Fashion – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com Breaking news from the Farm since 1892 Thu, 31 Mar 2022 08:05:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://stanforddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-DailyIcon-CardinalRed.png?w=32 Fashion – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com 32 32 204779320 Save the planet, shop Blue Bin Vintage https://stanforddaily.com/2022/03/30/save-the-planet-shop-blue-bin-vintage/ https://stanforddaily.com/2022/03/30/save-the-planet-shop-blue-bin-vintage/#respond Thu, 31 Mar 2022 04:13:22 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1198258 Centered right at the heart of campus, Blue Bin Vintage’s unique racks of vintage t-shirts, striped overalls and Stanford sweatshirts attracted hordes of trend-seeking students to White Plaza on Mar. 29

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On any normal afternoon, White Plaza is a bustling intersection for frantic students trekking to and from class, but, on Tuesday, it was a hub for slow fashion enthusiasts.  

With widespread online trendiness of vintage styles surging on popular apps like TikTok, the time is ripe for local second-hand stores to thrive and develop a new sense of command within the fashion world. Blue Bin Vintage is certainly one of those stores playing their cards right, appealing to the young yet dominant consumer at Stanford. 

The alluring appeal of second-hand clothing is its promise of an opportunity to find fresh, unique looks, support local businesses and contribute to a larger movement of sustainable and ethical fashion, says founders of Blue Bin Vintage Ahmad Amin, Jason To and Andrew Limos. 

Founded in September 2021, Blue Bin Vintage is a Bay Area brand started by a group of fashion-loving friends that seeks to promote second-hand clothing, curate hand-picked vintage collections — including elevated basics, nostalgic pieces from and reminiscent of the 80’s-2000’s and lots of aged Stanford pieces — that offers something for all demographics. 

“Our main goal is to have sustainable fashion, upcycled clothes. Give clothes a second purpose. You see at the malls a lot of fast fashion, and we’re just here to repurpose all these second-hand garments and give them another life,” Limos said. 

Though Palo Alto is bustling with college students and resources, it offers few destinations to find both stylish and affordable looks, says Amin. The lack in the area pushed the founders to open their permanent location in downtown Palo Alto at 520 Bryant Street. 

“We felt that Palo Alto is surrounded by so many great resources like Stanford and all the local high schools, but there’s nowhere to shop in the area,” Amin said.

The founders share a passion for second-hand clothing that goes beyond the surface-level hipster or retro style. For instance, for To, factors like durability and quality largely contribute to his decision to fill his closet with mostly second-hand items. 

“I personally like second-hand a lot more, the quality of the clothing from back then is a lot better than it is now. You buy stuff today and wash it two to three times, and it’s almost done,” To said. “But the quality from then, you can wear it for years longer. I also like the styles a lot more.” 

Students at the pop-up seemed to resonate with Blue Bin Vintage’s mission and vision and shared similar sentiments about the value of shopping second-hand. 

“I really think that second-hand clothing is a really cool way to be able to get really nice clothes and give them a new life but not feed into the whole fast fashion thing. It’s also better for the environment,” Mikey Tutpaz ʼ25 said.  

The pop-up event served not only as an opportunity for students to affordably populate their wardrobes with sharp new clothes but also as a reminder of the environmental impact of the fashion industry. At the check-out table, flyers were available for students to take home alongside their purchase with messaging urging sustainability. 

Bullet points read, “It takes 2,700 liters of water to produce one T-shirt, enough water for one person to drink for 900 days. Only 15% of textile are recycled. Leaving 85% to end up in landfills. Fast fashion accounts for 10% of carbon emissions. Fast fashion water waste is polluting our oceans. Ship secondhand and save the planet.”
(Photo: CHLOE MENDOZA / The Stanford Daily)

The volume of clothing Americans throw away each year has doubled over the past twenty years from seven million to fourteen million tons. The source of this textile waste, the production process many call fast fashion, is a garment production strategy that centers on trend replication and utilization of low-quality materials to produce and appeal to mass demand. 

Slow fashion, in contrast to fast fashion, encompasses an approach to fashion that considers the processes and resources required to produce clothing. The practice advocates for buying better quality garments that last longer and especially values the fair treatment of people, animals and the planet in the process. As fast fashion’s far more sustainable counterpart, slow fashion has been steadily gaining traction amongst young consumers for years. The practice of “thrifting” has grown into a social phenomenon and a cornerstone of popular culture while also gaining more environmental and ethical connotations in the public consciousness. 

The founders expressed their gratitude for the high turn-out and hope that students continue to shop second-hand and support small businesses as they continue to recover from the pandemic.

The three founders of the company all standing next to each other.
(From left to right) Founders of Blue Bin Vintage Jason To, Ahmad Amin and Andrew Limos. (Photo: CHLOE MENDOZA / The Stanford Daily)

Editor’s Note: This article is a review and contains subjective opinions, thoughts and critiques.

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Fashion X and Hillel bridge fashion and tech in inaugural event https://stanforddaily.com/2019/03/06/fashion-x-and-hillel-bridge-fashion-and-tech-in-inaugural-event/ https://stanforddaily.com/2019/03/06/fashion-x-and-hillel-bridge-fashion-and-tech-in-inaugural-event/#respond Wed, 06 Mar 2019 08:00:42 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1150843 Fashion X, Stanford’s first pre-professional organization focused on fashion and tech, partnered with Hillel to bring Liraz Cohen Mordechai, known as Liri, an Israeli fashion lecturer, to talk about the fashion and tech scene in Israel.

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Fashion X, Stanford’s first pre-professional organization focused on fashion and tech, partnered with Hillel to bring Liraz Cohen Mordechai, known as Liri, an Israeli fashion lecturer, to talk about the fashion and tech scene in Israel.

Liri, who founded Fashionating by Liri, travels around the U.S. and Israel to bring a unique perspective on Israel through the world of fashion. Liri also has recently partnered with Taglit-Birthright, a non-profit organization that allows young Jewish people to take free Heritage trips to Israel. After their trip, she sponsors them for an additional four days of fashion tours around Israel.

In her lecture, Liri identified key ways that fashion is changing. She highlighted the work of startups that have used artificial intelligence (AI) to make the online shopping process more accessible by allowing users functionality such as the ability to virtually try on clothes or providing images of where a shoe’s pressure points are likely to be.

Matthew Levin, the Pacific Northwest Campus Coordinator for the international Israel-education group Standwithus, said he saw this lecture in part as a way to foster positive interaction in Israel.

“Most people care about fashion … everyone is a part of [the fashion movement],” Levin said. “It’s amazing to see.”

Liri echoed his sentiment by saying that fashion “is a tool to convey messages.”

This is the first event put on by Fashion X, which saw a need to have a pre-professional fashion group on campus. Fashion X has been meeting since Fall 2018, but has just been recognized as student group by Student Activities and Leadership this quarter.

“Industry [is undergoing] the greatest tech revolution yet.” said Fashion X co-founder Sigalit Perelson.

Perelson added that the organization wants its members “to gain exposure to the fashion industry, develop their network and understanding of the field and explore the intersection of fashion and technology.”

Perelson feels that Stanford’s position in Silicon Valley is a way to leverage the discussion of a growing fashion technology field. She hopes that the group’s influence may be able to reach the greater Stanford community and open new doors for those interested.

She hopes members will “take initiatives and broaden their horizons” in the areas of fashion they’re interested in. She added that this is the pilot event for much larger plans that include a speaker series and the first annual Fashion X conference.

“I have … always had a passion for fashion,” Perelson said. “We’re really looking forward to launching more broadly in the spring.”

 

Contact John Coffey at jcoffey2 ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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MINT Magazine, fall 2018 — reviewed https://stanforddaily.com/2019/01/11/mint-magazine-fall-2018-reviewed/ https://stanforddaily.com/2019/01/11/mint-magazine-fall-2018-reviewed/#respond Fri, 11 Jan 2019 08:30:53 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1148095 A sweet orange-colored sun enveloped in smoke; a cartoon television with the words “FAKE NEWS” across its screen; people with multicolored paint smears on their bodies, standing in front of matching backgrounds — these are some of the many topical and evocative images contained in MINT Magazine’s fall 2018 issue. As stated on their website, […]

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A sweet orange-colored sun enveloped in smoke; a cartoon television with the words “FAKE NEWS” across its screen; people with multicolored paint smears on their bodies, standing in front of matching backgrounds — these are some of the many topical and evocative images contained in MINT Magazine’s fall 2018 issue.

As stated on their website, MINT Magazine is “Stanford’s only student-run print fashion and culture magazine.” MINT publishes three issues per year, one at the beginning of each academic quarter. The fall 2018 edition of MINT magazine centers around what creative director Annie Ng (‘20) calls “the politics of inversion.” In accordance with the theme, MINT’s staffers reimagine the world by transposing the state of things. In their articles and editorials, they consider how our customs, roles and scripts could be different, and what the world might be like if they were. In 10 pieces, MINT allows its readers to occupy realities different than their own.

Some of these alternative realities represent better worlds. Magazine publisher Condé Nast recently launched Vogue Africa; in response, MINT’s Ryan Wimsatt (‘21) wrote and photographed a piece titled “Vogue ‘Africa,’” which celebrates that the 110-year-old company finally recognized African fashion and culture, but also critiques their decision to cluster each of Africa’s diverse countries together. The MINT Magazine piece features photos of “[Stanford] students with heritage from” various African countries such as Egypt, Rwanda and Sudan. These photos emulate Vogue covers by making the models and their fashion the focal point of each image. Through rich and thoughtful representations, MINT presents its readers a more inclusive world, one where lovers of fashion can visit the magazine isle of any bookstore and purchase a copy of Vogue Nigeria — and what a beautiful world that would be.

Other realities are much like our own (in all of its imperfection), and exist to highlight, question and challenge what is. For example, in “Flipping the Frat,” MINT’s Sarah Panzer (‘22) photographs women recreating images from “The American Fraternity” by Andrew Moisey, a book of photographs of men partaking in fraternal activities like rituals and social events. In the photo series, MINT models — like the men Moisey photographed — do things like sit with pillowcases over their heads and mingle laxly beside an unconscious person splayed on the couch. Through these photos, MINT calls attention to issues such as hazing, drinking culture and more. Additionally, by switching the gender roles and placing their exposures adjacent to Moisey’s, they prompt their readers to wonder why this kind of behavior, when it occurs within the context of an American fraternity, often goes unchecked.

Through this issue, MINT explores outside the bounds of their regular content, and examines how fashion and culture interact with the facets of human identity, politics and more. “Swipe right, i’m a catfish” — the first editorial in the issue — photographed by Sarah Ohta (‘21) and written by Eunice Jung (‘21), pushes back against common portrayals of East Asian womanhood by delving into the complexity of East Asian woman. In “Think before you thrift,” Paula McCloud (‘19) writes about “the politics of thrifting.” She explains how, because of appropriation and popularization by the wealthy, thrift shops have become exploitative of their workers, less affordable and ultimately, distant from the communities they were created to serve. Another MINT writer, Allison Oddman (‘21), notes the emergence of “apocalyptic apparel,” which are clothing items, such as decorative respirator masks, made to protect against environmental factors. Oddman also writes about the current climate crisis, and the United States’ failure to address it.

In their opening letter, MINT’s editors-in-chief Eilaf Osman (19’), Iman Floyd-Carroll (‘20) and Mirna El-Khalily (‘20) write, “Around the world, the country, the Bay Area and Stanford, things are changing — for better and for worse.” This issue encourages its readers to notice those changes, and to continually envision what the world can be and how to get there.

Only some of the many articles and editorials contained in MINT’s fall 2018 issue were mentioned in this review. To read the magazine in its entirety, and see the full list of contributors, visit stanfordmint.com, where the issue is available in digital form. To acquire a hard copy, contact Mirna El-Khalily at mirnae@stanford.edu and/or Daniel Sanchez (‘19) at dsanche2@stanford.edu.

 

 

Contact Chasity Hale at cah70352 ‘at’ Stanford.edu.

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What does it mean to have Black hair at Stanford? https://stanforddaily.com/2018/07/23/what-does-it-mean-to-have-black-hair-at-stanford/ https://stanforddaily.com/2018/07/23/what-does-it-mean-to-have-black-hair-at-stanford/#respond Mon, 23 Jul 2018 23:58:01 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1143052 Paula McCloud examines a dearth of hair resources for Black students at Stanford.

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Black hair has always been a deliberate choice of resistance despite the pejorative stigmas that have been placed on it. It has remained unapologetic, at the forefront of creativity and for many a source of pride. For black students at Stanford University, however, the glory of their hair has become burdensome because of the underwhelming presence of Black hair businesses in the Peninsula.

According to census data reports, there has been significant decline in the presence of African-Americans in the surrounding Bay Area. In San Francisco, the population dropped by about 50 percent from 1970 to 2010 and is currently less than 5 percent of the total population. Similarly, African-Americans only make up a miniscule 2.6 percent of the population in Santa Clara county and 2.7 of San Mateo county.

This exodus of Black people has resulted in a significant decline in Black businesses, including Black hair businesses.

Gwendolyn Neal, owner of Nefertiti Salon and Beauty Supply in San Jose, says that the amount of Black hair spaces in the Bay Area has dramatically diminished since she first opened.

“We opened in ’93 and at that time I could count maybe five [Black hair supply stores],” Neal said. “Now, as far as Black beauty supply stores, there are two.”

For this reason, the New Orleans native fears that if she closes, Black hair spaces will disappear from San Jose and surrounding regions.

“It does bother me, I must honestly say,” said Neal. “Because this is us… This is our culture.”

The missing Black hair presence is new and unfamiliar for most Stanford students. For Kaylynn Cusic ‘19, a native of the Southside of Chicago, the absence of salons and supply stores around the University was a cultural shock.

“At home, hair is not an issue. You drive down the street and there is a beauty supply store everywhere I need to go,” Cusic said. “Here, you drive down the street and you see car dealerships like Tesla, and you realize very quickly that there is nothing that caters to our hair.”

There are also large financial and geographical barriers to getting their hair done, students say. Many of the salon and barbershop options that do exist are too far to reach, they explain, and when they are nearby they are too expensive.

According to Evan Miller ’20, the closest place she found that caters to her hair costs $250.

“That’s just not reasonable,” Miller said.

Because of the high prices, many students have to travel far. However, not everyone has the resources or means to do so.

“My friend had us going to Oakland to get cut,” said Treyjohn Butler ’20, a Stanford football cornerback. “But that’s a drive and a $35 haircut.”

“I literally go to Berkeley to get my hair done,” Miller said. “I realize that not everyone can even do that.”

The lack of Black hair business not only forces students to go to extreme measures to care for their hair, but also robs students of the community and processes of identity that these spaces centered around Black hair afford.

Black salons and barbershops were and continue to be spaces where Black people can come together and just be themselves, have cultural dialogue, create and be unconcerned with the mainstream gaze. They are among a few spaces where Black people have long sought out and found community and belongingness.

And at a place Stanford, where Black students comprise of only 7 percent of the undergraduate population and 3 percent of the graduate population, spaces of belonging are integral to their academic success.

With their hair turned into yet another burden that they have to carry, Black Stanford students say they feel even more out of place in the University.

“I just feel silenced,” said Cusic. “Where is the space for me?”

 

Contact Paula McCloud at pmccloud ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology https://stanforddaily.com/2018/07/20/the-petersen-automotive-museum-will-fuel-your-love-for-vehicles-and-fashionable-technology/ https://stanforddaily.com/2018/07/20/the-petersen-automotive-museum-will-fuel-your-love-for-vehicles-and-fashionable-technology/#respond Fri, 20 Jul 2018 21:36:39 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1143017 If you pass near La Brea Tar Pits or the West Hollywood end of Wilshire Boulevard, you’ll most likely note a lavish red and silver box-shaped building — red on the inside with wavy silver stripes raised across its exterior. The few times I saw it in years past, I assumed it was some kind […]

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The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology The Petersen Automotive Museum will fuel your love for vehicles and fashionable technology

If you pass near La Brea Tar Pits or the West Hollywood end of Wilshire Boulevard, you’ll most likely note a lavish red and silver box-shaped building — red on the inside with wavy silver stripes raised across its exterior. The few times I saw it in years past, I assumed it was some kind of bizarre store for Hollywood elite — never did I imagine it was a museum. Namely, it’s a car museum.

Yet upon learning about and entering the Peterson Automotive Museum, it made complete sense. The Petersen’s collection is just as fully-loaded and stylish as the building’s facade. The Petersen Automotive Museum boasts three entire floors filled with cars, motorcycles, regalia, gear and everything remotely automotive or car-related. Signage in the museum reveals its commitment to valuing and promoting the uniqueness and exquisiteness of cars and other vehicles — the most treasured of which are usually valued for their style and demonstrated a certain level of refined status.

It’s certainly a strange message to put forth in such a place, as even those who can afford the $16 admission may certainly not be ones to purchase million-dollar vehicles. Yet wandering the museum, one can’t help but feel a certain kind of awe and amazement at these vehicles. The cars really do show a certain kind of expression, and owners who carefully customize their vehicles clearly have particular senses of taste. Whether this stems from elitism, artistry or a desire to show wealth is beside the point (although still something to consider) — the cars are marvels of technology, inside and out.

The third floor, dedicated to the history of vehicles, has an entire wall of cars from movies — including one of the teal cars used in “Thelma and Louise,” the restored Delorean from the “Back to the Future” franchise, the van from “Little Miss Sunshine” and three Batman vehicles. With replicas of some of the first vehicles — both car and motorcycle — the third floor allows visitors to wander the floor, exploring how cars started as a functional mode of transportation and quickly transformed into a passion for many.

The second floor is devoted to the industry and has a more diverse set of vehicles, including a special exhibit devoted to small, functional cars for children for pleasure and racing. Often virtually indistinguishable scale models of expensive cars, they were often purchased by rich suburban parents for their kids as toys, ones they could drive around and mimic their parents. Yet another special exhibit highlights the rich history of Japanese vehicles, often considered very reliable and pragmatic cars, countering typical American flashiness. One of the most interesting collections is that of the motorcycles, showing a variety of makers who craft unique vehicles of all different designs, levels of complexity, and functions. Many are shiny, sleek and utterly magnetic to the eye — true examples of technology and art combining in a beautiful intersection to create design.

The first floor is currently mostly occupied by a special exhibit devoted to Porsche — including the many iterations of the company’s vehicles over the years, but also the company’s reputation as a designer (a coffeemaker, television, a sky-rise and an unconventional piano are examples of such design feats). The Porsche exhibit became one of the most educational of the exhibits, explaining how the original maker and founder, Ferdinand Porsche, created the design for the car, and all of the company’s cars have never wavered that far from that original shape — one found to be extremely functional and effective. Over the years, racing Porsches grew in flashiness and flair, while everyday Porsches stayed simple yet elegant — a mark of the Porsche name.

For an extra charge, the Petersen also offers 75-minute and 120-minute tours of the Vault — a treasure trove of even more fancy cars including hot rods and Porsches. Even without the Vault, the sheer number of vehicles at the Petersen is almost overwhelming — several car-lovers quickly ran to their favorite vehicles, verbosely explaining their function and makes, while others not as familiar with the technical specifications of each vehicle admired their exteriors and designs. Either way, the museum itself is much more of an experience than simply the sum of its many, many cars — and the cars are truly incredible.

Contact Olivia Popp at oliviapopp ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Not your ordinary gala, part 2 https://stanforddaily.com/2018/06/14/not-your-ordinary-gala-part-2/ https://stanforddaily.com/2018/06/14/not-your-ordinary-gala-part-2/#respond Thu, 14 Jun 2018 16:28:00 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1142502 On June 2, the first-ever MINT gala took place in Paul Brest Hall. The MINT gala, cosponsored by the Student Organizing Committee for the Arts, Stanford Arts, Cardinal Nights, the Stanford Concert Network and Stanford Women in Design, and supported by VFILES, Bloomingdale’s, Norma Kamali and Lancôme, was themed “Metamorphosis: Fashion Change.” Guests began arriving […]

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Not your ordinary gala, part 2 Not your ordinary gala, part 2 Not your ordinary gala, part 2 Not your ordinary gala, part 2 Not your ordinary gala, part 2

On June 2, the first-ever MINT gala took place in Paul Brest Hall. The MINT gala, cosponsored by the Student Organizing Committee for the Arts, Stanford Arts, Cardinal Nights, the Stanford Concert Network and Stanford Women in Design, and supported by VFILES, Bloomingdale’s, Norma Kamali and Lancôme, was themed “Metamorphosis: Fashion Change.”

Guests began arriving at 7:00 pm, checked in and took seats at round tables decorated with potted plant centerpieces and flameless candles. A raised catwalk ran through the center of the room. Two projection screens, one on the left of the platform and one to the right of it, displayed graphics of a butterfly (seemingly composed of multi-colored pixels). Many people visited and took pictures with the various installations. In-front of the foyer, where the box office was, was the “Floral Jungle Entrance,” an archway wrapped in twining vines, pink and purple flowers (conceived of by the MINT events team). Also in front of the foyer was “The GRID,” an “LED laser water lattice,” made by Charlotte Thun-Hohenstein (third year PhD candidate), which went into full effect at night time, glowing neon green against the black night. In the Rehnquist courtyard was “The Tent,” a light installation by studioYORK, where people entered into a silvery, doorless dome, which displayed a wash of changing colors. Inside Paul Brest was a photo booth.

At 7:45 pm, guests went through the buffet queue, selecting their dinner, and filtering into the room until nearly every seat was filled. At 8:10 pm, the first live musical performer, Hajar Alzerma ‘18 took to the stage, setting the cool and inviting tone that would be maintained throughout the night. At 8:30 pm, the fashion show, titled “Don’t Be Scared//For the Children,” commenced.

Student-designer Danyele Brown ‘18, whose items were showcased, began the event enveloped in a wispy, translucent fabric. Like a caterpillar cocooned in silk, Brown wriggled at the end of the catwalk as models walked. Models wore unique, vibrantly colored clothes. Some were styled in unconventional ways. For example, one model did not put their arms through the sleeves of the shirt, but rather let the long sleeves droop down to their sides.

The show featured sublimated prints (made by Brown), ankle socks, shirts with fringe, bubble coats and more. Details such as teal blue eyeshadow, and bright pink caps to match a model’s bright pink hair stood out. Music played. Red and blue lights flashed. Amidst all of this, videos — of a gospel choir, of people on talk shows and more — played on the two projectors. All of the people in the videos were black (as were the models). Two particularly important clips, it seemed to me, were: (1) a video of children playing in their room together and (2) a video of a person critiquing masculinities, and discussing how “the gender box is like a prison cell.” These two clips were emblematic of the show’s themes of “black gender sexual violence, gay and trans creativity, and childishness.” Eventually, Brown, as butterflies do, emerged from chrysalis.

The fashion show was made with the support of Bloomingdales, who provided styling advice and additional pieces for the event.

Immediately after the fashion show, Cat Davis ‘21 took the stage, lauding the fashion show, encouraging the audience to talk about what just took place and then launching into a beautiful rendition of “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse. Davis marked the last of the musical performances before the speaker portion of the night began.

The first speech was given by Iman Floyd-Carroll ‘20, one of MINT’s editors-in-chiefs. Floyd-Carroll spoke about how MINT, Stanford’s first and “only student-run fashion and print culture magazine,” has been, in accordance with the night’s theme, undergoing a metamorphosis. MINT, founded in 2013 by Ashley Overbeek, emerged as a response to the Bay Area’s perceived “dismissal” of fashion. Since then, Iman noted that “MINT has existed in many iterations,” and that her job as an editor-in-chief has been to “understand the mission of MINT,” promoting conversation and supporting artist, and “curtating MINT’s sentiment” of inclusivity and diversity within their audience. MINT, in the words of Iman, aspires to “create beautiful art, conversations and communities.”

The following speaker, Julie Anne-Quay, re-emphasized the importance of inclusivity and diversity in fashion with discussion of her fashion-oriented social media platform VFILES, which she created as a means to open more windows for people to enter into the fashion and music worlds. Anne-Quay described VFILES as “leftovers in your Gucci bag, a five-foot two-inch model…” meaning it is a place where anyone interested in fashion can get involved. You get to say who you are,” said Anne-Quay as she encouraged the students in the room to pursue their dreams, to “make noise” and “be heard.” On VFILEs, creatives can post, browse and shop.

The next, and final keynote speaker, Barbara Tfkank echoed Anne-Quay’s message about the importance of pursuing one’s dreams. Tfank talked about how she staged her first fashion show when she was ten years old, dressing her neighborhood friends in her mother’s nightgowns. Years later, she bought vintage fabrics, made dresses and tried to sell them to Barney’s. She didn’t know much about marketing at the time, but she was bold, jumping right into the fashion scene because she knew it was what she wanted to do. Amazingly, they liked and bought her designs. Today, she is a celebrated designer, known for making dresses for high-profile clients such as Michelle Obama.

All of the installations at the gala were aligned with the theme of metamorphosis. The artists and the speakers talked about how the fashion world is changing to incorporate more people of varied identities, new technologies, etc. The future of fashion is uncertain, but that’s the exciting thing about it. Like Iman said in her speech, quoting Coco Capitán, the members of the fashion community have the opportunity to decide: “What are [they] going to do with all this future?”

I immensely enjoyed viewing the student artworks, and hearing about the current changes in the fashion world. I also enjoyed talking with attendees about the metamorphoses that they themselves were embodying at the gala. Below are images and quotes from some of the guests.

Contact Chasity Hale at cah70352 ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Diane von Furstenberg talks finance, fashion and feminism https://stanforddaily.com/2014/12/01/diane-von-furstenberg-talks-finance-fashion-and-feminism/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/12/01/diane-von-furstenberg-talks-finance-fashion-and-feminism/#respond Tue, 02 Dec 2014 06:47:59 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1092725 “If I had gone to business school, if I had gone here — my god, I would own the world!” Diane von Furstenberg is a statement maker. On Nov. 20, the illustrious fashion industry leader did not need a statement necklace to hold the attention of a packed audience at the Stanford Graduate School of […]

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Diane Von Furstenberg
Diane von Furstenberg talking about feminism and finance at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Photo by Avi Bagla.

“If I had gone to business school, if I had gone here — my god, I would own the world!”

Diane von Furstenberg is a statement maker. On Nov. 20, the illustrious fashion industry leader did not need a statement necklace to hold the attention of a packed audience at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Her confident disposition and witty charm kept the predominantly female audience at Cemex Auditorium both entertained and enthralled. Hosted by Stanford Women in Business (SWIB), a pre-professional group of undergraduates who aim to establish a community of aspiring businesswomen across campus, von Furstenberg’s visit marked the first event this year of SWIB’s Executive Leadership Series.

Von Furstenberg did not go to business school, but that did not stop her from creating the international empire that is now “DVF.” As she described in relatable terms to her Stanford audience on Thursday, “I had my own start-up.”

This start-up refers to the 1974 introduction of her “wrap dress,” a garment that has come to “symbolize power and independence for an entire generation of women,” as stated on her website. Since then, von Furstenberg has developed a luxury brand available in over 55 countries.

Also known for her mentorship and work on the board of Vital Voices, an NGO that supports emerging female leaders and entrepreneurs, von Furstenberg declares women’s empowerment as her current “mission.” She did not originally plan for this, as she mentioned when she spoke of her early years.

“If you study business, chances are you don’t know what you’re going to do. So it is important that you think about the woman that you want to be,” she said.

Von Furstenberg reflected on this notion herself in her new memoir, “The Woman I Wanted to Be,” which came out this fall. In the first chapter of her memoir, entitled “Roots,” von Furstenberg pays homage to her mother as the key figure who influenced the woman she wanted to be. Her mother, a concentration camp survivor, taught her that “fear was not an option; you must be independent.”

Von Furstenberg echoed her mother’s words when she said, “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to be independent.”

Later on, she elaborated, “I was lucky because [the wrap dress is what] I became independent with. As I was gaining confidence myself, I was selling confidence and wrapping women in fitting rooms. By empowering myself, I was also empowering others.”

In addition to her mother, von Furstenberg noted that other women — or rather, all women — inspire her. She said, “I am very much inspired by women. I have never met a woman who is not strong.”

She calls herself a feminist “with a lot of m’s,” emphasizing her support for girl power.

“I know that people don’t think [feminism] is a fashionable word… What does [being] a feminist mean? It means that you believe in women’s empowerment. And you believe in equal rights. And you believe in equal pay. And you believe in equal.”

The statement maker left her female listeners with a few final messages that span all industries.

“Even if you work for somebody, you are your own boss. You are the boss of your own life.”

In the same way that her mother motivated her to become independent, von Furstenberg emboldened the crowd in the auditorium. Her message at the GSB had as much to do with the business of finance and fashion, as it had to do with the personal business of leading an autonomous life.

Contact Jenna Shapiro at jennshap ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Franca Sozzani: Vogue Italia’s Editor-in-Chief visits Stanford https://stanforddaily.com/2014/11/19/franca-sozzani-vogue-italias-editor-in-chief-visits-stanford/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/11/19/franca-sozzani-vogue-italias-editor-in-chief-visits-stanford/#respond Wed, 19 Nov 2014 16:14:34 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1092354 Franca Sozzani sat in a side room of Bing Concert Hall with her iconic flowing blonde hair, sparkling azure eyes and the wise poise that is always in style – or at least has been for the past 26 years that she has reigned as Vogue Italia‘s Editor-in-Chief. Also appointed as Editor-in-Chief of Condé Nast […]

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Vogue Italia Editor-in-Chief Franca Sozzani talks at Stanford. Photo by Gabriela Groth.
Vogue Italia Editor-in-Chief Franca Sozzani talks at Stanford. Photo by Gabriela Groth.

Franca Sozzani sat in a side room of Bing Concert Hall with her iconic flowing blonde hair, sparkling azure eyes and the wise poise that is always in style – or at least has been for the past 26 years that she has reigned as Vogue Italia‘s Editor-in-Chief. Also appointed as Editor-in-Chief of Condé Nast in 1994, Sozzani has spent many years in fashion’s global spotlight, making some of the most notably inspiring and controversial moves in the industry. Using fashion as a medium to send powerful social, political and environmental messages, her role as a trendsetter goes far beyond denim and plaid.

“Fashion is not only a pair of pants and a t-shirt,” Sozanni explains. “It is our international language and our way to communicate with other people. So why not use fashion to communicate messages?”

Through the “international language” of fashion, Sozzani has boldly addressed issues that others in the industry shy away from – or even perpetuate.

The same year that New York Fashion Week featured African-American models a mere five percent of the time in 2008, Sozzani released the first-ever “Black Issue” of any mainstream magazine to feature only black models throughout the publication. In 2011, she launched Vogue Curvy, an online branch of Vogue which shares fashion news and style ideas for the more fully figured.

Sozzani also serves as a Goodwill Ambassador for Fashion4Development, a campaign of fashion-based initiatives that support the United Nations in its efforts toward Africa.

As she told Time, “Italian is only spoken in Italy, so our images have to be very strong to attract attention.”

In Sozzani’s presentation to the wider Stanford community on Nov. 14, she traced aesthetic historical similarities between apparel design and films. It was an ode to this aspect of her work – imagery – that she appreciates for its fluency in universal expression.

“What I love most in my work is the image, the vision. I’m always looking for a very strong concept,” said Sozzani.

This value of transmittable, self-explanatory images might explain her “Makeover Madness” issue, which explored the plastic surgery craze by posing models in bandages about to go under the knife. Or the “Homeland Security” spread that depicted models holding machine guns.

Sozzani also shared her belief that technology has indisputable relevance. But she warns against the mentality that feeds the “fuzzy-techie” divide at Stanford that draws distinctions between “soft” and “hard” skills.

“Technology is, for sure, something that you could not live without today. [Still,] technology has allowed everyone to be more or less a bit the same – you have to have…your own soul, your own way, your idea, your dream. The most important thing is to put creativity and technology together,” she said.

As Sozanni said, “fashion is a mirror of the time”; clearly, the Italian editor and best-dressed trailblazer is unafraid to reflect the times in all their beauties and faults.

Contact Jenna Shapiro at jennshap ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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“Scene in Action” brings dance, art and fashion to a new stage https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/30/scene-in-action-brings-dance-art-and-fashion-to-a-new-stage/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/30/scene-in-action-brings-dance-art-and-fashion-to-a-new-stage/#respond Fri, 31 Oct 2014 06:46:36 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1091038 Energized by its own setting, the quarter-long "Scene in Action" class draws inspiration from the Cantor's Robert Frank exhibit of 1950s American photography, as well as the Anderson Collection's abstract expressionist art. Performers are challenged to express "ideas as a direct response to the impulses seen and felt in the art of this period" through contemporary movement, as the course description reads.

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Photo by Gabriela Groth.
Dancer rehearsing at the Anderson Collection for “Scene in Action.” Photo by Gabriela Groth.

In Aleta Hayes’ “Scene in Action” performance class, dance, fashion and visual art converge in a choreographed synergy of artistic expression. This past Wednesday night, the innovative performance and runway show “took the stage” in a nontraditional sense.

As the course title implies, the dancers’ scene was not static; rather, the fifteen performers moved from the Cantor Arts Center to the adjacent Anderson Collection, which opened just this fall.

Energized by its own setting, the quarter-long “Scene in Action” class draws inspiration from the Cantor’s Robert Frank exhibit of 1950s American photography, as well as the Anderson Collection’s abstract expressionist art. In her course description, Hayes explains that she challenges performers to express “ideas as a direct response to the impulses seen and felt in the art of this period.”

Professor and primary choreographer Aleta Hayes said, “We’re bringing dance to the art. It’s a conversation between two presences.”

From the performance of "Scene in Action." Photo by Gabriela Groth.
From the performance of “Scene in Action.” Photo by Gabriela Groth.

This multidisciplinary class is primarily the brainchild of Hayes, a contemporary dance teacher known for combining various art forms. In 2010, she established The Chocolate Heads Movement Band, a group of dancers, visual artists, musicians, spoken word poets and writers.

Cuauhtemoc Peranda ’10, one of the founding members of The Chocolate Heads, returned this fall to serve as the assistant choreographer of “Scene in Action.”

As an application-based seminar, “Scene in Action” started before fall quarter began as a three-week Arts Intensive course, during which dancers trained for hours at a time each day. The course became a one-unit class at the start of the school year.

Ari Echt-Wilson ’17, the stage manager of “Scene in Action,” spent her summer organizing the Cantor’s annual Party on the Edge so she knows the museum space.

“It’s absolutely incredible how the dancers choreographed pieces that speak with the art and bring it to life in a way that I have never seen it before,” Echt-Wilson said.

AL.102814.Scene@Cantor6.Groth
From the performance of “Scene in Action.” Photo by Gabriela Groth.

Indeed, the performers’ movements alongside the art achieves a kind of mutual dialogue. Neither side dominates the conversation — after all, dancers are continually reminded to keep a safe distance from the famous art pieces.

Pieces of the conversation remained unscripted for the performers to fill in on their own. During a rehearsal with Tony Kramer, an emeritus professor in Stanford’s dance department, the dancers practiced “contact improv,” as they improvised movement along their path from the Cantor Arts Center to the Anderson Collection.

Hayes envisioned the show as an authentic experience for everyone involved, including the audience ushered along the dancers’ path.

“[The performance] is kind of like all the ways that we can become, view and experience art. That’s what I would like for everybody — to get the full-blown, 360-degree, multi-sensorial way to experience a physical, visual, even intellectual way of looking at art.”

Contact Jenna Shapiro at jennshap ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Stanford’s Best Dressed Freshmen https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/30/best-dressed-freshmen/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/30/best-dressed-freshmen/#comments Fri, 31 Oct 2014 05:16:36 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1089901 Josh Petersen Major: Philosophy and either Science, Technology and Society or Math Describe your style: Fairly preppy, but [it] definitely takes a lot of the southwestern and Austin feeling to it – muted tones, different textures and a good pair of shoes. Hobbies: Classical piano, acting and generally loafing about. Secret talent: Tap dancing Favorite […]

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Josh Petersen

Photo by Ashley Overbeek.
Josh Petersen. Photo by Ashley Overbeek.

Major: Philosophy and either Science, Technology and Society or Math

Describe your style: Fairly preppy, but [it] definitely takes a lot of the southwestern and Austin feeling to it – muted tones, different textures and a good pair of shoes.

Hobbies: Classical piano, acting and generally loafing about.

Secret talent: Tap dancing

Favorite book: “All the King’s Men”

Best thing about Stanford: I really like the cognitive atmosphere, and no matter how much work I have, I still feel a positive community around me everywhere. Also, the weather is much better than it is in Texas.

Tell us something we don’t know: I want to be a public school teacher. I had a teacher tell me once that, if you or someone you know isn’t teaching your kids, then who is? I think that’s a very powerful statement to the influence that one can have over someone’s education, either in a positive or negative way.

Stylish Frosh
Brexton Pham. Photo by Avi Bagla.

Brexton Pham

Major: Computer Science

Describe your style: Southern prep

Style inspiration: Mama Pham. My mom used to be a Nordstrom designer, then she had me and said “Oops, I can’t travel!” So I feel like I’m compensating for that.

Hobbies: Eno-ing. It’s a portable hammock and you can bring it on hikes, strap it to any two trees…also, slacklining.

Ideal first date: Exploring a city together and finding gentlemanly opportunities to show that I’m a man– because I ain’t got muscles – so I have to prove it somehow. I’d like to open the door, pay…

Role model: Daenerys, from “Game of Thrones.” She’s the Khaleesi of the Dothraki.

Secret talent: I can parkour on heelies.

Jessica Lindsay

Photo by Avi Bagla.
Jessica Lindsay. Photo by Avi Bagla.

Major: Mathematical and Computational Science

Describe your style: I’m quite transatlantic. I dress quite differently than American people. English style is more formal, tailored. But I have very casual days, too.

Style inspiration: I wore a school uniform for 11 years of my life, so after that I just wanted to try anything. I love magazines and follow a lot of fashion Instagrams.

Ideal first date: I’m quite traditional in that I like dinner and a movie. But if someone was to surprise me, as long as the surprise went well, I’d be impressed. Also, the key to my heart is macaroons. I’m 100% feminist, but a guy that opens your door, buys you flowers, buys you dinner… that’s always nice. [Also] someone to make you laugh. You gotta laugh.

Favorite spot on campus and why: The roof of the Law School.

Role model: I’m going to go with the cliché and say my mom: she’s frickin cool.

Secret talent: Skiing.

Gabriel Hernandez

Photo by Avi Bagla.
Gabriel Hernandez. Photo by Avi Bagla.

Major: Looking into Symbolic Systems.

Describe your style: Unique.

Style inspiration: My sister. A while back I would wear whatever, but one day she said “Let’s go shopping.” She influenced my style.

Ideal first date: A lakeside picnic. Maybe I’d bring a guitar and make some nice little sandwiches.

Role model: My dad. He’s very service-oriented. Whenever someone needs something, he’s always willing to help. He’s a pastor and will go to meet someone who calls at three or four in the morning. It makes me want to be there for others like that.

Hobbies: Piano, guitar, any music and making scavenger hunts.

Secret talent: I can beatbox while playing the harmonica. And you have to guess this one. *Does impeccable Obama impersonation*

Kyle D’Souza

Stylish Frosh
Kyle D’Souza. Photo by Avi Bagla.

Major: Dream job is to become an astronaut. I’m also interested in education reform.

Describe your style: Western, classy and gorgeous.

Style inspiration: My English teacher junior year had all this Western clothing from Arizona. He would talk in this nice button-down and jeans and look great.

Ideal first date: Cooking pizza at the brick oven at Stanford’s farm.

Favorite spot on campus: The Bender Room.

Role model: Neil Armstrong, without a doubt.

Hobbies: Backpacking.

Secret talent: I can do K-Pop.

Stelio Ropokis

Photo by Avi Bagla.
Stelio Ropokis. Photo by Avi Bagla.

Major: Psychology, Computer Science

Describe your style: Simple, but classy. I love solid colors – blue, green, black – but also patterns. Urban Outfitters has some cool patterns. This is what I do when I buy my clothes: I go to an outlet with no nice brands; I’ll go straight to the clearance section; and I’ll just look through it and see if I can find one or two pieces that really stand out.

Style inspiration: Clean cut things that look effortless but are actually really put together. I’m inspired by aesthetics [and] ways that things fit together – the dichotomy between simplicity and things that stand out.

Ideal first date: Go to a really cool restaurant in San Francisco…walk and talk by the Pier, Golden Gate, all around…then go to a really cool restaurant with food I’ve never tasted before and just talk.

Favorite spot on campus: Memorial Court, with the Main Quad on one side, and the oval across from you. It’s beautiful, and sitting by the Rodin sculptures, I think about the history there…how many people have walked these quarters.

Role model: Steve Jobs, I love how he believed in the design and aesthetics of a company. I think that’s so important with everything, especially with where the world is headed, I think design is starting to take a more and more important role.

Hobbies: Tennis, swimming, meeting people [and] Instagram.

Lillian Bornstein

Photo by Avi Bagla.
Lillian Bornstein. Photo by Avi Bagla.

Major: Theater and Psychology

Describe your style:  I like wearing things that I find interesting.

Style inspiration: Thrift stores, Goodwill, old movies, old magazines…I like cutting things up and putting them all over.

Ideal first date: A walk on a nice fall day with lots of laughing. It doesn’t matter where. Good discussion transcends location.

Role model: Tavi Gevinson and social rights activists like Nelson Mandela, Ghandi [and] Martin Luther King.

Hobbies: Theater, eating, dancing, spending time with dynamic people and forcing people to do crafts with me.

Secret talent: The “shopping cart” dance move.

Anne-Sophie Bine

Photo by Avi Bagla.
Anne-Sophie Bine. Photo by Avi Bagla.

Major: Humanities-related

Describe your style: I developed a personal style when I moved to Paris, five years ago. Aside from having a timeless edge that I strive to, I really got to my style when I realized you could show very little skin and still be feminine.

Style inspiration: My mother dresses very well. She has a very classical, stylish, timeless look…lots of French brands, simple cuts and lines [and] very feminine. My original basis has to do with me borrowing her clothes.

Words of wisdom: I’ve learned that the way you are dressed when you walk out of the house in the morning is how you’re going to look like the whole day — so fashion isn’t to dress up every morning, but to dress down and still be elegant. That’s simplicity.

Hobbies: Writing. Writing is my biggest thing. I wrote an article for The Atlantic about depression, social media and psychology. If I had taken a gap year for modeling, I doubtlessly would’ve written about it.

Vianey Villalobos-Zuniga

Photo by Ashley Overbeek.
Vianey Villalobos-Zuniga. Photo by Ashley Overbeek.

Major: Civil engineering

Describe your style: I usually am a super colorful, vibrant person, or I just go for greys, browns, blacks, because that matches with anything. I love high-waisted anything…and crop tops.

Hobbies: I like to draw…love listening to music. I love to eat. I could do that for the rest of my life.

Favorite food: Pizza or enchiladas.

Secret talent: I can write with both my left and right hands.

A motto you live by: Just do you. Be yourself, and go for what you want to do, and forget what other people think. Do what makes you happy.

Describe a time you followed that motto: It’d be going for engineering, because I was always told, Girls don’t really do science. Maybe you should do something like art. It’ll be easy. It’ll be fun.” But that doesn’t make me happy. I want to do math and science. That’s made pursuing this major right now great.

Check out the photo gallery here.

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The fashion of football season https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/26/the-fashion-of-football-season/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/10/26/the-fashion-of-football-season/#respond Sun, 26 Oct 2014 07:01:23 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1089801 Fall has arrived once again, but on Stanford’s campus, this only means another, possibly more important season in store: football season. As the football team gears up, the rest of us equip ourselves in as much Cardinal red and white as we can muster. Whether you are the swagged-out rally-goer, stylish sports lover or spirited-but-athletically-unaware, […]

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Fall has arrived once again, but on Stanford’s campus, this only means another, possibly more important season in store: football season.

As the football team gears up, the rest of us equip ourselves in as much Cardinal red and white as we can muster. Whether you are the swagged-out rally-goer, stylish sports lover or spirited-but-athletically-unaware, see how these Stanford students flaunt their fandom on game day.

[justified_image_grid ids=1090079,1090072,1090073,1090077,1090074,1090075,1090076,1090078]

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The d.school explores gender norms with “Art as Identity” https://stanforddaily.com/2014/05/22/the-d-school-explores-gender-norms-with-art-as-identity/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/05/22/the-d-school-explores-gender-norms-with-art-as-identity/#comments Fri, 23 May 2014 06:58:39 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1085952 Neal Ulrich '16 stands on the floor of the d.school atrium, decked head to toe in a dramatic red ball gown, adjusting the top of a chestnut wig to meet his hairline. As eager audience members file in to find seats, they hoot and holler excitedly upon seeing Ulrich. He smiles and laughs, easily 6-foot-4 in his golden high heels. “Sissy That Walk” by RuPaul blares in the background.

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Courtesy of Sean Christofferson.
Courtesy of Sean Christofferson.

Neal Ulrich ’16 stands on the floor of the d.school atrium, decked head to toe in a dramatic red ball gown, adjusting the top of a chestnut wig to meet his hairline. As eager audience members file in to find seats, they hoot and holler excitedly upon seeing Ulrich. He smiles and laughs, easily 6-foot-4 in his golden high heels. “Sissy That Walk” by RuPaul blares in the background.

After a few minutes, Brianne Huntsman ’15 steps to the front of the atrium and commands the audience’s attention. “Thank you, Dina!” she shouts, motioning to Ulrich, whose oh-so-fabulous drag queen pseudonym happens to be “Dina Mite.” From his place flitting around the room, Ulrich then takes his position. Before long, another RuPaul track crescendos, Ulrich strut-strut-struts across the atrium, bolstered by a wave of cheers. The show begins.

The show was indeed a drag show, entitled “Art as Identity,” and was imagined and executed by Ulrich and Huntsman for a one-time-only performance last week. Funded by the Stanford Arts Institute, the show was a product of a MashUp grant, a flash grant designed for student artists from differing artistic disciplines to come together in making an exciting, collaborative artwork.

Ulrich, a longtime singer and performer, and Huntsman, an experienced costume designer for theater, knew each other from working part time in the LGBT center and their mutual major in product design. They had not, however, collaborated artistically. As they explained, it made immediate sense to them to undertake this project in particular.

“I’ve recently become interested in drag in general,” Ulrich said. “I was talking to Brie very casually about it… Then this grant opportunity came through our mailbox, and she was like, ‘wait, we should do this.’”

Over a grand total of just five weeks (hence the “flash grant”), Ulrich and Huntsman worked to create their show. For her part, Huntsman crafted a full ball gown for Ulrich to wear as Dina Mite— a full-length red dress with golden buttons, complete with a classic Hollywood-style halter-top and flowing train. Over 10 yards of fabric, Huntsman explained, were used for the dress’s skirt section alone. Meanwhile, Ulrich would wear the piece as Dina Mite. To do so, he underwent a significant amount of body modification for the show: he applied drag stage make-up and built feminine-looking hip pads to be worn beneath Huntsman’s dress.

The show started with a campy high-heeled catwalk performance by Ulrich and led into the lip-synch act— a classic formula in popular drag shows today. The song wonderfully and hilariously over-the-top lip-synch to Cher’s “Believe,” complete with exaggerated head bobbles, furious hand and finger waving, dramatic leg flinging and billowing full turns.

The history of drag as an art form, Ulrich and Huntsman explained, is distinctly separate from being transgender. Drag began in mid-20th century Harlem, where groups of black, low-income, LGBT men would organize drag “balls” to dress up, temporarily, as certain identities.

“They would dress up to affect an identity that they could not otherwise belong to,” Ulrich explained. “There was a lot of female impersonation, but also people dressing up as business executives or high fashion models. It was about putting yourself in that place of privilege.”

For Ulrich and Huntsman, drag today occupies a more entertainment-based space in club scenes and television shows, but it still has a socially conscious intention.

“Drag really highlights how we present ourselves and what we think of as feminine,” Ulrich explained. “If I’m saying, I’m dressing up as a woman, what does that mean? [Drag] is making very clear how society defines femininity.”

Huntsman elaborated that drag can also make larger comments on the performativity of any identity, including that of a Stanford student, for example.

“We just wanted to bring conversation about drag and identity to Stanford,” Huntsman said. “You dress yourself in a specific way, and you elicit reactions that you probably want to elicit. Everybody presents themselves in a certain way because they want to be treated in a certain way.”

As the duo wanted to explore such questions, the end of “Art as Identity” also featured a faux-interview series of questions and answers on the subject, in front of the audience.

“It’s about breaking the rules that people say, ‘this is how you have to dress, and this is how you have to act,’” Ulrich said at the end of the performance. “I don’t necessarily want to live my life as a woman, but it’s an exciting transformation… Like, why not? Don’t police my gender!”

Judging from the snaps and shouts in response from the audience that night, many were in agreement.

“What I really want people to do is to show up and have a good time. Dress how you want, come as you are,” Huntsman said of her ultimate intentions for the show. “There is a lot a gender theory behind this…but let’s just take over the d.school for an hour and have fun.”

Hear, hear.

 

For information on Stanford Arts Institute grant projects and events like “Art as Identity,” visit artsinstitute.stanford.edu.

 

Contact Katie Straub at kcstraub “at” stanford.edu.

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Fashion on the Farm: real deal or scam central? https://stanforddaily.com/2014/01/31/fashion-on-the-farm-real-deal-or-scam-central/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/01/31/fashion-on-the-farm-real-deal-or-scam-central/#respond Fri, 31 Jan 2014 10:11:30 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1081935 Fashion columnist Keya Teklu lets us in on whether or not she thinks some of the most popular beauty trends are good buys or worthless scams.

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There are a lot of beauty products out there that seem super useful but are actually complete garbage (I’m looking at you, “As Seen On TV” ads!). However, there are also beauty products that seem really unnecessary but are actually huge lifesavers. How do you differentiate between the two? Advertisements and commercials can be misleading, and you can never trust the companies to be 100 percent upfront with you about the limitations and problems with the product they’re selling — so who can you trust? Turn to me, fellow fashionistas — I can show you the light! Hopefully, I can be of service to you in determining which products are the real deal and which products are scam central.

Curling wands:

Even though this hair tool has been around forever, I’ve just recently hopped on the bandwagon. I don’t know about you, but curling wands seemed too good to be true. I was skeptical that a wand without a clip could create long-lasting curls, and I questioned whether or not it was even safe to use a barrel that was heated to 360 degrees and not get burned. I was just all-around unconvinced. At least that was until I actually used it on my hair for the first time, and, oh my goodness gracious, you guys. It’s like magic. That’s probably why they call it a ‘wand,’ now that I think about it. The curls were beyond beautiful. I was in shock and awe, and I couldn’t stop touching my hair the entire night.

Ladies, you know what typically happens to curls when they get touched a lot… they get flat. It’s such a pet peeve of mine — every single time I curled my hair, the curls were gone literally two hours later. It was a nightmare. But not with my magic curling wand; the curls lasted all night and even all of the next day. I loved the product so much that I ordered it the next day (off of Ulta.com — the Remington pink curling wand, if you are curious). I cannot say enough good things about this curling wand. It’s definitely the best purchase I’ve made in a while.

 Coconut Oil:

I haven’t really heard any negative reviews about coconut oil, which shows that it’s generally seen as an effective beauty product, but before I tested it out for myself, I wasn’t sure I believed the hype behind this product. People go crazy over coconut oil — they claim it strengthens hair, improves overall health, relieves dry, itchy scalps and even works as a skin and cuticle moisturizer. Basically, coconut oil is advertised as a multipurpose holy-grail product; but can it really do that many things? As always, I was skeptical (as you should be with beauty products, since there are so many products out there that can cause real damage!), but because it was all-natural, I decided to give it a shot, and I was not disappointed.

Because I rarely deep condition my hair, and I straighten it all the time, my hair was pretty damaged and lifeless. After using coconut oil as a deep conditioning treatment on my hair right before I showered, I witnessed a noticeable improvement in the health and overall quality of my hair. It was shinier, fuller and softer. Since it was such a success on my hair, I tried it out on my skin and could not have been happier. I was getting actual complements from people on how soft my skin was, and I never had to worry about dry skin again, even in the winter months. It is a true must have, and it’s my holy grail when it comes to hair and skin products.

Skin lighteners:

In other words, bleach. You may or may not know this, but women of color have been using bleaching products and skin lighteners on their skin for ages, partially to relieve the look of discoloration but mostly to lighten their skin tone. I haven’t personally tried any skin-lightening products, but my sister once tried lightening cream, and the results were disastrous. Her face broke out in hundreds of bumps, and she had to seek professional help to clear her face up, and even then it took months of trying.

That’s because those skin-lightening products are full of harsh and harmful chemical products — it’s just so unnatural. All those chemicals don’t react well to your skin, especially if it’s sensitive. Please stay away from these products. Skin doesn’t need to be lightened; all skin colors are beautiful. I hate even including skin lighteners in the “beauty products” category because they will not make you any more beautiful. Scam central!

These are just a few products that I’ve had personal experience with and can definitively say whether or not they worked for me. I’m sure there are tons more products that I’m leaving out that are either super useful or super useless. Do you know of any products that fit the bill? Let me know, fellow fashionistas!

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Fashion Spotlight: the trials and tribulations of trends https://stanforddaily.com/2014/01/24/fashion-spotlight-the-trials-and-tribulations-of-trends/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/01/24/fashion-spotlight-the-trials-and-tribulations-of-trends/#respond Fri, 24 Jan 2014 09:38:11 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1081729 This week, fashion columnist Laynie Stephens provides her take on how to work even the most challenging trends into your own wardrobe.

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Trends: a very controversial topic. What is so appealing about them, anyway? Although they’re intended to be lighthearted and fun, they don’t always end up that way. To some, they may seem like little fashion challenges that one can play around with, but that’s not always the case. This week, I want to address common critiques of trends.

Trends, like camouflage print scarfs, are a fun way to revitalize your look. (RENJIE WONG/The Stanford Daily)
Trends, like camouflage print scarfs, are a fun way to revitalize your look. (RENJIE WONG/The Stanford Daily)

Trends inevitably convey a very strong message. When coming from elite fashion magazines, they can imply, “You have to be this thin, or this tall, or this skin tone to be able to pull off this look.” But how is that real if we all are different shapes and sizes? This is definitely something worth thinking about.

Some may say that this is not the case at all. Although trends are portrayed in a very specific manner in fashion magazines, part of the fun is taking that as an inspiration and, in turn, doing whatever you want from there. Let’s pretend that the biggest trend right now is the crop top. For example: although that crop top might not work on me the same way as the model, I can think about playing around with different waistlines and silhouettes created by my clothing. It’s true that it’s not exactly the same, but who said we all need to take those magazines so seriously anyway?

But there’s always the haute couture fashionista who will say that trends are <@WeideItal>very<@$p> particular. And that’s partly true: A crop top is a crop top, and there’s not really any other way to make something that’s not a crop top a crop top. And if I feel like I can’t pull off a crop top, I’m excluded from the latest and greatest fashion trend of the moment. It makes me not “fashionable” enough for haute couture that season.

This makes fashion sound really exclusive. But trust me, it’s not. Fashion is all about self-expression, and the way we view it really makes all the difference. There are no “rules” in fashion<\p><\_><\p>only opinions. You really can wear whatever you want, whenever you want. At least here in the United States, no one’s going to punish you for what’s on your body. So take a risk. The trends are there for your inspiration, but in reality the world is your oyster when it comes to deciding what style you want to adopt. If you don’t like the current trends, start your own trends! Even if they don’t become universally popular, you’ll look like the best version of yourself that you could imagine, and that’s something beautiful.

So even though I’ll be forecasting trends in the upcoming weeks, don’t feel tied down to them. They’re simply suggestions for how to change your image if you’re feeling festive or daring in the fashion world. Take them as a challenge and a one-of-a-kind way to express yourself.

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Fashion Spotlight: Radiant Orchid https://stanforddaily.com/2014/01/10/fashion-spotlight-radiant-orchid/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/01/10/fashion-spotlight-radiant-orchid/#respond Fri, 10 Jan 2014 10:23:35 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1081331 Fashion columnist Laynie Stephens debriefs us on the hue of the year -- Radiant Orchid -- and suggests wallet-friendly fashions to add this color to your wardrobe.

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Let’s talk about the it-color of the year: Radiant Orchid. This gorgeous purple hue is nothing less than everything for 2014, at least for Pantone, the nationwide authority on color. They’re so serious about this color that you can buy anything from a pillow to a flash drive in the perfected radiant orchid hue. But for the average fashionista, matching this color with a pretty similar hue will suffice. Look for a lighter, pinker purple and you’re there.

Finishing off an outfit can be as simple as a Radiant Orchid-colored coat! (CLIFF OWL/The Stanford Daily)
Finishing off an outfit can be as simple as a Radiant Orchid-colored coat! (CLIFF OWL/The Stanford Daily)

To help you start the New Year right in the fashion world, here’s some inspiration to keep you looking up-to-date (emerald green is so 2013, don’t you agree?):

1. I’ll start with the Stretch-jersey Mini Dress from Splendid. Simple, cute, and comfortable; this dress has it all. Wear it on its own, or add a belt or some jewelry. But no matter what you do, you’ll be sure to be the most fashionably up-to-date person on campus the second you slip this frock on. It’s available on Net-A-Porter.

2. Another great way to incorporate radiant orchid into your style (without being too flashy) is the Nars nail polish “Chinatown” available at Lord and Taylor. It not only looks like a perfect match to radiant orchid, but also is flattering on almost any skin tone. It’s a subtle way of saying, “Yes, I do know that it’s now 2014.”

3. Finally, pants. Now I know the prospect of purple pants may sound like too much for some of you, but let me present the “deep garnet” Sloans from Banana Republic. No, they’re not exactly radiant orchid, but they are a festive way to add some color to your wardrobe while staying in the same color family as this year’s top hue. And regardless of color, the Sloan pants are definitely a worthwhile investment. If you haven’t already heard of them, I recommend dropping everything and making your way over to Banana Republic immediately. They may just be the most comfortable and flattering pants in the world, and can very easily be dressed up or down. Get the deep garnet ones fast, as they’re already on sale.

If none of these strike your fancy, don’t fret —

there are thousands of purple fashion options out there, and there’s nothing a little shopping can’t fix. Just remember: what’s the easiest way to be fashionable this year? Add a little orchid into your wardrobe, and see how life changing it just might be.

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Fashion on the Farm: top 10 retro trends https://stanforddaily.com/2014/01/10/fashion-on-the-farm-top-10-retro-trends/ https://stanforddaily.com/2014/01/10/fashion-on-the-farm-top-10-retro-trends/#respond Fri, 10 Jan 2014 10:00:58 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1081332 Fashion columnist Keya Teklu gives us a run-down of the top 10 retro trends for the new year.

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Now that the new year is upon us, it’s the perfect time to reinvent. New Year’s always inspires people to better themselves, be it through volunteering, quitting old habits or even improving their wardrobe. However, it can be extremely intimidating to start from scratch and build a wardrobe from nothing. That is why “retro” fashion is so useful. It takes the old clothes that you already have and revamps them for modern times. You don’t have to throw away your entire closet to look good; with a little bit of creativity your wardrobe can be ready for the runways. Here are some of the best ways to bring retro back in style.

Retro fashions are all the rage at Stanford this year! (CLIFF OWL/The Stanford Daily)
Retro fashions are all the rage at Stanford this year! (CLIFF OWL/The Stanford Daily)

  1. Jean jacket: I realize people might think of jean jackets as old and outdated, but the trend is definitely coming back in style, and for good reason. They look great with dresses and skirts to tone down the dressiness of the outfit, or even with jeans and a t-shirt for a casual-cool look. Contrary to popular belief, jean jackets with jeans can look really fashionable, so long as the jean washes are not similar.
  2. Leg warmers: When I say “leg warmers,” I don’t mean leg warmers in the traditional sense. Leg warmers had their time, but they are dead and gone, and I’d like to revamp them into something completely different (and way cuter in my opinion). Leg warmers can now be put on under boots to create boot socks that peep out over the top of the boot. This look has become more and more popular these days, and I love that you can use retro fashion to accomplish this look.
  3. Bright colors: Although bright colors are definitely very ’80s and retro, I feel like they never really went out of style, and that’s what I love about it. It’s wintertime now, so head-to-toe neon might not be the best option, but bright accessories, such as bags, necklaces or scarves, can make a fun and bold statement without being overpowering.
  4. Floral headbands: Whoever said ’60s flower power was dead is obviously misinformed. Floral headbands are making a huge comeback, and I’m so happy about it! They are so cute and feminine, perfect for those days when you’re feeling especially girly. You can even wear it across your forehead to achieve that indie/hipster vibe.
  5. Midi-length dresses/skirts: Midi-length skirts (skirts that go below your knees) are a very cool and effortless look to pull off, especially for girls who want to try the maxi length trend but are too short to find any that will fit. Midi-length skirts are super comfortable because they are long enough so that you can ride a bike, walk in a breeze or even bend over and not have to worry about showing too much. However, they are shorter than maxi skirts, so if you feel like maxis overwhelm your body (this is especially true for petite women), midi skirts are the perfect compromise. Plus, they look so cute with ankle boots!
  6. Winged eyeliner: I know this isn’t clothing fashion, but makeup and fashion are inextricably linked, and I absolutely could not talk about retro fashion and leave out winged eyeliner. I dare you to find one red carpet on planet earth where 99 percent of the women aren’t wearing winged eyeliner. It is impossible, I promise. Winged eyeliner is taking over the world, and I am perfectly happy with that. It is beautiful, simple and very retro-chic. All you need is to flick your eyeliner slightly past your eyelid to create a cat-eye effect, and you’re good to go. However, as much as I love a good winged eyeliner, it is harder than it looks to perfect the method, especially since you need to create a similar line on both eyes. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried and failed to make my eyeliner symmetrical, but trust me, winged eyeliner is worth the effort, because when it looks good, it looks really good.
  7. Fedoras: Fedoras are a little more controversial, because although they are definitely making a fashion comeback, they’re harder than most retro fashion looks to pull off without looking like you’re trying too hard. Very few people can pull off a fedora, but the key to wearing one is confidence. Think Justin Timberlake. He looks great in a fedora, but only because he is bold and confident enough in his fashion to wear it. If you’re experimenting with your fashion and want to test out fedoras, just wear them with confidence (and maybe a simple tank top and jeans to focus on the statement piece) and you will look super fly.
  8. Bell-bottoms: I’m not saying that wearing bell-bottoms on a daily basis is the best way to go about improving your style, but paired with the right shoes, they can look surprisingly trendy! Make sure you wear shoes with height (high heels can work, but heeled booties work as well), and that the bell-bottoms do not drag across the floor. The heel + bell-bottom combination will elongate and lengthen your legs, something that every short girl could benefit from.
  9. Big sunglasses: Wayfarers and aviators are making a ginormous comeback in the sunglass industry, and these sunglasses are as retro as they come. Oversized glasses in general are really fun and flirty, so I am definitely in favor of this retro style being revamped. Feel free to embrace your inner Audrey Hepburn with this look!
  10. Lacy Lingerie: This last one is a little risqué, which is why I saved it for last, but lingerie is every bit as important to a woman’s wardrobe as the clothes in her closet. Lacy lingerie has been making a pretty big comeback thanks in part to Victoria’s Secret, and since fashion is all about feeling good, nothing feels more confidence boosting than wearing beautiful and delicate lingerie. I want to be clear, wearing lingerie is not for men; it is for yourself, to help foster a positive body image. It’s hard enough these days to remain confident about your body but wearing lacy lingerie, even if it’s underneath jeans and a t-shirt, will work wonders on your inner confidence.

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of retro styles that are back in fashion! Have fun scouring through your own closet and revamping these classic looks for modern times.

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Fashion Spotlight: What to look forward to in 2014 https://stanforddaily.com/2013/12/04/fashion-spotlight-what-to-look-forward-to-in-2014/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/12/04/fashion-spotlight-what-to-look-forward-to-in-2014/#comments Wed, 04 Dec 2013 11:36:09 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1080943 As the year comes to an end, I can think of hundreds of fashion highlights from 2013. It was a great year, but I’m even more excited to see what next year and next quarter will bring.

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As the year comes to an end, I can think of hundreds of fashion highlights from 2013. It was a great year, but I’m even more excited to see what next year and next quarter will bring. You’ll have plenty of time over break to update your wardrobe, so no excuses come winter quarter! I’m looking forward to seeing the following fashion updates around campus:

1. Play with texture. Texture is everything when it comes to differentiating between a good outfit and a fantastic outfit. Winter quarter will definitely get chilly, so now’s the time to get out all your bulky knit sweaters and scarves. Mix them together for something new and different. You don’t have to just mix knits though – what about lace, leather and metal detailing? How about adding in a little pattern? I’m not saying you need cosmic or psychedelic patterns every day, but completing a look with a unique print never hurt anyone.

2. Make business casual the new casual. Seriously, how often do I need to talk about dressing for the occasion? Next quarter, I’m challenging you to make “business casual” the new “casual,” but actually I’m just hoping that next quarter will bring fewer sweatpants out of your dorm rooms. Think about what you’re wearing and the image you portray. Who do you take more seriously: someone dressed professionally or someone in yoga pants and a freshman dorm t-shirt? (Hint: someone dressed professionally.) Remember this when you’re getting dressed in the morning next quarter! It really doesn’t take any longer to dress nicely, especially when you spend just two minutes planning your outfit the night before.

3. What’s the color? Every year and every season brings a new “it” color that can be spotted almost anywhere (cobalt blue this season, anyone?). I’m hoping that we, as Stanford, will have a color of the quarter (that’s not cardinal red from all your sweats and hoodies), and I’ll most definitely be looking out for it. Think about a new color that you think embodies the new you of 2014, and own that color. Make it yours. I don’t know what it’ll be yet, but I already have a few colors in mind that I’ll definitely be wearing. How about you? Who knows, simply sporting a particular color could make you the latest trendsetter at Stanford!

Here’s to a great past year of fashion at Stanford and even a better year to come in 2014. Challenge yourselves to embrace the new, and let your fashion spirits guide you.

 

Contact Laynie Stephens at laynies ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Fashion Spotlight: Holiday Fashion Tips https://stanforddaily.com/2013/11/22/fashion-spotlight-holiday-fashion-tips/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/11/22/fashion-spotlight-holiday-fashion-tips/#respond Fri, 22 Nov 2013 09:21:35 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1080720 As Thanksgiving approaches and many of us prepare to return home for family gatherings, some may fear that they have nothing to wear for holiday events. But don’t fret quite yet -- after this article you’ll know exactly how to trick your family into thinking that your style has improved since you last saw them.

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As Thanksgiving approaches and many of us prepare to return home for family gatherings, some may fear that they have nothing to wear for holiday events. But don’t fret quite yet — after this article you’ll know exactly how to trick your family into thinking that your style has improved since you last saw them.

1. For starters, let’s talk about fit — arguably the most important thing when it comes to planning your outfit. Honestly, I don’t care what you wear to your holiday events, so long as your clothes fit you properly. (Except I probably would mind if you showed up in sweatpants. Or a body suit.) Fit sounds like it should be pretty simple, right? Not too tight, not to baggy. Simple enough, yet I still see fit disasters on a daily basis. Think about it this way: If the clothes don’t make you feel absolutely fabulous, they probably aren’t the best fit. Good-fitting clothes are always flattering. Choose your best for the holidays!

2. Next item of business: appropriateness — another very important item to consider. There is (usually) a difference between family events and clubbing, right? So be sure to tailor your outfit appropriately. Now is not the time to wear that short new dress you just got, or that controversial T-shirt you wear for fun. Add some tights to that dress, and change your T-shirt! It is time to be classy, at least for a few hours.

3. Finally, be sure to create an outfit.  An outfit is what turns clothes into fashion. Add some jewelry, put on a scarf or have those cute, detailed knee-high socks peek out from your boots. Need some accessorizing inspiration?

I am absolutely loving Banana Republic’s Regalia Statement Necklace this season. It’s military-inspired, with just the right amount of sparkle and glam. It also features a ribbon tie behind your neck. Could it get any more perfect?

Not into necklaces? Try a watch! An eye-catching one not only helps you keep track of how much longer you’ll have to wait for pumpkin pie but also completes an outfit quite perfectly. I know it might seem hard to find a nice-looking watch that is not too expensive, but try Nordstrom’s BP Juniors’ department — a lot of their watches are surprisingly around $20, and there are plenty of different styles to choose from. My favorite is their rose-gold-colored Titanium Bracelet Watch.

Who said lip lacquer wasn’t an accessory? I’m currently obsessed with the Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquer (available at Walgreens) in the shade Aurora, a lighter and brighter red. I prefer wearing it as a lip stain, by dabbing the product off with a tissue after applying. Wear this lip with an all-black outfit and a few accessories, and you’ll be perfectly ready for the holidays.

Now that you have these tips, go home and impress your family with your new fashion knowledge! If you create a unique enough outfit, they might even start thinking you always dress that nicely…

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Fashion on the Farm: Top YouTube Beauty Vlogs https://stanforddaily.com/2013/11/15/fashion-on-the-farm-tom-youtube-beauty-vlogs/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/11/15/fashion-on-the-farm-tom-youtube-beauty-vlogs/#respond Fri, 15 Nov 2013 09:36:17 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1080492 Columns and blogs are great resources to utilize in the beauty and fashion world. However, text on a page can only go so far. The beauty behind YouTube fashion vlogs is that the vloggers can not just tell, but show their viewers what they’re trying to explain. The following list will introduce you to the most helpful beauty gurus in the blogosphere.

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Columns and blogs are great resources to utilize in the beauty and fashion world. However, text on a page can only go so far. The beauty behind YouTube fashion vlogs is that the vloggers can not just tell, but show their viewers what they’re trying to explain.

Beauty gurus like Michelle Phan and Dulce Candy have been around for ages. However, some newer gurus have started using YouTube as a platform to discuss beauty and fashion, and they definitely don’t disappoint. You can learn how to do just about anything from these lovely ladies, including how to do a fishtail braid and how to pull off a monochromatic look.

Wendy's Lookbook is a popular beauty blog recommended by Daily columnist Keya Teklu as a resource for updating your look. (Courtesy of Keya Teklu)
Wendy’s Lookbook is a popular beauty blog recommended by Daily columnist Keya Teklu as a resource for updating your look. (Courtesy of Keya Teklu)

Because of the overwhelmingly large number of beauty gurus that post videos on YouTube, it can be hard to find quality channels. The following list will help you figure out who the most helpful digital gurus are:

  1. Wendy’s Lookbook (Subscribers: 479,307):This girl is hands down the best fashion guru on YouTube. That is not even my opinion — that is straight-up fact. Her videos are a perfect storm of high-quality video production value, an extremely sophisticated fashion sense and a wonderfully electric personality. Wendy’s style is super relevant to the 20-something crowd because most of her outfits are tailored to be business-professional/business-casual. If you are having trouble figuring out what to wear to an interview or a more formal meeting, Wendy’s Lookbook is the perfect channel to check out. Also, she is very useful if you’re looking to mature your closet. And don’t even get me started on her personality. She is the happiest, bubbliest and most amusing guru in the business, and that speaks a lot to the quality of her videos. Who wants to view a video, no matter how informative or useful, if the vlogger is boring? You tune in to Wendy’s channel for the content, but you stay for the personality.
  2. Zoella (Subscribers: 2,624,959):This guru has a massive online following, and for good reason. Her fashion sense is super girly, and her personality is even girlier. Her channel is a combination of makeup, hair and fashion videos, which makes her extremely versatile, especially when compared to other YouTube gurus. Gurus typically tend to stick to their niches (either makeup, hair or fashion) and rarely ever branch out into the other aspects of beauty, but Zoella does it all, and she does it well. Did I mention she’s British? What’s not to love about this guru? Also, her British guy friends tend to guest on her channel quite often, so, if nothing else, you can subscribe to Zoella to see (and, more importantly, hear) beautiful men speaking in British accents.
  3. Sprinkle of Glitter (Subscribers: 813,731): Sprinkle of Glitter, aka Louise, is Zoella’s best friend, but their styles could not be more different. While Zoella tends to gravitate towards the girlier and younger-looking outfits, Louise gravitates towards outfits that are simple and sophisticated. She is also a great channel for curvy girls, because many of her videos focus specifically on curvy fashion trends and lookbooks. In addition, she is ridiculously hilarious. I’m confident that if she had not become a YouTube beauty guru, her back-up career would have been a comedian. She is genuinely unlike any guru I’ve ever seen, because her videos, even without fashion advice, are still entertaining. If she created a channel that had nothing to do with fashion, I would still watch it, and it would be amazing. I can’t really say that about many other beauty gurus.
  4. Patricia Bright (Subscribers: 318,349): It can be hard to find a woman of color who has a successful channel on YouTube, but look no further than Patricia Bright. Her videos focus on makeup and fashion, and while her fashion videos are great for inspiration, her makeup videos are what really set her apart. Because she is darker skinned, she uses her channel to recommend makeup products that work well for women of color (and there are surprisingly very few brands that cater to the makeup needs of darker women). In fact, I personally found it so difficult to shop for beauty products until I stumbled upon her channel, and it has totally changed which products I will purchase. She is also really entertaining to watch. Some of her videos are longer than 15 minutes, but its easy to stay fully engaged the entire time.
  5. Mimi Ikonn (Subscribers: 75,897): You may know Mimi from her much more popular channel, LuxyHair, which has over one million subscribers, but her second channel, Mimi Ikonn, is every bit as inspirational and useful. This channel focuses on fashion (while LuxyHair is more for hairstyle tutorials), and Mimi’s fashion is stunning, always on point. She also likes to explain whya certain fashion trend or piece looks good rather than just showing the finished product. She really works with her audience to develop a more fine-tuned fashion sense, and her video entitled “What Colors Work for You” is a perfect example of this. In this bit, she breaks down the process of dressing well step by step, starting with something as simple as color choice, and working her way up. This makes her ideal for beginners to the fashion world. I cannot think of a better tour guide into the fashion industry than Ikonn.

There are many more gurus who deserve honorable mention, including Andrea’s Choice (great for DIY’s), ItsJudyTime, MissGlamorazzi and more. YouTube is an expansive place filled with thousands and thousands of beauty gurus with different styles and personalities, but the ladies that I’ve listed embody, in my opinion, the ideal beauty guru, in both fashion sense and personality. Happy YouTube watching, fellow fashionistas!

 

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Fashion Spotlight: No Pants November? https://stanforddaily.com/2013/11/15/fashion-spotlight-no-pants-november/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/11/15/fashion-spotlight-no-pants-november/#respond Fri, 15 Nov 2013 09:00:30 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1080494 Daily columnist Laynie Stephens realized that pants are uncomfortable, restricting and just plain boring. Her solution? Eliminate the pants!

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Story time this week — I’ll tell you what my fashion has been up to. Based off the title, you might have guessed: I’m in the middle of a pants protest. Now, I do remember wearing pants about a week ago, so maybe it’s not entirely No Pants November, but wearing pants has definitely been a rarity lately.

For Daily columnist Laynie Stephens, pants were cramping her style. Her solution? No more pants. As shown here, pants-less outfits can be both fashionable and comfy. (CLIFF OWL/The Stanford Daily)
For Daily columnist Laynie Stephens, pants were cramping her style. Her solution? No more pants. As shown here, pants-less outfits can be both fashionable and comfy. (CLIFF OWL/The Stanford Daily)

Why, you might ask? Although I could go on about this for hours, I’ll keep it concise. They’re uncomfortable, restricting and frankly, just plain boring. I got to a point where I felt like every day I was wearing some style of black, slim-leg pants, with a different shirt and maybe different shoes. That is when I realized my style was becoming static. The solution? Eliminate the problem: pants!

I’ll make it clear that I have nothing against pants. However, there are so many more options out there, and we’re going to explore those now.

First, I’ll state the obvious: If you’re not wearing pants, you’re probably wearing shorts, a skirt or a dress. “But it’s almost winter! How can I wear those and survive the oh-so-cold California nights?” I’m only partially kidding here; I do think it gets cold in the mornings and nights, and the usual California attire isn’t warm enough. The single most important article of clothing you need to solve this problem: tights.

I currently couldn’t be more in love with tights. They’re comfortable and basically leg hugs for the entire day whenever you wear them. Could it get any better? Yes, it could. Besides the functionality of wearing them to stay warm, they have the added bonus of instantly making your outfit look more put together. They’re just that little extra something that shows you put a little effort into your look of the day.

The options are endless when it comes to tights — there are sheer ones, opaque ones, patterned ones and even colored ones. My current favorites are opaque black ones, but maybe that’s just because I’m in a black clothing phase. Regardless, I definitely recommend investing in colored tights as well, because they’re a fun way to accentuate any outfit. Not sure where to find your desired color of tights? Go to Target — I’ve seen almost any color imaginable there.

Complete your winter-styled outfit with a bulky cardigan and scarf — and talk about being fashionable. Just remember, ladies: The fact that you put on a scarf doesn’t magically make your outfit fashionable — in the same way that just putting on any one article of clothing doesn’t make an outfit. The act of putting together an outfit by combining different articles and elements of clothing is what makes you in the running for the most stylish of us all.

Let’s review: Pants are great, but they get old fast. Basically, it’s much harder to have a diverse style when you’re wearing some form of jeans with those same old sneakers and same old t-shirt every day (looking at you, stereotypical Stanford student). On the other hand, think about wearing a dress one day, shorts another and a skirt yet another — all with a different pair of tights, scarf and outerwear. The potential outfits hiding in your closet just quadrupled — thank me later once people stop calling you an outfit repeater, arguably the harshest insult of them all.

Weekly challenge: Does anyone want to join me in No Pants November? Alternatively, just take this as a challenge to think about what you’re wearing every day, and try to diversify your wardrobe!

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Fashion Spotlight: Interview attire https://stanforddaily.com/2013/11/07/fashion-spotlight-interview-attire/ https://stanforddaily.com/2013/11/07/fashion-spotlight-interview-attire/#respond Thu, 07 Nov 2013 12:38:48 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1080278 Have an important interview coming up but no idea what to wear? We’ve all been there before.

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Have an important interview coming up but no idea what to wear? We’ve all been there before. Interviews are all about making a good impression, and, whether you like it or not, you will be judged based on what you’re wearing. Don’t want to spend the hour before your interview agonizing over what to wear? Have no fear: Laynie is here!

1. The “I-swear-it’s-casual” interview: Although I’ll never understand the Silicon Valley start-up-culture style, apparently casual interviews are a thing for you people. If you insist that dressing formally is just not an option, please do something more than just jeans and a t-shirt: This is your future employer you’re meeting with.

Ladies, consider wearing dark-wash or black skinny or straight-fit denim, and make sure those jeans fit properly (a.k.a. not too tight, not too baggy). For tops, I would recommend a cardigan and a sleeveless top made from a material that’s not cotton. Add some flats or nice-looking boots, and you’re good to go.

Guys, consider dark-wash or black denim as well. For your shirt, I’d recommend a polo shirt or ironed, casual button-down. For shoes, loafers would be best, but at least make sure the shoes you ultimately decide to wear are not dirty.

2. The business casual interview: This is a common one, but it’s also the one people seem to struggle with the most. It may seem daunting, but it’s simpler than you think.

Ladies, if you insist on wearing black denim and a nice top, at least add a blazer and some statement jewelry or a scarf. Flats or heeled booties would complete this look best. However, I recommend throwing on a dress over pants. Wear a solid color dress that is not too short or too revealing with a blazer and some jewelry, and you’ll look great! Also consider lace –it’s feminine and unique. The best shoes are flats or wedges; just stay away from sandals.

Guys, I’d recommend khaki, navy or black chinos with a button down that is, once again, ironed. Tuck your shirt in, wear a belt and definitely wear loafers or casual dress shoes. Stay away from jeans.

3. The formal interview: This one seems pretty self-explanatory: dresses or suits for women, suits and ties for men. But the biggest problem seems to always be fit, especially for women.

Ladies, let’s take a minute to talk about dress pants. Your black dress pants should NOT look like lounge or yoga pants. This effect is often created when the pants are too loose or too tight. It may take trying on 20 pairs of dress pants before you find the right one, but trust me, they’re out there. Do not settle when it comes to dress pants – and if you just can’t seem to find the right pair, you should definitely get a pair custom altered. Make sure they fit in the thigh and are streamlined in a straight line down to the toe, with an ironed crease in the front. And please make sure the top with those pants is dressy as well – either a button-down blouse or a top made from a very nice material. You wouldn’t believe how many dress-pants-and-t-shirt outfits I’ve seen, and it just doesn’t work. I also recommend heels, but if they’re really not for you, flats will work. One last comment: Dresses are definitely my favorite option for formal wear. Just please make sure they’re not too short – try to keep it at two inches above the knee, maximum. If it’s slightly more than two inches above the knee, wear it with opaque tights, but if it’s over around two and a half inches, definitely do not wear it to the interview! Better to be safe than sorry.

Guys, this one’s pretty self-explanatory: Suit, tie and dress shoes. And now is not the time to show off that random crazy-patterned tie you’ve kept around.

 

Follow these steps for interview attire, and you’re on your way to getting the job! In summary, dressing too formal is always better than not dressing formally enough, and make sure that whatever you’re wearing is appropriate.

Weekly challenge: Go through your closet and think about what you’re going to wear for your next interview. If you can’t find anything, invest in some nice pieces now so you won’t have to scramble later!

 

Contact Laynie Stephens at laynies ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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