Issue 004: Sensory Overload

THE

ISSUE

SENSORY OVERLOAD SENSORY SENSORY OVERLOAD OVERLOAD

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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LISTEN TO THIS

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ALL EYES ON ME

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SURVIVING AI

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BEDAZZLED

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WASHED UP

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ALONE IN A CROWDED ROOM

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HEARING JOE URBAN

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ITCHING, SCRATCHING, SUFFOCATING

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THE FASHION INDUSTRY IS KILLING ME

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SAY HELLO, WAVE GOODBYE

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MENTAL HEALTH

SCHOOL + WORK

MUSIC

ARTICLE

POETRY

PROSE/ESSAY

TECHNOLOGY

FINE ARTS

BEAUTY STANDARDS

ENVIRONMENT

FASHION

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12.23 Table of Contents

BEFORE YOU READ: This issue discusses topics of anxiety, panic, gender dysphoria, body dysmorphia, mental health and other sensistive subjects. Please use your own discretion when reading. All rights to content are reserved to the original contributors.

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Editorial Staff

Robyn George

Executive Editor Textile and Fashion Design @robynmgeorge

Eden Meidl

Deputy Executive Editor Textile and Fashion Design @edenmeidl

Zack Zens

Deputy Executive Editor Political Science @zackzzens

Taylor McCaa

DEI Director Communication Arts @taylormccaa

Maille Fox

Recruitment Coordinator Textile and Fashion Design @maillefox Photography

Sidney Petersen Marketing @spetephotography

Helena Rezende

Communication Arts @heleaxrezende

Emma Yutong Graphic Design @emma_yutong_

Caitlin Ziolkowski

Writers & Directors

Public Policy @caitlinzoil

Textile and Fashion Design @ianvailliencourt

Beck Keller

Ian Vailliencourt

Danielle Seitz

Textile and Fashion Design @dani.ellleeee

Layout & Graphics

Ella Noack

Communication Arts @gabriellam._n

Filip Jawdosiuk

Thalia Powell

Brett Dunn

Mickie Cope

Evie Erickson

Styling Assistants:

a special thanks to our team.

Olive Bote

Financial Director Textile and Fashion Design @o1iviacore

Olivia Bartman

Social Media Director Journalism and Strategic Communications @olivia.bartman

Mara Hansen

Makeup Director Communication Arts @marahansen11

Emily Asmann

Special Events Coordinator Art History, English, Gender and Women’s Studies @breadpuddinglover

Meg Bierce

Special Events Coordinator Art @alt.meg

Visual Art @filip.henryk

Creative Writing @bbr3tt

Philosophy and HIstory @sisterrrray Models:

Sydney Taylor Collins Rehabilitation Psychology @sydzeyc

Fei Smith

Special Education @fleiflei22

Graphic Design @thaliapwl Art Education @miickieco

Abtin Mahdavi

Chemical Engineering @ssongbirdssing

Ciara Havlik

@rowdyroughboi

Featuring Work From:

Ella March

Textile and Fashion Design @ella_march_

Will Shemick

Lisa Lor

Vebi Ademi

Joe Urban

Textile and Fashion Design @willshemick Neurobiology @vebi_ademi

Textile and Fashion Design @lisaa_baabyy @joe_urban__

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Curitorial Assistant of Ceramics & Glass at Chazen Museum of Art (414)517-5707 | rmgeorge@wisc.edu rmgeorge.myportfolio.com December 12th, 2023 The Issue Magazine University of Wisconsin-Madison Dear Readers:

FROM THE EDITOR

You may notice that Issue 004 has been released later because mester than normal for The Issue. That is because. As we unpack thoroughly throughout this publication, there was much to consider before deciding the subject that we would cover. Working in a group, brainstorming sessions often feel like organized panic. I believe that many of the best ideas are generated when imagination knows no limits. But trying to stay organized amidst a world of chaotic creativity is much harder when than one would think. this is messy The subject of Issue 004 was brought to the table by my good friend and former Visual Arts Director Ian Vailliencourt. Creating this issue offered us a glimspe into the very saturated mind of Ian that sometimes present’s itself in loose-leaf agendas and bean blop. In the process, we learned that an environment that is disorienting to one person can be perfectly cultivating for another. no apostrophe here We chose the theme of Overstimulation because it was something that we could all relate to in different ways. Creating a work-life-school-mental-social-spiritual-health balance is the impossible task that we are all given every day. In addition, intersections in our personal lives present us overbearing decisions with disproportionate consequences. too much spelled “experience”

Much of the anxiety we exprience when deciding how to express ourselves is derived from a fear of how we are percieved. The choice to live authentically in one’s cultural, sexual, spiritual or gender identitiy is embedded in every action we take. “All Eyes on Me” offers two powerful perspectives on how physically embodying and living in one’s gender expression can feel all-consuming.

In addition, the age of technology and our role in capitalism leaves us to deal with experiences and emotions unique to our generation. “Bedazzled” discusses the unprecedented lengths individuals will take to stay revered in our increasingly materialistic society. As discussed in “The Fashion Industry is Killing Me” and “Suriving AI”, the age of overconsumption and artificial intelligence leave creatives overworked, drained and wondering whether a future in design is possible.

Yet still, some find comfort amidst the disorder. “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye”, “Alone in a Crowded Room” and “Hearing Joe Urban” consider how experiencing overwhelm in art and music can help us digest what we feel within. We hope you can find some resonance within this issue.

Your Friend, this is corny Robyn Marie George, Executive Editor

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LISTEN T DROPPED

Production...... 3

Lyrics.......... 5 Artist: @joe_urban__ Genre: Experimental Music........... 4 Review

Production...... 3 Lyrics.......... 3 Music........... 4 Vocals.......... 4

Top tracks: Acid Eats Ricky Urban Strippers 2016

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by:Robyn

G. Vocals.......... 4

The first album by the Milwaukee artist, Dropped stacks Joe Urban’s signature Top tracks: layered vocals over death before scintillating beats detransition produced by people.

Joe’s clever lyricism eliza and use of unexpected isolated,exiled samples makes this album amusing.

Listening to Dropped is a mirage as Urban’s vocals bleed into one another, yet the energy of the next song is always unexpected.

DEATH BEFORE DETRANSITION Artist: @x_riotnine_x Genre: Skramz Review

by:Meg

B.

Shockingly, Death before detransition is RIOTNINE’s first album. With piercing lyrics over guitar riffs and unexpected genres, RIOTNINE asks you to sit in your discomfort.

Death before detransition pushes the boundaries of skramz while still keeping its essentials, satisfying both new and old listeners to the genre.

TO THIS! PUSH

Production...... 5 Lyrics.......... 3

Production...... 4

Lyrics.......... 3 Music........... 4

Artist: @sextileband Genre: Electronic Music........... 5 Review by:Evie E. Vocals.......... 4 Push is a refreshing, energetic post-punk electronic album from trio Sextile.

O v e r w h e l m i n g Top tracks: attitude flow Eazy through punk vocals, 1o dominating synths, driving bass lines, How You Do It

Vocals.......... 4

catchy hooks, and exciting beat drops.

Top tracks: Basically Crazy Contortion No Fun

It’s rock enough to please any fan of The Strokes, and when combined with electronic elements, creates a sound akin to James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem.

EVOLUTION OF XUR Artist: Genre:

YhapoJJ Rap

Review by:Ian V. Huntsville native Jamaruean Macaiah Jones, better known by his artist name of “Yhapojj” has shocked the underground rap scene with the release of his most recent EP. Yhapo’s trance- like flows pair perfectly with Madison native “BKWDS” production on tracks such as “1o” and “you looking gud.”

This EP seems to be a strong contender for album of the year in the underground scene.

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LISTEN TO THE OFFICIAL ISSUE 004 PLAYLIST:

MUSIC

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Artist: @scalene_4 Genre: Experimental

Review by: Olive B. Estelle Allen’s Music 2 builds on her early discography with a flare unique to her alone. The hyperpop album opens with “dui” a popular subversive single with an equally inflammatory music video.

Each track showcases Allen’s range, pulling from subgenres from emo pop to noise pop.

The abrasive music enjoyer will be pleasantly surprised

by Music 2’s blatant camp, queerness, and expression.

Production...... 5 Lyrics.......... 5 Music........... 4 Vocals.......... 4

Top tracks: DUI Sober Music 2

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Sabotage -Snow Strippers Lost- Crim3s Kill V. Maim- Grimes dui- estelle allen NuWhip- Paris Texas Baptism- Crystal Castles all-american bitch- Olivia Rodrigo Pap Smear- Crystal Castles The Look- Dog Party Anxiety- Preoccupations eliza- RIOTNINE Satan Was A Babyboomer- Brutalismus 3000 Mein Wille- Klangkuenstler, Obernauer People- The 1975 180db_[130]- Aphex Twin Hot Knife- Fiona Apple Ptolemaea- Ethel Cain Call For Help- Pearly Drops Dibiyu- Evenora Unlimited, Ecco2k 4up7up- The Hellp Cherry Jubilee- Cowgirl Clue Alligator- Tommy Richman \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\..- YAYAYI Yin & Yang- Thaiboy Digital Coat I Would Buy- Joeyy Need You! Sped Up- Pollari Squabble With The Struggle- Sybyr PORNACTING* -Jean Dawson Brutus (Instrumental)- The Buttress Fling- Jane Remover prism- monty,pk Ibuprofen- Blaketheman1000 Boogeyman- berryblue Eazy- Yhapojj Fire Alarm- Snow Strippers, Lil Uzi Vert Legacy- Sara Landry Stab The Voice- Snow Strippers Fighting My Demons- Ken Carson

PROSE BY: EMILY ASMANN POETRY BY: BRETT DUNN PHOTOGRAPHED BY: MEG BIERCE 9

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Sunday, November 05, 2023, 11:15 PM i look at myself, through my eyes, and can only see what others see; i see an object; i see a numerical grade; i see a bill needing to be paid; i see likes and follows; i see to do lists; i see a clone apart of an institution; i see medications taken; and i see an invalid thought; i feel that people’s perceptions of me are burned into my skin, everytime i pick at my skin or look into my iphone camera; where i can’t escape anyone’s eye line, every adult i come into contact with; i feel the pressure to present in a certain way to my peers to prove that i am just as interesting as everyone else; i feel the weight of the rest of my life through my parent’s gaze; i feel the need to make my professors’ eyes widen in awe of a thought that i share, or to squint in ponder; i feel the demand from employers to be successful so that i can one day have my work in the public eye, to finally be viewed as credible; i feel the need to contain and filter my thoughts so that no more eyes are drawn to me; and i feel the pressure to decide whether i want to be viewed as masculine or feminine in queer spaces in worry that someone else will do that for me; i see my grandparents’ eyes drifting from mine to stare at the ink sunk in my skin or the holes within my face, contemplating who i’ve become; i was instructed to wear mascara to make my pretty eye color pop, but to not wear eyeliner to ruin my eye shape; i was expected to keep my eye out for “the one”, although i hate the concept of “i do”; and i was always taught to make eye contact when i am talking to someone and then hold it when they are talking, even if i feel uncomfortable; but each set of eyes views me as something different, through how they want to see me: as a mediator, a therapist, a wife, a machine, a mental illness; and i just feel so unbelievably tired with all of these eyes being on me; why; why are they all on me?

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MODELED BY: BRETT DUNN, OLIVE BOTE, EMILY ASMANN, MICKIE COPE AND VEBI ADEMI. 12

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once, when i was young, the eyes of a friend shocked open when i explained, i’m like a girl trapped in a boy’s body.

yesterday, my fingers held my hair in a bun so my mirror showed me my mother, for only a moment, until i let it back down above my bare shoulders.

tonight, i’m brushing my teeth on the bathroom floor because i don’t like what my eyes can see.

tomorrow, i’ll watch the denim skirt that made my grandmother’s eyes jump drop from my hips to my feet and fold back into a wooden drawer.

i’m cleaning up the stubble off my whisker-rough cheeks again. but, i’ll leave the hair above my lip for now. because i can.

sometimes, comfort is not a choice made by me. sometimes, the whites of eyes can assume of me over what i know of myself and

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sometimes eyes are hands, stripping and scraping and skinning, seething to see a body for what it is not. maybe the girl who is not a girl

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trapped inside the boy who is not a boy will exist in a web of pupils like prey to a spider of too many eyes. because most of the time,

a skirt and a mustache and earrings and long hair and tight shirts and all that is attempted legibility mean nothing of me, and

instead i know of myself as i feel and laugh and cry and kiss, hug and walk and love and think, because sometimes,

all you can see is all you can see, and all i am is all i am, and that is true and that is okay.

web of pupils by brett dunn

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A BY

PHOTO ESSAY IAN VAILLIENCOURT

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HAS SEEMINGLY APPEARED FROM NOWHERE, AND IS NOW CAPABLE OF CREATING ENTIRELY UNIQUE IMAGERY IN A MATTER OF SECONDS BASED ON JUST ABOUT ANY PROMPT. THIS GROUNDBREAKING CONVENIENCE OPENS THE DOOR TO A VAST SERIES OF ISSUES, THE LARGEST BEING: WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ARTISTS, ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS, MARKETING AGENTS AND VIRTUALLY ANY WORKER WHO CREATES FOR A LIVING. IF EMPLOYERS DECIDE TO UTILIZE A COMPUTER PROGRAM OVER A PAID WORKER. WHILE THIS WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE HORRIBLE FOR THE QUALITY AND TREATMENT OF WORKERS IN SUCH FIELDS, IT COULD POSSIBLY BE EVEN WORSE FOR ART IN ITS ENTIRETY. IMAGINE THE SHEER BLEAKNESS OF A WORLD WHERE TASKS DEEMED “UNNECESSARY” ARE DELEGATED TO COMPUTERS, AND HUMANS INSTEAD FOCUS ON TASKS THAT CANNOT YET BE AUTOMATED. THIS WOULD MEAN THAT CREATIVES CAN ONLY WORK ON CREATIVE THINGS IN THEIR FREE TIME, AND THAT THERE WOULD NO LONGER BE MONETARY INCENTIVE FOR LARGE SCALE CREATIVE VENTURES SUCH AS FILM, MUSICAL THEATER, HIGH-FASHION AND MANY OTHER REALMS. LUCKILY, I DO NOT FORESEE THIS HAPPENING AT ALL. THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT AI GETS WRONG EVERY TIME, AND THOSE FEW THINGS ARE QUITE DAMNING. TO BE SPECIFIC: HUMAN EMOTION, WRISTS AND HANDS, AND INTERPERSONAL INTERACTION. WHILE IT CAN SIMULATE THESE ELEMENTS IN SOME CAPACITY, IT ALWAYS FEELS LIKE AN EMPTY AND SHALLOW VERSION OF ARTWORK THAT ALREADY EXISTS. AND THIS IS WHY AI WILL NEVER TRULY SURPASS HUMAN INGENUITY AND CREATIVITY, BECAUSE ALL THAT AI CAN DO IS PULL FROM THINGS THAT HUMANITY HAS ALREADY CREATED, AND IT LACKS THE “WHY,” WHICH IS QUINTESSENTIAL TO THE VALUE OF THE PRODUCT ITSELF. WHILE PEOPLE SAY THAT “THERE’S NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN,” EVERYTIME A HUMAN BEING CREATES SOMETHING, THEY WILL ALWAYS ADD A PIECE OF THEMSELVES TO IT, WHETHER SMALL OR LARGE. THIS IS WHERE AI FALLS SHORT, AND WHY IT WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO REPLACE THE AUTHENTICITY AND CREATIVITY OF HUMAN WORK.

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B

Written by: Zack Zens, Deputy Executive Editor.

Photographed by: Sidney Petersen. Modeled by: Caitlin Ziolkowski and Beck Keller. Styled by: Ciara Havlik.

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Bedazzled

How opulence leads to overconsumption.

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“The party rages on.” says one socialite to another. “Yes,” the other replies, “but I can’t help but feel something is different”

A

rt is known to reflect the socio-political climate of the time it was made. We see this in fashion today. Ready-towear collections seem to have a confused and unsure visual journey, perhaps reflecting the sentiments of those who design them. As vast corporate consolidation efforts continue among conglomerates such as Kering Group and LVMH.This capitalization prioritizes trendbased design over inspiration.

Designers are left with stifled creativity, offering regurgitated, unimaginative designs to the average American.1

For some upper-class Americans, life is a party of stock runs and flashy designer distractions. Brands like Skims and Swarovski collaborate to offer crystal capes that cost more than Luxury SUVs. The disparity between a lifestyle centered on opulence and those struggling to afford housing amidst a recession is reminiscent of a gilded yet bemoaned era of c enturies past.

As the world seems to spiral out of control, the crumbling walls

of fashion titans are hurriedly spackled up, filling the cracks with new creative directors and clever marketing stunts.

High fashion seems to raise the stakes each year as the throes of late-stage capitalism clamor to collect recognition in

what has become an unbearably oversaturated media landscape.

A need for garments that demand attention has pressured fashion designers to create pieces that favor “viral-ability.” Last spring’s

MSCHF big red boots, for example, were woefully trendy and controversial.

The brand’s unapologetically impractical design achieved its goal: centering the boots on fashion outlets for weeks.

Flourishing in inaccessibility and taunting the separation between those who can afford the gag and those who cannot.

The demand to make collections stand out in an increasingly competitive market and a unique confluence of global crisis and social media has led to a series of shows that feel more surreal than ever, overtly lacking a connection to real-life experiences. Where models were once a canvas to present designs, they are now influencers. Couture fashion week highlights feature spray-on dresses by Coperni and gravity-defying ball gowns by Viktor and Rolf.

Two diverging design trends continue to battle out on this forsaken, influencer-ridden runway: aggrandized opulence and pricey banality. Fashionhungry consumers who find the faux lion head and gold sun

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crown of Schiaparelli too rich can opt for equally expensive, quiet luxury brands like The Row, which adhere to traditional silhouettes and muted colors. While headlines such as “Maximalism Gets Its Revenge” from The New York Times perpetuate the glamorous battle between quiet and loud luxury, the truth remains: both are ephemeral trends, profiting off of the will to spend.

As the disparities in wealth continue to grow, the defining trait of the upper class is most often detached carelessness. This meaningless spending drives competition for luxury goods while simultaneously allowing overconsumption to take hold. While so many struggle to make ends meet businesses are comfortable knowing that the upper class will continue to spend, watching the world burn from balcony views.

Kati Chitrakorn, “The year in retail: Store openings, collaborations and consolidation,” Vogue Business, Dec. 28, 2022.

2 Tara Gonzalez, “Swarovski and Skims Came Together for a Bedazzled Collection,” Harper’s Bazaar, Nov. 7, 2023.

3 Lucy Maguire, “Forget Viral Stunts: This Fashion Month Was All About Celebrities,” Vogue Business, Oct. 11, 2023.

4 Kristen Bateman, “The Viral Fashion Show Is, in Fact, Nothing New,” W Magazine, March 24, 2023.

5 Vanessa Freidman, “Maximalism Gets Its Revenge,” The New York Times, Sept. 29, 2023.

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Ornate Attire

A floor-length beaded gown adorned with earrings. Its maximalist flair further leans into the works of several current design trends seeking to out-bead and outbedazzle the nearest competitor.

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Hands that Make

The use of red, white and blue hands to make up the body of the suit signals to the viewer the innumerable people who have been caught up in this struggle for global hegemony by strength and deterrence.

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ALONE IN A CROWDED ROOM. PROSE BY MAILLE FOX, RECRUITMENT DIRECTOR

A

mbient lighting cut by laser beams. Scanning a mirage of strangers, blurred vision brought to focus by the sight of someone you know. Brushed shoulders, rosy cheeks, standing jammed in the corner of a sweaty room. The DJ plays a “hands in the air kind” of song but you can’t move enough to lift your arms. Grief for the tranquility you had before entering the room is shortened by inescapable reminders of the present moment. We wonder why we come here. Yet we return here. We adorn ourselves and we come here to this humid room trying to forget the freezing, dry constant overdrive.

Wanting to control when and how we feel encapsulated by our surroundings. Sometimes, the anxiety is painted over by the comfort of a song you once loved.

The motions, the words, the actions of those around us can make us feel like we’re trapped in a never-ending, revolving door of stimulation. It is moments such as these where you seek to find something that will make the noise stop, something that is so consoling, it allows you to digest the things around you.

At times, feeling everything is inordinately much. What is happening around us can somehow feel isolating.

Feelings difficult to face when standing in a place supposedly fraught with euphoric vibrations.

This sense of confinement can easily swallow us whole as we inhabit an exceedingly detached society.

Our social atmospheres are constantly buzzing with obligations and kickbacks, filtered by colored lights, buzzing with constant chatter, bustling with movement and people. We feel alone in crowded rooms.

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Searching for pockets of air in moments like these, contemplating how to adjust yourself to the environment or how much you’d like to be absent. When searching for solace, a song can be the only thing recognizable in a sea of unknown faces, ringing notifications and overdue assignments. Being immersed in a song uniquely our own can remind us of our autonomy even when we feel we have no jurisdiction.

“How do you find yourself in times of overwhelming overdrive?”

“My song.”

Your song. A melodic tune that would be able to find you through the thickly spoken conversations echoing at a party, and ground you when completing overwhelmingly difficult assignments. Your song allows you to delve into a consoling moment of your past in order to help you confront the daunting present.

I asked my friends what songs make them feel alone in a crowded room, and this is what they said: My Love Mine All Mine by Mitski Used to be friends by Searows Kiss of Life by Sade My Sweet Lord by George Harrison I Follow Rivers by Marika Hackman Crazy Story, Pt. 3 by King Von Bloom by Paper Kites Florence sur les Champs-Élysées by Miles Davis Day Dreaming by Aretha Franklin Right Now by Gracie Abrams Always by Daniel Caesar Cherry by Harry Styles XOXO by Cherub What’d I say, Pt. 1 & 2 by Ray Charles Little Bit by Lykke Li

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A conversation between designer Ian Vaillencourt and Milwaukee artist @joe_urban__.

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hearing joe u

Joe Urban is a 22 year old designer, producer and entrepeneur from Shorewood, Wisconsin. Signed to his own label 1420B, Urban releases experimental hip-hop as a soloist. He is one half of producer duo People, alongside his good friend and business partner Ethan Wendt. In 2022, the pair opened Niche Exhibit, a retail space offering “garments and collectibles curated to ‘fill the niche’”. Charged iPhone, a streetwear clothing line, is the latest venture from the multifaceted artist.

Follow 1420B on Instagram @1420bmedia to learn more about the up-and-coming Milwaukee label.

Listen

to

“Dropped”

People

Run Joe

Niche of

Joe and

has

Along

by

Joe

produced

Forever,

and

for

Lavish

Exhibit

is

on

any

artists

Liam,

Ethan

in

streaming

such

varnish414,

met

located

in

Views

Studio,

and

Milwaukee

describes

charged

iPhone

designs

as

into

something

made

styled

by

his

girlfriend,

Hayley

G

and

the

designer

ripoffs

of

Knowles

today.

Ayooli,

high

Ethan

Balenciaga

platform

as

Maz

Joe,

urban when

Urban

more

school.

workspace

Simon

Views.

Maison

Margiela

completely

new

(@hayleyknowles_).

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Q: In your music, a consistent theme is layered vocal tracks. What inspired this unique element?

A: Trying to make the music as un-listenable as possible.

Q: What led to your amassment of underground connections and such a unique and cult fanbase?

A: Maz G (@maz._.g) really put me on. In August, I dropped “You Have Never Been to Atlanta ‘’ with Ayooli (@ bruddermanofficial) which also put me on. Obviously doing people’s merch helped me gain connections. It starts with just being a fan of the culture, and then you just kind of tap in.

Having a studio space has also helped.

Q: What made you decide to launch your own high fashion clothing venture?

A: One day I realized that streetwear was sort of dead.

Charged iphone is essentially just a project to try and get clout from making recognizable logos and keeping the design simple- like an iPhone. Obviously, the meaning goes deeper. The inspiration came from realizing that high-end designers try to deliver us a product that isn’t any different from authentic streetwear brands aside from ripping logos.

That’s just streetwear, though. Charged iPhone is really just Balenciaga and Margiela reproduction, but with styling Hayley makes it look like something completely new.

Q: Your work tends to constantly reference itself, which leads to your concentric ideas.

A: The lore associated with Charged iPhone is super important. With a brand, if you copy something that already happened but you don’t know that it happened it lacks intention, it’s kind of stupid. You need to at least know what you’re referencing.

Q: Two years ago you opened NicheExhibit.

A: Ethan (@dawoodsify) had thought about opening a retail space. The day Virgil Abloh died he hit me up with the idea and said “let’s do this.” We talked about the plan quickly and just decided that was the time. The niche that we cater to with our space is really what makes it special. It’s been crazy seeing how, as a creator, you build a relationship with the brands and people you do business with. Like, Bladee was such a founding part of creating the music subgenre and community we exist in. Even Xavier (@xaviersobased) ties in. It’s a big community, but it feels small. If you’ve ever heard of Bladee, you probably also listen to Snow Strippers and Surf Gang and even Glaive or (os)quinn. The music is kind of hyperpop with elements of drill and other New York styles.

It even kind of ties to Carti (Opium) sh*t. That’s the niche of Niche Exhibit. The nice thing about Niche is that you can find people who appreciate sh*t like that in person who you’d never meet otherwise.

Q: What can we expect from Joe Urban?

A: Ay man, album on the way. It’s gonna go crazier than Carti’s album. Nah, but real sh*t, I got an album with Dorian (@feardorian) on the way.

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ttt

ITCHING,

SCRATCHING, SUFFOCATING. A photo essay and commentary by Danielle Seitz.

Photography by Sidney Petersen, assisted by Ella Noack. Modeled by Emma Yutong. Makeup

by Mara Hansen. Layout by Thalia Powell.

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U

ncomfortable textures, poking tags, and itchy materials cause us to feel suffocated in the clothes we put on our body.

While one texture may not be bothersome to one person, it can feel all-consuming to others- especially those with sensory issues, sensitive skin, adhd, autism.

stop and think about if a material used in a clothing item was going to bother me all day or cause my skin visible irritation. Knowing that I have the privilege of being able to wear any texture, while others are inconvenienced by their lack of options has become paramount to me as a fashion design student.

In my family, many struggle with finding sensory-friendly apparel options . My relatives with sensitive skin find shopping extremely difficult and not enjoyable because most of the clothes will not work for them. Many can tell by just one touch of a fabric if it will cause them to have skin irritation, eliminating many options when shopping.

Other members struggle with ADHD, causing specific sensitivities to textures on different parts of the body, such as the feet. Even within one family, some people have no problem buying items such as socks, while others it can be an intense ordeal. Sensitivity to clothing can come in many different forms, and because of this, shopping for clothes is a deeply personal and intentional experience.

In a field focused on creating design solutions, why is it that so many are limited by the constraints the fashion industry imposes in regards to accessibility? Why is it that so many have to make the unwanted choice of either being fashionable or being comfortable?

Many affordable clothing brands prioritize profitability over accessibility.

Opting for synthetic materials such as polyester and nylon over natural, less disruptive alternatives cuts costs while also cutting down options for those bothered by itchy, nonbreathable textiles.

Witnessing first hand how my relatives struggle with buying clothes, I know how hard it can be for someone to find an outfit that they can both feel comfortable and fashionable in. Fashion has always been a large form of expression for me, but I’ve never had to

In a world where ecological and economic sustainability is top of mind, many consumers look to thrifting as a low-waste solution. Unfortunately, thrifting can be a challenge for those who are highly sensitive as well. If one cannot wear most items out of necessity, the thrift store can often be a gamble. The thrift store is at the mercy of what people donate, so it’s only chance if something donated will meet one’s needs.

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With most options being unideal, it’s easy to see how hard finding clothes can be for those with sensory issues. If options are so limited, where does the fashion industry need to change?

This issue is one of many rooted in the structure of the fashion industry as a whole. The fashion industry has rarely considered sensitivity in clothing and almost never prioritizes accessibility over profitability. The industrialization of fashion has created an unprecedented distance between designers and consumers, continuing to over-produce garments that are harmful to the environment and dysfunctional for the people who wear them.

People sensitive to textures continue to face the effects of these decisions, as clothing options minimize and minimize.

As we complete our studies and enter the fashion industry, it is important that I and other designers advocate for brands to consider accessible apparel options. When we ignore an entire group of people and their needs, we actively exclude them from an industry that should be inclusive to all. As we take on more influential roles in our future careers, it’s our responsibility to create more options for those who have few. When we do this, we eliminate the unfair decision of deciding between being fashionable and being comfortable in our own clothes.

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Quilted, Layered, Gathered & Rouched.

Above is a natural cochineal dyed, zerowaste top by Textile and Fashion Junior Ella March (@ellamarchdesigns). Also featured in this spread is a natural dyed, ruched top by senior Lisa Lor (@lisaa_baabyy).

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THE FASHION INDUSTRY IS KILLING ME.

WORDS BY: ROBYN GEORGE, EXECUTIVE EDITOR. PHOTOGRAPHY WITH: EDEN MEIDL, DEPUTY EXECUTIVE EDITOR, MODELED BY: SYDNEY TAYLOR COLLINS. 57

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‘ve always known I wanted to work in the fashion industry, even if there wasn’t room for me. I planned to force myself in like too-small shirts and tight jeans. I thought that navigating the notoriously distasteful community would be easy because, growing up, I was never blinded by the glitz of red carpets and runways, but rather forced to find the sparkle in second hand sequins. When I came to college for legal studies, I quickly decided that overworking myself by studing for the bar exam wasn’t much more fulfilling than overworking myself to create garments

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and changed my major to Fashion. I was sure that the change would lift the mental burden I carried, but I was wrong. What changed was that instead of constantly critically thinking about global issues in the context of policy, I began thinking about it through the lens of industry, anthropology and material culture.

What excited me about fashion as an art form was is it’s democracy. Looking at artifacts from 100 years ago and 1000 years ago, garments tell the stories of people rich and poor, black and white. In wartimes and in

depressions, clothing has been one of the few things humans continue to create and adorn. I started to look for histories within garments. But when looking in the past, all I could be reminded of was the present.

Dressmaking, which was once a handicraft has been colonized into an industry that most of the world is forced to participate in. Today, fashion is hardly a democracy, yet garments still hold the stories of the upper and lower classes. The 1% wear quiet luxury and tattered streetwear as a costume to live peacefully only blocks away from the working

class that wear garments from season’s past.

Fashion is a machine moving so fast that it’s impossible for designers to keep up. To prepare for the industry, we start to stretch ourselves thin in college. We join student organizations and cross our fingers for fellowships that demand full-time hours.

We work through the night in freezing studios running on vending machine fare and hopes that our hard work will pay off for a better chance at a living wage.

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When you graduate and enter the industry as a designer you decide which kind of worker you will be. Your options are: fast fashion trend analyst, sustainable outwear designer [Portland based], Haute couture unpaid intern or indefinitely poor entrepeneur. You begin to bargain with yourself about which pathway will make the time and money you spent on college worth it.

overwhelm and disorientation feel so entrancing and magical over catwalks and under spotlights? To love fashion is to love something that consumes you.

While the fashion industry can feel like being crushed by textile mills, it can also feel like being pulled in, pushed around and shoved out of pit of gorgeous people wearing beautiful attire. When entering the fashion industry, we all Before you can revel the only-exists- know what we will get. The important in-movies bustle of fashion week, you question is whether the moments that are tasked with rebranding the entire feel surreal and dreamlike are worth fashion industry. Within each assignment the seasons of sacrifice in between. you are reminded of your contribution to the tormented body image of teen girls, the impending climate crisis and the future of child laborers. We are asked to design clothing that can transcend all of these issues while sacrificing no loss in profits. We are taught to justify budgets and create cutter’s musts to minimize textile waste. Suddenly, we become business majors and marketing majors, environmental engineers and PR consultants. At times the influence of fashion feels like bearing the wieght of the world while simultaneously being ridiculed for pursing something creative.

It is commonly known when making a career out of a passion, you will start to resent it. At times, fashion has made me resent consumers and resent models.

Fashion has made me resent myself for caring what I wear and resent my closet full of clothes that I can never assemble into outfits. Fashion is killing the land and killing my creativity, and fashion is killing me.

If fashion is the source of my anxiety and stress: an embodiment of a senseless obsession with perception, then why can’t I go a day without dreaming of draped silks and natural dyed linens?

How can all be forgotten by the smell of fresh pressed magazines and the feel of “pleats please”? How can the very thing that sends me into spirals of

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SAY HELLO,

WAVE GOODBYE 64

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ART BY OLIVE BOTE, FINANCIAL DIRECTOR

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his collection collages a whirlwind of emotions from the last two years.

Individual pieces focus on the lingering effects of the pandemic, the inherent existential dread of senior year, and the expectations of identity within my experience as a biracial queer person.

Bouncing between apathy and animosity, the constant across each work is isolation.

I felt disconnected from my friends, family, and myself. Understanding the relationship between my rage, embarrassment, and shame was complicated, and I blamed myself for that. Thus, unable to unpack in words, I turned to the abstract. Titled in reference to Soft Cell’s 1981 song—one that got me through senior year of high school—my collection “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” speaks to the turbulence of growing up and seeking community. Transcending the personal weight each piece holds, it implores the viewer to reflect; what is left when the dust settles and the overture ceases? At what cost have you reached clarity? What have you gained? “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” is an exploration of spiraling emotional turmoil, as well as a nod to the quiet peace left in its place.

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