fashion
Microtrends: Mistaking Aesthetic for Identity
By Kate Hedrick “ Let’s be clear: aesthetics do not equal identity.” Choose a word and add “core”: congrats! You’ve just started the newest Pinterest fashion trend. In today’s world, aesthetics are moving faster and becoming more specific than ever. We know that the internet has changed the way fashion circulates– Instagram feeds, Pinterest boards, … Read more
Community and Fashion: Solidarity after Helene
By Kayla Norris ” We can’t work a chainsaw, we can’t pave a road, but we do know clothes,’”
The Queer Roots of Punk Fashion
By Liz Walsh “Non-conformity in clothing mirrored queer rejections of normative genders and sexual identities.”
Showcase Spotlight: Kayela Daniel
Anna Cox May 3, 2024
The Collective Magazine’s very own Kayela Daniel sat down with me twice to discuss the collection of evening gowns she created for the Appalachian State University Apparel Design and Merchandising Showcase. I spoke to her before the showcase to learn about what she had created and followed up after the event to hear her reflections and final thoughts about the experience.
Showcase Spotlight: Izzy Cox
Autumn Burnes April 26, 2024
Every year, the apparel design and merchandising program hosts a fashion showcase, where students enrolled in the spring Apparel Design Studio IV class create clothing collections to be featured in the fashion showcase. Each collection is a unique reflection of the designer and a testament to everything they have learned in the ADM program.
Showcase Spotlight: Jaidyn Toomey
Abby Henry April 25, 2024
Every year, apparel design and merchandising students get the opportunity to display some of the pieces they’ve been working on. Whether an entire collection or a perfectly-styled single piece, the students get to see their work on the runway at Showcase.
Fabulous Archival Fashion is a Rarity
Anna Cox April 7, 2024
A landmark of a fashion icon is their access to iconic pieces. Whether it’s fresh off the runway or custom, celebrities that have close relationships with designers have access to the trendiest pieces, but new pieces are not the only way to model runway fashion on the red carpet. In fact, it is almost more impressive when a celebrity wears a piece from the archives of a renowned designer.
Trendy vs. Timeless Fashion
Autumn Burnes December 2, 2023
It is a universally acknowledged truth that the only constant thing in fashion is that fashion is constantly changing. Everything goes in and out of fashion, from textures to patterns to cuts and styles. However, some pieces will stand the test of time and prove to be “timeless.”
The Camp of Gameday Fashion
Anna Cox November 25, 2023
America has many pastimes. Although baseball and golf are uniquely American sports, nothing is as popular in the U.S. as football. A combination of soccer and rugby, the first ever college football game occurred on November 6, 1869, between Rutgers University and Princeton University. Ever since this day in American history, the sport has become a mainstay in American culture, with autumn television being flooded with football game after football game. And, just like any other form of entertainment, audiences would flock to games just to get to watch their favorite teams play their favorite game. However, the way that crowds interact with football has changed dramatically since its inception in the late 19th century. Where people used to view football like any other performance, now people treat it as an opportunity to dress to the nines. From Shein to Chanel, people from all walks of life dress in costume-like outfits to watch the game, or even just to tailgate. Football games are a spectacle, and fashion is one of the many ways that fans express their school spirit.
Harajuku: Street Fashion as an Act of Social Resistance
Gia Davis November 18, 2023
The district of Harajuku in Tokyo, Japan, is internationally known as a hub for Japanese youth culture and fashion. In the 1970s, a wave of fashion-obsessed culture made its way to the streets of Harajuku as the popularity of shopping malls began to grow. This led to a rise in consumerism as well as an adoption of western fashion and ideals.
From Catholic-Mexican Girl to Latina Fairy: An Analysis of Cultural Aesthetics
Denise Casalez October 14, 2023
Birth From resistance through fashion to self-reflection and expression, fashion trends are a staple for individuals, cultures and communities. When you walk down the street, what someone wears speaks out about their own individuality and power on how they see themselves. However, some overarching themes and influences have originated from all kinds of roots and cultures which makes them even more iconic. In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s highlight some popular trends that can trace their roots to Hispanic culture.
6 Sustainable Online Shops for the Perfect Back-to-School Wardrobe
Abby Henry August 4, 2023
Fast fashion, an industry sustained by the exploitation of both human beings and the environment, seems an omnipresent force in the minds and lives of many Americans today. From YouTube advertisements to influencer brand deals to journalistic puff pieces, brands like Shein, ASOS and Romwe are, unfortunately, everywhere you look.
Zelda Wynn Valdes
Abby Henry February 27th, 2023
The Playboy bunny suit—a symbol of sensuality, of temptation, of allure—is an iconic piece that completely redefined feminine sexuality. You can probably picture it: the corseted leotard, the bushy tail, the bowtie; but what you might not know is that the piece was crafted by 20th-century Black designer, Zelda Wynn Valdes.