Rena Magazine Issue 2

RENA Issue. Two

R The average person will spend 90,000 hours of their life working.

The average person will live 692,040 hours.

While average may not be the goal, maybe these numbers will put your life into perspective.

Who are you outside of the 90,000?

Does your heart bleed with love while you sit in your office or does love only blossom when the moon can be a witness?

Does your inner child have a designated place in the back of your mind, or did that wonder grow up when you learned how to “behave”?

If a colleague saw you outside of business hours, would they have an idea of who you are?

Within those 90,000 hours, do you have an idea of who you are?

The truth of the matter is, you are not guaranteed 692,040 hours to spend 90,000 working.

And neither are we.

So let’s blur the lines between 90,000 and 692,040. Work and love and mystery and creativity have no clear start and end.

What begins at 9 will end at 5, but 5 marks the start of another endeavor, for who we are cannot be confined to a timetable.

Polymaths aren’t bred by 40-hour work weeks. They are built by life and life doesn’t clock-in and clock-out.

This is Rena After Hours.

King of Chords

Location: Binghamton University

Styled by Malik Griffith Photographed by Audrey Franza Model: Malik Griffith

The Influence of Music and Fashion As two outlets of creative expression, fashion and music, walk side by side down Hollywood’s boulevards.

We look back at decades today and they are defined largely by the music they played and the clothes they wore. The bell-bottoms, crop tops, and glitter rose alongside disco in the 1970’s so perfectly, it is hard for us to today to hear disco music without picturing the iconic styles.

Today artists are taking bigger strides in the fashion industry. It is uncommon to see a big-name artist that does not have some sort of fashion collaboration with an established brand. Bad Bunny released sneakers with Adidas this past month and the shoes sold out quickly; they are no longer available in Adidas and can only be found on resale sites (Muhammad). Lizzo

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collaborated with Fabletics, an active lifestyle clothing brand, and the line features leggings, tank tops, bodysuits, and more. This collaboration was fitting given how much the singer’s body-type and lifestyle has played a role in her career.

Some artists have gone farther than collaborations and head their own fashion companies.

Kanye West carries the title of the richest black man in American history, with an estimated net worth of 6.6 billion dollars (Mayo). Yeezy, the rapper’s fashion brand, is responsible for a large portion of this number. His most popular collaborations are with Adidas, producing Yeezy sneakers that have become a must in sneakerheads’ closets across the globe. West has also signed a ten year contract with Gap, however he has recently taken to the internet to express dismay with the brand for not including West in meetings regarding his brand and for stealing his designs (Fishman). As he still owns 100% of Yeezy, it is not diffcult to see why the artist would be upset (Aniftos). Regardless of controversies, collaborations with Adidas and Gap are worth, at the lowest possible estimation, 3.2 billion dollars (Alcorn). This substantial wealth obtained from the fashion industry is an achievement that can be claimed by few and there is little indication that Yeezy will be heading anywhere but upwards in the future.

Another musician that has a huge impact on the fashion industry is pop singer, Rihanna. Rihanna claims “as far as I can remember, fashion has always been my defense mechanism” and today, she has been able to use that defense mechanism to build herself up to billionaire status. Rihanna owns fifty percent of Fenty beauty, the cosmetic company that launched in 2017. The makeup brand made such huge headlines as it focused on inclusivity and carrying products that catered to every skin tone. The brand launched with forty foundation shades and today has 59 shades available for purchase. This launch rocked the fashion and beauty industry, as women would consistently express how makeup brands did not cater to them, and since the launch of Fenty Beauty, brands across the market have increased the shades that they carry.

In 2018, Fenty Beauty brought in over $550 million in annual revenue from Fenty beauty and Savage X Fenty, a lingerie brand launched as well. This launch took the market by storm, and the brand is estimated to be worth $250 million dollars. This success was only supplemented further by the drop of Fenty Skin, a skin care brand that first released products in 2020. The star has been referred to as a mogul in the fashion industry, setting the bar high for competitors in terms of inclusivity. Many singers have followed suit and started their own cosmetic companies, like Selena Gomez with Rare Beauty or Ariana Grande with r.e.m. beauty, but none have seen the success Rihanna has seen. She is the richest female musician and second wealthiest female entertainer in the world (Berg). Rihanna has set up various donation campaigns to foundations aimed at women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, people affected by climate disasters, and more (Meggsaur).

Alcorn, Chauncey. “Kanye West Is Reportedly Worth $6.6 Billion | CNN Business.” CNN, Cable News Network, 18 Mar. 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/18/business/kanye-west-net-worth/index.html.

Aniftos, Rania. “Kanye West Calls out Adidas CEO for 'Blatant Copying' of Yeezy Designs.” Billboard, 14 June 2022, https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/kanye-west-calls-out-adidas-yeezy-design-copy-1235086869/.

Berg, Madeline. “Fenty's Fortune: Rihanna Is Now Officially a Billionaire.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 6 Aug. 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2021/08/04/fentys-fortune-rihanna-is-now-officially-a-billionaire/?sh=5e8ae68b7c96.

Fishman, Elana. “Kanye West Puts Gap on Blast for 'Copying' Yeezy Gap x Balenciaga Designs.” Page Six, Page Six, 31 Aug. 2022, https://pagesix.com/2022/08/31/kanye-west-blasts-gap-for-copying-yeezy-gap-x-balenciaga-designs/.

Mayo, Aleeya. “Kanye West Is Now Reportedly Worth $6.6 Billion Thanks to His Yeezy Brand's Apparel and Footwear Deals, Making Him the Richest Black American in History.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 19 Mar. 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/kanye-west-worth-6-billion-yeezy-gap-clothing-ubs-valuation-2021-3.

Meggsauer. “Rihanna Is Now Worth $1.4 Billion–Making Her America's Youngest Self-Made Billionaire Woman.” CNBC, CNBC, 6 July 2022, https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/04/rihanna-is-now-americas-youngest-self-made-billionaire-woman.html.

Muhammad, Latifah. “17 Musician Brand Collaborations You Need To Know About.” Billboard, 31 Aug. 2022, https://www.billboard.com/culture/product-recommendations/celebrity-brand-collaborations-1235056808/.

Hijinks & Shenanigans Making Mischief

Reign of Leaves Written by Cameron Wallace The rain is nature’s sedative. Her constant, soft drumming rhythm entrances you and sends you into another dimension. It’s nature’s lullaby, singing you to sleep, bringing herds of sheep jumping over fences, chasing dreams. The rain is a harbinger of life, revitalizing the life forces.

I look out my window and watch the endless stream of torrential rain, accompanied with their partner-in-crime, wind. Up to no good - much like nature’s Butch and Sundance. I feel the atmospheric gods ransack the world - tearing leaves off the trees, shaking roots, throwing dirt, and ripping branches. Yesterday the world was christened by the warmth of Apollo’s breath and blessed by the presence of the fall foliage setting the sky ablaze. Tomorrow it will be scattered with leaves like bodies on a battlefield, remnants of the beauty that was. No matter how hard the leaves fight it, they succumb to the cyclic power of nature. The winkles fold and the veins shrivel, the test of time demands it from the leaves - taking everything, leaving nothing. It makes you wonder if it’s much of a fight after all.

If leaves understand their roles, does that allow them to live filled with wonder and joy, rather than worrying about when the wind will blow next? The power of surrendering. Control is such a warped concept. We lie to ourselves and tell us we have control of things in which we do not, all to cushion our feelings. The glass walls protect us from nothing, because the idea of control only amplifies the disappointment, anguish, heartbreak, and anxiety when things operate out of our control. It’s a cyclic torment we

put ourselves through because in reality, there is nothing of real importance that is in our control. I want to learn how to relinquish control like the leaves, and live a life of wonder and joy until the next wind blows and carries us away from home.

“There are levels to it.”

Location:

Downtown Binghamton, New York

Fashion was Self-Styled Photographed by Audrey Franza Models:

Justin Wang Ken Job

L n I

. e in

An Opinion Piece

by Al Furnan People have always been quick to dismiss the validity of skateboarding, and it is often looked down upon. Nobody really supported it or anything that had to do with it. During the pandemic, many resorted to the sport as something new to learn because it meant that people could engage in physical activity without risking the contraction of COVID-19. People were able to learn the sport in the comfort of their driveway or even in their homes.

These new skaters, eager to be a part of the skateboarding community, grasped on to anything “skater-like” such as our clothing. The “skater” fashion trend began, with no regard for the culture and history of skateboarding. People began using skateboarding as a style trend rather than a sport and recreational activity.

Which in turn, drove up the price of many popular skateboarding attire such as the popular shoe, Nike Dunks. This example is just a microcosm of the larger issue at hand - the trendiness of skating drastically increased the price of skateboard accessories and apparel making it inaccessible to many skaters.

Similarly, the recent trendiness of thrifting which is being propelled by social media is also negatively affecting the skate community and the larger community as a whole. Thrift stores were originally designed to provide for low income folk to buy inexpensive clothes. The spike of prices ultimately bar these communities from purchasing the clothes they need at an affordable cost. At the same time, skaters sometimes used thrift stores and other outlets offering affordable clothing as a way to inexpensively rotate clothes that would frequently get torn from the constant falls and the rough nature of the sport. It’s disheartening to see thrift stores become a hive for those trying to match the “skater vibe”.

SKATE PARK

Although skateboarding has received a lot of good publicity lately, even making an appearance in the 2020 Summer Olympics, I feel like the way it reached this newfound attention was through the wrong way. The mainstage spotlight that the Olympics offered, or even the increase in fan base during the pandemic, doesn’t promote skateboarding in a manner that respects or teaches the culture and history that is married to the fabric of the sport. To skaters, skateboarding is not a trend; it’s a lifestyle. Going out everyday, falling and scraping our bodies to learn tricks isn’t for trend, it’s because this is the sport and community we love to be a part of. I think seeing people pretend to skate while it is still trendy is hurtful to the community because they want to be part of skateboarding without putting in the time and effort to say these words to someone “Yeah, I skate”.

Location: Binghamton University Styled by Cameron Wallace Photographed by Audrey Franza Models: Emily Worth Sam Schaper Al Furnan Mark Moritz

Conversations On Love.

An Interview with Salonae and Josef

Salonae: How did you know you wanted to be together?

Josef: I wanted to be around you and I felt like I could be myself with you. And you were also really beautiful on top of that. You were everything I was looking for and I didn’t even know I was looking. You fit every single… every single bullet point. Like for real. I also knew because we had started to become friends and as we grew closer and closer, I said to myself I wouldn’t mind dating her. I would not mind making her mine. So I asked myself, what am I waiting for? So I did it.

Salonae: How did you know when you loved me?

Josef: Every time I saw you, my heart just skipped a beat. You know? I just felt it.

I really just felt something. I wanted to get to know you, and I felt a deep connection to you. I really can’t put it into words. Just a feeling, and I just knew.

Salonae: When we first began dating, which memory sticks with you and why?

Location:

Downtown Binghamton, New York

Fashion was Self-Styled Photographed by Audrey Franza

Models:

Salonae Dimagiba Josef Thompson

Josef: I would say, when we were talking in the undergrounds right outside the lounge. Yeah, that always comes back to me because that was the very first time we spoke. And I just wanted to know you and learn more about you.

I didn’t have any other intentions than to know you and get close to you. I felt like I had too, something in me was telling me that I had to know you. I think that moment is what sticks out to me.

Salonae: If you can think of a song to describe our relationship what song would that be?

Josef: I’m thinking of that song, Antidote. You always help to make me better whenever I’m down or have something on my mind. You’re always just there and you’re always supporting me through my ups and downs. Like my antidote. When I’m down I just need a little bit of Salo, and I’m back up.

Salonae: Do I inspire you?

Josef: Yeah, your work ethic definitely makes me wanna work more sometimes. I don’t think you realize it but when you set your mind to something you’re gonna do it. I think that just inspires me to be more driven. I think that musically you made it really easy for me to write about love. I just feel it and I don’t have to think about it. You inspire me to write about us.

Salonae: We make 9 months in a couple of days, do you think your perception of love in these 9 months has changed because of our relationship?

Josef: Yeah, in previous relationships I haven’t gotten the support that I’ve gotten from you. A relationship can be a friendship in more ways even in how you support each other. You know, that’s what you do for me. You were my friend before my girlfriend. I think we’re still friends till this day. We’re lovers and we’re friends, and that’s what a relationship should be. The ability to talk to your partner about anything. You’ve been that for me and more. So I think you changed my whole perception.

Salonae:

Thank you so much, Josef Thompson.

Josef:

No problem, Salonae Dimagiba.

The Reincarnation of Love At first glance only our past selves were responsible for what we felt A time where I was you and you were me Now we‘re us, two people meant to meet My view of you is something I wish for you to see The feeling is the same as your gaze for me I look at you and swear we’ve laughed You look at me and know we’ve danced We see memories in each other that our current bodies didn’t create We see feelings in each other that our souls recognize My name is different this time What's your name in this life?

A bond so unique, that no one could compete A story so unforgettable, that it had to repeat A relationship so remarkable, that it had to reteach Teach us how to love again Teach us how to mend our mistakes Teach us how to cherish happiness My face lays perfectly in yours A puzzle never forced to fit A story like this can never be done for I apologize if this is intrusive But have I greased your scalp before?

Although your brain lost all memory of me Your body still remembers mine Since I find beauty marks of where I use to kiss We started as strangers in this lifetime Given the chance to love each other more than we did the last Lifetime after lifetime love redefined But when this life is over and we begin the next, I promise You’ll find me in due time Salonae N. Dimagiba

In the Limelight to see or be seen.

Pedestals Written by Cameron Wallace Do you ever wonder why they say never to meet your idols? It’s because the pedestal we put them on is destined to fall out from underneath them. It’s written in the stars. Not because they’re bad people and we suddenly realize our whole perception has been a lie. No. It’s because we realize the lie we’ve been telling ourselves all along. We think putting someone on a pedestal is a gift, something they should be thankful for, as if they deserve certain things because they have a seat in our fictional pantheon. When in reality, all we’ve done is stripped them of their humanity, isolated them and called it love and adoration, and stole from them the beauty of making mistakes, of forgetting our lines in our Shakesperian dramas. Because that’s what it means to be human, to exist in the gray area, to look each other in the eyes as we awkwardly laugh when we realize we have no idea what we’re doing in this game known as life. If you think about it, a fall from grace can only happen if we lift them up off the ground and raise them above us - how can you fall if you’re grounded, embraced by your loved ones alongside the rest of humanity? At that point, the fall is just called being human. It’s a scary thing, but it’s the only truth I’ve ever known to be truer than the North Star.

We craft this story, fueled by our own insecurities, and sustained by social media.

Location: Brooklyn Art Museum

Styled by Cameron Wallace Photographed by Audrey Franza Models: Aminatou Diallo Cameron Wallace

Power in Pink Shifting Conceptions of Color

Location:

Nathaniel Cole Park

Styled by Cameron Wallace Photographed by Audrey Franza Models:

Hawa Touray Mariya Ivanova Salonae Dimagiba

Bound in Pink precious innocence artificially induced always reproduced.

Mariya Ivanova

RENA “The Nature of Time” The Spring 2022 Fashion Show

In collaboration with the Binghamton Art Museum & artist Nathaniel Stern

March 5, 2022 “The Nature of Time”

Inspired by Nathaniel Stern’s The World After Us: Imaging Technoaesthetic Futures, our inaugural fashion show, The Nature of Time, took us into the world of the unknown. Every day humanity struggles with the looming reality that our existence is not guaranteed. For too long, humans have operated under the assumption that we sit atop of the food pyramid, asserting dominance in every space we interact with. The longer we continue down this path, the more the fleetingness of our presence becomes an inevitable termination rather than a possible demise.

Technology

Humans do not exist in a vacuum, we never have, and we never will. Before us, there was nature, and after us, there will be nature. The legacy that rests in our technology will outlive us, and be left to face the unyielding power of Mother Nature. In an experimental approach the show’s theme explores the relationship between our technology and nature. This show is about humility, submission, strength, resilience, and most importantly challenges the audience to reconceptualize the very framework of how we perceive humanity’s absolute power. With odes to post-apocalypticism and dystopian ephemera, our show tells the story of nature’s true power. Technology and man-made infrastructures may dominate the planet for the beginning of time, but nature will always end up on top - it’s simply the Nature of Time.

... into Nature

DESIGNS 1-4

(Aidan Beigie, Carson Chan, Dori Fogle, Rawm White)

DESIGNS 5-8

(Sondrea Browne Low, Chase Gordon, Nico De Vita and Leeana Mullamphy)

DESIGNS 9-12

(Emily Lin, Emily Worth, Aminatou Diallo, Dahlia Bekong)

DESIGNS 13-16

(Christina Yavdoshnyak, Alana McKeon, Devin Verdugo, Hawa Fofana)

DESIGNS 17-20

(Akunna Njoku, Gaella Guervil, Linda Thomas-Galloway, Keanna White)

DESIGNS 21-22

(Daniel Watson and Alyssa Pitter)

DESIGNS 23-24

(Vanessa Obeng and Malik Griffith)

DESIGNS 25-27

(Ada Lam, Sofia Japal, Melissa Norman)

MOMENTS YOU MISSED from the show </3

PRE-SHOW

Behind the Scenes Months of hard work, preparation, and practice

Thank You. Rena’s first inaugural show, The Nature of Time, was a daunting undertaking, yet it yielded an unprecedented success. It would be remiss of us to not acknowledge the countless hours of help we received from so many talented individuals along the process outside of the organization and executive board. First and foremost, we would like to thank Dr. Claire Kovacs, the curator of the Binghamton University Art Museum, Diane Butler, the director of the Binghamton University Art Museum, as well as the other faculty and staff at the Binghamton University Art Museum. The show would not have been possible without the support of the Art Museum. We would also like to send a special thank you to Nathaniel Stern, the artist behind the exhibition, The World After Us: Imaging Technoaesthetic Futures, which served as the muse for our vision. Thank you for opening our eyes to what is possible, and helping us chase our dreams.

A huge thank you to our musicians, Peter Vailakis and Jadon Schneider, who so magnificently accompanied our models the night of the show. To our team behind the scenes, Felicia Anacreon, Devin Barbero, Ashley Doherty and Schaina Pierre, your precision and talent with hair and makeup elevated our looks to a whole new level. The show would not have been the same without you. And to our student designers, Mallory Fowler and Flynn Anderson, thank you for allowing us to showcase your art and help reinforce the sense of community that we always envisioned Rena to foster. Thank you to our photographers, Jonathan Shaw and Kaitlin Wan, for documenting this memorable day.

To our models, thank you so much for trusting us and being so willing to take this leap of faith with us. It was a challenge and we learned a lot along the way, but having such an amazing group of models to tackle this made everything so much easier. There would be no show without you all, so again, from the bottom of our hearts- thank you.

This show will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we would like to take this final opportunity to thank the community that made it all possible.

Models Designers Flynn Anderson Mallory Fowler

MUAs Devin Barbero Ashley Doherty Felicia Anacreon

Aidan Beigie Carson Chan Dori Fogle Rawm White Sondrea Browne Low Chase Gordon Nico De Vita and Leeana Mullamphy Emily Lin Emily Worth Aminatou Diallo Dahlia Bekong Christina Yavdoshnyak Alana McKeon Devin Verdugo Hawa Fofana Akunna Njoku Gaella Guervil Linda Thomas-Galloway Keanna White Daniel Watson and Alyssa Pitter Vanessa Obeng and Malik Griffith Ada Lam Sofia Japal Melissa Norman

Hair Stylist Schaina Pierre

Musicians Peter Vailakis Jadon Schneider

Photographers Jonathan Shaw Kaitlin Wan

A Message from Team Rena How to get involved if you are interested!

Calling All Creatives.

We are looking for Photography and Layout/Publishing Interns. If you are interested, please send an email to Renamagazine2021@gmail.com with a portfolio of your work and a simple letter stating what you would like to explore here with us and how your vision can contribute to Rena.

We would love to invite you to the team!

If you would like to stay updated with what is going on at Rena, join our listserv! We have some exciting projects coming up, so don’t miss out.

Executive Board of Rena Creative Director: Editor-in-Chief: Fashion Director: Publishing and Layout Director: Head of Brand Partners & Marketing: Treasurer: Operations Director:

Cameron Wallace Audrey Franza Maylin Vititow Grace Moon Madeline Schalk Justin Wang Mariya Ivanova