Style Defines Self by Sophia Ozan

STYLE DEFINES SELF

SOPHIA OZAN

STYLE DEFINES SELF

STYLE DEFINES SELF

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

SOPHIA OZAN EXPLORES HOW STYLE IS LINKED TO IDENTITY THROUGH EDITORIALS WITH GEN Z CREATIVES.

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: SUMMARY

PAGES 4-7 : CHARLIE SUE BIRZNIEKS P A G E S 9 - 11 : F I N B U N T I N G P A G E S 11 - 15 : S O P H I E S T E R N B E R G P A G E S 15 - 18 : R O A N C A L L P A G E S 19 - 22 : P A U L C H A M P A G N E P A G E S 23 - 26 : D A N I E L A M E Y L E R PAGES

EACH EDITORIAL WAS PHOTOGRAPHED, STYLED,WRITTEN AND EDITED B Y O Z A N. C O V E R C O L L A G E A L S O C R E A T E D B Y O Z A N.

27 - 28 : A U T H O R S N O T E

CHARLIE SUE BIRZNIEKS

Charlie’s creative practice, dance, is the main driver for her style. “I play in cabaret style dance a lot so costumes from shows blend into my everyday style.

It’s just a switch between on duty showgirl and off duty showgirl.” As Charlie moves into the future she hopes that her style will be ever changing and move with her energy. “I hope to never feel “too old” to wear what I want. My style will change to reflect where I am energetically. I hope it evolves and never stays completely the same.”

Charlie is currently a 20 year old dancer living in Manhattan. Charlie has had a passion

for fashion for as long as she can remember, her mom’s style left a large impression on her. “I first became interested in fashion as a child. My Mom is a professional dancer and singer and would always tuck me into bed wearing fishnets and the most gorgeous coats on her way to band gigs. I’ve always been exposed to fashion and in preschool refused to go to school without a costume.” As Charlie grew up in LA she was always exposed to fashion, however as she moved to New York her style evolved immensely. “Living in New York has made me braver and more experimental in the way I style myself. Mostly every look is celebrated here, especially in my dance community. Individuality and creation is power. Seeing others dress expressively and authentically has inspired me to do the same in my own way. As Charlie feels stylistically liberated by being a part of Gen Z she finds that our generation has lost the sense of staples. “I believe this generation is more liberated in terms of expression but with over consumption and the need to buy and buy and keep up with trends we are losing the iconic staples that come with each generation. But I think we are all starting to become bored with following trends and there is a huge resurgence of experimentation beginning.” Charlie is very inspired by dance and performer culture. “I mostly look for inspo from my performer Momma and Lady Gaga. I also look at Burlesque artists, vaudeville shows, and generally people who are good storytellers and have statements to make.” Charlie expresses her gender, sexuality, personal history, and emotion through her style. “In my style I think that I express my femininity and sexuality a lot, as well as dance and my dance history. I also explore emotion.” As Charlie experiments a lot with her style she often finds herself coming back to heels and pasties when she is looking for a boost in confidence. “Heels make me feel the most confident because they change the way you walk. Walking with presence is so important as a dancer and the way a heel changes your structure is the best tool for confidence. I love to feel naked and my dancing is often driven from my sexuality. I love a pastie with a mini crop top over and blending cozy backstage warm ups with performance glam because it just feels like me.”

FIN BUNTING

However, one thing that is a constant in Fin’s closet is Mugler. “I collect vintage Mugler, specifically jackets and whenever I wear one I feel my best. The tailoring is so good and just gives me a cunty silhouette.” Since becoming a designer Fin has really reflected on how his designs don’t necessarily reflect his personal style. “It’s interesting how my designs are very crazy, have a personality, and are not the most practical most of the time. But my personal style is mostly right now just based on ease. Studying fashion it’s almost easier to dress chiller, because it gives you more opportunity, at least for me, to go crazier with your designs.” As Fin’s style is ever evolving his future style is truly a mystery. “My style has been through so many fucking changes already, its kind of crazy. I definitely know it’s going to evolve. I just don’t really know how. I honestly just don’t know what else I could do to dress differently then I already have in the past. I do want to start dressing more feminine again, I’m just not in a place where I enjoy that.”

Fin Bunting is currently a 21 year old student living in Manhattan studying Fashion Design at Parsons School of Design. Fin, a fine artist turned fashion designer, has been interested in fashion for as long as he can remember. “Whenever someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up my answer was always fashion designer. I always used to draw girls and their clothes. Then in first grade my mom bought me a mannequin and some fabric and I would do little drapes and stuff here and there. It just kind of spiraled from there, it is always something I’ve been aware of.” Fin’s passion for fashion and design led him to continue his studies in Manhattan. Since moving to Manhattan Fin has become more experimental and liberated with his style. “Living in New York has given me the freedom to wear different clothes. Props to anyone who can wear whatever they want whenever they want, but I don’t think I would have been able to branch out style wise if I had stayed in the space I grew up in.” Fin finds that being a part of Gen Z is inspiring but doesn’t reflect originality. “I think what’s happening is everyone our age is getting influenced by vintage, so I don’t even know if I can credit the style of the times to our generation. But I still get inspired by the way people put things together.” Fin seeks inspiration from himself and his identity as well as his favorite designer Thierry Mugler. “Um…I’m really inspired by myself. I don’t really look at people’s outfits and think I wanna wear that, I just have clothes that I like that I want to wear, so a lot of my outfits are just random. And Mugler of course.” As Fin’s wardrobe is nonlinear he finds that his personality is expressed through the element of surprise. “I think what is so interesting about my style is that I don’t really have a defined aesthetic. I think my personality is expressed in what I wear because there aren’t any confinements. I am personally really spontaneous. I love changing things up, doing new things, and having new experiences, so I think my style reflects that aspect of me.”

SOPHIE STERNBERG

Sophie finds inspiration for her personal style from 90s fashion icons and indie sleaze core. Sophie says, “I’m super into indie sleaze fashion style, a lot of my inspiration comes from people like Kate Moss and Alexa Chung. I’m so into mismatched clothes, smeared eyeliner, and holes in my tights.” Sophie finds that the way she chooses to dress is a true expression of her personality. “I love cheetah print and super loud pieces, as well as a lot of black. I think I’m really able to show my wild, eccentric personality through prints, textures, and color.” That being said, Sophie’s go-to clothing items revolve around print rather than silhouette. “All my cheetah print stuff makes me feel so confident. It really makes me feel like a star walking the red carpet.” As Sophie has a passion for acting and performance art she is often inspired by music culture. “I love a lot of music from the indie sleaze era and it really impacts me in my fashion choices. Songs like “fluorescent adolescent” by the Arctic Monkeys is major inspo.” As Sophie continues to experiment with her style she is looking forward to how it will evolve in the future. “In the future I hope to keep taking risks, doing things not everyone understands but continuing to forge my own path.”

Sophie Sternberg is currently a 20 year old student living in Manhattan studying drama

at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. Sophie has had a passion for fashion from a very young age due to the influence of her mom. “I first got interested in fashion through my mom. She would always dress me in her clothing as a child. She was super into vintage and archival pieces which really started my obsession.” Sophie grew up primarily in LA and has always been surrounded by fashion, however as she moved to Manhattan to continue her studies at NYU, her style really evolved and became more individualized. She says, “I’ve definitely become more bold in my fashion choices since living in New York. I’m currently very into sheer and statement pieces.” Sophie also finds that living in New York she is constantly surrounded by people who really showcase their individuality through fashion, she is really inspired by this. Sophie claims, “Watching everyone develop their individual style after living here for a few years is also huge to me when it comes to fashion, I love when people showcase their personality through their style.” Sophie specifically enjoys the way Gen Z is not afraid to rebel against the norm. She quotes, “I think what’s cool about Gen Z is that we are super into making bold choices in fashion no matter the reaction, that’s something that always sticks with me. If I like it, I wear it.”

ROAN CALL ROAN CALL

Following this Roan explains what his go to items of clothing are. “I think a great sweater/knit is 100% a top item for me at the moment. They just make me feel super classy and cool. I also always love a great pair of jeans. Denim always makes me feel good, and jeans can make any everyday outfit look great.” As Roan is interested in the technical side of fashion he commonly focuses on looking at clothing in a strategic way. “Since I’m really interested in marketing and PR I’m always paying attention to what trends and styles are working for different brands. So I like to look at style from an analytical point of view. I really apply that to my own style whenever looking for inspiration.” As Roan has become more interested in sustainability and minimalism he is implementing buying practices to form his future closet. “I think going forward I really want to evolve my closet by buying less clothes in quantity and buying more clothes and accessories that are a little nicer quality. I’ve already tried to implement that. Specifically really high quality knits, bags, jeans, and really just things I wear a lot. My two favorite brands that I’ve been trying to collect more of are probably Khaite and The Row. I think those brands produce a lot of clothes that give a cool and easy vibe, while still looking classy.” Roan’s style has evolved largely from growing up in New York and his interest in the analytical side of fashion. He embodies minimalism but lets his personality shine through in his accessories and statement knits.

Roan Call is currently a 19 year old student living in Brooklyn studying Strategic Design

and Management at Parsons School of Design. Roan naturally always had an interest in fashion but watching a certain hit show really initiated his passion. “When I was younger I really liked the show Project Runway. I watched it all the time. I got inspired by all the fashion I saw there and then began applying it to myself.” As Roan was born and raised in New York he was aware of the power of personal style and individuality from a young age.

“Since I grew up here I was exposed to many different types of style from a young age. I was always inspired by the people on the street. I began to really become aware of it in middle school when my friends and I would go shopping in SoHo.” As a young teenager he was inspired by things trending in the media, however as he has gotten older he has navigated towards a more niche and unique style. “A lot of my inspiration in my early teens came from tik tok and instagram. It is still interesting to see what trends are happening on there but I think as I’ve gotten older I have become less interested in that. I think it has become a little too widespread and I end up seeing the same thing over and over. So I am trying to go back to the basics of my style.” Currently Roan references a lot of celebrity streetwear styles, specifically Jennifer Lawernce. “I look at a lot of paparazzi pictures of celebrities. I like to kinda see what they wear on an everyday basis. Jennifer Lawrence has my favorite style in the whole entire world. I love her. If I could steal anyone’s closet it would be Jennifer Lawrence’s. Her everyday outfits are really amazing to me, especially as of late.” Roan is captivated by timeless basics but has fun experimenting with unique accessories. “Majority of my closet is basics, with some statement pieces of course. But I think my personality really shines in how I accessorize. My jewelry, shoes, and bags really scream Roan and kind of turn a basic outfit into something a little more fun. I also really like fun knits and sweaters.”

PAUL CHAMPAGNE

Following this I asked Paul, “Does being a part of Gen Z have any impact on your style, or are you inspired by your generation at all.” He responded, “Yeah I think what’s cool about our generation is how everyone is kind of inspired by a lot of past time periods. I think I definitely gravitate towards more vintage stuff in general but I think it’s cool how we are able to modernize a vintage look.” Now being a junior in college Paul has really developed his style and elevated it since high school.

“I definitely still emulate the New York street wear but in a more refined way, I am really interested in finding unique sweaters right now and growing my shoe collection. In the future I see my style becoming a little bit more mature, maybe switching from Jordans to Margielas or Golden Goose. I see myself beginning to enjoy minimalism a bit more with accent pops of color.”

Paul Champagne is currently a 20 year old student living part-time in Manhattan and

Boston. He is studying Finance and Data Science at Northeastern University. Paul has had an interest in fashion since his early high school days. Paul attended Brooklyn Technical High School, he explains that his sense of style was initially inspired by his group of friends.

He says, “There was a certain aesthetic to Brooklyn Tech that I was really drawn to. A mix of modern streetwear and vintage styles. The vibe really emulated early 2000s pop culture” Attending Brooklyn Tech really inspired Paul to get more creative and unique with his style.

“At first I just wanted to fit in so I started wearing jordans and baggy pants, however as my style evolved I was drawn to more unique pieces that fit the baggy silhouette.” The desire to find unique clothing jumpstarted Paul’s love for thrifting. “I got really into thrifting, my friends and I spent a lot of time at L Train. I was and still am always determined to find the perfect pair of baggy Levi’s and a vintage graphic tee.” As his style evolved he began to drift away from the complete New York street style aesthetic and became inspired by Parisian and Italian styles. “I was still really into the baggy bottoms, but after traveling over the summer to see my family in Europe I enjoyed how my cousins wore more fitted tops.” Returning to New York, Paul began to insert this into his everyday style. Paul quotes, “I really enjoyed putting my own personal touch on the stereotypical style, not only did I aesthetically enjoy it more, but it made me feel good about myself.” In addition to Paul finding inspiration from his environment he is also heavily inspired by techno culture, 80s music, and 90s cinema.

He says, “Music and movies have always been my favorite forms of artistic expression.

I specifically love the Tarantino aesthetic and color story within his movies, so I think my love for primary colors and graphics was partly inspired by his work. I also really love 80s music and techno. Some of my favorite artists are Elliot Smith, Billy Idol, and Daft Punk.

So I don’t know if that specifically has an impact on my style, but I enjoy listening to them.”

Paul’s style is ultimately inspired by New York culture as well as his love for graphics and cinema, he has a passion for finding unique pieces that stand out in a nonchalant way, that leave people wondering where he got that from.

DANIELA MEYLER

Through Daniela’s creative practice as a writer she has learned to continue to emulate her personality through her style and not feel confined to the stereotypes. Daniela quotes, “I don’t feel bound to dressing a certain way just because I’m a writer, I find that many people in the corporate world confine themselves to workwear, but I truly wear what makes me feel good and look unique.” Over the past year and a half, Daniela has had a pretty consistent aesthetic that emulates timeless pieces. Looking to the future Daniela doesn’t have a concrete vision of how her style will evolve, but looks forward to discovering new likes and dislikes.

Daniela quotes, “I mean I don’t know what my style will look like in the future, who knows.

It’s gonna become whatever it becomes. I hope I make only good decisions, but I feel like my wardrobe is pretty timeless. Hopefully, I’ll continue wearing some things in my current wardrobe, or my bank account will have a heart attack.” Daniela’s style emulates the modern classy New York girl with some sparkle.

Daniela Meyler is currently a 20 year old student living in Manhattan studying journal-

ism at The New School. Daniela has had a passion for fashion from a very young age and began experimenting with her style in elementary school. Daniela quotes, “I have always been a big fan of high heels, my first word was “shoe”. I got my first pair of four inch pumps, zebra print with glitter, in fourth grade for my 10th birthday. My mom got them for me from DSW.” Her infatuation with “all things shiny” led her to continue her studies in Manhattan. Since moving to Manhattan she has found that style inspiration is all around her, specifically from her friends and peers. Daniela claims, “All of my friends are creative, unique, out of bounds individuals and it really opened my eyes to different things, I quickly was exposed to many different styles.” In addition to that Daniela finds that being a part of Gen Z has an impact on her style through endless individualism and experimentation. She says, “Well what I think is really unique about our generation is that we are kind of repeating old trends, we regenerate things but with a new twist.” As Daniela’s style has evolved she has put an emphasis on fit and silhouette over aesthetic. Daniela explains, “When looking to purchase a new clothing article, I kinda go through what looks good on me. I’m not gonna see something on some other girl and buy it even if I like it. I’ve been through the ringer of stuff.” On a daily basis Daniela expresses herself through her style based on her mood. Daniela quotes, “The way that I dress fluctuates on the season and the way that I feel. The way that I dress is an expression of my mood essentially.” As mood plays a vital role in what Daniela wears and vice versa, on an everyday basis she has a few go to pieces that confidently always make her feel good. Daniela quotes, “On days I’m looking for an extra boost in confidence, I resort to high heels and denim, but mainly high heels.”

AUTHORS NOTE Moving to Manhattan has been the most liberating experience of my life thus far. I find myself constantly inspired by the people around me to be my pure authentic self. The creatives in this book which I am so lucky to call some of my dearest friends never fail to inspire me not only stylistically but characteristically. I love each one of them dearly. I created this collection of editorials and profiles to explore their incredible personalites in a visual way. I had an amazing time working with each of them to create these pages. Being a part of this generation is something so special and individualized. I would like to thank each member of this book Charlie, Fin, Sophie, Roan, Paul, and Dani for helping me bring my vision to life.

I am so excited to see what the future brings for our relationships and each one of you’re passions. I love that as we are all so different there is such a comforting sense of unity that brings us together.

Love, Soph