to be looked at comprehensively, it’s impossible to ignore the national and international conflicts that were happening during that time. The Gulf War, which began at the turn of the decade in 1990, threw the United States into conflict with the Middle East. Between spring and midsummer of 1994, the mass killing of hundreds of thousands of Rwanda’s Tutsi and Hutu ethnic groups wiped out 20 percent of that nation’s population. The genocide resulted in serious criticism of the United Nations and many countries for failing to stop the slaughter. In the United States, the 1993 World Trade Center and Oklahoma City bombings lead to awareness of domestic
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and international terrorism as potential threats. Almost everyone can remember the Columbine shootings of 1999. President Bill Clinton was a dominant political figure of the decade, known not only for the scandal involving Monica Lewinsky but also for his activism in raising climate change awareness. These hallmarks of the ‘90s are not ingrained into New Millennials’ minds. The focus is on perceived positive attributes such as the rise of grunge fashion. Originally made popular by hippies in the late ‘60s, baggy jeans, oversize T-shirts, and flannels became mainstream style for men and women. Overalls were worn with one strap, playing with the rebellious attitude of the time. The ‘90s were also an eventful decade for film
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CUTTING GLASS, Huret & Spector Gallery, Emerson College. The goal of CUTTING GLASS is to juxtapose ‘90s pop culture with the actual historic happenings. It includes photography, home videos, television shows, a bedroom installation, and mural.
masterpieces as Jersey Shore and The Real Housewives. MTV helped to spread popular music genres of the decade, such as grunge, gangsta rap, the Coasts competition between Tupac and Biggie Smalls, R&B like Whitney Houston and Boyz II Men, teen pop idols like N*SYNC and Backstreet Boys, eurodance, electronic dance music, and punk such as Blink-182 and Green Day. Riley recalls the craze over Nirvana: “Most critics enjoyed the resurgence of guitar rock and punk through Nirvana while it lasted,” he says. “Cobain clearly had huge talent and ambition and his suicide punctured a vast growing optimism about how gnarly sounds could reach a mainstream audience. Most of his Seattle ‘successors’ have not reached nearly as high.” Looking back on the major highlights of the ‘90s it’s easy to understand why New Millennials are inclined to feel nostalgic about the decade. But it could simply be that every generation has felt the same sense of nostalgia about the generation before. However much one yearns for a simpler time, it’s not possible to turn back the clock. The technology of today provides us with more choices, and just like a bad Italian restaurant, more choices doesn’t necessarily mean more happiness. Reality shows and first-person camera style films have become painfully repetitive. Rap hasn’t changed: it’s just become more explicit. Fashion styles are being recycled––but isn’t that the point of trends? Soon, the ‘90s era will recede further into the past and only movies set in the decade will keep it fresh in our minds. Instead of focusing on how glorious the past may have been, it’s time to look toward a future that lies in the hands of The New Millennials. em
and television. A handful of what are seen today as classics emerged, such as Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, Titanic, and Dances With Wolves. The Blair Witch Project inspired the first-person camera technique that became popularized in the late 2000s. Television saw the beginnings of the sitcom and reality TV revolutions that carried into the new millennium. Friends was a leading sitcom along with Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Full House, and That ‘70s Show. Survivor and The Real World first aired in the ‘90s, starting the reality TV plague that eventually brought such
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“SOCIAL MAINTENANCE” THE TRANSFORMATIVE EFFECTS OF AN ONLINE PERSONA: WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US AND HOW TO KEEP IT FROM MEANINGTOO MUCH. text by MYLES BADGER
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OCTORS LOOK BACK keting, David Gerzof Richard, argues that Faceat the 1950s and laugh book makes people create unrealistic online about how little they caricatures of their own lives, and that this is to knew about cigarette blame for some of social media’s more baleful smoking. But these side effects. According to Richard, the problem days, it seems as though with social media is that it gives you the opporpeople are just as ig- tunity to portray yourself as the person you want norant about the side to be, and pretending to be that person can get effects of social media. a little addicting. It’s not computers and phones themselves that “I don’t know too many people whose Faceare worrying: it’s the amount of mental effort book pages reflect their actual lives,” said Richthat America’s young people are putting toward ard. “Before there was Facebook, you’d have a simply maintaining their individual presences trip album. But now, your vacations and high online. points have become your online life. You might “Not including the time I’m doing work, I pull out your trip album every now and then spend a solid couple of hours on social media to reminisce, but on Facebook it’s not so much every day,” said Emerson something for you as somestudent Christina Choing, thing for others.” “THERE’S THIS Journalism ’17. “I feel like Because a Facebook page SHININESS ABOUT IT ALL people just use it as a way is a two-dimensional interto pass time, and because pretation of someone’s life, THAT DOESN’T TRULY it’s so convenient. I’ll be in there’s a lot that it can leave EXIST,” SAYS DAVID GERclass and the teacher will out. This is what brings ZOF RICHARD. “IT’S MORE call break, and you’ll look many people to create idealWHAT WE SEE AND WHAT WE ized depictions of their lives around and everyone will WANT TO PORTRAY ABOUT be on something. I’m not on Facebook, which RichOUR LIVES. IT’S HOW WE as big into it as some peoard says can be detrimenple are though; I just use it tal both to the person who WANT OTHERS TO SEE US.” to stay up-to-date with what originates the page, and to others are doing.” anyone who sees it. For people like Christina, social media isn’t an “At its most basic level, Facebook is a mix of addiction; it’s a filler activity or default stance. two scenarios that we as humans love: exhibiSomething to do when faced with a lack of other tionism and voyeurism,” said Richard. “People activities. Open Safari, type in the letter f, and love to know what’s going on, what’s happening immediately you’re transported to your very with groups of people so that they can develop a own shiny little corner of the Internet. It’s a fine frame of reference for their own lives, and that’s thing, except when you consider that the audi- where we start to see things like Facebook Deences for services like Facebook, Twitter, Insta- pression.” gram and others are getting younger and youngOf course, Facebook isn’t the only culprit in er. It might not spell good things for the next this situation. Apps and sites such as Tumblr and generation. Twitter are just as much at fault. According to Two years ago in March, 2011, CBS reported Richard, one of the worst offenders is Instagram. that something called “Facebook Depression” “There aren’t many pictures of failed dinners is a rising new condition among teens. Accord- and bad scenery on Instagram,” said Richard. ing to a recent New York Times article, China and “There’s this shininess about it all that doesn’t South Korea are both now home to hundreds truly exist; it’s more what we see and what we of militaristic “internet addiction” camps, used want to portray about our lives. It’s how we want to rehabilitate those who have been deemed others to see us.” clinically addicted to their phones and computWith that being said, however, Richard doesn’t ers. However, this is not only a phenomenon in believe that social media is addictive in the trathe East. According to CNN, the first American ditional sense. It’s just become a big part of Internet addiction inpatient center opened in how we live our day-to-day lives. “Comparing Pennsylvania last fall. social media to drugs isn’t a bad comparison, Emerson Professor of Digital Media and Mar- but the issue here is accessibility. [Cont. on 48]
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“AN INDUSTRY OF IMAGERY”
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HOW AN AUDITORY INDUSTRY TRANSFORMED INTO AN IMAGE INDUSTRY text by BRENDAN SCULLY
HERE HAS ALWAYS been a visual component to music. Renaissanceand Classical-era composers entertained in lavishly decorated symphony halls; early jazz and blues bands shook the walls of stylish crowded clubs; and throughout the twentieth century, popular music stars used visual effects as integral parts of their performances. In the 1950s, Elvis and his swinging hips led to the rise of rock ‘n’ roll, and the Beatles became global visual icons in the ‘60s. In the ‘70s, rock bands like Kiss covered themselves in makeup and paint, creating a look that was globally recognizable, while Michael Jackson moonwalked his way across stages around the world in the ‘80s. The trend suggesting that music’s focus has less to do with the sound than with the aesthetics accompanying it continues today. The importance of the physical appearance of the artists themselves, the medium of broadcast, and the venue of performance leads to the question: Is this simply the evolution of music? Or is a growing visual influence deceiving the listener?
THE ARTISTS THE STORY OF LADY GAGA IS ONE THAT exemplifies the notion of an artist who embodies a visually dominated persona. Born Stefani Germanotta, Lady Gaga became internationally known for her eccentric personality, much of which revolves around her appearance. It’s hard to forget her “meat dress,” made entirely of raw beef, which she wore to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. This, along with other controversial statements and appearances, has been the subject of
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criticism. However, Lady Gaga’s large and dedicated international fan base rivals that of most musicians. Millions of people listen to her songs because they enjoy the sound of her music, but one could argue that her visual persona acts as a heavy influence. Though there is the possibility that a growing visual domination could be distracting, a greater concern might be that if an artist or group wants to be successful they are dependent on how they can aesthetically please an audience, rather than on how the music itself resonates with the listener. In recent years South Korea has been churning out artists––sometimes numbering 60 different groups per year––under the Korean pop music genre, “K-Pop.” These groups have been heavily criticized as simple, manufactured “money machines,” characterized by a brief stint of popularity and a few hits before a new group takes their place. The process of forming these groups is expedited by talent agencies that spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to train a group of children to become performers before they are sent around the world, many starting at the age of nine or ten years old. These priorities leave the quality of music and longevity of the group out of the picture, allowing South Korean consumers and a growing global audience to focus on the new groups’ celebrity aspect. From the industry’s perspective, a purposeful emphasis is placed on the visually pleasing aspects of the group, rather than on the quality of its sound.
THE MEDIUM MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COGnitive Neuropsychology at Tilburg University in the Netherlands studied the effects of music combined with visuals, and how subjects responded to them. Citing the study, an article
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titled “Music Influences Ratings of the Effect of Visual Stimuli” states that emotional experience is enhanced when pictures or film are presented with music, and vice versa. The two are “emotionally congruent.” It makes sense: music video has become a crucial medium through which music is consumed. From underground or indie artists that amass a few thousand views to Psy’s “Gangnam Style”––which has nearly two billion views on YouTube––having a video accompanying a song has become an almost necessary way to project an artist’s work to the public. Technically, the quality of a music video doesn’t change the sound of the music in any way. However, the listener may be swayed toward liking a song that has a visually pleasing accompaniment. This multifaceted approach has a big impact on worldwide sales of music.
THE PERFORMANCE U2’S 360° TOUR FEATURED THE MOST EXpensive concert stage in history. During the tour, each stage setup cost on average $23–31 million. On stage, the band performed under a 200-ton structure nicknamed “The Claw,” which reached to 151 feet in height. The band’s sales of $730 million during the performance cycle made it the highest grossing tour of all time. Other wellknown concert tours, such as those of the Rolling Stones and Madonna, have setup budgets of $1–2 million for each show. Awards shows, such as the Grammys, have a history of expensive performances, full of extravagant stage props and choreography. Concerts are meant for the entertainment of the audience, but are these pricey productions distracting the listener from the music itself? Today, expensive tickets and over-the-top entertainment is common at most concerts of well-
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known artists. Whether it’s impressive prop setups or an array of well-orchestrated lights and stage entrances, each concert comes with, well, a “show.” The visual component definitely adds
THIS COULD SIGNIFY AN ENTIRELY NEW MEDIUM, ONE WHICH WILL SPARK A SEPARATION OF CONSUMERS: THOSE WATCHING A SCREEN IN THEIR HAND WITH THEIR HEADPHONES IN, AND THOSE WITH THEIR EYES CLOSED, LEANING BACK IN A CHAIR, ABSORBING THE SOUNDS. to the experience, but the concert attendee may remember less about the music itself and more about what the stage looked like. The sound of the concert is automatically correlated with how outlandish or exciting the visual side of the show is, and that skews how the music is perceived.
THE FUTURE IT LOOKS LIKE MUSIC IS GOING TO CONtinue to develop alongside the growth of the visual component. Pop icon Beyonce’s self-titled album that dropped this past December is just a glimpse into the future of industry production. The videos that accompany every song on the album allow the consumer to always have an image in view while a song is playing. This may simply be the evolution of music. Or it could signify an entirely new medium, one which will spark a separation of consumers: those watching a screen in their hand with their headphones in, and those with their eyes closed, leaning back in a chair, absorbing the sounds. em
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FASHION
WE DRESS TO PRETEND. We pretend to be someone else or we pretend that what we are wearing and what we look like are what matters. Many people who regard themselves as outside the world of fashion criticize it as insignificant, shallow, and narcissistic. But what those people fail to realize is that they participate in the world, whether they are privy to it or not. No matter what we choose to wear, a Balenciaga ruffle skirt or a flannel from the Salvation Army, we are making decisions that portray a specific character to the rest of the world. And for those who mindfully dress themselves, fashion is a form of escape. We escape from the daily routines of our lives, pretending that what we’re wearing matters, if only so much that it puts a tiny, confident smirk on our faces on the way out the door. We escape from our insecurities, acknowledging that although our bodies or our minds may not be perfect, we can feel a little better with the swing of a skirt or the click of a heel. We escape from ourselves—to be another person, in another time, another city, another life. Dressing is a form of lying because sometimes we need to lie to ourselves to get by. text by CATHERINE PEARS photo by EVAN TETREAULT
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FASHION: MAKEUP
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FASHION: MAKEUP
“THE MAKEUP MYSTIQUE” WHAT LIES BENEATH THE DAILY MASK? COMING TO TERMS WITH A MADE-UP WORLD AND THE TOOLS WE USE TO LIVE IN IT text by AHMI GOLDBERG photo by EVAN WALSH makeup by ABBY WOODMAN models GRACIE GATES & CLAUDIA FRYE
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FASHION: MAKEUP
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weatpants, hair tied,
chillin’ with no makeup on / That’s when you’re the prettiest,” Drake spits in his 2009 hit song “Best I Ever Had.” What a sweet guy he is. Makeup is a controversial topic, especially when a guy starts talking about it. But when it comes down to it, makeup itself is neither good nor evil, and the variety of reasons for which it is used and how it is understood reflects this. Some guys couldn’t care less if a girl is wearing eyeliner. Some aren’t sure what eyeliner is. Some women use makeup as a form of self-expression, some simply to cover their external blemishes, and some to compensate for their perceived internal imperfections. There are a lot of things out there that are fake: fake boobs, fake friendships, fake vanilla extract. But it’s nice knowing that, in most cases, one of the last remaining real things around is the face. It is easily recognizable; it’s what you present to the world every day. So is covering that face with makeup a form of hiding? Are women lying to themselves, to each other, to the rest of the world when they put on their “face” for the day? The point is not to insinuate that every lipstick-wearing chick is a bold-faced liar. Rather, there are deep societal values and expectations that weigh heavily on our ever-growing acceptance of and fascination with facial cosmetics. Do a quick Google search and it’s easy enough to find ten quadrillion results on how to achieve a “perfect” or “flawless” look with makeup. There are thousands of different do’s and dont’s critiquing every color, texture, and brand imaginable.
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If cosmetic publications were representative of society, girls would be under an impossible amount of pressure to look a certain way. Truth be told, cosmetics certainly can serve different purposes that do alter the way you look––and the way that others may look at you. For Jill Procopio, ’15, there are three separate ways that people use makeup. “Some people use it to mask features, or to change their own natural features,” Procopio said. “But some people use it to enhance features that are already there.” Wearing cosmetics can of course be more than a way of just fitting in. Plenty of girls toy around with different looks and end up creating or discovering a new type of individualized identity. Who says you have to have yourself done-up like a magazine cover girl just to get by? Jackie Tempera, an Emerson student who is taking off this semester to work for The Boston Globe, says that looking nice doesn’t have to mean looking like someone else. “I don’t wear makeup to look like a celebrity. I just wear it,” Tempera said. In a cooperative study by Harvard University and Procter and Gamble, it was suggested that the use of cosmetics does much more than just make someone appear pretty. Nancy Etcoff, the lead author of the study said, “We found that cosmetics have a significant impact on how attractive a [person’s] face appears, but also on how likeable, trustworthy, and competent they appear.” A picture can say a thousand words, and your makeup can certainly say a lot more than just how you look. Whether it is an employer, family, friend, or maybe a romantic interest, perhaps using a certain product can yield some powerful results. So is there an ideal look to attract that special someone? It depends
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what you’re into, but for Zack Filkoff, a Film Production student at Emerson, finding that perfect balance yields some pretty desirable results. “Sometimes, I see a girl who I can’t even tell is wearing makeup, she just looks good,” said Filkoff. “And I really dig that because it seems like she has a handle on what she’s doing with her makeup, and she also knows not to cover her face with products—let her inner beauty shine.” Ahh—If only the world was filled with more nice-guy Filkoffs who judge women more for their character than their physical appearance. In all seriousness, he makes an interesting point. There is a certain sense of beauty that many find in looking natural rather than necessarily being natural. While the dif-
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FASHION: MAKEUP
ference might not be apparent on the first passing glance, the answer to our question of whether or not makeup is a form of lying can be found somewhere in the contrast. Everyone can understand the feeling of being told to act natural, “COSMETICS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON HOW ATTRACTIVE A [PERSON’S] FACE APPEARS,” SAYS NANCY ETCOFF, “BUT ALSO ON HOW LIKEABLE, TRUSTWORTHY, AND COMPETENT THEY APPEAR.” to act normal, to keep it cool. It can make everything more difficult, and put unfair stress and pressure on a person. For some, there is a cer-
tain nakedness or vulnerability associated with an unretouched face. As Procopio puts it, “When I don’t wear mascara I don’t feel like I’m ready to face other people, unless I’m close with them. It’s like letting your guard down when you’re free of all your makeup.” That feeling of incompleteness without makeup is what underlies both the way people feel about wearing cosmetics and the way people view those who do. Maybe calling makeup a lie is too strong a statement; but calling it the truth isn’t exactly fair either. If the natural face, without makeup, is our true form, then perhaps the healthy way to regard makeup is as something that works with the way we look, not against it. em
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the
SILHOUETTE SHAM THE DESIGNERS AND INSPIRATION BEHIND SOME OF FASHION’S MOST ICONIC SHAPES text by ELLE CHU illustration by ANNA SULLIVAN
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A
RCHITECTURAL FASHION HAS picting a king bloated with riches. Centuries been long left floating in the wa- later, Giambattista Valli’s pre-fall ’09 collection ter between the dramatic and the flaunted a sleek number with airy satin sleeves avant-garde. Sometimes spiky, reminiscent of Henry. That same fall, Balmain sometimes smooth: structural took sharp shoulder blades to the next level by shapes don’t just change the elongating the shoulders on its blazers. world for the wearer, they THE NEEDLE IN THE HAYSTACK—When make a new world. Architectural fashion design- society decided to break out of the stereotype ers have laid down the blueprint for a perfectly exaggerating feminine curves, one woman stood constructed untruth. at the forefront of the revolution. Coco Chanel THE HALF-TRUTH—First invented in the paved the way to an androgynous side of fashion, early nineteenth century, the corset became a sporting her lover’s trousers and button-down mark of womanhood. Alshirts––today’s boyfriend luring and beautiful, the fit. The boxier look left curvaceous woman was the more to the imagination SOMETIMES SPIKY, dream of eager boys. Womand became the ultimate SOMETIMES SMOOTH: standard of class in fashion. en used the corset as a tool of attraction. Today, the corIn Tze Goh’s autumn/winSTRUCTURAL set no longer wields the ter ‘12 collection, he adapts SHAPES DON’T JUST fashion scepter. But in his the shape into minimalistic spring ‘13 collection, Zac white pieces that prove a CHANGE THE Posen added blocks on the woman need not overstate WORLD FOR THE hips as a sharper contrast to her assets to be attractive. WEARER, THEY the waist and brought back THE CONTEXTUAL LIE— the dramatic shape of the Underneath the fabric lies an MAKE A NEW WORLD. nineteenth century with a intricate map of form and vengeance. figure. Wiry construction THE LITTLE WHITE LIE—At seventeenth characterizes a false impression of clothing, a century French receptions, the ladies had the concept popularized by the recent trend of cage ball in their court. Their gowns were bolstered dresses. The models in Calvin Klein’s Spring ’13 by crinoline hooped petticoats because the collection wore a nude slip underneath a dress bigger the skirt, the bigger the charm. During seemingly made only of interlocking black lines. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week ’13 in Johannes- No embellishment, no nonsense. Absent its full burg, Avant Apparel revealed its own twist on form, the impression is that of bare minimum. the puffy skirt: a cropped bubble that created a THE OUTLANDISH LIE—To be ahead of blend of both whimsy and playfulness. Earlier, the age, fluffy sleeves and angular pants are not Hussein Chalayan showcased its fiercer cousin enough. Iris Van Herpen’s Spring ‘13 collection in his Spring ‘09 collection with a sculptural turned heads at Paris Fashion Week. Her imagipiece that created the illusion of a skirt blowing native pieces are the breath of fashion-forward, in the wind. giving life to origami fantasies. The results lack THE BLUFF—King Henry VIII’s ego wasn’t womanly shape, but why would that matter when the only thing inflated about him. Portraiture you’re living a beautiful lie? artists painted him in billowing ensembles, deem
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“MORE THAN PRETTY” THERE IS SOMETHING ABSURD ABOUT THE FASHION WORLD DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM A COUNTERCULTURE GROUNDED IN ANTI-CONSUMER ATTITUDES AND, BY EXTENSION, ANTI-FASHION. IT IS FASHION’S LATEST TREND: UN-FASHION. text by DANIEL TEHRANI photo by AUGUSTIN DEMONCEAUX
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styled by STANISLAV LEDOVSKIKH
T GOES WITHOUT saying that fashion should look good. But the fickle appetite of the fashion world has picked up on an unusual new craving for quite the opposite. It’s always a production for Karl Lagerfeld. The Chanel designer’s past runway sets have featured a forest of crystals, a farm, and an entire iceberg lifted off the coast of Sweden. But for his Spring 2014 couture collection he kept it simple with a sloping white ramp, which the models sprinted down. The audience and the entire fashion-conscious world were clearly in for a surprise. Karl presented (drumroll, please) sneakers. Yes, haute couture sneakers. Chic sneakers may not be news to anyone: case in point, Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci’s collaboration with Nike coming out this spring. But couture sneakers? As Style.Com’s Tim Blanks put it in his review of the collection, “Every outfit featured a couture sneaker [in] python, with lace, pearls, and tweed. (If you’re curious about the cost of such an item, the price tag will probably be something in the vicin-
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ity of €3,000.)” The sneakers are indeed intricately made with precious materials, the kind of handmade attention to detail that defines couture (a closely guarded designation, protected by law and given out by France’s Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, which only 16 designers currently hold). But calling them pretty is a stretch. Gussied up as they are, there’s something of a nurse’s sensible sneaker about them, despite the pearls and crystals sewn into them. In fact, the very Sketchers-like idea of blinging-out sneakers seems to have emphasized their “grandpa’s-orthopedic-shoe” design origin. Challenging, “editorial” fashion has been around since Yves Saint Laurent brought art into fashion (quite literally, putting Mondrian’s modern art on shift dresses in 1965). Since then, fashion, like art, has been a medium for designers to express everything an artist can: politics, gender, pop culture—you name it, somebody has made a dress incorporating it. Thus, conventional beauty has always been challenged. Just look at anything designed by fashion’s avant-garde. Yohji Yamamoto, Vivienne Westwood, Commes
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De Garcons, Alexander McQueen, and Jean-Paul Gaultier have made fashion that is cerebral, intelligent, and often sublime—rafting looks that have been far more thought provoking than beautiful. What is happening in fashion now that seems different from these past statements is an “ugly-on-purpose” attitude. Take for example the minklined Birkenstocks Phoebe Philo showed in her Spring 2013 Celine collection. Taking a shoe so emblematic of hippie culture and lining it with fur, a symbol of excess and aestheticism, is entirely subversive. As is true of most trends, the “fashion Birkenstock” can now be found at your local Zara and on fashion blogs worldwide. But there is something quite ridiculous about the fashion world picking up something from a counterculture based on being anti-consumer, and thus, anti-fashion. It is fashion’s latest trend: un-fashion. What does a mink Birkenstock mean, and what statement does fashion that one can’t help but find rather ugly have to make? Perhaps it doesn’t mean anything, perhaps we’re just fools taken for a ride by designers, advertisers, and editors. There’s a scene in Zoolander in which Ben Stiller’s title character is told that Mugatu, the maniacal designer-villain played by Will Ferrell, is “so hot he could take a crap, wrap it in tinfoil, put a couple fish hooks on it, and sell it to Queen Elizabeth as earrings.” Are we all just fools for hype, and pawns for big companies who pick up on any trend, ugly or not, just to sell it and make a profit? Places like Hot Topic sell shirts with Che Guevara on them, and head shops peddle Bob Marley iconography. Selling and making a profit off of counterculture is an ironic concept at best. According to Franco Moschino, founder of the
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storied design house just taken over and revamped by American designer Jeremy Scott, we have all been all been taken for a ride. Franco Moschino founded his company on spoofing the fashion world in a way that was ironic, biting, and entirely humorous. He produced bullfighting jackets that said “Bull Chic” on them, a jacket with “Waist of Money” printed along the waistband, shirts emblazoned with “A Shirt for Fashion Victims Only” or “I’m Full of Shirt,” and ads in fashion magazines saying, “Stop the Fashion System!” In an interview with MTV’s House of Style in 1989, Moschino said, “The challenge of
“THEY CALL ME [A FASHION DESIGNER], BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY ADJECTIVE THEY CAN PUT ON MY SHOULDERS BUT I’M NOT... I AM NOT A DESIGNER AND WE ARE NOT SELLING CLOTHES, WE ARE SELLING AN IDEA.” being a fashion designer today is that it doesn’t have any meaning. They call me this because it is the only adjective they can put on my shoulders, but I’m not. I should be ashamed of being a fashion designer today because it’s the wrongest thing to do, to design new clothes. I am not a designer and we are not selling clothes, we are selling an idea.” This was in 1989, before the fast-fashion revolution, before the Internet and Instagram began sending images of collections flying across the world instantly—and giving them an expiration date of, oh, about a week, before they look tired. If fashion was meaningless for Moschino then, what would it have meant for him now? Franco Moschino [Cont. on 46]
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passed away in 1994, and his former assistant Rosella Jardini was creative director until Jeremy Scott took over the reins of the house just this past year. Scott was the perfect pick to revive the glory of the house; after all, this is the man who put “Drink God” on a Coca-Cola dress. Scott’s Fall 2014 show made a fantastic statement about fashion’s current predicament today, in a typically American way: with McDonald’s. Scott took on the fashion system with the iconoclastic style that has become a house classic. Moschino has always done its own ironic riff on the Chanel jacket, but this time they were done up with the Golden Arches: there were dresses made to look like a Mickey-D’s cashier’s uniform, and handbags that looked like the spitting image of Happy Meals boxes. There was Sponge Bob’s visage on bags, cell-phone cases—you name it, the little sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea adorned it. Just as Franco Moschino had, Scott was putting up a big, fat middle finger to notions of good taste, trends, and fashion itself. In Franco Moschino’s obituary from The Independent, September 21, 1994, issue, Jane Mulvagh said, “The adjective witty, so promiscuously applied to contemporary fashion, can cut two ways. Designers can use it to laugh at, or with, their clients. Karl Lagerfeld belongs to the former school and Franco Moschino, mercifully, to the latter.” It seems that, 20 years later, Lagerfeld may have switched camps. His Fall 2014 ready-to-wear collection for Chanel took place in a “Chanel supermarket,” complete with Chanel-branded groceries: pasta, cereal, oil, all plastered with the Chanel logo. A very clear, Moschinoesque jibe at the consumerism of fashion. Though Moschino founded his career on irreverent copies and spoofs of the classic Chanel suit, it seems as though the tables have turned. In those 20 years, the consumerism of today—with fast-fashion stores like H&M and Forever 21—makes the consumerism of yesterday seem like a hippie farmers’ market in Portland. The world has changed, maybe not for the better, and these designers are using their platforms to make us take notice. Fashion is about empowerment: we are told this again and again by designers and writers. But indeed, sometimes it isn’t. Being so trend-conscious and trying to have everything that is “hot” now is meaningless. Chanel sneakers, Celine Birkenstocks, or even one of Moschino’s works
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are not there to tell the world to stop enjoying fashion altogether. Rather, they are about looking at fashion in a way that is not dependent on, or a victim of, trends. There can be no fun or individuality if everyone is wearing and Instagramming the same clothes over and over again. To enjoy getting dressed every morning, to not be stressed out about whether or not you look cool is to not care so excessively about fashion, and that is what designers are saying. As paradoxical as it sounds, un-fashion is the most chic you could be. To look good in whatever it is that you like to wear, however weird or uncool it may be at the time, now that is empowering. em
“THE RULES ARE: THERE ARE NO RULES” DEBUNKING SOME OF FASHION’S OLDEST MYTHS text by ANDREA FERNANDEZ
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TYLE IS AN EXPRESSION OF INDIvidualism mixed with charisma. Fashion is something that comes after style,” writes John Fairchild, editor in chief of W magazine. In an era where everything around us can adapt to taste, one should not sacrifice individualism for an adherence to arbitrary guidelines. Explosions of color dominate the runways every season. But one of the most well-known myths is that black makes you look thinner, and girls everywhere sacrifice their style to satisfy this desire. In reality, black absorbs light and instead of reflecting a slim figure, it makes you look dense. To look your best, colors that contrast with the color of your eyes, hair and skin will do the trick. Some still insist that white after Labor Day is a fashion error. Since 2011, designers have been proving that, on the runway and on the streets white is always in season. At London Fashion Week pre-fall 2013, English designer Alexan-
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der McQueen demonstrated that one need not check the calendar when it comes to color. Mixing prints and patterns has become a trend among A-list fashionistas. Often, those who challenge taboos against color-clashing
“STYLE IS AN EXPRESSION OF INDIVIDUALISM MIXED WITH CHARISMA,” SAYS JOHN FAIRCHILD OF W MAGAZINE. “FASHION IS SOMETHING THAT COMES AFTER STYLE.” are the ones who make a statement. The myth of color blocking has limited the infinite possibilities of freedom of expression in the fashion world. Leandra Medine, founder and writer of the fashion blog, ManRepeller, is a pro when it comes to mixing and matching loud prints from top to bottom. There is a section of her blog called Lessons in Layering where she explains step-by-step the how-to’s of layers. From summer outfits that layer striped shorts, panda-print blouse, dollar-bill blazer and fish-print sandals with a rainbow choker; to winter layering with polka-dot pants, seagull-print blouse, striped long-sleeve tee, a plaid shirt and houndstooth print vest. For Medine and many others, myths such as color blocking seem absurd. “Tips to take an outfit from day to night” is one of the most common pieces printed by fashion magazines today. Women take the risk of blending both day and night pieces so they can head straight to drinks with friends after a long day at the office. Sequins, a style usually reserved for New Year’s Eve parties and Sweet Sixteens, work surprisingly well on transferrable pieces for day or night. Christine, fashion blogger of The View from 5 ft. 2, takes the simplicity of plaid and pairs it up with a sequined pencil skirt for the perfect outfit for work. For a more casual look, Francesca Mills, stylist for Elle magazine, advises that the best way to wear a sequined piece in daylight is to pair it with flats and light jewelry. Denim has been around since 1950, and everything from jeans to shirts to jackets is extremely popular, no matter the season. Once a material
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only to be paired with a different fabric, denim-on-denim has now become much more common. The fabric that was once reminiscent of cowboys has made a comeback with the help of designers such as Derek Lam, who created denim pieces with a refined and elegant twist in his spring collection back in 2011. The majority of shoppers have the same first priority: affordability. But the idea that trendy, quality clothing can only be found with a high price tag is no longer the case. Creativity, along with personal style, takes the fashion industry to another level with U.S. designers like Missoni and Peter Pilotto joining forces with Target. Making affordable yet runway-worthy pieces, a bit of luxury has become more attainable. In the end, it’s about attitude and the combination of pieces coming together to form an outstanding look. Fashion rebels expose sartorial myths by breaking down the boundaries and so-called rules of fashion. Designers, bloggers and magazine gurus defy common guidelines in the pursuit of innovation and the evolution of trends. em
MORE “SPOTLIGHT: I LIED TO MY LANDLORD” [Cont. from 14]
the check should definitely clear,” and, “We did trash duty last month.” After all the departures of graduated friends, the house is a lot quieter. I come home to Sinead and kiss her carefully, swat Merkin away from attempting and almost succeeding in removing the lid from the fish tank. (One day I’ll come home too late but there’s nothing I can do about that.) Tyler is making pizza and I have sushi so we’ll share. Drew comes home from work and we watch her make an ice cream sundae that looks just like the one on the carton. We turn on Entourage Season 6 and ignore it completely.
I
help Drew fill the dishwasher and just as we’re about to finish, a teacup gets stuck in the garbage disposal. Tyler suggests we try breaking it with a wrench and removing it in pieces. We concur that it will loosen itself up overnight. em
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MORE “SPOTLIGHT: I LIED TO MY MOM” [Cont. from 16]
something like, “Wasn’t me.” She’d look at my dad. He’d smile without saying much and, most of the time, she’d assume it was him. Every day this happened with various forms of packaged cookies, or bowls of mac and cheese, or entire boxes of cereal. Every night my mom would come home and discover what had been eaten in the time I was left alone, and I’d pretend it wasn’t me. Every night while changing into my pajamas, I’d stare at myself in the mirror, standing with my feet far apart, gripping my inner thighs, imagining a needle sucking out their contents. My hands scanned my body for anything that didn’t belong––rolls of stomach I could separate with my fingers from the rest of my torso, biceps that felt too jiggly for a fifteen year old––imagining what my body would be like without them. I started keeping a journal halfway through high school. Each night I would list everything I ate that day, wondering why I had such a slow metabolism. em
“A GENRE ALL ITS OWN” [Cont. from 19]
But, just like in A Million Little Pieces, discrepancies in Mortenson and Relin’s story were exposed. An April, 2011, 60 Minutes broadcast hosted by correspondent Steven Kroft unveiled many inaccuracies in the book, including events that did not take place and financial gaps in the operation of the Central Asia Institute. “It’s disappointing. You expect something that mirrors real life exactly because that’s what nonfiction is. It’s not a fairy tale. It’s real life,” said Mary Baker, a Writing, Literature, and Publishing student at Emerson. Neither Frey, Mortenson, nor Relin have ever fully bounced back from the negative attention they received. In fact, Relin committed suicide,
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which according to his family was due to the financial stress and allegations made against him and his coauthor. Lying often goes beyond nonfiction books into the world of journalism––a form of media that is supposed to be solely based on facts. The New Republic writer Stephen Glass shot into the public eye in mid-1998, when it came out that 27 of the 41 articles he had written for the magazine contained fabricated material. While many of the articles were based on real reporting, false quotes and invented incidents were interwoven throughout them. In a 2003 appearance on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Glass says that once he started making up his
“IT’S DISAPPOINTING,” SAYS MARY BAKER. “YOU EXPECT SOMETHING THAT MIRRORS REAL LIFE EXACTLY BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT NONFICTION IS. IT’S NOT A FAIRY TALE. IT’S REAL.” material, he couldn’t stop. “I remember thinking, ‘If I just had the exact quote that I wanted to make it work, it would be perfect.’ And I wrote something on my computer, and then I looked at it, and I let it stand. And then it ran in the magazine and I saw it. And I said to myself what I said every time these stories ran, ‘You must stop. You must stop.’ But I didn’t.” Marissa Tandon, a Writing, Literature, and Publishing major at Emerson, says that lying in any form destroys the bond between the author and the reader. “You form a close relationship with the author because you assume that [what they write] is true,” said Tandon. “When it comes out that it’s fake, you feel personally lied to.” em
“SOCIAL MAINTENANCE” [Cont. from 29]
Drug addicts, when there’s a new drug on the market and it’s hard to get, don’t really get it. It’s different when there’s a dirt-cheap drug that hits the streets that you can find anywhere. That’s basically what’s happened with social media.”
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Navidra Hardin, Political Communications ’16, agreed with Richard’s take. “I think that social media plays a part in how we tell our stories and interact with people. In a way it’s a larger way of gossiping, and people love to talk. It’s part of how we live as human beings, and social media has become the fastest, easiest, and most effective way of communicating with people. You can send out one thing and every one of the people you want to know will know. It’s a bridge in our society, and we use bridges like that a lot.” While Richard agrees that using the Internet to create unrealistic depictions of one’s life is dangerous, he still maintains that, overall, social media is a blessing for America’s young people. “Social media as thoughtform for self-branding and getting yourself out there is so powerful.
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The future of hiring is not going to be a résumé. It’s going to be companies saying, ‘We need someone who’s really passionate about some given thing,’ and they’ll just look up that given thing and see who’s online writing or creating content about it. And especially at a school like Emerson with its mafia, things like that are real and social media has only made them more powerful.” Richard’s overall take on social media is simple: if you use it correctly—accurately representing yourself on it—it can help you succeed and flourish in our evermore-networked world. But if you abuse it and lie about your life to both the world and yourself, all you can ever hope to gain are a few Likes. em
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dear diary PHOTO BY EVAN TETREAULT CREATIVE DIRECTION BY NIKITA MERRIN MODELS BLYTHE BRUWER PAULINA KEAMY CLAIRE ONDERDONK & ELIZA SOLOMON STYLED BY DANIELLE BRIZEL MAKEUP BY ABBY WOODMAN FASHION ASSISTANCE BY NIKOLAI JACKOWSKI
FROM LEFT: Top, Jacquemus, at Louis Boston. Top, Alice Roi, at Louis Boston. NEXT PAGE (FROM LEFT): Top, giada_forte, at Louis Boston.
(CONT.) FROM LEFT: Dress, 3.1 Phillip Lim, at The Tannery. Top, Jacquemus, at Louis Boston; Skirt, Simone Rocha, at Louis Boston. Top, Alice Roi, at Louis Boston; Bra, T by Alexander Wang, at The Tannery.
FROM LEFT: Top, Jacquemus, at Louis Boston; Skirt, Simone Rocha, at Louis Boston. Top, Alice Roi, at Louis Boston; Bra, T by Alexander Wang, at The Tannery.
Top, Jacquemus, at Louis Boston; Skirt, Simone Rocha, at Louis Boston.
THIS PAGE (FROM LEFT): Top, Jacquemus, at Louis Boston; Skirt, Simone Rocha, at Louis Boston. Dress, 3.1 Phillip Lim, at The Tannery. NEXT PAGE: Top, giada_forte, at Louis Boston..
Top, Brandy Melville; Skirt, Tanya Taylor, at Louis Boston.
Top, Jacquemus, at Louis Boston; Underwear and Socks, American Apparel.
THIS PAGE: Top, Jacquemus, at Louis Boston; Underwear and Socks, American Apparel. NEXT PAGE (FROM LEFT): Dress, Tanya Taylor, at Louis Boston. Top, Simone Rocha, at Louis Boston; Shorts, Brandy Melville.
ON RIGHT: Dress, Tanya Taylor, at Louis Boston.
FROM LEFT: Top, Simone Rocha, at Louis Boston; Shorts, Brandy Melville. Dress, Tanya Taylor,at Louis Boston.
Top, Brandy Melville.
WHITE LIES PHOTOS BY SAM MASSEY model MIKA NAKANO styled by DANIELLE BRIZEL fashion assistance by MAGGIE MAIN
Shoes, Adidas Stan Smith, at Bodega; Jacket, IRO at The Tannery; Top, Zara; Pants, Stylist’s Own.
THIS PAGE: Shoes, Adidas Stan Smith, at Bodega; Skirt, Zara; Sweatshirt, Stylist’s Own. NEXT PAGE: Skirt & Top, LF.
Shoes, Adidas Stan Smith, at Bodega; Jacket, IRO at The Tannery; Top, Zara; Pants, Stylist’s Own.
Top, 3.1 Phillip Lim, at The Tannery; Shorts, Bec & Bridge at The Tannery; Shoes, Stylist’s Own.
photos by JAMIE EMMERMAN & NIKITA MERRIN
WHILE POP MUSIC’S ORIGINS DATE BACK TO THE 1920S, THE CONCEPT OF POP PERSONAS DIDN’T FULLY MATERIALIZE UNTIL MUSIC TELEVISION’S SURGE IN THE EARLY 1980S. POP ICONS LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON AND MADONNA ROSE TO PROMINENCE WITH THE HELP OF CHANNELS SUCH AS MTV, WHICH CELEBRATED ARTISTS WHO COULD MATCH THEIR LARGE SOUND WITH A STRONG VISUAL PRESENCE. THE PARADIGM OF INCREASINGLY OUTRAGEOUS AND HYPERSTYLIZED POP STARDOM WAS THEN REALIZED THROUGHOUT THE EARLY 90S VIA THE BACKSTREET BOYS, SPICE GIRLS, AND BRITNEY SPEARS. “PLASTIC FANTASTIC” FOCUSES ON FOUR EXAGGERATED, ONE-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT ENCAPSULATE THESE POP PERSONAS: ATHLETIC, INNOCENT, BADASS, AND POWERFUL. WE AIM TO CRITIQUE AND CELEBRATE THEM THROUGH OUR CONTEMPORARY INTERPRETATION.
models JOY SONG, KATE HILLENBRAND, LAUREN FOX & AMBAVI LONGE styled by STANISLAV LEDOVSKIKH makeup by ABBY WOODMAN hair by JULIA KREITMAN fashion assistance by BLYTHE BRUWER & MAGGIE MAIN
Shorts & T-Shirt, Brandy Melville; Shoes, Nike at Bodega; Jersey & Vest, Mark McNairy, at Bodega.
Skirt, Brandy Melville; Blouse & Shoes, Stylist’s Own.
Shorts, Brandy Melville; Sweater, Zara.
Skirt, Shirt & Sweater, Brandy Melville.
THIS PAGE (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT): Shirt & Skirt, Brandy Melville; Shoes, Adidas, at Bodega; Hat, HUF, at Bodega. Jersey, 10Deep, at Bodega; Shorts, Brandy Melville; Shirt & Shoes, Zara.
THIS PAGE (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT): Shirt & Skirt, Brandy Melville; Shoes, Zara. Jacket, Cav Empt, at Bodega; Shirt & Shorts, Brandy Melville; Shoes & Earrings, Model’s Own.
THE SHADOW PHOTO BY EVAN TETREAULT MODEL YILLIAN MA STYLED BY DANIELLE BRIZEL