W27 Spring 2021: A Year of Reflection

A YEAR OF REFLECTION

Spring 2021

Issue 01

W27

Editor in Chief and President

A Letter From The Editor

Charlotte Spaid

Assistant Editor in Chief and Vice President Prerna Chaudhary

Art Directors Kathleen Nolan Jennie Keating

Social Media Manager Lonnie Brown

Graphic Designers Claire Jung Donna Hellberg Robyn Lemieux Alejandra Batista Ethan Sawyer Raelen Todd Jake Valliere

Contributors

Charlotte Spaid Prerna Chaudhary Isabella Sottile Lianne Iran Lonnie Brown Claire Jung Lauren Hudson Jennifer Poon Maral Gankhuyag Pamela Valdez Kelly Reed Raelen Todd Abigail Zwirecki Shelby Silva Ashley Lawson Brenden John

Truly, what a bizarre year it has been for us all, might I even say sort of like an episode of the Twilight Zone. But with each bit of strangeness, there are pieces of hope, and pieces of joy. At this moment, we are living at a peak time in history, quite an odd thing to put on your brain. But as such a time as this, we must use our voices, we must all come together and rise up with hope. In these pages beyond me, contain stories, moments to reflect, pieces to relate, but most importantly, a virtual community for you. Oh, how I wish I could hand out a freshly printed newspaper to you all; I have hopes for our futures, but for now, may this issue grace you with warmth, community and revelation.

This W27 Newspaper wouldn’t be able to exist without my wonderful team of writers, artists, graphic designers, and editors. To all of my graphic designers, thank you for working so hard with us, I have immense gratitude for you all! This newspaper is a vessel for the voices of FIT. It’s been a dream and such hard accomplished work to make this all happen. I would also like to say a special thank you to my Assistant Editor in Chief, Vice President, and creator of our newly W27 Podcast, Prerna Chaudhary, my right-hand gal. This amazing issue wouldn’t be possible without my beloved team.

Thank you all for supporting us!

Sincerely,

Art Contributors

Ashley Vargas Amanda Kahn Donna Hellberg Natalie Grace Schindler Prenz Deone Tupaz Thomas Minnick Alexandra Winters Jake Valliere Jessica Bozzello Kaili Woop Kevin Flores Del Villar Medina Alisultanova Rachel Teperman Rukaiah El

Charlotte Spaid

Editor in Chief and President

Faculty Editorial Advisors Ellen Davidson Alexandra Mann

Cover

Ashley Vargas (Illustration ‘21) 2

Spring 2021

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FIT - I LOVE YOU!

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BY CHARLOTTE SPAID FINALLY, AN ODE TO WOMEN ARTISTS: THE MET’S RENOVATED OLD MASTERS

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EXHIBIT

BY ISABELLA SOTTILE

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#STOPASIANHATE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

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BY LIANNE IRAN

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BSU GOES “BACK TO THE PRESENT”

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BY LONNIE BROWN STUDENT’S WORK OF ART

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COMING OF AGE THROUGH LARA JEAN: TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE

BY PRERNA CHAUDHARY

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THE NEW YORK (STUDENT) FASHION SHOWS

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BY LAUREN HUDSON

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THE UNBEARABLE CRISIS OF BEING (PERCEIVED)

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BY JENNIFER POON

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RUNWAY SHOW REVIEW: IRIS VAN HERPEN SPRING 2021 COUTURE

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BY MARAL GANKHUYAG

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THE SPACE BETWEEN

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BY CLAIRE JUNG

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LOUNGEWEAR IS THE NEW LUXURY

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BY PAMELA VALDEZ

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LONG LIVE THE CONCRETE JUNGLE

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BY KELLY REED LOUIS VUITTON FALL 2021 MENSWEAR: WEST VS EAST, TOURIST VS PURIST

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BY RAELEN TODD TIM’S FAVS: REVIEWING TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET’S FAVORITE EAST VILLAGE

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CAFES

BY ABIGAIL ZWIRECKI THE MODERN BOSS: NEW AND RADICAL WAYS OF EARNING MONEY FROM

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HOME

BY SHELBY SILVA

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A GUIDE TO LIVING IN NYC DURING A PANDEMIC

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BY ASHLEY LAWSON MY SUMMER IN THE PLANT

BY BRENDEN JOHN

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By Charlotte Spaid (Fashion Business Management, ‘21) Well, it’s been about a year since the Fashion Institute of Technology went “remote”. I’ve come to have a love/hate relationship with this term, remote. Of course, remoteness is needed. But this particular piece stems from a point of a love letter to FIT. I’ll be graduating this spring. Even though this time that has passed since going online has had its ups and downs, I cannot help but give a piece of my heart to a campus I so love and memories I adore.

The warm spring weather now upon us, I think back to what a usual sunny day looked like on our lovely campus. Walking on campus after my morning commute always felt like a mini runway. A beautiful thing about our school was everyone expressed themselves through their artful fashion. I never really had to draw my style or art inspiration from anywhere else but my surroundings at FIT. One may think people at FIT judge you by staring at you, but they’re all looking at your outfit, which I like to think admiringly. I miss people complimenting me on my outfit or I to them, and talking about our recent fashion finds or news. Everyone at FIT knows fashion is an art form, and having this special community to relate to always will hold a place in my heart. Coming from a small town with a confined dress code, FIT allowed me to express myself as freely as I should.

Now, when I am in my virtual classes, sometimes I imagine what it would be like to be sitting there with my classmates in person. To see my fellow classmates’ and professors’ faces. To easily again have intelligent conversations bouncing off of one another. I miss being able to throw on something I thought was cute for my classes. Here at home, usually I have a somewhat stylish comfy outfit. But it’s not the same as everyone appreciating my outfit and I appreciating there’s.

of a community here, seeing the diversity every day!” (Jenna Gardner, Photography ‘21). I had a flood of answers just like Jenna’s.

Part of me recently looked back to being a freshman living on campus. The dorm life was a rather interesting, somewhat tough experience. But the experiences and memories shaped me in the direction I wanted to go in. If I could go back to seeing small me living in New York City for the first time, I would; there would be lots of things I would tell her. But feeling those warm FIT friend memories brings me so much joy. “I never thought I would, but I miss living on campus and being surrounded by friends!” (Gill Mitreuter, Photography ‘21). I too, never imagined I would miss the dorm life, but these days I do find myself reminiscing. In a way, my first year on campus helped grow me into who I am now. As cheesy as that sounds, life would be so different without it. When you decide to move off campus into your own apartment, a piece of you grows onward, and in other ways, we all miss being in the same building with our community.

I had always so loved walking out of class and seeing my friends hanging out on the street. The FIT campus was always particularly a fun one filled with interesting characters. Hanging out with our community, on this small block in the heart of New York City, is something I know we all miss dearly. From sitting on the ledge with our friends, watching people skate by, to being able to join in other’s conversations that you hear. But I hold hope in my heart that we will be able to share this community again. I asked some students what they miss the most, and hanging out with their friends on campus was among the most popular. “Spring campus, turning onto 27th and seeing a packed street, especially when your friends were scattered along the street and you had so many hellos by the time you get to Feldman. Then sitting outside and eating lunch, hearing so many different conversations going on at once and actually feeling like part

FIT carries a certain feeling when you’re on campus, whether in class or with friends. A feeling of adrenaline, of fellowship and of cheerfulness. These people and this special place you cannot receive anywhere else. My first official visit to FIT was an open house in October of 2016. My parents and I had driven through the night after I had cheered at a football game to get to FIT. It was what you call a magical experience indeed, as one would say. Even though everything is different now, I’d like to say that spark is still there. My graduation approaching quickly, I can say we should all be ever so proud of ourselves for not only what we’ve been through but for attempting to maintain the great community FIT has. Though I know most of our hearts belong back on campus, these experiences we had will never be forgotten. It may be rather difficult to look back now, but our community here at FIT is so resilient and truly special. Cheers to us, the community that keeps the bones of our campus lively.

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Finally, An Ode to Women Artists:

By Isabella Sottile (Fashion Business Management, ‘23)

Women’s History Month Feature

The Met’s Renovated Old Masters Exhibit The Metropolitan Museum of Art recently reopened its Old Masters Exhibition after extensive renovation and refurbishment of the galleries. Not only are the galleries themselves renovated, but also the themes of the collection. The Met recognized the need to refocus this collection, from the traditional museum-style of praising one kind of artist — particularly the male artist — to embracing the talents of the female artists of the time. This new version of the collection dedicates a specific portion to women artists. Female Old Masters, or Old Mistresses, typically were honored in a quieter manner. The role of women artists throughout history, especially Western European art history, has been fairly quiet. However, this quietness is not caused by a lack of raw talent from women artists, but rather by a lack of recognition. Tradition left women artists without much formal art education and little recognition for the works they did create compared to their male counterparts.

Historically, women were mostly excluded from the Academies and Salons of Europe where men would go to display their artwork. Linda Nochlin, an American art historian, published an important article in 1971 titled “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” This article details the reasons behind women’s struggle to gain recognition in the arts. Nochlin argues that it is not for lack of greatness or talent that we seem to have a lack of female masters recognized in our museums, but because women were not afforded the same social status as men. Essentially, it is the social structvure of our society that has caused women’s art to be both not as profusely produced and also not as wholly recognized. For example, painting from a nude model, a practice long available to men in society was forbidden for women until the late 19th century.

Even when a woman thought she could dedicate herself to a career in the arts, once married, she was forced to focus on raising and educating her family. There was no time left, nor was it acceptable for her to pursue an art career while maintaining a house. Interestingly, Nochlin even points out that those women artists who do receive fame today were actually all daughters of artists themselves, lending them to a more accessible arts education for them because of their privileged position.

Nochlin, in the end, concluded at her time that there have actually been no “great” women artists as society has defined the word “great” in reference to art — not for lack of talent or untapped artistic genius, but because of society’s traditional structure and its restraint on women pursuing the arts. Though Nochlin’s point seems a dreary one, what we can take away is the necessity for honoring those women in history who did achieve greatness in the arts.

In the Metropolitan Museum’s renovated galleries, women artists such as Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun, Adelaide Labille-Guiard, Marie Denise Villers, Marie Victoire Lemoine and Marie Guillelmine Benoist have rooms dedicated to their works and accomplishments as females in the male-dominated industry of their time. When visiting the renovated exhibit, two of the works which struck me the most were Marie Denise Villers’ “Marie Joséphine Charlotte du Val d’Ognes” (1786–1868) and Marie

Victoire Lemoine’s “The Interior of an Atelier of a Woman Painter” (1789).

Villers’ piece, “Marie Joséphine Charlotte du Val d’Ognes,” depicts a woman sitting by a window, somewhat hunched over a pad of drawing paper resting in her lap. Her sketchbook is held up by one of her hands while her other hand holds a pencil. The woman, thought to be Villers’ sister, is gazing directly at you as you view the painting, almost as if you had just walked in on her working and she has glanced up to see your face. Even more striking and unique to the painting is the broken glass pane of the window behind her. At one time, the painting was actually attributed to Jacques Louis David. Unfortunately, this was a common practice — men receiving the credit for women’s paintings. Today, it is believed to be Villers’ work and is known to have been exhibited at the Salon of 1801 under David’s name.

Marie Denise Villers’ “Marie Joséphine Charlotte du Val d’Ognes” (1786–1868)

The painting by Marie Victoire Lemoine, “The Interior of an Atelier of a Woman Painter,” shows a woman in her studio next to a large painting on an easel and accompanied by another woman sitting in the bottom left corner focused on the artwork of her own. The content of the larger painting resting on the easel is significant because women were typically limited to painting still life and portraiture, but this piece within the painting shows a historical scene. History paintings such as this were labeled inappropriate for women to approach at the time because women were not allowed to study the live nude — a crucial component of the classical training necessary for success in history painting in that day and age. The two women in the piece are believed to be Lemoine and her sister. Completed in 1789, this piece by Lemoine was not exhibited at the Salon until 1796, when rules around women’s exhibition had been advanced and improved upon.

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These are just two of the number works by women recognized in the Metropolitan’s Old Masters galleries, and they exemplify the talent with which women artists could produce paintings to stand alongside the men’s works. Though these works are from centuries past, it is important to realize the struggle which women have endured to produce and exhibit their own works of art.

With the Metropolitan’s recognition and newer more detailed narrative around women in the arts, we can hope that these women’s stories will be told in greater depth in our day and age.

This Women’s History Month let us recognize and tell the stories of women artists of the past and encourage women artists of today by fostering an environment of welcoming and support for their talents.

Marie Victoire Lemoine’s “The Interior of an Atelier of a Woman Painter” (1789)

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Issue 01

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#StopAsianHate What You Need to Know

By Lianne Iran (Advertising, Marketing and Communications, ‘22)

(or 31%) have recorded that they’ve been attacked with racist slurs or jokes with 26% of those people fearing a physical attack on them at some point.

A 61-year-old Filipino-American man slashed in the face riding the L train in New York City.

An 84-year-old Thai man knocked to the ground and dead from his injuries in San Francisco.

As an Asian-American, specifically Filipino-American, living through this pandemic – although much milder than say, acts of violence – I’ve also had a few instances directed at me because of my race. On one instance, when I was just a block away from my home, a person yelled “Ni Hao” directed towards me and my mom in a very derogatory way as I walked past them. I have also had multiple people look at me in a very rude manner while riding the train, almost as if it was in disgust, while they tightened their masks in the process.

A Chinese man robbed at gunpoint in his own home in Oakland.

All of these and many more, documented and undocumented, are just a few of the many Asian-American targeted incidents that have happened over the course of just one week.

This is not the first of these attacks, however. Ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise in Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) targeted crime has been extremely evident as people have made the racially charged assumption that Asians are the cause of the Novel Coronavirus. In fact, the total percentage that they have risen since the beginning of the pandemic is a shocking 1,900%.

Izzy Diaz (AMC, ‘23), a Filipino-American, has also had her own experiences with anti-Asian-American racism since the outbreak of the Coronavirus. “I’ve gotten racist remarks from people who told me that I ‘ate the bat,’ or ‘You’re Asian so you have the Coronavirus’ at the beginning of the pandemic,” she said. “I’m disgusted that the fact that people like this actually exist let alone that the media doesn’t cover this enough.”

Comments from big figures, like former President Donald Trump calling the Coronavirus the “Kung Flu” or the “China Virus,” have been one of the many factors that have instigated these assumptions and added a lot of fuel to the fire for motivating these attacks in the first place.

Comments and microaggressions like the ones that myself and Diaz mentioned that we have gotten throughout the pandemic are usually swept under the rug. As Diaz had mentioned, anti-Asian racism has become a huge problem for the community but also wrongfully normalized, which may be the reason why the media is not covering this issue as much as they should. The racism has shown that Asians remain as perpetual foreigners in the United States.

The weight of the Coronavirus’s impact on the Asian-American community has been a lot for them to carry. According to CNN, ever since the start of the pandemic, nearly a third of Asian-Americans

As of now, most of the kind of coverage that has mainly been spreading about these attacks is mainly due to grassroots social media campaigns and petitions – not as much through mainstream news outlets.

While these social media campaigns have been very successful so far and have gotten the attention of politicians, celebrities and brands, like Nike and Valentino, and is now rapidly spreading, the fact that it has taken so long for people to take this issue into account is very disturbing.

This is exactly the reason why it is important for people to not stay silent on this issue and spread awareness and support Asian Americans as much as they can. Attacks on AAPI’s are getting worse and worse by the day, and it is incredibly important, now more than ever, for you to use your platform and most importantly do not be silent.

The Asian-American community needs as much help as we can from non-Asians if we want change.

SOURCE: ABC

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SOURCE: CNN

“

Here are some of the things that you can do to help:

My race is not a virus.

All we want for our community is for these attacks and the xenophobia against us to stop. ”

“One thing that non-Asians can do to support the Asian-American community is to listen to our stories and to support us through GoFundMes, the AAPI Community fund, #StopAsianHate: Support AA, PayPal and donate to people who’ve lost loved ones through the attacks.” – Angela Valero (FBM, ‘22) “It’s so important to acknowledge our voices and not shut us down or gaslight us saying stuff like “oh why are you sensitive” or “it’s just a joke.” Please also educate those who aren’t familiar with why our community can get offended [by these types of comments].” – Izzy Diaz You can also support your local Asian grocery stores, order from Asian restaurants, support Asian creatives, such as the podcast Self Evident (selfevidentshow.com/@selfevidentshow on IG) and support organizations such as Stop AAPI Hate, (@stopaapihate on Instagram) Asians 4 Anti Racism (@asians4antiracism on Instagram) and Hate Is A Virus (@hateisavirus on Instagram). Check in with your Asian friends and family as well!

In the words of Valero, to my fellow Asian-Americans who have been affected by the outcomes of the virus: “If these [attacks] are taking a toll on you, please take time to relax and give yourself a break!”

Take into consideration some mental health resources as well! Organizations such as the Asian Mental Health Collective (@asianmentalhealthcollective on Instagram) and NAMI are some of the few Asian American mental organizations you can use.

It’s very disheartening to see my Asian American community at the forefront of countless attacks and even more disheartening to see this issue not being taken as seriously as it should be.

My race is not a virus. All we want for our community is for these attacks and the xenophobia against us to stop.

SOURCE: NBC

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BSU GOES “BACK TO THE PRESENT” Lauren “Lonnie” Brown (Advertising, Marketing and Communications, ‘23) It didn’t feel like long ago that I was walking through the glass doors of the Pomerantz center at FIT to see the Black Student Union’s (BSU) installment of “Black In Time,” a showcase of Black history and culture through fashion and artifacts. Even though it only feels that way, so much – some may say too much – has happened in the past year.

The world was forced to take on a digital style of living and to mourn the lives of our loved ones as they lost their battles to COVID-19.

When it seemed like things couldn’t get any worse, America was enraged with the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, only two of many that fell victim to police brutality and injustice.

part, “It encapsulates the entire concept of what ‘Back to the Present’ means.” Each piece reminded me how talented the Black voices are at FIT and how through art their voices are stronger and louder. This exhibit was like a foghorn in a sea of sorrow.

What better way to tell a story than through art? It was hard to forget the traumatizing footage the news replayed as they covered the violence of police brutality and protests. Ward said, “I think we have more of an impact virtually … [it] allowed us to broadcast it to a wider range of people … in-person there’s only a week to view it.” After perusing the exhibit, I scrolled to the comment section. While there was only one, I believe it shows the reach and impact that this exhibit has. It read, “I just wanted to let you know that I will be showing the exhibition to my … high school students in Ontario … students need to see this example of the power of art made and curated with pure intention.” Overall, the trio expressed that it was well-received by their peers and professors.

I wanted to explore the adventure of curating. Since the online environment invited new challenges, Berry, Ward, and Simpson agreed that organization was the key factor in simulating the real-life experience we are all in need of. “I would absolutely do this again,” Berry added, “It was fun to have Ashleigh and Kia alongside me.”

“Back to the Present” isn’t the only endeavor the BSU has pursued since its first exhibit debut. In June 2020, in response to the murder of George Floyd, the BSU hosted “Chalk that Talk’’ where Black artists were invited to create murals on the exterior walls of FIT along Seventh Avenue. During Black History Month, they also hosted a series of virtual “Artists Talks” on topics like pop culture and poetry within the Black community.

By Joshua Villas @ghast.raw from the protests that followed George Floyd’s death

The curation of the BSU’s “Back to the Present” brought forth a new challenge – and a great success. When President of the BSU, Joi Berry (Communication Design, ‘21), along with curators Kia Ward (Textile and Surface Design, ‘21) and Ashleigh Simpson (Fashion Design, ‘23), decided to take on the creation of a virtual exhibit, they put together something that encompasses the beauty, the struggle and Black culture as a whole. The virtual showcase opened on the first day of Black History Month and went on to pull almost 2,000 visitors from across America and different countries. So how does one convey their ideas through a completely digital landscape?

The time and efforts that were put into this exhibit truly shine through in the outcome and reception. Every event the BSU hosts has been in an effort to boost Black stories and history in a positive light, without trying to erase the tribulations of the past. With every event the Black Student Union hosts, I find myself closer to learning more about the Black experience and a growing collection of stories that fall behind it. The BSU has taken on the challenge of educating their non-Black peers, something they didn’t have to do. In exchange, I’d encourage every FIT student, professor and administrator to go check out “Back to the Present.” After all, it’s completely virtual, so there are no excuses!

“There was no excuse not to be organized,” Berry says, “Organization is so crucial when doing something like a virtual exhibition.” She noted that their correspondence with the Exhibition’s Office helped greatly and was glad to partner with them in this endeavor.

To say the least, this has been a very traumatic year especially for the Black community. We’ve been forced to relive trauma that we would have never thought would resurface. “We had a chance to meditate on the impact 2020 had on our lives … by combining all of our experiences into a virtual room,” says Simpson, co-curator and Vice President of the BSU. The exhibit gives you the choice to follow the guide or to “roam” the space freely. “We let our BSU logo take the ‘center,’ and allowed the viewers to determine their stand-out piece.” I decided to take the guided tour and was able to follow a storyline of events and interpretations through meaningful art, poetry and photography. I couldn’t help but think about how from such trauma, reflective and impressive art emerges. I think this is why the protest photographs stood out most to the virtual visitors. Berry mentioned that this was her favorite

By Joi Berry @joidesireeberry from BSU’s “Chalk That Talk”

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Student Work

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Alexandra Winters (Advertising Marketing Communication ‘23)

Kevin Flores Del Villar (Illustration ‘22) Jessica Bozzello (Photography ‘24)

Thomas Minnick (Fine Arts ‘24)

Ashley Vargas (Illustration ‘21) Ashley Vargas is an NYC native and senior within FIT’s Illustration program. She hopes to create children’s books and editorial illustrations after graduation. When working on the cover of this issue, she utilized bright colors and bubbles to express a more hopeful tone for this new year. Ashley hopes to only float upwards as her time at FIT comes to a close.

Instagram @art.ley 10

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Rachel Teperman (Fashion Design ‘21) Prenz Duane Topaz (Illustration ‘23) Kaili Woop (Fine Arts ‘23)

Donna Hellberg (Advertising Marketing Communication ‘22)

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Student Work Spring 2021

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Rukaiah El (Fine Arts ‘22) Natalie Grace Schindler (Photography ‘23)

Medina Alisultanova (Fine Arts ‘21) Amanda Kahn (Fabric Styling ‘21) Jake Valliere (Footwear and Accessory Design ‘21) The What’s Wrong With Weird Zexal 1 Sneaker Mules.

While being home and without the abundance of FIT’s on campus resources it was not easy thinking of how to create a pair of functioning shoes. Without an industrial machine it was difficult to sew leather so I wanted to create something seamless and simple. I also wanted to be sustainable in my material choices while sticking to my design aesthetic. One morning while doing yoga inspiration struck as I pressed my feet down against the mat. I realized that my yoga mat would act as the perfect material to repurpose into a pair of shoes. The seamless aspect was brought to life by making a pair of slip on mules. I then added my What’s Wrong With Weird Logo the WStar to the vamp. And finally lasted the shoes onto a pair of sneaker soles I ripped off of an old pair of shoes. @_cactusjake 12

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By Prerna Chaudhary (Advertising, Marketing and Communications, ‘22)

It was a typical Friday night after school when I was at my friend’s house deciding what teen rom-com to watch. Nickelodeon reruns we were too old for blared in the background when we landed on “The Breakfast Club” – because what could epitomize the American teen experience better than that? John Hughes movies have inspired decades of films, so they certainly have their place in our mental pop culture libraries. But I couldn’t get on board with the characters or their dialogues; they weren’t realistic, relatable or at the very least interesting to me. I didn’t find it funny or entertaining. This is supposed to be iconic? Maybe it was the fact that these movies took place over thirty years ago. Maybe it’s that there was hardly any diversity in the characters. Maybe it’s that the jokes relied on stereotypes, but regardless, this movie was underwhelming.

It was the summer after I finished high school that I watched “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.” Although the movie looks and at times feels like a John Hughes movie, the main character, Lara Jean, is distinctly from her own time and place. After watching it once by myself, preventing any chance of distraction from the movie, I rewatched it the next night, telling my friend “You HAVE to watch this.” I knew after watching this movie just once, how quintessential it would become in my own coming of age American experience.

The movie resonated so strongly with me because of Lara Jean’s unapologetic authenticity and the movies’ intentional and cohesive embodiment of her.

Jenny Han published the first novel in the “To All the Boys” trilogy in 2014. This book was on the New York Times Bestselling list in the Young Adult fiction section for 40 weeks. It was the first children’s book on the list to ever have an Asian American girl on the cover Han pointed out on the Asian Boss Girl podcast. When she was looking for production companies to buy the rights to her series, many lost interest after she refused to change Lara Jean’s race for the movie adaptation. Keeping the character true to the source material was a win for the films and Asian Americans.

Lara Jean as a Character It’s powerful to see a young woman of color on screen being portrayed in an authentic way where she is unapologetically herself. So often people on social media and in films embody the “I’m not like other girls” trope, so seeing Lara Jean being happy to embrace her femininity was a breath of fresh air. She uses her love for baking, a stereotypically feminine hobby, as a stress coping mechanism, despite other characters making jabs at her for it. She doesn’t hide her love for cheesy romance novels. She casually references romantic comedy movie scenes because there’s no embarrassment to be had for enjoying them. She’s open to exposing her vulnerable hopeless romantic side, even with her initially fake boyfriend, Peter.

Stemming from the “I’m not like other girls” problem of putting down supposedly feminine qualities and emotions, I have seen myself and others hiding behind irony. Expressing every verbal thought and emotion with a layer of irony in front prevents people from knowing whether you are being serious or not. This irony could be used as a way to critique others for doing something “basic” while doing the same thing because it’s alluding to this superior awareness you have. Despite having the same basic interest, in rom-coms let’s say, a person hiding behind irony could say they only watch this genre to make fun of the films, not because they secretly love the outdated stories and live vicariously through the ideal characters.

Lara Jean is a stark contrast to the facade of wokeness that is often presented when people hide behind irony. She isn’t hiding herself. She just is. Although she may come off as a shy bookworm, she’s actually confident in herself and her capabilities. Lara Jean just chooses who she opens this side of herself up to. In the final installment of the series, “To All The Boys: Always and Forever,” Lara Jean’s boyfriend, Peter, said that he couldn’t fathom why she didn’t get into the same college as him because she was way smarter than him. Without flinching, Lara Jean agreed at first. She knows her own worth. She was quick to break up with Peter when she felt she wasn’t his first choice in the second film.

She called out her friend Josh for calling her an “innocent sweet girl” for not seeing her complexity in the first film. She was more than just that. Lara Jean was realistic, relatable and interesting, all lacking in John Hughes’ teen characters. Sure, her problem of accidentally mailing out handwritten love letters is certainly unrealistic, but her personality isn’t.

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The Portrayal of Lara Jean Author Jenny Han crafted Lara Jean’s persona, but the films executed on her portrayal very well because of their intentionality and cohesiveness. Lana Candor’s embodiment of Lara Jean was highly believable, and the casting couldn’t have been better. One of Lara Jean’s defining characteristics is that she is always imagining scenarios, often romantic, in her head. So, it is appropriate that the film is boldly from her perspective and no other characters. We only see her side of the story, but the movie wasn’t trying to be balanced in any way. For example, in the second movie, Peter gifts Lara Jean a necklace. When he puts it on her, we only see her giddy face while his face is blurred in the background. Later, they break up and he takes the necklace off of her, again highlighting her despair, but not his in the matching shot.

We can see Lara Jean being unafraid to tune into her emotions in the second film, again, after she breaks up with Peter. While many of us have sat in the car belting our emotions out to a Top 40 pop song, the film took this sentiment to another level. Ashe’s “Moral of the Story'' is playing as the backdrop of the scene. When Lara Jean goes to school that day, noticeably in a darker color palette than the rest of the candied look of the film, she stands in the middle of the hallway breaking the fourth wall and lip singing the lyrics of the breakup bop.

Popularized by Spike Lee, the scene uses the double dolly shot to make Lara Jean seem even more detached from her surroundings. Lara Jean’s in the center of the frame, moving forward with the camera while her surroundings move past her. She’s so in her head that she’s starring in her own break up music video in the middle of a school hallway, and that’s the point. She’s being her hopeless romantic dramatic self. The third film paid tribute to Lara Jean’s dreamy fantasies with another montage with Sandflower’s acoustic melancholy cover of the Spice Girls’ Wannabe, only one of the many replayable tunes on the soundtrack.

Similar to the appeal of Lara Jean’s lack of pretense and openness to vulnerability, I appreciated that this film wasn’t trying to force nuance; the filmmakers wanted the audience to understand the symbolism in the first watch. While the film uses unconventional shots, it was able to create obvious visual cues for mood shifts. When Lara Jean sees Peter approaching her with her love letter of the first film, there’s a POV shot where the camera zooms into the letter in Peter’s hand in a dizzying fashion, foreshadowing Lara Jean’s lightheadedness and fainting from discomfort. There are also visual cues, such as physical banners, to indicate the distinct acts of the films: “Heartbreak,” “Valentine’s Day,” and “Senior Class Trip.” Again, these acts are broken up by centering what is most important to Lara Jean at the moment.

Where the Series Fell Short While I am evidently a fan of Lara Jean as a character, I have some concerns about the series. My first issue is with a scene from the first movie where Peter and Lara Jean’s relationship began. To avoid confronting Josh, Lara Jean grabbed Peter and kissed him without consent. If the gender roles were reversed, the problem with this act would be even more clear.

There is also some controversy around casting non-Koreans in a Korean American role. Jennifer Poon (AMC, ‘22) pointed out that this “could indicate lazy, ineffective casting when it comes to Asian people,” further perpetuating the idea that all Asians look the same. Furthermore, the fact that Lara Jean’s Korean mother passed away adds layers of context to the story, but that leaves only her white father to fill the parent role. While this may not seem problematic, Poon brought up that it could send the message that “Asian girls must be permanently tied to whiteness in order to be represented in a dignified manner in Western [media].” One way the movies could’ve prevented this is to show flashbacks with dialogue of the mom to reinforce her importance in Lara Jean’s life.

It All Started with a Letter Despite the series’ shortcomings, The “To All The Boys” series became a cornerstone in my own coming of age story.

It’s almost ironic how strongly I resonated with Lara Jean because she makes references to films that I do not know or care for. Despite this, her story helped me understand what viewers must’ve felt when they watched “The Breakfast Club”. As a teen movie enthusiast, I can say that this movie series elevated the entire category’s value. The movies have caused a stir that has resulted in a varied audience. Even though you can catch the metaphors in the first watch, you’ll voluntarily rewatch it and cheer for team Lara Jean the second, third, and even tenth time around.

Yours truly, Prerna *puts letter in teal hat box*

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Issue 01

The New York (Student)

Fashion Shows

By Lauren Hudson (Advertising, Marketing and Communications, ‘22)

New York Fashion Week. The most renowned and exciting

event on the fashion calendar. Beautiful models in designer garments walking down exquisite runways. It is every fashion lover’s dream to attend, or better yet work, New York Fashion Week. But what it’s missing? Real opportunities for the creatives who need it most - students. Student designers, models, photographers, and more. This is where the New York (Student) Fashion Show comes in.

Conceptualized, founded and produced by ONE Management in collaboration with On The Wall and Spring Studios, NY(S)FS is the first professional fashion show to be focused entirely on students. It is a celebration of diversity, inclusion and new ideas, and features students throughout the entire process from the designers, models, photographers and the backstage volunteers. “We saw that there wasn’t really a platform for students within New York Fashion Week, and we wanted to create a space for them,” said Jawahar Chirimar, chairman of ONE Management and producer of the New York (Student) Fashion Shows.

The designers showcased include Alice Wang, Aviya Seligman and Elad Danon, Guvanch, Haixi Ren, Joyce Bao, and Xiaowu Zheng.

The New York (Student) Fashion Shows premiered on Friday, February 12 and is available to watch on Youtube and through the link in @ the.nysfs bio on Instagram. This collection of shows is filled with such creativity and expression, and allowed these student fashion designers to share untold stories through their work. So many powerful and passionate messages were unfolded, and these student designers and models were able to gain professional experience and exposure.

“It was honestly one of the best modeling experiences I have had to date,” said Samantha Espinol, NY(S)FS model and student at FIT. “The stylists, designers, models, makeup-artists, production team and everyone involved made the experience a moment that I will remember for the rest of my life,” she continued. Students are the future of the fashion industry and the world, and it is so important for us to be able to gain these memorable experiences to prepare us for that future.

In addition to models, designers, and photographers, New York (Student) Fashion Shows also provided the opportunity for students to volunteer backstage while filming, and the opportunity to serve on their Student Advisory Board. This board was made up of representatives from schools with fashion show programs or organizations, including students from Harvard, Brown, Parson’s, NYU, and myself representing the Fashion Institute of Technology. I am president of Runway27 here at FIT, and I hope to pursue a career in the production of fashion shows, and experiences like this really solidify that dream for me. It was amazing to see the creative process, meet like-minded individuals and get real exposure to the world of fashion show production. The backstage volunteers got a similar peek into this world. “I was in awe of the set, makeup, garments, and it was amazing to just be in Spring Studios” said Aline McEntee, N(Y)SFS volunteer and FIT student.

“It was so nice to be reunited with people from FIT again, and JC and everyone from ONE was so kind and nice to work with,” she continued.

Alice Wang’s show shot by Boyang Hu (@boyang_h)

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The makeup artists were made up of students from L’oreal Professionnel Education, and their talents and creativity brought the designers’ looks to life as they got the models ready to be filmed. Student photographers from schools including FIT and NYU captured these backstage and behind the scene moments. Each designer’s show was filmed at Spring Studios, with no audience. All stylists, makeup artists, photographers, and everyone backstage wore masks and had to test negative for COVD-19 prior to attending. Navigating fashion show productions while being safe and adhering to guidelines has been difficult for everyone in the industry, and the New York (Student) Fashion Shows did it seamlessly and safely.

FIT was strongly represented at the New York (Student) Fashion Shows, including the talented designers Alice Wang and Haixi Ren, lead photographer and manager of the @the.nysfs Instagram Siqiao Meng, volunteers including Aline Mcentee, Sophia Scanelli, Seth Corcuera, and Brielle Italiano, model Samantha Espinol, and myself, Lauren Hudson on the Student Advisory Board. ONE Management hopes that NY(S)FS will be a new Fashion Week tradition, and is looking to create further iterations of this show in the future, including more and more students from universities and colleges including individuals from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Haixi Ren’s show shot by Boyang Hu (@boyang_h)

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Issue 01

The Unbearable Crisis of Being (Perceived )

By Jennifer Poon Advertising, Marketing and Communications, ‘22

“Please do not perceive me.”

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ou might’ve heard a friend or an acquaintance make this statement or express some related sentiment, and you might’ve done so yourself. The idea of “being perceived” has grown at a swift pace throughout the masses, boring its harsh realities into the minds of those who are especially vulnerable. It’s almost a trend of some sort; in September 2020, singer Halsey tweeted to her 14 million followers, “Happy #BiVisibilityDay !!! if you must perceive me, please perceive me as such,” along with a curated selection of pictures of herself. The notion of being observed by others is now widely thought to be frightening, as it has stimulated an unusual sense of self-awareness within many. The unease that stems from this seemingly new concept of being perceived is poisonous, and I myself was a victim to its grip.

My relationship with my self-image has always been complicated, never been resolved completely, continually goes through stages of hot and cold. However, this excessive time alone, secluded, has effectively warped the dimensions of my body and made me forget how to position myself comfortably within the public eye. I used to daydream about being genuinely happy with myself and exuding contagious confidence. God, I deserved it, after all. I spent the majority of my upbringing being force fed impressions of the ideal, Eurocentric physique — face sculpted like the letter ‘V’, large eyes of sapphire blue, legs that stretch miles and miles. I did not have the luxury of worrying about trivial things like whether I was blonde or brunette because people like me were never part of the discussion to begin with. It took me until my final few teenage years to, slowly but surely, start embracing my heritage and the physical aspects it granted me. And then the pandemic hit.

browsing pottery and art in Marrakesh markets, maybe even exploring my own familial roots in Fuzhou. Now, the thought of exposing myself to strangers in many different places fills me with agitation. In fact, it makes me cringe to believe that I was brave enough to show myself anywhere last year. Back when classes were held in-person, I would take long, reflective walks through the city streets nearly every night, finding a strange comfort in the glow from neon signs and the emptier sidewalks. Admittedly, I pretty much ignored any potential dangers that might’ve awaited me as a woman walking at night because I cherished these walks deeply. I suppose being quarantined should evoke some feelings of cabin fever, some strong desire to go absolutely anywhere and do absolutely anything. I spent many months being envious of those who swore that they would live it up the second the pandemic was declared over. I wanted so desperately to feel the same way; I was Before the pandemic, I had elaborate aspirations of traveling supposed to be furious that I couldn’t go out every night, the world: spending late hours in underground Berlin clubs, like a 20-year-old should. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel

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In “The Unbearable Lightness of Being,” Milan Kundera writes, “The heavier the burden, the closer our lives come to the earth, the more real and truthful they become.”

How lucky we are to experience a myriad of emotions — heartbreak, bliss, curiosity, perseverance. How lucky we are to be conscious beings, to be able to maintain various senses and develop meaningful attachments to different ideas. What a shame it is that we often feel inclined to reduce ourselves to merely our bodies. Perceiving and being perceived are inherently parts of consciousness. Perception is what provides our lives with its essence and allows us to become more genuine, more human.

grateful for the excuse this time afforded me to keep out of anyone’s sight. I understood, thoroughly, the pain of being perceived by others. I lived with the fear of sticking out like a sore thumb. Back to square one.

There’s no doubt that the post-vaccination era will see a surge of people out and about, an upswing in tourists and many more planes in the sky. Personally, I think I may tread lightly, so as to allow myself to get back in touch with my person. The exploration of my self-image continues to be an ongoing, fluctuating journey. However, I remain eager to observe how myself and others will navigate the crisis of being perceived during a long-awaited time of relief, after a draining period of despair.

PIcasso, Girl i the Mirror

As a result of the pandemic and the long stretches of time it gave me to overanalyze my image, the heavilymarketed concept of self-care was shattered to me. For an entire summer, and then some, applying my skincare products each morning was beginning to feel morally wrong, like I was stealing from someone else — my face doesn’v deserve this Tatcha cream. I avoided treating myself to small pleasures, no longer prepared my favorite snacks or entertained the idea of making fun, frivolous impulse purchases. Even showering was a drag, a persistent reminder of my inadequacy; I did not think I was worthy of being clean.

I believe that the dread of being perceived stems from the desire to please everybody. It makes us question to what extent we are allowed to simply exist in the world as we are, free from the restraints of others’ judgment as well as the torment we inflict upon our own selves.

Perhaps it is the frequent promotion of this particular idea of self-care — the one that consists of sheet masks, candles, and herbal teas — that contributes to the unraveling of one’s self image and the reluctance to be honest with oneself.

How do we truly feel about ourselves? I failed to realize that self-care isn’t just items that can be purchased at the local TJX store. Self-care is also admitting the flaws in your own ways of thinking, confronting inner demons and readjusting your mindset. I personally started writing, at any moment when I felt a pang of inspiration and anywhere I could at that second — in my journal, in the Notes app, on a Google Doc. These instances of writing were messy but they allowed me to be completely, brutally frank with myself; in many ways, I found this writing cathartic. The success of self-care should be measured by this sense of release, the exorcism of those inner demons.

There’s nothing wrong with having soft skin and enjoying a warm beverage. As beings born into a bustling world against our will, we deserve a bit of peace every now and then. Self-care can be attractive, but it should also be ugly, candid … even aggressive. Tending to one’s own image, at the most meticulous level, should be grueling and without any embellishments. The healing of the physical body often isn’t pretty — the application of layers upon layers of gauze to an open wound, the incisions and openings pried in skin in order to save an organ. Why should the healing of the psyche be any different?

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Runway Show Review:

Iris Van Herpen Spring 2021 Couture

By Maral Gankhuyag Fashion Business Management, ‘23

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”

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onservationist John Muir’s profound quote serves as a thesis to IrisW Van Herpen’s Spring 2021 couture collection. This idea of interconnectedness is the root out of which Van Herpen’s collection grows, a poignant statement resonating with the many who have endured the isolation that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic.

Van Herpen’s collection is pregnant with fungal motifs, from the conspicuous ruffling inspired by the chanterelle mushroom to a more covert manipulation of fabric meant to mimic the gilling on a mushroom’s underside. These are largely inspired by the works of Merlin Sheldrake, scientist and author of “Entangled Life”, a book that explains how fungi sustain life on Earth. Sheldrake unfolds the discovery of the mycorrhizal networks, also known as the “wood wide web”, an underground network made up of fungi that allows intercommunication between trees.

Van Herpen was moved by the symbiosis shared between the mycorrhizal fungi and the trees. “It’s really beautiful to look at nature and how nature connects in a very similar way to how we communicate,” Van Herpen tells Vogue. She experimented with the idea of interlacing her collection with the same mutualism, except this time, exploring the confluence of science and fashion, nature and technology.

The symbolism flows through the collection, manifesting in 3D printed laces inspired by fungal growth patterns or a crown made of kinetic filaments “designed to highlight the metamorphosis in the fungi queendom.”

Van Herpen’s devotion to nature also extends beyond the runway.

Van Herpen has passionately expressed her concern for the fashion industry’s contribution to pollution and has found a unique way to combat her own ecological footprint. Van Herpen brings fashion and science closer together through her partnership with Parley for the Oceans who synthesized fabric for Van Herpen’s collection made up entirely of marine debris.

Parley for the Oceans’ mission statement reads “the power for change lies in the hands of the consumer – given we all have a choice.” In their alliance with Iris Van Herpen, the company hopes to reach consumers through fashion and other creative industries in order to shape the consumer mindset. Parley for the Oceans believes these industries should utilize their influence and power to develop alternative business models and ecologically sensible products to give buyers options to lead a more sustainable lifestyle.

Their trademarked Ocean Plastic fabric comes to life in Van Herpen’s Holobiont dress, the sixth dress featured in her Spring 2021 collection. For the dress, the designer first printed the fabric before “laser-cutting it parametrically into fine triangle tessellations” placed meticulously on a sheer mesh fabric that seems to melt into the model’s skin. The fabric sings on the runway and it is hardly perceptible that the fabric is made entirely from plastic sourced from the estimated eight million tons of waste that end up in the oceans every year. Speaking to Vogue about this new use of Ocean Plastic®, Van Herpen explained that “[couture] clients expect the highest quality out there, so you don’t want to go sustainable if you lower the quality. We are now at a moment where the quality [between organic silk and a recycled polyester] is completely equal. It’s really a matter of decision, it’s not a matter of choosing quality.

There’s not a lot of reason not to use sustainable materials anymore, other than changing your mindset.”

Van Herpen’s Spring 2021 Spring Couture show perfectly encapsulates the ethos of the Iris Van Herpen house. Each dress eloquently conflates the ideas of nature and technology hidden within every fold, crease and drape in each garment. Every element in the show balances on top of one another, creating a web between Van Herpen, her inspirations, and the consumer. Mother Nature is Van Herpen’s ultimate muse and with this collection, Van Herpen continues to ground herself as one of the true poets of nature.

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By Claire Jung (Communication Design, ‘24) This place is a room at the front of my house on the second floor. When I was in elementary school, I turned it into a school for my dolls. A chalkboard, an old school desk, and a big carpet. Little chairs and makeshift desks, little books, little pencils, and little hall passes. It would grow and change as I got new ideas for them. “You would hang up their papers, and the types of things you would hang up in a classroom, like decorations, awards, and instructions,” my mom says.

In many ways, 2020 has given us unprecedented challenges, and beside the obvious sickness and conflict, this has manifested in more abstract ways as well. We’ve all heard the phrase “I need space” and are familiar with “needing personal space,” but never before have we all been so intimately aware of space.

Think back to a year ago about how you might’ve been standing arm to arm in a subway car, jostling between strangers at a concert, or sitting so close to someone in a classroom you could smell their gum. These memories are like some alternate reality, and I’m sure some of us are uncertain if we ever really lived like that at all.

Childhood me, running around playing teacher in a room filled to the brim with toys and knick knacks. Even doll-sized things begin to take up space. It became crammed with stuff on every surface, and as the space got smaller I got bigger.

Eventually, I stopped using it, and the room became just another place to store unused things. And it stayed like that for years, like an oversized closet of forgotten things.

Space can be defined as, “the freedom and scope to live, think, and develop in a way that suits one.”1 This year, students are discovering that this is a luxury they’ve been taking for granted. When asked how remote learning has changed their relationship with space and privacy, a student responded, “I didn’t realize how much space and

Stretch your right arm out, completely straight. And now your left. Keep them out at 180 degrees and spin. Do you hit anything? Or do you feel an empty bubble of air around you?

1 McKean, Erin. The New Oxford American Dictionary. New York, N.Y: Oxford University Press, 2005. Print.

2 Jung, Claire. “Distance Learning Survey.” 27 Oct 2020. https://forms.gle/RDL38XHgxeWV8Bid8 3 Vagner, Kris. How is the pandemic affecting art education? Nevada, Double Scoop, 2020. Double Scoop, https:// www.doublescoop.art/how-is-the-pandemic-affecting-art-education/. Accessed October 2020.

4 “Remote learning: An altered college experience.” UWIRE Text, 14 Oct. 2020, p. 1. Gale OneFile: News, https:// link.gale.com/apps/doc/A638297502/STND?u=fitsuny&sid=STND&xid=29a8c1bf. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.

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privacy were important, until I had to remotely learn. They are really important to successfully learn.”2

Think about how you look at space now. You try to stay 6 feet apart in the grocery store, stand back when you talk to someone, cringe when you see people gathering in large groups, and shudder at the thought of schools functioning at full capacity. Personal space was merely an afterthought, but is now the driving force behind all decisions and activities. It has completely dictated the learning experience of students across the country and even around the world.

They describe this new reality by saying,

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Online classes have the potential to make you feel like you’re constantly being watched. Even with your camera turned off and your audio muted, there’s the unavoidable exhaustion of having a constant, strange presence in your home. Your professors and your peers, always existing with you in a place that should be sacred and safe.

The clutter, the expectations, the uncertainty– it makes the space begin to feel like it’s closing in.

I brought in a drawing table and all of the art supplies that were crammed into my bedroom. It became a complete art studio, and a clean slate. I still feel cooped up sometimes, but at least it gives me enough of a change of pace and routine.

It’s quiet and private in a way that my bedroom isn’t. The first floor has too much energy, but the top floor is dormant.

“I just don’t learn and it’s hard to focus.”

“It makes me hate life… The work is never ending.”

“I don’t feel as motivated to do work at home.”2

There’s still boxes sitting in the corners of the room– remnants of a long gone childhood. Though the same books sit on the shelves, the room is nearly unrecognizable. If not for the green, sloping walls and ceiling, and the window that looks out onto the street, I would not believe it is the same room I used to play with my dolls in. So much has changed, but I’m still playing school in it.

Art students in particular find that their education is suffering from a lack of hands-on collaboration and human connection during critiques, but most of all they are concerned with accessing the space and resources they feel are necessary in order to succeed.3 There was a pause in life that was felt around the world, and like many I was forced into staying home for college. It was unfathomable. Finishing high school from home made me feel like my brain was leaking out of my ears, and there was very little learning involved at that point. I spent all hours of the day in my bedroom with absolutely no separation between work and rest. I was overwhelmed, surrounded, trapped. How could I start my most important educational years like this?

Despite the lack of space art students are finding in their homes and the space needed to keep people safe, we are quickly discovering we have too much space. We’ve been isolated and constrained to limited places.

Space can be defined as, “an interval of time.”1 For months we’ve been ripped away from our most basic human need: closeness and interaction with other people. An article detailing this experience says, “This isn’t normal, and even though everybody’s going through it, it can feel very isolating and alone if you’re in your room at home in Ohio or Maryland or Oregon, you’re not seeing your friends, you’re not getting that campus feel, I think it’s a very lonely feeling.”4

As I tried to figure out where I could possibly go, I kept coming back to that room. If it was empty, it’d be perfect. It was unavoidable. I had to clean it.

Years and years of toys were thrown out, donated, packed away. It felt as if the stuff was just appearing out of thin air, there was no way there could infinitely be so much stuff. But eventually enough had been cleared away to reveal s p a c e .

What do you remember about elementary school? It likely won’t be any specific lessons, but it’ll be the field trips you went on, the teachers you had, the friends you made, and what you did at recess. You remember the interactions you had, and that’s what shapes you as a person. It’s no different in college. And no technology will ever come close to replacing that.

Space can be defined as, “a continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or unoccupied.”1 Art students are being confronted with the importance of this concept as one says, “It seems there is not nearly enough [space].”2 Most have been forced to seclude themselves in their bedrooms, the only place they can get a semblance of privacy.

Their places of rest become studios, blurring the separation between school and their private life.

I’ve given myself all the space I need, and yet I am still alone.

1 McKean, Erin. The New Oxford American Dictionary. New York, N.Y: Oxford University Press, 2005. Print.

2 Jung, Claire. “Distance Learning Survey.” 27 Oct 2020. https://forms.gle/RDL38XHgxeWV8Bid8 3 Vagner, Kris. How is the pandemic affecting art education? Nevada, Double Scoop, 2020. Double Scoop, https:// www.doublescoop.art/how-is-the-pandemic-affecting-art-education/. Accessed October 2020.

4 “Remote learning: An altered college experience.” UWIRE Text, 14 Oct. 2020, p. 1. Gale OneFile: News, https:// link.gale.com/apps/doc/A638297502/STND?u=fitsuny&sid=STND&xid=29a8c1bf. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.

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Loungewear Is The New

Luxury

By Pamela Valdez (Fashion Business Management, ‘24) It’s a Friday night, you’re trying to find your favorite pair of jeans in your closet and your friends already texted the group chat that they’re going to be outside in five minutes. You can’t wait to spend the night out, forget about school and stress for a little while and just be in the presence of your friends. Then before you knew it, everything got shut down. Everyone was forced to stay in their homes for months in quarantine and no one knew just how much our lives would change in a matter of months. Now instead of spending your Friday nights and weekends out and about with friends, getting ready to find a new spot to eat at or shopping for your next look to take some Instagram pictures, you have found yourself wearing sweatpants and a random t-shirt or hoodie every day. Quarantine and COVID-19 put a new perspective on the idea of sweats and how cute you can make them.

Many celebrities have been announcing their new clothing lines or brands that have been in progress in the past year. Within these companies, you’ll see that sweatpants and sweatshirts have become much more popular to sell and common to wear.

Before, it would’ve been crazy for someone to see you in such a gloomy outfit if you’re going out to get groceries or hang out with friends.

Now, if you are seen with a matching sweatsuit in a popular color or with a well-known brand’s logo on it, you’re considered fashionable! How did this happen? An example of this would be Kim Kardashian’s loungewear line called SKIMS. She sells pieces of clothing from bodysuits to shapewear, bras, underwear, and more. Some are priced more affordsource: Koleen Diaz (@koleendz) able than others, but her zipped-up sweaters go up to $78, sweatpants reaching $68 and even her robes at a whopping $108! As someone who did receive a piece of SKIMS for Christmas, I do have to say that the comfort of the shorts I have are amazing and they’re one of my favorite shorts to wear at home. But for the prices of other items, what makes SKIMS any different than Target sweatpants or something from H&M and Forever21?

Kanye West also began to make this style of oversized clothing, neutral earth tones and slides as shoes a type of everyday outfit. It’s something that I definitely would not have seen coming several years ago. Style, outfits and accessories have evolved so much. Even model Emily Ratajkowski now has her own swimwear line called Inamorata Woman where she sells loungewear, too. It has become much more common for brands that sell any type of clothing or outerwear to now include and start selling loungewear. Her pricing is higher than

SKIMS’, and she has her sweatpants at $95 a pair, while her hoodies go for $115.

The question that many people ask though and wonder is how loungewear has become more normalized, and why is it now a new luxury? I believe that COVID played a huge role in why this has happened. If it weren’t for the pandemic forcing us to stay home and not having to wear work clothes or a professional outfit every day, then we would’ve never had the idea that it’s okay to go out and have a sweatsuit on because they’re trendy! I remember when I used to be in high school, and I would only wear sweatpants and UGGs on a day where the weather was going to be gloomy, it was going to snow or it was a day where I wasn’t feeling my best.

That gave people the impression that you’re either having a bad day or didn’t want to try and this has been that impression for several years now. But as celebrities continue to release more loungewear with a higher price tag and the idea that it’s “luxury” because of that price, people and consumers will only continue to destigmatize loungewear.

Another great thing about loungewear and how it has made a comeback is that it can be dressed up or down. You can always pair it with a matching top and some sneakers if you’re going for something cozy and casual no matter what you’re going to be doing.

But if you’re going to spend the day out and maybe want to hang out with friends or grab lunch somewhere, I have seen outfits of people making a sweatsuit much more luxurious than it actually is by pairing it with expensive sneakers or a handbag, a lot of layering with accessories and wearing your hair done. This is a common look on Pinterest and Instagram that has been much more common.

Social media is also a place that is either very toxic or a great community and a way to connect with others from all around the world.

Unfortunately, it has been a place recently where a lot of negativity has surfaced including celebrities when they would wear looks that were considered much more casual. Sometimes when I go on Snapchat and see the articles that are written about celebrities, they will have a picture of a Kardashian or something who is well known in the media and give them a terrible headline making fun of their body in loungewear, their outfit or something else about their appearance. It is something that needs to stop in general but also when celebrities have an outfit that is much more comfortable and relaxed, such as biker shorts and an oversized sweater with sneakers. But now, the press doesn’t typically give it as much hate as it did a couple of years ago.

This is also because of the way the pandemic shaped style and fashion over the many months of being inside.

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“Quarantine and COVID-19 put a new perspective on the idea of sweats and how cute you can make them.”

source: SKIMS (@skims)

No matter how much more fashion continues to evolve over the years, it is always going to be criticized and called out by others. Many will either agree or disagree with the way people are dressing, but the best part about fashion is that there is no right or wrong way to dress. The way you are comfortable in an outfit and the way you dress is one of the first ways that really show off your personality, and I love that.

Fashion is supposed to be fun and no matter what it is that you’re wearing, whether it is sweatpants and a hoodie to go out for brunch or a dress, heels, and handbag for going to run errands, make the most of life because the pandemic taught us that life is precious, and it’s never promised. Have fun every day with what you wear and don’t be afraid of the judgment coming from others.

source: Inamorata Woman (@inamoratawoman)

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LONG LIVE THE CONCRETE JUNGLE By Kelly Reed (Advertising, Marketing and Communications, ‘21)

New York is astoundingly beautiful throughout the seasons; the beautiful buzz in the springtime that sparks optimism and an afternoon Aperol Spritz; the sweltering hot days in July that offer long hours on rooftops and picnics in Central Park; the crisp air in the beginning of autumn that welcomes hot apple cider, cardigans and trips to the Union Square Greenmarket; turning winter oh-so-quickly, yet seamlessly, overnight — demanding moments surrounded by cozy company, take-out sushi and storytelling — only to swiftly start all over again in spring, but with new memories, new aspirations and new stories to tell. Granted, yes, half the city could knock you out unconscious with its ungodly stench all the while.

But last year was different.

In places where I usually sought out comfort, I was terrified. The groceries stores seeped with panic and stolen glances in July, whereas they usually felt chaotic, unimportant in ritual and therapeutic all at once; Washington Square Park was empty and free of trash in September — a first; and Times Square was as quiet as the Fashion Institute of Technology library on a Friday, during the busiest holiday months, leaving Rockefeller Center’s tree lonely and lacking spirit in December. The city had become a stranger to me in a time where I needed stability most.

Even so, my heart throbbed for New York like an early 2000’s rom-com.

After leaving the city at the beginning of the pandemic for my Nebraska hometown — in what ended up being a two-month stay, I was worried for the city I left behind, and what would become of it while I was gone...

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In returning to “The City That Never Sleeps” in June, the very much abandoned city, in fact, had revived a strong survival-sense of mentality — composed of the city’s finest and truest die-hards, as the saying goes, “New York Strong.”

The kill-or-be-killed city showed me more smiles, compassion and a shared sense of community than ever before. I was proud to live on an island amongst the remaining, tough New Yorkers who wanted to stick it through. We would get through this together.

While Manhattan entered a new season of semi-peacefulness after months of what felt like extreme havoc, I tried things I had never done before: biking down 7th Avenue, exploring the West Side Highway, solo ferry trips to Governors Island, handling the rat that, against my will, would not leave my Lower East Side apartment, protesting in the Black Lives Matter Movement, visiting the small businesses in my neighborhood, moving to a new apartment with three roommates I met on the Internet, and most importantly, learning to grapple and work through my anxiety.

The city persevered as I began to learn more about myself through the new lens in which I saw New York.

As I began not one — but two semesters virtually — I adapted a larger sense of appreciation in the small, yet meaningful conversations amongst my new classmates between a black, imageless screen. We talked about our days, how we were coping, and what was giving us the most trouble — between various time zones and continents. I had never craved communication between my fellow classmates more, yet, here they were, proving the power in earnest interaction through quick Blackboard Collaborate breakout rooms and dysfunctional group chats.

My online classes resulted in red-eyed vision from an overdose of screen-time, too much caffeine, a lack of focus and a shared disinterest — but as soon as I stepped outside for my midday walk, the city’s lifeline proved itself again and again. New York never failed me, even when I felt like doing so.

Slowly but surely, the city’s new way of being and reopening offered me a serotonin-kick like never before.

I ventured down new streets, supported local restaurants, and even met some amazing people in spite of it all. I saw the city for all it was, and then some. Restaurants began to open their doors for limited capacity, stores their clothing racks, and soon enough, movie theaters for their films to roll after a year-long wait.

New York City may not have its Jay-Z and Alicia Keys-esque “Empire State of Mind” spirit without the 24-hour bars, exotic nightclubs, tourists and Times Square’s constant buzz. But the city has never felt more unified and alive these past few months, in the sense that its inhabitants have never believed in the future of New York more.

While I can’t say I’ll be graduating this year the way I would’ve wanted, I’ll know we all will have made it, together — and my classmates will make the most of the road ahead of them, just like me and the rest of this city.

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Louis Vuitton Fall 2021 Menswear

WEST VS EAST VS TOURIST PURIST

By Raelen Todd (Advertising and Marketing Communications, ‘24) ““Make it up to me, take down the walls, deconstruct the narrative.”

This quote was a part of a spoken word opening by Saul Williams at the Louis Vuitton Fall 2021 Menswear runway show that immediately informed the audience that this is not just a show, but a message.

Designed by Virgil Abloh, this collection titled ‘Ebonics’ was an informative experience that expressed the importance of inclusion, recognition, reparations and the voice of Black and oppressed consciousness in the realm of high fashion. Based off of James Baldwin’s essay ‘Stranger in the Village’ Virgil’s sixth collection for Louis Vuitton invited back his ‘Tourist vs. Purist” mentality, which can be seen painted on some handbags in the collection, for the first time since 2018. “Stranger in the Village” appears to be one of the earliest representations of this notion as it speaks about the struggles of a Black man living in a village where the color of his skin was not seen as human but as a “living wonder.” He knew the people of the village truly meant no “unkindness” with the way they treated him regarding him being a Black man. This correlates directly to the fact that the tourist is someone wide-eyed, ready to learn about new discoveries and the purist who is already an expert on the given subject.

Virgil used this collection to clash the ideas of African culture with Westernization to prove that the two can live cohesively when the West isn’t trying to colonize its counterpart. His use of kente cloth and checked fabrics to create pleated skirts and outerwear proved how well the East and West can coincide when they are living in conjunction. In his essay, James Baldwin stated: “No road whatever will lead Americans back to the simplicity of this European village where white men still have the luxury of looking at me as a stranger. One of the things that distinguish Americans from other people is that no other people has ever ever been so deeply involved in the lives of Black men, and vice versa.

This fact faced with all its implications, it can be seen that the history of the American Negro problem is not merely shameful, it is also something of an achievement- It is precisely this black-white experience which may prove of indispensable value to us in the world we face today. This world is white no longer, and it never will be white again.”

The way Virgil uses this story, this direct quote, to prove to the audience that we do reside in a place of history where whiteness and culture live side by side, through fashion, is impeccable. To inform the world of the importance of diversity, by not only the individuality of a culture alone but of the mix of cultures, through fashion, is a feat many have yet to successfully accomplish.

Virgil speaks directly to the high fashion world during his show by saying, “You know when all the girls used to take things for runways or ballrooms, it’s not stealing, or robbing or looting: it’s stepping into a fantasy that shouldn’t be a utopia but just a living right. I think as Black people and as trans people and as marginalized people the world is here for our taking for it takes so much from us.” He’s expressing that the Black person who has been a tourist within this industry for centuries, can (like himself) become the purist. By speaking to the gatekeepers who lock people of color out of the fantasy that is high fashion, he communicates to the world that the oppressed are finally taking over the spaces where they’ve been excluded, and re-claiming what’s owed to them, a world of opulence in which they inspired.

“Make it up to me, take down the walls, deconstruct the narrative.”

Saul Williams

LOUIS VUITTON MEN’S COLLECTION FALL 2021

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Reviewing Timothée Chalamet’s

Favorite East Village Cafes

By Abigail Zwirecki

(Advertising, Marketing and Communications, ‘24) Like almost every other teenage girl on this Earth (I hope), Timothée Chalamet lives in my mind rent-free. One may say being this much of a Timmy stan is unhealthy, but my friends and I agree that it’s a perfectly valid and normal lifestyle. As a fresh New Yorker, I decided to “live like Tim” and tried out some of his favorite food spots in N.Y.C. In February of 2018, according to Vogue, Chalamet recommended two trendy stops in East Village: Tompkins Square Bagels for breakfast, and MUD SPOT Cafe for a hot cup of coffee.

So, my roomie Katie Moran (Textile Surface Design, ‘24) and I set out for an adventure to cure our early morning hunger on a freezing February day. We decided to attempt the subway for the first time, but us being from Buffalo and Rochester as first-time New Yorkers, we struggled a bit. Luckily yet sadly, with the help of the New York Subway MTA app, we finally arrived within a few blocks of our first desired destination: Tompkins Square Bagels.

During the premiere of the Netflix Original movie, “The King” in 2019, fans asked Chalamet what his favorite bagel order was. He responded with the classic Bacon, Egg and Cheese (BEC). Timmy is a simple guy with a simple order, but we added some spice and chose an everything bagel instead. All we can say is that it was the best bagel we’ve ever had. It was huge, perfectly sliced down the center as cheese hung from both ends. The bacon had hints of maple, and the eggs almost melted in our mouth. We enjoyed our savory breakfast on a bench in Tompkins Square Park as we watched grungy skater boys scrape their knees. In conclusion, Tompkins Square Bagels blew us away.

Rating: 10/10

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Soon after our delectable bagels, we walked not even a block away to his recommended coffee spot, MUD SPOT Cafe. Timothée has been spotted here many times, including once with his then-girlfriend, Lily-Rose Depp. When we walked in, the baristas were very kind and made our drinks in seconds. I ordered a classic coffee and my roommate a hot chocolate. The drinks were very necessary at this time as it thawed our fingers from the fierce wind. Each swig warmed us up and never made me too jittery either, a common problem of mine when it comes to caffeine. It was perfect, not too bitter but just right. She loved the frothy hot chocolate and said she’d get it for every East Village visit of ours. Overall, this spot gets a perfect score too! That’s not just me saying that because it’s Timmy’s preference, but truly because it was an amazing cup of joe.

Yet, Timmy has great taste, so who are we even kidding!

Rating: 10/10 This whole experience was amazing. Not only the food, but the neighborhood and atmosphere of East Village really just sealed the deal. Both my roomie and I have agreed to come back for a second round as soon as possible. This experience would have been perfect, but we didn’t run into Timothée at all. Shucks. But, maybe next time around we’ll catch the star ordering a BEC. in-action.

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M ODERN BOSS THE

New and Radical Ways of Earning Money From Home

By Shelby Silva Advertising, Marketing and Communications, ‘22

Life changed in March 2020. During this time people have lost jobs, or have been put into situations that require them to get a job or two.

One of the hardest adaptations of working if someone was fortunate enough to find or still have a job was the remote aspect. As the future has stood unclear everyone has strapped up and adapted- using what has been most available to them and using it to their advantage. There is a way to make the extra necessary funds without going through employers and interviews which add to the heavy amounts of stress in the job search process.

One of the most valuable opportunities all this time at home has brought is the ability to get in touch with the creative side of oneself and turn art into a thriving and fulfilling business. Instagram has served as a reliable platform to market these ideas and creations while sites like Etsy have made it possible to securely sell to the public.

One of the many new business owners who has taken advantage of this time to put her perlor making passions into a thriving success is newly 24 year old Gillian Puma, owner of Fellow Feeling Creations.

Perlers are meltable fuse beads which can be created into an endless amount of designs. Puma specializes in designs in relation to electronic music artists, and popular anime character designs. In an interview with Puma she was asked what inspired her to start making perlers in the first place. “I got back into it at the peak of quarantine as a quarantine activity to get my mind off of things especially since the quarantine was really affecting my mental health.” Puma admitted that making perlers has been practically therapy for her. When asked what made her decide to start selling her perlers for profit she said, “People were constantly asking me to make them things, so I figured to kick it up a notch and start adding more than just the perler creation. I started making magnets, then experimented with making keychains, and now I make earrings as well,” Since starting her business Puma has gained a steady amount of followers on her Instagram @fellowfeelingxcreations and is currently taking custom orders as well as her ready made designs.

Depending on personal comfort, there are several regulated and easy sign-up apps which help make it possible to procure money- all secure and easily transferred to your account. It all depends on resources, preference and skill-sets.

Something familiar and probably one of the easiest ways to hop on the bandwagon is to start practicing a more minimalist lifestyle and sell excess clothes and other unwanted items. Rather than going out the old fashioned way and having a yard sale, these sites with already millions of subscribers looking for affordable and pre-owned vintage are the perfect place to fulfill the dream of running an online clothing boutique.

A top favorite which acts as an Instagram for selling clothes is DePop: which offers the opportunity to sell and purchase any styles. This app is perfect for selling both vintage and designer clothing and comes off as a very Generation Z targeted site. Taking the time to go through older and unwanted clothes can turn something that was once taking up space into a cash benefit.. No matter how out of date or different the clothes may be, there is always somebody out there who thinks that someone else’s trash is their treasure.

Other apps like ThredUp and Poshmark are along similar lines to Depop, with a little more specialty per category. ThredUp leans towards the vintage seeking crowd while Poshmark draws more of a designer crowd.

Fellow Feeling Creations Instagram

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Something that has radicalized not only how the common person can make money, but the porn industry itself is the one and only, Only Fans. The genius system that gives the content creator much more power than any other explicit content sites and an actual ability to make real money. An influencer will set a subscription price as well as requesting payments for any other private interaction with their fans which could include big tips. Only Fans will only take 20% of your profit, as many of these selling apps already do. According to Refinery29, OnlyFans creator Tim Stokely wanted to “push influencer culture to the next level by putting consumers’ money directly into the hands of the influencers’’. https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/12/10163194/onlyfans-creators-make-money The Only Fans community has aided in the normalization of producing sexually explicit content among the average person. It has also gotten individuals out of difficult situations during this pandemic while financial struggle is at an all time high. It has given people of all sizes, races, and ages (above 18) a platform to feel confident in and manage their lives no matter where they may be from. There are other platforms that give money makers a chance to skip the constant content creation and relying on subscriptions and tips, and get paid fast simply for their own presence.

One of the user favorite “sugar daddy” sites is Seeking Arrangement.

What kind of arrangements does this system specialize in? Users can set up an account either to search for either a sugar baby, sugar mommy or daddy. These are situations that give everyone the opportunity to have their say in whatever kind of arrangement best suits their needs, typically with a money transfer set up in mind for the one offering their service of attention and dates. This is also well suited for individuals looking for gifts and companionship, and is probably not for someone who doesn’t want to put time into.

Gillian Puma, owner of Fellow Feeling Creation

At the end of the day, there are a plethora of ways to make money online and it is not a foreign subject to the public. The way the pandemic has affected what individuals are doing and where has changed the market and what kinds of goods and services are the current hot ticket. These modern forms of quick side money making are the result of turning an uncontrollable situation into an opportunistic situation and therefore rolling with the forever evolving dynamic of how media is utilized and consumed.

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A Guide to Living in NYC During a Pandemic

By Ashley Lawson (Advertising, Marketing and Communications, ‘23) As the streets have become barren and many businesses have shut down, what is there left to do for the COVID-conscious in New York City? Living in the city for the first time by myself, I’ve found the best ways to keep busy while supporting the city that is becoming my home.

Picnic in the Park When the weather is nice and allows for comfortable outdoor activities, having picnics in the parks across Manhattan is a good option. Central Park provides the most green space in places like the Great Lawn and Sheep’s Meadow. Grab a blanket, pre-made foods like sandwiches and salads and a friend or family member to have a socially distanced picnic. This is a great way to spend time with friends and family in a safe setting while enjoying the great nature and outdoor spaces that NYC has to offer.

Outdoor Exercise It’s extremely important to remain physically active during these times and finding places to do that outdoors in NYC can sometimes be stressful, especially when indoor fitness classes are halted and gyms have strict regulations. Bryant Park frequently hosts outdoor classes that encompass things like HIIT, pilates and yoga.

There’s also the option to take your own fitness journey and run in Central Park, Riverside Park and the piers by the Hudson River.

Support Local Restaurants Many restaurants in NYC are in danger of shutting down or have already shut down. Favorite restaurants of many New Yorkers are what make up the city’s identity, and any support for them is greatly appreciated. There are many options to support these restaurants, including takeout, socially distant indoor and outdoor dining. If you are in favor of food delivery, support events like Restaurant Week, which occurred between Jan. 25 and Feb. 28 of 2021 in favor of local restaurants. For those who feel comfortable going to restaurants in person, check out some of the coolest outdoor dining setups at 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar, Cafe Du Soleil and more posted on secretnyc.co or their instagram @secret_nyc. This company posts all different types of content, such as things to do, places to go and events happening in the city.

Outdoor Photoshoots Take this time to perfect and grow your social media platforms.

This can be through photoshoots in the many cool locations that NYC has to offer. Tourist locations like Edge NYC, Central Park and the Empire State Building are great places to showcase the beautiful city on your feed. For pictures that appear more local, head to SoHo where you can take socially distanced pictures in the cobblestone streets.

Of course there are other ways to stay busy in NYC during the pandemic, but these are a few great ideas to keep in mind the next time you’re in need of some mental rejuvenation. As a community, let’s make sure to continue to support small businesses and the city we love so that it doesn’t become an unrecognizable place without the culture and charm that brings it fame.

Go to Museums For the majority of the pandemic, NYC has authorized museums to be open, and they are in need of support to avoid shutting down. Notable museums that have enhanced COVID guidelines include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Met Cloisters, the Guggenheim, the MOMA, the Whitney Museum of Art and many more. This is a fun indoor activity, especially when it is cold outside, that can help nurture the mind. It is important to keep supporting these institutions as many of them, such as the Met, are in danger. Robin Pogrebin reported in The New York Times that “facing a potential shortfall of $150 million because of the pandemic, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has begun conversations with auction houses and its curators about selling some artworks to help pay for care of the collection.”

Museums are collectors of history, and sadly the pandemic has taken a great toll on them. That is why it’s necessary for us to support them during this time.

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My Summer In The Plant

by Brenden John (Film, ‘21)

The summer of 2020 is always going to be one defined

by COVID-19. In place of millions of Americans traveling around the country, having get-togethers and just seeing each other, many of us were stuck at home.

I spent most of my summer roaming around a factory floor.

She told me proudly once that she’ll often work 60hour weeks but that since supervisors knew she was dependable, they often gave her a few days off. This was even more of an achievement considering at least three other shift leads quit while I was there, with one even walking off mid-shift.

Diana complained occasionally about pain in her hands and feet, but it didn’t stop her from doing work or leaving the floor often. We talked about all sorts of things from the WWE, life and the job. She had the habit of often “accidentally” having extra food around me, like “accidentally” having an extra sandwich or order of McDonald’s fries. I always accepted the “accidental” food. I was grateful. I really valued our friendship in our strange pairing of two very different people.

For me, the summer was the first time I worked in an industrial setting which was an opportunity given to me by the pandemic. I was assigned to collect virus screenings, input the results into a spreadsheet and hunt down fellow workers who had an irregularity in the answers they gave. For the rest of my 12-hour shifts, I would wander the grounds of the food processing plant and enforce safety guidelines set for the virus. My official title was “COVID cop” (still ACAB though). With this, I got into a routine of monotony.

Diana seemed grateful for the job despite her grievances. She was hired after being in prison and was glad that she had the opportunity to work. She liked being paid for the job but wanted to leave. She would drive over an hour from Rochester to Syracuse to visit her girlfriend multiple times a week. This distance was inconvenient but as Diana was on parole, this was the best option for her.

At this point, I shouldn’t be surprised by the resilience of others or myself. I did however shock my parents from going from the sedentary lifestyle of taking classes in my bedroom to waking up at 4:45 a.m. to drive to the other side of the city to make my 6 a.m. shift. This habit became much easier with multiple cups of black coffee and a can of yerba mate as a treat.

For me, this lifestyle shift was a dramatic one but not nearly as difficult for many of my coworkers.

My coworkers were full of sad stories. Diana’s nephew, who she called Welchie (like the fruit juice), had to work to pay off a fine. After a night of drinking, he went out to his car to rest and sober up. A police officer found him like this and charged him with a DWI. He picked up the job to help pay the fine. Another shift leader would joke about how she was shot a few months prior to our meeting. It was good she could joke about it but, it’s terribly sad it happened in the first place. Luckily, she ended up being ok. Another coworker was very clearly being catfished by someone. It was mentioned as a joke after he showed me pictures of two very obviously different women that he claimed were just one. He would send money to her despite never meeting. Sure, there was some humor in the situation, but he was also someone who just wanted a connection with somebody, and he happened to find that with someone claiming to be someone else on WhatsApp. I can’t blame him. Being alone in the pandemic is hard enough as it is.

Shifts at the plant were for 12 hours for most floor workers, either morning to evening or evening to morning. I did not envy any of my coworkers that stayed overnight. I remember being particularly heartbroken after a coworker coming off of his night shift told our supervisor that he would then be driving to Kentucky Fried Chicken to clock in for his day job. The plant paid $12 an hour to most of the floor workers I interacted with. The grueling hours and conditions made for a tough atmosphere. Hearing that someone had to go work again after a full night just to pay for whatever they needed was a tough reality. Stories like this were all over the plant. It wasn’t a place people wanted to be.

Over the summer I got close with a woman who we’ll call Diana to keep her privacy. She was a shift leader, Hispanic, perhaps in her late forties or fifties, with a buzz cut and also diabetic. She prided herself on her work ethic but seemed ambivalent about the job.

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The floor was always hotter than outdoors, even in the summer heat. The always moving, buzzing, boiling and steaming machines keep the temperature high. This wasn’t helped by the dress code being jeans, boots and a t-shirt. This was also paired with a hairnet, safety glasses, a mask, a bump cap and a beard net for anyone with facial hair. I also wore a fluorescent yellow vest for visibility.

After about a month on the job, my supervisor said I didn’t have to wear the black t-shirts I was originally told were mandatory. From then on I exclusively wore workout shirts. Despite the more breathable material I still found myself running a paper towel over my chest and back to dry off the sweat.

led to strange memorabilia being at the factory locations. An auctioned suit with a signed letter from actress Julia Roberts stood in a glass display on the second floor of the building. Another factory location nearby held a Paul Newman race car.

While I didn’t drive a race car, I found myself spending a lot of time in my mom’s 2012 Toyota Sienna.

Her work had gone fully remote, so she no longer needed a vehicle to work. That van became my base of operations. I took my fifteen-minute breaks and lunches in the van. I’d fully recline the seat and eat my protein bar and kale smoothie. I would even close my eyes when I got too tired and set an alarm. The van also served as an impromptu medical tent for me.

As most of my work was just walking the grounds, my feet were in constant pain. I had the regular pain of being on my feet all day paired with blisters. In the van, I would change the bandages on my blisters and apply Neosporin to make sure the blisters didn’t get any worse. You’d kind of forget about the sharp pain by just walking through it.

One day while working I noticed an ambulance outside the employee entrance. A woman had fainted from the heat while on the floor and vomited when she woke up. The higher-ups hastily threw together pizza that had obviously been ordered earlier that day and compiled the mix of slices leftover into a box, placing it in the cafeteria with a paper saying, “free pizza”. On the same day, tubs of ice with water bottles were also added to the cafeteria. A coworker angrily yelled “It took someone to faint for you to give us water bottles?” His shouting was in vain. The higher-ups did not dine in the cafeteria for floor workers.

I only visited the upper floors meant for higher-ups and miscellaneous office workers twice. It was a bizarre contrast to the main area for floor workers. The upper floors were well lit by natural lighting as much of the ceiling was glass. The windows overlooked the trees that stood around the grounds and a small fountain and maze garden. Most bizarre of all was the supposed motorcycle of the late actor Paul Newman which was suspended from the ceiling. It felt like a place I wasn’t meant to be in.

I noticed that despite constantly moving around, I had started to gain weight; my mom even pointed out my now visible “belly”. The factory had sapped all of my energy so when I would get home, I preferred to just rest. I often just ate something quick and unhealthy just to fill up. During all of this, I knew I was incredibly fortunate. I came home every day drained. Plenty of the workers were parents — they’re far stronger than me for being able to work all of that time then dedicate the rest to raising a kid.

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In response to my weight gain, I made some shifts in diet that were very helpful and began to workout again. I started running at the track at my old high school Usually, I would stop noticing the pain in my feet halfway through the first lap. I thought running would be a useful change for me to get back in shape and also be aware of my own lung capacity. I always could be exposed at work so I thought that if I noticed my capacity to run suddenly dropped, it would be an indicator that I had the virus.

In late August I received a call from the coordinator that set me up with the position. I had been reassigned. I was told just a few hours before my final shift would end. I would be reporting to a location closer to my home and would only be working eight-hour shifts opposed to the twelve-hour shifts that defined my summer. The news felt bittersweet. I had kind of learned to love this place. Diana wasn’t working that day. I never got to say goodbye.

For me, I had this experience for a summer, and I might go back to work in an industrial setting of some kind one day but I’m still the lucky one. My tenure at the plant had an expiration date. I didn’t have to worry if I could make rent or raise any kids on the short wage and long hours. While the pandemic highlighted a lot of the problems experienced by the working class, it certainly didn’t birth them. The job was tough before Covid and living in America was already expensive.

The virus was just another wrench thrown at the American working class.

My new assignment was at a factory owned by the same company. I was tasked with adding QR sticker labels to all of the parts inventory.

This job felt like a vacation compared to my last position. I had defined tasks and I could listen to music or e-books while I worked, all while being let out four hours earlier than the shifts I had all summer. This position only lasted two weeks. When it was done it was time for me to start my final year at FIT remotely. In place of a time where I should have been celebrating or partying with friends in the city, visiting museums, and discovering college and city love, I was instead charging my computer in preparation for class from my kitchen table.

Nearly half a month after finishing the job, I noticed the blisters and the marks of wear that tattooed the soles of my feet were gone and fully healed. There wasn’t a trace left on my body of the hot factory that I spent my summer.

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