Weaving values of genderfluid expression and cultural decolonization with AI generative processes, Naranji is sending shockwaves of colorful disruption into a far-too-often static and binary fashion industry. What began as McCormick senior Sahibzada Mayed’s design engineering capstone project grew into Naraji, an ethically sourced, made-to-order, high fashion brand. Less than two years after Naraji’s inception, Mayed’s vibrant, kaleidoscopic designs burst onto fashion’s most elevated and intimidating stage: New York Fashion Week.
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In a season dense with trend forecasting and predictions, Jacobs and Browne created earnest collections. They were both incredible declarations of love for the art of fashion. Over the past few months, fashion has taken itself entirely too seriously. Jacobs and Browne brought passion back to an industry that has felt increasingly impersonal. They prove that fashion does not have to be haute-tailoring or wardrobe essentials to be timeless. Playfulness and a child-like imagination never go out of style.
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With his futuristic and sustainable clothes, Offgod is a prodigious example of the next generation of fashion designers. His works are a fearless amalgamation of all his passions, unconcerned with sticking to one medium or aesthetic. They are informed by the environmentally disastrous industry around him, one that his 3D-printed clothing hopes to improve.
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Chopova Lowena might just be the perfect way to spice up your closet if you share in my love of pleated skirts. Grunge is evolving, and the mixing and matching of elegant pieces with edgier ones can create visually appealing outfits. If you are into following sustainable fashion, the Chopova Lowena duo is one to watch.
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A gay man dressed in jorts and a white tank is more provocative than it may appear. For starters, the style is ironic and campy. Queer men are riffing on masculinity and playing into the extremes. They’re using the clothing as a costume to subvert masculinity. Seeing queer people in varying degrees of masculinity creates beautiful diversity.
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In a time when we long for the mystique of old stars, Kacey feels like she’s been transported through time. She gives us all the romance we’ve been craving from today’s stars, while refusing to be tied up in the past; she’s a new classic.
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Tunnel /ˈtən(ə)l/: an artificial underground passage, especially one built through a hill or under a building, road, or river.
Unless you were the creative director of Balenciaga's 2022 Paris fashion week show, nothing about that definition really screams runway. But by simply prefixing this phrase with three letters, the drab fixture initially implied by this definition turns into streetwears longest running fashion show.
Those three letters? NBA.
For years, Instagram accounts, such as @leaguefits, have been documenting the NBA’s most memorable looks, but a single photo could never capture what really goes on in the Tunnel. Ahead, Washington Wizards center, Daniel Gafford, takes us on his walk through The Tunnel, and speaks on what fashion means to him.
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Fashion walks a fine line between consumable goods and art. Creative directors want to make what is authentic to their vision while the business side wants to push promotable, easily sellable items. Neither end of the spectrum is wrong. Without money, there would be no platform for art, but without the artistic vision, there would be no worthwhile product.
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With the emergence of aesthetic over the ear headphone cases, the rising popularity of tying ribbons around headphones, and the wide range of headphones available, it is clear that these durable headphones have adapted in tandem with a trend cycle that often encourages unsustainable turnover and rapid change. One can only hope that over-the-ear headphones, in all of their beautiful, bulky glory, are here to stay.
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At STITCH, we want to celebrate this Black History Month by highlighting some of the Black creatives and fashion lovers near campus. Between plant shops, bookstores, vintage resale boutiques and more, Chicago’s Black-owned businesses have artistic, unique finds for your closet and home. Use our list for your next shopping trip to support Black-owned stores this month and year-round.
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The metaverse and events like Metaverse Fashion Week provide access to stylish spaces many people can’t otherwise experience. It does not mean, however, that the labels assigned to these spaces aren’t misleading, promising fashion and all it has the power to do in a way that fundamentally contradicts itself. Eventually, the real world is what we return to, and all those tools for creativity and self-expression that were promised may or may not follow us into it.
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Are they so complacent with their place at the top of the business that they believe creativity is no longer needed to keep consumers interested? Has the brand become so consumed by commercialism that they forget what fashion means and represents? Either way, the boredom currently infecting the fashion industry has invaded modeling, turning the field from fashion’s stage to fashion’s mannequin.
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As the trend cycle speeds up, it feels like we’re on an endless chase, running after a level of stylishness that we can never quite catch. The shirt I bought last week already feels a little tired, let alone the one I bought last year. Sometimes it feels like the clothes I bought six months ago have been “out” long enough to be coming back into style soon.
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The competition is most famous for the creative, wonderful, and oftentimes ridiculous outfits that the competitors wear. However, more important than the clothes is the question of what place Miss Universe has in the modern era.
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Dennis Keith Rodman, housing insecure airport janitor turned Hall of Fame NBA defender turned ubiquitous Hollywood delinquent, was also an iconoclast of lingering ‘90s conventionality. Through his frequent “antics” on and off the court, he transpired a persona of unabashed self-expression that transcended rigid interpretations of black masculinity.
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I also faced a frightening sense of newness. Who am I, when I no longer possess the material items that constitute my identity? Is it possible to have a sense of style and a sense of self without my belongings? This caused me to consider the socioeconomic implications of fashion, as well as the freedom of expression that privilege and wealth provide.
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Today, the daring fashion of F1 has all but disappeared. Outfits on race weekends are boring team shirts plastered with sponsors, and the only accessories are a nice watch and a team hat also plastered with sponsors.
What happened? The intense scrutiny brought by social media forces drivers to take themselves more seriously because their fans take them seriously. It is easier than ever to get to know the drivers as people.
Turning flowers into fashion takes a heightened level of consideration. Flowers can only spend so long out of water and botanics move differently on the runway. Crum has learned to play with new techniques that she wouldn’t typically incorporate into her studio work, like dye products and deer netting—a plastic chicken wire. The good thing about working on a design day-of, she says, is learning from the other designers in the room.
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