Currently Stalking: Gauri Rangrass
If the crown fits, there’s no shame in flaunting it - which is exactly what Gauri Rangrass plans on doing as Northwestern University’s 2016 Homecoming Queen. Gauri isn’t one to take life too seriously, so when she received a nomination for homecoming court, she did what she does best: create the antithesis of a campaign for queen with a sadistically sarcastic Facebook page. In what appeared to be an overrated race for an overrated title, Gauri brought an underrated nonchalance to the playing field. On the evening of October 21st, the night of the homecoming parade, she contended for the homecoming crown with five other accomplished women who she claimed all to be "much better people" than her, all while wearing black leggings with dollar sign medallions on the knees and a cardboard Burger King crown on her head. The Burger King crown complimented her self-deprecating humor, to which she added, if she didn't get the actual homecoming crown, she’d still win on her own terms. Ironically, she won the title anyways. “I don't know why the hell they chose me,” Gauri joked, “That was their first mistake.”
While Gauri felt least qualified for queen on paper—even as President of Northwestern’s Brown Sugar a cappella, a two-time Peer Advisor and a member of Delta Gamma studying journalism and psychology—no words can truly describe her innerworkings that made her the most popular candidate. Her “Meet the Royalty” bio includes a fitting personality-picture of Gauri in formal attire strung to a bouncer at the Mark II Lounge—an image that represents her better than her own LinkedIn profile picture.
Gauri is one of the few people in life who’s difficult to put into words. She’s that secret spice in the muffins that you’ll continue to unsuccessfully guess, to the point that you’ll just give up and accept the mystery. She’s beautifully disheveled and confident in everything she does. She manages to combine the garish with the stylish to create her own gaur-ish aesthetic. She’s angsty and effervescent all in one. Gauri is a people person, an entertainer, and the biggest proponent of her own flaws. She takes life for what it is, because beggars—or more fittingly, be-gaurs—can’t be choosers.
Photo: Luke Kleekamp
How would you describe your aesthetic these days?
I would describe my style in general as trashy-chic. Honestly, I'm designer illiterate. I don't know anything. But I like to make people gasp, in my actions, and also in the way I dress. I don't take myself very seriously. I like to wear clothes that showcase my sense of humor. My current favorite accessory that I own is this necklace that says "Cool,” that I stole from my brother. I saw it lying around in his house and I thought, "You know who that would look good on? Me."
You wore you Cool necklace when you were crowned Homecoming Queen. Have you had any second thoughts about the ensemble you wore the night?
For the most part, I don't really have second thoughts with my fashion choices, because if I wore something so fugly one day, I just wouldn't look at that as a regret. I feel like I dress exactly how I'm feeling on any given day. So if I feel like shit, I'll probably look like shit. And I feel like I can't really regret feeling like shit. That's just the cycle of human emotion. Sometimes you feel fabulous, like right now I feel so fab. And I look fab too! So I feel like I just don't really regret anything because fashion is fun and sometimes you've just got to give yourself space to look disheveled and unprepared.
Photos: Luke Kleekamp
When do you think the Gauri aesthetic really solidified?
Maybe my sophomore year of college, I started dressing is my own particular way, and that's also when I came into and started owning my own personality a little bit more. And when you can own your personality and who you are, you can be confident in expressing that to other people. And a great way of expressing yourself is through fashion.
You’re known for wearing some signature pieces in your wardrobe like your dollar sign leggings, the Cool necklace, and of course, your Team Gauri beanie. How did you come up with the idea for the hats?
Late Fall Quarter my sophomore year, I was really sad since I'd just had a horrible quarter mental health-wise. I was up at like 2 a.m. one night on my computer and I just thought, you know what, I need to be on my own team. I need to stop putting myself down and be on my own team. So I customized this hat that says "Team Gauri.” I received it in the mail early Winter Quarter, and when I wore it, it just made me feel happy. I think clothing can really suit your mood and can really lift you up when you're in a negative place. I have a lot of good association with that hat.
I also have a shirt that says Gaur-bage that I made. I love wearing things like that and the Cool necklace. It's not that I think, oh I'm such a cool person, but I think it's just funny and I love self-deprecating humor a lot. So the Gaur-bage shirt and the Team Gauri hat goes along with that. I just think it's fun to bring humor into fashion.
Photos: Luke Kleekamp
Think fast: If you could be in an Uber with anybody, who would it be?
100/100, Kim Kardashian. [In all seriousness], she is legitimately my life role model, she is amazing, so intelligent, an amazing business woman, and I aspire to be like her. Honestly, I love her. I feel so sad for her [about the recent robbery]. She's someone who has put herself out there and made herself so vulnerable to literally the entire world. She's started so many trends. She's not afraid to make herself look dumb in front of others. She does her, and I think that takes a lot of balls and courage.
So then, where do you think we'll see Gauri Rangrass in five years?
This is a question that I ask myself every night. There are so many places that I could see myself in five years. There's so much opportunity in the world. There are so many things I can do with my life which is such a blessing. I went to a math and science magnet school. I'd consider myself a very intelligent person, and I think I could excel in a math and science setting well, but I really enjoy and am more passionate about entertainment and media. I feel like five to ten years ago, I probably saw myself being pre-med and becoming a doctor, but that's not where I want to be now. I'm glad that college gave me the environment to feel out who I am. I've grown a lot more into my own than I was in high school.
Now I could see myself working someday at a marketing or ad agency doing strategy and pitches. I could see myself doing reality T.V.. I've applied to more reality television shows than I've applied to jobs so far. I've gotten no responses yet but... Or I could be somewhere entirely different and that's cool too. I'm just going to go with the flow.
Photos: Luke Kleekamp