ROCKET SPRING/SUMMER 2018

Rocket VOL. VIII, ISSUE 2

SPRING/SUMMER 2018

cover CROCHETED VEST AND CROCHETED SHORTS BY TANGEE’S CLOSET, ROPE NECKLACE BY NEON ZINN inside CROPPED BELL SLEEVE TOP BY VICTIM15, WIDE LEG PANTS BY STITCH BY CHANNEL

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THE COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY WMROCKETMAGAZINE.COM MAGAZINE.ROCKET@GMAIL.COM @ROCKETMAG

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ISABELLA FOX ARIAS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AMY ZHANG CREATIVE DIRECTOR EMMEL EL-FIKY MANAGING EDITOR ANDREW UHRIG PHOTO DIRECTOR LILLIAN ZHAO ART EDITOR ANUSHKA ANNONTI, CLARA POTEET, NOAH WOODRUFF ART TEAM CLAIRE POWELL BEAUTY EDITOR MAEGAN ASSAF, SERENA HOOKER, CAROLINE POLLY, REBECCA SHKEYROV, JULIA SUNG, KAELA SUNG BEAUTY TEAM JULIA BULLARD, ANDREW COWEN BOOKINGS CO-DIRECTORS CATALINA RUBIO BOOKINGS TEAM PETER MAKEY COPY EDITOR EMILY BASS DIGITAL DIRECTOR EMILY BACAL, JOEL CALFEE, E.S. LEVINE, HANNAH LOWE, NAKIA STEPHENS, ALIJAH WEBB FEATURES TEAM JONATHAN MERLINO, HARSHITA NETALA MARKETING & PRODUCTION CO-EDITORS JULIA CARLSON, NIKKY PRICE, SOPHIE SHEALY, EVAN SKYE, CAMILA WALTER MARKETING & PRODUCTION TEAM SYDNEY MCCOURT, WILLIAM KELLY, JAY WARRIOR PHOTO TEAM ANNABEL BENTLEY, ROMY CHU PUBLIC RELATIONS TEAM DALTON LACKEY, ZAIRA MUGHAL STYLE CO-EDITORS CHARLIE PARSONS, RHEA CHESSON, XANDER GIARRACCO, ANNA KASHMANIAN, HANNA HAILE, KEEILAH MOSELEY STYLE TEAM 4

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR This semester, ROCKET has looked past the limits of the William & Mary campus to create an issue that spotlights artists who inspire us. Often times, William & Mary feels like a microcosm that operates parallel to the outside world. This feeling is exacerbated as William & Mary functions within the time capsule of Colonial Williamsburg.

With our Spring/Summer 2018 issue, ROCKET aimed to bring the outside creative community into our historical bubble.

Our cover story features Bliss Foster, a stylist and creative director who works to bridge the gap between the everyday and fantasy in his editorials.

In conjunction with Bliss, we spotlight Amit Greenberg, an artist known for his unique pop surrealist technique and his work with brands such as Collette, Ikea, Hello Mr., and Fendi. To close our issue, I talked with Daria Fain about her work as a digital director splitting her time between New York and Croatia.

This year, inspirational creatives can be found not only between the pages of ROCKET but within the halls of our academic buildings. In collaboration

with the Students of Hip Hop Legacy, ROCKET put on our second-annual Astral Fashion Show. The show consisted of eight designers and hip hop performers considered innovators within their respective fields, all from the greater Virginia area, and a few of whom actually being William & Mary students.

In showcasing this kind of talent and approach to fashion and music, Astral has begun to solidify its place within the campus creative community as an outlet for expression unlike anything else offered at the College.

Continuing our mission from the Fall/ Winter 2017 edition, our Spring/Summer 2018 issue strives to bridge the gap between fashion and the political. From the performative qualities of gender, to sexual expression, and white saviorism, our articles and editorials gracefully move between art and culture. Our staff has continued to work incredibly hard to feature the various perspectives and experiences of those who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity. The issue that follows is a reflection of that effort, of our community.

Isabella Fox Arias

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suits astral this is amit sanctify suburbia Q&A

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polished DIRTY LAUNDRY SIN AND SALIENCE UTILITARIAN DAMN. BLISS FOSTER 44 48 58 64 70 78

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polished photography by ANDREW UHRIG beauty by REBECCA SHKEYROV, KAELA SUNG, CLAIRE POWELL model KIRSTEN LINDER

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dirty laundry Photography by ANDREW UHRIG Beauty by CLAIRE POWELL, KAELA SUNG, CAROLINE POLLY, JULIA SUNG Models ANNIKA PAPKE, EMMA SHAINWALD, ALIJAH WEBB, HELENA KLAVIN

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Sex, Yeah In a conversation between Features writers Alijah Webb and Nakia Stephens comes a discussion about the taboo women face regarding masturbation, what is lacking in modern sex education, and why we still slut shame in the age of resurging female empowerment. written by NAKIA STEPHENS, ALIJAH WEBB

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Images of half-naked women cascade across screens, nude heavenly bodies assert their prominence in divine classical artworks - their beauty is discussed in classrooms, analyzing every inch of the female body. With sexual positivity on the rise and feminist theory becoming more accessible, why do I keep hearing women shaming other women for engaging in one night stands? What a slut. God forbid a woman decides to take matters into her own hands and masturbate! How dare she utilize her sexual autonomy and take control of her own body!

Body positivity is only acceptable when it accompanies a carefully curated Instagram post, right?

I learned through media and personal, first-hand experience that othering and being othered are not separate acts. I can be the subject of the male gaze and vow my vengeance against all men perpetuating these behaviors one day; then the next day I could see a woman showing “too much cleavage” and subconsciously think “she doesn’t respect herself.”

We’re taught not to be proud of our sexuality and work within a patriarchal system. It’s difficult having to toe that line; to not be too much or too loud, because then we’ll fall victim to the

caricatures society has created of our identities, especially when it comes to sex. Outside of the preconceived norm, how can we operate in a society that prioritizes heterosexual, monogamous, mostly white, sex? Where did this discrepancy come from and how is it still perpetuated in America in 2018?

Fundamentally, American culture exists within a construction of deep sexual repression, and yet sex sells? It oozes out of each and every production whether carefully implied or overt. If we are constantly being spoon-fed sexualized images, why are people so uncomfortable talking about the vibrator in the room? According to Pornhub, the most searched term in 2017 was “lesbian” - people are so interested in female anatomy, but only when it exists for the male gaze, enforcing the fetishization of lesbian/ bisexual relationships. Additionally, with top search terms including “Ebony” and “Korean,” such generalizations regarding race also serve to reduce women to just the color of their skin and the layout of their features.

With no respect for our identities and sense of self, how are we supposed to operate sexually?

Sex and masturbation have been shamed and highly regulated for

Fundamentally, American culture exists within a construction of deep sexual repression, and yet sex sells?

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TANK BY H&M, SHIRT BY AMAZON, EARRINGS VINTAGE

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SHIRT BY AMAZON, BRA BY H&M, EARRINGS BY JCREW

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centuries. The concept of masturbation as a lowly, weak alternative for sex ultimately stems from the intolerable regimes of sexual control that America is built on. The great taboo of masturbation exists because even touching yourself is a crime against nature. This is a dominant narrative that I’ve encountered, not only because of the area I was raised in, but also because this narrative exists on a larger scale.

We can recognize this on Facebook pages devoted to anti-masturbation propaganda. “Christian Moms Against Masturbation,” one of the greatest troll pages of our time, posts and advocates for keeping children from touching their “sin parts.” The hilarity ensues when you realize that there are thousands of people on Facebook that follow the page, and actually subscribe to the idea that masturbation is immoral.

As women, we have been taught that we aren’t allowed to experience sexuality on our own terms, only to be seen and not heard (unless carefully moaning our lover’s name at their request). We’ve been trying to reclaim our sexuality since the second wave of feminism in the 1970s, but it’s 2018 and we’re still trying. We’re still trying because women refuse to acknowledge their own sexuality, especially in the case of female masturbation. In 2016, the Gender and Women’s Studies

department at Nazareth College conducted a study, in which 67% of 2,300 women aged 18-40 admitted to faking their orgasms. 39% of these women achieve an orgasm through masturbation/use of a sex toy and only 20% achieve an orgasm through vaginal intercourse and clitoral stimulation.

If women are better getting off on our own why aren’t conversations about masturbation more accessible.

The presentation of sexuality manifests itself in a number of ways, but I constantly feel like there are specific pressures on, and models of what I conjure when I think of “deviant bodies.”

Deviant bodies, being those that are othered in society, are constantly subject to ridicule and they present themselves in queer bodies, bigger than our selfconstructed “average” bodies, and especially in bodies that are of different ethnicities and from a myriad of cultures and nations.

There’s an unspoken hierarchy that permeates society and implies that to be male means being awarded certain privileges and perks you wouldn’t receive otherwise.

While older men are the ones perpetuating this backwards-ass history, it’s us, the women, who are buying into it. By shaming other women and their choices, we perpetuate a system of inequality that only serves to our detriment.

By shaming other women and their choices, we perpetuate a system of inequality that only serves to our detriment.

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Sin and Salience written by EMILY BACAL art by CLARA POTEET

The Fall/Winter 2018 Fashion Week shows by both Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana took very different approaches to social and technological modernity. Features writer Emily Bacal dives into these differences, and discusses how Gucci may have gotten it so right in the same ways Dolce & Gabbana missed the mark.

As an artistic medium, fashion strives to capture the cultural landscape while indulging its dreamscape. Such relevance is achieved through a constant dialogue with the world: as society changes, so must fashion. The unprecedented rate of change and relentless digitization of modern times demands response. In today’s world, if you’re not moving, you’re already dead.

Two fashion giants have confronted this challenge in two very different ways, one with markedly more success than the other. Gucci’s continued relevance is evidenced by its ubiquity in the modern vocabulary, cropping up everywhere from Migos songs to Rihanna’s skin (via a crystal-encrusted bodysuit). Dolce & Gabbana, while remaining far from obsolete, has failed to respond sufficiently to the changing demands impressed upon it. Instead, it continues to reproduce tired prints and symbols implemented in a way that’s all gimmick and no innovation. The brands’ Fall Winter 2018 Ready to Wear (RTW) collections exemplify the differences in direction of two of Italy’s most iconic houses.

Gucci’s FW18 RTW presentation was unsettling and striking, forcing its audience to grapple critically with its meaning. Working within an industry known to combat the bad by glossing it over with shiny silks and shimmering lurex, creative director Alessandro

Michele fulfilled this function and furthered it by making garments simultaneously chic and chilling.

The collection asserts itself, heavily conceptual yet commercially viable.

Sarah Mower, chief critic at Vogue.com, remarked that “It was sensational - in a disturbing and creepy way - as it set out to probe truths around fashion as a medium for transmitting inner states: a picture of what is happening as human brains have become irradiated in the LED light of the information age.” The heavily-nuanced ensembles incorporated everything from Victorian blouses emblazoned with New York Yankee logos to turbans paired with textural bombers, gem encrusted sandals, and unibrows- and that’s to say nothing of the reptiles held gingerly in models’ hands or the severed heads they cradled like footballs.

The opposite of chilling, Dolce & Gabbana’s take on modernity was a self-indulgent devotional to its following, a nod to consumerism. Maximalism was taken to the point of desensitization.

Vogue Italy described the show as “halfway between ‘sacred’ and ‘profane,’” a description which accounts both for the tailored suiting in rich brocades and the kitschy slogans which crowded sweatshirts, headbands, and glasses. D&G’s one bid at modernity was to send drones affixed with handbags cruising down the runway, a

detail completely disconnected from the rest of the show. The small machines generated buzz as they bobbed forth with their bejeweled burdens, but any praise dried up quickly once the clothes were presented. “Preempting all hell being let loose, the words on the first model’s look were ‘fashion sinner’,” said Mower. And sin it did, with every manner of cliche strung together as carelessly as the beaded cross necklaces strewn over tasteless graphic tees. Velour sweatsuits emblazoned with flippant sayings might have been borrowed from the racks of Forever 21. Viewers were hit repeatedly over the head with tired D&G signatures; Renaissance-esque putti were wrought in sequins, embroidered onto sweaters, and printed onto silk dresses. Heavenly symbols became tasteless, superfluous white noise. This was not reinvention, but mere restatement. The foppish romance of this over-wrought ode to modernity laughed where Michele’s collection bared its teeth. Both were flush with multi-layered confections, but while D&G’s looked jumbled and confused, Gucci presented layered looks of authentic intentionality.

Though Gucci’s ensembles were elaborate, they resisted escapist interpretation; the collection was presented within an operating room set, a context which grounded it firmly in the everyday. Operating rooms exemplify the

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Innovation and creation are processes which flow between consumers and designers, from the streets to the runway and vice versa.

meticulously-standardized, reassuringly ordinary procedure of modern life. The rigid, contained violence of hospitals was juxtaposed with the imaginative freedom of artistic creation. Michele reminds us that even within the fantasy world of fashion, we are only one step removed from the assembly lines which drearily, mechanically, and sometimes monstrously dole out rubber boots and root canals alike. Posed as surgeon, Michele proclaimed his act of creation as the “cutting up and weaving together different parts of identity.” By likening the surgeon to the artist and presenting a collection at once visceral and ethereal, Michele questions our notions of doctoring and artistry, authenticity and fabrication.

Gucci’s collection explores the implications of modern technology, begging the question: canpeople be contained within art? In an eraoftechnologically-facilitated social interaction, the role external representation plays in formulating internal identity has shifted. People are constantly compelled to present their lives aesthetically through photographs posted on the internet, creating

digital profiles which function as extensions of the self. The actual body becomes interchangeable with its online representation. The chilling dissonance of severed heads and the suggestion of the artist as a modern Dr. Frankenstein evokes this dualism, exploring the increasingly-disparatepermutations of the self facilitated by modern technology. The replica heads toted down the runway may stand in for cell phones, an inversion acknowledging the fact that these devices have replaced our faces as the interface through which we interact with modern society.

Both houses experienced a rise in annual growth rates in 2017, but while Dolce & Gabbana rose nine percent, Gucci has routinely been experiencing “annual growth rates close to 50 percent” according to The Business of Fashion. Chief Executive Marco Bizzarri explained Gucci’s shift in strategy, explaining its new focus on connection, engagement, and interaction in the way that they approach social media and digital resources, claiming that these “make the Gucci experience today.”

The house engages directly with people and politics, as exemplified by their

recent donation to March For Our Lives.

Bizzari states that “Today you need as a corporation and as a leader to take [a] stance.” This contrasts Stefano Gabbana’s perspective, “I really don’t care about American politics. You do what you want. I’m a designer!”

Gucci has rejected the tired cliche of couturiers as remote figures ensconced in lofty attic studios, disconnected from the populace.

Today, fashion rule is not imposed from the top down. Rather, innovation and creation are processes which flow between consumers and designers, from the streets to the runway and vice versa. Gucci has become enmeshed within the everyday, participating in the real world, melding together the ordinary and the extraordinary. Authenticity and corporate ethos matter as much to today’s consumers as do products. To deny this shift is to refuse to respond to cultural change. D&G may have the right idea about fashion as the new religion, but Gucci is in the pulpit- and everyone is saying amen to the wonder and resonance of their sartorial sermon.

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utilitarian Photography by JONATHAN MERLINO Beauty by SERENA HOOKER, REBECCA SHKEYROV Models JAMES HARKLESS, CONNOR ATKINSON, RITA HAGOS

ANORAK VINTAGE, JEANS VINTAGE, SHOES BY NIKE

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DAMN. written by E.S. Levine

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Kendrick Lamar’s set at the 2018 Grammy Awards this past January began with an American flag projected over a dark stage. Gradually, as the beginning of “XXX” from his 2017 album Damn played, rows of ski-masked and camouflage-clad dancers marched in place, to the beat, and made an opening for their prophet to announce his entrance.

“Yesterday I got a call from my dog like 101/ Said they killed his only son because of insufficient funds.”

The opening line comments on the disposability of black bodies, possibly alludes to Martin Luther King, and might sneak in a nod to 101 Dalmatians.

Some moments later, the stage went black as the words “THIS IS A SATIRE” lit up behind him, telling us that the ostensible patriotism means something more. The messages were some of the most overtly political to occupy such a stage since, well, Kendrick’s Grammy performance in 2016.

Lamar, in many ways, is an aberration, a huge mainstream artist whose oeuvre rarely eludes the grasp of his salient politics. But his music’s reception deeply complicates the messages he endeavors to send. Usually, instead of provoking robust debate, Lamar’s music is taken at face value: as vulgar, angry, and dismissable. Otherwise, it becomes fodder for movements that remain confined to Twitter and Instagram. In 2017, we saw a lot of the latter - artists realizing their personal feel-good initiatives by commandeering the political megaphone.

It’s important now, as much as ever, that we promote marginalized voices, allowing them to tell their own story. We cannot allow the fear of feeling indecent or immoral compel us to impose a narrative of saviorhood on a story of survival.

In 2017, performative politics reared its head in music. Not only was allyship and solidarity once again marketable, but some artists built personas within this superficial political context. Take Justin Timberlake and his new embarrassment Man of the Woods, an Emerson-esque treatise that probably smells like Bon Iver and rides a single-speed bike. The album’s centerpiece is the politically charged single “Supplies,” four-minutes of quasi-political word vomit that include such prescient prophesies as: “Some shit’s about to go down...I’ll be the

one with the level head.” Timberlake also released a video that sees the artist, quite appropriately, just watching world events in a doomsday shelter.

Pitchfork editor Ryan Dombal observes accurately, “Yes, the world is a terrible place. But Justin Timberlake’s wokepop brain farts will not save us.”

Justin Timberlake and the like may mean well, but their intentions are irrelevant. One of my professors puts it quite well: “it’s the job of white allies to contribute to the solution while realizing their proximity to the problem.” Their music has the very real effect of making less space for performers of color to tell their own stories. I don’t need Eminem to go on an eight-minute-(mile)-rant on the revolutionary discovery that Trump is a piece of shit when Joey Bada$$ released 12 tracks calling “Amerikkka” what it really is. I don’t need Kelly Clarkson making “Go High” a pop anthem when Jamila Woods is vying for influence with “blk grl soldier.”

All of this is not to say that the peak of the mainstream was totally devoid of genuine societal critique by artists of color. Returning to Kendrick Lamar, his newest offering, DAMN, won Rap Album Of The Year, and Jay-Z’s “The Story of OJ” was also nominated for a Grammy.

But, these artists did not get popular because they made political music.

Their celebrity was the precondition permitting their messages’ relevance.

In turn, their pointed critiques become linchpins in a superficial debate, typifying a single view for a multitude of experiences. While pockets of Twitter may engage in Jay’s discussion of the nuances of Blackness and capitalist success, largely, he was either applauded for his bravery or chided for saying the N-word too much.

Ultimately, music is not going to dissolve the chains of oppression.

Neither Killer Mike nor Janelle Monáe will eradicate racism even if they perpetually shared the top of the charts, but let’s not forget, the Black Panther Party had a house band. But when white artists posit themselves at the center of the importance of Black lives, listeners gain a distorted view of what action is, being validated in their moderation rather than challenged by urgency. And young people who look like me lose hope that their voices will ever hold sway in the conversation over their lives.

These issues of reception are on full display in liberal havens like my hometown. Places that pat themselves on the back for their 70% Hillary vote and fulfill their morality quotas with week-long service trips. Where police brutality is only a matter of bad cops.

Where I’m seen as lucky to be able to put “African-American/Black” on my college applications. Places that remind me that I’m the Black kid.

Political posturing by white mainstream artists emboldens cultures of perfunctory goodwill. When people treat politics just as a topic; interchangeable with sports and the weather, it becomes impossible for people of color to convey the urgency of their circumstances. A dangerous myth persists: that public white decency absolves even the possibility of racism.

Indeed, white privilege is the ability to divorce a song’s meaning from its words.

Every weekend, the mindless abetting of racism is on full display, my closest, most “culturally-aware” friends belting out the opening epitaph to Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright”: “Alls my life I had to fight N****!”

ALRIGHT.

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left to right CROCHETED FRINGE TOP BY TANGEE’S CLOSET, BUTTON UP BY RAF SIMONS, KERCHIEF BY BURNLEY & TROWBRIDGE, DESTROYED DENIM JEANS AND TANK TOP

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BLISS FOSTER

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Bliss Foster We had the unique experience of working with Bliss Foster, a stylist from Richmond, Virginia and a character all his own, for our latest cover. Managing Editor Emmel El-Fiky had the opportunity to speak with him about his work in fashion, his perceptions on recent changes in the industry, and his plans for the future.

To keep up with Bliss and his latest venture, follow him on Instagram @blissfoster for even more innovative content. photography by WILLIAM KELLY beauty by CLAIRE POWELL written by EMMEL EL-FIKY model GABBY REILLY

Looking at him, it makes sense that Bliss Foster, a 28-year-old from Marietta, Georgia who is currently based in Richmond, Virginia, is a stylist.

With his half-shaved, half-easybreezy long hairstyle and the affinity for colorful accessories and unusual silhouettes, he exudes a kind of knowledgeable coolness that only someone who really knows what he’s talking about could possibly embody. Working with him for our Spring/Summer 2018 cover, it was incredible to watch Bliss’s expertise come to life, with his neverending excitement for ROCKET and for the project before us. It was equally interesting to learn about how he got to this point in his career, and how he felt about his place within the fashion industry.

Hailing from Marietta, a suburb about an hour outside of Atlanta, in the mid-90s, it was hard for Bliss to find an interesting source of fashion inspiration. “I love that place and the people I grew up around, but I didn’t like how everyone dressed.

Except for the mall goths - those kids knew.” He found most of his teenage inspiration just from talking with other people online who had the same selfproclaimed nerdy interests in all things fashion and design. In college, the goal was to push the limit of possibility as far as he could stylistically, purely to see what he could create, even if it didn’t seem to have direction. “I stenciled the word ‘KAKISTOCRACY’ into the back of 36

a heavy canvas army jacket I had, and all my shoes were laced in a different weird way… my aim was to see how far I could push the narrative that was imbued into the clothes I wore.”

This desire to challenge expectations of the fashionable norm led Bliss to becoming a stylist for VICTIM15, a Richmond-based design house headed

by Shareef Mosby. According to Bliss, Shareef’s offer to let him create a lookbook for a recent collection was the first opportunity of its kind that he’d encountered, and it really let him flourish, and come into his own as far as establishing himself in the industry.

“I’m super thankful for that. Shareef is a full Renaissance Man and an absolute creative machine.”

One question I had about his work as a stylist was whether or not Bliss could exact any kind of creative flourish in the projects he worked on. In response, Bliss noted that “if a stylist has a recognizable signature, they’re not doing their job well.” He explained that, on a shoot, his work was less artistic and more oriented around problem-solving. A designer has a certain vision for presenting their creations, and it is the job of the stylist to make that vision a reality. “It’s not about me and what I want everyone to wear, it’s about picking the right clothes to accomplish the goal.” That fact being acknowledged, there are definitely things Bliss likes to utilize in his work, namely bright colors, unusual shapes,

and the kind of outfits people might wear if they’re feeling particularly bold.

This partiality for the wilder side of style definitely showed itself during this shoot for the cover. The clothes Bliss put our cover model, Gabby Reilly, in were nothing short of alluring. Chunky knit vests, yarn flowers and fringed sweaters next to firey flared sleeves and royal blue bell-bottoms at the bottom of an empty pool? Right up Bliss’s alley. In speaking about the genres fashion can sometimes constrain itself within, such as “couture,” “hipster,” “classic,” etc., Bliss was quick to mention his dislike for labels - “Most fashion categories are too broad to be useful anyway.” He prefers to keep things as unrestricted as possible, for the less restraints a person’s style has, the freer the mobility one has to experiment with all that is new and exciting in fashion, while also leaving room for personal innovation.

“No labels - for me [or] my work; if it’s consistent enough to categorize, I’ve stayed there too long,” he explains.

While resisting definition, Bliss takes much inspiration from his industry contemporaries. He lists designer Geoffrey B. Small, author Mark Z. Danielewski, the Dark Souls series of video games, the DJ Black Madonna, and Kanye West (“duh”) as some of his most prominent sources of creative intrigue, that help shape his work as well as his outlook on life. Specifically referring to the Dark Souls video

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games, Bliss describes the series as a confusing but artistically-metaphorical representation of life itself. “There’s still a lot of debate online about what’s actually going on in the series. Most people finish the games and have no idea what’s been happening. But I love that!! It’s just like real life: there’s pieces and hints, but you’ve got to figure a lot of it out yourself.” These creatives, and their wide breadth of approaches to life, can clearly be seen in Bliss’s work - his affinity for the interesting, the extraordinary, the unusual, has definitely been composed as a result of these people and the media they create.

As we spoke about recent changes in the industry, I really wanted to know about how Bliss felt about Virgil Abloh taking over menswear at Louis Vuitton.

I was met with much enthusiasm - “I could geek for hours about this.” Bliss really commended Abloh’s commitment to transparency, using his platform to educate his fans and followers and guiding them through the artistic process so that they might be able to create luxury items for themselves.

This move is decidedly “anti-fashion,” lifting the veil that keeps much of the high fashion industry purposefully exclusive. But Bliss is all for it. “I love Virgil so much and his appointment in this position is so important… It’s corny to say, but Virgil is very literally ‘for the culture.’ I wish him enormous success at Louis Vuitton.”

Another point I wanted to touch on in my discussion with Bliss was his take on the recent trend regarding highfashion brands being adopted as street style staples. For example, Gucci has become not only a historically cogent fashion house, but with items like the Chance-endorsed Gucci belt and the green and red striped tee shirts and sneakers, it is now a newfound streetwear staple. “Fashion is a big part of our cultural zeitgeist at the moment, and that makes me so excited. Rappers have always rocked designer clothes, but a middle-class high schooler in 2018 sees Chance wearing that belt and might save up to get one himself. Those belts start at $400. That’s serious money for a kid, but some of them would rather cop the belt than an Xbox. Whether you think that’s cool—like me—or dumb, it says a lot about fashion’s cultural position now.” In this way, high fashion has started to become more ubiquitous, infiltrating the awarenesses of those who, historically, might not have paid attention or cared. This speaks to how we as a society are shifting our attention

on fashion in general, and how we think of it as not only functional, but as an artistic expression, and a symbol of status.

Later, as we began to dive more into the tougher side of Bliss’s work, I had a few questions about how certain aspects of contemporary politics manifested themselves in the fashion industry. Specifically in reference to the #MeToo movement, which is a modern push toward increasing accountability for those who perpetrate sexual misconduct in the workplace, I wanted to know if the movement had affected those who worked in fashion yet. The movement originated in Hollywood, where much of fashion’s clientele originate, so it would be surprising if the industry had somehow evaded scrutiny. This is especially true when model accounts come out describing the incredible mistreatment they face at the hands of photographers, managers, and other industry professionals.

According to Bliss, the movement has unfortunately not really hit fashion as of late, “and that’s a fucking shame.” Short strides have been made, such as with the condemnation of Terry Richardson, famed photographer who worked with the likes of Vogue, GQ, and Vanity Fair, and who recently had multiple sexual assault accusations come out against him. But alas, the industry still has a ways to go, as do many other sectors of the workforce.

Aside from the need for further accountability for the actions of “creeps,” as Bliss refers to them, there are also several other changes that could be made to the industry. The most

No labels - for me [or] my work; if it’s consistent enough to categorize, I’ve stayed there too long.

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notable of these being that accessibility for newer, smaller design houses should be made available as they begin to increase their brand. “It’s next to impossible for a new designer to break into mainstream fashion.” With fashion becoming even more of a corporatized entity, it’s that much harder for lesserknown designers to get their pieces on the board, let alone play the game. As for proposed solutions, Bliss recognized that the problem was bigger than one he could solve himself. As he noted, “I’m just the stylist.”

Relating to that point, we discussed one of the most challenging aspects of being a stylist and establishing himself as a professional. “Building trust with people takes a lot of time and work.

Designers are rightfully very wary when a stylist wants to use their art to make other art.” However, for Bliss, these challenges are welcomed, as the results always end up being worth it. He clearly loves what he does, and will keep working at it to reach his goals.

In speaking about plans for the future, Bliss described his dream of one day having the means and resources to “execute high-concept editorials using the work of new designers… Projects like that take a lot of time and money. I’d love to find a publication that entrusts me with a budget and a crew. Until then, [though,] I’m gonna keep grinding and doing good work.” If our Spring/Summer 2018 cover is any indication, it’s safe to say Bliss has a long, successful career ahead of him, and we are so lucky to be able to say we “knew him when.”

Fashion is a big part of our cultural zeitgeist at the moment, and that makes me so excited.

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CORDUROY BLAZER AND TROUSERS BY RRL (VINTAGE) 41

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Women’s adoption of male-coded sartorial elements eschews gender roles and rejects the male gaze.

SUIT BY YVES SAINT LAURENT

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uniform Menswear, as prolific as it is in today’s fashion lexicon, offers certain privileges and restrictions, depending on who’s wearing it. Here, Features writers Hannah Lowe and Joel Calfee discuss the implications of menswear as adopted by either men or women.

When Coco Chanel debuted the first menswear-inspired clothing line for women in the early twentieth-century, womenswear was synonymous with restriction. Corsets and petticoats limited movement in a centuries-long tradition of inconveniencing - even harming - the female body to conform to fashion trends. Chanel’s modest, practical trousers were a revolution. “I gave women a sense of freedom,” she alleged, “I gave them back their bodies.”

Shortly after Chanel introduced her trousers, the Flapper appeared during the Roaring Twenties. Adopting the French garçonne aesthetic with bobbed hair and raised hemlines, the Flapper scandalized conservative society by smoking, dancing, and openly embracing her sexuality. Though the Flapper disappeared with the excesses of the 1920s as the country spiraled into the Great Depression, women’s fashion never returned to its pre-Chanel, preFlapper conservatism.

Among other twentieth-century fashion revolutionaries were Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn, who adopted androgynous looks in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Dietrich wore a suit and kissed a woman on film, and Hepburn famously wore her underwear on set until she was allowed to wear trousers. In 1966, Yves Saint Laurent capitalized on changing sensibilities and introduced Le Smoking, the world’s first tuxedo for women. Unlike Chanel’s modest ensembles, Le Smoking was ostentatious; the 1966 campaign photos featured androgynous models wearing slim-cut powersuits, smoking in Parisian alleys. They exuded the same dominance and sexual appeal expected of the ideal American male.

For women, androgyny represents freedom. The historical restrictions and constraints of women’s fashion are shed by androgyny. Women’s adoption of male-coded sartorial elements eschews

gender roles and rejects the male gaze.

In defiance of the masculine aesthetic of power - male heads of state, CEOs, and cultural icons clad in three-piece suits - a woman adopting and adapting this look is to occupy and subvert traditionally male space.

For example, Janelle Monáe, the musician, actress, and businesswoman behind Wondaland Records, frequently wears suits on the runway and in performances. In her 2018 single “Django Jane,” Monáe calls out her critics and owns her androgynous image, rapping, “Remember when they used to say I look too mannish? / Black girl magic, y’all can’t stand it.” As a woman at the top of the record industry surrounded by men, Monáe borrows from their fashion vocabulary to augment her individuality. Wearing suits paired with vibrant lipstick and heels, Monáe is very much like her predecessor Grace Jones: both embrace extreme masculine and feminine elements to create an aesthetic entirely their own.

Similarly, Hillary Rodham Clinton made pantsuits “a uniform” throughout her political career. She aimed to create a look “different to the men but also familiar,” as she writes in her 2017 memoir What Happened. During the 2016 Presidential Campaign, she wore red, white, and blue pantsuits on the televised debates and a purple blazer during her concession speech.

Clinton’s fashion choices, like Monáe’s, associate her with the male aesthetic of power while constructing a unique image. Her clothing also reflects her frustration with the way the media fixates on the appearances of women in the public eye. “A uniform was also an anti-distraction technique,” Clinton wrote, saying that if she stuck to a consistent look, “maybe people would focus on what I was saying instead.”

There are myriad ways women adopt menswear to make a statement. While

photography by DALTON LACKEY beauty by CLAIRE POWELL model EMILIE BJERRING

written by HANNAH LOWE

Clinton’s pantsuits are an expression of desexualized authority, Angelina Jolie’s dishevelled suit and bowtie at the 2014 BAFTAs owned her sexuality. When Beyoncé announced her pregnancy at the 2011 MTV VMAs, she did so in a purple, glittery tuxedo, a representation of her power as a woman, mother, performer, and icon.

From Chanel’s practical trousers to Janelle Monáe’s rainbow wardrobe of suits, androgynous womenswear has a long and diverse tradition. Despite these strides, the fashion industry remains dominated by men. Out of ten major fashion houses -- Gucci, Prada, Versace, Burberry, Dior, Chanel, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Armani, and Hermès -- only one (Chanel) was founded by a woman. In 2018, only Yves Saint Laurent is led by a female CEO. It’s frustrating that women still have to co-opt public presentations of masculinity to obtain power. Traditionally “feminine” clothing, such as dresses and skirts, continue to be perceived as too gentle and vulnerable to be made powerful. Thus, women are left with one option: harnessing masculine power for themselves by working within the outdated system of the gender binary.

This reality begs the question: how long will it take to deconstruct the gender binary and notions of gendered power? When ostensibly feminine and masculine clothing finally command the same respect, will women be free to wear whatever they want? Will men feel comfortable adopting fashion traditionally associated with women without fear of judgement? And, crucially, when will men - especially those at the top of the industry - step up and help women in their quest to be seen as equal regardless of the clothes they wear?

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suit & tired written by JOEL CALFEE

My earliest childhood memories are characterized by cross-dressing. A plethora of home videos exist in which I am running around in makeshift dresses and scraggly wigs, and it is easy to catapult myself back to that time. I can clearly imagine myself wearing the tattered red heels that my mother bequeathed to me in order to properly realize the role of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. However, while I am able to reminisce fondly on these memories, they remain distinct as I get older and my passion for costuming becoming more ignominious.

Before I knew it, my chipped heels, tangled wigs, and stopgap dresses became reserved for Halloween only.

Cross-dressing was cute when I was young but not acceptable as I grew older. No one in my family ever made this decree outright, but a stifling understanding hung in the air. I never received the opportunity to graduate to store-bought heels or dresses, and my interest in wearing pink, my favorite color at the time, was satiated solely with a t-shirt that proclaimed “Tough Guys Wear Pink.”

I did not grow up in a home where my zeal for flamboyant clothing was quelled. Rather, my parents were trying to protect me, and in a world where fashion is defined by immutable rules, they saw no other option besides guiding me along what they understood to be the safest path. Thus, I stayed within the realm of masculine antiquity throughout my youth, and my passion for fashion slowly decreased because of the cookie-cutter standard that was determined for men. While I witnessed Britney Spears wearing diamond bodysuits and Lady Gaga wearing meat dresses, the men were keeping

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it predictably conservative in their suits and ties.

Due to this discrepancy, I believed that fashion was an industry tailored exclusively to women. It seemed as if women were the ones who wore the captivating clothing and appeared more individually expressive. Yet, as I got older and my interest in fashion was reignited, I discovered that this female expression is permitted only with a forced element of peacocking. Men have developed standards of appearance that women are supposed to meet. Women are compelled to wear makeup, shave their legs, and dress expressively, while men are not. Fashion acts like a voyeuristic outlet, where hordes of male designers determine the way that women are supposed to appear by choosing what appeals to men.

On the flip side, this same collective of male creatives has regulated the way that men are supposed to dress.

Masculinity is a fragile façade. But in order to maintain it, there must be an association between manliness and reticence. If I arrived at a black tie event wearing a dress with a waterfall of sequins flowing down my body, I would be renounced not only for flashiness, but for showing a level of public disrespect for an institution. For those who wish to maintain outdated definitions of masculinity, wearing backless dresses or fishnet stockings is like baring your neck to a razor blade.

Men are characterized by mainstream staples such as Polos and calf-length Nike socks, and when it comes to formal wear, their only option is the customary suit and tie. Male fashion is so reliably stagnant that when Jaden Smith wears a skirt for Louis Vuitton or Ezekiel Elliott transforms his dress shirt into a crop

top for the NFL Draft Red Carpet, these minute steps seem monumental. While some sectors of the fashion industry claim to be progressive, they release laughable articles that state Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid borrowing each other’s t-shirts is “breaking gender codes.”

Yet, some hope remains. The label Krammer & Stoudt announced that their fall 2018 collection for New York Men’s Fashion Week would be displayed using exclusively gender non-binary models, shattering the typical norm of gendered fashion weeks. But, while the definition of masculinity is slowly being reformulated, there is still a need for drastic change.

Many straight, white men fear the vulnerability that can come with ostentatious clothing, refusing to reveal themselves in the way they expect women to. Traditionally, masculine qualities in fashion come with a certain kind of power, but the fact of the matter is that they are SO FUCKING BORING. If we begin to question the way those masculine qualities are presented and begin to dismantle them, we can eventually demolish the way that gender is presented in fashion altogether.

In a perfect world, gender would be borderless. If I were to wear a dress to a business meeting or a wedding instead of a suit and tie, it would not be remotely notable. Unfortunately, this idealized world can seem unattainable. Moving toward this idyllic future is not simply a matter of buying a pair of ruby slippers and clicking them three times. Rather, it will require inclusive, collaborative effort at all levels of industry to embrace the feminine and reconstruct the definition of what it means to be a man. Tough guys may wear pink, but real men wear dresses.

For those who wish to maintain outdated definitions of masculinity, wearing backless dresses or fishnet stockings is like baring your neck to a razor blade.

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NIKKY PRICE models NIYA GRAY, ANDRIS MURRAY, ABBIE DANIEL, GABI THIAM

ROCKET Magazine and the Students of Hip-Hop Legacy’s second annual fashion show, ASTRAL, took the William & Mary campus by storm this past March. Style writer Charlie Parsons’s account of the show emphasizes the need for creative spaces in academic settings, and the ever-important influence fashion and music have on each other. written by CHARLIE PARSONS with ALIJAH WEBB

As the show approaches, the building hums with nervous, excited energy.

This year marked round two of Astral, the ongoing collaboration between ROCKET and Students of Hip-Hop Legacy (SoHHL), which showcases the most talented rappers and designers this region has to offer. Models take to the runway as artists perform in a

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space where the theatrics of music and fashion fuse together.

From the ROCKET website: “Astral serves to highlight the intersection of fashion and hip-hop on the William & Mary campus.” Having heard stories from Astral’s first show, I expected to be with hit a barrage of energy as the final moving pieces came together.

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JONATHANS TWELVE BOAT models SOPHIA BRODNAX, PAYTON OLIVER SMITH, MILENA ALMETICA, ALEKHYA NANDURI, CLAUDIA MARIE, SAM HOUMAOUI

When I walked into the Integrated Science Center the afternoon of the show, I could feel the anticipation all around me. Purposeful modifications were being made to lighting and wardrobes while performers made choreographic adjustments to their sets. Model headshots of all colors were methodically taped to a whiteboard in the styling room above backpacks and clothes which were arranged about the space. Though people were flying, they appeared calm, enveloped by a sense of security brought by the experience of having once already managed the intricacies of transforming an academic building into a catwalk.

The first designer to show is ROCKET’s own Nikky Price, who is accompanied by SoHHL’s rapper,

Pres. Nikky’s clothes pull from several decades, reinvigorating older garments with refreshing bursts of deconstructed color. Her technical skill is obvious.

The clothes, combined with Pres’ levelheaded, confident verses immediately demonstrate the abundance of talent on campus and the ease with which hiphop and fashion, like, go together.

Jonathanstwelveboat, headed by Richmond-based designer Jonathan Matthew, is next. The brand pays special attention to industrial garments, and the impact of human touch on the uniform.

As a sea of ecru-dressed, quarantinechic models swept down the runway, I thought back to a phone conversation I had with Matthew. When discussing his influences, he mentioned people in fine arts, fashion, and music. He shared,

“It’s the same. Like if I want an orange pattern on this taupe, cream outfit. With music, it’s like ‘I want that one beat to touch people’. And that’s the same with art. I want that one splatter of orange on that cream canvas. It’s all about touching people.” Matthew’s focus on color and detail pulls inspiration from the everyday that others don’t pick up on, like the accents in airline logos, to better understand the individual.

After Matthew’s ode to spectrality, models in pieces of VICTIM15 c/o Shareef Mosby’s rebellious collection proceeded down the runway in a snarling procession. At first, VICTIM15 struck me as most influenced by the invective designers of the Y2K era.

Silhouettes conveying discontent immediately suggested the youthful

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VICTIM 15 models ELOISE PETRUCCO, KALLI DOYLE, FATIMA CHAUDHRY, BRI MILLER, CHEVY LEIGHTON, ROB RUST

rebellion of 2003 Raf Simons or the proportional play of early Margiela. A teal rain slicker modified with patches captures my eye, as Richmond rapper OG Kee$h exasperates, “I’m sick of working for these temp jobs.” An intense warmth has enveloped the room as the emotional intensity of performance and design meet each other from opposite directions, and the range of moods blur.

Following a conversation with Mosby, I think labeling his art as solely shaped by fashion’s (comparatively) old giants is reductive. Rather, we discuss how important the stylistic bridge created by rappers like A$AP Rocky “bringing skinny jeans to Harlem” was to his art.

Mosby’s generation of designers is more influenced by the rebellion found in streetwear’s rise to high fashion

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status – the do-it-yourself mentality rooted in houses like Off-White or Supreme seems more akin, visually, and philosophically to the ideas presented

by Mosby and his contemporaries.

Simeon Rideb’s Open Forum, a cross between a fashion collection and an art performance, closes out the show with a dive into concepts of identity and dysphoria. Inspired by Balenciaga, Rideb reconfigures the familiar in ways that are unexpected, attempting to visually display the confusion we reach when we explore internally. Elongated, pooling hems and intentionally-unconventional cuts contribute to a physical manifestation of anxiety. He puts it best: “Our clothing codes our bodies.” It’s an array of Holzer-inspired text, knit cocoons, and

purposeful riffs on the wedding dress.

Open Forum is deliberate and sharp.

Light reflects off the glass staircase as a buzz reverberates through the building.

The crowd is exuberant and loud, stoking the energy of the room as it bounces between the clothes, the models, and the performers. Anticipation morphed into frenzy. “Y’all have a really supportive school here,” Bliss Foster, VICTIM15’s stylist comments as we watch from the balcony. We talk a little about how important energy like this is for models and performers alike. It’s too loud to hear or record, so I ask spectators to write down their comments. “I’ve been looking forward to this all week,” sophomore Callie Robinson effuses to features reporter Alijah Webb. “There’s this incredibly cool, diverse, and artistic

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OPEN FORUM models ANTONIO MARRA, KIRSTEN LINDER, KAYLA FENG, ANNA CHAH, JUSTIN ALLEN, CAMRYN EASLEY

and creative aspect of William and Mary that I really think is underappreciated,” comments junior Eliza McKenny. This type of support boosts the intensity of the room. It shows the demand for, and importance of creative spaces on campus.

The ongoing conversation between music and fashion continues to inform popular culture now, just as it did when the Ramones made Schott Perfecto leather jackets cool, or when Madonna shocked audiences in her nowemblematic Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra. It’s clear that an interplay between the arts is a constant. However, the types of artists that influence culture are in flux. In this moment in time, hip-hop is undeniably the biggest artistic force in driving what is deemed cool. This is why the infusion seems so natural; this is why Astral works.

2017 continued the acceleration of sneaker collaborations, exclusive t-shirts, designer name drops, and artist sponsorships between hip-hop and fashion. With the recent appointment of Kanye’s former, and Off-White’s current creative director, Virgil Abloh, to the helm of Louis Vuitton, this trend shows no sign of stopping in 2018.

Beneath the literal, fashion and rap music are both currently characterized by liberation from a singular path in the creative process. Together, they share in this unique freedom. As a response to a world growing increasingly formulaic, they provide a space where Soundcloud rappers can become international stars and designers can achieve international fame without a degree.

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THIS IS AMIT written by PETER MAKEY art courtesy of AMIT GREENBERG

Amit Greenberg, an artist and creative director based out of Brooklyn, New York sits down with Copy editor Peter Makey, discussing his work that has been featured by the likes of Collette, Hello Mr., and IKEA and the artistic process that goes into creating what he calls “Pop Surrealism.” Check out his work on Instagram @this.is.amit

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ROCKET: What is your creative process?

Amit Greenberg: Being a multidisciplinary creative means that there are endless ways to bring my ideas to fruition. In my creative process, once a concept starts crystallizing in my head I tend to start working on it right away. I explore mediums and different approaches and through trial and error a visual system that can convey my message forms.

My favorite part of the creative process is meeting myself in that magical moment of eureka when everything that you do and everything that you are for a split second makes so much sense.

R: What do you hope to accomplish through your work?

AG: It would be more of a need of a reaction both in myself through the process and in the viewer once the work is displayed. If there was a word that could define the feeling of joyful-childlike-curiosity that would be it.

R: How do you see art functioning to build and enhance relationships between people?

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AG: The contemporary art landscape is very inviting at the moment, it’s become a platform for people to come together.

The expression of art has been evolving a lot in the past few years. It feels to me that art is seeking to become an answer to that general need that we have as humans for coming together in real life and away from the digital displays.

R: The names you’ve worked with obviously straddle a wide expanse - from IKEA, to Collete, Fendi, Hello Mr., and more - are there unifying themes that you try to incorporate across your work in terms of aesthetic and/or message?

AG: I always try to create work that will have a positive and uplifting effect on all sides of the project from the viewers, to the clients, as well as to myself.

R: You, as well as others, have defined your work as “Pop Surrealism.” What does that mean to you?

AG: It made a lot of sense to me when it was defined that way. My earlier work was based on the surrealist movement technique of automatic drawing, there was no sketching just pure uncensored thoughts translated through ink into

paper. Today I still draw a lot of my inspiration from my own uncensored visions that I have. I can’t point why or where they come from, but they are exciting, they are challenges that are waiting to be solved. I think I am identified with pop art because my choices are very design oriented. I always thought of myself as an artist with design aesthetics and a designer with artistic tendencies, so the end products have both conceptual and aesthetic layers for the viewer to explore.

R: Where do you draw inspiration from, and who excites you in the creative world?

AG: I try to stay away from drawing inspiration directly from the art world; it feels like there is a collective consciousness among creatives that exists already. I love new information so science, anthropology, sociology and spiritual teaching are really what ignites my creativity at the moment. I listen to podcasts almost religiously few of my all-time favorite are Radiolab, Hidden Brain, Ted hour and Invisibilia.

R: Where do you see yourself going?

AG: That one is a tricky question, I’m

teaching myself to see more where I am in the now then looking to where I am going because the path is constantly changing.

R: What was it like partnering with Colette, and how did the project push you creatively? What were some of the challenges you faced?

AG: My experience with Colette was exhilarating and I was embraced into something that felt like a family. Sarah and Colette, who are the owners and now dear friends, not only invited me to have my first ever solo show, but they supported me and gave me the full creative freedom to express my dreams.Colette was a vortex for creatives. Although I was involved with museums like the Whitney and other important galleries in New York City, it was my show at Colette that really helped me define what I wanted to be.

As with everything, the main challenges I have faced are dealing with deadlines, but that too is healthy for the creative mind.

R: The content of ROCKET Magazine often moves beyond the aesthetic and attempts to engage politically

with its readers. Are there ways in which your art functions politically?

AG: I think we are experiencing a very complicated moment where politics are more about public manipulations instead of working towards progression.

In my work, I have a less of in-your-face approach and more of let’s-massage-itin-with-kindness tactic because, at the end of the day, if you are happy you make other people around you happy and that is what we all are striving towards.

R: Your recent feature as the Saatchi Art Artist-in-Residence at The Other Art Fair places an emphasis on human interaction with nature.

What is your personal investment in nature? What messages about the natural do you hope to communicate through your art?

AG:Living in the big city I can feel the withdraw, we are detached from being in nature physically and mentally, and it affects who we are with ourselves and toward each other. I think for now, my art is more of an expression of a need and longing for nature while hoping to awake that need in others.

R: What is your favorite project that you have completed thus far and why?

AG: My first solo show at Colette will probably have that title for a long time. It was a pivotal moment in my reality. I explored and presented my universe through drawing, photography, products, fashion, interior design and even food. Through my show, I realized that everything is possible.

R: Both yourself and ROCKET magazine are based on our own respective versions of Williamsburg.

Do you find inspiration for your work in your immediate surroundings?

Is there any specific place that has helped you foster your creativity and imaginative spirit?

AG: There is no real formula for finding inspiration, I think as long as you are generally curious the inspiration usually finds you.

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sanctify Photography by SYDNEY MCCOURT Beauty by CLAIRE POWELL, REBECCA SHKEYROV, KAELA SUNG Art by LILLIAN ZHAO, AMY ZHANG, ANUSHKA ANNONTI, CLARA POTEET, NOAH WOODRUFF Models ASHLEY LU, ALEKHYA NANDURI, MATTHEW BICE

ALL CLOTHING: VINTAGE, ALL JEWLERY: HAND CRAFTED

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suburbia photography by WILLIAM KELLY beauty by CLAIRE POWELL models JACK SIMS, SAMIR TAWALARE

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LEFT TO RIGHT: PANTS BY LEVI’S, SHIRT VINTAGE, SHOES BY DR. MARTENS, PANTS BY LEVI’S, SHIRT BY VINTAGE, JACKET BY H&M, SHOES BY NIKE

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Q&A written by ISABELLA FOX ARIAS photo courtesy of DARIA FAIN

Daria Fain 78

In a discussion with Editor-in-Chief Isabella Fox Arias, Daria Fain, a freelance consultant on ecommerce and digital marketing who formerly worked for ELLE Magazine, examines the shifts in the industry in favor of digital media, and what that could mean for fashion’s future.

ROCKET: How has going freelance allowed your personal brand to expand and evolve?

DARIA FAIN: As a freelancer you get the opportunity to work with a fusion of talented individuals, reap new talents, sport a variety of hats, and collect experiences along the way. Each day is different, as I could be on set of an editorial shoot, traveling with a client for an event, or seeing new collections– so it always feels fresh. The key has always been to keep an open mind and be able to shift from one brand style to another. You also have to relate to many types of people on a global scale and adapt to new situations. Consequently, you’re continuously developing yourself through everyone around you but you also learn to widen your own vision and to not take your own ideas for granted.

As a creative person, it is often times difficult to have an external view of yourself in the projects that you love.

I make choices based on instinct and they often turn out to be good decisions, but then I also have moments where I miss the mark and lose momentum.

However, through every experience, I mature personally and evolve professionally.

R: How did you become involved in ecommerce and digital marketing?

DF: After about 3+ years of working at ELLE and Buro24/7, I started to think about what was next. The publishing world had started to shift gears and I just started thinking about what was going on, all while the internet bubble was roaring in the background. I ended up connecting with former colleagues who were working on the web builds and digital strategies for brands such as Net-a-Porter and Farfetch, which in turn inspired me to discover a way I could merge content with commerce–so I made the jump into dot-com.

R: How have you seen the fashion industry change with the introduction of ecommerce in the last ten years?

DF: With the ever-changing tenacity and global nature of the business, I believe the consumer has been the most important force for change online. The industry as a whole has become more inclusive, rather than exclusive. Prior to

the rise of social media, there used to be this veil of secrecy at runway shows and ateliers, but now the consumer has a seat at the table–megaphone in hand. It’s no longer about brands and magazines telling consumers what she wants and what to do, all to then have her obediently show up to a counter with her wallet. She has become a part of the initial and ongoing conversation and because of this, wants and expects a bespoke online experience.

R: How did your work at Elle influence your career moving forward and/or your creative brand?

DF: In my editorial history, the talented individuals I had the privilege to collaborate with on each project have been incredibly inspiring and motivating to me. Each person had provided me with a different type of mentorship that evolved into friendships. Oftentimes, it’s as simple as making a personal connection with someone who will one day take a chance on you–I broke into an eCommerce role within a brand coming from magazines, digital shake ups, and even advertising. It wasn’t always obvious but there was a certain narrative in my resume in which both the brand and you took a chance on one another.

R: Who has been one of your most interesting clients?

DF: I had the opportunity to do a Vogue China shoot with Mario Testino, Tonne Goodman and Lara Stone that I really love–we shot in Dubrovnik on Croatia’s coastline. Just witnessing the entire creative process unfold with a powerful team, and breathtaking backdrop was an experience in itself that I will never forget.

R: Tell us your craziest New York Fashion Week story.

DF: I remember watching the front row benches collapse under fashion’s finest at Balenciaga’s Spring/Summer 2012 show. To everyone’s horror, fallen guests included Anna Wintour, Carine Roitfield and Mario Testino–naturally a standing ovation ensued. I’ve also seen quite a few catwalk tumbles, including Bella Hadid at the Michael Kors Spring/ Summer 2017 show.