Expressions
This story originally appeared in our March 2017 Expressions Issue
Our models have always been a source of inspiration in more ways than one. This year at our model call, we asked the people who showed up to share a little bit about their personal style and how it reflects who they are. Here’s a closer look at NU campus style, from an activist sweatshirt with a double meaning to the concert pianist who wears loafers to tech.
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Interviewers: Sarah Spellings and Eden Lichterman
Photographers: Melissa Cagan and Jodie Wei
Sophia Etling
SS: What that you’re wearing right now has the best story behind it?
SE: Wow, probably this dress. This dress was originally just gray but at the art gallery that I work at, there’s this woman who does embroidery and she embroidered it (dress) with these birds for me. I like wearing it. And my mom brought me this necklace from Thailand when she went there.
EL: How did you become interested in making your own clothes?
SE: I guess I was always interested in art and fashion ever since I was really young. I grew up with a single mom and was really low income for a long time before my mom remarried, so my fashion options were pretty limited for a long time. But I think it made me really resourceful in that I still wear mostly second-hand things or found objects. I like wearing things that I can move around in and are comfortable too.
EL: Have you done any good thrifting in Evanston?
S: For sure. I really like the store; I think it’s on Dempster. I forget what it’s called but there’s like a string of three thrift stores and they have all of these old church hats like church lady hats and sweaters and costume jewelry and pottery and everything. It’s really fun. It’s like Dempster and Chicago, if you want to check it out.
Isabella Ko
SS: So, first off I love your sweatshirt and your hat. I want to know the story behind this outfit.
IK: Yeah, so actually this (her shirt) has to do with APAC, which is a student organization here and it stands for Asian Pacific American Coalition. One of the executives there made merchandise. So, I don’t know if you’re familiar with the term “yellow peril,” but it’s like peril and yellow. So, yellow peril is a term that was used back in the day and it was very anti Japanese, anti Asian. And that was the term to describe that feeling or sentiment. Especially during WWII and a lot of that stuff, like colonialism and imperialism and xenophobia and all of that. So, by having this it’s like reclaiming it. And especially with the whole Trump thing going on, I decided to wear it today.
Alecia Richards
EL: I love your watch and the choker. I love the whole rose gold going on. Could you tell me about your look and why you love it?
AR: So, I kind of dress differently every day. This is like me trying to be edgy I guess. I wanted to do something that shows my personality. So with the rose gold things, I feel like I’m kind of very over the top and with the sparkly nails with the Vans and the jeans, I also feel like I’m kind of chill. So I just wanted to like show all aspects of my personality and who I am as a person.
EL: I love it. What are you passionate about?
AR: I’m just trying to better the world through social justice. So like, I live in south Florida and it’s a very diverse neighborhood. And I also recognize the struggle of different individual groups, so my whole thing here in college, through my journalism and club involvements, is to try and help marginalized groups out and make the world a better place through my writing and activism and everything that I’m doing on campus. Hopefully it’s a stepping-stone to something that I want to do in the future with my career where I’m doing the same type of stuff. Just trying to help people out and fight for equity and equality and just make the world a better place.
Christian Bourdon
EL: So, tell me a little bit about your outfit.
CB: I really like this jacket. It used to be my dads. It’s old and dirty. They don’t make this brand anymore I guess. I haven’t been able to find it. So, yeah it’s unique I guess.
SS: Your dad’s in the eighties or whenever.
CB: Yeah, I think. I don’t really know from when. I just found it in a closet with his stuff actually. I don’t know if he knows I have it. Yeah, I mean he’s from France so it connects to that. And I wear nice shoes because I like shoes.
SS: Oh, those are great.
CB: There also a little beaten up because I wear them so much. I’m a piano major so I have to wear nice shoes a lot.
SS: I was just going to ask that. I don’t know too many college boys that wear dress shoes all the time.
CB: I’ve been trying to not be like the classical performance pianist a lot, so I’ve been like trying branch out not with my black suit, white shirt, black tie.
SS: So, you’re like a cool pianist.
CB: I try. I’m not a very good; well I guess I am kind of a good pianist.
SS: Do you wear the loafers in tech?
CB: No, well actually yes I did today. But, no I have a pair of Uggs. They’re like boot Uggs, not actual Uggs, but Uggs. They’re so comfortable.
SS: So, those are your tech shoes and these are your south campus shoes.
CB: Although I was kind of disappointed because this weather is not ideal, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Camille Cooley
EL: So can you tell me a little about your style or who you are as a person and how that represents you in your fashion?
CC: So, growing up, I was a very awkward, nonexistent style human being. I always liked it and I would always watch what people wore, but I think coming into college and having the opportunity to buy my own clothes and do my own thing, I really like the simple everyday look. I have a lot of skirts and tucked in shirts. I really like loose, flowing things. Nothing too particular, I’m not a huge fashion nerd. I wish I was, but whatever looks nice I’ll wear.
EL: Can you tell me a little bit about your jewelry? I see you have little fun bracelets and your earrings.
CC: So, my bracelet on my left hand I got when I was doing study abroad in Uganda this past summer. I was staying in a local village about an hour and a half outside of Kampala and there was a woman who makes these paper bracelets. We bought a bunch of them. They’re kind of breaking down because they break down in water, but I really like it
Isabel Nygard
SS: How did you decide on the pink hair?
IN: Well at first it was purple and I didn’t like the color it faded to. I was researching more colors and since pink is a warm color and I have naturally brown hair, I thought it would be good.
SS: Was there any reason you wanted to dye your hair?
IN: I dyed it purple the last month of high school and it was kind of my rebellion because I was kind of tired of the people around me. I was one of those people that was kind of ignored and it was like “I’m here guys!”