Issue No. 2 - A Time Capsule Editon

Hook D NO. 2

A TIME CAPSULE EDITION

Hook D CONTRIBUTORS

Editor-In-Chief Dana Tran Managing Editor Aanchal Vohra Managing Editor Sumer Brito Co-Creative Director Clara Truax Co-Creative Director Nandita Malhotra Digital and Web Designer Alana Park Marketing Manager Claire Blanchard Events Coordinator Javier Padilla Outreach and Recruitment Sharlene Bobadilla Layout Design Aanchal Vohra, Dana Tran, Sumer Brito Contributing Editors Bethel Kim, Emily Harrison, Ritika Saripalli Contributing Photographers Amelia Tapia, Bella Banda, Dana Tran, Edel Fernandez, Emma Samaie, Evelyn Zhao, Ezzah Rafique, Isaac J, Isabelle Milford, Joyati Modak, Keya Shah, Mariam Malik Contributing Stylists Adib Choudhury, Alayna Guevara, Anna Geppert, Ashley Sparks, Clara Truax, Dana Tran, Dorothy Abu, Genoveva Gil, Isabella Ianni, Jamie Roy, Jess Park, Keya Jain, Makenna Chamberlain, Michelle Arriga Urbina, Sofie Wolf Contributing HMUAs Jade Jang, Jess Park, Maheen Khan, Marena Gallo, Nandita Malhotra, Urvi Thakurdesai Set Designers Christina Song, Clara Truax, Dianna Vo, Dorothy Abu, Mariam Malik

Abigail Cervantes, Abigail Garcia, Adib Choudhury, Ady De La Torre, Alayna Guevara, Alice Dashevsky, Amaryllis Dunklee, Amelia Tapia, Anna Geppert, Anokhi Shah, Ariel Neal, Arya Shah, Ashley Sparks, Ayush Bhalavat, Bella Banda, Bethel Kim, Bettina Mateo, Brenda Chapa, Briana Stubblefield, Brianna Gonzalez, Brinda Asuri, Carly Hudgins, Christina Song, Christine Camarillo, Danica Gubic, Daniella Janolo, Delaney Pavelock, Diana Arroba, Dianna Vo, Dorothy Abu, Duaa Zulfiqar, Edel Fernandez, Elizabeth Hernandez, Elizabeth Oh, Ellen Daly, Elyssa Eisenburg, Emily Harrison, Emma Samaie, Erika Escobedo, Evelyn Zhao, Ezzah Azka Rafique, Flora He, Gabby Ortiz, Ganeev Kaur, Genoveva Gil, Geraldine Palacios, Gineliz Molina-Oquendo, Grace Kelley, Hadi Fareed, Hannah Schinzing, Harris Hafeez, Isabela Hurley, Isabella Gomez, Isabella Ianni, Isabelle Milford, Jackson Reich, Jacob Soriano, Jade Jeong Eun Jang, James Lee, Jamie Roy, Jaqueline Nava, Jenny Nguyen, Jess Park, Jessica Liu, Jill Egli, Joann Chen, Jordy Love, Joyati Modak, June Lozano, Kai Fender, Katherine Chao, Kaylan Martin, Keya Jain, Keya Shah, Landry Cockrell, Lauren Logan, Lauren Martin, Lauren Nguyen, Leanne Jojo, Madi Mikeska, Madison Alvarez, Maheen Khan, Makenna Chamberlain, Marena Gallo, Maria Martinez, Mariam Malik, Mariana Rios, Meaghan Rossignol, Melanie Faz, Michelle Arriaga, Michelle Nguyen, Morgan Levy, Neha Dewan, Ngoc Trinh, Omar Lopez, Payton Hall, Peyton Tollerson, Raishma Kazi, Ritika Saripalli, Sarah Joung, Sarah Stephens, Sarah Vasquez, Sascha Villalon, Shelby Burklow, Sofia Valverde, Sofie Wolf, Soha Siddiqui, Sophia Cousino, Sophia Pham Sophie Rios, Stella Scheier, Tania Swani, Tatiana Flores, Theresa Pham, Twinkle Khanna, Urvi Thakurdesai, Vanessa Mathis, Vyvy Le, Yasmeen Issa

TABLE OF CONTENTS 04

CORSET CRAZE

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DENIM MOVEMENT

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A B OUT T I ME : T HE ME T T HAT NE V E R H A P P E N E D

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POLITICKING IN FASHION

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RE V I VA L OF T H E S I L K S CA RF

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GL OB A L I Z AT I ON

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TO OV E RS AT UR AT E

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MORPHED MASCULINITY

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20-YEAR TREND CYCLE

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MY CULT URE I S N' T A T RE ND

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ONLY I F

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BEAUTY THROUGH TIME

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80S AND 90S MUSIC & FASHION

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WOODSTOCK

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PRINTS OF THE DECADES

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THE DUAL HISTORY OF A PERIOD PIECE

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MORE THAN JUST A SUIT

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A FEEL OF THE DECADES

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COR SET CRA ZE

photographed by EZZAH RAFIQUE styling by MAKENNA CHAMBERLAIN HMUA MAREENA GALLO Set Design by MICHELLE ARRIAGA URBINA

Michelle Arriaga Urbina I remember watching Titanic in 2008, mesmerized by the scene of Rose's mother harshly threading her corset as she nagged and forbade her from ever speaking to her lower-class love interest. This scene was imperative, as it denoted that women had to sacrifice their will and independence, for financial stability, in turn shackling them to a life of constraints. This mirrored the sacrifice that the corset represented throughout history. The tightlacing of the corset is a quintessential representation of why women in the early 1900s stopped wearing traditional corsets altogether. The stigma of oppression around the garments was prominent, as they symbolized the patriarchal constraints women had in regards to their own ability to gather wealth and control their own bodies.

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orsets have been around for hundreds of years but were formally introduced in the 1500s

by Catherine Medici, credited with making it a 16th-century fashion staple. This led to the ideal female figure being created by the utilization of whalebone corsets, which shrunk the waist and created a cone-like shape on the upper body. However, during the French Revolution, aristocratic styles began to be frowned upon, but later returned to their apex of popularity during the Victorian era and society’s love-hate relationship with corsets began.

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FEMALE Bodily Autonomy specifically in regards to reproductive rights, saw a wildly fluctuating relationship with society. Surprisingly, in early American colonial times, abortion was not illegal or widely criticized, rather, it was common to perform abortions through the use of herbal abortifacients. It wasn’t until the women’s suffrage movement began gaining traction in the 1880s, that white, male government officials started taking action towards constricting female reproductive rights through the manipulation of the law in favor of patriarchal views. By the end of the 19th century, nearly every state had laws against abortion, making it more difficult for lower-income minority women to have access to safe abortions, causing a spike increase in maternal deaths. This is an issue that still prevails in the 21st century.

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H Hand in hand with the women’s suffrage movement came several changes in fashion. Women no longer tolerated feeling controlled by societal standards, and rigid corsets became impractical during the WWI era, when they began entering the labor force. In the 1920s, preceding the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote, came inventions like elastics, allowing more adaptable and less form-fitting attire. Yet, this newfound freedom through the display of female individuality led to increased patriarchal resentment and the continuation of tougher reproductive rights laws. The 50s took a step back in feminism, as traditional gender roles, involving the male being the breadwinners and the women being the caretakers was societally normalized after WWII, forcing women to lose most of the independence they had positioned for themselves within the last three decades. The 50s also regressed with the boom of foundation garments, derived from the corset, which were meant to “shape the body” with an adherence to male gaze beauty standards.

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Mareena Gallo, Makenna Chamberlain, Michelle Arriago Urbina

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Fast forward to the 60s, social, political, and cultural changes began to take the center stage in the United States. The Civil Rights Movement, youth opposition to the Vietnam War, and

cultural changes rooted in the hippy movement and Woodstock all influenced aspects of feminism, and women broke out of traditional gender roles. Clothing styles, now more free-flowing, ended the use of foundation garments. Ironically, the corset has its trend cycle, and eventually re-emerged due to British designer Vivienne Westwood, and Jean Paul Gaultier with Madonna’s cone bra corset. Westwood’s designs were based on a fusion of punk 80s styles and 19th-century Victorian fashion. Her take on the corset allowed it to work separate from being an undergarment, rather now, a top. This new invention represented the perfect mix of the new and the old. Jean Paul Gaultier's satin cone bra in Madonnas Blood Ambition became a fashion symbol for her legacy. It was a recreation of 50’s foundation garments, most notably the cone-like breast shape, popularized by Hollywood starlets like Marilyn Monroe. Gaultier and Westwood created a blend of traditional 50s femininity, Victorian maximalism, and new wave feminism in favor of liberating female sexuality. While the symbolism of the corset has now changed, the oppression of femininity still persists through manipulation of the law to stifle women’s reproductive rights.

In 2021, several states, including the state of Texas, have implemented increasingly stricter laws that have left women to fear their own ability to control their bodies and have a choice that is neither controlled nor restricted by men. The corset serves as a reminder of women’s ability to turn what the patriarchy has used against them, into a tool of empowerment.

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DENIM MOVEMENT DENIM MOVEM ENT DENIM MOVEMENT DENIM MO M MOVEMENT DENIM MOVEMENT DESIGNS BY DOROTHY DENIM ABUMOVEM DESIGN HMUA BY DOROTHY ABU HMUA PHOTOGRAPHED BY DANA TRAN P PHOTOGRAPHED BY D

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MENT DENIM MOVEMENT DENIM MO OVEMENT DENIM MOVEMENT T MENT NS BY DOROTHY DESIGNS ABU

BY DORO A BY DOROTHY ABU PHOTOGRAPHED BY DANA TRAN DANA TRAN

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Models ASHLEY SPARKS & SOPHIE RIOS

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A B O U T

T I M E

T H E T H A T N E V E R H A P P E N E D

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Written by Ezzah Rafique Photographed by Emma Samaie Styled by Ashley Sparks Hmua URVI THAKURDESAI

M E T Model JOANN CHEN

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FASHION STOPS FOR NO ONE Fashion stops for no one, they say.

However, in the midst of a global pandemic, businesses began to temporarily close, lockdowns began to be placed from small town cities to countries across the globe, and people began to hide in the comfort of their own homes as the world began to become unsettled by the events. In the fashion industry, catwalks and fashion shows stopped entirely for the year including the biggest fashion event in the industry- the infamous Met Gala, hosted by Vogue at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Usually held on the first Monday in the month of May, the Met Gala (or the Met Ball) is the biggest night for fashion in America where designers fabric

-ate outfits for selected attendees based on a given theme. The set date of the Met Gala in May of 2020 would have celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. With roughly 600 attendees in the past, the 2020 Met Gala was officially canceled and closed its doors in early May of that year. The set theme that the Costume Institute decided on was “About Time: Fashion and Duration.” The theme was heavily inspired by Sally Porter's 1992 film Orlando. Starring Tilda Swinton, the movie's fashion spanned from 18thcentury Marie Antoinette-inspired style to 19th-century dressing. The changing of fashion styles became the backbone of the

theme as it emphasized various styles from decades of history. The 150-year timeline of fashion that the theme encompassed is one of the Met Gala’s most eclectic and broadest red carpet assigned themes as it enables designers to create pieces that could be from the 18th century, 20th century, or a combination of various time periods. This ability to showcase various decades simultaneously proves the point that fashion is not only evolving as time passes but fashion also cycles in and out of popularity as some trends are reused later. Tracing a century and a half’s worth of fashion enables designs from the past, present, and future styles.

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A B O U T

T I M E :

FASHION DURATION Although the Met Gala was postponed in 2020- with Meryl Streep, Emma Stone, LinManuel Miranda, and Nicolas Ghesquière of Louis Vuitton as the hosts- the exhibition was still opened and showcased About Time: Fashion and Duration. About Time: Fashion and Duration was at the Costume Institute from May 7 through September 7, 2020. The way the exhibition was set up as it was designed to emulate a clock. Andrew Bolton, head curator of the Costume Institute, described the exhibition to display two sets containing 60 pieces of fashion from 1870 (the year the museum was founded) up until the modern day time.

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The first set of fashion pieces is a collection in all-black, which told time linearly. The second set included blackand-white pieces and told the time in an "alternative timeline" or "interruptions," according to WWD. A majority of the garments are black to emphasize changes in silhouette, except towards the end of the show, where a white dress from Viktor & Rolf’s Spring/Summer 2020 haute couture collection, made from upcycled swatches in a patchwork design, serves as a symbol for the future of fashion with its emphasis on community, collaboration, and sustainability according to the Met Museum. The color black is often associated with vintage, high-class designers whereas the color white is often associated with new money and the coming of age. This color play adds to the theme as present pieces are emulated to show change from old fashion to new-coming fashion. The different methods of display were intended to reflect how fashion is ever-changing. The exhibition not only touched on fashion

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from previous decades but also how social media has begun to have an increasing impact as it accelerates production, circulation, and consumption of fashion in the digital, modern world. As social media sites like Instagram and TikTok encourage individual expression, the emergence of new trends increases daily. This emergence of trends enables users to put together posts that have the potential to go viral to millions of other users, thus sparking a new trend and continuing this cycle. This year alone, we have seen a rise in go-go boots being brought back to stores. We also have revived the style of flare printed pants, baggy jeans, and vests from the past. In the past year in haute couture, we have seen the trends of chunky loafers, oversized boyfriend blazers, ruffles, and see-through gowns. Social media algorithms allow for various trends to rapidly rise to popularity which therefore enables not only the revival of past trends but also assists in creating new fashion statements.

Model SAMUAL GARVENS

POLITIC IN FASHION SOFIE WOLF

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Fashion throughout history has consistently been a reflection of popular culture. Whether that impact stems from the music scene, modern art, advances in technology, or anything in between, one can examine the landscape of society pick out the social aspects that had influence on popular fashion. An aspect of western society that has had heavy influence on fashion trends is the political landscape of the United States. The latter half of the 20th century was marked with several social and political events that greatly shook the nation and caused a massive upheaval in all forms of American culture, so it was only inevitable that these changes would be reflected in the fashion of the country's citizens.These influences are especially poignant in womenswear, which is more susceptible to trends and easily distinguishable between different eras.

Examining the political environment throughout history allows one to better understand the inspiration for popular fashion, as well as the ideals that led to the different developments in womens clothing. The decades of the 1950s, 1970s and 1990s were all similar in that they featured primarily muted, softer tones in fashion that was less focused on standing out.

C photographer AMELIA TAPIA stylist SOFIE WOLF models GENESIS PIERIE & FLORA HE

The era of the 1950’s in the United States marked a time of great change and entered society into a rebuilding mode for American citizens. The country had just begun to pick itself back up following WWII and the devastation of the Great Depression in the 1930’s, and many people sought a return to normalcy and a homecoming of the American tradition. This entailed a return to conventional gender roles, which meant men going back to work and women returning to the household, despite the labor outside of the home they performed during the war. These ideals were heavily enforced by the mass media and only amplified by the start of the Cold War, which advocated that a strong family unit was an essential part of a healthy society, and that family had to be held together by a woman. The term “nuclear family” emerged, and suburbanization began to plague the nation, which was aided by the mass production of the automobile. The image of a modern housewife emerged in popular fashion at the time, which portrayed modest dresses that hid the legs and shoulders. Women were encouraged, if not required to show off a womanly figure with a cinched waist and elevated shoes that improved posture. The common mindset of the decade was for women to take care of their husbands and raise a family, which was reflected in women's clothing through the use of muted colors, such as pastels and neutrals, to show their inferior status to men. Floral and traditionally “girly” prints, such as polka dots, were also popular at this time as they gave off feelings of femininity, which was an important aspect for women to obtain in this time of traditional gender roles. It was difficult for women to try to divulge from this role or pursue their own identity due to the start of the Cold War and high levels of distrust throughout society.

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espite the messages enforced by popular culture, some women were still influenced by their roles in the workforce during the war and wanted to continue to emanate that independence. The symbol “Rosie the Riveter” encouraged women to stay strong during the war, and this style of womanly toughness was seen in fashion. It was popular for women to dress in jeans and a button-down shirt, which was much more casual than that of the housewife aesthetic, and in some ways resembled a work uniform. Although the mass media encouraged women to give up this independence, many were not willing to and vocalized that in their objection to conventional fashion. Likewise, to the 1950s, the 1970s also saw more muted and earthy tones, however, it was due to freedom of self-expression and celebration of individuality rather than an inferior status that women had to live up to in society. The 1970s political landscape was still being heavily impacted by the social movements that occurred in the 1960s. The assassination of important political figures like Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Kennedy brothers as well as the end of the postwar economic boom left people in a state of uncertainty about where to go next. The years of ongoing involvement in the Cold War and Vietnam War led people to settle into the political unpredictability and use fashion itself to vocalize their opinions rather than trying to stand out through bright psychedelic prints, as they did in the 60s. The idea of non-conformity took on a whole new meaning during this decade. While the 1960s went so far in one specific, distinct way to portray uniqueness and protest in fashion, the 1970s had so many more years of experience under their belt, and that gave people a much larger basis for where to pull inspiration from when claiming their individuality.

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Style was much more an expression of one's personality, rather than following trends like past decades. Much of women's fashion had a complete disregard for gender norms, and women commonly adopted male silhouettes that had no intention of defining the body, such as flare jeans and vests, and many women started to sport oversized men's suits. Popular clothing was casual and comfortable, such as long, flowing dresses with relaxed prints and loose-knit sweaters.

Fashion was consistently aimed to give off a desire for peace and neutrality, which was fueled by the distrust in the government and a plea to end the country's involvement in Vietnam. Additionally, the shooting of college students at Kent State University in 1970 gave young people an early inspiration to support this movement for peace, as a lot of this style was embraced among the youth.

Women felt liberated, and they sported a no-bra look that portrayed a comfort and embrace of the natural body. Popular prints of the time were often florals, plaid, or stripes, and they used neutral and delicate tones that were not too harsh. The admiration for earthy tones and prints was influenced by the growth of environmentalism and the hippie movement, and the admiration for the natural Earth gained traction and helped to lead to the 1st World Climate Conference in 1979. An emphasis on sustainability was reflected in fashion through the use of mix and match pieces that could be reused and also cross gender lines. While this clothing was relatively simple, most women did not really care whether it matched or not, which showed yet another dimension of collective peace consciousness.

The 1990’s saw an emergence of a style that had not been popularized or truly done before until this era: grunge. While some of the influence for this type of fashion came out of the 1970s and also stemmed from popular culture and the music industry, many political factors also took influence.

The fall of the Berlin Wall and Soviet Union in 1989 resulted in the end of the Cold War that had been taking place since the 1950s.

This came across to society as the ushering in of a new era, and many people did not know where to look next, nor did they necessarily have an optimistic view of the future. People no longer had someone to blame for the missteps of the United States.

Whenever an economic recession occurred in the early years of the decade, many people lost the trust they had in the government during the 80s and adopted a more pessimistic view of the country. This was a large shift away from the mindset of conservative optimism that the country's citizens held under Ronald Reagan.

Additionally, the election of the democrat president Bill Clinton in 1992 led people away from the excitement and focus on consumption and into a period that was more cautious about the government and less concerned with standing out and matching the capitalist aesthetic.

The 90s can be seen as a sort of recovery period following the tumultuous style of the 80s. If the 80s was all about bigger is better, the 90s was its foil with a move towards minimalism and casual style. Many people wanted to conform rather than stick out in order to adjust to this new period for the nation. Womens fashion abandoned the bright neons and brought back the trends of comfort and practicality that occurred in the 1970s.

The widespread look of the era involved muted tones based on everyday clothing, such as worn out jeans, Doc Marten boots, baggy tshirts and heavy leather jackets. The style focused on simplicity, and many women wore simple slip dresses or biker shorts and oversized sweatshirts. The similarity to mindsets of the 1970s regarding minimalism and casual wear led to a desire for vintage clothing, which encouraged the spread of second-hand clothing stores, where many women were able to source their grunge fashion. People wanted clothing that they could style in different ways and reuse, and this was reflected in the widespread adoption of basic pieces that were not necessarily intended to be memorable. The grunginess of womens fashion brought a whole new look to the industry, and it is still sported by many women today.

model KAYLAN MARTIN

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R EV Written by CARLY HUDGINS Photographed by AMELIA TAPIA Styling by ALAYNA GUEVARA

The silk scarf has been a must-have item for the past few years. Its versatility is what makes it so attractive. Styled in multiple ways and sold by both luxury and common consumer brands alike, silk scarves have maintained a staple to this day, serving multiple purposes with a rich history. Ancient Egyptians are the first documented people to style silk scarves. The first widely accepted instance was worn by Queen Nefertiti, wearing a woven style scarf wrapped around a headdress. Without knowing it, she created the iconic and ongoing trend of the silk scarf. In 230 BC, Chinese warriors wore scarves with their uniforms to denote rank. This spawned a trend of scarves in military

uniforms as a whole. In the 17th century, Croatian soldiers were recognizable by rank because of the quality of their scarves. Lowerranked soldiers wore cotton, and the higher-ups wore silk because of this the silk scarf was slowly becoming an item of luxury. Queen Victoria, who sat on England’s throne in 1837, is one of the sole reasons that the silk scarf ascended in popularity. The young ruler had an indescribable influence on just about everything during her reign, one including fashion. Silk scarves were costly at this time, so the nobility of the scarves was recognizable as the person wearing them having visible wealth.

I V AL V OF THE SILK SCARF

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Silk scarves quickly became a token of luxury within the upper class. In 1937, Hermés, the french luxury house, diverged from their market of bridles and harnesses and entered the leather goods business. This led to the creation of the first true luxury silk scarf.

Made with imported Chinese silk, its fabric was twice as strong as any other fabric at the time. With a long 18 month process to create them, they are incredibly ornate and detailed and made from the silk of 250 mulberry moth cocoons. Hermés’ scarf, Le Carre, otherwise known as“The Square”, was an immediate hit among both royalty and celebrities. Queen Elizabeth adopted it as part of her everyday uniform and still styles them today. Hollywood icons such as Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly both donned the silky squares in clever ways. Hepburn made history when she wore a silk scarf tied around her hair in "Breakfast at Tiffany's". Her widespread influence on Amer-

ica was enough to make every woman add a silk scarf to their wardrobe. When Grace Kelly broke her arm in 1956, she famously fashioned a Hermés scarf as a sling and wore it to a yacht party. Soon, the chicest icons of the fashion industry were wrapped in some version of a patterned silk square. Jackie Kennedy often styled one around her head to protect her famous bouffant from the weather.

Faye Dunaway, Bianca Jagger and Lauren Bacall all turned heads with the way they styled their scarves to appear as an effortless glamour look. Other starlets were wearing them as headbands, making silk scarves a popular way to stay on trend in the ’50s and ’60s. With the free-spirited nature of the ’70s, wearers of silk scarves adopted new fun designs, with striking patterns, and dramatic colors. They were worn as avant-garde headwraps around the forehead or around the neck to compliment flowy looks.

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Model MADI MIKESHKA

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I n the ’80s and ’90s silk scarves laid low. They had a brief revival in 2003 with Alexander McQueen’s highly coveted skull-covered scarves, but the trend did not stick. In 2018, Balenciaga changed the course of fashion with its spring/summer fashion show.

Models walked the runway draped in silk scarves in a variety of unique ways. Soon, other luxury brands were doing the same. Marc Jacobs wrapped his models in silky turbans and took a particular interest in scarves as tops and tied skirts. In the spring of 2021, silk scarves made a massive comeback.

Fashion’s turn towards maximalism opened the opportunity for more eccentric accessorizing. Silk scarves, with their rich and glamorous history, filled that space. This year, we have seen scarves styled in a multitude of creative ways by a wide array of people.

They are wrapped around ponytails for an effortlessly chic accessory. Scarves are tied to handbags to add a pop of color and texture. And lastly, younger generations are tying long scarves around their midsection to create a functional and fashionable crop top. The internet has been fawning over a few particular celebrities leaning into the trend. Rapper ASAP Rocky made waves when he wore a Gucci patterned scarf around his head like a babushka to a gala event in Los Angeles. Bella Hadid documented her winter in Miami with a standout silk headscarf to create a pop of color and boho beachy look. The silk scarf will always be an essential go-to with any look.

It is the most simple accessory and will always remain timeless because of its infinite versatility.

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GLOBALI Written. by MARIAM MALIK Photographed by AMELIA TAPIA Styling by DANA TRAN

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IZATION Beginning in the early 1980’s, a vast network of international corporations, the invention of the internet, and an exponential growth in immigration rates, virtually every aspect of our lives has transformed. One of the most visible examples of these changes is in the fashion industry. We see these changes at every level of the industry, from the way our clothes are produced, to the way they are marketed and eventually sold. Major retailers, and occasionally even small or mid size retailers, coordinate the worldwide distribution of products. The lightning fast movement of information and data in our modern age has created what is known as a “global style”.

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Models JAMIES ROY & JAMES LEE

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he instant access to fashion inspiration through avenues like television or social media influencers means that everyone is seeing the same styles at the same time. And the mass production of these styles significantly reduces the price making it more accessible to everyone. On the surface, this phenomenon seems like it would be a good thing for the industry and for consumers across the world. In many ways, globalization has been a good thing for fashion. However, there are flaws in the system which may signal the loss of creativity and individuality in fashion.

Creativity and individuality are two of the most crucial ingredients necessary for a thriving fashion industry.

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hen a prominent fashion influencer posts an outfit, or a TV episode premiers, billions of people across the world have access to it. Of course, the instant access to inspiration also creates instant demand for access to the materials. When people are being inspired by the same sources, it creates homogenous fashion. This means that in every corner of the world, people are dressing in a similar manner. This leaves little room for designers to be inspired by a new look. Circling back to the idea of major retailers and their global markets, we find that in order to meet the demand created by instant access to inspiration, companies outsource their labor to cheap sources. This problem has become so bad that it is now considered a humanitarian crisis.

Interestingly, in spite of our shift towards global style, designers have always chased after the idea of novelty.

Creating the newest trend or being the inspiration for the next big look is something all designers want.

Many times though, the means for achieving this is at the expense of another person or culture. The issues of cultural appropriation and creative theft have been widely discussed in the fashion community over the last two decades. From Victoria Secrets' “Asianinspired” looks to Gucci’s Sikh turbans and Prada’s blackface imagery, cultural appropriation and insensitivity have plagued the industry.

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D esigners have long sought after looks that are “other” and “different”. The question now being asked of designers, is what, and who, is considered “other” or “different”. And if there is an “other” and “different” look being presented in cultures around the world, then it stands to reason that there is a precedent for what is “normal”. When we begin to understand this paradigm, we see that a large reason for why cultural appropriation is found to be so offensive is that it further exotisizes and otherizes cultures and people, particularly those outside of Europe and North America. For both creative theft and cultural appropriation within the fashion world, it seems like the problem arises when it comes to acknowledgement of origins and the etiquettes of borrowing from others.

Many outspoken individuals on these topics have stated that one of the biggest problems in this issue is the fact that the cultures that are being sampled from do not receive any recognition or compensation for something which is immensely important to them.

Reconciliation of creativity and respectful inter-cultural borrowing is possible, and it has been seen. A new innovative way for spreading creativity is for brands to work with designers from across the world to tastefully incorporate different looks. This combination has the capacity to curb the negative effects of globalization without compromising the creativity which fuels the fashion industry.

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Photographed by ISABELLE MILFORD Styling by ANNA GEPERT

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TOOVER SATU RATE

Duaa Zulfiqar

Curiosity breeds creation. We are constantly looking for a new social media platform in which we can harness our ideas. Technology facilitates this by informing us of the past and emphasizing the importance of understanding the actions of our predecessors. In the fashion world, most of our knowledge comes from what we see visually. We see firsthand what people are wearing and make judgments on whether or not it is appealing to our personal style. While there have been external forms of media such as magazines or runway shows to aid us in creating these opinions, never has there been a more efficient mode of communication than technology. Apps, such as TikTok, have built their whole premise on visuals and aesthetics, something the younger generation, Gen Z, has taken a deep interest in. To some degree,

each generation has always had some sort of fascination with the past. In this generation's case, romanticizing the eras prior to the 2000s is a fun pastime, as users imagine themselves in the positions of those who actually lived through these times. This manifests in creative videos, as users let this fascination take on a vision of its own. An example of this is the trends present on “FashionTok,” a niche created by those who wish to showcase their outfit ideas. Users would create 15-second videos imagining what outfits they would wear for hypothetical picture days in a given decade. This trend was titled the “yearbook trend” as users took on typical student roles but applied them to eras such as the 2000s or 90s. The yearbook trend was Gen Z's take on revisiting the past in a fresh decade-friedndly way.

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The yearbook trend was Gen Z’s take on revisiting the past in a fresh, decade-friendly way.

Participants made use of the many filters and transitions the app has to offer to make it seem like they were jumping off the page of a 2000s high school yearbook. Teens would use all types of styles to portray their personal idea of what it may have looked like. Users like @kikalateefff utilized background music relevant to the time period as well as the aforementioned camcorder filter to make the video feel more realistic. In her video, she played off of the media's representation of common high school archetypes, like jocks or cheerleaders to style her outfits. Her “Picture Day: Class of 2002” Tik Tok features many styles from multiple different high school stereotypes.

Her interpretation of the early 2000s in a modern light included lots of bright colors and layers. One outfit, in particular, featured clothes that could easily work in today's time. Lateef styles this outfit by layering a white tank top, an oversized pink zip up and a white mini skirt, wearing her hair in a short bob with chunky stud earrings. This shows how timeless the 2000s truly is in terms of fashion. Staple pieces like oversized hoodies and chunky jewelry will always complement a capsule wardrobe. This generation has taken note of that and used it to their advantage, as thousands of users look to FashionTok for inspiration.

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Model ANNA GEPPERT

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ecause of the significant influence held by young people, those with large platforms are normally sent pieces from big-name brands.

These brands will judge the content of the creator and send them a clothing piece that closely resembles their aesthetic. One notable example of this was back in early 2020 when the green House of Sunny dress dominated the app. This 60s inspired print was edgy and nostalgic, giving teens the opportunity to embody the colorful decade.

When the brand caught wind of this, they sent the dress to any influencer with a decent enough following in order to promote it to their viewers. Users that would imagine themselves in a 1960s yearbook would normally sport this dress with complementary accessories. Like white

gogo boots and chunky hoops. While this trend is innocent in itself, the participants tend to forget the implications of fast fashion and overconsumption. Often, the influencers who receive these products are young and impressionable, taking what is given to them because it is convenient.

Soon, the same piece is seen in multiple videos, appearing in multiple videos, convincing audiences that they need them in their wardrobe to stay relevant. This is when oversaturation occurs, significantly shortening the trend cycle. While there is no issue with partaking in trends such as the yearbook Tik Toks, users need to be mindful of the pieces they use in the videos, as the fast fashion industry benefits greatly from their missteps.

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Models OMAR LOPEZ & JACOB SORIANO

MOR PHED MASCU LINITY Before the glitz and glamour of the 1950s and beyond, menswear extended as far as altering fine details of the classic suit. The late 20th century was truly groundbreaking for men’s fashion. Bands, rock and roll artists, actors, and designers had a monumental influence on gender norms and trends, many of which moved to the fashion atmosphere in the 21st century.

The infamous greaser subculture appeared in the 50s, making way for new ideas to be embodied. American singer and actor Elvis Presley and American actor James Dean were the blueprints at the time. Presley rocked the slicked-back greaser quiff and black leather from head to toe, while Dean’s iconic look of a white t-shirt, denim jeans, and a bomber jacket shaped teenage fashion and culture. I’m sure we are all familiar with how Elvis Presley essentially invented the “look” of rock and roll and arguably, gender-bending fashion. This was because he was unafraid to be bold and an exhibitionist with his stage costumes. He played with prints and color by wearing two-tone bowling shirts, Hawaiian shirts, a pink jumpsuit with rhinestone detailing, and a famous gold suit as featured on his 50,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong album cover.

ISABELLA GOMEZ Photographed by IZZAH RAFIQUE Styling by ADIB CHOUDHURY

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Sixties fashion or the “Peacock Revolution'' was a time of rebellion, self-expression, and flamboyance; men were finally moving away from the overdone formality in their clothing. Bright colors and floral eccentric patterns became the norm. Flared trousers, printed scarves, patterned suits, puffed sleeves, and military uniform elements were heavily incorporated.

Menswear had a lot of Eastern influence that mimicked London street style—snug turtlenecks, slimmer ties, round sunglasses, and peacoats were some of the items pulled from the region. Additionally, the quick claim to fame of the Beatles, Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, and American musician Jimi Hendrix essentially molded 60s fashion. Men didn’t want the greased back hairstyle anymore, they wanted the “Mop Top” the Beatles wore, they wanted a pair of Chelsea boots, they wanted it all. The Beatles sported collarless jackets and those neon military getups as seen on the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Jagger and Hendrix also wore military-style jackets during their live performances. Then, we can’t forget about the legendary hippie trend in the late 60s. Tie-dye, denim, velvet garments, loose and sheer shirts. Long hair; bell bottoms; platform shoes; accessories such as headbands, necklaces, bracelets; and folk designs.

Hippie fashion rolled into the next decade and helped foster the disco era. Disco fashion used loud colors and patterns extracted from the preceding decades. The 1977 motion picture Saturday Night Fever epitomized the disco look. Bold three-piece suits with wide lapels, flared pants, and high-rise waistcoats were the style.

Active fashion made its debut as well. Track and leisure suits were a part of everyday wear. Bob Marley influenced this trend since he was seen wearing primarily sportswear, always exhibiting a “cool” and laid-back aura. The 70s, too, saw the emergence of fast fashion because cheap synthetic fabrics were now used to make garments. Men were able to indulge in more affordable clothing and mimic the looks of the times.

Beyond this, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Elton John, Freddie Mercury of Queen, and more perfected the androgynous appearance and blurred the lines of gender-specific clothing in this decade. They donned velvet, bling, makeup, frilly shirts, boots, and silk scarves. They were authentically themselves and challenged societal norms. These rock stars experimented with masculinity and femininity in a way that challenged their sexuality to the public eye, opening the conversation of why clothing has to define one’s sexual orientation. You would think with how androgynous fashion was flaunted, it would not be worthy of current headlines because we have already been there, done that. But of course, it is just as controversial today as it was then. These men proved that fashion wasn’t definitive of virility, yet toxic masculinity still exists in that form, as we’ll see later on.

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NO LABEL Next, the 80s had it all— formalwear was elevated and casualwear became laxer. Men wore expensive power suits with wide ties and suspenders. These suits were pinstriped, doublebreasted, and had wide lapels. Hiphop and rap also largely influenced the 80s clothing trends. Run DMC dressed in sportswear, and the Beastie Boys wore jackets with light wash jeans, Adidas and Puma sneakers, gold chains, and sideways caps thus birthing the “old school” style. Sneakers like the renowned Nike Air Force Ones and Nike Air Jordans launched, both of which have made their way into the 21st century. In contrast, preppy private school uniforms, oftentimes considered “old money” fashion, rose in popularity.

Designer Ralph Lauren championed this. The POLO line appealed to Ivy League college kids and teens in urban communities.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, rock bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam emulated grunge and edge in the late 80s into the 90s. They deliberately diverged from the extravagant nature of past trends due to the popularity of second-hand clothing shopping.

Here, we saw oversized apparel, baggy denim, flannels, beanies, graphic t-shirts, sweaters, and Converse sneakers.

Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain often wore distressed jeans paired with a cardigan. Just like Presley and 70s rock stars, Cobain did not let fashion be constricted to one gender. He would casually wear dresses, skirts, and gowns for comfort. Deep into the 90s now, hip-hop still influenced fashion, represented by Will Smith in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Smith wore vivid colors and mixed patterns, and he was a fashion icon for black youth growing up. On the other hand, Carlton Banks’s (Alfonso Ribiero) preppy attire in the show was the inspiration for white youth.

When it comes to the male fashion idols of today, we have Harry Styles; Tyler, the Creator; Jaden Smith; Billy Porter; and Wisdom Kaye to name a few. What do they all have in common? Their ability to challenge the status quo by shattering traditional gender norms that constrain unalloyed selfexpression. This is bigger than just men’s fashion. Some paint their nails, or wear makeup, and stand proud in dresses and skirts.

Yes, these are all things we have seen before from the 20th century legends highlighted previously, but what is important is that their impact is carried on today. The point isn’t that these men are recycling trends or “not doing anything special” or trying to take credit from past icons, they are very simply ending labeled fashion and keeping the conversation alive.

Styles was the first solo male to star on the front cover of Vogue Magazine in 2020. And what was he wearing? A dress. Conservative political commentator Candace Owens claimed Styles was attacking masculinity and that manly men need to be brought back. (As if they disappeared.) At the 2019 Oscars, singer and actor Billy Porter wore a magnificent gown that started as a tuxedo and draped into a dress. TikTok creator and IMG model Wisdom Kaye is also making strides to further open and develop men’s fashion. He takes heavy inspiration from the 70s and isn’t afraid to try any article of clothing.

Kaye wants men to do more than stick with neutral-colored pieces because pattern, color, and accessories shouldn’t be intimidating for men to play with.

Ironically, even those who seemingly advocate for the progression of men’s fashion are still part of the problem. Instead of celebrating Styles’s Vogue cover and its impact, Porter managed to make the conversation about himself and claimed he started the movement of nonbinary fashion.

Men should be allowed to wear whatever they’d like without it made anything more. The seams of outdated expectations are being ripped, and the act of men doing so needs to be normalized, not attacked. There is still a great deal of work to be done to end genderspecific clothes permanently.

Maybe backlash is always expected.

All I know is that the same message is repeatedly ringing into the ears of the masses: fashion has no label.

When are we going to start listening?

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Year Trend Cycle Written by Duaa Zulfiqar Photographed by Mariam Malik Styling Clara Truax

Each generation has strong opinions towards their decade’s defining trends. Most individuals choose to keep said opinions to themselves until they find out others that agree with them, giving a sense of validation. This ideal is especially present in fashion, as trends are cyclical. In addition, because clothing has been utilized since the beginning of time, there is no question that certain trends are bound to repeat. The patterns have been distinct enough to identify and name the process as the 20 year trend cycle. Every 20 years, we go through a process of love, hate, indifference, to love again. We fall head over heels with a trend, filling our wardrobes with variations of the same thing. Soon, we get sick of our closet the minute our beloved pieces go out of style, desperately searching for the next big thing. The pieces we cherished so dearly escape our minds as we never think consciously of them again. We believe we are in the clear, until nostalgia floods inside of us and we miss those pieces we so abruptly threw away. At the end of the cycle, we revive our wardrobes with the clothes we once adored, this time with retrospect and understanding of the new era we have entered. Each decade had their few defining pieces, and it's interesting to see how they inevitably popped up again 20 years later. When we think of 1950s womenswear, we think of one defining piece: poodle skirts. Big, structured hoop skirts with intricate woven designs made to be admired by others. The skirts were indicative of the time period, as they were long enough to cover women’s ankles, further exemplifying the 50s standards of modesty.

The round silhouette and cinched waist was popular among teen girls, as it allowed them to flaunt their femininity. The patchwork poodle that appeared on the bottom of the skirts helped bring out one’s innocence and youthful demeanor, a perfect package for the girl with a budding interest in fashion. Fast forward twenty years later, and the poodle skirt is no longer seen through the same lens.

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Model AMIEL MAJOK

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n the 60s, the popular skirt went out of style rather quickly, presumably because of its extravagant nature. The revival of the skirt in the 70s occurred due to the media's fascination with the 1950s, as it was considered vintage at the time. The 1978 movie Grease, for example, introduced a younger audience to the popular fashions of this time period. It felt as though audiences were introduced to a fresh catalog of outfits that were unique from what they were used to in the 70s. To adapt to the time period, the skirts shortened, but the cinched waist and circular bottom mirrored that of the 50s, proving that the style of the piece is timeless.

20 years later, the same style pops up again in the form of grunge, feminine skirts. In regards to the media, we see a revival of the 70s with shows like “That 70s show,” shining a light on the wardrobes of those in the past the same way “Grease” did. This time, we can see both the prints and colors of the 50s/70s show up.

Because of the 90s fascination with grunge, the colors were more subdued, but patterns played a big part into how a skirt was constricted. Funky stripes and plaid from the 70s combined with the warm color palettes of the 50s meshed together in the form of a shorter, edgier skirt. The 20 year trend rule proves that what may go out of style for a bit can be revived whether it be through mass media, or an individual's personal sense of nostalgia. The 1960s was by far one of the most experimental eras in fashion, as androgyny took the decade by storm. This blurring of lines is what led to a revival of sorts, as individuals were more willing to have fun with their choices. At the time, it seemed that this too would pass, disappearing as another new trend frowned upon by adults, while the new generation found unique ways

Model SAMUEL GARVENS

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Model GENESIS PIERI

to challenge authority. While this trend did seem to falter in the 70s, the 1980s was its true time to shine. Famous rock stars and musicians like Prince or David Bowie built their entire image on bending the gender norm in their fashion choices. They would wear eyeliner and dresses to express themselves, a practice that stirred much controversy. Because musicians held such prominence in the media, this choice of dressing held far more impact than they ever could imagine. Those watching at home, struggling with their own gender identity saw representation in these celebrities as they showcased a side of them they never thought they could. As the years progressed, the 90s were an introduction to subdued, minimalist styles, presumably to tone down the effects of the 70s and 80s. It is not until the 2000s when we see a resurgence of the styles that were loved so dearly. It is interesting to note that this revival of androgyny also occurred due to the influence of musicians in the form of pop stars. During this decade, stars would flaunt their looks on the red carpets of award shows, the prime location for anyone remotely interested in fashion. Who could forget when Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake showed up in matching denim outfits wearing pieces that could easily work for both of them. This trend in particular has led to creative interpretations in the media, as popstars and rockstars alike have taken this opportunity to showcase their true selves. The impact of the 20-year cycle has proven to hold relevance for centuries.

Never will trends falter as this cycle ensures that your once beloved pieces will pop up again inevitably.

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MY CULTURE ISN'T A TREND Photographed by EVELYN ZHAO Styling by JAMIE ROY Hmua URVI THAKURDESAI Models JAMIE ROY & JOANN CHEN

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FOX EYES

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nly f...

Poem written by ANOKHI SHAH Photographed by KEYA SHAH Styling by AANCHAL VOHRA Hmua JADE JANG

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Model NANDITA MALHOTRA

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f you had

SEEN me then you would have IGNORED me

NOT EVEN considered me

I AM A GIRL you know, I have

an elegant soul a beautiful HEART unimaginable

POWER

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Let me be a little girl who doesn’t have to worry about being accepted By her society, her acquaintances, her elders.

Let me travel the world, Instead of daydreaming in my fantasies.

Let my heart shed light on the girls who have given up on themselves, Lost their hopes of becoming someone powerful.

Let my eyes picture girls just like me, dark skinned and black hair Enjoy and love the freedom they have in this world.

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Model AANCHAL VOHRA

Let my hands warm the hearts of those in need, Keep them assured of my presence and promise them they have nothing to worry about.

Let my feet dance through the streets, Without fearing the eyes of the killer.

Let my voice be heard and included in meaningful conversations, Instead of being backlashed for having opinions.

Let my knowledge be an inspiration to absorb life to the fullest, A reason to thrive through the struggles.

Let my experience brighten someone elses journey, So they have someone to lean on for guidance.

Let my body embody the rich Indian culture, And be proud of the culture that I was born into.

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Model ANOKHI SHAH

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Let me rephrase, if I may, I don’t need your permission.

I can be whomever I choose to be, I can be unique, I can be strong, I can be vulnerable, I can be imperfect, I can be confident, I can love every part of me, And I have been...

If you could’ve gotten a glimpse of me today, You would’ve be the lucky one, Watching me carrying my dreams in my hands, As I accomplish them with fearless power.

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BEAU TY THR OUGH TIME Written by EMILY HARRISON Photographed by EDEL FERNANDEZ Styling & Hmua JESS PARK

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s we take a glance through each era, we notice a consistent shift in what is considered to be “beautiful.”

From skinny, to curvy, to ‘feminine’ looking, to ‘masculine’ looking, etc, society is constantly rebranding the standard for beauty. The culture of changing your appearance to fit the current beauty standards has gone on for centuries, but will the true definition of “beauty” ever truly be defined?

1837-1901 Victorian England: In this era, curvy women with hourglass figures were the beauty standard. This is when the corset craze began; as women would use them to achieve this look, even when pregnant. Women also kept their faces pale as it was a sign of wealth because it gave the impression that they did not work in the sun.

Women would poison themselves with arsenic and ammonia in their beauty routine to achieve this look.

1920’s The Roaring 20’s: This was a staple year for women’s beauty, as women rebelled against the stereotypical “feminine” look. The post-war revolution started a trend to counter the Victorians standard of beauty. This meant women were letting go of their curves and embracing “boy-like bodies.” Flat chests and curve-less hips was the look women desired to achieve. Women also chopped off their hair, rebutting the standard that long locks were what made a woman beautiful. This created the free-spirited flapper girl. Flapper girls were known to be wild and did whatever they wanted. Flapper girls wore loose, short dresses to show off their legs when dancing to jazz music. Women would go as far as binding their corsets and breasts to achieve the boxy and flat flapper girl look. 1930’s-1960’s The Golden Age of Hollywood: The curves are back! Marilyn Monroe was an extremely influential figure in this age and known as “The Golden Girl of Hollywood.” Her body was a sex symbol and every woman wanted to look like her. They even went to the extent of starving themselves to obtain her hourglass figure. This is when anorexia started to be talked about. Starvation diets became popular, creating a body dysmorphia among many women of this time.

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Models FLORA HE & JAMIE ROY

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The Supermodel Era: This era is all about having an athletic-looking body, toned arms and being tall. Workout videos were super trendy. The music video “Wake me up Before you Go Go” is a big hit of the ’80s. Bodysuits, tracksuits, bold and bright colors, and big hair became extremely popular. During this time, anorexia started to rise as people grew an obsession with exercise. 1990’s Heroin Chic: During the ’90s, the ideal body type was extremely thin, pale, with dark circles, and a frail appearance. Model Kate Moss was an influential figure of heroin chic. Moss and several other American supermodels glorified the look of being overly thin and looking drugged up, as the beauty standard of the early ’90s. This was a dark decade in the fashion industry, as it set unhealthy standards. 2000’s Postmodern Beauty: I think we can all agree that the evolution of a woman's body standards has significantly increased over the years. In the early 2000's Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, and Jennifer Aniston were all beauty icons, showcasing self-love in their different body types. Throughout the 2000s, plus-size models became more normal and people started to love their bodies of all shapes and sizes. When The Kardashian’s became famous for their voluptuous butts and boobs followed by a slim waist, the beauty standard of a “slim-thick” body became popular. This created a toxic culture of Instagram models and photoshop trends. Although today we still have unrealistic body standards of a curvy or overly thin woman, found in every era mentioned above, recently social media influencers and celebrities have been advocating the importance of self-care and body awareness. So what is considered beautiful? Well, it depends on what era you’re in, but I would say there is no true definition of beauty. Beauty is whatever you perceive it to be.

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The 80's and 90’s, perhaps two of the most iconic time periods to ever exist. Each will always hold a special place in our hearts.

They have gifted us with some of the most memorable aesthetics that we still hold very dearly today, especially in the realm of music. In a similar manner, just as songs have the power to make us feel like we can travel back into a time period, our clothes also possess that super power. It is no secret that our fashion is influenced by the current atmosphere of events. Celebrities, pop culture, cinema, technology, political or social events, and even nature are just a few of the many factors that sway fashion trends. One influential factor in particular is that of music. Looking back at these two decades, the magnitude of the musical sphere’s impact on the fashion industry is truly worth noting. The 80’s and 90’s fashion specifically was able to reflect and perfectly encompass what the music scene was like for the respective decades. It was almost as if the music translated directly into the wardrobes of the people at the time. However, not only were these decades able to impeccably parallel the musical atmosphere, but what also makes them so fascinating, is how completely opposite they turned out to be from one another. A full 180° transformation took place as the world transitioned from the 80’s into the 90’s. Usually, trends from previous decades typically still make relevant appearances into the following era, as exemplified with the very brightcolored, pattern driven, and bold fashion trends of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. When viewing these three sequencing eras, they all share similar elements, just that each decade added its own flare by adapting to what was trending in their time period.

But, in spite of this resembling trend of fashion progression that had been occurring, when it came to the 90's, the evolution of fashion took a completely separate direction. Although at first it might seem unusual for such a turn of events to take place, the huge contrast of the eras can be traced back to another element that also went through a whole renewal -- music. The sound of the 80’s was that of New Wave, electronic dance music, and glam metal.

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photographed by Isabelle Milford styling by Genoveva Gil hmua Maheen Khan set design by Christina Song model Sascha Villalon

80s and 90s music fashion

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Conversely, the ’90s are known for their grunge, hip-hop, and indie/alternative rock genres. Two completely different looks to match the two completely different sounds of the decades. In fact, this phenomenon can be explained by using the Pendulum Swing theory, which “refers to the periodic movement of fashion between extremes”.

“The higher you lift a pendulum in one direction, the more powerful the swing to the other side”. It’s a great metaphorical way to explain how the ’90s were essentially taking a swing in the complete opposite direction of the ’80s. In a similar manner, the ’80s were filled with very upbeat feel-good songs, while the ’90s are categorized by their more mellowed-out and angsty sound. The historic turnover the music world underwent during the transition of these two decades, fully testifies to the pendulum swing theory, as the ’90s tried to fully derive from the New Wave sound by transitioning into grunge. Therefore, the fashion of the ’90s was defined by the new dark and counterculture aesthetic to perfectly resemble the new musical era. In contrast to the ’80s, which was still filled with major disco, funk, and jazz music influence from the ’70s and ’60s. Since the 80’s still hung onto a large majority of the music from the previous decades, its fashion did not go through much of a change as it did in the ’90s. Given that the ’90s tried to stir away from the 80’s sound as much as possible, ultimately resulting in once again, the battle of the decades, although each era is truly unmatched in its own unique way. Now let's take a closer look at each individual era in order to

highlight their resemblance to the musical genres of the time. Let’s start with the ’80s. What comes to mind when summarizing this era, is an abundance of spandex, velour, animal prints, bright neon colors, crazy teased hair, and shoulder pads, which can easily be spotted in every iconic 80’s music video. For instance, in Madonna’s “Like A Virgin” music video, she is styled in bright blue tights, layers of jewelry, yellow nail polish, big voluminous hair, and a bright red coral lip. The combination of these very bold primary colors was used with the intention of making her clothing pair along with the song’s likewise fun and funky sound. The radiant and bouncy tempo produced by the 80’s signature electronic keyboard was able to create an exciting and energetic dynamic, which the bold color choices help reflect that energy. This same logic is applied in Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” music video. The loud trumpets throughout the melody, the claps in the beginning, and the upbeat chorus transmit a joyful spirit which is again reflected in her wardrobe. In her main look, she is wearing a fun, low-cut, lilac, tight-fitting dress accessorized with oversized bedazzled colorful bead earrings. To go along with this look she was glammed with a Barbie pink lip color, paired with a pink outer lid crease, blue eyeshadow, and a gold shimmery eye look. And again, we see the big voluminous hair featured in it.

Similar fashion pieces and color palettes can be seen in the music videos of the most popular 80’s music artists such as Michael Jackson, Prince, KISS, the Vixens, Olivia Newton-John, and Cyndi Lauper.

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Bethel, New York is a quaint farming town with lush green rolling hills that lies a little over 100 miles from New York City. The people of Bethel are a close-knit community that takes pride in their town. Within Bethel, on a dairy farm owned by 49year-old Max Yasgur, an event would happen that would be the catalyst for modern-day music festivals.

Four men, John Roberts, Joel Rosenman, Artie Kornfeld and Michael Lang, created Woodstock Ventures, Inc. and produced a music festival initially named “An Aquarian Experience: 3 Days of Peace and Music.” The event would later be known as Woodstock.

During the summer of 1967, two years before Woodstock took place, the Summer of Love happened. Peace instead of war, psychedelic drugs, the hippie counterculture and free love were all principles of the Summer of Love and the era it ushered in.

Men and women unshroud from their suits and pencil skirts and started to question the government, consumerist ideals and everything that the 1950s and early 1960s stood for. Instead, men and women began to use fashion, art and politics as a form of personal expression to break the status quo.

The catalyst for this era’s change in attitude takes root in politics. With the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the rise of the Vietnam War, the youth in America became more engaged and appalled by US policies. With their friends, brothers, boyfriends and fiances being sent off to die in a senseless and disillusioned war, they began to speak out. Make love, not war was the slogan that they used to convey their dismay with the Johnson administration.

Although, the Anti-Vietnam Movement wasn’t the only political catalyst for the era, the Civil Rights Movement, the Women’s Movement, the Gay Rights Movement and the Environmental Movement also created a significant impact on the era.

The civil rights movement started in the early 1960s and concluded with the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Martin Luther King Jr’s peaceful rhetoric and nonviolent protesting embodied the make love, not war sentiment and further contributed to the era’s tranquil nature.

The Women’s Movement, often referred to as Second Wave Feminism, spurred into thought and consideration with women of the era when Betty Friedan released her novel, The Feminine Mystique.

The novel put into words how many American women felt, unsatisfied in unfulfilling roles that didn’t suit them. Women wanted a voice and wanted a life that wasn’t relegated to just their house and children.

In 1969, the same year as Woodstock, the Stonewall Riots occurred. The Stonewall Inn was a gay club and haven in Greenwich Village. On June 28, 1969, police showed up to raid the Stonewall Inn. After years of unwanted and unprovoked violence at the hands of police, the patrons of the inn fought back.

A year later, in 1970, the first gay pride parade would happen. It was referred to as the Christopher Street Liberation Day. With the popularity of Rachel Carson’s bestselling novel, Silent Spring, many Americans started to take greater consideration into what their actions were doing to the environment. In January 1969, an 11-day oil spill in Santa Barbara emphasized the need for a change to policies that affected the environment. With this event and many others as the catalyst, the first-ever Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970.

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Photographed by KEYA SHAH Styling by MICHELLE ARRIAGA URBINA Hmua JESS PARK Models FLORA HE, SOFIE WOLF, & OMAR LOPEZ

summer 1969

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All of these movements took root because of the civil unrest and need for change citizens in the late 1960s and 1970s had with the US government and the culture surrounding it. This new hippie counterculture era promoted citizens to love their neighbors and their mother, Mother Earth. In every sense, this new era shifted completely from the previous one.

These movements manifested at Woodstock through the culture of the festival. At Woodstock, patrons took make love, not war literally. When ticket booths couldn’t be put together in time for the festival, the men behind Woodstock decided no fee would be charged to attend. When other festival patrons ran out of food, others helped provide them with a meal. With these movements conveying the instability of the time, it is fascinating that people could coexist and love each other for three days. I guess the hippies did live up to their mantra.

Not only did these movements manifest through culture, but they also manifested through fashion at the festival. Early 1960s fashion consisted of put-together, lady-like dresses and skirt-suits for women and tailored suits for men. As the years continued and the civil unrest and need for change grew, so did fashion. Instead of skirt-suits, women wore tie-dye and flared bell-bottom jeans. Instead of tailored suits, men opted for fun patterns and blurred gender lines when dressing. Questioning consumerist ideals, instead of designer clothes, people wore thrifted ones. Instead of heels and dress shoes, people wore sandals, or in the case of some people at Woodstock, went barefoot. The loose and freeing nature of the era was matched by the fashion.

These fashion trends are still around today. In fact, the legacy of Woodstock surpasses just that of fashion. The idea of modern music festivals is in part thanks to Woodstock. Woodstock proved that people from different races, genders, and classes could come together to celebrate expression. Today, music festivals do just that. They bring all types of people together to forget about the problems of the world and listen to and appreciate live music, just as Woodstock did more than 50 years ago.

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If you go to a music festival today, you are bound to see fun patterns, tiedye, flared jeans, thrifted clothes, gender-fluid dressing, and fashion as an overall form of personal expression. Woodstock and modern music festivals influence self-expression through fashion even after you leave the festival. Once attending these festivals, people tend to use art and expression in their everyday life.

The Summer of Love culture still exists today as well. Peace instead of war and the use of psychedelic drugs are still a foundation in our culture. Many people today don’t want America to partake in militant efforts that could lead to a loss of American lives. Correspondingly, today states such as California, Colorado, Arizona and more have legalized marijuana. The state of Oregon has become the first to decriminalize all drugs, including psychedelics, which is a step toward destigmatizing the use of drugs.

As much as things change, the more they stay the same. Instead of the Anti-Vietnam Movement, modern-day US citizens criticized America for entering a war in the Middle East. Instead of the Civil Rights Movement, we have the Black Lives Matter Movement. We continue to fight for women’s rights with the Me Too Movement and the fight for abortion rights. The Gay Rights Movement was still in play when trying, and succeeding, in legalizing gay marriage. The Environmental Movement is even more important today than it was back then. With record high temperatures, stronger natural disasters occurring, the extinction of key species, and a growing carbon footprint, the Environmental Movement is still significant today.

If there’s anything to learn from Woodstock, it’s the power of expression.

Express yourself through your fashion, politics, and culture. Break the mold and stand up for what you believe in. If we could just do what the hippies at Woodstock did, lend a helping hand, love our neighbors and Mother Earth, maybe positive changes would stick. Until then, let’s listen to music and escape the problems of the world.

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Every few years we see a shift in the styles that dominate the fashion scene. Very often, changes in our day-to-day fashion coincide with major cultural and social events of the time. We don’t often see these changes taking place in realtime; we simply go about our day as new trends infiltrate our lives. But if we look back in time at the dominant streetwear of an era, we can see clear distinctions in the styles that people were wearing. One simple way to observe this change is to look at the patterns people wore. The usage of patterns in textile production is something that humans have been doing for many millennia, dating as far back as Indus river valley civilizations in Pakistan circa 2000 BCE (Veer 1).

More recently, we have seen rapid changes in what patterns are popular during the 70s, 80s, and 90s. All three of these decades began with major social and cultural events which shaped the lives of everyone who was living at the time, as well as the generations that came afterwards.

The 70s began with the counterculture or “hippie” movement. When we look at the patterns that dominated the fashion world, the impact of this movement is quite obvious. The movement was dominated by the youth, which explains the bright colors, bold patterns, and flowy cut that became common in both men’s and women’s fashion. A very common pattern, which had such an impact on the fashion scene that it never truly faded, was the incorporation of stripes. We see them everyday, so to us the pattern seems common and not something that is affiliated with a particular decade. Although we see them as very ordinary patterns, stripes truly emerged as a staple pattern during the 70s.

Prior to this, it would be uncommon to see a striped pattern unless it utilized large color blocks, and even then, it was quite rare. Stripes are also recognized as a 70s trend because aside from this one pattern, the 1970s never did achieve a predominant look. Fashion at this time was completely dependent on your individual preferences.

Model THERESA PHAM

The emphasis on individuality in the previous decade set the scene for the playful and bright styles of the 80s. Princess Diana’s fairytale wedding and the onset of the fitness craze set the stage for the clothing styles that characterized the 80s.

Disco fashion became the new trend.

This sudden shift was highly influenced by a cultural uptake in people's interest in health and wellness. Jane fonda and her at home fitness videos, as well as the increasing popularity of recreational activities like roller skating, led to a new emphasis on mobility and comfort without compromising style and individuality. The need for individuality, a phenomenon which began in the 70s, is the driving force behind the bold patterns which became everyday streetwear during this time. These patterns were often abstract and used on top of bright materials. This style was particularly common among the young people during this decade. For those who were in the workforce, a trend called “power dressing” used patterns like pinstripes for a more professional look. The power dressing trend was influenced by Princess Diana, a major fashion icon whose legacy still impacts the way we dress today.

With the invention of the internet in the mid-eighties, there was an unprecedented rate of cultural change throughout the rest of the decade and the entirety of the 90s.

When we look at the fashion of the 90s, it’s very clear that a lot of the popular styles were being influenced by major cultural happenings like the renowned and widely celebrated show Friends. This decade marks the beginning of the phenomenon in which a “fashion icon” or “trend setter” would have a major, often global, impact on the way we dress. This decade saw a revival of patterned sets, in particular, sets of plaid became very popular in women’s fashion. Very often in the fashion of the 90s we see plaid sets made of monochromatic colors. Black or white were often used for definition and making the patterns clear. Plaid sets of contrasting colors were not as common, and aside from a brief appearance in the early 2000s, never really had a notable debut in fashion. Each decade hosts a unique and interesting set of patterns, all of which have since reappeared in some form as the trend cycle repeats. These patterns are influenced by the social and cultural events of the time. The way we dress is a reflection of the world we live in. As we experience major events, we dress according to the mindset we assume. Fashion impacts, and is impacted by, the environment in which it is developed. Patterns are a powerful tool which can allow you to interpret the world in which you live.

The Dual HIstory of a period piece At the age of thirteen, I was given the ability to time travel in Eric Forman’s basement. In the darkness of my living room, far past the time everyone in my home had gone to sleep, I turned back time to the psychedelic iteration of the disco era that Bonnie and Terry Turner created in their seminal classic: That Seventies Show. From bell bottom pants to Woodstock, my understanding of this iconic time period was almost exclusively shaped by my watching of this show. Years later, the masterfully told story of Tish and Fonny, in Barry Jenkins’ adaptation of James Baldwin’s, If Beale Street Could Talk, provided me with a much more rounded perception of race relations in the wake of the Civil Rights movement. Stevie and his rowdy group of skater friends allowed me to travel to the nineties in Jonah Hill’s directorial debut, Mid90s.Watching these films as invited me to really experience the past. My most meaningful history lessons have occurred when the lights go out and the projector turns on. For Jonah Hill, Mid90s was an attempt to relive his formative years. Because this film was to be his directorial debut, he wanted it to be something that was, at its core, heartfelt. It is a revolutionary coming of age movie that simply reminds audiences of exactly what the genre assumes: how it feels to

come into who you are. Twelve year old Stevie, warmly referred to as Sunburn, navigates the pressures of self- discovery as he is swept into a life with a cool group of teenage skaters. From the use of super 16 film cameras, baggy costuming, and actors who were quite literally plucked from the streets of Los Angeles, this film is unequivocally reminiscent of the nineties skater culture. Jahmin Assa, the production designer for the film was valiantly dedicated to authenticity in his creation of a set that truly spoke to the culture of skating in the nineties.

Choices such as building the film’s skate shop set from an old karate studio, or using a mid century home to be the set for Stevie’s house all reflect this reality. These choices became all the more important because they were the foundation Hill needed to create his ode to skating culture. Jonah Hill even went so far as to personally write to musical artists Morrissey and A Tribe Called Quest to request the rights to use their music in the film. He was wholly dedicated to preserving and capturing the media that defined his growing up. It is this dedication that makes the film utterly captivating. In creating a love letter to the nineties, Jonah Hill also wrote a deeply intimate one to his younger self.

Photographed by EMMA SAMAIE Styling by ISABELLA LANNI Set Design by CLARA TRUAX

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Models JAVIER PADILLA, JAMIE ROY, & RAISHMA KAZI

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t e e Barry Jenkins detailed a different kind of history in his creation of If Beale Street Could Talk. However, it was one that held just as much personal weight as Jonah Hill’s. Adapted from James Baldwin’s famous novel, it beautifully tells the love story of childhood friends, Tish and Lonnie. The idealism of their romance is wholly disrupted when Lonnie is wrongfully accused of a crime. From the use of gorgeous tonal score, extremely distinctive cinematography, and an unshakable sense of rhythm embedded within the structure of the script, it is obvious that the dedication of this period piece lies in its commitment to Baldwin’s original text. Unlike Hill’s film, this one is not defined by its time period. It is instead brought to life because of the time period it takes place in. It is more of a contextualizing force. It is important that Lonnie and Tish are living in a recently desegregated United States, but the main importance lies in the dynamic that is created between the two and the world they live in. Although their story could not be retold in an alternate time period, it is not the time period itself which is the central point of the narrative.

The film is, instead, a case study of a deep inexplicable kind of love, and a powerful visual representation of an important historical literary work. For Jenkins himself,

this film tells the history of his creative voice and influence. It shines an obvious light on the inspiration found in the work of Baldwin, and it reflects the conviction with which he views and absorbs his creative influence. These two, very different period pieces reflect the glorious duality of historical filmmaking and reveal the important role that time plays in any narrative. For Jonah Hill, the time period was the crux of the film. The nineties were in many senses a character in the film. However, for Jenkins, the time period was established to serve a much different narrative purpose. The film took place in the 1970s so as to enlighten the subject matter and reveal the creator’s intent to honor Baldwin’s work. In both cases, the time period is tantamount to the importance of the film at large. Films are remarkable as a historical device because they tell not only the story of their subject matter, but the stories of their creators as well. We are drawn to these soulful time capsules precisely because they tell a much more nuanced history than simply that which their actors portray. They are a dual history which invites audiences to better understand time periods gone by and to also explore the rich history of their creation.

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Photographed by BELLA BANDA Styling by GERALDINE PALACIOS Model JACOB SORIANO

ERIKA This past summer, hundreds of low-riders cruisers drove down the streets of Los Angeles with Mexican flags waving behind them.

People dressed in wide-shouldered, trenchcoat-length blazers, parachute trousers with chains so long they almost touch the floor, fedora hats with long feathers, and a shiny pair of pointed-toe shoes were roaming down the parade; the outfit is referred to as a zoot suit, and the person wearing the suit is known as a pachuco or a zoot suiter. Although it seems to be a celebration, the people are remembering and honoring their culture as this past summer marked the 78th anniversary of the zoot suit riots that happened in Los Angeles..The origins of the zoot suit began in the streets of Harlem when African-Americans began buying suits that were two sizes too large and would taper them at the ankle to accentuate their dance moves when they went to dance halls. The oversized suits called attention to the person wearing them. It helped African-Americans make space for themselves in places when they were being ignored. The zoot suits became seen as boisterous and flashy. Eventually, Mexican Americans, especially those living in the Los Angeles, California area, began dawning the oversized suits, leading to its prominent racial reputation and association with gangs and delinquency.

When World War II began, wool was to be rationed and the zoot suit was deemed as wasteful because of its fabric-heavy composition. Many young Mexican Americans continued to wear the suit as a sign of resistance, but the rest of the country viewed the suit as unpatriotic

Despite high numbers of Mexican Americans joining the military, tensions between Mexican Americans that were too Young to join the military and servicemen stationed in the Los Angeles area grew. The local media was also playing a big part on how the Los Angeles community was reacting to the growing number of pachucos living in the area. In 1942, a Mexican-American man was found dead in a LA reservoir, and 600 pachucos were detained as suspects. The local media began referring to Mexican-American youth as “hoodlums” and even claimed that Mexican-Americans had a “biological tendency” to be violent and a natural “desire to kill”. Despite the lack of evidence that connected any pachucos to the murder, 12 of the detained people were convicted and sent to prison. The following summer, conflict among servicemen and local pachucos reached its peak; servicemen and off-duty police officers began walking down the street of L.A. with bats and clubs in hand, bursting into establishments, such as restaurants and movie theaters, looking for any person wearing a zoot suit. In the days that followed, pachucos would be left in the middle of streets nude and severely injured along with piles of scorched zoot suits. Fear went rampant among the Mexican-American community, and pachucos began begging policemen to arrest them to find some form of protection from the prosecution that was happening in Los Angeles. On June 8th, the L.A. city council outlawed all zoot suits, restricted servicemen to their barracks, and marked the end of the riots; however, similar events continued to happen all over the country in cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Philadelphia.

The media coverage surrounding the riots was continuing to put pachucos in a bad light as local papers published articles on how to “de-zoot” a zoot-suiter and claimed the servicemen that took part in the riots as heroes. As time has passed and people have forgotten about the injustice that people suffered during the zoot suit riots, prejudice against minority communities has not dwindled. In 2019, a white man in El Paso, Texas walked into a local Walmart and killed 22 people; the shooter was specifically targeting any person of Latino heritage. Despite the deep misfortune that the Hispanic community experienced that day for simply existing, prejudice remains very prominent in the US while fashion has continued to be used as a way to fight against prejudice. In recent years, the LGBTQ+ community has been using the colors of the rainbow as a way to show their pride for who they are and who they love, and people have now automatically associated rainbows with the LQBTQ+ community. During the Women’s March, pink hats were worn to protest for women’s rights. The media has continued to cover prejudice in America and its effects.

However, social media has now also begun playing a big part in the narrative told about communities and their identities. Since 2018, pachucos have continued to meet in the streets of L.A. on the anniversary of the riots as a way to preserve history and culture against time. 78 years have passed since the riots happened and many people have forgotten or were simple never told what happened, but through their clothing, pachucos in L.A. have not only found a way to remember the pain that their ancestors endured, but to continue to use zoot suits as a way to show pride in their culture.

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Photographed by ISSAC J Styling by CLARA TRUAX Hmua NANDITA MALHOTRA Set Designer CLARA TRUAX

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The wind whispers softly against the back of my neck.

An unfamiliar feeling. I twirl a strand of my hair, shocked to see it unwind so quickly. I should have expected this change after getting a haircut as drastic as this. Suddenly, a warm presence approaches behind me, cradling my waist, “What’s this, Wicky Poo? You shouldn’t have done this for me.” He said as he turned me around and pulled me close to him.

“Who said it was for you?” I chuckled as I twirled around and opened the door to the Blue Room, the greatest jazz club in all of Kansas. I saw him smirk as he attempted to take the patterned yellow coat off me. “I’m just trying to be a gentleman besides; who was it that got you that coat anyway?” I roll my eyes and walk towards the dancer’s room. As I take a second to look behind me, my eyes meet his familiar face. Mr. Barker smiles at me as he sits down in his regular seat.

The wind whispers softly against the back of my neck.

An unfamiliar feeling. I twirl a strand of my hair, shocked to see it unwind so quickly. I should have expected this change after getting a haircut as drastic as this. Suddenly, a warm presence approaches behind me, cradling my waist, “What’s this, Wicky Poo? You shouldn’t have done this for me.” He said as he turned me around and pulled me close to him. “Who said it was for you?” I chuckled as I twirled around and opened the door to the Blue Room, the greatest jazz club in all of Kansas. I saw him smirk as he attempted to take the patterned yellow coat off me. “I’m just trying to be a gentleman besides; who was it that got you that coat anyway?” I roll my eyes and walk towards the dancer’s room. As I take a second to look behind me, my eyes meet his familiar face. Mr. Barker smiles at me as he sits down in his regular seat.

“She must be the luckiest girl in the world,” says another older woman watching the young debutante adoringly. I take a sip of the champagne and walk across the gaudy ballroom to catch a glimpse of the view outside. It looks peaceful out there compared to in here. I take in the sights imagining how happy I’ll be once I’m able to take this horribly tight lace dress off.

As I close my eyes, basking at the moment, my mood is immediately ruined by the distinct sound of him approaching me. “Sweetheart, do we need to schedule another appointment with Dr. Wesler ?” ” I think I’m relatively okay, Dear,” I say as I adjust my frustratingly itchy pearl silk gloves. I look down at my princess-cut diamond wedding ring, fascinated with how much heavier of a burden it has now become. “Whatever you say, Darling,” he says, brushing his cold hands against my cheek. “By the way, Dear, I’ll be out of the country again. New York has been feeling like an absolute bore these days.” “I suppose the Great Depression has nothing to do with it,” I mumble to myself as I watch him walk away to socialize with Mr. and Mrs. Hutton.

Model NANDITA MALHOTRA

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“Mon Dieu! chéri tu es magnifique !” Judith hugs me tightly. “You’ve left for Paris for a few months only to have come back a completely different person Ju—I mean, Janine.” She raises an eyebrow at me and lightly punches my arm. “Chéri” “ It’s Barbara remember.” “Oui Oui— yes, Barbara.” I sigh. “I can’t help it, Barbs. I just love France.” Judith exclaims as she leaps and jumps on top of my bed. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes widen as I can hardly recognize the girl standing in front of me.

“I guess this look isn’t so bad, Judie.” The slightly shorter hemlines were more flattering on me than I had thought. More shocking than that was the cinched waistline of the blazer accentuating the curves of my womanhood. “Isn’t it, Barbs !” Judith jolted up with excitement and revealed yet another suitcase full of clothing for me. It was then that I regretted even giving her the tiniest bit of validation.

“Dior is all the rage in Paris Barbs! With these new fits, you’ll be turning heads like nothing !”

I never really liked it when she would drive with the top off. Bugs fly everywhere, your hair gets messed up, and the ringing in your ear is deafening. Still, I went so that Dee wouldn’t be alone. Not that she needed me or anything, but because I needed to know that she would be okay.

Just as we were about to reach the drive-in theater, Dee decided to pull over to the local Diner across the street. Confused, I raise my eyebrow and look to her for answers.” I just needed to make a quick pit stop,” she claims suspiciously. I sit in the car as I watch her hurriedly enter the Diner. She looks pretty tonight. Her boutique-bought floral poodle skirt complemented her golden locks. As she left my field of view, I started reminiscing about the lovely summer we had. I wish it were July again. I wish that instead of here, we were at her grandmother’s instead. I wish that she would be beside me, reading a book, as I painted under our favorite oak tree. 10 minutes of my daydreaming had passed until she came back. And to my disappointment, she returned with her “beloved” Paul and his riff-raff sidekick Larry.

Model CLARA TRUAX

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“I think we have a winner.” I twirl around happily before I stop clumsily to strike a pose. “Something’s missing,” I think to myself as I run my hands down my polyester mini dress. I paced around my bedroom, trying to figure out what other pieces I had. The dress in itself wasn’t bad. If anything, it already had a statement to it. I pause as I look down at the patchwork of embroidery on the top of my chest. After a few minutes of thinking, my brain felt mush. I headed to the record player across my room and played the Beatles to calm my nerves down. After a quick music break to Hey Jude, I lay myself down on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Sometimes, I wish that fashion was as rigid as it used to be. Maybe then, I wouldn’t have to keep worrying about all the endless things I could wear. I let out a sigh, and I turned my head to the right as I immediately caught a glimpse of the gold sequinned fringe piece hanging in my closet.

“ROARRRR !! You look like a lion, Auntie Tiff.” I catch a glimpse of my starry-eyed nephew running towards me. Within an instant, I felt him slam against my side with so much force that we both fell into the thick snow. “Woah! It's really fluffy! Mom, can I have a fur coat too?” “Maybe when you’re a bit older,” says my older sister Kelly as she helped lift me up. After a few minutes of catching up, Daniel and I were on our way to the Central Park Zoo. The walk wasn’t too bad. With every step we took, Daniel had a story to tell me. “Aunt Tiff, did you know...” or “Aunt Tiff, I really shouldn’t tell you this but….” By the time we reached the Zoo, he had just about read me a book of his whole life story. The lake on the other side of the zoo had frozen overnight and was taken hostage by the local kids and their ice skates. Just as I was about to pay for the entrance fee, Daniel stopped me to ask if we could skate instead.

“But what about the animals’ kid?” “Don’t worry, I’ve already seen a lion today Auntie Tiff !” he replied with a grin on his face.

I had been working at Burger King for a whole summer now. Flipping raw patties, serving rude customers, and cleaning the filthy kitchen were things I really hated doing. But if all that meant I could have you, I’d do it all over again. Right in front of me stood the last model of the Atari 2600. Right in front of me, in this dingy electronics store, was everything I had always wanted.

Mother never let me play with the console as much as she let Charles. “It wasn’t ladylike,” she said. All the times I would have to sneak out to the arcade just to play PacMan would be all over now. Now, I would be able to play to my heart’s content in the solace of my room. Daydreaming about all the fun I would have, I gripped my denim jacket tightly as I walked towards my beloved Atari 2600. It all came crashing down as Danny from the Football team came in and swooped it from me. “Time’s tough babe, better luck next time, alright?” he said as he winked and tucked MY Atari under his dumb varsity jacket.

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“Ms. McIntire, take those off!” said an angry Mrs. Johnson as she came stomping towards me. I put my walkman in the pocket of my jean jacket and yawned at the thought of my comfy flannel, wondering how long it had been since I was asleep. I was about to get scolded even more when the bell rang, saving me from listening to Mrs. Johnston’s annoying, highpitched voice. Lunch food was crappy as usual, so I met with the gang to see if they would play hooky for the day. Somehow six of us were able to fit in the back of Richard’s pickup truck. Seattle’s breeze was perfect in the Fall. The comforting scent of the pine and light rain danced in the wind. An ideal accompaniment to the haze of orange and yellow tones that painted the forests. Liz hands me a cigarette as I give her the right earbud hooked up to my walkman. Richard and Preston are laughing about some sick joke, which takes up most of the headspace I had to listen to my music. And if that wasn’t enough, Hannah and Jackson are having a very explicit contest to see who’s tongue can go down the other’s throat deep enough... I laughed, knowing I wouldn’t have it any other way. The drive went on for hours as we prayed for no end.

“Ms. McIntire, take those off!” said an angry Mrs. Johnson as she came stomping towards me. I put my walkman in the pocket of my jean jacket and yawned at the thought of my comfy flannel, wondering how long it had been since I was asleep. I was about to get scolded even more when the bell rang, saving me from listening to Mrs. Johnston’s annoying, highpitched voice. Lunch food was crappy as usual, so I met with the gang to see if they would play hooky for the day. Somehow six of us were able to fit in the back of Richard’s pickup truck. Seattle’s breeze was perfect in the Fall. The comforting scent of the pine and light rain danced in the wind. An ideal accompaniment to the haze of orange and yellow tones that painted the forests. Liz hands me a cigarette as I give her the right earbud hooked up to my walkman. Richard and Preston are laughing about some sick joke, which takes up most of the headspace I had to listen to my music. And if that wasn’t enough, Hannah and Jackson are having a very explicit contest to see who’s tongue can go down the other’s throat deep enough... I laughed, knowing I wouldn’t have it any other way. The drive went on for hours as we prayed for no end.

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Model JESSICA LIU