ROCKET SPRING/SUMMER 2017

RoCK E T

RoCKET M A G A Z I N E FASHION ART PHOTOGRAPHY

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

4 Sarah Collier Editor-in-Chief Danny Rosenberg Creative Director Isabella Arias Deputy editor Kyle Lopez Fashion Director Bronwyn Roseli, Amy Zhang Style Co-Editors Xander Giarracco, Hanna Haile, Anna Kashmanian, Dalton Lackey, Keeilah Moseley, Zaira Mughal, Maggie Sullivan STYLE TEAM Andrew Uhrig PHOTO Editor Jonathan Merlino, Sydney McCourt PHOTO Team Lillian Zhao art Editor Emily Bass, Caleb Briggs, Julia Bullard, Rebecca McHale Art Team Claire Powell Beauty Editor Maegan Assaf, Emily Gurian, Serena Hooker, Caroline Polly, Julia Sung Beauty Team Andrew Cowen Bookings Director Emmel El-Fiky Features Editor Tyler Crowley, Peter Makey, Nakia Stephens, Alijah Webb Features Team Anna Weidman Marketing Director Julia Carlson, Meredith Radel Marketing Team Phoebe Galt, Harshita Netala, Evan Pakshong, Sophie Shealy Production Team

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Every semester we say that this is the best issue of ROCKET yet, and it always seems to be true. We just keep getting better, and as a result, we’ve explored the concept of growth in our Spring/Summer 2017 issue. Within that, we have dwelled on new beginnings and the hope that comes with them.

The Pantone Color of the Year, a source of inspiration we continue to draw from, is Greenery, which symbolizes renewal, freshness, and new energy. You’ll find that pop of color from the plants filling our cover to the fruit in our Ripe spread, and even in unexpected places throughout the magazine.

While sometimes we can resign ourselves to thinking about the possibility of bleakness in the future, as seen in our Dying Light spread, we are focusing on positive action: finding unity and initiating change. Our cover is a continuance of our mission to support and uphold minority voices, and empower disenfranchised groups. Additionally, our Q&A highlights Suze Myers, a woman who founded a creative feminist publication that we aim to emulate.

In relation to growth, this semester, we launched our inaugural fashion show, Astral, which allowed us to expand our presence on campus and make connections with a wide array of people.

We celebrated the link between fashion and hip-hop, in our partnership with SOHHL (Students of Hip Hop Legacy), and a lot of the style in our spreads has been influenced by this relationship.

Our

Spring/Summer

2017

issue

is

bursting

with

col-

or. We do not shy away from embracing the taboo, the unknown, the diverse, and the bold. We hope you don’t, either.

Sarah collier

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RIPE A REFUGE DYING LIGHT CLOSED EYES RAIN, GLITTER ASTRAL FASHION SHOW Q&A

SHRED FORM, FIT, FUNCTION DEAR SUPREME STAFF IRREPRESIBLE STRENGTH SUNDAY CANDY Ninety degrees

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SHRED photography by ANDREW UHRIG models KAONA AYRES, MACKENZIE HAIGHT, TENZIN LHANZE, DEVON LOWMAN, BROOKS PETERSON, THOR VUTCHARANGKUL

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top right SHIRT VINTAGE, PANTS VINTAGE, SHOES BY CONVERSE

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top left SHIRT BY AMERICAN APPAREL, JACKET BY VETEMENTS, PANTS VINTAGE, SHOES BY VANS bottom left TOP BY ADIDAS, PANTS VINTAGE, SHOES BY VANS

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W

corner left SHIRT BY SUPREME, PANTS VINTAGE, SHOES VINTAGE left SHIRT BY BIANCA CHANDÔN, OVERALLS VINTAGE, SHOES BY VANS bottom TOP VINTAGE, PANTS BY TARGET, SHOES BY VANS

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FORM

photography by JONATHAN MERLINO models GRIFFIN ANTLE, ALANA ELLIS, CECE HURTADO

15 left SHIRT BY COMME DES GARÇONS, PANTS BY ADIDAS, SHOES BY ADIDAS below BRA BY URBAN OUTFITTERS, LEGGINGS BY ADIDAS

FIT

BRA BY OLD NAVY, LEGGINGS BY TARGET, SHOES BY NIKE

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FUNCTION

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SUNDAY CANDY photography by DANNY ROSENBERG models MARIAH VAUGHN, FELICIA WONG

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left SHIRT BY H&M, PANTS BY H&M, SUNGLASSES VINTAGE, SHOES BY URBAN OUTFITTERS below BLAZER BY H&M, PANTS AND SHOES BY URBAN OUTFITTERS

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below SWIMSUIT BY ASOS, SHAWL BY H&M, SUNGLASSES BY MADEWELL

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above HAT VINTAGE, SWIMSUIT BY URBAN OUTFITTERS

NINETY photography by DANNY ROSENBERG model SABRINA ELZBIR

JACKET BY FREE PEOPLE, DRESS VINTAGE

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DEGREES

HAT FROM AMAZON, DRESS BY ASOS, TURTLENECK VINTAGE

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OVERALLS FROM ETSY, BRALETTE BY AERIE

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SHIRT VINTAGE, BELT VINTAGE, JEANS BY MADEWELL

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RIPE photography by DANNY ROSENBERG art by EMILY BASS, CALEB BRIGGS, REBECCA MCHALE, LILLIAN ZHAO models GABRIELLE CONCEPCION, PHOEBE MARIAM, RAVI PATTAPAGALA, NOAH WOODRUFF

left SHIRT BY ZARA, PANTS BY ZARA, SHOES BY VANS right SHIRT BY PALACE, PANTS

BY J. CREW, SHOES BY ADIDAS

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left SHIRT BY ZARA, NECKTIE VINTAGE COACH, SKIRT BY J. CREW, SHOES BY TOPSHOP right SHIRT BY FOREVER 21, JEANS VINTAGE, SHOES BY KEDS, HEAD SCARF VINTAGE

32 left SHIRT BY AMERICAN APPAREL, JEANS VINTAGE, SHOES VINTAGE right SHIRT BY URBAN OUTFITTERS, SHORTS BY J. CREW, SHOES VINTAGE

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35 left SHIRT BY FOREVER 21, BLAZER BY ZARA, PANTS VINTAGE, SHOES BY ZARA right SHIRT BY J. CREW, PANTS VINTAGE, SHOES BY CONVERSE

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A Refuge written by PETER MAKEY art by JULIA BULLARD

Many times that morning, as well as just moments before we entered Provincetown, I was warned, “Peter, this place isn’t real. It’s not real life.” Unsure of exactly what that meant, I heeded the warning as we flew past the final sand dunes and chaparral that surround Provincetown on the north and east. I was equal parts intrigued by and wawwry of what I was to find on the streets of “P-town”.

safety and tolerance, were hanging in equal stature with the American flag. “Peter, this place isn’t real,” echoed softly in the back of my mind. It was something sweet to behold, the rainbow flag flying proudly and in prevalence somewhere outside of the annual prideweek celebrations I’ve attended in the past. Yet, as I was reminded, this was just one of the qualities of Provincetown that makes it a fantasy.

Located at the very hook of Cape Cod and known for being an oasis for the LGBT community, Provincetown, Massachusetts is where European settlers first made landfall in North America. Given the tumultuous relationship that my community has historically shared with the majority of America, a relationship that only in the past decade has blossomed into one of relative parity and acceptance, I found this ironic.

It seemed almost as though we had de-sanctified this historic landmark simply by existing there. But there

Despite this notion, I prefer to view Provincetown not as fantasy, but fiction, which I see as having slightly more basis in reality. Thinking of P-town this way allows me to remain hopeful. Walking the streets, I saw couples of all genders, ages, and colors, all seemingly unified in their good spirits. The rays of sun that were beating down did not discriminate as they left baby-pink burns on our bare shoulders. I recall thinking how easy it would be to forget the problems of the world in such a joyous place, a little utopia.

how easy it would be to forget the problems of the world in such a joyous placE we were, flourishing. The corners of my mouth raised ever-so slightly as this thought passed through my mind.

We snaked down the twisting, flower-laden neighborhood streets, and my excitement began to grow. Looking up, I noticed the looming Pilgrims’ Monument, which watches over P-town and stands as a testament to its enormous, yet sometimes overlooked historical significance. The richly-hued gray bricks that were used to construct the monument provide a stark contrast to the rainbow flags that hang from houses and telephone wires, littering the streets and buildings below. These flags, which for me have come to represent

While I hesitate to indulge in ignorance to avoid upset, I was gluttonous on this afternoon. Walking by pastel-colored beach shops filled with ornate and undoubtedly overpriced nautical souvenirs, I let myself forget the coups, political bickering, and bigotry that I often find plastered across news stands and television screens. It was almost as if the air contained an amnesic quality. I inhaled deeply.

What brought me back to reality, at least for an instant, was not something that should have been shocking to me. I felt my boyfriend’s fingers begin to intertwine with my own, and I could feel my palms exude the lightest layer of sweat. This is the result of the anxi-

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ety-producing socialization that I have tried ever so fervently to break away from, the socialization that tells us that men should not hold hands with other men and that we should not love one another.

“Peter, this place isn’t real.”

The smallest of smiles crept across my lips as I began to scan the faces of the strangers walking towards us. I saw no contempt. For the first time that I can recall, I did not have to fear that displaying my affection would lead me to becoming an object of scorn. To say I was surprised wouldn’t suffice to explain what I was feeling. To say I was relieved would be oversimplified but

more accurate.

I understand that Provincetown does not accurately portray the reality that we live in today. But I like to think of P-town as an achievable ideal to strive for, whether fictional or not. Like the pilgrims who first settled there, the welcoming and jubilant attitude that the P-town community holds is pioneering in its own right.

The Provincetown that I experienced that afternoon became a safe haven for me in the truest sense of the word. I hope that, like the lighthouses that lay scattered across the Cape, P-town can shine not only as a beacon that embraces those of all kinds, but one that guides the rest of the country towards a similar state of peace.

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DYING LIGHT ­­­

photography by DANNY ROSENBERG models ANDREW HSIAO, AUSTIN LYONS, PRESTON NEUKIRCH

39 right JUMPSUIT VINTAGE CARMAX, SHIRT BY SOHHL, SHOES BY ADIDAS

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left JUMPSUIT VINTAGE, VEST BY HUNTER right JACKET BY HUNTER, SHOES BY ADIDAS

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A S T F

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Astral Fashion Show - the event that brought art, fashion and music together, that surprised everyone and shook the population.

When we came back at the beginning of this semester, all we had was an idea and what might be considered an irrational level of determination to make a fashion show happen at William & Mary. Fashion as an art and a medium goes widely underrepresented at this school, and therefore unappreciated, and our goal was to showcase just how integral and expressive it can be. In collaboration with SoHHL, Students of Hip Hop Legacy, and independent designers from all over the DC/Richmond area, we sought to create an experience unlike anything that’s ever been done on campus before. As is now apparent thanks to the unexpected, but wildly popular success of the show, “hip hop and fashion, like…go together.”

When we began the process of planning the show, we knew we wanted to represent fashion and music derived from urban, hip hop culture that goes mostly unacknowledged on campus as a form of serious art and is instead sometimes appropriated. In the end, we had four designers participate in the show: Solace, a collection by Matthew Gayot and Patrick Bender; Insert Name, created by Alex Tucker; FFNR, a brand created by Domo Ray; and finally, Lama Ali, a designer who recently went viral on Buzzfeed for her subtle work featuring sign language.

director ISABELLA ARIAS deputy director AMY ZHANG founding member KYLE LOPEZ

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Solace photography by ANDREW UHRIG written by TYLER CROWLEY, EMMEL EL-FIKY, ALIJAH WEBB models STEPHANIE GABER, SAMUEL JENS, ELIJAH LEVINE, SAVANNAH STEVENS, KYLE LOPEZ

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INSERT In anticipation for the show, we spoke to staff and members of both ROCKET and SoHHL, to learn more about the process of putting such a large event that has never been done before. At the dress rehearsal, Alijah spoke to Hanna Haile, a member of the ROCKET style team, about watching the show come together. “I would just say that because we’ve been working and planning so much, seeing it materialize is exciting. Seeing so many people from campus involved in music and art coming together [is] something that’s going to be super cool.”

models JOYCE AI, CHRISTIAN CHISOLM, ALFREDO FALLORINA, TOMMY PAPAS, SAMIR TALAWARE, TRINITY TORRES, JADA SHORT

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Name We also spoke to members of SoHHL, to understand more about the relationship between hip hop music and its influence on fashion. As Jeff Buffkin, a leading member of SoHHL, told us, “Hip Hop is really about being authentic and portraying yourself in an interesting and unique way, and fashion is just another part of that. There’s a diversity in sound and style in hip hop. Not everyone is wearing the same stuff, it’s almost necessary to be unique, you have to be building a brand.” Another member of SoHHL, Driscoll Taylor, told us that he was most excited for the music. “Hip hop and fashion combined. Dope aesthetic, dope vibes, it’s a match made in heaven. A Picasso-like masterpiece.”

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FFNR Prior to the show, we reached out to the individual designers to learn more about their process, inspiration, and what they were excited about as far as the collections they were showcasing for Astral. As far as the process, Domo Ray, of FFNR, commented on the fact that his inspiration comes from anything and everything around him: “Anything around me, basically, the earth.” Matthew, of Solace, said he was inspired by rap music and how artists like Vic Mensa interpret personal style. Alex, of Insert Name, says he’ll get inspiration from anything around him, and then bounce ideas back and forth with his friends to refine the concepts. Additionally, he likes to look to other artists to see what they’re doing creatively, such as Chicago-based designer Joe Freshgood, who designs things like shirts that say “Fuck Donald” with a picture of an upside-down Donald Trump. Lama, on the other hand, looks to what she endearingly refers to as “Instagram baddies, girls in the hood and ghetto girls [who] aren’t seen as being fashion icons, inspire me as a black girl.”

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In addition to talking to them about the inspiration for their clothing pieces, we asked each of the designers what they thought the impact of fashion was on hip hop, and vice versa. Domo emphasized that fashion has become almost a status symbol among rappers - some even going so far as to mention what designers they were currently wearing as a means of differentiation. He said that designers knew about this relationship, as well, and sought the attention of such artists in order to bring their brand to the next level of cool. Alex seemed to agree, saying “Hip hop almost sets the trend - something in fashion could come out and the fact that someone in hip hop goes out and wears it makes it go hand in hand, because when they start to wear it, it becomes more universal and influences other people to consider it and notice the fashion.�

models RASHAWN SIMMONS, ANDREW BOOKBINDER, JULIA BULLARD, ERIN OWENS, SIMEON BROWN, JULIAN IRIARTE, ANNALISE AJMANI

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Lama Ali

models MICHELLE CHENG, SABRINA ELZBIR, SHELBY HURD, ADRIANA MCDEVITT

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One of the most interesting things to learn from the designers was which hip hop artists they thought were particularly intersectional in their representation of the culture surrounding hip hop music and urban/street style fashion.

Lama really likes Princess Nokia, calling her style “Aaliyah-esque.” According to her, she “embodies hip hop and fashion.”

Matthew stood by his Vic Mensa conviction, stating, “He’s very big on that scene. He’ll wear makeup and stuff. He’s very forward.” Domo credits Wale, Pharrell Williams, and Fabulous, while Alex talked about Chance the Rapper.

Before the show began, people were lined up outside the doors of ISC for half an hour before doors opened, hoping to get up close and personal to the stage and runway. We sent Tyler to mingle among the crowd to gauge excitement and anticipation for what was about to happen. In regards to what people were expecting, we heard everything from “intersectionality between music and style,” to “amazingness, awesomeness, and innovativeness.” Many people decided to come because they heard about the music and artists that would be performing, or knew some of the models that would be “strutting their stuff on the runway.” The excitement on social media had been building for weeks, as ROCKET went on a media blitz to advertise and create a noteworthy buzz surrounding the show.

Afterwards, people were definitely impressed. “It was so high fashion,” one attendee noted. “I loved that it was set in ISC!” Based on the reactions from the crowd and the overall enthusiasm from all the performers, designers, and models, it’s safe to say that no one can question the role fashion, music and art play on campus and the importance of such representation.

Q&A

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SUZE MYERS written by EMMEL EL-FIKY, art by LILLIAN ZHAO

Recently I caught up with Suze Myers, one of the founders of, and the current art director and designer for Constellation, a creative feminist publication. Here, we speak about the process of creating such a publication, her and her cofounders’ motivation for doing such a thing, and their future goals for the online publication.

E: You’re one of the founding staff members of the new

female-identifying creators. Why do you believe it is so im-

online publication Constellation. Can you speak a little

portant to showcase intersectional work?

bit to what motivated you to start such a publication, and

S: Women are out here making incredible art, forging

what the process of creating it was like? What was your

bonds with each other, changing lives,

role in developing it?

S:

leading protests, making movies, pushing

It’s funny—I recently went back

boundaries. What could be more interest-

through all my emails and found the ex-

ing and important than that? Women, espe-

act message one of my co-founders, Jac-

cially women of color, are on the forefront

lyn [the creative director] sent me when

of everything, and they had to fight hard to

she had the idea for Constellation. “Hey,

get there. We want to celebrate them and lift

Olivia [the editorial director] and I want

them up, and we know that people—especial-

to start a magazine focused on women

ly other women—love their stories.

in the arts! Wanna design it?” And I hit

E: What are your future plans or goals for

reply on my iPhone and was like “Yeah

the publication?

sure!” [There] was never a long conversation about whether this was a feasible idea, we just

S: The good news is that there will be an Issue Two, hope-

jumped in and didn’t look back. In retrospect, it’s a little

fully launching some point this fall. We’re changing things

wild that we created this thing so quickly, with just three

a little bit but our focus is still very much the same.

staff members and almost no money. Making a magazine sounds glamorous, but... I’m sure you guys know, a large

As a woman of color, I’d love to see more fellow WOC in Is-

portion of the work is spent hunched over the computer.

sue Two. And as a designer, I’d also be so happy to feature fe-

It was especially strange because Olivia lives in New York,

male designers—it’s a huge boys’ club in both the print and

I live in London, and Jaclyn lives in LA, so on the day we

digital industries. I’d also love to reach out to more trans

launched, I had been sitting all alone in my room in Brix-

women and gender-nonconforming folks, who are severely

ton frantically making sure every link worked and every

underrepresented in so much media.

image was loading properly. I literally sent the site live and then immediately went to the kitchen in my pajamas to make nachos.

E: Constellation emphasizes the showcasing of work by female-identifying creators. Why do you believe it is so important to showcase intersectional work?

S:

E: If you could have anyone in the world read your publication and learn something from it, who would it be, and what would they learn?

S: I’d want a girl in her late teens/early twenties—that sweet moment when you’re in college but you haven’t had to declare your major yet—to read this publication and real-

Women are out here making incredible art, forging

ize that working in the arts is a concrete possibility. There’s

bonds with each other, changing lives, leading protests,

a lot of malign directed towards young people entering the

making movies, pushing boundaries. What could be more

arts (“There’s no jobs!” “What are you going to do with that

interesting and important than that? Women, especially

degree?”) that can be so discouraging. Constellation is real

women of color, are on the forefront of everything, and

proof that women can do it, and do it well.

they had to fight hard to get there. We want to celebrate them and lift them up, and we know that people—especially other women—love their stories.

E: Constellation emphasizes the showcasing of work by

E:

In summation, can you describe Constellation in 3

words?

S: Women are everything.

Find the full interview on our website, and Constellation on Instagram @constellationmag for more content.

RO CKE T MA G A Z I NE S P R I N G /S U MME R 2 0 1 7 V OLU ME V I I , I S S U E 2