GOGUE SPRING 2026

GOGUE Spring 2026

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Maddy Rudolph

Animaniacs Drag in Motion

Disco Harris

Nino Kirtava

Y2K Gardner

Bella Takata, Agnes Allman, & Dimitra Giantsidi

Bags

Sanuthie Amarasinghe

CONTENTS

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45 47 53 59 61 67 73 75

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Meet the Staff

Letter from the Editor

Jorge Salinas

Jessie Goodman, Nina Ranalli, Valery Mayorga Garcia, & Vierka Martin

Cultural Evening

Marie Reyes-Alvarez

Henry Park & Kaan MacDonald

Asian Night Market

Sanuthi Amarasinghe

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she/they 2028

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Writer: Sugi Lucas. Photographer: Grace Cuddihy. Graphic Designer: Annabel Andre.

G

etting ready is a ritual for Sanuthi Amarasinghe. They dedicate three hours every morning to the process, usually starting with a piece that speaks to them and building their outfit around it. They always make sure to save time for stacking necklaces and piling bracelets on. “Half of me getting ready is just accessorizing,” they laugh.

The result of her three-hour odyssey is always unpredictable. Sanuthi describes her style as a “mishmash.”

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Half of me getting ready is just accessorizing.

Not confining herself to a certain aesthetic identity allows for play within her wardrobe; she can experiment freely with gender, material, and styling.

Besides being inspired by the clothes and accessories themselves, she notes that different maximalist styles influence her, from the DIY customizations of the punk scene to the flowing silhouettes and scarves of the 70’s to the hyper-accessorized layering of Harajuku subcultures. “There’s very little logic” to what they are drawn to, they explain. “I’m very much a figure-out-as-I-go kind of person.”

The fluidity of Sanuthi’s style allows them to fully express their “love for individuality and [their] craftiness.” As a mixed media painter as well as someone who enjoys altering and making accessories and clothes, they are constantly on the lookout for materials. They mention a stockpile of old pen parts that they are planning on transforming into a necklace, as well as collections of bottle caps and pins. Handmade, altered, thrifted and gifted—their accessory collection has taken over their room, and they are constantly experimenting with how they wear their pieces.

“Every now and then I’ll just take my pliers and change one of my jewelry pieces,” they say, pointing out a locket that they transferred to a chain just this morning.

One of Sanuthi’s most treasured pieces exemplifies her craftiness and passion for individuality. It is an accumulation of loved objects and artistic processes: a maroon jacket that she “painted fairy wings on the back...and went crazy. I put pins on it. I did a really bad embroidery of a star...I put beads on pockets, buttons, sewn on a lot of things. It’s my most cus-

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tomized and my favorite jacket.” Her closet is full of personalized pieces like this, making every outfit its own work of art.

By the time Sanuthi leaves their dorm in the morning, they can take on anything. Fashion is ultimately a vessel for expressing their uniqueness and channeling their confidence. “A good outfit makes me feel a lot more confident every day,” they say, especially when they’re “jingly” with cascades of jewelry.

They emphasize that it’s not expensive to look like a million bucks every day—it's all about exploring your wardrobe and giving your clothes and accessories new life. “Start with something small,” they encourage, then experiment from there. “You have to just try things!”

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the

BAGS

For many, bags are not a fashion choice, simply a mechanism for carrying their school supplies. Black North Face backpacks pile up outside of D-Hall, creating mountains of uniformity (coming from someone who owns a Black North Face backpack herself). But there are pockets of Grinnellians who seek out bags that elevate their outfits and create a sense of individuality.

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toteadjacent For Esther Angell, bags can serve both purposes: “I understand that they need to be practical. But there are plenty of practical things that can also be unique and fun.” Esther’s red “tote adjacent” bag wrapped in a red ribbon is all about mixing practical items with the things that add more magic and life to the everyday.

She has the regular: computer, some notebooks, pens and pencils, her ear buds. But her most prized possessions are her trinkets. These include “a lock-picking set, my little metal trinkets I find, chapstick, hand cream, little toys, a mini set of UNO (which gets use on occasion), a little magic wand a preschooler gave me as a good luck charm, and a broken maraca that still makes noise.” For Esther, this red satchel is “like my little friend that rides along with me,” keeping her company throughout the day.

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crossbody “The bags find me.” This is Ethan Versh’s philosophy that informs his history of unique bags. Currently, he sports a black cross-body bag from the Taipei Museum of Contemporary Art that he got from Professor Kaufman from the Grinnell Art Department, who spread a collection of hand me downs onto a table and let him have his pick. Ethan appreciates the bag’s thick strap for comfort, and its perfect size: compact while still fitting all his essentials. While studying abroad in Amsterdam last semester, Ethan switched to a chunkier messenger bag popular among the city’s bike couriers. For Ethan rotating between bags is “like rearranging the furniture in your room … every once in a while you gotta refresh.” Recently, he’s been sewing musette bags, which are commonly used in professional road racing to provide food and water to racers, out of canvas and rope. His first sewing project was making a backpack for his brother, the process of which felt like a “crazy puzzle,” transforming thrifted fabric into something entirely his own.

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leather purse “The bags find me.” This is Ethan Versh’s philosophy that informs his history of unique bags. Currently, he sports a black cross-body bag from the Taipei Museum of Contemporary Art that he got from Professor Kaufman from the Grinnell Art Department, who spread a collection of hand me downs onto a table and let him have his pick. Ethan appreciates the bag’s thick strap for comfort, and its perfect size: compact while still fitting all his essentials. While studying abroad in Amsterdam last semester, Ethan switched to a chunkier messenger bag popular among the city’s bike couriers. For Ethan rotating between bags is “like rearranging the furniture in your room … every once in a while you gotta refresh.” Recently, he’s been sewing musette bags, which are commonly used in professional road racing to provide food and water to racers, out of canvas and rope. His first sewing project was making a backpack for his brother, the process of which felt like a “crazy puzzle,” transforming thrifted fabric into something entirely his own.

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Kipling backpack Brianna Harris takes this theory of accessorizing to her navy-blue Kipling backpack, covering it in keychains that jingle, announcing her presence in a room before she does. On choosing a backpack but keeping it unique Brianna reasons that as a STEM major she needs a backpack to fit her mountains of paper but as an “artistic STEM major” she “can’t blend in with the black North faces of Noyce.” The keychains remind her of her travels around the world and the friends who she spent them with. Brianna jokes, “some people collect snow globes, I collect key chains.” A stack of beaded blue charms (including an evil eye) with a silk blue ribbon tied in a bow at the base was gifted to her by her best friend Keiko from home. A plastic lobster hangs from her bag reminding her of a trip to Boston with the same friend to help her move into college. For Brianna, these layers of keychains “serve as little memories that I can walk around with on my bag.”

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Whether its Esther’s trinket filled companion, Ethan’s ever evolving collection, Lizzy’s accessorized accessory, or Brianna’s collection of keychains, these bags are adding pops of uniqueness to Grinnell’s bag culture. They are deeper than just a way to hold everyday items; each one tells the unique story of its owner.

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BELLA AGNES &DMITRA 15

Bella Takata '28 she/her

“cleaned up” but down to earth

“nonchalant”

Agnes Allman '28 they/he/she

Dimitra Giantsidi she/her

'28

“nonchalant”

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Writer: Sugi Lucas. Photographer: Grace Cuddihy. Graphic Designer: Annabel Andre.

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Writer: Natalie Fischer. Photographer: Grace Cuddihy. Graphic Designer: Nhi Vu.

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ella Takata, Agnes Allman, and Dimitra Giantsidi (B.A.D. for short) sit in front of Bella’s narrow standing mirror, each doing their makeup, sparkles flying everywhere. Music reverberates through the hallway -- according to Bella, either “your really standard, Pit Bull Kesha party music, or whatever weird goth stuff I put on.” Either way, the room already feels like a party. Clothes are strewn across the floor as they make use of their shared wardrobe Friends flit in and out of the room, saying hi and borrowing clothes intermittently. Eventually, the glitter will settle, they’ll be dressed, they’ll grab their shoes and head out to the party that they are inevitably late to. This is the B.A.D. guide to going out.

On these going-out nights, Bella’s outfits range from casual to maximalist. A casual outfit looks like throwing on a lace bra and some jeans. But if she’s really excited about the event, she’ll start with a wig and color scheme and let the outfit grow from there. On Halloween, she was covered in red from head to toe: a red and black shaggy wig, an ornate corset with black ribbon detailing, a red and black tiered tutu, black tights, a clown charm necklace, and, of course, a red boa. Her overflowing closet makes this possible. “I wear all of my statement pieces at the same time,” she says.

When putting together an outfit, she thinks about the silhouette first, layering “a bunch of different components in an outfit” and seeing if it “fits in an interesting way.”

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For Agnes, their bright blue hair is a statement piece in itself. It perfectly complemented one of their favorite going-out outfits: their Gonzo Halloween costume. From a colorful striped button-up shirt, a zebra print blue fur-lined skirt, ripped white tights, and complementary blue fur-lined boots, Agnes took Sesame Street to a new level. They like to alter their clothes, even handmaking some, and do specific makeup for each outfit, making each ensemble all their own. One constant in their outfits is their metal fish necklace, gifted by their brother, maintaining the classic Agnes style.

Dimitra sparkles when she goes out.

She tends towards bright unconventional makeup, donning gold eye shadow and adding a hint of green, purple, or red, depending on the outfit. One of her favorite going-out outfits is a tight, green dress with sequined detailing shimmering across the surface. She adds a burgundy fur coat on top to keep warm in the Iowa winters. Her gold jewelry peeks out as she alternates between sun and moon necklaces each day depending on her mood. These add shining highlights to her outfit and jingle as she walks. Dimitra notes, “I love when outfits make noise, like your earrings clang, your bracelets clang, heels are clanging.”

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From night to day, the group’s style is inspired by the community they have found at Grinnell. Bella notes how coming to Grinnell, she “started making a lot of friends who have really distinct styles” and ended up buying so many statement pieces that now “[she has] no choice but to dress really expressively every day.” For Agnes, coming from a school in the middle of nowhere, Western Massachusetts, to Grinnell means moving from “practical, athletic wear to bolder, more expressive clothes.” Dimitra notes that Grinnell meant life, school, and fun are all in the same place, so she can seamlessly transition from comfy and minimally chic outfits for the daytime and going all out in the night.

As much as this group's style is based around coming together, they are also very distinct.

Their self-described B.A.D. guide is “bad” because their styles are so different that even after getting ready for the same event they look like they are going to different places. This mentality of individuality within a crowd is the B.A.D. philosophy for going out.

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BSU Y2k Gardner.

21 Gardner Lounge

02/28/26

Hosted by BSU

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Nino Kirtava

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she/her 2028

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Writer: Sugi Lucas. Photographer: Alexander Caballero Reyes. Graphic Designer: Annabel Andre.

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ino Kirtava’s fashion spans the globe. It reaches from warm, coastal summers, wearing flowing dresses in her hometown of Batumi, Georgia, to the frigid winters of Grinnell, Iowa, clad in leather jackets and boots.

Nino notes that, coming from Georgia, Grinnell’s fashion culture felt incredibly accepting and offered new avenues for her growth in fashion. This meant “loose clothes,” “showing more skin,” and a bigger

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even after devastation, something beautiful can emerge

“thrift culture,” venturing out to Second Mile to find clothes that suited who she wanted to become, not who she was. The black-and-white uniform instituted throughout high school was another restrictive element of fashion back home. At Grinnell, color has slowly seeped back into her clothing, from dark reds to beautiful blues.

As much as Grinnell has been an environment that’s allowed her fashion to grow, Nino still has pieces of home scattered throughout her closet. From silk button-ups and blouses gifted by her

mom to oversized T-shirts from her brother, she carries parts of her family and friends with her in her fashion. For Nino, wearing a pair of jeans embroidered with colorful flowers, gifted and handmade by a friend from home, “feels like my best friend is here with me.” Her friends in Grinnell continue this tradition of gifting homemade clothes, with Alexander Caballero crafting her Starfire Halloween outfit—a purple set transformed from a pair of pants Nino and Alex thrifted from Second Mile. Reflecting on these generous gifts, Nino says, “I really feel like that's

a huge form of showing care when somebody's creating something for you.”

Flowers have bloomed across the fabric of Nino’s clothes from Georgia to Grinnell.

Growing up, flowers surrounded her, on “clothes, curtains, bedsheets, tablecloths, plates, and mugs.”

They held not only aesthetic value but also symbolic political connotations. In Georgia, poppies “are associated with honoring those lost in the 2008 Russian invasion and others who have died fighting for freedom.”

Nino represents this history

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by wearing florals across her clothes, an ode to both the violence of the past and hope for the future, with flowers representing “the hope that even after devastation, something beautiful can emerge.” She also portrays this in her photoshoot, which calls back to the 1977 Georgian film The Wishing Tree, in which a man crouches in a poppy field mourning his lover, who was forced into an arranged marriage and killed for her disloyalty. This film is a reminder of “how deeply society's outdated laws impact people.” For Nino, floral patterns and enshrining parts of her home in her clothing are deeper than aesthetics: they allow her to “hold memories of home, remembrance, and resilience through hardship.”

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Disco Harris.

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he dancefloor at the 35th annual Disco Harris, hosted by Grinnell Men’s Soccer, was a technicolor homage to the 70s. Think flares swishing, platforms clanking, and bangles gleaming with every stomp and sway of the crowd. The band played and sang their hearts out, with the singers bringing vocals and glamour to the forefront—a crocheted shrug with bell sleeves for Olivia Brown ‘28, huge floral earrings and a luxurious undone vest in green and gold for Jadyn Al-Fatah ‘27, full-length denim and a belt of silver stars for Regan Reedy ‘26, and a dreamy silver dress with shimmering roses for Libby Albright ‘27.

harris center 29

03/28/26

Live music

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ongtime vintage lover Kandi Myers ‘26 had a whole closet of thrifted items to choose from. She decided on a minidress with horizontal stripes in shades of blue, white, green, and black, and a multistrand necklace of round cerulean beads. 60s mod fashion inspired her look, especially the era’s emphasis on graphic prints and bright, bold colors—even her eyeshadow was that same shade of vivid blue. Kandi pulled 70s inspired pieces from her wardrobe too, lending looks to Aubrie Connell ‘26 and Brianna Hinds ‘26. Aubrie borrowed a floor-sweeping black jumpsuit, dotted in rainbow sequins, with a silver flower pendant draped over the plunging neckline. Brianna borrowed a paisley shirt tied into a crop top, completing her look with white platform boots, a white skirt, and a chunky amber necklace. Kandi was excited to see her treasured 70s pieces taken out for a spin—“I want people to look as fabulous as they can!”

From subtle paisley to blinding silver sparkles, the men’s soccer team set the standard for men’s fashion. Ian O’Loughlin ‘28—styled

by Chloe Alger ‘28 and her mom in bell bottom jeans and an intricately patterned buttoned top from their own closets—went the extra mile by growing out a proper 70s mustache. Billy Cherres ‘26 also went the extra mile, selling out their disco t-shirt stock to help fund the event. His hard work paid off.

“It’s awesome to see everybody out here. The vibes are amazing,” Trey Perlman ‘29 said.

Billy agreed: “This may be the best disco of all time.”

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Writer: Minh Anh. Photographer: Jane Mozunder. Graphic Designers: Annabel Andre and Nhi Vu.

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POC’s drag show breaks the rhythm of campus the moment it begins. What might have been just another predictable night shifts into something louder, stranger, and far more alive, where performance spills beyond the stage into collaboration, improvisation, and absolute chaos in the best sense possible. With the theme Animaniacs Drag in Motion, this semester’s lineup pulled from every kind of media: superheroes, cartoons, anime, old Hollywood icons,... As Brisa Zielina ’27, an enthusiastic audience member, puts it, “The passion, the energy, the queer people of color in animation,... This is heaven.”

Backstage, the room buzzed with half-finished costumes, shared eyeliner, and last-minute choreography runthroughs. For Kenya Taylor ’28, the night began months earlier with a vision of Storm from X-Men - not just the superhero, but a reimagined version pulled from comic arcs and pop divas. His performance blended Whitney Houston with mutant glamour, a pairing that felt both unexpected and inevitable. Another performer, Jaden Alfata ’27, constructed a performance around Garnet from Steven Universe, leaning into the character’s duality.

Ruby and Sapphire, masculinity and femininity, collided in a set that moved fluidly between Doja Cat and Don Toliver. “It’s about playing with those poles of gender,” he explained, less interested in resolving binaries than in letting them coexist onstage.

The show itself didn’t hinge on a single, dominant vision. Instead, it unfolded as a collage of references: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Despicable Me, Cars, Betty Boop.

QPOC’s President Diana Garcia ’26, who performed as Gru alongside a flock of minions, described the process as “a lot of little visions” that eventually cohere. “It’s not one big idea,” they said. “It’s letting community do what it does.” That sense of collectivity is intentional. After several semesters of politically heavy themes, this year’s show leaned toward something lighter, without losing its edge. Nostalgia anchored the performances, but not in a sentimental way. It was playful, a little chaotic, sometimes absurd. “We just wanted to remind people of the fun of drag,” Hridi Ghosh ‘28 said. And fun, here, meant freedom: to be loud, messy, referential, and queer.

The creative process behind the scenes was anything but effortless. Costumes were cobbled together from 34

thrifted pieces, delayed shipments, and improvised fixes. Rehearsals happened wherever space could be found.

Entire visual sequences were edited in basement studios, timed down to the beat of a song. “Things don’t always come in on time,” Diana said. “So we’ve kind of stopped relying on that and just… figure it out.” This scrappiness carried into the performances themselves. Mishaps - missed cues, wardrobe malfunctions, music glitches - weren’t disasters so much as part of the rhythm. “Nothing’s unfigureoutable,” Diana laughs. “The show goes on.”

And it does, powered as much by the audience as the performers. There’s

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a moment, right before the curtain rises, when nerves spike, “oh shit, this is really happening,” but it dissolves almost instantly once the crowd responds.

Energy loops back and forth, building into something shared, and when it ends, the shift is immediate. Relief, first; then a kind of absence. Several performers described the same feeling: as soon as it’s over, they want to do it again. Part of that comes from the adrenaline, but part of it comes from the closeness the show creates. “I feel so close to everyone afterwards,” Diana said. “Like a little family.”

For many performers, drag creates a kind of visibility that extends beyond the stage. Nicole Rueda ’27 recalls, “The day after drag, having people come up to you and be like, ‘Oh I love your performance!’ – I think that’s beautiful.”

That sense of community is especially significant within the context of QPOC spaces on campus. The show functions not just as a performance, but as an invitation: an opportunity for people, queer or not, to engage with queerness in a way that feels open rather than intimidating. In that way, QPOC’s drag show builds on a growing legacy of carving out spaces where creativity and identity can coexist on their own terms. As the tradition continues, there’s a hope that it will keep drawing people in – expanding not just its audience, but the sense of belonging it makes possible.

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SHE/ HER

F O S S A L C

2028

MADDY

RUDOLPH

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SHE HER /

PSYCH Y D D A M H P L O RUD

SHE/ HER 40

SOFT

GRUNG Y

For many, fashion is merely about putting clothes on each day, but for Maddie, a vibrant second-year psychology major, it serves as a canvas for her personality and emotions. Armed with her whimsical spirit and a love for creating memories through style, Maddie takes us on a journey into her colorful world - where each outfit is a chapter in her story.

FEMIN

INE

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EMO EMO

FREE

Writer: Minh Anh. Photographer: Grace Cuddihy. Graphic Designer: Nhi Vu.

To be cringe is to be free. And if I want to wear an anime shirt, I will.

Imagine waking up each morning with a blank slate, a canvas waiting for your unique brushstrokes of fashion. This is how Maddie perceives her wardrobe.

“My style changes based on my mood,” Maddie muses, flashing a smile. Today, for instance, she’s embraced Valentine’s Day with a pink top and a sweet pink skirt that flutters as she walks. “I just felt like wearing something fun and cheerful today,” she says with excitement. Yet tomorrow, Maddie might look entirely different. She describes her style as something fluid rather than fixed, shifting between soft and feminine, edgy and grungy, or even polished and business-casual depending on how she feels

when she wakes up. “Some days I want to be really flowy and nature-y, and other days I’m like, no, I want to be emo,” she laughs.

For Maddie, fashion is closely connected to how she perceives and presents herself to the world. Ever since high school, when the lack of a dress code had given her room to experiment freely, she has been using clothing to express her personality. “I would wear the craziest fits... some awful fits that probably should be burnt.” she smiles embarassingly as she recalls her “anime shirt phase.” Growing older, however, didn’t stop her from experimenting; it just be-

came more intentional. Maddie, who identifies as bisexual, says her style still carries that sense of being a little alternative, a little outside the norm, and she likes it that way. “You know, just let me be who I am,” she says, half joking, half serious.

Dressing differently feels like a way for her to show people who she is without having to explain it.

What Maddie remembers most fondly about getting into fashion isn’t a specific outfit or trend, but the sense of camaraderie that came with it.

She talks about how easy it is to connect with other women through something as simple as

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a compliment. “It’s so nice to go up to someone and be like, ‘Oh my God, I love your outfit, you look so cute!’”

She laughs, telling times when girls have stopped her mid-errand just to tell her she looks beautiful, turning small, spontaneous, even awkward moments – whether in a classroom, a hallway, or in a cramped restroom – into something unexpectedly sweet. Dressing well is tied to that sense of community as much as it is to self-expression; it gives us a reason to approach others, share a compliment, and be supportive and appreciative.

In the end, Maddie’s advice is simple: don’t be afraid.

“You should be free to express yourself the way you want to. If anyone judges you for that, they suck and you don’t want them in your life anyway.” For her, personal style should feel open and playful, whether that means wearing something polished, something chaotic, or even cat ears and a tail if that is what makes someone happy. “To be cringe is to be free. And if I want to wear an anime shirt, I will.”

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Asian Night Market.

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Harris Center

04/04/26

JCA & Collaborators

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KAAN & HENRY 47

Kaan MacDonald he/him

'28

“cleaned up” but down to earth

“nonchalant”

NYC

Mill Creek, Washington

Henry Park '28 he/him

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Writer:Sugi Sugi Lucas.

Photographer: Cuddihy.

Annabel Andre.

Writer: Lucas.

Photographer: GraceGrace Cuddihy.

Graphic Graphic Designer:Designer: Annabel Andre.

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C

lothes are our second skin, the part of us that people see first. “The way you dress is an embodiment of who you try to be,” Henry Park notes. So who are Henry Park and Kaan Mac Donald? The pair has used fashion to explore their identities, a journey that has taken them from the streets of New York to trendy London neighborhoods to the wings of a plane in rural Iowa.

If you had caught Henry a few years ago, you would have seen a driven tennis player, both inside and out. Dressing was “easy” when he was obsessed with tennis: cropped hair and clothes that could transition to the court at a moment’s notice. “I think my worth and value and identity as a person was definitely from tennis,” Henry reflects, but after reaching his goal of playing college tennis, his motivations shifted. "I don’t want tennis to be my sole identity. I want to be a guy that dresses well, who’s able to creatively present myself,” he says. He notes his first non-sports haircut “marked the beginning of when [he] actually started to dress well,” and his current thick waves are a “big contributor” to his visual identity.

Learning to dress well has had its ups and downs.

“My palms were sweaty the first time I wore jeans,” Henry laughs. “I was so nervous!” But he’s settled into a comfortable niche; Kaan describes it as “cleaned up” but down to earth. Now, Henry draws influence from New York’s street styles, social media, and especially his older sister, Esther. She is “a trailblazer” who “dresses how-

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ever she wants,” Henry describes, “and I just try to emulate that.” She gifted him his staple wardrobe piece, a luxurious leather jacket, from her own thrifted collection, and he still calls her to vet new trends. Off the court, his shifting inspirations and familial influences have come together to create a multifaceted style.

Clothes have also given Kaan a way to break away from tennis’s strict lifestyle. “Tennis is a very disciplined sport,” Kaan notes, “so fashion is a creative outlet.” When he’s not preparing for a game, he draws from his other interests and his appreciation for international styles. As a skater from New York, Kaan was “early on rocking baggy jeans, baggy shirts...a lot of the time I would completely destroy a pair of pants or shirt from skating.” He retains that casual, utilitarian aspect (“nonchalant,” as Henry would say, “it flows”) even as international influences have added unique touches to his wardrobe. Every time he visits family in Turkey, he comes home with a new pair of shoes from his grandmother, and working in Hackney, London exposed him to a variety of fresh, unexpected styles.

Kaan also mentions the movie visuals he aspires to. “Almost an unachievable style,” he muses, “it’s so put together...but it’s good inspiration. Not even just for clothing sometimes—for hair, style, or even vibe.” Good Will Hunting, Fight Club, and Wes Anderson’s movies

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are rife with inspiration: cool, colorful, and effortless. As a film photographer himself, Kaan was excited that their GOGUE photoshoot was done on film. “The reason I use the film camera, the reason I try to get good pictures when I’m traveling or whatnot, is so when I’m old and wrinkly I can look back and be like, wow, this is how I lived, and this is what I did,” he explains. And this is what he wore through it all: clothing captures who we are at each distinct moment in our life, displaying our selfhood in every snapshot.

Kaan and Henry were also enthusiastic about the mirrors featured in their shoot. The multiplicity of reflections heightens these photos to more than mere portraits; each snapshot suspends a moment in Kaan and Henry’s continuous evolution, documenting the emergence of their future selves.

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Marie Reyes-Alvarez she/her 2026

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Writer: Sugi Lucas. Photographer: Alexander Caballero Reyes. Graphic Designer: Rachael Feldacker.

she/her

“

W

e replicate what we find beautiful around us,” Marie Reyes-Alvarez asserts. Her wardrobe, accordingly, is “a homage to all these influences.”

Labels are futile in a wardrobe so vast, but “goth Bodhisattva, Latin American Vampire, and musician with a fabric addiction” are some of the characters Marie might embody day-to-day.

Marie's intersecting beliefs, interests, and identities manifest differently across outfits. Their autism, queerness, spirituality, and Colombian an-

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“We replicate what we find beautiful around us”.

cestry all play integral roles in their wardrobe—but even as they ask “who am I taking with me today?” they make sure to allow each aspect of themselves time “to rest.” When we keep certain qualities or masks “on” all the time, Marie reflects, that is when we “exhaust their capacity and exhaust their ability to exist.” Respite leads to creative revitalization.

Alternate identities rest and reemerge, but certain blessed items remain with her every day. “Tibetan Buddhists make commitments to keep certain symbols on their body,” Marie explains; her permafashion consists of a Vajra ring with a bell—made from a blessed iron bridge in Tibet—malas blessed by her guru, cords from monks, amulets of the magnetizing deity Kurukullā and Guru Rinpoche, and pendants storing other, private loved items. These ever-present

protective pieces “maintain both my connection to the blessings of the lineage and my ability to share those blessings with others” Marie explains.

While adornment is integral to Marie’s approach to fashion, DJ’ing as Minx and performing as frontwoman of her punk band Partial Marxist require a more utilitarian, comfortable approach. Being frontwoman “is about movement,” Marie notes, so by paring down her jewelry, layering, and makeup, she “exchanges it for a sort of vibrancy and lack of inhibition which will become an adornment in itself.”

Punk can prompt certain virtue signaling—“if you’re not careful, suddenly you’re a poser”—but Marie looks to the punk frontwomen who came before her, and to her own musicianship, while crafting the outfit and the persona for each performance.

The goth scene, another site of Marie’s style, shares punk’s scrutinizing tendency. But with more people taking indigenous and Latin inspiration into their goth looks, Marie feels more comfortable “incorporating color or traditional styles into what may or may not be considered a goth look.” Integrating their Colombian indigenous heritage into their wardrobe has been transformative; taking in Colombian art and reconnecting with the land has cemented Marie's “desire to honor their connection to” Andean cultural heritage and production. Their hand made ruana, a warm wool wrap which their mountainous ancestors of Bogotá would have worn, is a treasured item in their wardrobe.

“Indigenous clothing is practical, beautiful, and of the earth,” Marie says. The organic shapes and materials prevalent in indigenous Ande56

an clothing invite “interaction between nature and clothing,” Marie expresses. “You can wear the wind, the river.” They dress modestly more often now, inspired by these textiles and the “colorful sarees that cradled” women's bodies at all stages of life, which they admired while studying in Bodh Gaya, India. The textile—itself a work of art—does not have to reveal or obscure the body but can drape over you in “an embrace.” For her, “understanding sensuality as extending beyond the skin brings about freedom.”

Like everything, fashion philosophies are impermanent, subject to change. But what remains vital, Marie maintains, is choosing “clothing that allows you to come through, that allows something about you to become evident.”

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Writer: Sugi Lucas. Photographer: Jane Mozunder. Graphic Designer: Connor Heagy.

cultural evening.

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n April 11, International Student Organization held their annual Cultural Evening event, a celebration of community and backgrounds through performance, dance, music, and attire. The evening started with an apparel show, where students had the chance to walk the stage and showcase cultural attire, honoring traditions of craftsmanship and rich visual heritage. Maria Rodriguez opened the show in a traditional Dominican dress called Cultivo de la Vida (Cultivation of Life) that swirled around her as she walked. The lace-trimmed tiers of blue, white, and red reference the flag of the Dominican Republic, a celebratory homage to Dominican identity and national pride. She completed the look with a fresh red flower in her hair.

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04/11/26

Hosted by ISO

Throughout the show, other cultural wear represented included Bethle Ayele’s Habesha Kemis, a traditional Ethiopian dress of white cotton, which she wore with a flowing sheer shawl. Both garments were trimmed in bands of shimmering, intricately detailed gold cloth. Later, Karolina Calleros and Liz Zamarripa showcased huipil, embroidered garments worn by many Indigenous communities in Mexico. Karolina’s huipil was black, while Liz’s was white, worn over a scarlet skirt. Both teemed with colorful garlands of embroidered flowers representing indigenous cultural identity.

Ginny Oliver, representing Thailand, closed the apparel show in Chut Thai Chakkraphat, a stately and elegant style of Thai formalwear featuring a form-fitting skirt and a long drape trailing over one shoulder. The intricate, subtle patterns of the pink silk glimmered in the light. Later, she performed a dance in the same outfit. Her graceful performance reflected the grandeur of the national attire, with the heavy pleats of the skirt gently fanning out as she moved.

A night of performances followed the apparel show. A range of attire—from jerseys and shorts for ISO’s World Cup-themed opening number to gorgeous traditional wear from around the world—accompanied the performances, illustrating clothing’s capacity to serve as a conduit for other modes of expression, creativity, and celebration. While cultural attire should absolutely be appreciated for its beauty and craftsmanship, it’s also important to remember that clothes are not static objects for aesthetic pleasure. The performers reminded us that garments are living, constantly evolving records of history and community; the breadth and depth of culture is woven into every thread.

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NINA

VIERKA

JESSIE VALERY

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$$$

Jessie Goodman she/her

'26

Vierka Martin '26 she/her

Nina Ranalli '26 she/her

Whimsical

Valery Mayorga Garcia '26 she/her

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Writer: Lucas.

Photographer: Grace Cuddihy. Graphic Designer: Annabel Andre.

Writer:Sugi Minh Anh. Photographer: Alexander Caballero Reyes.

Graphic Designer: Connor Heagy

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F

or Grinnellians, most nights in the HSSC look the same: laptops open, tabs multiplying, people “locking in, stressing out.” For Valery, Jessie, Vierka, and Nina, it’s where fashion, friendship, and mild existential crisis quietly coexist at a circle table.

“We spend a lot of time in the HSSC together,” Valery says.

“After meals, doing work; there’re specific tables we gravitate towards.” Those tables have probably seen it all – job applications getting emotionally processed, assignments being procrastinated with confidence, jokes that only make sense at 1 A.M., and conversations that start with “lowkey” and end an hour later in a full crash-out. Jessie sums it up more directly: they’re there to “collectively update each other about life.”

They started their friend group in a statistics class, but it’s been sustained by these late-night routines – and so has their style. Day-to-day, their outfits lean practical: hoodies, baggy pants, winter layers built for survival. “We are on the side of more casual and comfy,” Jessie says. Individually, their styles orbit the same energy. Nina calls hers “flea market runway,” a mix of unexpected finds and confidence. Vierka leans “distressed but dressed to impress,” balancing effort with a slightly undone edge. Jessie describes herself as a “utility maximizing diva,” where practically meets a touch of drama. Valery lands on “cozy chic,” anchored in comfort but never careless.

Together, though, those differences blur into something collective – something they describe as “whimsical ambition.”

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The whimsical part shows up easily.

After long study session, they’ll walk out of the HSSC in backwards hoodies, the hood pulled over the front of their faces. “We would all put our hoods on and just kind of walk out together,” Jessie recalls. “We use fashion in ways that make each other laugh and wind down.” It’s disorienting, unnecessary, and completely intentional.

Moments like that keep the group grounded. Senior year brings a steady undercurrent of pressure – applications, uncertainty, the looming question of what comes next. “Grinnell can be very overwhelming,” Nina admits.

But instead of letting that weight take over, they’ve found their own solution.

“Being silly and irreverent helps us,” Valery says. “It prevents burnout and spiraling.” Even getting dressed becomes part of that support system. Outfits are crowdsourced in group chats, debated before nights out, or tested through chaotic Snapchat videos. “If I’m going on a first date, I’ll consult everybody,” Vierka says.

And the “ambition” part? That’s what they choose to show off in their photoshoot. Oversized blazers layered over their usual campus clothes are what they picked for their look. It reads almost exaggerated: shoulders slightly too big, silhouettes intentionally off-balance – but it’s meant to. As Jessie explains, the blazers reflect “our oversized dreams and ambitions,” while the hoodies and jeans underneath hold onto the present. They describe it as “filling big shoes” – stepping toward careers, independence, and whatever comes after Grinnell, while still very much living in the now. It’s a visual of impending adulthood, worn a little loosely.

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Looking ahead, they expect to scatter – different cities, different careers, different levels of financial delusion. But they already imagine a shared future built on visits, overlapping routines, and showing up in new places with the same energy. For now, though, it all still comes back to the HSSC circle table, where deadlines get negotiated, outfits get approved, and chaos is briefly contained through held-back laughter. Those are moments that have shaped their college memory: being together, trying to figure things out, and occasionally succeeding at looking like they already have.

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Jorge Salinas

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E / m i H / He

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olo p o r h t n A

2026 67

e g n a

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Writer: Ngoc Minh Anh Bui. Photographer: Grace Cuddihy. Graphic Designer: Connor Heagy.

J

orge Salinas doesn’t start off with clothes; he starts everything with the body. “Look at the style beyond the physical aspect of clothing and look at the physical aspect of the body itself.”

For Jorge, style lives in the things that can’t be taken off at the end of the day: tattoos, piercing, the quiet ways the body evolves over time.

Surely his closet matters, but it’s secondary. The real outfit is permanent.

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I avoid overthinking tattoos.

He’s currently sitting at – and loving – nine tattoos, and if you’re expecting a tidy explanation or meaningful story for each one, don’t. “I avoid overthinking tattoos,” he shrugs. “Many of them don’t hold a lot of meaning.

I got it because I like it.” A dissected frog. A red demon.

A still-healing Godzilla. Instead of symbolism, they trach moments: snapshots of who he was when he walked into the tattoo shop. “Each one was a different point in my like,” he says proudly, obviously more interested in instinct than narrative. Not everything needs a backstory.

That same instinct runs through how he understands identity. As a Mexican-American, Jorge describes himself as existing in an in-between: “ni de aqui, ni de alla” (“neither from here nor there”).

He grew up in a Mexican household, went to school in the U.S., and found that neither space fully claimed him. But instead of trying to resolve that, he leans into it, especially from the way he dresses. Thrifted tees featuring La Virgen de Guadalupe, Juan Gabriel, places from back home – pieces that carry cultural weight without feeling costume-y. “I really love a retro look,” he says, think-

ing faded graphics, cropped jackets, and Samba shoes.

Even then, the outfit is doing one main job: showing skin.

“They feel right,” he says.

The tattoos are meant to be seen.

Then there are the piercings – possibly his favorite form of expression. He’s drawn to what he calls a kind of hyper-masculinity that flips in on itself. Traditionally “masculine” presentation, like muscular bodies, paired with markers that ead unmistakably queer. “The hyper-masculine to the point where it’s gay? That’s so cool to me.”

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Jorge knows what it means to feel at odds with one’s own body. He talks about years of body dysmorphia, of being mocked for being too skinny, of developing an eating disorder in highschool. “I would feel really, really bad,” he says, “ but I do love my body now,” he laughs. So now, when he get dressed – faded tee, shorts, long socks, maybe a flash of ink, a flash of flesh – it’s more like revealing. A body that’s been argued with and reclaimed.

“You know, nobody cares about you in the best way possible.” He laughs, then doubles down. “Just do anything you want.” Try the outfit. Change your hair.

Get the tattoo. Especially the tatto. “That’s how I live my life, and I’m real happy.”

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KIMMY VERGARA

Class of 2026 (they/them)

NOELLE BUEHRER

NOELLE BUEHRER

Class of 2026 (any/all)

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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS W

e are delighted to bring you the Spring 2026 issue of GOGUE Magazine! It has been an absolute pleasure to work with such a creative and driven team for the past year. Both of us were brand new to GOGUE when we took on this position, so the past year has been quite the learning experience. We are so grateful to round out our experience at Grinnell by leading a publication that highlights student creativity, authenticity, and spirit.

We have so many people we would like to thank for their contributions to this magazine: first and foremost, the staff. Photographers, your creative visions and dedication to your craft are what bring this project to life. You each have such a unique artistic lens and it is a blessing to see what you’re all capable of. Writers, your ability to connect with models and dive deep into what makes them stand out is astonishing.

You truly capture the essence of fashion at Grinnell in your work. Graphic designers, you turn blank pages into a gorgeous representation of Grinnellians’ style. Each spread is eye-catching and shows off your skill and attention to detail. Copyeditor, you ensure that our final product is of the highest quality. Social media manager, you keep the community up-to-date on the most fashionable happenings with your well-curated posts. We could not be more grateful for each and every one of you.

We would also like to thank the models featured in this issue for being brave enough to showcase their style for the whole campus to see. We are so glad you gave us the opportunity to share just how bright you shine. Additionally, thank you to the groups and organizations who worked with us to show off the events you put on and the incredible outfits worn to all of them. We love to see how the campus dresses up for you.

Last but not least, thank you, dear readers, for your continued support and ethusiasm. You make this magazine so rewarding to produce, and we couldn’t do it without you. Next year will usher in another new era of GOGUE, and although we will both be off on new adventures, we are confident this publication will be in good hands.

XO,

Noelle & Kimmy

P.S : to all the burnouts, the crazies, and the neurotics, this one's for you.

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WRITERS

Class of 2027 She/her

Sugi Lucas

Natalie Fischer

Ngoc Minh Anh Bui

Class of 2028 She/her

Class of 2029 She/they

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Connor Heagy

Class of 2026 He/him

Class of 2028 She/her

Annabel Andre Rachael Feldacker

Class of 2029 She/her

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Nhi Vu

Class of 2028 She/her

SOCIAL MEDIA

Katelyn Johnson

Class of 2028 She/her

COPY EDITOR

Class of 2026 She/her

Valery Mayorga

Class of 2026 They/she

Grace Cuddihy Jane Mozunder

Class of 2028 She/her

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Alexander Cabellero

Class of 2028 He/him

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Vol V Issue I