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SPRING/SUMMER // 2010 EDITORS Rachel Oliner Juliana Reyes Simran Singh Elizabeth Svokos Darren White ASSISTANT EDITORS Chris Flores Amanda King Ashley Wu CONTRIBUTORS Andrew Lipstein Rachel Park Andrew Wei Raffi Williams Mary Elizabeth Taylor
STAFF Mandy Ball Sakina Abdus Shakur Jennifer Tong PHOTOGRAPHERS Amanda King Bennett Smith Darren White Ashley Wu
CONTACTFANDF@GMAIL.COM
COVER MODEL Marina Morrison COVER PHOTO Darren White 1
JEWELRY Bow-Nanza, Garden and Turtle Rings, Love Elsy by Rose Schall
Features 4 PHILLY GETS RISKY by Rachel Park 13 PUT A RING ON IT by Darren White 27 PAINT ME OVER by Darren White 39 FROM THE BATTLEFIELD TO THE STREET 47 FEELING DOWN ABOUT DRESSING UP
by Andrew Wei by Rachel Oliner
48 ?????????????????? by Simran Singh 59 TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES by Andrew Lipstein
Editorials 5 SPARE 15 HEIR TO THE THRONE 29 WILD THANG 41 IN THE MEN’S ROOM 49 STIMMUNG
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DEAR READERS, We used to sit in Lunt Café every Monday night and just talk about all our ideas. Now they’re actually on the page. In this, our third issue, we still have the same heart, we’re just pushing our limits. In the shoot “Stimmung,” we forego clothes, using the body as a canvas. We highlight men’s fashion, something we’ve overlooked in the past. We take a look back into the history of military style. We toy with royalty and broken down cars. We learned that our ideas can be realized, it just took a little courage (and a lot of paint, in our case). As students ourselves, we’re not here to tell you how to dress. We’re not the final word on style on this campus. Instead, we try to take the pulse of the campus: discover what inspires people, find out what people love. You are our infatuation and the only way we can pay you homage is to translate it onto paper. So let us know what you love, what you hate, what you think needs to be in the magazine. This is a publication about our community so you have the influence over what we pursue and put into action. WITH LOVE, Chris Flores Amanda King Rachel Oliner Juliana Reyes Simran Singh Elizabeth Svokos Darren White Ashley Wu
P.S. Have you ever wondered about the title of this magazine? Think hard about the Bi-Co mascots.
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Rachel Park explores Delicious: a carnival of cowboys, fantasies and corsets If Psydde Delicious were a cowboy, then his boutique would be a saloon. Donning leather boots, distressed jeans and a shoulder holster, Delicious looks like he belongs in a Western. Delicious Boutique & Corseterie lies in the heart of Northern Liberties, where coffee shops, art galleries and restaurants abound. It opened in November 2005, just 10 years after he and business partner, Amy Delicious, founded their company of custom-made corsets. The boutique has the décor of a circus. Brick red paint covers the walls. Large paintings of clowns hang at the front of the store and funhouse mirrors line the back. Christmas lights flicker intermittently, illuminating the words, “Wheel of Misfortune.” Below the cash register is a glass case full of trinkets, such as small plaster ornaments made in the shape of dismembered limbs. On the other side of the table is a poster of Tod Browning’s 1932 cult classic “Freaks,” a film about deformed individuals in a circus. These visuals set the boutique apart from other stores in the area. Psydde (pronounced: SID), 40, pictured it as a “collective space” where independent designers could come together and promote creative, original work. “We’re that elephant riding the unicycle,” he said with a smile. Assistant designer, Erin Miller, laughed and said, “Our clothes are … askew anyway – [It] goes with the vagabond, traveling circus feel.” Delicious revealed their unique vision on the runway at Philly’s first annual Fashion Week last October. Its collection incorporated the corset with more casual attire. Amy Delicious and Miller experimented with denim, leather and cotton. Since most customers consider the corset a “luxury item,” Miller said they worked with these textiles in order to create a more informal look. “Now, [you can] wear it with jeans, wear it with a freaking tutu!” said Miller, 26. Amy, 40, distressed fabrics for the Fashion Week collection and worked with “bleach, ink, paint, razor blades, a hammer and latex gloves.” Psydde, who studied fashion and textile design at Philadelphia University, is a proponent of the steampunk movement, which is exactly this conglomeration of punk and industrial styles. “It’s turn of the century … and definitely cool,” said Miller. Amy added, “We feel like we are grownup punk rockers from the early eighties.” Psydde travels all over the country to promote the brand, as well as to tap into niche markets, like the fetish community. According to Amy, 40 percent of custom-corset clients are men. “Boys wear girls’ pants, girls wear boys’ pants … I don’t think we
transgress gender boundaries so much as treat our clients respectfully and suggest they try things they may not have tried before,” she said. The Delicious company recently expanded. This past spring, they opened a menswear boutique in the Piazza at Schmidt’s in Northern Liberties. “Any successful business has to be able to adapt to its client base and not be too stubborn when it comes to change,” said Amy. The company was not immune to the economic recession. According to Miller, corsets take six to six-and-a-half hours to complete. Signature corsets are in the $475-$550 price range. They cut the production cost when they introduced their two-layer corsets, although they still offer the traditional three-layer. Curtailing costs, however, does not mean compromising the product’s quality. “We work with our clients to get the perfect fit and to create a oneof-a-kind garment for whatever occasion they are attending,” said Amy. “We do quite a bit of bridal, some proms, some special occasion wear, fetish wear, waist cinchers, etc.” Amy, Psydde, and Miller all recognized the potential of a thriving fashion scene in Philly. In terms of Fashion Week, Psydde said that Delicious “got tremendous response” and that the event was “an amazing thing for the city.” “I want to see Philly get more risky,” said Psydde. “People don’t wear outrageous pieces. They want to wait for trickle-down.” Many of the pieces featured on the runway are not necessarily streetwear, but they get filtered into products that people feel comfortable wearing in their everyday lives. “I see more and more that Philly people are putting their own touch on fashion, stepping out of the box slowly and with caution, but trying to get away from the humdrum jeans and T-shirts of the last 10 years,” said Amy. Designers that press the limits of fashion, like Delicious, make a deep impression on consumers because, as Psydde said, “everything is a little different.” “We needed to create a shopping experience that would make people want to come back,” said Psydde. In that respect, they have succeeded. Now who wants to try on a corset? •Delicious Boutique • 1040 N. American Street, #901 Philadelphia, PA 19123 • 215-413-0375 • www.deliciousboutique.com• Photos courtesy Delicious Boutique & www.philadelphiafashionweek.org 4
PHOTOGRAPHY BENNETT SMITH CREATIVE DIRECTION SIMRAN SINGH AND CHRIS FLORES
On Adrian Shirt, H&M. Shorts, Forever 21. On Martha Shirt, Free People. Shorts, Forever 21. On Ludovica Shirt, Slow and Steady Wins the Race. Jeans, BDG. Shoes, Christian Louboutin.
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On Adrian Jeans, Levi’s.
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On Adrian Shirt, Guess. Shorts, Zara. Sunglasses, Free People. On Martha Jumper, Grey Antics.
Opposite page Dress, Betsey Johnson. Shoes, Prima Donna. Sunglasses, Free People. 10
On Ludovica Slip, Free People. Shoot Team Chris Flores Amanda King Juliana Reyes Simran Singh Models Ludovica Ferme Martha Lecauchois Adrian Sills-Takyi
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Recent Drexel University graduate and Wynnewood (by way of New Jersey) native Rose Schall takes a calculated risk by starting her line of one-of-a-kind rings under the name Love Elsy. She tells Darren White her story of the ups and downs of fashion and retail and how she comes out on top financially and creatively. I’m staring at a pair of beat up, apple green Sperry Topsiders that are covered in dirt and dry grass. They were given to me as a gift from a friend who I rarely see or speak to anymore. As worn out and ground down these shoes are, I could never entertain the thought of trashing them. Somehow, losing them would mean losing the friendship, or perhaps, simply losing the memory of the friendship. What is it about that one special item in our closet that makes us remember – links us to a forgotten event, a past relationship, a
lost friend? Ring designer Rose Elizabeth Schall’s jewelry links directly to those types memories, using found pieces and old jewels from her own past to create new pieces of jewelry that become something like wearable memorials to people and events. “By using older pieces,” Schall explains, “I feel like I’m bringing back little mementos from people’s lives and making them new again.”
By using pieces that are instilled with someone else’s story, her jewelry bring the past into the future, enabling it to have a second life. Schall is very aware of the sentimentality that can be attached to the things we wear on a daily basis – and even to the things we only ever look at on a clothes hanger. She says she attaches meaning to all her clothing, even really old pieces or one’s she’s never worn. “I just can’t get rid of it. I’ve been selling some of it on eBay. It’s been a little sad,” she says, laughing. Breaking up is certainly hard to do and Schall knows it first-hand. With this knowledge firmly in hand, Schall creates one-of-a-kind rings that will strike a personal chord for the wearer, since you’ll be the only one to own it. “I love that my pieces are one-offs, because it’s always terrible seeing someone wearing the same thing as you, like all the Urban [Outfitters] jewelry, or Forever 21 pieces,” she says. “It’s really nice to know that this is yours, and it’s something really special, with a history.” Though her focus is now firmly planted in fashion, jewelry was not the original focus of this designer. Love Elsy started out as a line of organic, homemade beauty and skincare line called “Rebel Beauty.” Comprised of products like homemade lip balms and sugar scrubs, the product sold successfully, but Schall wasn’t fulfilled and was “completely over it” by February 2009. But while lurking in an old flea market, she found her destiny waiting on a shelf. “I was at a terribly, terribly slow flea market in Lehigh Valley and a wandered into an antique shop up there, and found this really cute old brooch and though this would be the perfect ring,” she remembers. The ring is her favorite – when asked about the possibility of selling it, she said very succinctly, but with a sly grin, “That’s mine.” Schall says that she was never a “jewelry person,” which is why the conception of this jewelry line seems so serendipitous. “I thought accessorizing was a complete waste of time,” she says. Schall was also not headed towards a career in fashion while in college. The Drexel University graduate was an interior design major who was squarely focused on spatial relationships rather than which pillow went with the silk velvet drapes. “I’m a big-picture person, I’m not detailed-oriented,” she says. “Even with interiors, I was all about the space planning. I never really cared about the decorating.” This attention to space is visible in her work. Though color and whimsy are an essential element to Schall’s rings, take away the color, and you’re left with intricate plays on shape, geometry and line. The Betty ring and the Peanut Butter ring (both pictured) are clear examples – intricate, geometric forms rendered simply in gold. While many independent designers are struggling to find their footing in the retail market after the great recession, many jewelry designers are experiencing an influx in customers. Schall is no different: she’s experienced a slight increase in the number of customers she sells to, and even sees the effect during her day job as a Sales Assistant at Betsey Johnson. “People will really just keep buying accessories [at Betsey Johnson] and change them up to make their outfits go further,” she says. Schall’s rings are certainly priced to sell in such an economy. Few rings are priced above the $50 point, but most are situated between $25 – $40, a low price to pay for a one-of-a-kind piece. And
the rings are adjustable, so there’s no need to fret over sizing as you change, grow or pass the pieces on to a friend or family member – a drop in the ocean of smart business moves Schall has made for her business, including a recent redesign of her website and her logo. “My sister was at this birthday party with a psychic, and the psychic told her that I needed a blooming rose in my new logo and I’d be very successful. I don’t believe in that sort of stuff but we’ll see,” she jokes. Other expansion ventures include working on casting new pieces in gold and silver. Love Elsy is a jewelry line full of life, love and energy. “I want to bring happiness to a person’s look,” Schall says, “a little bit of whimsy to a business suit.” Schall is continuing to keep her ear to the ground for new trends while working on her own designs and even while maintaining her vibrant working environment at Johnson. “The cross-dressers,” she says with a huge smile, “are my specialty.”
ABOVE: PEANUT BUTTER, LELA AND BETTY RINGS, ALL LOVE ELSY. LOVE ELSY RINGS ARE AVAILABLE AT LOVEELSY.COM AND SMAK PARLOUR IN PHILADELPHIA. PHOTOGRAHY DARREN WHITE
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On Noelia Dress, Forever 21. Shoes, Stuart Weitzman. Headdress, created by stylists. On Giff Shirt, J. Crew. Pants, J. Crew. Bowtie, Alexander McQueen. Shoes, Urban Outfitters.
PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN WHITE CREATIVE DIRECTION JULIANA REYES
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On Giff Hat, Christy’s. Shirt, Polo Ralph Lauren. Pants, Urban Outfitters Tie, vintage. Vest, J. Crew. 19
On Noelia Shirt, Hanes. Tutu, vintage. Socks, ASOS. Shoes, Payless.
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On Noelia, left Blouse, vintage. Pants, model’s own. Headband, Henri Bendel. On Noelia, right Shirt, American Apparel. Watch, Lanvin. 21
On Giff Sweater, Tommy Hilfiger. Shirt, Club Monaco. Jeans, Joe’s Jeans. Belt, Urban Outfitters. Shoes, Converse. Sunglasses, Haverfest. On Noelia Dress, Kimchi Blue. Tights, Betsey Johnson. Shoes, Forever 21. 22
On Giff Shirt, J. Crew. Pants, Joe’s Jeans. On Noelia Blouse, Vince. Shoes, Steve Madden. Headband, created by stylists. 23
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On Giff Shirt, byCorpus. Tie, Vintage. On Noelia Dress, Kimchi Blue. Shoes, Forever 21.
Shoot Team Chris Flores Ivy Howell Amanda King Rachel Oliner Juliana Reyes Simran Singh Darren White Hair & Makeup Juliana Reyes Sakina Abdus Shakur 25
Opposite page On Noelia Shirt, BDG. Sweater, American Apparel. Headband, Dirty Addiction.
Fine Arts Department Assistant Padma Rajendran talks to Darren White about leaving her design dreams behind to pursue a career in the art world: a world, she discovers, that isn’t so far away from fashion as it once was.
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hen I first encountered Padma Rajendran during one of my shifts at the Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery, I was sure that she – the art assistant with flawless skin, and effortlessly rumpled and washed flannels and denim – would not have anything to do with me – the fashion geek who often falls into the trap of speaking vapidly about one’s clothes when he gets nervous. Indeed, one of first things I ever said to Rajendran was a stuttered, “Oh my god, I love your shoes,” to which she replied “Thank you,” with more skepticism that I had originally hoped for. To Rajendran, I thought I would represent the obnoxious fashionisto at art school that all the traditional artists hated with a passion. But she’s not like that. Rajendran is that increasingly common artist that studies her Vuitton and Prada as closely as she does her Monet and Manet. A former intern at Men’s Vogue and with bespoke shirtmaker Alicia Bell, Rajendran’s fascination with design began with a summer course at Parsons The New School of Design in Manhattan after her freshman year at Bryn Mawr. After the design course, Rajendran began to design her coursework at Bryn Mawr around the pursuit of a career in design. Then came the drool-worthy internships. She then studied abroad at an art academy in Italy her junior year. She credits her fascination with menswear to the design courses she took there. Rajendran chose to major in Fine Arts in order to strengthen her drawing skills for a future in design. But after taking evening courses at the Student League while interning at Men’s Vogue, she found a true refuge in the studio, painting and drawing. “I really loved making art and being in the studio,” she says. “It was like another place, another world. The others things in my head just became irrelevant at the time.” For as long as people have worn clothes and artists have made paintings, there has been a clear distinction between the “fine arts” of painting, drawing and other traditional mediums and the craftsmanship and relative practicality of clothing design and construction. Though pioneering 20th century architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier and Adolf Loos dabbled in fashion design, it was only as a reaction to their disdain for the perceived frivolity and decadence of fashion. But a quick look into any Louis Vuitton store will provide a casual fashion follower with enough knowledge to know that this relationship has changed in the 21st century. Louis Vuitton, lead by Marc Jacobs, has had a monopoly on this increasingly common relationship, collaborating with art-word hot shots like Richard Prince, Steven Sprouse and Takashi Muramaki. For the unitiated, just talk to Rajendran about Dries van Noten,
the Belgian designer highly regarded for his ability to synthesize a worldly eclecticism with a modern, street-smart cut. If you catch the conversation in progress, you may think that she’s discussing a 1920’s Dada collage. “He’s so meticulous and yet simple at the same time,” she says with the enthusiasm of the freshest fashion journalist. “Each look of his is a collage of print, color and movement, and in a way, that’s the same thing that’s happening in a painting.” And this keenness isn’t reserved for the Belgian. “I love the most recent Fendi collection [designed by Karl Lagerfeld]. That season was definitely a yellow period for Lagerfeld and that continuity is just as important in design as it is in an artist’s body of work.” The lines between what can be identified as art have been increasingly blurred over the past decade to facilitate this type of conversation. When an innovative artist like Cindy Sherman or Ryan McGinley shows up to openings wearing Balenciaga and Burberry, a trend is certainly afoot. One look at Style.com’s event photography, which covers fashion parties, film premieres and gallery openings, can provide you with enough food for thought for days. Rajendran knows this first hand. She remembers seeing Nate Lowman, artist and former beau of Mary-Kate Olsen, everyday at the coffee shop she worked at. “He’d just come in, in the same shitty pumpkin t-shirt, and it had the cut-out triangles of a jack-o-lantern. And he’d come in so grubby and so desperate for an iced latte. I had no idea who he was at the time. But later on I remember looking at party pictures on Style. com, and he was wearing that same disgusting t-shirt!” As much as a traditionalist artist may hate this new relationship, it has become an integral part of the arts in New York. “For new contemporary artists,” Rajendran explains, “art and fashion go hand in hand because it is fashionable. In both circles, you are required to know both to be properly initiated.” This is a relationship that Rajendran still feels uneasy about, as she finds herself slightly disconnected from the fashionista dreams she abandoned almost four years ago. “I don’t think I’m a fashion follower,” she says. “I sort of feel it doesn’t enter my daily life the way it once did. Practicality and the work I’m doing for that day and the ease and comfort I want from clothing dominate my clothing decisions.” Still, Rajendran has her own list of must-haves for this summer. “Norma Kamali sunglasses, a great pair of espadrilles and a silk shirt.” You can take the artist out of fashion, but you can’t take the fashion out of the artist.
“I really loved making art and being in the studio,” she says. “It was like another place, another world. The others things in my head just became irrelevant at the time.”
PHOTGRAPHY DARREN WHITE
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PHOTOGRAPHY AMANDA KING CREATIVE DIRECTION RACHEL OLINER 30
On Eugenia Headband and tunic, Blemahdoo African Marketplace. 31
On Eugenia Caftan, Blemahdoo African Marketplace. Bikini, Old Navy. Heels, Anna Michelle. On Alexandra Pantsuit, Blemahdoo African Marketplace. Bikini, Old Navy. Heels, Aldo.
On Alexandra Dress, Blemahdoo African Marketplace. Bangles, model’s own. Shoes, Sam Edelman. On Eugenia Dress, Blemahdoo African Marketplace. Boots, Deena & Ozzy.
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Vest, Jimmy Choo for H&M. Bathing suit, model’s own. Cuff, Alanna Bess. Bangles, model’s own. Shoes, Forever 21.
Hair & Makeup Sakina Abdus Shakur Jennifer Tong Shoot Team Amanda King Rachel Oliner Juliana Reyes Models Alexandra Colon Eugenia Machado
Next page Vest, Topshop. Dress, Blemahdoo African Marketplace. Shoes, Sam Edelman. 36
On the frontlines, looking conspicuous draws enemy fire, but fire is just what a designer aims for on the runway. Andrew Wei takes a look into years of design drawn from military fashion. It’s not easy to create something unique but still wearable. Before a designer can experiment with an original idea, he either needs to be well established or have the right investor, or both. So young designers often choose to modernize timeless pieces while they create their identities and discover their niches. Designers update old styles by adding their own details and using new patterns of materials (often more luxurious). Sometimes they modify the silhouettes of past pieces in order to create something that looks fresh but does not stray too far from its original inspiration. But designers have reworked and remastered these classic pieces so much that it’s easy to forget where they originated. Here we take a step back into the military: one of the most prolific fashion revivals.
black thick wool. Due to the popularity and classic style of pea coats, several designers always look to add one into their fall/winter collections.
P E A C OAT S
Pea coats first originated in Europe in the 18th century. The term “pea” coat comes from the Dutch word pij, a type of cloth used in the production of the coat. It has now become part of the official attire of the United States Navy, mostly in navy blue or 39
GERMAN ARMY SNEAKERS
In the 1970s, the German military issued these sneakers, but they fell out of production before the crumbling of the Berlin Wall. Though not quite as ubiquitous as pea coats, these sneakers have had a noticeable influence on modern footwear. The popular Adidas Samba has a very similar structure and design. Other designers such as Maison Martin Margiela and Dior Homme have brought back this sneaker in a wide variety of colors and luxurious combinations of suede, canvas and leather materials.
A-2 (BOMBER) L E AT H E R JA C K E T S
Peacoat from Simon Spurr, Fall 2010
The A-2 or “Bomber,” as it is commonly called, flight jacket was first standardized by the U.S. Army Air Corps back in the early 1930s and is associated with WWII pilots. The commonly horsehide or
steerhide leather jacket was characterized by two large symmetrical pockets in the front and knitted wrist/waist bands. Despite its popularity, in 1942, General H.H. “Hap” Arnold cancelled all A-2 production in favor of new cloth jackets. It was not until the late 1980’s that it was re-standardized as a U.S. Air Force item. The Japanese are huge on reproductions of classic American clothing, including A-2 leather jackets. The Japanese manufacturers Buzz Rickson and The Real McCoy are two of several companies that specialize in reproducing original A-2 production models with a special attention to detail and quality.
MA-1 F L I G H T JA C K E T
The MA-1 flight jacket was created after WWII in response to new technological advances for pilots. Pilots were now able to reach higher altitudes due to improved jets. But that meant colder air, and if pilots’ jackets were wet from the rain, the leather would freeze. Nylon had just been discovered before WWII and became the official material for the new flight jacket, the MA-1. The insulated nylon jackets were enough to keep the pilots warm while also repelling water. These jackets can most easily be recognized by a zippered pocket on the left sleeve. They are mostly found in the collections of designers who focus on military-inspired looks such as Nice Collective and reproduction manufacturers such as Buzz Rickson.
M-65 F I E L D JA C K E T
Bomber jacket from Richard Chai, Fall 2010
The M-65 field jacket was introduced to the U.S. military in 1965 and was widely used in the Vietnam War. It was an upgrade over the M-43 field jacket first issued during WWII. The jacket was an essential, characterized by its 4 snap closure pockets—two breast pockets and two hip pockets. It is most commonly made in cotton, nylon, polyester or a combination of the three. Its simple yet classic style is why it can be found in several collections spanning quite different aesthetics. For example, Supreme, a clothing company started in downtown Manhattan, which appeals to skater, punk and hip hop culture, as well as A.P.C., a French brand known for its minimalist design, both have had M-65s in their collections.
KHAKI
Khaki is ingrained in military history, but because of its prevalence in everyday wear, the fabric is often overlooked as part of the military fashion canon. During the Second Boer War, in the late 18th century and early 19th century, the British armed forces were called the Khakis because of the fabric of their uniforms. At the same time, the U.S. adopted khaki as its official military uniform during the Spanish American War. It remains the fabric of military uniforms in the U.S. today.
Photos courtesy www.gq.com
M-65 field jacket from Patrick Urvell, Fall 2010
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PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN WHITE WORDS JULIANA REYES
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Where he shops: “I don’t shop shop very much, but when I do, thrift stores are where it’s at.” Or his mom’s closet, where he found the Bowie T-shirt he’s wearing.What else he’s wearing: Levi’s 501s, the only kind of jeans he wears. Noel found out sophomore year that they fit him perfectly, and he hasn’t bought anything else since. On his wrists, gifts from friends; a plastic spaceship watch from a friend who left to work at NASA and his roommate’s shoelaces. The Wonder Years: “People always seem to think that I
“I DON’T MIND LOOKING A LITTLE DISHEVELED OR DIRTY.” - NOEL CAPOZZALO, 2010 43
look like a character from a ‘90s sitcom,” he says. Though he calls ‘80s and ‘90s style “kind of ugly,” he likes it anyway. Style confession: He says he wouldn’t describe himself as “into fashion” but that he’s definitely conscious of what he wears. It’s a bit of a contradiction, he says, because he hates to look like he’s tried very hard. He fears coming off as conceited or vain. “But that’s certainly a part of me,” he admits.
Where he shops: There have been certain go-to stores for him, like the Gap (“My mom used to buy all my clothes there,” he says) and American Apparel (“But I’m kind of bored with that place now.”), but what he’s really into are band T-shirts. He loves handscreened band shirts, like the Twin Sister one he’s wearing. What else he’s wearing: A hoodie from Rite-Aid (another go-to store) and old, beat-up Vans. He says he likes worn shoes because they tell a story. “But on the downside,” he says, “they’re extremely un-
comfortable.” In the limelight: When he plays Post Post shows, Kevin says he puts more effort into looking good. “But mostly because I’ll get yelled at if I don’t,” he says. “Like, I wouldn’t wear my super short jean shorts because it might embarrass the band.” Shameless: When it comes to clothes, he says he doesn’t mind being embarrassed. “I wear a lot of stupid things,” he says. Kevin’s known to show up to a party in a hotshort cycling onesie or a space suit. But that’s not a fashion statement, he says, it’s just a joke.
“I’M INFLUENCED BY THE MUSIC SCENE, THAT BASEMENT SHOW CULTURE: SWEATY, HOT AND JEAN SHORTS.” - KEVIN O’HALLORAN, 2011 44
Where he shops: Some of his favorites include J.Crew, online boutique Rue La La, Ben Sherman and Charlie’s in Philadelphia, which he calls “the best place to get denim in the city.” What he’s wearing: Jason had a meeting with Haverford president Steve Emerson the day of the shoot, so he dressed up a little. Banana Republic blazer, light blue pinstripe button down, but no tie because it’s “too stiff,” he says. “It’s just not me.” Why not?: The way you dress directly corresponds to how approachable you look,
he explains, and looking approachable is important to him. “A shirt and tie doesn’t win me any points with students,” he says. Not in the job description: In 2007, Jason took then-sophomore Jake Ralston to the mall for a little makeover – new haircut, new shoes, even some new seersucker shorts. “He was always complimenting me on my style,” Jason says. So he took Jake shopping. “People would stop me and say, ‘Thank you.’ And I’d say, ‘For what?’” Jason remembers. Their response? “Jake looks so good!”
“I LOVE THE IDEA OF ‘CONVERTIBLE CLOTHES,’ CLOTHES THAT WORK FOR DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.” - JASON MCGRAW, DIRECTOR OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES
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Where he shops: His picks range from J.Crew to the Goodwill in D.C.’s Adams Morgan to New York City’s Triple 5 Soul. What he’s wearing: A jacket from United Colors of Benneton. Jackets are his favorite thing to buy. “You can put a jacket over anything,” he says. Family affair: “My dad always makes fun of me,” he says, for caring about what he wears. But it seems to be in his blood -- his mom used to work in fashion photography and his uncle has a clothing store in Soho. As for his younger sister, well, she’s on
her way with a little help from Julien. When she wanted a polo shirt from Hollister, he got her one from Rugby by Ralph Lauren instead. The stylist next door: Julien lives on a hall with only five other guys, so sometimes he’s the one answering the question, “Does this look okay?” He even helped his Upperclassman Advisor figure out what to wear for a date. “She refused to wear heels,” he says. “So we worked around it.”
“I THINK EVERY GUY KNOWS WHEN YOU LOOK PUT TOGETHER IT’S A BETTER REFLECTION OF YOU. BUT SOMETIMES, IT’S TOO MUCH EFFORT.” - JULIEN CALAS, 2013
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Snap out of it! Rachel Oliner investigates the dilemma that fashionable students face when they open their closets. Fade into the mix or stand out in your chicest wares? I walk into Magill Library at 9:30 a.m. and head straight for the ally immature.” printers. But something’s off. It feels like 20 pairs of eyes are on me. But her impression of the dolled-up student isn’t much better. Did the Nutella that I secretly slathered on my morning toast end “They are self-conscious about their physical appearance and up on my face instead? Did my leggings become transparent over use clothes to cover it up.” So, how does one tiptoe around this night? No, wait, it’s even worse. There I am, picking up a reading delicate line between too shabby and too chic? for class, in my pink dip-dyed ombré sheepskin vest, slashed black For most, this delicate dance is up to interpretation. For sneakjeans and some mink ankle boots that I scored from a vintage store er-lover and Haverford sophomore Bert Lee, it doesn’t matter how in the city. What’s wrong with this picture? you dress but rather how you perform. There are a handful of students on this campus who endure the “I think that certain people perform better if they dress nicer weird looks and the quiet behind-the-back sniggering in the name since they take their looks, and thus their work, more seriously,” of creativity, individuality, and, well, fun. he says. Taking the time to put together a spiffy outfit is often misinterHaving grown up in Paris, Haverford sophomore Audrey Saul preted on our campuses. People ask, “Is it a special occasion?” “Are agrees with the subjectivity behind the notion of dressing up. you trying to impress someone?” And Though she does describe seeing of course, “Why are you so dressed up? Dressing up can bring lightness to students coming to class looking We’re at Haverford.” as if they had just rolled out of the day. Fashion allows students to bed as a “culture shock,” she beWell, some people are so “dressed up” because they love the way it makes lieves that ultimately “everyone express themselves in an inspired them feel. It makes discussing Nietzshould wear what makes them way. When I look put together, I feel comfortable.” sche and researching neuronal firing patterns an otherworldly experience. However, Saul admits that she put together and like I can tackle For some, the best part of Saturday “will have more admiration and whatever research paper is thrown my respect for someone who took night is the pre-party in their closet. Chicago native and self-proclaimed the time to pick out an outfit and way. shopaholic Haverford junior Jordan look decent before meeting new Yellen feels the scrutiny when she wears what she likes. She says people” as opposed to “someone who just didn’t bother.” that during the week people will always question why she’s dressed While there are those haughty fashionable beings who look the way she is. down on the mere sweats-addicts, Haverford sophomore Peter “The weekends are the only time people don’t really care if you Loewi is not one of them. He describes his everyday wear as “what go the extra mile,” she says. others might call ‘dressing up’”: dark jeans, slacks, and “always a But even then, dressing up can be interpreted as trying too collared shirt.” Loewi says he always takes the time to look fresh hard. and admits that his favorite clothing item is a pants-skirt combinaWhen asked to describe the general state of dress in the bi-col- tion by Japanese brand Comme des Garçons. Still, he says, “I try lege community, Haverford senior Vanessa Sergeon calls it “pretty not to judge people based on what they wear, being an asshole shabby.” She believes in “different degrees of getting dressed up,” doesn’t work well for me.” and when she does take the time to look fly at college, it’s not to So when you see that girl in her little emerald green dress and the same extent as she would elsewhere, like at home on Bleecker knee high boots at the dining hall, try not to make her feel like Street in New York City. an animal at the zoo. Dressing up can bring lightness to the day. She identifies two different extremes: the student who only Fashion allows students to express themselves in an inspired way. wears the same sweatpants-sweatshirt combination for days at a When I look put together, I feel put together and like I can tackle time and the student who comes to class completely decked out whatever research paper is thrown my way. So, if you find yourself and dressed to the nines. hesitating to throw on that leather bomber jacket, take a second to Her thoughts on the sweats-addict? forget about all the shifty glances. If it makes you feel good, wear “They take little pride in their appearance and are gener- it. And don’t forget to walk with your head up. 47
HOW TO
MAKE IT
IN FASHION Simran Singh says farewell to fashion in the bi-co and a hopeful hello to the future of her dreams.
As the last weeks of the semester wind down, and the year concludes, I notice that I am not alone. I am not the only one without a job lined up for next fall. And I am definitely not the only one who made the mistake of not going directly to graduate school for another degree that will find me unemployed and in debt in another two years. But it does feel like I’m the only one who is trying to learn how to make it in fashion. Obviously, the fashion industry holds itself to high standards: tall, skinny blonde ‘fashion merch’ graduates in barely-there mini dresses stomp around the lobbies of the finest designer showrooms, fashion houses and international publishing companies, while Eastern European models in Italian handmade heels flood New York City, London, Milan and Paris during those famous weeks twice a year. Six-inch stilettos, six yards of silk and $20 billion dollars in annual revenue later, the fashion industry has its place in the global economy. But will the fashion industry have any place for me? Let’s hope. Because there is nothing else I would rather do. My journey into the fashion industry began when Darren, Rachel, Juliana, Bee and I envisioned a student-produced fashion publication for Bryn Mawr and Haverford College. The birth of F&F was like the red START button. I pushed it and an unconditional desire to dedicate my entire life to the art of fashion took over my entire body. Okay, maybe not my entire body…But F&F gave me a sense of validation. A feeling that I, a 5’4, 115lb brown eyed girl from a liberal arts college in the middle of Mainline Pennsylvania, could actually do something. Though I am currently and admittedly unemployed, I’ve been gathering some resources to get my foot in the door. First, start small. I’ve learned that the fashion industry is all about working your way up. The industry is buyer-driven. Retail companies provide what their customers demand. I am a sales associate at Free People, a large Philadelphia-based fashion retail company and have seen firsthand what comes and goes in and out of the store. Bryn Mawr and Haverford girls alike are buying summer dresses, denim and the perfect bralette to wear. Corporate fashion companies expect you to know how the company works from the ground
up and trust me, intern is their word of choice. My experience in the fashion industry has been minimum. And by minimum, I mean minimum wage. I interned in New York City with theory, a contemporary men and women’s wear line, earning just enough for my Metrocard to and from work and a side salad for lunch. My boss at theory, Kseniya Ruvinskaya graduated from Haverford College in 2004. I asked her, why fashion? How did she make it? Did Haverford help her in any way? The answer is simple: no. Kseniya took classes at Parsons and FIT once she graduated from Haverford to help her specialize in the field. “The liberal arts education didn’t exactly prepare me for the field of fashion, but it did give me the skills necessary to see a problem from different angles and make a decision based on facts presented,” she said. The truth is, you have to have a sound head to make any sort of proper decision, especially when millions of dollars and the future of a company is at stake. Kseniya noted that “a lot of people in the fashion industry completely lack [this] ability.” Still, she said that the only way to move ahead in this industry is by having many friends in it. “Everything in this industry is by recommendation and who you know,” she said. So does my liberal arts degree from Bryn Mawr mean nothing? Was $50k yearly tuition, hours of bullshit schoolwork and too many sleepless nights not worth it in the end? For me, maybe not. To make up for my overpriced Artium Baccalaureus in Economics, and in order to follow my dreams, I’ll have to begin with cutting fabrics or filing purchase orders and surprisingly, I’m perfectly fine with that. To make it in fashion, I will gladly sell my soul to Christian, Louis, Karl, Marc and the late Alexander. I will wake up at all hours of the night to book Tom a flight to Paris or Thakoon a flight to Milan as long as I know it will be worth it in the end. Look out boys because this girl (will hopefully) be back in town. 48
“Stimmung is almost untranslateable. It is almost “sentiment” in the best sense and almost ‘feeling.’” - Wassily Kandinsky
PHOTOGRAPHYASHLEY WU PAINTERSLIZ COHEN-SCHEER & SHARON LI
KANDINSKY
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Underwear, American Apparel. Bras, models’ own.
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POLLOCK 52
NEWMAN
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KELLY
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ROTHKO
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SHOOT TEAM Chris Flores Amanda King Rachel Oliner Juliana Reyes Simran Singh MODELS Caroline Hsu Andres Mauricio Celin Jack Wright Nelson 57
LOUIS
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Andrew Ian Lipstein goes behind the scenes of an F&F shoot. “It was with the utmost reluctance that I found the figure could not serve my purposes. But a time came when none of us could use the figure without mutilating it.” -Mark Rothko “Tyra Banks has 275 smiles,” begins an article in the New York Times Magazine, published in the summer of 2008. The piece details the life of the model-actress-businesswoman-goddess, macroscopically opens up the fashion industry and implicitly asks the reader to ask themselves: how many smiles do I have? Maybe you can count them on your fingers and toes or maybe you can’t, but you don’t have 275. You don’t even have close to 275. I asked Andres Celin, one of the four models in the Feathers & Fur (F&F) abstract expressionist body paint shoot, about his smile count. “Probably no more than six,” he said. “Six or seven smiles.” He then revealed the first: the “My Honesty is Both Brutal and Adorable” smile. Over spring break, editor Juliana Reyes told me that the two upcoming F&F shoots I could choose to cover were 1) abstract expressionist bodypainting and 2) menswear. She said I should do the latter. “It’s interesting because it’s our first all guy shoot,” she wrote in an email (as if F&F does pop art bodypainting photo shoots on the reg). Turns out she was nervous about me covering the bodypaint shoot because she had no idea how it would turn out. The premise was to recreate Rothko, Pollock, Newman, et al. on almost naked coeds. Each swipe of paint on flesh seemed to ask, what happens when you make the canvas less still? What happens when the canvas “breathes” in the most literal sense and the canvas can seduce the camera when you ask it to and scream when you tell it to? My choice was obvious. I promised Juliana I’d try to keep any creepy smiles to a minimum. When I first arrive, it’s 10 a.m. and Santigold’s “L.E.S. Artistes” carries throughout the Marshall Fine Arts Center. This feels either completely ironic, not at all or somewhere in between. The morning clarity of the day carries especially well through the well-lit, bare, white and spotless studios. In the bathroom I watch Chris Flores, an up-and-comer for F&F, guide Jack’s hair under the sink’s faucet. Jack is the other male canvas. He’s tall and somewhat pale. He’s Australian, sounds Australian (“I did modeling once before, in year ten.”) and plays rugby for Haverford. His full name is Jack Wright Nelson, a name too good to be true for the situation. “Lift your head out and just keep on pushing your hair to the side,” Chris tells him, “like this.” “Like this?” Jack asks, holding his hair to the side. “Yes.” 59
The first shoot is the Pollock, involves all four models and starts with “Murder She Wrote.” The two females are Augusta Irele, who has beautifully smooth black skin, and Caroline Hsu, who’s smallish and Asian but has chutzpah behind her gait. “Head over there and pants off,” Simran instructs. Her and Juliana lock eyes. “What?” Simran asks. The models stand in front of a white tarpaulin-covered wall. Their four skin tones complement each other and make me think I’m making a character on the Sims, choosing between the same four choices we always get to choose from: pale white, ebony black, light champagne yellow, caramel Andres. It would be perfect for an admissions’ brochure if not for…
The extra small American Apparel flesh-colored skivvies surprisingly cover Andres and Jack where they should. Andres looks around and smiles what I guess is his second smile genre: the “I Know You Can See My Bulge” smile. A certain tension builds through the bare skin and misguided glances at first, but with each minute it begins to feel more natural, almost implicit that there should always be tush in every direction. All of the bodies – already captivating because they’re almost naked but even more so because they carry eminent abstract pieces of art – compete for attention with student artwork lying lazily on the borders of both studios. For so much white space, there are a lot of distractions to lose track of time within spare moments. The editors take turns bringing the crew out of these dazes. The F&F staff struggle at first to physically place the models, to place their canvas. Pollock never had this problem, I think, he
for warmth. Arms are everywhere; at times I’m definitely convinced I can count up to twelve arms on the four models. “This isn’t working,” Simran says, but everyone is thinking it. The four are grouped into sets of two and then regrouped and regrouped again. Nothing is working. Looking at their faces is the best part. I’ve always found it hard to force a smile in a photograph, but these four are doing much more. They’re being told to “look interesting.” “Look like a canvas, but a canvas that I want to end the night with.” “Look like a canvas, but a beautiful canvas.” “Hug that other canvas...no, not like that.” Finally, it’s agreed the models should stand straight up, shoulder-to-shoulder. It’s an art to look natural when doing something so obviously not. Simran promises me that normally, instructing models involves telling them obvious things: “look serious,” “close your mouth,” “point your feet,” “look serious,” “close your mouth,” “point your
When I first arrive, it’s 10 a.m. and Santigold’s “L.E.S. Artistes” carries throughout the Marshall Fine Arts Center. This feels either completely ironic, not at all or somewhere in-between. just started splashing. Pollock also never had to deal with hands, the most awkward of all body parts to use, or not use, naturally. The models end up very close to each other, almost like they’re huddling
feet,” or “elongate your back.” But the feel of this shoot dives into avant-garde, mostly because it has to. For a fashion magazine to take away all of the clothes and try to simultaneously keep the attention on classic pieces of abstract expressionism and the model-canvases that carry them, they need to do something new. This newness carries an electric current through everyone involved. Suddenly editors who should be tired of early weekend photo shoot after photo shoot look eager, nervous even. Then with one swift motion of the arm, to Rage Against the Machine’s “Renegades of Funk,” artist Liz Cohen-Scheer lets a controlled and chaotic string of red paint fly from her brush across four midriffs. Everyone stops, it looks wonderful. On one model’s stomach the streak ends, and then on the adjacent tummy it begins: perfectly contiguous but perfectly disrupted and offset. Andres looks down and then up, showing his “This Is So Sweet” smile. And so the artists begin: acrylic and giggles splash across the bodies, which are trying their best to stay motionless. “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys and plenty of Ratatat1 fill the crisp, large studio. The fun stops for moments at a time, when one of the models gets a strip of paint across their eye, or when the artists need to get more paint. Andres’ shows his fourth smile: the “Hold Steady, Hold Steady, This Paint Is So Cold But Hold Steady” smile. Andres’ fifth smile only appears between shoots, when the models go in and out of the Gardner Integrated Athletic Center (GIAC) to the showers, half-naked and uniquely painted. It’s pretty similar to his “I Know You Can See My Bulge” smile, but somehow more discreet. At the end of the Pollock shoot, the models are told to scream at the camera. To aid the mood, Juliana suggests that everyone in the room also scream to make the models seem more comfortable. The disc-jockey-by-proxy helps by switching back to Rage Against the Machine. Whether or not these deliver the desired effects, the techniques definitely serve to increase the pulse of the canvas. In addition to cleaning their organic canvases, showering serves to parse the shoots, to refresh the models, to arm them with 60
a new skin – not unlike crackers between wine tastings. Each model will shower two or three times during the set, making sure to get any last bit of paint that will surely show through the high-res clicks. After their first shower, Jack and Andres compare torsos. While Andres’ looks normal, red streaks are apparent on Jack’s pale stomach. “I guess this will just make me look tougher for my [rugby] match later,” Jack offers. The marks look like the result of a Kool-Aid water gun fight. “Yeah,” Andres says. “Definitely.” While Andres is waiting to be painted, he takes my notebook and writes in it, “I have to say this, it’s becoming quite difficult to take my eyes off of Andres’ hot little ass. It’s real delicious and it makes me feel confused…” I thank him. He asks if I can get him a soda from the GIAC and hands me a dollar and a quarter. My first thought is that he plainly asked for a soda, any soda; this is a request I thought was reserved for cinema. I thought normal people always have a specific soda in mind. Asking for a Sprite or a Diet Coke would have made sense, but he just wanted a soda. I intended on getting him something like Diet Orange Crush, but then he flashed me a smile, his “How ‘Bout a Pepsi, Kid?” smile. God knows how difficult it would be to work with a dehydrated canvas. I hear Jack scream from the other room. He’s not screaming like he’s angry or excited, but like someone said “scream” – sixty percent that scream at the end of Garden State, forty percent not screaming. In the other room Jack is lying down on a tarp with two black semi-circloid figures starting on his abdomen and ending on his lower face. Photographer Ashley Wu is shooting him from above with the aid of a stool. “Umm, act like you’re having a bad dream,” she says. “No, a really bad dream.” Jack turns his head in one direction and then the other, looking mildly upset. “Jack you look really shy. Look like you’re dreaming of people eating people.” Jack’s head continues to oscillate. I don’t know what I would look like if I was dreaming of people eating people, and I don’t think Jack does either. “Um, okay. Lie still, Jack,” Ashley instructs him. He stops moving and closes his eyes. It’s when he stops moving that the black paint finally lifts off from his skin and into the camera. I move closer and look at it. It’s peeling slightly on the area around his chest, most likely because of the hair. But on his neck the paint is still a little wet; it’s slick and darker. I can see the light from above changing its glare off of the side of his Adam’s apple in sets of two, every second or so, showing his steady heartbeat. One of the last shoots of the day has Andres sitting with his legs spread on the floor like a ragdoll and Caroline sitting above him on a wooden L-shaped bench. The desired calm feel clashes with
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the Arctic Monkeys’ “Fake Tales of San Francisco” playing in the background. Both models have a black stripe painted down their bodies, and Caroline sits above Andres perfectly so that it looks like one long stripe. From the camera’s viewpoint they both look nude. The bench covers her parts and a rustic can of odorless Turpenoid covers his. In each shoot the canvas seemed to become more important – switching its background with the foreground of the paint – and in this shot it is most apparent. The odorless Turpenoid can should just be an odorless Turpenoid can, but now it stands for what it conceals. Andres looks down at the can, up at the camera, down at the can and then up at me. “I Think I’m Ready For This To Be Over,” his smile says.
Each swipe of paint on flesh seemed to ask, what happens when you make the canvas less still? What happens when the canvas “breathes” in the most literal sense and the canvas can seduce the camera when you ask it to and scream when you tell it to?
§ WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH F&F? We’re always looking for creative students to contribute to the magazine. New contributors are an important part of the growth and evolution of our magazine. We’re looking for writers, videographers, bloggers, illustrators, publicity staff, make-up artists and more. No experience necessary, just passion, commitment and willingness to learn. E-mail us at contactfandf@gmail.com for more information.
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“It’s a new era in fashion - there are no rules. It’s all about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels and up-and-coming designers all together.” Alexander McQueen (1969-2010)