September 2015

VOLUME 48 • ISSUE 1 • SEPTEMBER 2015

MASTHEAD

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FIT

Dara Kenigsberg Editor–in–Chief Jenny Kim Executive Editor Dana Heyward Managing Editor

A LE T TE R FRO M TH E E D ITO R When I joined the newspaper four years ago, I knew in my heart that I would one day be Editor-in-Chief; I just didn’t know how I would get there. I don’t think I said more than five words my first semester.

I realized that had to change and by my sophomore year, I was managing editor and Month in Review became my very own section. Had it not been for this paper, I never would have discovered my true passion, investigative journalism.

W27 is such a huge part of my life and I hope that you can see just how much it means to me through the work we produce this year.

Dan Nissim Digital Content Manager Marina Herbst Treasurer Aaron Valentic Culture Editor

EDITORS Kaylee Dnmead Jordyn Ferriss Dan Nissim

We are doing a lot of things differently this year. Most noticeably, W27 will no longer have themes every month as we felt it restricted what we were able to write about. Furthermore, with each photo shoot, we will also be interviewing the designer. This month we are featuring student designer Lindy Fox. A junior studying Fashion Design, her collection was just picked up by Macy’s and we felt she was the perfect fit to help us kick off the new school year.

ART Emma Wood Art Director Danielle Carcione Senior Designer Kayla Scheidel Junior Designer

But W27 is not the only thing that has changed this year. Our article on the new New York Fashion Week, along with a review of it and a spotlight on celebrity designers are all must-reads! We have also added a creative writing section for those of you in the mood for something artistic.

And as always, we keep you current and up-to-date with in depth articles on more serious topics like the Iran Nuclear Deal, Gender Neutral Parenting and Ahmed Mohamed, the 14-year old who got arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school.

CONTRIBUTORS Kate Gorecki Allison Hatch River Demetri Melissa De Oliveira Jonathon Lee Sam Riley Vicky Pett Professor John Simone Editorial Faculty Advisor

Despite these changes, W27 is still the same, amazing newspaper it has always been, and with each month, it will only get better. I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite people. “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” – Coco Chanel.

Professor Albert Romano Advertising Advisor

ON THE COVER: Designer Lindy Fox along with photographer Vicky Pett. Models are: Lisa Rumbalski and Shaung Zheng.

W27 IS PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER. PLEASE RECYCLE AFTER READING. A FIT STUDENT ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION.

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SEPTEMBER 2015

CONTENTS ON THE BLOCK 4

Interview with FIT Student Association President, Marvin Sanford

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Global Fashion Capitals: The Museum at FIT’s Latest Exhibit

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My Favorite Number of the Alphabet is Purple by Kait Grorecki

DEAR INDUSTRY 6

Beauty Buzz: Beauty Incubation: The Secret to Overnight Success

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NYFW Takeover Celebrity Edition

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Review: New York Fashion Week 2015

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NYFW Gets a Makeover

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Fashion Industry Shake up

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Rising FIT Designer Lindy Fox Casts a Redwood Sized Shadow Over the Competition

FEATURE 12

China Through the Looking Glass:

Exhibition Breaks Monumental Records

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Gender Neutral Parenting

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“Tales From The Back Row”

Amy ODell Opens Up About Her Not So Fashionable Fashion Career

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Iran, and Its Controversial Nuclear Deal

HAUTE CULTURE 16

Gallery Review: 29 Rooms By Refinery29

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Pinelands Music Festival

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Book Review: Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

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Film Review: “Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl.”

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Restaurant Review: Dimes

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Music Review: “M3LL155X” By FKA Twigs

FIT SPEAKS 19

Humans Of FIT

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To FIT or Not To FIT-In

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Texas Teen Goes From The Big House To The White House

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Breaking Borders

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“Busy” is the New “Bored”

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Style on 27

A LETTER FROM TH E A RT D I R EC TO R I cannot put into words how excited I am to be W27’s Art Director for the upcoming year. That’s why I’m a designer, not a writer.

Last fall semester, I started as a junior designer. Before then, I am embarrassed to admit I had never picked up a copy of W27. After months of designing alongside our former Art Director, Kelly Millington and our now senior designer, Danielle Carcione, I became invested in every last detail of the visual aesthetics of the publication.

FIT is overflowing with raw talent, talent that should be recognized and showcased.

As Art Director, I hope to showcase the talents of these writers through complimentary, thoughtful design.

Going along with breaking traditions of themes, the W27 Art Team is looking to take the paper in a whole new direction.

We hope by doing so we will spark the interests of new readers and collectors of W27. If you are interested in joing us you can email W27art@gmail.com.

Emma

ON THE BLOCK INTERVIEW WITH FIT STUDENT A S S O C I AT I O N P R E S I D E N T, MARVIN SANFORD

BY JENNY KIM

Marvin Sanford, FIT’s newest Student Association president, spent his last three years here hoping for this top slot. Now that it’s his, he chatted with W27 to tell us his goals for FIT, his advice for other students and how he spends his ever so limited free-time.

Jenny Kim: What made you want to become the president of our school’s student association?

Marvin Sanford: Ever since the day that I sat in the President’s Welcome at my freshman orientation, and I had the opportunity to hear then President, Anubhuti Swarup, speak. I was blown away by her passion for being involved at FIT and after participating in my freshman orientation and seeing all of the events that were put on by the Student Association, I knew that one day I would want to run for president. I wanted to be able to lead an organization that works to make changes that benefit the student body as well as create successful events that every FIT student can attend and enjoy. Now that I am president, I love being able to work in an open and supportive environment and the Student Association is the perfect opportunity for student leaders with diverse backgrounds to come together to make changes and that can make a positive impact on our students.

G LOBAL FA S H I O N C A P I TA L S : THE MUSEUM AT F I T ’ S L AT E S T EXHIBIT

BY KAYLEE DENMEAD

PHOTO COURTESY: FITNYC.EDU

4 JK: Tell us exactly what your role is and what kind of goals you want to achieve this year.

MS: I can say that I would be absolutely lost without my planner!

To-do lists are also a satisfying essential. Time management is a MS: I would say that I wear a lot of definite must in a position like this. I different hats now. I am responsible always have to remind myself that my for leading and setting the direction studies comes first, and sometimes for the entire FIT Student Association. that can be difficult because I want to A lot of my time is spent in meetings; give my all to this position. However, I meet regularly with FIT’s President, I have to remind myself that this is an Vice President of Academic Affairs, extracurricular activity, and you can't Vice of Enrollment be in student Management and government Student Success, without being a Dean of Students, student first. The and Director same thing goes of Student for my social life.

Life. I chair the Obviously my time FIT Student is very limited Association Board between all of the of Directors, I sit different things PHOTO COURTESY: that I'm involved in on the Legacy MARVIN SANFORD in. But for my own Week committee, and I am truly here sanity, I have to to advocate on behalf of the student make time to grab Chipotle with my body. In addition, I serve as the voting friends or just explore New York City student representative on FIT’s Board on the weekends. I’ve always been of Trustees. These are all just to name super involved; I've been going at this a few of my roles and responsibilities. pace since middle school. So I think The most rewarding part of my job is that I've had some time to see what having the opportunity to collaborate really works for me as far keeping my will all of the members of the Student life and priorities in order.

Association as well as the different club leaders on campus to create “TO ME, LEADERSHIP IS events that benefit the entire FIT community. This year I want to bring BEING ABLE TO INSPIRE AND more awareness to the FIT Student Association and all that we have to EMPOWER OTHERS THROUGH offer. I find it crazy that some people do not even know that our school has YOUR OWN ACTIONS. I AM A a student government. We have some very exciting plans for this school FIRM BELIEVER IN LEADING BY year, including our second annual Laugh FIT Comedy Show, more Town EXAMPLE.” Halls where students can interact with administration, and of course our everso-famous FIT Drag Pageant.

JK: How do you balance your time between your studies, being president of the Student Association, and your social life?

In recent years, it seems as if fashion weeks have developed into fashion months. The most stylish of bloggers and celebrities are visiting these exclusive shows and events in cities other than the four we know to be at the peak of fashion’s mountains. New York, London, Paris and Milan remain strong and true to their definition as fashion capitals, but style through clothing, accessories and shoes have become a global platform. New cities may not have the size of New York or the romance of Paris, but they have a fashion sense all their own and they are ready for some recognition. Global Fashion Capitals, the new exhibition at the Museum at FIT, has compiled styles from over nineteen f lourishing fashion cities and brought them to 27th Street for our viewing pleasure.

Take a trip around the world as you step into the darkened halls of the exhibition, with styles from Berlin, Såu Paulo, Lagos, Mexico City, New Delhi, Copenhagen, Moscow, Madrid, Tokyo, Istanbul and many more. With everyone chatting nonstop about the fashion capital we are lucky enough to live in (cue T-Swift’s “Welcome to New York”) and the other three we learn about in our textbooks, it’s easy to forget that designers and personal style continue to develop all over the world. The embellished saris of New Delhi and Mumbai have paved the way over the years to modern attire that still holds that incredible Indian craftsmanship. With Mexico experiencing a cultural rebirth, its native fashion talent is just beginning to f lourish and grow. Also highlighted is Tokyo, whose fashion is, as it has always been, extremely modern and cutting edge. I visited Copenhagen in May and can attest to the classic, yet edgy style seen in the streets there.

FIT JK: What is your definition of leadership?

MS: To me, leadership is being able to inspire and empower others through your own actions. I am a firm believer in leading by example. You can't expect people act in a certain way if you don’t show it yourself. When I delegate a task to someone, it is never something that I haven't done or wouldn't do. With the Student Association in particular, we are one team. Regardless of our titles and responsibilities, we all share one common goal and that is to serve the student body. So for me, whether I'm leading a meeting, or cleaning our popcorn machine, it's important to me to be transparent with my board and show them that while I am a leader, I am also a team player as well.

JK: What is your advice for students who want to go into a leadership position whether it is for a club or even Student Association?

MS: I would say, don't be intimidated.

As a freshman, I joined the Merchandising Society and got a management position with the Style Shop. I'm now leading the Student Government after never being on it before. It's really not about seniority, but it is about hard work, a drive for success, and what you can bring to the table. Don't be intimidated to speak up and get involved just because you are new or young. For some of us, we only have two years at FIT, some have four. It's important that we all take advantage of all opportunities that FIT has to offer while we can and leave a legacy for others to follow. If you are interested in getting more involved with the Student Association as well as our 60+ clubs and organizations on campus, stop by our Student Association office in room A730. We would love to provide you with any assistance in helping to enhance your college experience.

The strong silhouettes emanate a cool demeanor that I don’t think I could ever possess as a New Yorker.

Sara Freilich, a fellow FIT student, visited Berlin and described it as unlike any of the fashion capitals she has ever been to. She said that, “They ditched the ideal that you need to stand out in order to be in fashion and instead, stood together in uniformity, practicality and a sense of cool.” These cities stand out for their personal style that develops from lifestyles and culture emanating for each place.

Whether you have already traveled the world, or have barely been out of the tri-state area, the Museum’s collection of garments will inspire any viewer to take a deeper look at the global scale of the fashion industry. Style continually rises up from the cultures we come from and Global Fashion Capitals shows the viewer exactly that.

It’s an exhibition as diverse as the world we live in.

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M Y F AV O R I T E NUMBER OF THE ALPHABET IS PURPLE KAIT GORECKI

SEPTEMBER 2015

There aren’t enough purple words, so I’ll have to create them using consonances, cadences, and thoughtful lettering to construct high-rises and flat terrains, embedding vowels in valleys and streams, so the colors release, saturating sentences with shore splashes of Red and cloud touches of Blue, hues as light as ‘Judge’ and as deep as ‘June.’

Purple is very special; sound tells the vowels to bleed into the A’s, J’s, M’s and,P’s; mixing a universe of colors in the space between your teeth, splattering tints of lavender and violet to ears within reach.

Words like Jump and Jungle Judge and Justify sound like burnt blueberries and liquid jealousy rolling over the magnificent, bounding heights of purple mountains majesty.

DEAR INDUSTRY

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FIT

BEAUTY BUZZ:

BEAUTY INCUBATION: THE SECRET TO OVERNIGHT SUCCESS

BY JORDYN FERRISS

There is nothing Americans love more than a rags-to-riches story about how a small and unknown company slowly climbs to the top, eventually reaching market domination. In the beauty industry specifically we’ve seen this happen time and time again with the likes of Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden and more recently Anastasia Beverly Hills. Humble beginnings are something that many customers value as it shows that much like themselves, the big name beauty companies had to work hard to become successful. While most companies fall into a gradual growth category, some companies seem to materialize out of thin air, much like the coveted Colourpop Cosmetics brand achieving what seemed to be overnight success. Beauty bloggers, vloggers and makeup artists worldwide were suddenly posting content all centered around this mysterious beauty brand. Their line of eyeshadows and pressed pigments were competitively priced at five dollars, a fraction of the price of single eyeshadows sold by similar brands, which are usually upwards of twenty dollars. Its “Lippie Stix” lipsticks were a hit with beauty lovers. At five dollars a pop and in a vast range of colors, the deal wasn’t too sour. Soon after the brand’s big reveal, Instagram feeds were full of Colourpop hauls and swatches of their high-demand, low-priced products.

With such a huge following behind a brand that seemed to exist for less than a month, some started to wonder; where did they come from? And is there something fishy about the brand’s origins?

Beauty lovers had started to conspire in highly-frequented forums online such as Reddit’s “MakeupAddiction” and “MakeupAddictionCircleJerk” communities. Colourpop Cosmetics is actually the creation of self-proclaimed “cosmetics brand incubator” Seed Beauty, a company headed by siblings and industry experts John and Laura Nelson. As the company’s website www. seedbeauty.com explains, the ultimate goal is “to change the business of beauty forever,” a pretty bold statement to say the least. They go on to say that their unique approach to the beauty industry is the key to the success of their brands, which holds true if one observes the obvious instant and steady growth of Colourpop.

Colourpop was officially launched in early 2014 by Seed Beauty and was the company’s first official brand. An extensive amount product started to appear in popular beauty blogger’s mailboxes shortly after Colourpop’s social media pages were created. Whether you like the brand or not, they have made extremely smart marketing moves. The carefree image the company created for Colourpop speaks to the target market of young women ages 18-35 in an incredibly successful way.

PHOTO COURTESY: VANLAMAR.COM Unlike many of their competitors, Seed Beauty’s brands have all operations done in-house, from brand creation and design, manufacturing, and most interestingly, raising and appropriating venture capital. With all departments so close to the core of the company, it becomes easy to watch over the business process almost guaranteeing that each aspect is a perfectly calculated step to success.

While it may seem like a foolproof way to becoming a major frontrunner in the “indie” beauty world, it has made many consumers very skeptical. While some have spread rash and sarcastic rumors such as the Illuminati owning Colourpop, while others are asking for some sort of transparency pertaining to the processes of this overnight success.

PHOTO COURTESY: SEEDBEAUTY.COM As said before, everyone loves to hear about the struggles of a small company making their way to the top, something Colourpop never had to do. The consensus seems to be that the company has been funded solely by wealthy investors, allowing them to implement an entire business plan and fund manufacturing and research in a short period of time.

Does the fact that this seemingly cute and carefree brand is funded by businessmen and women with deep pockets take away from it’s appeal? For some, yes. Many believe that a company like Colourpop values quantity over quality because when it all boils down to it, profits is the predominant directive. On their website, Seed Beauty says the aim to “take that feedback and either accelerate, pivot, or kill.” The world “kill” sounds off-putting for some, even if they only are referring to pulling a brand from the market if it is deemed unsuccessful. It’s the idea that the company can simply cut ties with a failing brand and take no financial loss that throws some weary consumers off the buying path.

In the end, the company is slowly approaching the idea of “fast fashion” for beauty, something that we as consumers have to give them credit for.

According to the Seed Beauty website, there are three more beauty brands in development; Colourstyle, Jupe and Fluid Beauty. There are also two confidential acquisitions listed at the bottom of the web page, leaving some to wonder if the company is on the path to beauty business domination. Innovation for any industry is a step in the right direction in most instances, even if it means abandoning the little-to-big business stories we’ve come to love.

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SEPTEMBER 2015

: R E V O E K A N T O I T

I D E Y T I R B E CE L

W F N Y

BY MELISSA DEOLIVEIRA

The fashion business cannot thrive without exposure. The whole point of creating fashion pieces is to have them adopted by what marketers call” influentials,” those whose fashion choices impact others who want to emulate them, and then hopefully have it gain favor with the general public. Even couture, which is meant to be viewed more than worn, needs to be exposed in order for the message to have impact. No designer creates a line of clothing for it to sit in their studio and not be seen by anyone.

But can the influentials, who can make a designer soar, also be the ones to tear them down?

Historically, styles have gained momentum by being seen on or around influential people. As far back in time as ancient Egypt, royalty has set fashion trends. In the 1960’s, Jackie Kennedy popularized the pill hat. Today, Kanye West influences which black T-shirts we buy. Whether they be reality TV stars, like the Kardashians, or entertainers like Taylor Swift, celebrities dictate what we wear in many ways. They post on Instagram. They wear it on stage. But, most importantly, they make it “trendy.”

“CELEBRITIES ARE T O D AY ’ S R O YA LT Y O N A G LO B A L S C A LE , SO IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE T H AT T H E Y A R E G O I N G D I R E C T LY TO TH E SO U RC E THIS SEASON AND C R E AT I N G T H E I R OWN COLLECTIONS AT N E W Y O R K F A S H I O N W E E K .”

Celebrities are today’s royalty on a global scale, so it should come as no surprise that they are going directly to the source this season and creating their own collections at New York Fashion Week.

For the Spring/Summer 2016 season, Lauren Conrad, former MTV reality star, has displayed an exclusive junior’s line she created with Kohl’s. American Idol star Carrie Underwood also showed an activewear collection entitled “Calia.” And let’s not forget America’s most surprising 2020 future presidential candidate, Kanye West, put together a fashionably late last minute collection.

Many fashion critics have denigrated a number of these celebrities-asdesigners. Vanity Fair pronounced Conrad’s enchanted forest collection as “elevated basic” and “uncontroversial.”

But what Vanity Fair assumed was an insult actually comes across as more of a compliment to an extremely wearable line. Lauren Conrad is an expert at interacting with her followers. She is constantly sharing recipes, D.I.Y.’s, and her favorite fashion picks. The reality TV star has been active in the social media community and is constantly promoting her self-brand. She infused all these qualities into her exclusive runway collection. This line of circle skirts and lace blouses is not especially provocative, but what it lacks in innovation it makes up for in class, style and accessibility.

Conrad has brought the New York Fashion Week runway to the closets of teenage girls everywhere.

The line was made shoppable on Kohl’s website immediately after it premiered, which is more than most designers can say. This collection is extremely fashion forward for the average teen, which is a constantly expanding market. Why should Conrad care what some magazine fashion critic thinks when the target audience is eating it up?

PHOTO COURTESY: UPSCALEHYPE.COM Much like Conrad, former American Idol star Carrie Underwood has attracted criticism for her show during this runway season. The country singer has apparently committed the “crime” of sending basic pieces down the runway. Instead of a trendy teen line, Underwood displayed a line of activewear featuring floral and ombre details. Just like Lauren Conrad, Underwood attempted to make Fashion Week more accessible to the average consumer.

Last February, New York Fashion Week experienced the spectacle that was the Kanye West x Adidas show. Kanye, or “Yeezy,” as many people know him, has declared himself a “god.” West is not only establishing a presence in the music industry but he is attracting the attention of a growing segment of the fashion industry.

PHOTO COURTESY:GOTCELEB.COM Kanye’s second collection for NYFW debuted true to his competitive inclinations. The show was announced Celebrities not only tell us what brands to a week before it was staged, but comes wear, but are now designing these brands as no surprise to many. This last minute as well. Some of these personalities decision upset two up-and-comers, Anna can be downright disruptive-- like Kanye Bowen and Naeem Khan. Bowen was West, but others are simply bringing forced to reschedule her show to save runway fashion to the real world like her hard work from being drowned out Lauren Conrad and Carrie Underwood.

by Kanye’s media buzz. Khan decided to Welcome or not, high profile celebrities keep his show time, but knew the are impacting the fashion industry, show wouldn’t attract half of the and it is registering with greater force attention that it would have without each season.

Kanye’s interference.

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R E V I E W: N E W YO R K FA S H I O N W E E K 20 15

BY MARINA HERBST

From this month’s New York Fashion Week we learned that (1)simplicity and sophistication go perfectly together; (2) geometric patterns are very much in season; (3)the staging of each show is as important as the collections themselves and above all, (4)love and unity are what matter most.

was a quick reminder of Wang’s many genius creations. The collection that walked down the runway was as Wang as it could get; leather, mesh and denim turned into oversized jackets, shredded skirts and hoodies. Street-cool, yet offhand and insouciant can best describe the Alexander Wang’s SS ’16 collection.

This year marked the tenth anniversary of Alexander Wang and the designer celebrated big. Across the back of the catwalk, a video projection gave every attendee a retrospective stroll down the brand’s memory lane directly after the runway show ended. From Wang’s first collection to the edgy and gothic campaign he just debuted, the video

Several factors made the Givenchy show one of the biggest and most emblematic collections of all NYFW. Not only was this season the first time the brand showed its collection in New York, but it also happened on the most poignant day of the year; 9/11. Ricardo Tisci joined forces with Marina Abramovic, giving the audience a multi-sensory experience, which aimed

to create something unpretentious and respectful. A monk and a female vocalist were in charge of setting the mood with music which went along perfectly with the collection’s almost all black and white palette. Following the lead of the brand’s couture collection, this women’s line contained drama, lace and a lot of intricate embroidery, resulting in – once again – clothing that demands attention to detail. The garments were paired with extremely conceptual beauty looks such as lace masks and facial jewelry.

On a separate note, Lacoste’s Spring ’16 collection was all about the coming Olympics. Designer Felipe Oliveira Baptista created garments that met the demands of high performance clothing, which is nothing new to either him or the brand (as its founder, René Lacoste, was a tennis champion). Baptista found inspiration in the classic Olympic moment in which athletes wrapped themselves in their home country’s flag for a victory lap. This resulted in geometric patterns used throughout

They say the only constant in life is change, and that’s certainly true in fashion.

The wind of change ruffled the fall fashion season with the rebranding of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Since the German automotive manufacturer stepped down as title sponsor earlier this year, the week long event ran Sept.

10th–17th under a new name: New York Fashion Week: The Shows. Along with the renaming came a relocation. In fact, NYFW moved to not one, not two, but three new venues: Skylight at Moynihan Station, Skylight Clarkson Square and a headquarters called — what else? — HQ, where WME/IMG’s newly acquired MADE Fashion Week spotlighted up-andcoming designers.

NYFW GETS A MAKEOVER

“Designers just don’t like to show in the same place as each other,” PR insider Brian Phillips told The New York Times.

“They are very aware of context.” For the past five years, Lincoln Center hosted NYFW until the city settled a lawsuit filed by an environmental group to ban private vendors from using Damrosch Park. The NYFW makeover should also come as a welcome change for critics like Robin Givhan of The Washington Post, who lamented that Fashion Week had become a “marketing machine” over the last few years.

“The week is able to pull in sponsors and companies that are not directly related to fashion, but who want to glom onto the gloss and prestige,” Givhan told Racked back in January. “That starts to take away the substance of it. People walking into the main lobby of Lincoln Center felt a bit like they were walking down a Vegas strip. Some designers left for other venues because the atmosphere was distracting.”

FIT the 49 looks. Even today the company observes Rene Lacoste’s timeless remark, “Without style, playing and winning are not enough.” Cut-out dresses made with performance-wear fabrics, over-sized bomber jackets that had “Lacoste” printed huge in red, white and blue across its front and an 80’s aesthetic captivated the audience.

Another NYFW has come and gone, with plenty of highlights. Spring 2016 brought in everything from athletic minimalism to unconventional face jewelry to hightech yet effortlessly cool ensembles.

While nearly everything was different this season, the positive and energetic vibe that only a NYFW can bring remained and left everyone fashionably-satisfied.

Farewell Fashion Week. Looking forward to Fall 2017.

PHOTO COURTESY: FASHIONTIMES.COM

DEAR INDUSTRY

BY JONATHAN LEE

WME/IMG, one of the top talent agencies in the world, now owns and produces NYFW along with 12 other fashion weeks around the world. Under the new ownership, NYFW has dressed down its commercialization, shifting the focus back to the heart of what the week is truly about — the talent. Many headlining designers, including Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY and Ralph Lauren, returned to show at the new IMG venues. But the schedule featured mostly newer, less-established brands such as Prabal Gurung, Public School and Jeremy Scott.

Social media sensations Lauren Conrad and Josh “The Fat Jew” Ostrovsky also made appearances to debut their new fashion lines.

“NO EXPERIENCE IN THE WORLD IS QUITE LIKE NEW YORK FASHION WEEK”

With a more select list of designers and fewer shows, invitations and press passes were much harder to score. The NYFW website stated that IMG would only issue credentials to major media outlets, and individual agencies and freelancers had to be on official assignment from those outlets with supporting documentation.

Although media coverage was limited, event producers introduced technological innovations to make the shows more accessible to the public. Sponsors such as Intel, Lexus and Maybelline hosted streaming screens outside separate headquarters during select hours.

Meanwhile, viewers around the globe could download the NYFW app free from the iTunes App Store and Google Play to watch a livestream of their favorite runway shows on their portable devices.

“When we look at the world, we see fashion, sports, movies, TV, books: They are all just different aspects of global entertainment consumption,” WME CEO Ariel Emanuel told The New York Times.

ABC Family has picked up a two-hour behind-the-scenes documentary called “Baring It All: Inside New York Fashion Week” set to air in October.

Produced by IMG, the documentary will follow seven NYFW icons throughout the shows, including designer Jeremy Scott, Neiman Marcus Fashion Director and Senior Vice President Ken Downing, IMG model Lameka Fox, “Pretty Little Liars” actress and singer Lucy Hale, social media influencer Shea Marie, author and lifestyle blogger Katherine Schwarzenegger, singer and fashion press royalty Caroline Vreeland, and fashion stylist Johnny Wujek.

“We’re excited to share a new perspective on an event we’ve played a major role in over the years,” Will Staeger, IMG SVP of programming content strategy, said in a press release. “No experience in the world is quite like New York Fashion Week, and this documentary will help viewers understand all that goes into making it such a unique moment.”

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FASHION INDUSTRY

BY MARINA HERBST

DAO-YI CHOW AND MAXWELL OSBORNE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL PHOTO COURTESY OF FRESHNESSMAG.COM

Every year we see plenty of changes in fashion whether it’s the clothes we wear, the makeup we choose or what’s seen on the street and in stores. These changes trickle down from the companies and designers that run the game in the industry. Like the seasons, the industry often switches out top employees of companies like the leaves changing colors.

TIM BLANKS MEREBELLA.COM Tim Blanks is one of the industry’s most respected journalists but was not immune to the aforesaid job change. He joined Style.com back in 2005, when he started writing for their former men’s site. A year after joining, he was promoted to editor-atlarge of Style’s main site. It is now ten years after joining Style.com that he is leaving the site to become Business of Fashion’s editor-at-large. The news comes as no surprise to anyone who has been staying up to date with Style.com’s new endeavors.

The platform, which was once the biggest database of runway shows (both review and picture wise), will no longer focus on their journalism, but instead shift their primary interest towards becoming an ecommerce website. That left Blanks, one of the most important runway critics in the industry, with no other option but to find a new home for his talents.

It’s no coincidence that he decided to join BoF given that the website has recently begun shifting into full-coverage of fashion shows, leaving behind their very good (but not as exciting) post-season wrap-ups. “What I really appreciate about Tim is how he places fashion in this cultural context. He somehow connects it to music and art and film and the wider cultural landscape. He’s not shy to say what he really thinks,” said Imrad Amed, BoF founder and chief executive. It is exactly that attitude that made Blanks stand out in a time when fashion journalism has become a very watered down field with fewer people daring enough to say what’s actually on their mind. Fashion’s favorite journalist, Blanks, said to the Times, “With Style.com coming to the end, it did feel very much like a chapter ending. It seemed like an appropriate moment to open another chapter.” That new one is already on course. Blanks’ savvy runway reviews can be found online in BoF’s new Fashion Week coverage.

Blanks isn’t the only one changing jobs.

Several designers have also had career changes as well. Donna Karan left her ready-to-wear brand DKNY after starting it 31 years ago. She has decided to focus on new projects, all of them inside Donna Karan International, rather than DKNY. Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, the masterminds behind Public School, have been appointed as the new creative directors of the youth focused label. Both the public and the media agree that this was meant to be. At Public School, their work received a lot of attention, including an endless list of awards that catapulted them into the major urban-wear brand (both for men and women) that they are today. The Public School founders are able to continue the sexy, versatile, New York City vibe that is DKNY, thanks to the success of their own company. The born and raised New Yorkers showed their first DKNY collection at this September’s NYFW, as well as their own ready-to-wear Public School line.

Unlike the Public School guys, Alexander Wang did not join a brand. Instead, he left his position as creative director at Balenciaga.

WWD first reported that the American designer was in talks of not renewing his contract with the French house back in July.

Both parties released a statement mid-August saying that the reason behind the decision was made mutually. No one has been named Balenciaga’s new creative director yet. During his tenure at Balenciaga, Wang focused on updating the brand’s essence through a more minimalistic aesthetic. He made his debut back in 2013, sending thirty-four looks down the runway, which showed updated versions of some of Cristobal Balenciaga’s original pieces. From that moment on, he stuck with the restricted color palette and the signature volumes of Balenciaga. Though Wang’s Balenciaga career was not the most highly regarded, every fashion critic agreed that it was a smart move for Wang to apply a sense of continuity to the brand while the house was still transitioning. The collection was one hundred percent Alexander Wang, with Cristobal and Ghesquière’s input nowhere to be found. This prompted Kering, Balenciaga’s parent company, to re-evaluate Wang’s position at the company. Both parties decided this restructuring would be to their mutual benefit. Alexander Wang can now focus more on his own brand while Balenciaga starts a new chapter with another creative director.

DONNA KARAN THENEWPOTATO.COM As always, the fashion industry is constantly in motion. With designers changing positions and creative directors moving into new companies, it keeps lines fresh and exciting. Not to mention unpredictable. In a few months we will be on to the next NYFW and the question becomes who will be in charge of the many designer labels then?

ALEXANDER WANG HIGHFASHIONLIVING.COM

DEAR INDUSTRY

10

FIT

RISING FIT DESIGNER CASTS A REDWOOD S IZED SH A DOW OV ER TH E COMPETITION

BY RIVER RODRIGUEZ

Across the board, every design student at the Fashion Institute of Technology dreams of one thing: to one day be featured in New York Fashion Week. Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Lindy Fox, a junior at FIT majoring in Fashion Design, whose pieces are currently available for purchase through Nineteenth Amendment — a website that highlights up-and-coming designers goods to be featured and sold to the public.

More recently, Nineteenth Amendment has been picked up by Macy’s, who plans to introduce the company both online and in store. Pulling from her roots in Northern California, Fox works hard to incorporate a unique color palette into her designs.

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River Rodriguez: How did you get your start in the fashion industry?

Lindy Fox: I grew up in California on a farm where I was surrounded by this sort of do it yourself mentality and very entrepreneurial spirit that it takes to run your own business, whether it’s growing food or making clothes. It’s the same startup mentality. I grew up around that and I grew up surrounded by this warm, earthy color palette. I’ve started my journey of expressing myself through design. I’ve wanted to start from the beginning of who I am and where I came from.

RR: After you graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, what drew you to FIT? LF: I always knew that the best two design schools in the country were FIT and Parsons. I looked at both curriculums and I was pretty convinced by FIT because of their knitwear program. FIT has a huge emphasis on knitwear and the curriculum really goes heavily into that if that’s what you choose to do. Other schools and even Parsons does not even come close to the depth of knowledge on knitwear as opposed to FIT. I plan to choose that as my concentration. That’s why I chose FIT.

ALL PHOTOS FEATURED IN THIS SPREAD COURTESY OF VICKY PETT

RR: You have a specific color palette, what inspired you?

LF: Specifically for Luxe Utilitarian [one of Fox’s collections], I really was combining going back to my roots, and for the style lines and color palette I was just purely inspired by Northern California. I also included some actual redwood drift from the actual beach in California, brought it back to New York and incorporated that into the accessories and some of the jewelry. Redwood is very specific to California.

RR: As you begin to gain more credentials, what are your feelings moving forward in your career?

LF: In one year’s time, I would like to see my clothes covered in more print media and in editorial, digital too, of course, and get a few more press relationships with stylists as well. Iwould love and dream of seeing a celebrity in my clothing. I think it’ll be super surreal when that does happen.

There’s no way to predict when it will though.

FEATURE

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FIT

C H I N A : T H R O U G H T H E LO O K I N G G L A S S

EXHIBITION BREAKS MONUMENTAL RECORDS

BY AARON VALENTIC

Over the past twenty years, The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute has become the pinnacle of New York society. The Anna Wintour Costume Center, which houses each of the individual exhibitions, has been home to one of the largest exhibitions – China: Through The Looking Glass, which has been seen by nearly 820,000 people, making it the fifth most viewed exhibit in the history of the Met. This exhibit was intended to show the influence that Eastern fashion has had on that of the West. In addition, it was opened with the hope of increasing Chinese tourism in the United States, and more specifically at the Met, and it has done just that. Tourists come Asia to New York for the sole purpose of seeing the exhibition. No one could have anticipated just how successful it would be.

What was so genius about the exhibition was not how fashion influences culture, but how Chinese culture influenced fashion for centuries. From gowns to accessories and everything in-between, the curators of the exhibition made it their mission to showcase artifacts and priceless objects mixed amongst the clothes, demonstrating how one complemented the other.

Guests were treated to an ocular delight by some of the most spectacular fashion exhibitions to date. Oversized screens in nearly every room that played classic pieces of Chinese cinema and film, to the music of Chinese artists playing softly overhead, transported guests into a Chinese fashion fairytale. With over twolevels and over 140 pieces of ready-to-wear and haute couture samples, it is not only the most-seen exhibition at the Met, but also the most dense in terms of articles on exhibit.

On opening day in May 2015, guests poured into the museum, coming in time and time again to be witness to this moment in modern history. By early August, the curators extended the exhibition until Labor Day due to the high demand. By August 18th, the number of visitors had topped that of the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit, with nearly 671,000 guests to date having visited the museum.

News of this enormous number reached those in charge. To many people’s surprise, the notoriously private editorin-chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour, and the curator of the exhibit, musician Andrew Bolton, wanted to personally thank the public for their support by signing copies of the catalogue on a first-come, firstserve basis. Bolton and Wintour signed and greeted over 300 visitors, eager to show their appreciation for bringing this exhibit to life. One visitor exclaimed to Wintour that he had seen the exhibit nearly twenty times, while others went back up to eight times. After Labor Day weekend, the number of visitors rose to 820,000, making the exhibition the fifth largest in the history of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. For those lucky enough to see the exhibit in person, they can attest to its greatness.

A country rich in history, their culture can be seen throughout the exhibit. The West has always sought out inspiration from the East, and the result of this cohesive blend offers a truly thoughtprovoking and enjoyable experience.

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SEPTEMBER 2015

GENDER NEUTRAL PARENTING

BY SAMMY RILEY

Same sex marriage has been legalized by the United States and other countries this year, but there is still another more subtle war being fought for gender equality. The talk has currently shifted to gender neutral parenting. Awareness about how parents should inf luence their children’s gender could have many benefits for them, giving a child the chance to feel complete acceptance of who they are.

Gender neutrality has taken a new course by introducing parents to a new way— it is based off the ideal of self expression and nonconforming gender roles all together. Gender neutral parenting is when children are raised in an environment that gives them a creative opportunity to self-inf luenced their own gender. Often times the families will adopt attitudes that are free spirited and androgynous — rather than traditionally strict gender roles.

PHOTO COURTESY: AVEMARIARADIO.NET

Parents want to make sure their children can put on a tutu and not have to conform to gender stereotypes. This style of parenting is for the benefit of their children, to ref lect on themselves without the inf luence or prejudice from society’s preconceptions. But how does one practice gender neutral parenting? There are a variety of way.

“ PA R E N T S WA NT TO M A K E SURE THEIR CHILDREN CAN PUT ON A TUTU A N D N O T H AV E TO CO N F O R M TO G E N D E R S T E R E O T Y P E S .”

For instance, a family from Toronto took a more extreme approach to this technique. The couple, raising their three year old, Storm, has not yet told their child its sex. This approach was meant to allow “A tribute to freedom and choice in a place of limitations, a stand-up to what the world could become in Storm’s lifetime (a more progressive place?),” according to Toronto Star, stated Kathy Witterich and her husband (Storm’s parents). The couple wants Storm to come to their own conclusion about whether Storm’s a “he” or a “she”. So far, the couple has continued to practice gender neutrality with hopes it will lead Storm to a happy and successful life.

Gender neutral parenting could also be handled in a less extreme way.

For instance, exposing children to all types of conventionally gendered toys, colors, and life experiences. This does not mean a parent should take away a daughter’s barbie dolls, or a sons toy truck just because it is gender stereotyped, but to allow them to select any and enjoy toys for themselves.

Although this progression is meant for the best, there are also some disapproving opinions on the newfound course of parenting.

Even though gender neutrality can be beneficial it can also become difficult.

In some cases it could be confusing for the children. Parents sheltering their children from gender all together can leave kids unaware of the existing sexes, causing confusion to the kids — they’re left wondering who they really are. So, exposure to gender differences can be a vital resource at a younger age. Too, there will always come a time where gender stereotypes will be pressured upon kids, especially individuals entering school, which becomes the reason to inform them.

The point of gender neutrality is to allow children the freedom of self expression. Pushing it upon them would defeat the purpose. They should not become stereotyped as “gender neutral children,” but be allowed to experience both genders, allowing them to express what we all have in common, being human.

Without guidelines or restrictions on gender stereotypes, children are given the chance to express who they really are, all while becoming familiar with the opposite gender. Allowing children this sort of exposure is proven to broaden their views and interests in general, giving them the freedom of choice and creativity they inhabit.

Humanity is an ambiguous term in general. To understand ourselves we have to understand our surroundings as well. Gender neutrality is providing parents with an opportunity to raise their children in a new way, which could possibly be beneficial with accomplishments. But without the correct judgement parents could be dealt an unfortunate gamble; the choice is to understand the child for who they could potentially be or to lead one into a future of endeavor and misguidance.

FEATURE

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FIT

“ TA L E S F R O M T H E B A C K R O W ” :

AMY ODELL OPENS UP ABOUT HER NOT SO FASHIONABLE FASHION CAREER

BY KAYLEE DENMEAD

PHOTO COURTESY: JEANSTORIES.COM

“ODELL IS NOT JUST A ROLE MODEL, BUT ALSO A BEST FRIEND. IN HER BOOK, “TALES FROM THE BACK ROW,” SHE IS WITTY, HONEST AND FUNNY.”

For those of us who haven’t been following fashion week minute by minute (me) or those who don’t understand the expensive green juice trend (also me), author and editor of Cosmopolitan.com Amy Odell is not just a role model, but also a best friend.

In her book, “Tales from the Back Row,” she is witty, honest and funny. She opts out of glamorizing her life in the fashion industry because, to put it plainly, it just isn’t always glamorous.

At her book launch on September 9th, at the Powerhouse Arena (which is a book store and not, in fact, a sporting arena) in Dumbo, Odell was engaged in conversation with Christene Barberich, the editor-in-chief of Refinery29.

Together they talked about technology, social media, celebrities and advice for the aspiring girls and boys in the audience who hoped to also make a name for themselves in what Odell calls, “Fashion with a capital F.”

I opened up the book on my subway ride back to the UES, both curious to start and eager for something to distract me from the subway hole of heat. On the back cover of the novel, Chelsea Handler describes the book as, “Hilarious, insightful and smart. A must-read for anyone who wears clothes.” I wear clothes and I hope to work in an industry that focuses on them, so clearly I had the right book in my hands. Handler and Odell also share three margaritas during a lunch interview somewhere in the midst of the pages of the novel, and if you’re me, you again find yourself thinking, I can relate. Odell has somehow maintained the normality of herself and her life, something that most people in this industry lose sight of. She flaunts that she has always wanted to be a journalist, not a blogger, that her first true love of fashion came from Project Runway and that except for a few, rare moments in her life, photographers still don’t want to photograph her at events. She is not a star, a celebrity or an employee at Vogue (though she did give it her best during an interview- see chapter five).

After both seeing her book launch conversation and reading her book, it is clear that Odell’s humor is not for everyone. If you see yourself as a top blogger based on your Instagram likes, she may rub you the wrong way.

If you can understand why designers put certain looks on the runway immediately and you don’t have to read an article that breaks each one down, then Odell hasn’t really written a novel that will relate to you. She can come across as a bit snarky, her opinions a bit blunt, but overall the critique is positive. She’s worked hard to get this far. In a world of Kardashian fame and love found on the Bachelorette, it’s a refreshing look for the girls and boys who are working their asses off to be in this industry.

PHOTO COURTESY: CLOUDFRONT.NET

Odell moved to the Big Apple from Austin, Texas to study journalism at New York University. She started her career as a party reporter for New York Magazine. This career wasn’t one that she particularly wanted, but rather one that put her on the radar at a big publication. Her book tells of stories interviewing celebrities and attending red carpets. Her hard work paid off and she moved up to become the founding blogger for The Cut, New York Magazine’s fashion blog that began in 2008. In 2012, she moved to BuzzFeed, and the following year she was hired as the editor at Cosmopolitan.com, where she really claimed her place as a fashion journalist.

As with many people in fashion, Odell ping-ponged her way through companies, meeting people and working hard until she wound up somewhere that she wanted (I believe the professors at FIT use the holy word networking to describe this). Just to throw this out there, Odell is only 28 years old. That’s right.

The average, on-track student graduates at the age of 22. In just six years, Odell built an impressive resume and has an even more impressive current job.

Though she’s made a name for herself in her position, she explained to the crowd at the book launch that she “still feels like an outsider, but less confused,” when it comes to Fashion (capital F).

If I’m going to be honest, I think I just made that my #lifegoals for just about everything… less confused and hopefully even close to as successful as Odell.

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SEPTEMBER 2015

IRAN, AND ITS CONTROVE RSIAL NUCLEAR DEAL

BY ALLISON HATCH

PHOTO COURTESY OF: WIKIPEDIA.COM

On July 14, Iran celebrated a new age in geopolitics as the country joined forces with the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany with the signing of a nuclear accord. The deal is seen by some as a historic movement towards greater diplomatic ties among the world powers, while critics believe that it could bring about greater conflict in the Middle East and abroad.

Through the formation of the nuclear agreement, one of the issues the United States hoped most to address was Iran’s enriched uranium program.

Enriched uranium is fundamental to the development of nuclear weapons.

With the expansion of their nuclear program in the 1960’s, Iran signed the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty, which the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs said works “to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.” Controversies have arisen in the past with Iran’s program as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has proposed that Iran may have taken part in covert nuclear activity.

The nuclear deal signed in July looks to address this issue along with its five key settlements: Iran must give up 97% of its enriched uranium; limit its production of enriched uranium; lose two-thirds of its centrifuges that help enrich uranium; allow for inspections of nuclear plants and military sites by the IAEA and the United Nations officials; and in return, the United States, United Nations and the European Union will offer economic relief to Iran by lifting the embargo that has been in place for years and drastically reducing trade sanctions.

“The removal of the economic sanctions will hopefully lead to the normalization of relations with the outside world, and I believe this will be welcomed by many groups and organizations within Iran,” said FIT Social Studies Professor Yasemin Celik Levine.

The lifting of sanctions, according to U.S. News & World Report, is expected to bring over $100 billion in sanction relief to Iran. Meanwhile, Western companies such as Volkswagen and McDonald’s are looking to expanding business ties with a newly-opened Iran marketplace, as the deal will bring about greater economic freedom and spending by Iranians.

Critics of the nuclear deal believe that the newfound relief will not be used to support infrastructure or public works projects, but, according to the Wall Street Journal, could possibly be funneled into the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah or the authoritarian Assad regime in Syria. Others feel that the deal, which extends for the next 15 years, may be only a temporary effort by Iran to halt its nuclear program, and they also question the depth and frequency of IAEA investigations.

Opposers of the deal believe that, rather than loosening the economic sanctions placed on Iran, the United States could have strengthened them, forcing the country to completely dismantle its nuclear enrichment program.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the deal a “historic mistake,” as he and many other Israelis and critics, believe that the accord will only further Iran’s interests in developing a nuclear bomb. Iran and Israel have had contentions in the past, with many Israelis fearing that the future money acquired by Iran will be used to fund terrorist efforts against Israel. While some have likened the deal to further exasperating the relationship between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu, it is expected that the countries will remain allies.

“Israel and the U.S. can disagree about foreign policy actions, but their alliance will remain strong in the long run.

They depend on one another more than they can on any other actor in the region,” professor Celik said.

“ T H E R E M O VA L O F T H E ECONOMIC SANCTIONS W I L L H O P E F U L LY L E A D T O T H E N O R M A L I Z AT I O N

Supporters of the deal believe it will thwart Iran’s attempt at building a nuclear bomb, as the enrichment levels allowed to maintain it are drastically lower than the levels required to build weapons and bombs. Supporters also believe that the deal will serve as an opportunity to rebuild relationships with Iran that were critically damaged in 1979 during the Iranian Revolution. Led by Ayatollah Khomeini, the Revolution denounced all forms of Western culture, particularly American. With the death of Khomeini in 1989, the U.S. and Iran have been slow to develop a formal bond of trust. In 2013, however, when the moderate Hassan Rouhani won the Iranian presidency, he made it a priority to lift the economic sanctions of the U.S. and Western countries and organizations off of Iran. The nuclear accord marks a significant milestone in Iranian foreign policy, as Iranian citizens will once again be exposed to Western culture at a greater scale since before the 1979 revolution. Despite the new influx of businesses, the theocratic government will likely limit the extent of Western influence on the country.

O F R E L AT I O N S W I T H TH E OUTS I DE WO RLD, AND I BELIEVE THIS W I L L B E W E LCO M E D

BY MANY GROUPS AND

“The removal of sanctions will bring more Western companies to Iran so we may see more of an appropriation of Western music and consumer brands among the young. Iran, however, will remain as its name says, an Islamic Republic with strongly religious institutions,” Celik added.

O R G A N I Z AT I O N S W I T H I N I R A N ,” While the deal was signed in accordance with Iran and other nations on July 14th, it was not officially approved by the United States until Sept. 10th.

The Republicans in Congress, who oppose the nuclear deal, set forth a resolution to block its passing. The Senate Republicans were two votes short of the 60 required to present a disapproval resolution for Obama to oversee. Similar to the controversial healthcare law enacted previously during his administration, Obama was able to proceed with the deal without the support of any single Republican member of Congress. The nuclear deal has further intensified the discord between the two parties in both the House and the Senate, while becoming an important determinant for both Democrat and Republican presidential candidates in the 2016 election. The nuclear accord, while straining political relationships domestically, is seen as a historic accord between the United States and Iran.

HAUTE CULTURE

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FIT

GALLERY REVIEW:

29 ROOMS BY REFINERY29

BY DANA HEYWARD

PHOTO COURTESY:REFINERY29 INSTAGRAM New York Fashion Week is often the time where “exclusivity” is the name of the game. The invite-only rule has gotten tighter over the years, and with the discontinuation of Fashion’s Night Out in 2013, there haven’t been many opportunities for the general public to take part in one of New York’s largest annual events. Enter 29 Rooms; a collaborative fun house sprawling with everything from glittery Minnie Mouse ears to technicolor unicorns.

On September 11th and 12th, online newsletter Refinery29 celebrated its ten-year anniversary with a wildly interactive warehouse in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, bringing together all things fashion, art and culture. Unlike many NYFW events, 29 Rooms was open to the public free of charge, and just a short ride on the G train or the East River Ferry from Manhattan. Once inside, lab coat-clad guides with milkmaid braids and eccentric makeup encouraged you to frolic from room-to-room and immerse yourself into each experience as much as humanly possible.

PINELANDS MUSIC

Down a multi-colored fluorescent hallway laid 29 rooms, each dedicated to different theme. Turn into one room and guests might have found themselves in a perfectly-staged teenage bathroom.

This room, designed by artist Petra Collins, had a 90s/Twin Peaks-esque feel to it, complete with a pastel bathtub and wall-to-wall magenta carpeting. Turn into another room and guests could have found themselves dancing with strangers in a glow-in-the dark silent disco while tossing around multi-color feathers that were splayed across the floor.

In addition to working with artists, Refinery29 also collaborated with a variety of brands and companies who sponsored different rooms throughout the space. Two rooms by Nordstrom Rack allowed guests to peek through holes of different doors that revealed Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz-inspired cut-out dioramas. A different room by Fossil encouraged guests to peep through different cabinets and interact with whatever was behind them, whether it be a 60s typewriter or a rotary dial telephone that played poetry on the other end.

BY VICKY MATTHEW

Aside from the amazing food trucks (one of which sold pizza in a cone), however, my desire to trek to south Jersey was due to the festival’s lineup. One of my favorite bands from my teenage years, The Spill Canvas, brought their ten-year anniversary tour to Pinelands and played their album, “One Fell Swoop”, in its entirety. The Spill Canvas may not be the most well known, but their music is consistently true to their aesthetic and never fails to disappoint.

Throughout the day, I came to realize this was the theme of the festival as well; an appreciation for extremely talented underdogs in the everchanging competitive arena that is the music industry.

The festival featured other bands like Hellogoodbye, Vacationer, and the festival headliner, The Early November. When asked to give aspiring artists one piece of advice, Ace Enders, front man of The Early November, said to “Never stop trying to achieve that [dream]. It’s going to be the worst, most painful process at times... be passionate about it, don’t compare yourself to other people and try to get what they’ve got – be you.”

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. When the stages finally close up and the dreamscape disappears, it signifies the inevitable approach of school.

Yet, all who attended the Pinelands Music Festival had the opportunity to subtly learn from watching (some) accomplished musician continue to strive for and do what they love. By allowing their artistry to the shine through, patrons could take away their own version of creativity and spread it further than the fair grounds of Millville, New Jersey.

While there was certainly a different adventure around every corner, some rooms held deeper social purposes rather than a quick Instagram-able moment.

One room titled “Vote for Your Values”, spurred guests to consider the 2016 Presidential Elections and what political issues really matter to them. Another room entitled, “The Youth” was covered with photos of teenagers by photographer Danielle Levitt and looped videos of them openly discussing their thoughts on sex and identity. The mural on the outside of the warehouse was painted by the Lower East Side Girls Club, an organization dedicated to the betterment of young girls through the arts and leadership programs.

For those who follow Refinery29 it’s clear that this project is in-part the brainchild of the site’s eclectic co-founder and creative director, Piera Gelardi. A selfdescribed “visual bric-a-brac”, Gelardi gushed to WGSN on the project simply stating, “I feel like I’m in heaven.”

F E S T I VA L Summer is the prime season for music festivals in New York and New Jersey. The best time of year to wear flower crowns, a la Lana Del Rey, and sun kissed skin completely carefree. While I love the large festivals, like Coachella and Lollapalooza, I was drawn to the Pinelands Music Festival's inaugural show in Millville, NJ.

One of the most dream-like rooms called “Sound in the Cloud” quickly became a fan favorite. The room, curated by Solange Knowles’ record label Saint Records, featured large clouds hung from the ceiling with holes big enough for your head. Once guests had their “head in the clouds” they could jam out to the sounds of various Saint Records artists that played from speakers inside.

“NEVER STOP TRYING TO ACHIEVE THAT [DREAM].

IT’S GOING TO BE THE WORST, MOST PAINFUL PROCESS AT TIMES... BE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT, DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHER PEOPLE AND TRY TO GET WHAT THEY’VE GOT – BE YOU.”

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SEPTEMBER 2015

BOOK REVIEW:

“MODERN ROMANCE”

BY A ZIZ ANSARI

BY MARINA HERBST Have you ever stared blankly at your cell phone, waiting for that signifying ‘ding!’ from a new text message, only to be disappointed hours later when it never came? Or do you secretly wonder how many people are swiping left on your picture instead of right? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Dating in the 21st century is no longer as simple as throwing on your favorite LBD and going to a bar.

In “Modern Romance,” comedian and “Parks and Rec” actor, Aziz Ansari set out to demystify the confounding world of online dating and the stresses of daily life.

For his book, Ansari recruited Eric Klinenberg, a Sociology professor at New York University, whose previous book “Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone” makes him a reputable dating authority.

The two authors interviewed hundreds of people in New York, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Paris and Doha, set up a discussion forum on Reddit, researched books on human behavior, sociology and psychology and held focus groups in all of the countries they traveled to.

All of the research resulted in a hybrid of statistics, advice, surprising facts and unfiltered comedy, that would entertain a reader who has or is experiencing the new dating scene.

The book highlights how it is both funny and sad to see how much people suffer when it comes to dating. Whether it’s just sending a text to say 'hello', or how difficult it’s become for someone from a small community to meet people that their friends haven’t already dated.

Aziz Ansari’s “Modern Romance” perfectly exposes how utterly mortifying modern-romance can be; yet, it is something we are all fighting (and suffering) for, and that is the bigger message. We are all in it together, so sit tight and relax — it’ll continue to be a hell of a ride.

“ME, EARL, AND THE DYING GIRL” FILM REVIEW

BY DAN NISSIM

What first appears to be a film about a girl with cancer and her awkward “friend,” “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” is really about Greg’s transformation — his facing the scary world. Through this tale of misadventures, Greg is forced to brave the jungle that is high school and even plan for college — a more uncertain future.

PHOTO COURTESY: WIRED.COM Going to the movies can be a magical experience. They can amaze you, leave you hanging on the edge of your seat, have you laughing hysterically or keep you up all night. However, a movie is truly special when it makes you feel something — as if some mystery of the universe has just been revealed. For me, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” hit this mark.

The protagonist of the film, Greg (Thomas Mann), has lived a carefully planned life of non-interference. He’s reached his senior year without conflict or drama, because he doesn’t align himself with any one social circle (jocks, geeks, etc.). His life of casual interactions is ruined when his mom forces him to hang out with Rachel (Olivia Cooke), a girl recently diagnosed with leukemia - there’s nothing quite like Jewish guilt, right?

Even though Greg grudgingly takes on this task, his time with Rachel changes his life, with some messy bits along the way.

One of the best aspects of the film is its ode to the great auteurs. Greg and Earl (RJ Cyler), his “coworker” (but really his only friend), are filmmakers. No, they don’t produce meaningful films that push the boundaries of the medium — they make parodies. There’s “Senior Citizen Kane” a take-off on Orson Welles’ famous work. “A Sockwork Orange” is not to be confused with Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange,” which appeared to be some sort of sock puppet film with orange juice.

My favorite, however, was “A Box O’Lips, Wow” (based on “Apocalypse Now”) — the tale of an American soldier in the Vietnam War who happens upon a box of tulips, but loses them. Such beauty lost.

Coming out of the theater, I felt a catharsis of sorts. I laughed, I cringed and I cried (just a bit). Having read the book on which the film is based, I was pleasantly surprised that this was a rare instance in which the film was much better. This adaptation adjusts certain elements of the story, but overall I found it improved the dynamic of the main cast.

The book focused too much on Greg.

While he narrates both the film and the book, the film’s story does not feel as if it is guided by him. Furthermore, the movie better illustrates not only the effect Rachel has on Greg, but also the effect Greg has on Rachel.

I recommend this film, but I fear that it is at the end of its run. Don’t fret, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” will be released on Blu-Ray and DVD on October 6th.

MY SCORE: 5/5

HAUTE CULTURE

18

MUSIC REVIEW:

“M3LL155X”

BY FKA TWIGS

FIT

R E S TA U R A N T R E V I E W :

DIMES

BY DANA HEYWARD

Over the past few years, FKA twigs, the 27 year-old British songstress, has come under the limelight for her unwavering artistry and vision that’s nearly impossible to fully define. In the more recent months her private life has become closely analyzed due to her engagement to actor Robert FKA TWIGS CAME INTO Pattison. She’s THE MUSIC WORLD proves that PUSHING BOUNDARIES her powerful WITH HER AVANTmusic remains GARDE SOUNDS AND unaffected EYE-CATCHING VISION by tabloid AND WITH THIS LATEST headlines with EFFORT SHE SHOWS NO her latest EP, SIGNS OF STOPPING. “M3LL155X”.

Released in a Beyoncé-like fashion, “M3LL155X” (pronounced “Melissa”) dropped on August 17th along with a surprising 16-minute continuous video, directed

by FKA twigs herself, looping in four of the five songs from the EP. The visual aspect from artist’s third EP packs a lot of twists including a blow up doll, a tattooed Michèle Lamy, a pregnant twigs and a voguing ball. Both the video and songs take viewers on a quick journey in FKA twigs’ evocative, intricate and challenging world.

Twigs dedicated the EP’s opening track “Figure 8” to the voguing ball culture she is known to admire. In the track the sultry artist, who is all about honing sexuality, admits she learned about her own femininity from boys. “Boys growing boys, growing girls into women/ Teach me how to live life like I’m not a singer,” she sings as the beat amplifies and distorts over layers of instrumentation.

In the BOOTS produced track, “I’m Your Doll” the singer forgoes all subtlety and plays into the male fantasy. She claims to have written the song when she was just 18-years-old. “I’m your doll, dress me up/I’m your doll, love me rough,” the singer coos in a lullaby-like manner. In the accompanying video you see twigs playing a more submissive role with the body of a blowup doll lying beneath her male suitor.

BY DANA HEYWARD

“In Time” is one of the standout tracks of the EP sounding the most radioworthy, blending R&B and pop themes. It’s not as exploratory as other tracks from twigs, making the song sound more complete. Whereas “Glass & Patron” goes back to her trademark writhing experimental beats and plays as a mellow club banger with twigs whispering, “Now hold that pose for me” throughout.

FKA twigs came into the music world pushing boundaries with her avant-garde sounds and eye-catching vision and with this latest effort she shows no signs of stopping. The most memorable song of the project is easily the final track “Mothercreep”. While the song is not included in the video, it holds strong on it’s own as the tempo eerily transgresses throughout. The singer howls one last “Let me live” before the track abruptly stops leaving the listener wanting more.

For now though, we will have to take what we can get from twigs’ album. Its mix of sultry, techno beats is enough to keep our ears busy for awhile.

PHOTO COURTESY: PITCHFORK.COM

New York City always seems to feel like it’s on this never-ending health kick. From crazes like juicing, Soul Cycle and kale-everything, the city that never sleeps seems to run on gym memberships and Juice Generations in every downtown neighborhood. While the Chinatown eatery Dimes has been dubbed a health spot, it ignores all the health crazes and marches to its own beat — one that has been met with nothing but praise.

Dimes was originally born out of the idea of creating a small juice bar in the New York City area by founders and best friends, Alissa Wagner and Sabrina De Sousa. In 2013, Dimes opened their first eatery on Division Street, nestled between two small grocery stores.

Striding into its second year, Dimes has grown into one of the most popular NYC eateries, and for many of its regular customers, Dimes has become a home away from home.

The Dimes aesthetic brings a little slice of Los Angeles to Chinatown. Their new location on Canal Street, just a few doors down from their old digs, sports a clean design with white-washed walls, custom floral arrangements by Meta Flora, handmade pottery and a cozy seating perfect for small get-togethers with friends. Dimes tends to draw in a younger downtown crowd of artists and musicians on the weekends, but during brunch hours the scene is a healthy and diverse mix of the young and old conversing over eclectic dishes. Longs waits can be expected for seating in the fairly small space, but it is well worth it.

Despite Dimes’ heightened fame, from De Sousa and Wagner’s various features on Vogue.com and Vanity Fair, the food they serve up is indisputably good and relatively inexpensive. While aesthetically pleasing (there’s a good chance you may have swiped past one of their colorful acai bowls on Instagram), their dishes pack plenty of flavor, and are inspired by cuisines from Southeast Asia, Mexico and Italy.

With offerings such as a seared tuna nori wrap with black rice, avocado and pickled lychee, and braised chicken couscous complemented by pomegranate and chermoula, Dimes redefines the health culinary scene in a way that’s artful and fun. Their recent move has also acquired a liquor license allowing for some funky, signature cocktails including the surprisingly tasty Wheatgrass Margarita garnished with a beet slice.

Dimes definitely exudes clean and healthy eating but in no way do they deliver it in a pretentious form. They recognize that not everyone touts an Equinox membership or does detoxes like a sport, and that there’s still people who want to enjoy healthy food in creative, newfound and affordable ways.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIMESNYC.COM TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF GRUBSTREET.COM DIMES, 49 CANAL ST., NEW YORK, NY

W27

SEPTEMBER 2015

19

HUMANS OF FIT

A L E E N A S H A R I F, FINE ARTS MAJOR How does school differ here from home?

“I came here straight after I graduated high school, so I can’t really compare since I’ve never been to college at home and I haven’t gone to high school in America either. I can tell about my friends who go to college back in Pakistan though.

Have there been any major changes in your life recently?

“I guess so...I moved all the way across the world, from Pakistan to New York, for school.”

Was that hard for you?

“Not really, but what’s difficult is seeing how different it is here compared to back at home. What would usually be fine to talk about at home, sometimes offends people here. I find New Yorkers take offense very easily... Living here sometimes feels like everything is upside down, but then I notice how some people are the same no matter where you are.

Everyone back home says that their classmates are still in a high school state of mind. They try to show other people they’re having a good time rather than actually having a good time. Here you do whatever you want, especially in New York! I’ve literally been to class in a tutu and no one said anything. I can’t do that back home. Also all of my friends back home still live with their parents, so they don’t even party (laughs). It’s so sad!”

BY ALLISON HATCH DAN NISSIM MELISSA DEOLIVEIRA

B R I D G E T S TA P L E T O N , FA S H I O N D E S I G N M A J O R Where are you from?

“A town called Brewster, it’s about an hour upstate from here. It’s not that bad but it’s completely different from here. It’s much less liberal than here and a bit backwards.”

What was the saddest moment of your life?

How does school differ here from home? “ At school at home you’re surrounded by the most intolerant people. Everyone is less understanding and less accepting, which is so distracting for a learning environment. The fact that some of my friends couldn't go to school without being afraid. It’s a lot freer here, I just love it. Everyone is very open and less intolerant.”

“I’ve been struggling with diabetes since I was a child, and the other night my blood sugar went dangerously low.

When it was over I sat in my bed and uncomfortably cried for an hour. I was alone and there was no one there to calm me down. I couldn’t help thinking how awful it would be if I were to die alone with people I hardly know around me. “

What’s the happiest moment of your life?

The happiest moment?

“I don’t know if I have one moment that stands out. The happiest time of my life is now, this period. Being here in school, it’s good vibes all around. It’s amazing having the freedom to basically do anything, getting to just be with my friends, and having the world outside my door. So I’d say this expanse of time right now, I’m my happiest.”

“ Every friday at 12 p.m. I take five minutes out of my day to enjoy the good things that happened to me that week.

It’s super lame but that’s always when I’m at my happiest.”

J O Y C E F U R U YA , F A S H I O N MERCHANDISING MAJOR How did school at home differ from school here? “ Well, the culture here is a shift from what I’m used to. A lot of people here are very competitive and I’m not used to that.

Although I don’t think where I’m from has to do with how I feel towards this type of culture. It’s fashion school and we didn’t pick a stale industry to work in, so we have to be more competitive.

But you guys do have different types of holidays from what I’m used to at home.

We don’t have a big Jewish community and obviously we honor a few Hawaiian monarchy holidays.”

Where are you from?

What’s the happiest moment of your life?

“I was born and raised in Hawaii on the island of O’ahu. My home is beautiful, like mind blowingly beautiful. There are beaches with clear water, beautiful reefs, great urban life, and lush rain forests.

I mean, we also have our bad spots and neighborhoods like any other place, but over all it truly is paradise. But the best thing about Hawaii has to be the people that live there, they’re genuinely so kind and welcoming. That’s the true beauty of my home.”

“This is an extremely hard question. I have many happy moments, so it’s so hard to choose just one. I guess it had to be when I accepted Jesus into my life. If you’re religious, you’d understand how wonderful it is to open yourself up to the glory of God. But for me, it helped patch things up with my parents, grow closer to my family, and appreciate the people I care about. That moment also helped me find wonderful friends and helped me grow closer to them. From that moment on, my life just became way better.”

The saddest?

“This is also a difficult question for me.

I mean so many unfortunate things have happened in my and my family’s life. I guess I’m going to choose my first moment at F.I.T. It wasn’t the school’s or anyone else’s fault, (laughs). I just really missed home, my family, my friends and my boyfriend. It’s weird and scary to be so far away from everything I’m used to. Not seeing their faces everyday, not sleeping in your bed, really cold winters…. it’s just a different world for me and I felt lonely. Making friends was also very hard, because this is an entirely new culture. I wasn’t into all the things that other people liked. I’m still getting used to it, but after that first month things got a lot better.”

HAUTE CULTURE

TO FIT OR

20

FIT

NOT TO FIT-IN

BY AARON VALENTIC

ADMIT

IT. Every student at FIT has been sub-

ject to this very conversation: you have just been accepted into fashion school, and you’re ready to get your career going, when to your surprise, those around you simply cannot wait for you to make them a dress. Yes, your charming yet naïve aunt and uncle, teachers, peers and so forth want to be the first for you to design them an outfit. Surely, all of your business and academic studies go right out the window when the idea of creating someone something of their own comes into play.

As an institution within the fashion industry, FIT has been home to some of the greatest and most creative minds.

Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera, Candy Pratts-Price and Brian Atwood have all walked these corridors and sat in our seats to study the same things that we all are learning right now. The idea of reaching the level of the Kleins and the Herreras of the fashion world remain as a daunting and sometimes terrifying task.

“JUST BECAUSE YOU GO TO ONE OF THE TOP FASHION SCHOOLS DOESN’T MEAN YOU NEED TO WORK IN FASHION. YOU SHOULD EXPLORE AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOU TRULY CAN BRANCH OUT AND DISCOVER OTHER INTERESTS YOU NEVER THOUGHT WOULD BE PLAUSIBLE.”

I came to New York to be in this industry and to immerse myself in fashion with some of it’s greatest talents. Like the rest of the wannabee Anna Wintours and Karl Lagerfelds, I fawned over and adored any magazine, book and article of clothing pertaining to the industry, which gave me a rush of euphoria and the idea that I am somehow one-step closer to achieving what I came here to do.

That all changed when I worked with a real-life Miranda Priestly. Although she was not an editor, she was a stylist for multiple high-end fashion magazines in the city. She worked with a few major talents along the way, including her seemingly endless rolodex of high-profile friends within the industry. What started as eagerness to do something new for the summer quickly shifted to loathing, rage and pure hunger. Over the three ten-hour days I worked with her, I had barely any time to eat more than a Nutrigrain bar.

On my third day working with this stylist, it was time for a photo-shoot. In the past I was the right-hand man to assistants and was able to get up-close and personal with the models which, at first, felt like I had a real sense of purpose. Unfortunately, this time, I sat and stared at a wall of garments for 12 hours. I even witnessed the stylist shoot the same outfit over and over and over again for four hours straight. By the end of the shoot, tempers flared between the stylist and myself, causing a bag of lingerie to be thrown. She forced me to stay until after ten at night to sift through garment bags, simply because she felt I didn’t do a good job.

An hour later, I made it home. After not eating for so long, I savored a McDonald’s Chicken Select meal as if it were a Thanksgiving feast. I emailed the stylist saying I was unable to return. After this horrible experience, I questioned every decision I made in the past year. Did I want to continue in fashion? Do I want to only call in samples for photo shoots for the rest of my life? Do I really want to spend my time in a hostile environment?

Quickly, a lot of my answers simply became “no.” It was one of the first times in my life I actually enjoyed saying it.

With the help of friends and confidantes, I wanted input on where I should continue my career path. To my surprise, many of those close to me felt that I should make the jump into book publishing. After applying to nearly forty different internships, I emailed Rizzoli Publications and to my surprise, they wanted to meet with me. Two weeks later, I secured a spot as an editorial intern for the famous Italian publishing company.

Just because you go to one of the top fashion schools doesn’t mean you need to work in fashion. You should explore and understand that you truly can branch out and discover other interests you never thought would be plausible. A school like FIT can be incredibly intimidating because there are so many chic and effortless looking people who seem to be gliding through life without a care or a worry about what their career might entail. That being said, it doesn’t hurt to try new things and experience the world that is New York City. Dive headfirst into what interests you. For years, I had imagined myself as a younger Anna Wintour, wanting to dominate the fashion industry. Now, who knows what the world has in store for me — maybe the next Truman Capote? Only time will tell.

W27

21

TEXAS TEEN GOES FROM THE BIG HOUSE TO THE WHITE HOUSE

SEPTEMBER 2015

PHOTO COURTESY:DALLASNEWS.COM

BY DARA KENIGSBERG

Ahmed Mohamed, 14, of Irving, Texas, is not a criminal. He does not know how to make a bomb nor does he want to. He is simply a curious teenager interested in gadgets and built a homemade clock.

Proud of his invention, he made the mistake of bringing it to school to show his friends and engineering teacher, only to be arrested for it and is now at the center of a national controversy.

New to MacArthur High, the 9th grader “has a talent for tinkering – he constructs his own radios and once made a Bluetooth speaker as a gift for his friend – and he wanted to show his new teachers what he could do,” according to the Washington Post. On Monday, September 14th, he went to school with his homemade digital clock, which he built with a power supply, digital display, small circuit board and small metal case decorated with a tiger hologram. It took him 20 minutes to put together the night before. He showed his engineering teacher who said that it was really nice but advised him not to show it to any other teachers. However, when the clock started to beep during his English class, his teacher asked to see it. She told the teen that it looked like a bomb, to which he responded, “It doesn’t look like a bomb to me.”

The clock was confiscated and authorities were notified, unbeknownst to Mohamed, who continued to go about his school day. But in his sixth period, he was pulled out of class by the principal and a police officer. He was questioned and interrogated, his stuff was searched and they took his tablet along with his invention. Five different officers asked him why he had been trying to build a bomb and his principal threatened to expel him.

Mohamed was taken to police headquarters, handcuffed and fingerprinted. He told MSNBC that, “I felt like a criminal, I felt like I was a terrorist.

I felt like all of the names I was called,” explaining that in middle school he was taunted because of his race and religion, and called a terrorist and a bomb maker.

During questioning, officers repeatedly brought up his last name (his family is from Sudan and is Muslim). When he tried to call his father, Mohamed was told he couldn’t speak to his parents until after the interrogation was over. They asked if he had “plastic explosives,” according to the Washington Post.

Mohamed, who was arrested on the charge of bringing a ‘hoax bomb’ to school, was released into his parent’s custody after an hour and a half of questioning. According to a police report, “three teachers from MacArthur High School were listed as complainants against Ahmed — they all thought he’d been trying to build a bomb. When the object was presented to him during questioning, a statement from the police explains that Ahmed ‘kept maintaining it was a clock’ and ‘offered no broader explanation.’ The same police statement points out that the clock “could reasonably be mistaken as a device if left in a bathroom or under a car’,” according to Gizmodo.com. Though the charges have since been dropped, Mohamed was suspended from school for three days.

Would the school and the police have reacted in the same way had Mohamed been a white teenager named Matt?

His father, along with many in their community, doesn’t think so. Ahmed’s father blamed it on Islamophobia, telling the Dallas Morning News that “Because his name is Mohamed and because of September 11th, I think my son got mistreated.”

This sentiment has been echoed across the country and the story garnered national attention. Within two days of the incident, #IStandWithMohamed began trending on social media as support for the teen began pouring in. Suddenly, he was at the forefront of a social media whirlwind that even the President could not ignore. According to the New York Times, “Cool clock, Ahmed,” President Obama said on Twitter, “Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It’s what makes America great.” Mr. Obama’s staff invited Ahmed to the White House for Astronomy Night on Oct. 19, an event bringing together scientists, engineers, astronauts, teachers and students to spend a night stargazing from the South Lawn.”

He also received support from Hillary Clinton and Marc Zuckerberg, along with celebrities like Aziz Ansari, Janelle Monae and Questlove from The Roots.

He was invited to be a VIP at Google’s Science Fair, during which he visited the finalist’s booths and mingled with other students. Twitter even asked if he wanted a job as an intern.

In a blog post, editor-in-chief of Scientific American and head judge of the science fair, Marietta DiChristina wrote, “It's imperative for us to support and encourage our young people to explore and challenge the world around them through scientific discovery. Which is why we're especially glad that Ahmed Mohamed ... took us up on our invite to attend this year's event. Curious young scientists, inventors and builders like him should be encouraged and empowered.”

Not everyone feels the same way. Various conservative websites suggested that Mohamed and his family don’t belong here, directing racial epithets at the teen.

In a statement to NBC, Lesley Weaver, the spokeswoman for the Irving Independent School District wrote, “We always ask our students and staff to immediately report if they observe any suspicious items and/ or suspicious behavior… We will always take necessary precautions to protect our students and keep our school community as safe as possible.” However, it is school protocol to evacuate the building if a bomb is thought to be on the premises, so why didn’t that happen? And if they knew it wasn’t a real bomb, then why were the police called? These are just a few of the many questions surrounding this case, yet Irving Police Chief Larry Boyd has held steadfast in his decision to detain and arrest Mohammed.

Mohamed decided not to return to MacArthur High and is looking towards the future. According to the New York Times, “Before mentioning that he would love to present his inventions to celebrity investors on the ‘Shark Tank’ television show, Ahmed was asked if he had any message for other young gadget-builders.

‘Go for it,’ he said, ‘Don’t let people change who you are’.”

“WOULD THE SCHOOL AND THE POLICE HAVE REACTED IN THE SAME WAY HAD MOHAMED BEEN A WHITE TEENAGER NAMED MATT?“

MONTH IN REVIEW

22

FIT

BREAKING BORDERS

BY KAYLEE DENMEAD

PHOTO COURTESY: TODAYONLINE.COM

After years and years of problems in the Middle East, it took one photo of a young boy’s body washed up on shore to produce a sudden and quick response to refugees seeking asylum. Though this wasn’t the first time this occurred, the pairing of the photo and the desperation of refugees stuck in the middle of growing unrest sparked change. With conflicts at an all time high between Syria and Afghanistan, more and more people are fleeing the country in search of safety across borders.

“MORE THAN 2600 M I G R A N T S H AV E DROWNED IN THE MEDITERRANEAN TRYING TO RE ACH G R E E C E O R I TA LY. THE NEED TO GET TO SA F ET Y I S FA R HIGHER THAN THE WILL TO STICK IT OUT IN SYRIA FOR MANY MIGRANTS”

Just this year, BBC stated that more than 2600 migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean trying to reach Greece or Italy. The need to get to safety is far higher than the will to stick it out in Syria for many migrants. Also this year 230,000 refugees have arrived in Greece and about 115,000 have arrived in Italy, with more coming to Spain. Now that Germany and Austria have opened their borders, this number will increase by thousands. The travel is perilous. Many refugees who are so desperate to live that they are leaving their home, instead face death due to boats capsizing in the sea or by suffocating in cars and trucks crossing borders.

Migrants pay thousands of dollars to get to this freedom and the travel is not easy. Small inflatable rafts, also known as dinghies, can be seen pushing off the coast of Turkey, often with far too many people inside. Though the lucky are often picked up by coastguard boats, most face the strength of the sea in a raft designed for tourism. When they reach the beaches of Greece where they often land, migrants can be seen falling to the earth, grateful to have made it after sitting extremely still for hours upon hours not to capsize the boat. The journey seldom ends there.

Whether it is a train, bus or truck waiting for them, they overcrowd again to travel elsewhere, often to Austria, Germany or Italy, in hopes of a safer life. In these countries, migrants sleeping near train stations or nestling under trees with donated blankets are a normal sight.

The new refugee centers in Germany and Austria are quickly becoming filled with migrants. They wait for hours to be registered, seen by makeshift doctors and shown to temporary housing areas. Though these EU countries are doing what they can, the struggle to accommodate everyone is very high.

Germany, Italy and Austria are hoping that other EU countries will help them to handle the situation. The United States is one of the newest to step up to the plate.

Officials have stated that next year between 5000 and 8000 Syrian refugees will be welcomed into the United States.

It was just released that in 2017 the US hopes to let in 100,000 refugees. As of June, the United States took in less than 1000 Syrians, but that isn’t to say the country isn’t playing its part in helping. 4 billion dollars has been donated to aid the Syrian refugees with relocation. Though the United States would like to work with Syria to make it a safe environment once again, it is a hope easier said than done.

Though resources in many European countries are being used rapidly in the aid of refugees, the countries are still doing all they can to help. The acceptance of hundreds of thousands of Syrians is a step towards providing them with a better life. By opening up their borders, they are saving people who are desperate for safety. It’s not going to be an easily resolved process, but the countries must start somewhere.

W27

23

SEPTEMBER 2015

BY DANA HEYWARD “Stop the glorification of busy.” I remember coming across this quote while perusing online a few months ago. My initial response was: “How could being busy be glorified?” Not too long after I scrolled past one of those, “You have as many hours in the day as Beyoncé” inspirational memes and I thought, “That’s how.” But I realized the idea is so much more than overused inspirational quotes, and I wanted to dig deeper into why being busy means so much to us.

For some reason, it seems like we measure and equate our importance with how many hours we’ve filled up in our day. While speaking with a former boss, I asked if she was busy and she responded coldly with, “I’m always busy,” and then proceeded to wreck my soul with an even colder glare. It’s statements like that from people with power and success I feel have become embedded in us as a societal rule; busy equals success. Even articles that follow top CEOs from the morning they wake up to the moment they go to sleep make it seem like they barely have a second in the day to digest or even breathe.

There are plenty of people that allow being busy to play as a scapegoat to avoid and forgo plans. I know every now and then I like to use the “busy” excuse to cop out of plans because no one argues with busy. It’s quick, you don’t have to get into details (but you probably will), and everyone gets it. But sometimes people even use being busy to avoid acknowledging other things in their lives.

It’s as if filling up our time with other voluntary tasks fills the void of other, less “glamorous” things going on in our lives. We become so involved with our obligations that any free moment in the day fills us with an odd sense of guilt.

I think a lot of us are guilty of running down our to-do lists to just about anyone who will listen every now and then. As if essentially boasting about how little time we have is some sort of self-validation of our worthiness. Moreover, I’m sure we’ve even all come across those fellow FIT classmates, who are working, interning, taking the maximum credits, whilst having a social life somewhere in between (or maybe you are that very classmate).

I’ve even come across people who competitively talk about how many classes they’re taking each semester as if it were a sport. Some would argue those people are just overachievers while others might just say that’s just a typical FIT student. But then we know those people who always seem to have free time and we tend to look at them with envy even though we know good and well with a little push we could probably be just like them.

PHOTO COURTESY: THE TAABLE

Nevertheless, at the end of the day I feel that there’s nothing wrong with being busy and there’s nothing wrong with not being busy. Some people thrive off of always having something to do, while others may take pride in being able to squeeze in a nap every day. It’s important, especially for our generation, knowing that there is nothing wrong with pressing pause on your life once in a while.

Always being busy may just allow life to pass you by. Simple things like swapping out that work meeting for lunch with a old friend or skipping that study session for an outing with family, or even just carving out some “me time” are steps in finding a healthy equilibrium.

Productivity can be addicting but there’s value in being able to find a balance and tapping back into that little thing called your peace of mind.

HAUTE CULTURE

24

FIT

STYLE ON 27 W H AT I S Y O U R G O -T O P I E C E F O R F A L L? W H AT W A S Y O U R F A S H I O N F A U X P A S O V E R T H E S U M M E R ?

MARCELLO MARTINEZ INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND MARKETING

INES LOPEZ FINE ARTS

ANGELA FU - FMM

Pants: Pacson Shirt: H&M

My go to piece is velvet floral flare pants because I want to feel like a hippie goddess.

My go to piece for fall is my leather jacket because it completes my look.

DIANA KASPER AMC Dress: BCBG from Lord and Taylor Shoes: Forever 21 My go to piece for the fall is the Christian Louboutin new simple pump in nude because of their simple elegance and versatility My fashion faux pas over the summer was my favorite little black dress which was ripped up the back and I had no idea!

STEFANIE CALLENDER AMC

My fashion faux pas are platform briken lookalikes because I wear them when I’m lazy as an alternative to flip flops.

My fashion faux pas was trying to model a big shirt that didn't fit me well so it looked weird.

Shirt: Zara Shorts: Topman Shoes: Prada Bag: Louis Vuitton My go to piece for fall is my black cable knit sweater from Oak. Over the summer a button popped off of a pair of grey Rag and Bone shorts I was wearing. Apparently I'm not as skinny as I used to be.

Romper: FIT Flea Market Shoes: Charlotte Rousse My go to piece is my oversized muffler and cardi because I can just throw them together for a casual and comfy look.

My fashion faux pas over the summer was buying a sheer maxi dress without an attachable slip.

MELISSA DEOLIVEIRA COMMUNICATION DESIGN

Dress: Cooperative at Urban Outfitters Shoes: Topshop

MINGGY SONG INTERIOR DESIGN

DADRYANN LEE-MORRIS COMMUNICATION DESIGN

Shirt: 80's Vintage Skirt: Gap Shoes: Kohls

Top and Pants: Uniqlo Shoes: Gap Bag: Herschel

Dress: Vince Camuto Jacket: Levis Booties: Zara

My go to piece is neutral toned ankle boots to coordinate with every outfit with a 70's vibe.

My go to piece is my leather moto jacket because it matches all my white shirts and it's badass.

Must Have for fall is my lime crime red lipstick.

My fashion faux pas was wearing bathing suits all the time even when not at the beach/pool.

My fashion faux pas was my Hawaiian dad shirt because I was mistaken for a Trader Joes employee.

My fashion faux pas was wearing parachute shorts.