ISSUE#4: OBSESSION

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ISSUE 4

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Sena Cheung editor-in-chief

Maia Boakye

creative director

Simona Presutto thoughts editor

Gabbi Gard sights editor

Eli Sagner

sounds editor

Kendal Preston lead copy editor

Victoria Hong design director

Oliver Smith webmaster / online editor 2019 Contributors Alex Whitwam, Sophia Sharp, Grey Spafford Lesley Cheung, Josiah Friesen, Danielle Linder Vanessa Nardin Kruczaj, Gabriel Cordova 3

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CONTENTS

STAFF OBSESSIONS | 06 STA101: INTRO TO STAN CULTURE | 08 ARTIST TO ARTIST | 10

PRINCESS | 14 OBSESSION IN FILM: SATOSHI KON’S “PERFECT BLUE” (1997) | 16 SELF(IE) REFLECTION | 18 THE POLAROID PROJECT | 26

INTERNET IDENTITY INFATUATION | 28 NEEDING-AND LOVING-AND SOMETHING MORE | 30 THE IMITATION GAME | 32 HOWL HOROSCOPES | 34

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Simona Presutto, Thoughts Editor We may be 50-some-odd years past the actual Age of Aquarius, but the Hart House Theatre 2019 production of Hair has had me obsessively listening to the Broadway cast album, and it slaps immensely. Hair is a high recommend if you like flower power, anti-Vietnam activism, Broadway legend Melba Moore, psychedelic drugs, ensemble numbers, Diane Keaton, full-frontal nudity, or catchy lyricism. All of those things and more wind fantastically and illogically through themes of racial and gender equality, peace and love, environmentalism, and religious freedom. Admittedly, it is disorienting that these LSD-riddled hippies, who have been writhing naked all night, deliver Beowulf’s closing lines in Flesh Failures (Let the Sunlight In), the show’s finale.

Kendal Preston, Lead Copy Editor Tactile crafts are my thing. I hyper fixate on knitting, crochet, felting, you name it—I’ve done it. By hyper fixate I mean that I literally cannot stop once I start. I enter a trance and will not stop until I finish or inevitably get bored.

Crafts are addicting; they are my own personal form of cocaine. I’m so obsessed that I have found the absolute niche of youtube videos: Yarn Hauls.

Middle-aged white women buying yarn, then showcasing it in a video, is absolutely incredible. Can’t even put it into words.

Gabbi Gard, Sights Editor My current obsession: glamorous, delusional women. With the whole Lindsay Lohan Mykonos show, I’ve come to realize that there’s nothing better than extravagant yet fundamentally deluded ladies. This obsession extends to every Real Housewife and spin-off character.

Alex Whitwam, Writer Ever since I discovered Isaac Asimov’s writing, I’ve been obsessed. I wasn’t much of a science fiction fan beforehand, but his relentless optimism and philosophical views on humanity resonated with me. Back home, I have multiple shelves dedicated to his books--mostly collections of short stories and his robot series. I own multiple copies of Caves of Steel just because I liked the variant covers. I’ve written thousands of words on Asimov’s work; whenever he’s brought up, I warn people not to get me started talking about him because I genuinely have difficulty stopping.

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Josiah Friesen, Writer/Editor I was asked to write a short piece about something I’m obsessed with. My first and second initial thoughts were, respectively, “Oh I can do that, no problem”, and “Why did I agree to this I’m obsessed with literally nothing”. I’m not obsessed with anything. There are no movies I could watch forever, no songs I could listen to on repeat, and no foods I could never eat enough of. This gave rise to a newfound obsession for me: my lack of obsessions. I’m obsessed with how I’m not obsessed with anything. Am I a dispassionate person? Am I just astronomically indecisive? Do I have a crushingly bleak and cynical outlook on the passions of life that casts a black and white filter over all there is to behold on this wondrous and diverse planet? Find out on the next episode of Josiah’s Existential Crises.

Oliver Smith, Webmaster If you peek into my closet, your eyes will be bombarded with a certain yellow print. Banana socks (two (2) pairs), banana button-down, banana dad hat, and banana shorts. But that’s just my closet; this all had to stem from somewhere, right? That, of course, is my love of the ideal fruit specimen, the banana.

Whether you like them green or spotted, starchy or sweet (wrong or right), bananas give and never take. I eat two a day and show no signs of slowing down. They’re easy to transport, require no wash, fun to peel, aesthetically pleasing, delicious, nutritious, and ubiquitous. The quintessential fruit.

Grey Spafford, Illustrator Ask anyone; I am the friendly neighbourhood Old Man. I am obsessed with warm beverages, wool socks, and being as comfy as possible. I seemingly care more about my cat than... well, pretty much anything. Catch me at the thrift store looking at all the old man sweaters and sweater-vests; and then leaving with only one (or none) because that’s still too expensive. Are you troubled?

Need a different perspective? I will bundle you up in one of my many blankets, start the kettle and get you a snack while I endeavour to give my best advice.

Eli Sagner, Sounds Editor I would consider myself obsessed with many things, mainly: my dog Sophie, my dog’s alternate egos (“Brofie”, “Hoefie”, “Blowfie”, and “Snowfie”), other people’s dogs, miscellaneous dogs, visual stimulation, pretty lights, black clothing, Organ Tapes, Tianzhuo Chen & Asian Dope Boys, Eyedress, Gaspar Noé, Takashi Miike, Gomorrah, the picture of Cam’ron in all pink, Max B, things that smell good, Jun Takahashi, Matthew M Williams, Craig Green, Michèle Lamy, Satoshi Kon, Idaho J Doe AKA Snort Dog, Kane Grocerys, Rick Owens, frogs, rats, staying hydrated, and getting a good night’s rest.

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Thoughts | Danielle Linder @danielle_linder

STAN101: Intro to Stan Culture can also get to the extreme where stans will break into celebrities houses, or follow them everywhere they go. There are definitely many cons to stan culture, but people also seem to ignore the fact that stan culture has many many pros as well.

People from the same fan base now have a place to share their love for something together. For example, in my case, I have met some amazing friends both online and in real life because of stan culture. The love for something really brings people together and it’s quite beautiful to see. It’s also beautiful to see people find comfort in their fandom. With the help of this artist, athlete, actor, etc. and other stans, people are able to overcome things that they might not have been able to do so alone.

Another positive thing about stan culture is that a lot of art comes out of it. Stans will create art, stories, videos, songs, and more for their idols, and I honestly feel that some of the fan art I’ve seen is some of the most amazing art out there.

Anyone who uses the Internet has at some point come across the term ‘stan’.

According to the Google dictionary, a stan is “an overzealous or obsessive fan of a particular celebrity.” But the term can also be applied to fans of athletes, sports teams, books, movies, and more. It derives from Eminem’s song “Stan” which tells the story about an obsessive fan of the rapper’s.

‘Stan culture’ then is the way fans act, relate to one another, and view the person or thing they’re fans of. The phenomenon of ‘standom’ isn’t new; the obsessive fan has been around since the ancient Romans entertained with their Gladiators, which would later turn into the pandemonium that Elvis Presley caused when he walked in a room, to the Beatle-mania that spread across the Atlantic, and then the love for the characters and actors in Marvel movies.

And that’s just naming a few.

A big topic surrounding stan culture is that of how controversial stans can be. This is mainly related to the extent to which these people will go for their idol. A lot of stans will fly across the world to see their favorite artist, they’ll camp out outside venues or hotels in order to catch a glimpse of their favorite actor, or they’ll riot and fight when their team or athlete loses a match. The negativity of the obsession doesn’t have to be extreme. Online there is constant bickering and fighting between and within stan groups that can emerge from pretty much thin air. Stan Twitter for example can be quite the toxic environment if there’s a scandal surrounding a specific artist. But then, like I mentioned earlier, the negativity and controversy of stans can get very extreme. When it comes to sports, fans will fight one another after matches that can even sometimes lead to death. This happened to Russian and British soccer fans when a bar fight turned political and violent after a match. Stalking

It’s beautiful, and gives artists of all kinds a platform to express themselves, especially thanks to the help of the Internet and social media. So I don’t disagree when one correlates fandom obsession with negativity, but I disagree with correlating the fandom obsession with only that. That’s because the positive things I mentioned above are just a small part of how productive and happy stan culture can make people, which in some ways balances the scale of things. Overall, stan culture has been around us for a very, very long time, it has it’s pros and I has it’s cons, but it’s a part of us as people in some degree whether we like to admit it or not. We all have our obsessions, it’s just some manifest them in a larger way than others, but still like I said, it’s a part of all of us whether we like to admit it or not.

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EMINEM IN THE STYLE OF

BADLY DRAWN MODELS

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ARTIST TO ARTIST A Conversation between Dé Mikylah & Paris Unltd

Dé Mikylah (3rd year) and Paris Unltd (2nd year) are both Woodsworth students, who also happen to be up and coming artists in the music scene in Toronto. We had them sit down in conversation and talk about finding balance, their inspirations, and what the future holds for them both.

Paris: I’m Paris Unltd and I’m here talking with…

music “alternative queer pop”, and it was kind of hard to figure out...

Dé: Dé Mikylah.

D: The more you go through different experiences and put yourself out there, the more it will come easily to you. You got to keep going, there will be flaws along the way but you will continuously learn. Going back to what you said about fitting into the pop scene, the Black creative scene, there have been times when I had to just say “I don’t care!”. If they like me, they like me, if they don’t, then they don’t!

P: We have so much to talk about! You’ve had a busy week, with lots of ups and downs. How would you describe your schedule, and how you manage to find the time to be an artist but also exist outside of that sphere?

D: It is very hard, and it took a lot of getting used to.

I think I was prepared because I went to an art high school for vocal [music]. My schedule was literally 4 courses, then staying at school till 9 o’clock to do a rehearsal for performances. The biggest thing I’ve learned doing this now is to prioritize your time.

P: Listening to “Good Luck”, which was my favourite song of yours… felt like I was listening to someone’s journal and their thoughts. What were … you ... going through? ...this song seemed like it was about focusing on friends that had betrayed you at some time. I thought it was a really interesting angle to take in one of your first songs.

P: Meeting other people who are also either writing music, making visual art, photographers, etc. Do you think you fit in the general Toronto creative space?

D: I’m so happy you caught that because most people think like “what guy hurt you?” You’re actually really spot on.

D: I’ve always been into music. It’s always been the way that I express myself, so it’s not fake for me. As a result, I resonate with any creative...

However, I feel like I don’t fit in because most of the creatives I know have completely emerged themselves in their work and are only an artist.

At some point, they tend to get more respect just because that’s their sole mission. However, we’re both here from U of T, and it can feel like we are doing 45 different things at the same time. How do you feel about this?

P: Oh, rock ‘n’ roll!

D: Basically I was going through a really hard time with relationships, but also breaking ties with friendships as well. I was still hurt, but I was also realizing that I needed to be the bigger person and move on. It was the realization that I’m holding in all this emotion and it felt so good to let it out, but at the same time, I couldn’t be bitter and negative about it. I just want to be out of the picture.

P: The [creative] space is very new to me. I felt like I had to find a way to fit in, especially amongst fellow black artists, coming from an alternative standpoint, trying to break into pop music. Me and my producer always label my

P: I love that came through so well in your song.

D: Thank you! So, I wanted to know what made you start doing music?

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sights | sena cheung 11

For the whole interview, you can visit our website thehowlmagazine.com

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P: Music for me, I guess I need to attribute to my father. He was the one who was always blasting music growing up, in the bar downstairs. He would always make us come down and play like J. Holiday and have us sing. Coldplay was a huge influence on me wanted to get into music and become a singer. So that was my first step into wanting to do music. From then on, I went into guitar lessons, and then vocal lessons, and it became part of getting my high school diploma in South Africa. It was a gruelling experience being part of the art academy, and that’s where I got a lot of my insecurities as an artist but also where I found fulfillment and a way to sift through the mess in my head. That was what motivated me to get into music. People shredding on the guitar...singing about the cheesiest love things...

That was my beginning.

fuck”... I don’t really think I was in a healthy space, so honestly, it was a weird first single to have.

D: Well I loved it, it was amazing. How do you feel being a [queer] black male making the music you are making and addressing the issues you are addressing?

P: In the early stages of me wanting to write more and more music when I came to Canada, was a time when I was just shitting on everyone who made me feel a specific way. Especially people that I found attractive, but thought they would never find me attractive because of the way I looked. I don’t really fall for people, but when I do, it’s this weird mismatch of “I think this guy is beautiful”- especially when I find a queer black guy that you are genuinely attracted to, and then it turning out that they are less interested than me. Finding out that they have other people that they would rather be with, and conveniently those people aren’t black. Then I blame myself.

D: Wow. P: So, what direction do you see yourself going in the future?

D: I’m actually working on something right now that is going to be released March 1st. This is a project very close to my heart because I’m addressing mental illness and different phases of emotions in my life, put together in a way so that you almost feel the rollercoaster [of emotions] that I felt. It’s an EP, called Subconscious, I can’t really classify it as really happy or really sad.

D: I wanted to know your experience because I love and appreciate what you’re doing, just because I have friends who identify as queer as well, sometimes it can be hard for them to fully be vulnerable and put all of that out there. So to have a figure like you to look up to, because you have the courage and the braveness to not give a fuck about what anyone thinks, I really respect that.

P: You have a really good knack for taking us through the thoughts in your writing, I would be super stoked to hear a full body of work where you have space to expand on all those different types of emotions.

P: Funny enough, in terms of future projects...I have one coming out on the 8th of March.

“Murder Me!” is the name of the new song, and this is me trying to take a step in a new direction.

Florence and the Machine, which is another big inspiration to me, has a song called I’m Not Calling You a Liar, where she literally goes: “I love you so much, I’m going to let you kill me”.

Imagine loving someone so much, you would let them kill you. So I thought about having a song that is basically about begging someone to kill me, and like having SOMEBODY TO LOVE *Queen voice*...which equals death. The whole recording process was really therapeutic, just screaming “MURDER ME!” into the microphone a couple dozen times. The whole game of finding someone to love...can suck.

D: Thank you!! So, I loved your song Gimme.

I really liked the vibe of it… I wanted to know what your inspiration was for that song and where you were going with it?

P: I wrote the song at the beginning of firstyear and it was at a time when I felt a sense of sexual freedom. With freedom, came the insecurities. The biggest thing was dealing with my insecurities around my body, and how weight fluctuates, my image, my skin colour - especially in a queer environment, where sometimes it can be hard to find people to relate to… So, those were the inspiration for the tone of Gimme…

I was listening to A LOT of Tove Lo, I really connected with how her hooks were simple but really effective, but her lyrics were crass. I think I wanted to channel a sense of “I don’t give a

D: I am so excited to hear your new song after what you’ve explained about it. I’m wishing you all the luck. It was lovely to have this conversation with you, you are a beautiful soul.

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sights sights || maia maia boakye boakye 15

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Satoshi Kon’s 1997 debut feature “Perfect Blue” stands unparalleled as a testament to the degree of fear, paranoia, and horror that able to be evoked in audiences by an animated film. “Perfect Blue” is a psychological thriller surrounding the life of Japanese pop-idol Mima as she transitions her career from being an idol in the music group Cham to being an actor on the popular crime show “Double Blind”. However, as Mima sacrifices more and more of her original image to the salacious lifestyle demanded by the acting industry, fans from her time as an idol become increasingly obsessed with Mima’s “tarnished” image and vow to fix it at any cost.

with her hallucinatory alter ego represent the developing resentment of obsessed Cham fans, such as those running “Mima’s Room” and her stalker (Uchida/Mimaniac). In juxtaposition to the scenes with Mima’s hallucination, the scenes in which Mima is Yoko demonstrate that she is genuinely having trouble distinguishing who she really is now that she has left Cham behind. This is exemplified by the character, Yoko, suffering from delusions of being a pop idol.

Eventually, Mima is required to participate in a scene that demands nudity; after this demand is made, writers and producers of “Double Blind” begin to show up brutally murdered. With the occurrence of these mysterious deaths, Mima begins to lose more and more of her understanding of who she is. Mima begins to question herself and her grasp on reality as she begins to fear that she may have committed the murders.

However, shortly after shooting the scene, Mima realizes she is not behind the murders when her stalker Uchida/Mimaniac attempts to murder her.

Having survived the attack, Mima wakes up in the house of her manager Rumi and realizes the truth behind all her fears. Mima, once awake, discovers that Rumi’s apartment is an exact replica of hers.

Moreover, Mima sees that Rumi is wearing her Cham costume and is pretending to be Mima from when she was in Cham. She explains to Mima that she is the “true Mima”, and there can only be one.

Like many of Satoshi Kon’s other works, “Perfect Blue” plays with the idea of a character’s duality, often represented as an independent and physically divergent manifestation of alternate personalities.

Furthermore, Kon displays the inseparably intertwined reality of these manifestations (or rather, personas) through disorienting and seamlessly flowing scenes that switch perspectives from one persona to the other. These alternate personalities are represented in the film as Mima’s character on “Double Blind”, Yoko, as well as a recurring hallucination of Mima as a Cham member. Mima’s experiences as Yoko represent the reality of her life torn between her past as an idol and her future as an actress, as the character of Yoko is struggling with multiple-personality disorder.

Conversely, Mima’s recurring hallucination of herself as a member of Cham represents her manager’s, fans’, and stalkers’ obsession with her image, as this hallucination often chastises and threatens Mima for her recent career choices.

“Perfect Blue” can be analyzed and explained through many different lenses, the most surface-level of which being fan obsession.

However, to posit that “Perfect Blue” is merely a psychological thriller about fan obsession is a gross understatement, as the film is exponentially more. It addresses obsession with fame, image, and understanding of self. This film also addresses firsthand struggles with mental health and the physiological manifestations associated with them. Ultimately, “Perfect Blue” criticizes the inherently sexist and misogynistic structure of society and pop-media’s demands of women due to their obsession with controlling them.

Mima’s spiralling descent into paranoia is sparked by her discovery of a webpage called “Mima’s Room”, on which someone has been posting a forged, yet disturbingly accurate, journal of her daily life. As Mima pursues her career in acting, she is cast and written into increasingly racy scenes, and the frequency in which Mima encounters the hallucination of herself as a Cham member increases. These hallucinations become more violent and angry as the episodes become more and more frequent. Mima’s confrontations

THOUGHTS | ELI SAGNER 17

SELF(IE)

REFLECTION photography | sena cheung stylist | gabbi gard set/art direction | maia boakye model | kelly chan assistants | sophia sharp, kendal preston, eli sagner

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I feel like nowadays in pop-culture, to be a defined individual who is unique amongst others, you need something to be obsessed with or devoted to. We all see people monetizing their hobbies, pursuing their passions and sharing long-held secrets that define them from the rest. But sometimes you wonder if people are obsessed with these things or the concept of obsession itself? The feeling of being all consumed by someone or something is one that we all strive for – whether you understand it or not. There’s the phenomenon of stan culture, the obsession with finding someone to love, the obsession in the fashion/makeup industry with being different – the list goes on. It’s an odd phenomenon but one that is deserving of attention and captivates us all in some shape or form.

By asking people what their obsession was, I could see that most people struggle to find something to cling to that sets them apart or is out of the ordinary. But the fact is – some obsessions are mundane or hide in plain sight and aren’t as taboo as we like to think they are. I looked deeper into the lives of people close to me and decided to photograph everyday obsessions that are hard to identify at first glance.

THOUGHTS + SIGHTS | SOPHIA SHARP 27

internet identity infatuation THOUGHTS | LESLEY CHEUNG story that it was according to the American Psychiatric Association—because it really is just that believable.

Society tells us that we don’t need to change ourselves because we’re beautiful even with our imperfections. Everyone goes along with this motto and all is fine and dandy—yet we don’t practice what we preach. #nofilter is an outdated hashtag, and using Facetune and other editing applications are a must before posting an image. This means scrolls and scrolls and scrolls of selfie pictures and body shots on camera rolls that take up about 99.9999999% of phone memory—just to get the “perfect” shot…whatever that may be. While a bit of self-love definitely isn’t a bad thing, this begs the question of where the line should be drawn between a healthy level of self-admiration and an insane obsession for perfection that is simply unachievable without the help of “a few” edits here and there.

The addiction becomes concerning when we strive for an image that we want but isn’t all that realistic. From this arises the separation of who we truly are and how we actually look from who we want to be and how we want others to perceive us. Such a phenomenon is a construction of the society we live in. Social media sites have become a hub for celebrities, influencers and everyday people to document their lives—but selectively.

Only one’s most glorious moments are captured, copious amounts of similarlyposed shots are taken, ridiculous amounts of effort are put into editing, and feeds are meticulously planned out. This all amounts to an illustration of what is deemed to be “perfect” and becomes the standard that everyone wants to attain.

At the extreme are the individuals who take an over-excessive number of pictures of themselves and habitually post them on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and anywhere else, really. This stems from an addiction of taking pictures of oneself— what some have coined Selfitis. And even though suffixing “itis” to a word doesn’t make it a real condition, this didn’t stop people from believing the pseudo news

And it doesn’t stop there. Social media sites encourage the futile and rigorous pursuit of perfection, and are inviting to hate for anyone that falls short of perfect. This is primely exemplified in the most popular selfie-posting platform— 28

Instagram. The number of followers has become a measure of self-worth and the number of likes is a determiner of one’s attractiveness. The comments section tempts users to voice their opinions on another’s appearance, and DMs are open to anyone feeling the need to send their thoughts and judgments.

What’s interesting is that Instagram has acknowledged this environment they’ve created and has implemented features such as disabling comments and archiving posts so that users can escape from feelings of imperfection. If the facilitators of such a toxic society have recognized their own unfortunate undoing, then the issue must really be a big one—seems pretty clear to me.

“ “From this arises

But social media isn’t entirely to blame for the problem when we get down to the root of it. It’s our own desire to engage in the climb to perfection that fuels the fire.

So, if there’s one thing we could all take away from this, it’s that we should probably take time away from snapping selfies and posting for a fat minute so that we can feel a little more human and a little bit better about ourselves.

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the separation of who we truly are and how we actually look from who we want to be and how we want others to perceive us.

thoughts | sophia sharp sights | victoria hong 30

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is a conversation between an individual’s preferences and the atmosphere that surrounds them. It is the sum of where one has lived, the individuals they’ve met, and the natural environment they interact with. One common misconception is being stylish and having style are synonymous.

Having style is far more than wearing camo pants and chunky sneakers or leopard print and designer belts. It’s a sense of identity, an exploration of self, a visual representation of self-expression. Yet, the more I observe, the more I recognize the fashion uniform adorned by myself and those around me. It’s a scrabbling for belonging and a deprivation of self reflection. And so I ask: Is style, in its most authentic form, dead in 2019? How has social media, particularly Instagram, played a role in society’s obsession with recreation, and can fashion’s game of imitation ever be rectified?

THOUGHTS | VANESSA NARDIN KRUCZAJ

How often do you check Instagram a day?

Who do you follow?

What are they posting?

What are they wearing?

What are you wearing?

One thing is certain: Fashion has mastered its ability to invite you into its vision and prescribe the right dose of utopia to have you accept it wholeheartedly, with full investment. It has perfected its formula, developed a language, and created a pinnacle for style. Yet as seasons pass and musthaves are declared, when does style begin to stray away from the authority of brands and into the hands of individuals?

When I think of one’s relationship with personal style it has never had a beginning nor end; it

According to a study by Hootsuite, individuals under the age of 25-yearolds use Instagram approximately 32 minutes a day. While to some this may feel short of the truth, even 32 minutes a day is ample time to reach the minds and subconscious of young people’s spending habits. As Instagram has become a stage for sharing real experiences in real time, advertisers are utilizing the platform as an authentic alternative to mainstream outlets for marketing strategies. In the realm of style, Instagram has become a breeding ground for discovering new sartorial pieces, brands, and ways to wear emerging trends. The thrill of discovering unorthodox pairings on early mornings has been left behind by Instagram’s various algorithms providing the perfect feeding of sartorial inspiration we didn’t know we were hungry for. Is personal style even personal if it’s being fuelled by an algorithm that continuously seems to know us better than we know ourselves?

Has human creativity, in the face of sartorial

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with fashion, becoming the primary culprit of the industry’s highly monetized game of imitation.

As the rise of fashion bloggers and Instagram models continue to lead the pack, the fashion industry’s popularized trends begin to feel like propaganda. As politicians represent and persuade a stance on political policy, often fuelled by financial motivators, fashion in the age of Instagram releases the latest trends as propagation for social success and happiness as business executives reel in endorsement deals and large sums of money. Are these trends the latest creative manifestation of the minds of fashion, or the latest maneuver by large corporations to monetize off society’s need to present a flourishing facade?

decisions, become a subconscious recreation of the trends that flow through our daily feeds, with limited reflection on one’s emotional state?

We look at style as a determinant of personal identity, and yet, as we scroll through our overly saturated Instagram feeds, the clothes, the poses, the people in those photos, are heavily and routinely curated into one being: the embodiment of consumerism and perfectionism in the age of Instagram. The excitement of a trend which once swept through the pages of magazines and presented in store windows is now aggressively shoved in our faces, leaving little to the imagination of how it can be articulated into our everyday lives.

Now utilized as a vehicle for status and the persona of a contemporary perspective, the authenticity that once made style the harbour of differentiation, is now a source for mainstream publicity and popularity. As millennials and emerging generations are quick to adopt new technology and have become dependent on peer validation and visual stimulation, they easily consume and conform to new molds and the evolving trends that permeate our social media platforms.

It’s time to ask yourself what and who are you dressing for? Challenge yourself to inquire about the pieces you choose: the ones you name mundane, and the ones you continuously celebrate. Aligning your style with trends and stereotypes in order to feel a sense of belonging and social recognition, not only hinders the potential of fashion’s ability to convey one’s identity but also abandons the pursuit of discovering one’s sense of self. But then again, was style ever really personal?

A large portion of Instagram content has shifted from personal opinions and perspectives to an overflow of curated posts derived from paid partnerships and endorsements. As each post is delivered as a commodity, social media personalities and celebrities receive large paychecks, and followers become subconsciously coerced into purchasing influencer items to adhere to fashion uniforms. The global accessibility of products does not help.

Fast fashion has contributed immensely to the homogenization of fashion and streetwear, as the production of western fashion participates in little experimental design. This expeditious rate of recreation ultimately diminishes our interactions, connections, and personal decisions

In the age of Instagram, where do you stand in fashion’s imitation game? Have you become a victim of style propaganda?

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howl

by our astrology obsessed design director, Victoria Hong Sights | Grey Spafford capricorn (dec 22- jan 19)

You are a down-to-earth, humble and hardworking individual. You are often perceived by others in the group as dependable, pragmatic and logical. Your view of the world may often be criticized by others as being too “pessimistic�, but to you, that is simply accepting the reality behind the rational outcome of events. When assigned with a laborious task, you are the one who will outlast them all in endurance and diligence. You honour the traditions passed down through ancestry and will most likely to behave in a conservative and reserved manner in public. Sometimes, others may criticize you as being stubborn and slightly boring but it is because they don’t see the ambition beneath your low-key and collected attitude.

aquarius (jan 20-feb 18)

You are aloof, eccentric, and ingenious. You are known to others as a natural intellect who possesses knowledge varying from advanced academia to random useless things. You are born with a strong curiosity which will lead you to your conquest of fulfilling your thirst for knowledge towards the unknown. You are also highly rational and logical. However, you are usually slightly antisocial or socially awkward, as you do not find matters concerning interpersonal relationships interesting or worth investing in.

You are more intrigued by your own robust and fascinating inner world.

pisces (feb 19-mar 20)

You are naive, altruistic, and idealistic. Your emotional complexity and romantic idealism make you stand out as the artist of the zodiacs.

Your emotional fluctuations and introspective thoughts come in tides. You are good at conveying how you feel both explicitly and implicitly. Your emotional sensitivity makes you a very sympathetic and compassionate person to talk to when it comes to interpersonal and relationship issues - basically anything related to dealing with a tangle of emotions (that the earth signs would deem impossible to relate to on a personal level).

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horoscopes m aries (mar 21-apr 19)

You are bold, blunt and determined. You never hesitate to conceal the truth as you see there to be no point in doing so. Some people may perceive you as insensitive and short-tempered, but for you, there is no point in evading the truth.

Even though your impatience and intolerance may bring forth many conflicts in life, your ignorance is a blessing in disguise that will help you get over emotional conflicts fairly quickly.

Your determination and outspokenness will make you stand out from the crowd as a leader.

Although you may come out very strong or even slightly intimidating, there is always someone who will appreciate your candid personality.

taurus (apr 20-may 20) You are stubborn, traditional and conservative.

You usually take a while to warm up to others due to your stoic outer mask. You despise rapid change and deviation from traditions as you are likely to hold the wisdom passed down through generations to heart. Risk-taking is also not your forte as you usually operate with trusted methods and verified information. You are extraordinarily talented in handling finances.

gemini (may 21-jun 20)

You are quick-witted, sociable, and clever.

Your talkative personality and dynamic train of thought make you a very interesting and fun person to talk to. You have a natural sense of humour and approachability, marking you the social butterfly of the zodiac signs. You have a natural tendency to leap from one subject to another very quickly, as your extroverted intuition keeps you fuelled with experimental thoughts and engaging topics. You are pretty hands-on and smart. However, deep down you suffer from being spiritually turbulent and unstable as you lack stability. Your craving for groundedness draws you closer to personality types who are more introverted, logical and grounded.

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You are sensitive, caring, and selfless. Your presence in a group marks you as the natural caretaker that people turn to when they are in need of emotional comfort. You are extremely protective and thoughtful towards people that you love. When confronted with selfinterest and your loved ones, you would not hesitate to choose the choice of action that leaves your loved ones better off. As one of the water signs, you share the same level of emotional complexity as Scorpio and Pisces.

However, your abnegation may cause you to neglect and suppress your feelings so far to the extent of developing unhealthy tendencies.

Due prioritizing other people’s welfare over your own, you are also prone to regrets, as you may be over-considerate of the impacts of your desires on other people.

cancer (jun 21-jul 22)

leo (jul 23-aug 22)

You are passionate, generous and flamboyant.

You stand out in your group as a natural leader, due to your warming nature. Your sociable and amiable nature makes people naturally gravitate towards you. However, your downside is that you secretly care about how others perceive you and care too much about protecting your reputation. You may come off as slightly arrogant and domineering. You usually see the big picture and plan for the long term. You are flexible and open-minded. Romantically, you master the art of making the other feel loved and protected. You are looking for someone who will provide you with more stability by having your back and accepting who you are when you are exhausted from constantly putting up a grand facade towards the public.

virgo (aug 23-sep 22 )

You are a detailed-oriented, perfectionistic, and down-to-earth individual who is good at focusing on repetitive and redundant tasks that would wear others out in a couple minutes.

Although you are likely to be behind the curtains in a group, your stability and patience mark you as one of the most reliable elites.

Once you accept responsibilities, you will undoubtedly fulfill the duty that you assigned.

You are likely to be of service to others, as you possess excellent practical skills. However, under the surface, no one knows about your need for confirmation by others due to your crippling insecurities and lack of confidence.

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You are naturally diplomatic, just, and calm. Your strongest asset is your sensitivity to managing interpersonal relationships and finding the perfect way to convey what you want to say. Usually, you get along with nearly every single type of zodiac sign. You live by your morals and will not tolerate anyone who mixes personal bias into supposedly objective arguments. Out of all the air signs, you are the most emotionally stable and detached.

However, you usually lack motivation and are prone to distractions from exterior factors which will hinder you from getting things done efficiently.

libra (sep 23-oct 22)

You are quiet, introspective, and focused. You may come off initially as cold and intimidating.

However, as people break past your protective walls, your slightly more funny and sarcastic side starts to shine through. Although your exterior social mask tricks people into mistaking you as one of the earth signs, internally, you are the exact opposite of that.

Underneath your calculated and confident personality, you possess intense emotions equally to that of Pisces. However, you can be prone to jealousy, possessiveness, and extremely emotional-driven behaviours. You are naturally unforgiving so it would be best to offend any one of the zodiac signs but yours.

scorpio (oct 23-nov 21)

sagittarius (nov 22-dec 21 )

You are a fast-paced, witty, and adventurous individual. Your openmindedness, confidence and excellent communication skills will make you stand out from the crowd as a unique star that people look up to. Your dynamic train of thought and imaginative spirit will make you a very fun person to have around.

However, your poor self-control and timemanagement issues will drag you down from executing the brilliant plans that you have set out for yourself. Otherwise, you are easy to get along with.

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sights | grey spafford

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