Camp Issue by STITCH

issue no. 53

the camp issue

the camp is-

issue no. 52

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06 Camp in Context

An analysis of camp's origins: Susan Sontag's essay "Notes on Camp"

16 Camp on Campus

Adding elements of camp can be tough in college. Here are some styling tips and tricks from our editors.

19 Armor Girl of New York City Saman Bakayoko

22 Animal Anomalies

They’re writing our essays, driving our cars and now buying our... shoes?

Alessandro Michele

Creating radical self-love in the digital age by fighting the algorithm by being the algorithm.

38 Controversial People

Throwback to your old Hello Kitty flip phone.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Molly Van Gorp

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Carly Witteman

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Abigail Abdir

PRINT CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ilise Angel

DESIGN EDITOR Alex Perry

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Gabi Kurzer

DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Alea Wilkins

DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Lauren Cohn

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Paola Hernandez

DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Austin Kim

PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR Anna Souter

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Anoushka Dasgupta

STYLING DIRECTOR Elias Xiwei Fan

STYLING DIRECTOR Shelly Rood

FINANCE DIRECTOR Nicole Feldman

BUSINESS DIRECTOR Annika Srivastava

BUSINESS TEAM Laila-Aicha Adouim, Marlene Alanis, Tess Berkowitz, Raya Bryant-Young, Gabriella Burgos, Jillian Canning, Grace Chang, Mikayla Goldsmith, Allison Gould, Marin Holtrop, Mia Jeremiah, Rachel Kim, Ela Kopmaz, Julia Lehr, Ava Levinson, Eric Lin, Geovanni Lopez, Hamnah Malik, Ismael Perez, Mia Rhee, Emma Salem, Julianna Tia, Adam Valiji DESIGN TEAM Jessica Chen, Amira Dossani, Sarah Han, Ryan Murphy EDITORIAL TEAM Julia Benkendorf, Sarah Campbell, Divya Chandrasekaran, Audrey Clarendon, Alani Cox-Caceres, Haben Fessehazion, Justine Fisher, Jade Garcia, Nyla Gilstrap, Augustus Glick, Isa Grau, Meredith Greenberg, Jaida Hill, Shreeya Iyer, Claudia Johnson, Hyouji Joo, Marija Jovic, Ashley Kim, Allison Kim, Maya Krainc, Stephania Kontopanos, Emily Lichty, Kelly Luo, Zuzu Maltarich, Amelia Mastin, Jamie Neiberg, Anjola Olawoye, Elena Scott, Gabriella Shell, Dayeon Son, Rahib Taher, Matthew Tuhey, Jerry Wu MULTIMEDIA TEAM Lianna Amoruso, Sama Ben Amer, Emiliana Betancourt, Emma Brown, Colleen Charchut, Branden Chen, Chloe Coenraets, Key Fils, Alexander Hernandez Gonzalez, Rose Kanaley, Jeremy Lee, Madison Morgan, Luna Xu PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM Melanie Ahn, Devon Carlson, Keya Chaudhuri, Alessandra Esquivel, Divya Gupta, Joanne Haner, Jillian Moore, Julia Nichols, Libby Raymond, Winnie Wang STYLING TEAM Luluh Abathra, Anthony Barba-Perez, Eloise Brotzman, Stacy Caeiro, Camille Carey, Katie Chang, Leila Chavez, Olivia Heimann, Grace Jordan-Weinstein, Hyunbin Lee, Michael Mattews, Tosin Okoh, Maira Walker, Henry Winkelman

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letter from the editors

When STITCH was founded in 2006, its mission was to set fashion free. Though this sentiment can be interpreted in a variety of ways, style is truly liberated when we embrace our delightfully outrageous fashion fantasies. Nothing encompasses this extravagance better than camp. When Vogue announced the 2019 Met Gala’s theme, Camp: Notes on Fashion, the term camp baffled some and excited others; regardless of how celebrities interpreted the theme, camp launched into our colloquial vocabulary, especially amongst Gen-Z fashion lovers like those who make up STITCH’s staff. We are thrilled to bring camp to our campus in this issue. Embrace the unexpected, and at times, overtly ironic, in a series of photoshoots. The collage shoot gives Cher’s Clueless closet a much needed refresh. Outfits are pieced together like a digital scrapbook, giving the illusion of a virtual fitting, or in Cher’s case, step one of her morning routine. After getting dressed, it’s time for class – but with a twist. “Formal Wear in Casual Spaces” features ball gowns in University Hall and business chic in Norris. Finally, STITCH pitches a tent (quite literally) on the lakefill. Imagine girl scouts with a 90s supermodel attitude. Our writers explore camp through a historical, contemporary and–dare I say–practical lens. Learn what camp really means and how the aesthetic first gained traction in the fashion world. How does Gucci’s Alessandro Michele and the infamous Anna Delvey epitomize camp? If you’re an Inventing Anna fan, “People We Love to Hate” is a must-read. Afterall, the life she leads (or led) and the clothes she wore while living it, especially in the courtroom, are about as camp as it gets. “Animal Anomalies” returns us to the runway, using camp to justify high fashion’s current obsession with animal mimicry. And, for those looking to infuse camp into their everyday looks, “How to Camp on Campus” is the perfect source for daily camp inspo. Without further ado, we present “The Camp Issue” with all its cheeky flamboyance. Carly+ Molly

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CAMP in Context:

How the aesthetic’s history informs its meaning Maya Krainc

hen “Camp: Notes on Fashion” was announced as the the theme for the 2019 MET Gala, questions arose among onlookers about what they were to make of horse heads protruding out of evening gowns and Jared Leto carrying his head as an accessory. The likely place to turn for an explanation was Susan Sontag’s celebrated essay, “Notes on Camp,” which unpacks the aesthetic and inspired the Met’s exhibit. Like the essay that propelled both Sontag and camp into mainstream discussion in the 1960s, the Met Gala brought camp back to the forefront of the public's mind, along with questions of what it really means. “To snare a sensibility into words, especially one alive and powerful, one must be nimble,” Sontag wrote. And she was, offering her understanding of camp in a series of notes, perhaps the most appropriate way to explain so elusive an idea. Here are some key takeaways from Sontag’s essay about what “camp” is: Camp emphasizes style and aesthetic above content and meaning. In this way it celebrates artifice, extravagance and exaggeration. Camp embodies “epicene,” the idea of something or someone having characteristics of both sexes, or of neither of them. It allows for not only androgyny but the convertibility between one sex and another. Camp is life as theater. It is

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not a thing or person as we usually see and understand them, rather a performance of them, a stylization. As Sontag puts it, “camp sees everything in quotation marks. It’s not a lamp, but a ‘lamp’; not a woman, but a ‘woman.’” Amidst these sharp observations about camp, Sontag makes an interesting claim that camp, in the way it highlights style and aesthetics, is “disengaged,” “depoliticized.” But a look at camp’s history, particularly in the queer community, reveals that camp and the groups that most widely employ its aesthetic are inherently political. Camp aesthetics are noted as appearing in eighteenth-century Europe, in the over-thetop, extravagant tastes of elites, according to Ula Klein and Emily Kugler’s article “Eighteenth-Century Camp Introduction.” However, camp has more recently become associated with the queer community. The word “camp” comes from Polari, a slang used in queer communities in Britain in the 1800s as a way for people to avoid being identified as queer when it was criminalized. Etymologists estimate that “camp” was either derived from the French verb, se camper,

which means "to portray or pose," or the Italian word campare, meaning "to make something stand out.” But it wasn't until the 19th century that camp became increasingly visible through the increasing notoriety and popularity of drag balls, particularly during the Harlem Renaissance in New York City. Defined by drag historian Joe E. Jeffreys as “the theatrical exaggeration of gender,” drag is camp by all definitions. Because what is the theatrical exaggeration of gender if not an embodiment of “epicene” or the portrayal of a “woman” rather than a woman? Drag subsequently serves as an example of the political implications of stylized expressions of gender nonconformity that are so embedded in the camp aesthetic. Drag has historically been a form of expression for queer people, one that represents “a long tradition of resistance and challenge to the dominant order,” according to an article by Carmen Harris detailing the evolution of drag in the U.S. She adds that as drag became more visible in the mainstream, it “explicitly defied gender and societal norms and brought a distinct queer subculture to light.” Camp has also been used in the fashion industry to bring depth to seemingly over-the-top and strange designs. Particularly in haute couture collections, many designers take the creative freedom to present the wealthy clients and attendees of fashion shows with designs that appear, for lack of a better word, ridiculous — they use grossly exaggerated proportions, excessive amounts of fabric, kitsch and humor. Some designers whose work is celebrated for this are Jean Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler and Viktor and Rolf. O n e of the

designers most celebrated for his use of camp is Jeremy Scott, particularly when he was creative director of Moschino. “The King of Kitsch” was known for using irony in his collections that often made commentary on the world of high fashion. You can see this in his 2014 fall ready-towear collection, which featured skirt suits and quilted purses that played on the house codes of Chanel, only they were in yellow and red and decorated with “M'' logos reminiscent of McDonald’s’. The irony Scott employs is clear, drawing attention to the wealth disparity between a McDonald’s employee and a Chanel or Moschino client. “Camp involves a new, more complex relation to ‘the serious.’ One can be serious about the frivolous, frivolous about the serious,” Sontag wrote. Camp has been used in both the past and present to stylize messages of substance, showing just how true these words still ring.

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Collage We stitched together various pieces and aesthetics and eperimented with creating different camp outfits. Modeled off flip fashion books, we wanted to dispel the notion of a fashion faux-pas and showcase the fun in styling and mixing pieces that wouldn’t normally be worn together. Credits: Creative Director: Ilise Angel Styling Director: Elias Xiwei Fan Photographer: Joanne Haner Model: Sarah Kim Stylists: Anthony Barba-Perez, Grace Jordan-Weinstein, Katie Chang, Leila Chavez, Eloise Brotzman, Henry Winkleman

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P M A C O T W HO S U P M A C ON Tips and tricks to add camp to your campus style. by Alea Wilkins | designed by Ryan Murphy

Mounting the steps of Kresge Hall in a diamond-encrusted chandelier dress is not the most practical, to say the least. Think about the unlucky classmate who will sit next to you with a fake candlestick jabbing into their shoulder or a loose gem splashing into your Norbucks mobile order. It’s a safety hazard, not to mention a huge distraction. Bringing camp to Northwestern’s campus, as envisioned by looks that graced the 2019 Met Gala, seems like an impossible task. Why bother with the frill and feathers when throwing on a hoodie is so much quicker? To Alexander Hernandez Gonzalez, a first-year Medill student and STITCH multimedia staffer, wearing a camp outfit to class serves as a much needed confidence boost. “It makes me feel empowered because no one's going to look like me,” he says while describing his OOTD, which includes jeans embellished with stars and a vintage Dior slap-on bracelet. “It really doesn’t make sense, but it makes me feel good.” For Wildcats wanting to experiment with their style or fantasizing about that one statement piece collecting dust in their closet, here’s a list of advice from students and fashion designers on how to put the “camp” in campus.

Get Inspired

The most frustrating part of curating an outfit is not knowing where to begin. Even after digging through your dresser, sometimes you give up, resolve that you just have nothing to wear and pull on some sweatpants so you aren’t late to class. New campers should search for inspiration, especially for a more extravagant outfit. This can mean starting a Pinterest board, scrolling through fashion blogs or, as in the case of Weinberg sophomore Erika Kramer, cataloging your wardrobe. She got the idea from TikToks of people copying PNG images of their ‘fit pics into their notes app. “When I have no idea what to do or what clothes I have, I just look at that,” she says, scrolling through her collection of cut-out mirror selfies. The trick helps on early mornings or whenever inspiration is low. Plus, it saves a good get-up from only being worn once.

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Catch Up on Camp Culture

Rooted in queer history, camp can be explored by flipping through textbooks on the Rococo period, reading Susan Sontag’s famous “Notes on ‘Camp’” essay or by experiencing the style in action. Jake Wobig, a fashion design student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), whose work includes an outfit inspired by a queer vintage sailor, says his favorite camp experience is attending a drag show. “With any sort of pageantry, a great place to start [is] anywhere in the queer community,” they say. Boystown, Lakeview and West Loop are popular Chicago neighborhoods where you can find drag events for your next outing.

Play with your Clothes

You don’t need to drop major cash to make a new campy fit. Just as in designing a physics model or writing a feature article, sometimes all you need is a new angle. Jake references their outfit from the day of our interview as an example. “This jacket, for instance, had these fun ruffles on the inside, so I decided to wear it inside-out,” they say. Consider wearing your jeans backward, a lá junior Josh Do on StitchSpotted, or styling trousers as a shirt, like model Jake Fleming (@itsjakeflemm on TikTok).

Shop Second-hand

Sarcastic TikToks about thrifting “the heat” -- ugly or confusing pieces like a “Grucci” t-shirt inspired by the “Despicable Me” character and luxury brand -- may be a turn-off to secondhand shopping, but there are gems hidden in the racks. According to Jake, thrift shops are a must-stop for any camp novice. “They're always the best. It's sustainable. The clothes are better made. They last forever,” they say. “Clothes are terrible quality now. Haunt your vintage stores. You always find the coolest things.”

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Get Crafty

There’s no better way to ensure your outfit is unique than to design it yourself. Cherin Kim, a SAIC student specializing in painting, drawing and fibers, is a huge proponent for flipping your thrifts. “Last year I took a pair of jeans, cut it up and sewed it back together, and I made some leg warmers out of it,” she says. No-sew DIY tutorials make it even easier to personalize your pieces. Add bows or safety pins, paint denim jackets or crop t-shirts. You can also try unconventional materials, like Jake. “I grew up as a punk kid, so I was always sewing patches onto my clothes with dental floss,” they say. The options are endless!

Trust Your Gut

At the end of the day, no one knows your style better than you do. The key to mastering camp is to push your boundaries in ways that amplify your originality, according to Courtney, a Weinberg sophomore and musician who performs under the name Teddi. Her day-to-day style ranges anywhere from a “rocker girl” to a “video vixen,” and each part represents a different side of her. “You really have to know and love yourself to be able to express yourself in an honest way,” she says. “People are always gonna say something, so you might as well be yourself than being like everyone else.”

Have Fun!

As excessive and kitschy as camp may be, its purpose is simple. “Have fun with it; why not?” says Alexander. He describes his prom look from the spring, a long puffer trench coat revealing a turquoise suit underneath, as one of his favorite camp outfits. “Everyone was surprised that a Latino man like me was wearing something like that,” he says. “And I was like, well, why not? At the end of the day, I just want to express myself and have fun with fashion.” Sure, wearing a Moschino cheeseburger to class may raise an eyebrow or two, but the key to mastering camp isn’t in your clothes—it’s in your confidence. With these tips, you can strut down Sheridan like it's a runway and revolutionize your campus style. Happy camping!

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Saman Bakayoko (a.k.a.

THE ARMOR GIRL OF NYC ) is your camp COUNSELOR

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Abby Crossman Jordan Mckinney Samuel Jaspi MODELS: Sweekriti Dahl Jordan McKinney Taryn Segal

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hen you think of camp, what comes to mind? Maybe the masterfully constructed gowns at the larger-than-life 2019 Met Gala. Maybe Jean Paul Gaultier’s gaudy and colorful designs for The Fifth Element (1997). Whatever it may be, the word “camp" likely brings up images of over-the-top, inaccessible opulence. This is partially true. Saman Bakayoko, a Fashion Institute of Technology student and TikTok creator (@s.annia), is proof that camp is not reserved only for the most fortunate members of society.

She first went viral for the full suit of armor and chainmail she donned on the streets of New York City. Her other looks range from a 50’s housewife archetype turned up a billion notches, to a blue-skinned alien sporting a platinum mullet. Saman has garnered a lot of attention on the platform for these looks, and they’re more accessible than you’d think. Saman was born and raised in New York City. Before her internet stardom, she studied at Binghamton University and had a more “traditional” wardrobe. After finding that Binghamton wasn’t

her perfect match, she transferred to FIT. It was there that Saman said she began to “[find herself] through fashion.” Slowly but surely, her looks became camp-ier, and she started infiltrating the New York party scene and turning heads at Coachella. On her come up in the fashion world, Saman does not cite any one inspiration– other than herself and her own creative mind:

“I don’t really have any fashion inspirations; I think it’s just my brain. I’ve always been very creative. My brain just comes up with things and ideas, and then I write things down and execute it. No matter if I’m gonna execute it 10 years from now or the next day. I see things and pull inspiration from them. But I feel like, and I don’t even know if this sounds cocky, but I feel like I’m sort of a muse. ”

For Saman, camp comes from within. Her world is one of authenticity and commitment that all other elements of camp stem from. No idea is a bad idea; it’s just a question of commitment and staying true to the vision. In this way, she offers us a reminder that your style and your presentation is up to you. Stylists and tailormade camp couture is inaccessible for most, but authenticity costs nothing. Her and other camp creators who have recently gained popularity such as @ MyraMagdalen and @SaraCampz, besides just being themselves, “leave room for commentary… [discussion,]” and inspiration, as Saman qualifies. Saman hits many of the tenets of camp as chronicled in Susan Sontag’s sacred text, “Notes on Camp,” namely the entries 18

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concerning humor, irony, artifice, theatricality, impracticality and exaggeration. Take the aforementioned housewife look. Saman plays with 50’s era feminine stereotypes and rigid gender expectations. Her hyperbolic portrayal of gender presentation in this case is a vehicle for campiness. For many, fear and apprehension are barriers to outgoing fashion in general. Saman’s solution is a familiar one:

“‘Just do it.’ Like Nike. That would be my advice. A lot of people think before they act; I act before I think. People think too much. They’re very calculated. Thinking too much leaves room for apprehension, and it leaves room for you to change your mind. When I think of something– I go. Don’t question it. Don’t get nervous. Just do it.” Saman places heavy importance on the instinctual. It represents the heart of the camp impulse and

is the key to authenticity. Putting on whatever appeals to you and being as over-the-top as possible is a simple question of tapping into your true desire, humor and creativity, and it’s a much needed

respite from the curated beige perfection we’ve gotten used to. It doesn’t have to break the bank either, as Saman “mainly thrifts and [utilizes] sample sales” for much of her wardrobe. Camp has a long history and more recently, as Saman notes, has “[become] more visible [with social media]” and inspired more people. We learn from Saman’s feeling-over-thinking philosophy that finding your authenticity and individuality are paramount to camp. She instructs us to act on our desires, not overthink or limit them. Her fashion philosophy is an exercise in reaching your creative potential. During the decline of silliness and camp in recent years due to a pivot toward hyperrealism, sensibility, and hyper self-awareness, figures like Saman remind us that it was never that serious.

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“We’re all avatars. Everyday is a new day, and you’re able to be whoever you want to be each and every day. I think we have the freedom to do that, but a lot of people aren’t aware." 20

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Animal Anomalies

Collina Strada Autumn / Winter ‘23

Jade Garcia

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A structured, navy-lime, tartan, wolverine coat paired with a green, denim skirt-belt and–how could I forget?–a green prosthetic lizard face. The relationship between animals and fashion has always existed, but creators are pushing boundaries to transform that relationship into something entirely new. Creative director and fashion designer Hillary Taymour made headlines with her New York Fashion Week Autumn / Winter ‘23 collection for Collina Strada. Taymour is passionate about creating a brand that is a platform for climate awareness, social awareness, change and self-expression. Her overthe-top show with models decorated in various animal prosthetics was, to her, “a toned-down version of Collina,” as she shared in an interview with Vogue. Models walked the stage transformed into dolphins, dogs and lizards. Some simply donned giant ears and fluffy tails, while others flaunted full face prosthetics that carefully hid the human being beneath. Many applauded her line and the creativity that went into executing it, but others found it a bit odd. Her extravagant style is used to make a statement, and Taymour is not the only creative following this method. Animals and fashion have remained intertwined for all of time. Furs are crafted into elegant coats and accessories; skins are used to give articles texture. Animals have remained an inspiration and a staple in the fashion world ever since humans wore pelts. But some, like Taymour, are taking this animalistic inspi-

Collina Strada Autumn / Winter ‘23

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ration one step further and blurring the lines between human and animal through the use of animal prosthetics and absurdist expression. Photographer and creative director Petra Collins focuses on femininity and self-discovery in her works and found immense success in her books in which she morphed models into mythical creatures. Collins’s 2019 book, OMG, I’m Being Killed, offers a more horrifying approach to the use of prosthetics. Created as a response to the filter-obsessed culture of 2019, the book uses terrifying prosthetics, like fake heads and giant ears lined with piercings, to represent what Collins feels is the “truth about the age we live in.” Much of her work uses the uncanny and unimaginable to convey her messages. Collins’ 2021 book, Fairy Tales, tells of nine erotic fairy tales created by Collins with actress Alexa Demie portraying the nine characters. The photos in the book show Demie transmogrified into magical creatures, including a sprite and a mermaid, through the use of prosthetic horns, ears and a mermaid tail, colored contacts and lengthy acrylic nails. The surreal photographs combine playfulness with passion and explore the juxtaposition between the sinister and seductive.

Fairy Tales by Petra Collins

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“HORSE AND CHILD” by Horsegirl Animalistic fashion on the runway and on the pages of popular books has inspired a new generation of creatives who want to experiment with the fun and kitschy. Berlin icon, horsegiirL, is a DJ, producer and songwriter who has yet to reveal her true identity to the world since her debut in 2022. The Berlin artist created her career from her camp style, both in fashion and music. The DJ wears an equine mask and often carries a pitchfork with her to gigs, she sports a Y2K-influenced style and released her own line of merchandise that included shirts painted with doodles of horses and her name. Her outrageous style has caught the eye of many figures in the fashion industry; she served as the entertainment at a Jaded London event and partnered with Heaven by Marc Jacobs. HorsegiirL’s career is just beginning to unfold and may introduce a new wave of celebrities using animal personas. Prosthetic-donning creatures may soon become more common as more creatives get in touch with their wild side. Will a new generation of creators and designers transform the way animals are used in high fashion and popular media? For now, it seems like they just might. The fashion world seems to be fixated on the eccentric; the more exaggerated a collection is, the more celebrated it becomes. The transformation of human models into animalistic and fantastical creatures has been seen • December 2023 25

Juxtapositio Juxtapositio One of the key tenets of Camp in fashion is the extravagance and exaggeration and how

what might be seen as “bad taste” can really be stylish and fun, often challenging traditional notions of elegance and refinement in fashion. We took the whimsical and impractical camp aesthetics into classrooms and stores, experimenting with the juxtaposition of formal attire and a casual setting in which they did not belong in.

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on on

Credits: Creative Director: Ilise Angel Styling Director: Elias Xiwei Fan Photographer: Melanie Ahn Stylists: Anthony Barba-Perez, Camille Carey, Katie Chang, Tosin Okoh, Henry Winkelman Models: Nandini Taparia, Sasha Menchaca, Hannah Callentine • Decmber December2023 2023 27

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The Legacy of Alessandro Michele’s Gucci Rahib Taher Gucci’s Fall/Winter 2015 Ready-ToWear show opened with a sheer, textured long-sleeve shirt tucked into a high-waisted, long, pleated, bright red skirt. The skirt was secured with a black leather belt that featured two golden Gs side-by-side as the buckle. A formation of white flowers stuck to the shirt’s collar and a long pendant peeked through the sheer fabric. The model’s hands were adorned with gaudy chunky rings, and her feet were tucked in black-soled, flat sandals with two furry straps. In one look, Alessandro Michele established motifs that would define Gucci for the next seven years. Here, the eyes find an exaggerated preppiness constructed to devalue what is refined in prep. Michele created an artificial approach to the natural by introducing playfulness in the most closed sectors of society. He was committed to the ambiguous and androgynous and the desire to throw anything and everything—whether vomit-inducing or euphorically beautiful together in the name of extravagance and more importantly: Camp. In 2002, Tom Ford, the creative director of Gucci at the time, invited Michele to the brand to work on accessories. Michele was appointed creative director 12 years later, succeeding Frida Giannini, and served until the end of 2022. His work represented a dramatic break from his predecessors, moving from strict, sexy sophistication to silly, unseriously serious sophistication.

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Michele encouraged his subjects to let go of their style by playing with boyishness and girliness, throwing out their rigid ideas of masculinity and femininity. He slowly shifted away from the model of separate gendered ready-to-wear shows to single all-encompassing shows for each season. The models were dressed in a way where every point of gender converged. A central motif of his Fall/Winter 2017 show was a two-horned nose piercing resembling a futuristic mustache. For one male model, the masculine piercing was countered by a long flowy feminine robe of golden snakes consorting with lily pads. For a 2021 campaign entitled Seductive and Secretive, a handful of philosophical texts were held by the models. Two of these, Walter Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction and Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation are in a complex conversation about the changing nature of art throughout history. Benjamin proposes that the ability to reproduce art en masse through mass manufacturing techniques liberates art’s status as only • December 2023 33

for those in high social and economic classes. On the other hand, Baudrillard laments this departure from the uniqueness of art through mass reproduction, suggesting we are getting further away from what is authentic by allowing copies of reality to become our reality. This conversation is relevant to Gucci as the styling of Michele’s shows transcends history. Michele is repeating and representing fashion history in a way that fashion history could never have imagined. For example, the 2017 Resort show held in Westminster Abbey presented an ahistorical take on British heritage. One model walked in a dress composed of Victorian ruffles covered in a kitschy blue pattern that recalls untouched fine china cabinets. This regality was followed by a Vivienne-Westwood style British punk look that featured acid wash jeans and a T-shirt depicting two monkey-cat-owl creatures, a nod to British royalty’s similarities to Elizabethan fairytale beings. The answer to Benjamin’s and Baudrillard’s disagreement is perhaps this melting pot of eras that brings art to a new frontier. One focused, not just on remembering, but also reinvention. Gucci’s Fall/Winter 2018 collection was the definition of doing too much. References for the looks were split between diverse cultural realities and myths. On one side, models were adorned in headdress gowns that looked as if they came from a Persian princess’s wardrobe, a headpiece modeled after a Chinese style of hip-and-gable roof known as Xieshan and a turban style traditionally worn by Sikhs. The other side featured models holding replicas of their 34

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decapitated heads to their hips, a baby dragon and Gucci’s trademark king snake. The closing look fixates the eye on an additional eye attached to the model’s forehead and reveals a frilly, sleeveless pink dress covered by a transparent Gucci-labeled dust bag. Spring/Summer 2016 was another instance of Michele doing too much. Outfits that were already bright and composed of clashing patterns were layered with neckerchiefs and belts made to look as if they came straight out of children’s cartoons. A child’s wish to enter the television screen is realized in styling that blurs the boundaries between reality and animation. Michele brought several iconic staples to Gucci that redefined the brand. For example, eyewear, present at almost all of his shows, often consisted of very large, wide, square bifocals. He gave the beige monogram print on leather goods a new life by treating it as a canvas for naturalistic references to tigers, bees, king snakes and flowers. Even sneakers were an important part of Michele’s Gucci, as they added a way to ground elegance in a more familiar reference. The Gucci Ace, an archetypal white tennis sneaker with Gucci green and red stripes, has become a staple of the brand particularly because of its numerous variations. From replacing the white upper of the shoe with the monogram pattern to embroidering Ed-Hardy-esque flowers all over the shoe, Michele has created a blank canvas sneaker that can be painted in an endless number of ways.

Alessandro Michele’s final Gucci collection,Spring/Summer 2023, played a fantastical trick on its audience. A large partition along the middle of the runway split the audience without them being aware of it. At the end the partition was lifted, revealing the two audiences to each other and the fact that for each model one side saw, there was a twin counterpart on the other side styled in the same outfit. As the twins walked down the runway, one could notice the subtle differences among them just as much as the striking similarity in their clothing. Michele’s Gucci followed this observation: his concept has always been what it is not. Rather than being trapped by firm categories, Michele allowed his designs to do as they pleased, especially if they caused confusion and more importantly curiosity among those who viewed them.

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CAMP

literally.

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Inspired by the closets of girl scouts, camp counselors and the extravagant and dramatic high fashion clothing editorials, we present Camp Stitch. Camp... literally.

Creative Director: Ilise Angel Photographer: Alessandra Esquivel Styling Director: Elias Xiwei Fan Stylists: Anthony Barba-Perez, Eloise Brotzman Models: Grace Juhn, Symphony Smith

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Camp and Controversy: People We Love to Hate Rahib Taher Caught outside of a grocery store walking in a bra and underwear set by Alexander Wang and a chic jean blazer and boots in 2022, the controversial Julia Fox was the center of attention. Her bold ensemble defied our current conceptions about what is appropriate for mundane acts such as shopping. Clothing has a unique ability to communicate our identities and convey the messages we wish to share with the world. In the dynamic realm of fashion, certain individuals have emerged as distinctive figures renowned for their audacious self-expression and their role in redefining the concept of camp. While they have undoubtedly left a mark on the industry, it is worth questioning whether these individuals are really worth celebrating. Where should we draw the line between controversy and artistic innovation?

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This nuanced debate brings to mind the controversial figure of Anna Delvey (real last name Sorokin). Delvey is well known through the media attention she received during her trial and the hit Netflix show “Inventing Anna,” which is based on her life as a New York socialite. Posing as a German heiress, Delvey lived an extravagant lifestyle until she was arrested in 2019 and charged with theft and grand larceny. After her arrest, Delvey became the center of media attention and a figure in fashion, thanks to her story and her luxurious court room looks. Delvey wore brands such as Michael Kors, Saint Laurent and her signature black Céline glasses as she stood in court, sparking the creation of the Instagram account @annadelveycourtlooks. Delvey served four years in prison for her crimes and was released in February 2021, only to then be arrested by Immigrations and Customs enforcement later that month because she overstayed her visa. Delvey paid bail and is currently under house arrest and unable to access her own social media due to court orders. This did not stop her during New York Fashion Week; she and Kelly Cutrone, a powerhouse publicist who became aware of Anna through the Call Her Daddy podcast, held a fashion show for Shao Yang, a client of Cutrone’s, at her apartment in the East Village. Cutrone saw it as mutually beneficial for newcomers Yang and Delvey to work together. The abnormal circumstances surrounding Delvey’s reputation and house arrest, unconventionality of the small setting, and a post-show pizza party added to the show’s campy appeal. It completely juxtaposes the meticulously choreographed high fashion shows that are held in some of the world’s most extravagant places. Delvey’s show acted almost as a parody of fashion presentation, and she used the publicity surrounding her name to push boundaries such as where fashion shows can be held and who can hold them.

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Although she has a controversial history, Anna Delvey has been met with positive reactions. Her reputation underwent a transformation as she has come to be seen as a “visionary.” The irony of her embracing her own controversy invites her into the discussions of what it means to be camp. This societal definition of camp contrasts with Susan Sontag’s definition as it is more focused on the evolving values of our society and audacious figures who may unintentionally embody a camp sensibility in their disputed actions. In the realm of contemporary camp, figures like Trisha Paytas have redefined self-expression. From her emotionally charged Mukbang videos to naming her daughter Malibu Barbie, Paytas celebrates her extravagant nature and controversies by turning her over-thetop personality into content for her Youtube channel. In the eyes of the internet, Delvey’s glamorous and controversial persona has allowed her to transcend her crimes. What she did was simply “camp.” This shift in perception is not unique to Delvey. History has provided us with another controversial woman in fashion: Marie Antoinette. Antoinette, the last Queen of France before the French revolution, is widely known in history for her opulent clothing. The recent rise in popularity of Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette has spurred discussions surrounding Antoinette’s character. She has been referred to as camp for her towering hairstyles and lavish, unconventional jewelry. While Antoinette enjoyed a lush life prior to her beheading, the French population suffered from severe economic hardships. Her detachment from the struggles of the common people has made her a symbol of insensitivity, which arguably is what we consider camp now.

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Women who might have been criticized in the past due to their outlandish fashion choices are now characterized as camp and “iconic.” What unites women like Delvey and Antoinette are their disregard for societal norms and their extravagant and arguably “superficial” natures. As we explore the change in the lens through which we see these women, we must consider how truly camp they are and how the word has adapted to modern society. Its definition is transitioning toward thoughtless extravagance, leaving behind its core message of pushing boundaries. While some may argue that this celebration of controversy is a form of boundary-pushing, a fundamental question emerges: Are these the boundaries that should truly be challenged and celebrated? People are increasingly drawn to women who appear disconnected from the everyday realities of the world. In a complex and often distressing global landscape, these figures serve as symbols of the escapism that many people yearn for, offering a temporary respite from the harshness of reality. Their appeal often lies in their ability to evade accountability for their actions. They live free of worry. It’s essential to reflect on the evolving definition of camp and whether it now accommodates the celebration of controversial characters who, in many respects, may not merit such adulation. Despite being well aware of these individuals’ imperfections, we remain captivated by their every action.

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