THE JUSTICE ● FORUM ● TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023 9
Hell froze over: Schiaparelli’s dead spring collection By MELORA HUTCHESON
JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
After excitedly waiting for the new collection, I was disappointed with the reveal of the Spring 2023 Couture collection by Daniel Roseberry, which he allegedly devoted his time to. Seeing videos and photos circulating of Dante’s Inferno-inspired pieces with crudely placed animal heads attached was already a lot to witness. With a lion’s head randomly popping out of the side of model Irina Shayk’s torso, a snow leopard on Shalom Harlow’s chest area, and a wolf on Naomi Campbell’s shoulder, even their fierce catwalks couldn’t fill the emptiness that these fake taxidermy heads left to the imagination. What’s sad is that these aren’t the worst outfits among the collection. For this article, I’ll be discussing looks that stood out to me from the Schiaparelli Spring 2023 Couture collection by Daniel Roseberry. Out of the thirty-two looks presented, I’ve decided on four pieces I
Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com
think saved the collection. Starting with look 3 of the collection: The moment I saw it, I was instantly hooked. An exaggerated look like this is a staple silhouette for the house. The quilted texturing of the coat makes it look somewhat like an optical illusion; you just want to keep moving with it. The collar is extra, but it works given the coat’s thickness and longer sleeves. The cream-colored heels with a golden keyhole at the tiptoes of each are definitely a change of pace, considering that there were golden human toes on most of the shoes in the last few Schiaparelli collections.
I like them, but they’re not as bold as past choices Roseberry’s made. The eyeshaped earrings are impressive given that the jewelry is handmade, but the color of the eyes could’ve been gold, or at least another color, so they would’ve stood out more. And though the addition of a belt would have messed with the completely laced-up backing, I wish there was something on the cinched part of the coat. Maybe a keyhole to match the shoes and the theme of “entering” the gates of Hell.
Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com
Here, look 11, though with understated color, gets its point across effortlessly. The broad-shouldered, statuesque silhouette gloriously returns in tuxedo form. The strong-armed sleeves have the beautiful addition of a dark to burnt orange brown ombre. Besides the cinched waist making another flawless appearance, the v-shaped neckline reaches downward to new territory: the belly-button. It’s an instant attention-grabber. Though I’m a fan of the choice of neckline, I do think that something overall is missing from the piece. Nothing except the chest area of the tuxedo stands out. Even the shoes have neutral coloring. And if you look close enough, the infamous human toes atop the heels can be seen, but they’re not colored in their usual stand-out gold. Since no earrings or other jewelry were included in the look, it becomes obvious that the designer thought that the neckline was enough. However, the addition of dangle earrings would’ve blown the audience away with a lustful addition to this piece. Speechless. Everything about the creation of this mosaic-like corset is exqui-
site.
Look 12. What is there to say? There’s no jewelry, which I feel could have added some energy to this exhausted outfit. When looking at it, I wonder what exactly is the model carrying in her arm — leftover fabric? Whatever it is, it’s not the Schiaparelli I’m used to. The slit in the dress looks like something exploded out of it, and that is made more apparent by the contrast in materials used for the fitted aspects of the dress. The nude shoe with the outfit was also an odd choice. Something gold and black, whether it’s the shoes or earrings, would have done something more for the dress and the model. It looks like an unfinished product — the final outcome of ideas that ran out. It’s damnable. Since Roseberry became the brand’s creative director in 2019, he has created several interesting collections. Taking inspiration from not only the brand’s founder, Elsa Schiaparelli, but also from the 80s, Roseberry had his ab-breastplates, shoes with golden human toes, extravagant and campy earrings, and piercing blue eyeglasses making appearances all over the red carpet and Instagram feeds for the past three years. Overall, it was hard to choose just one outfit to encapsulate the disappointments of this recent collection. Many outfits look last-minute and thrown together. It lacked the vibrant and bold colors I’m used to seeing in Schiaparelli collections. On a rating scale of 1-10, I would give this collection a 5.5. The majority of the collection was either basic, poorly fitted, or had gorgeous accessories that upstaged the outfit they were supposed to be complementing. As I looked at each outfit, they increasingly got worse as I became more disappointed. If I were Roseberry, I’d be embarrassed that the only reason my show is going viral is because the most interesting outfit of the day was on Doja Cat, an audience member! Roseberry has the talent to make fabulous runway looks, but he let the story of Dante’s “Inferno” outshine his collection. I hope that Roseberry makes it out of the ninth ring of Hell. Before the bad luck he brought with this collection gets the better of him.
Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com
Look 22, the top half at least, is a masterpiece. The carefully inlaid genuine emerald and gold top-piece is a clear step forward from the infamous ab-breastplate that debuted in Roseberry’s Spring 2021 Couture collection. The tendrils flying off the top are reminiscent of constellations, making the model’s face seem like a divine being peering through the stars to see the world. I could go on and on about how the gorgeous creation allows an onlooker to view the model materializing into goddess form as they descend from the heavens! But I’d be ignoring my critique of the trousers. The model, at least in the picture, looks as if they are stepping on pant-legs as they walk. Though the trousers definitely go with the top half, it’s obvious that they’re meant to act as an underline of the important subject above. Another thing: the model is wearing earrings that match the emerald corset-like structure around her torso. The look is dazzling enough without the earrings. It seems like Roseberry became a bit too greedy.
Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com
My peers’ thoughts about campus resources By MARIAH LEWIS
JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Do you ever wonder if you’re the only one who feels like on-campus resources at Brandeis deserve more critical attention? Have you and your friends talked about how they feel ineffective, or how you could make them work better for yourself or fellow students? Throughout my time at Brandeis, my friends and peers have spoken to me countless times about their negative experiences with current resources such as the Brandeis Counceling Center, Department of Community Living, and Public Safety. However, those conversations didn’t frequently lead to brainstorming about how to better them. I was often left feeling sad for my friends feeling as though of these resources being more effective felt bleak. Once I realized I wanted to do a senior thesis, my topic changed multiple times before I settled on the one subject I was truly passionate about: understanding and improving campus resources. For my senior thesis, I developed focus groups composed of University students to gather our peers’ opinions of current resources. The main resources that Brandeis offers involve mental health services, academic services, housing services, and support for survivors of sexual assault and various types of harassment and discriminaton. I decided to take on this project because as a Brandeis student, I want to ensure the students here feel safe and validated while enrolled. Here is what I learned: students want to modify and revolutionize the resources currently provided. Students spoke passionately about wanting
resources. Students wanted the timing of their circulation, to be “proactive”. Non-punitive alternatives for keeping students safe and wanted better training for clubs and organizations on campus. The recommendations these students brainstormed deserve recognition and action from the administration. When prompted, multiple students shared that they forgot campus resources existed, or didn’t have the energy to engage with them. This may be because the University typically uplifts resources only during crises or difficult parts of the semester. Students echoed this sentiment and pointed out that the University’s choice to extend resources amid these stressful times is not conducive to students reaching out for help because they, themselves, are stressed. As a potential solution, students proposed dedicating a permanent space to campus resources, such as a QR code or poster on a bulletin board in a central location like the Shapiro Campus Center to remind students of the resources. That way, when people are in need of resources, they don’t have to use their energy to figure out where to go. While at Brandeis I also felt overwhelmed during midterms or finals when events such as wellness days occurred, because that was the time when I needed to buckle down and focus the most. Although these events are a lovely gesture, I also wish more resources had been disseminated across the semester when I was more receptive to utilizing them. Another reason these resources should be re-evaluated is because many students have shared the need for non-punitive alternatives to safety. The Black Action Plan is a student initiative which lists needs and demands to ensure the Black and POC students on campus feel safe, included, and
comfortable. Among my talks with friends and with participants in the focus groups, the Department of Community Living’s poor track record with communities of color was brought up numerous times. A specific concern that was shared was that when DCL is called, students can be put in uncomfortable, unsafe, or dangerous situations. One of the recommendations made for helping ensure student safety was to follow the BAP’s suggestion of hiring de-escalation therapists, so trained professionals would be the ones facilitating housing situations in a non-punitive manner. Students also identified a need for better trainings for clubs and organizations. A participant shared that diversity trainings are mandatory for many clubs on campus, but the same YouTube videos were selected for each club training, and the information was not consistently updated. Questions of how to advocate for others or for oneself remained. One suggestion was to use the Prevention, Advocacy & Resource Center’s model to create a student-run resource for people who have experienced discrimination who might not want to report it via existing mechanisms. The suggestions students gave are all fantastic. However, there are several contradictions when it comes to what students wanted and needed and how they envisioned change. This tells us that these recommendations are not a one-size-fitsall solution, because people have different needs. These are the proposals that stood out as widely beneficial to students, and they are concrete ways to improve or add to current resources. You are not alone if you feel like oncampus resources at Brandeis need to
be changed. My research reveals that strategies for improving resources are on people’s minds. The sample of students for this study is not representative of how all Brandeis students feel, because I only got to center 12 voices. However, it sheds light on the need to center the student perspective when it comes to how campus resources are created and managed. I believe that it is crucial to continue gathering this information so that when Brandeis develops new resources or revises old ones, the administration can access this data to help determine next steps. In addition to this piece, I wrote a policy brief to the administration where I proposed that centering students’ voices, when it comes to evaluating and maintaining campus resources, will create a positive environment for current and future Brandesians alike. I proposed utilizing the Brandeis support webpage to organize information about all of the resources Brandeis offers in one virtual space, replicating PARC’s model for addressing sexual violence to implement non-punitive safety alternatives for students, and administering a survey to the student body that gauges when students would like to receive information about resources during the year. Also collects suggestions for strengthening other resources. I believe the most important first step is the creation of an annual survey that would allow many more students to weigh in on these issues so we can decide what deserves immediate attention. Every student deserves to feel heard; we have the unique perspective to know better than most what solutions have the potential to make a true difference for our community.
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