HOOT
spring / summer 2014
MASTHEAD
COPY EDITORS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Najet Fazai Arianna Friedman Sarah Gurbach Bianca Sanon Reina Sekiguchi Bailey Springer
rubii pham jackie luo guilia olsson krista anna lewis esther jung natalie moore shriya samavai bethany wong
BLOG CONTRIBUTORS
ASSISTANT STYLISTS
cara baestlein meredith coleman rowanne dean sasha henriques leora herman claudia khoury evelyn kim sofia lyons kelly masotta sophie perkins meg phillips jordana roat anna singer bethany wong allie zakon
nancy chen austen tosone sofia lyons chloe kim micayla lubka kiani ned erin quinn
MASTHEAD
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF rubii pham krista anna lewis
CREATIVE DIRECTOR hannah keiler
WOMENSWEAR DIRECTOR jackie luo
MENSWEAR DIRECTOR andre’ fuqua
PHOTO DIRECTOR esther jung
BLOG DIRECTOR
josephine kovacs
BEAUTY DIRECTOR emily ellis
DESIGN DIRECTORS anna hippee celine gordon
FEATURES DIRECTOR rebecca deczynski
A&E DIRECTOR emma goss
MARKETING DIRECTOR sarah collins corinne teschner
COPY CHIEF katie lee
TREASURER eric wong
SECRETARY nancy chen
LETTERS FROM THE EDITORS
When I came to New York City four years ago to attend Columbia, I refused to wear black and refused to wear pants, deeming both too sartorially boring to satisfy the wild West Coast girl I am at heart. Four years later, my closet is mostly neutrals with the omnipresent black and I wear pants … frequently. New York has gotten to me, and Hoot has gotten to me. When I joined Hoot as the first blog director four years ago, I never thought I’d see myself graduating and leaving. I’m proud to pass on the torch to some capable and creative hands. Thank you to the Hoot family and readers for an amazing four years, and thank you for inspiring me each and every day with your talent and passion. Rubii Pham
Hello again. It seems like you’ve liked our little project here and are back for seconds. I don’t blame you. We think we’ve done a spiffy job, which is all due to the dedication and love put in by each of our editors. I must thank all of them for the wonderful content they’ve created for this issue. I hope you agree that a second semester in, Rubii and I have been able to guide and push every one of them to create better and more creative content. Enjoy.
Krista Anna Lewis
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHANNELING DENIM URBAN JUNGLE FAR FETCHED FUTURE COFFEE CULTURE CHLOE ANGLES MAYA ZOE DAISY RANK & STYLE THE DARLING DJS OF WBAR DIVERSIFYING THE MODEL ‘SHOPPED THE FUTURE OF FASHION THE 7 MINUTES WORKOUT SWEAT PROOF SUMMER MAKE UP SUMMER FESTIVALS
channeling denim modeled by AUSTIN ANDERSON photos by NATALIE MOORE styled by ANDRE’ FUQUA assisted by MICAYLA LUBKA, KIANI NED, ERIN QUINN, BRYNNA HALL
(LEFT) JACKET: PHOTOGRAPHER’S OWN SHIRT: LEVI’S, JEANS: LEVI’S, SHOES: CONVERSE (RIGHT) VEST: LEVI’S, SHIRT: H&M, JEANS: A.P.C., SHOES: STYLIST’S OWN
(LEFT) SHIRT: LEVI’S, SHORTS: LEVI’S, (RIGHT) SHORTS: LEVI’S, SHIRT: MODEL’S OWN
(LEFT) JACKET, SHIRT: H&M, SHORTS: SURFACE TO AIR SHOES: BEN SHERMAN, (RIGHT) JACKET: STYLIST’S OWN, SHIRT: AMERICAN APPAREL
urban jungle modeled by SAM STEVENS photos by SHRIYA SAMAVAI styled by ANDRE’ FUQUA assisted by LAYLA CARONI, ERICA CHAN
(LEFT) SHIRT: H&M, PANTS: AMERICAN APPAREL, SHOES: MODEL’S OWN, HAT: COTEARMOUR (RIGHT) HAT: PHOTOGRAPHER’S OWN, JACKET: AMERICAN APPAREL
far fetched founder:
LUCAS FARRAR ON HIS WORK, HIS SENSE OF STYLE AND WHAT MAKES HIM TICK by NATALIE MOORE
Lucas Farrar is obsessed with stories—with building his own, with discovering others’ and with ones that come full circle. As the founder of the artistic brand Far Fetched+ (though he shies away from referring to it as a “brand”), he has had the opportunity to hear and be a part of many stories— from traveling the country to photographing festivals to stumbling upon future collaborators in the audiences of packed local concerts. His openness and warmth make his rolodex of connections seem entirely unsurprising; he is the type of guy who strikes up a conversation with anyone. His positivity about life is contagious. I met Farrar outside of a local bar on a crisp March afternoon to discuss his work, hanging out on tour buses with Kendrick Lamar, loud patterned silk shirts and what inspires him to do what he does. NATALIE MOORE: When did you become interested in photography? LUCAS FARRAR: I went to Dartmouth for a year, out in the middle of cold New Hampshire. I just grabbed a camera when I was going up there, like “Things I need for college? A camera sounds cool!”
Dartmouth was kind of an interior soul-searching experience for me. That was not the place I needed to be for college. Obviously, I left and went to Columbia. But I would just go out and grab a dozen rolls of film and go out and shoot them all in like a week. That just kind of got me started with figuring out that it was something I was interested in. Then the stuff that you see on my website and that focus developed obviously in New York, when I had access to those types of artists and those people. That was my escape here. When I got here, I thought, “Aw, I’m going to be good at school again.” Then I thought, “Wait a second. Isn’t that part of the reason I left?” I didn’t want to be so campus focused and tied to this social structure. I just wanted to escape some of that, and I was just attracted to the music scene. One of my best friends and collaborators/ partners in life is a DJ based in Philadelphia, and so he’s always put me on to new sounds all the time, so when I finally got out I thought, “I’ve got to find that in New York— like the New York version, not the Philly version,” and so it kind of just took off from there. NM: How would you describe Far
Fetched? LF: That’s kind of like the— “brand” is such a corny word—but that’s like the family. If I have to create an image or if I want to create an idea, that’s how I’ve maneuvered it. It’s really just a name to carry and to build on it. It started as Far Fetched Future, and then I’ve kind of dropped the Future part and just used Far Fetched as the larger brand now, and everything branches off from there. Far Fetched and then a little plus sign. NM: It seems like most of your concert photography and the things you show on your website are freelance. Have you worked with publications? LF: Mostly freelance. I worked at RESPECT. when I was a sophomore. I was a managing intern. And since then, I’ve done stuff for The Washington Post and The New Yorker. That’s kind of a fun story. This is like a whole full circle event. I randomly get a Facebook message from this kid like, “Hey, I love your stuff. I’m starting a column for The Huffington Post. It’d be great to work together.” So we became collaborators for a bit on this Huffington column. But the crazy part about that is that we were
talking about these photos I’d taken of Action Bronson, and he went through my photos, and he was actually at one of the same shows and was in one of my photos. And that actually connects to another full circle, which is that he invited me to go to this Lil B lecture at NYU maybe two years ago, and I went and snuck my friend in. So we had only two seats, but three people. So there was this guy sitting there, and we were like, “Hey dude, do you mind if our friend sits here?” and he was like, “Sure.” So the show happens, and I get to snapping. Then, when it’s over, I went over to the guy to say thank you for letting us have the seat, and I asked who he was writing for because I noticed that he’d been taking notes, and he’s like, “Oh, I’m with The New Yorker.” So we just started talking, and he ended up using some of my photos. He submitted them to the editor, and she loved them and published them. NM: That is crazy. Everyone always says it is all about connections, who you know or who you happen to meet. LF: Right, but there are two ways to look at that. Like “who do you know” as in “who are you connected to” or who do you automatically get plugged into just from existing, which is the privilege of “who you know.” And then there’s the “who you know” of looking at every opportunity like, “Here’s a person who has a story and has something interesting to say. Let me at least acknowledge his or her presence,” and that can go such a long way as far as just getting yourself somewhere. I think more of what I want to say about Far Fetched is that it’s more about being genuine with people and acknowledging people and having that connection, and that’s what I try and do if I’m taking photos. I want to have a story behind all of those shots. I don’t want it to just be like, “Oh, here’s a photograph.” And you can tell, you know? I can tell the photos that have a bigger story for me are usually stronger photos, and the ones that are just snapshots are more like, “Yeah, that was cool. It was a moment,” but it’s different than something that’s stronger. NM: Obviously, you have met a lot of cool people and have had the chance to take photos of some awesome artists. Do you have any
favorite collaborators or subjects? LF: Yeah, of course. Recently, I’ve gotten together with Kris Bowers. He’s a jazz pianist. I recently did a music video for him. He’s just one of those people who is so gifted and talented and driven at his craft that it’s just rewarding to be around him. He’s just so good at what he does that it inspires you to do more of what you do. There are just so many amazing artists. Honestly, of all the hip hop artists, Kendrick [Lamar] is probably one of the most genuine people. He’s just one of those people who is so famous, he doesn’t need to remember my name. I could be just another photographer. But every time I see him, he’s like, “Yo Luke, what’s good? How are you? Let’s meet up on the tour bus,” and all of these things that don’t need to happen because he’s genuinely friendly. There are just so many awesome people. I don’t know. We could go through every photo and probably all of those people—I can’t really say anything bad about anyone I’ve shot. NM: Have you had the chance to travel a lot and go to different cities? LF: Yeah, South by Southwest has been like a mecca for me for the last several years. I make sure I’m always there. The first year I went, I went with this record label, and I spent like a day and a half with [Wu-Tang Clan’s] GZA, which was awesome. So yeah, I’ve gotten to travel to Austin the last three years and L.A. a couple of times. Minneapolis—I shot Soundset, a festival out there. And then up and down the East Coast. Philly is a big stomping ground, and D.C. is big. I grew up in Maryland. D.C. and Philly are where I spend most of my time [outside of New York]. NM: How would you describe your style, both artistically and clothing wise? LF: How would I describe my style? I mean, it’s probably just as loud as everything else I do. [I think that] patterns are really intoxicating. So something that’s strong and vibrant, but can also be part of something that would be reserved. I have a shirt that has this super loud Virgin Mary pattern on this red and blue background, and it’s silk. It’s just this super loud shirt I found in Philly. Stuff like that, where you can wear it and just have it be loud, or you can wear it with something and have it be sharper and just have it as
an accent underneath. It’s the same kind of thing where I just want it to push my visual style as much as taking a photo does. If I could just endlessly search for new patterns and new clothes, that would probably be something I’d do on a daily basis. NM: Who or what inspires you? LF: A lot of it comes from new sounds. I like new sounds and new light—those are my two favorite things. That’s what I’m always trying to expose myself to, something that pushes those boundaries. You know when your ears just have that delicious moment where you’re biting into the crispy apple? That’s so rewarding. And same thing with light, like when the light hits something just right, and you’re like, “Wow, I need this. I need this forever.” Hopefully, it’s not as self-centered as like, “I’m going to keep it in my little collection.” But you know, I want to share this. I want other people to see this. And the exciting part, I think, is you’re given all these gifts to give back to the world. And the more you give your gift to the world, the more the world will give to you, and so it’s this rewarding cycle of the more you put yourself out there, the more you’re going to get back. And it isn’t necessarily going to be immediate. It doesn’t have to be immediate. It can be immediate. But you should be able to reaffirm yourself that every time you do put that out there, you’re doing this because you love your craft, and you want to share that with people. I think it’s exciting. There are a lot of different inspirations. It’s one of those things that sometimes you can just feel it inside of you, that warmth like energy that comes from a moment. The moments where I have to stand up on a chair because I’m just so excited—those are my favorite ones. I don’t even really know where they come from. It’s just like my mind will start going on a tangent like, “I can’t wait. I can’t believe I’m about to do this, that this is going to happen’,” and just so much is all coming together that it’s just exciting. And that can happen about a lot of things—sometimes it can be very interior and soul-searching, or it can be a very explosive, outward energy. But where do those come from? I mean, I don’t know. Just like excitement about life.
WHAT KIND OF COFFEE DO YOU WANT?
TOO LAZY TO HIT THE TOWN? LOOKING FOR GREAT BEANS TO BREW AT HOME?
LIKE YOUR COFFEE ON THE ROCKS?
STUMPTOWN COFFEE ROASTERS THEIR COLDBREW IS THE CREME-DE-LA-CREME OF ICED COFFEE NATIONWIDE AND IS YET UNRIVALED IN THE CITY
GRANDDADDY OF NYC COFFEE?
ESTABLISHED IN 1913, DALLIS BROTHERS’ STARTED ROASTING SMALL-BATCH COFFEE BEANS BEFORE HOWARD SCHULTZ WAS OUT OF DIAPERS! (ROASTERY LOCATED IN PENNSAUKEN, NJ)
RELIABLY SCRUMPTIOUS?
COFFEE ROASTER STILL ROAST BEANS FOR MANY SHOPS IN THE CITY (THOUGH MANY ARE SHIFTING TO ROAST THEIR OWN BEANS ONSITE)
OR TRY THEIR HUNKY SPIN-OFF!
SOME LIKE IT HOTLOOKING FOR A PERFECTLY-CRAFTED, HOT ESPRESSO?
JOE COFFEE
LIKE YOUR CUP OF “JOE” EARTHFRIENDLY AND SUSTAINABLE?
PLOWSHARES COFFEE ROASTERS THEIR COMPLETELY WINDPOWERED ROASTING FACILITY UPSTATE, SELF-DESCRIBED “BOUTIQUE COFFEE ROASTERS” FOCUS ON SINGLE-ORIGIN BEANS WITH UNIQUE FLAVOR PROFILES LIKE “ TANZANIAN KIBOKO PEABODY” (ORDER AT PLOWSHARESCOFFEE.COM)
HANDSOME COFFEE ROASTERS 3 INTELLIGENTSIA ALUMS LAUNCHED THEIR ROASTERY IN LA, THE ROASTS HAVE QUIRKY NAMES LIKE “DAPPER ESPRESSO” OR “DAMN HANDSOME” (SERVED AT SEVERAL SHOPS IN THE CITY)
RECENTLY OPENED A BRANCH RIGHT ON CAMPUS, JOE ROASTS ALL OF THEIR OWN BEANS ONSITE, AND THEY ALSO HAVE A “PRO SHOP” DOWNTOWN, A COFFEE-LOVER’S EMPORIUM SELLING EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO BREW A PERFECT CUP AT HOME.
CLASSICIST?
LOOKING FOR A “MODERN CLASSIC” ROASTS THEIR BEANS ON THEIR “FARM” IN THE HUDSON VALLEY, ROASTING SOME OF THE BEST BEANS IN THE CITY, AND THEIR LOCATIONS IN NYC ARE HIPSTER HAVENS WITH PERFECTLYFROTHED LATTES AND CORTADOS
ESTABLISHED MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO, BB IS CREDITED WITH BRINGING THE ARTISAN COFFEE CRAZE TO THE CITY. DEDICATED TO THE MISSION OF ONLY SERVING COFFEE ROASTED LESS THAN 48 HOURS AGO. (LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY)
chloe
modeled by CHLOE KIM photos by ESTHER JUNG styled by ELISA HAN + CHLOE KIM seascapes by HIROSHI SUGIMOTO
(LEFT) JACKET, SHORTS: SURFACE TO AIR, SHIRT: H&M, SHOES: BEN SHERMAN (RIGHT) JACKET: STYLIST’S OWN, SHIRT: AMERICAN APPAREL
urban jungle modeled by SAM STEVENS photos by SHRIYA SAMAVAI styled by ANDRE’ FUQUA assisted by LAYLA CARONI, ERICA CHAN
(LEFT) SHIRT: EQUIPMENT, PANTS: ROCK & REPUBLIC (RIGHT) DRESS: STELLA MCCARTNEY, CARDIGAN: CALYPSO ST. BARTH
(LEFT) HAT: MAISON MICHEL, SWEATER: HELMUT LANG, PURSE: CELINE (RIGHT) TOP: DOLCE VITA, SKIRT: NASTY GAL
(LEFT) TOP, BOTTOM: HELMUT LANG, SHOES: DRIES VAN NOTEN (RIGHT) TOP: MASON BY MICHELLE MASON
DRESS: ZARA
angles modeled by LEORA HERMAN photos by GIULIA OLSSON styled by HANNAH KEILER assisted by CHLOE KIM
BLACK AND WHITE TOP: ZARA SHORTS: STYLIST’S OWN
YELLOW DRESS: ZARA
JUMPSUIT: ZARA JACKET: STYLIST’S OWN
maya
modeled by MAYA RICHARDSON photos by KRISTA LEWIS styled by KRISTA LEWIS
zoe modeled by ZOE BAKER-PENG photos by RUBII PHAM assisted by NANCY CHEN
daisy modeled by DAISY CHAUSSEE photos by JACKIE LUO designs by RACHEL KIM, SZU TING CHEN, SEOIN JEONG
rank & style by RACHEL CLARA FURST
W
hen a company is described as a startup, one of the last things that comes to mind is fashion. Yet young entrepreneurs Sarika Doshi (CC ’00), Pooja Badlani (BC ’01) and Sonal Gupta have re-envisioned what it means to be a startup company. Finding a problem in the way fashion and beauty consumer products were presented on the web at large, these innovative women founded Rank & Style, a website committed to fairly and mathematically ranking these products to provide consumers with the most accurate information. Through the website’s top-10 lists in categories ranging from best makeup foundations to best black jeans, consumers can make informed decisions before purchasing products, ensuring that customer satisfaction is 100% and returns are 0%. With accolades from InStyle, Refinery 29 and People StyleWatch, to name a few, you know they are doing things right and their system truly works. Hoot sat down with the lovely ladies to discuss their company and inspiration in true Rank & Style fashion. RACHEL FURST: What inspired you to start Rank & Style? How did you come up with the idea? SARIKA DOSHI: We were all together for Hurricane Irene [in August 2011], and what inspired us was exactly the problem that we’re attempting to solve: I was going on vacation a couple of weeks after the hurricane and I typed in…“best natural sunscreens,” and I found that “best X” is the most Google-searched term for the female consumer, so
I typed in “best sunscreens,” and what I got back was just chaos, and chaos in a good way, and chaos in a not so good way. It was chaotic. There were so many sources I could consult, and so there was high quality information out there, but no one connected the dots between what everybody was saying. I came across a ton of user reviews, a ton of editorial pieces. I might come across retailers saying, “These are the best sunscreens,” and no one was sort of bringing it all together and aggregating it thoughtfully, which meant it was super time-consuming and overwhelming. I thought, “There has to be a better way of doing this.” You know, when you’re on the market for a new camera, you type in “best digital camera below $500,” and within seconds, you have all your information…There’s just nothing in fashion and beauty that brought it all together and aggregated it. So we basically started working on a very bare bones, alpha product, and we self-funded that and started doing it on our own over the weekends. We all had full-time jobs back then. And we built something that we sort of tested with a closed group across the summer for three months and took all their feedback as inspiration, and also we used that as a foundation to then go out and build a proper, full site. RF: What obstacles have you faced? SONAL GUPTA: Well, you know we were building a product, that our core value was objectivity and being neutral and unbiased, and with that comes certain challenges in terms of our commercial considerations, such as revenue, and how we partner with brands and how we partner with
retailers. That’s probably the biggest challenge, but that just makes it more exciting and more creative, and we find ways around it all the time. SD: For example, if a brand approaches us, and they say, “We’d love for this lotion to be on your best lotion list,” we don’t say yes to that. That’s how most magazines and content platforms work, and it’s very little separation of church and state, and generally that brand is often a very big advertising partner. POOJA BADLANI: This space has just been so subjective and editorialized for so long, and we’re trying to carve in a new category to that where people trust and begin to understand that we’re producing, accurate, datadriven and unbiased reviews of these products…just shifting people from just trusting whatever is out there to just following an objective path and trusting that. RF: How did you decide, “We are going to rank these items this way”? How did you create that algorithm? PB: We did a lot of testing and had a lot of conversations and did a lot of research ourselves as to what pieces of information are most valuable to our users when they’re actually trying to find things. Those are things like bestseller lists at department stores and e-commerce sites, or what’s kind of trending and buzzing overall in social media, to know what users are saying about products and what resonates with them, whether it’s in store reviews or in social media, and we try to figure out, “Okay, what are the most valuable things for our users?” and based on research, the thing that most people consider are peer reviews and user reviews and star ratings, and I think that 80% of people value
user reviews when making purchase decisions, and we thought that is a very valid and large number, so that means that when we are rating and ranking all these things, user reviews should probably be way higher than, say, a social media tweet or something like that. We really thought about, “These are the data points, so what should happen with that value?” and then sort of that data gets the most value, and then everything else gets valued as well, so it’s sort of a law of averages based on what our users appreciate and like more, and that could always change. If our users tend to like editor’s reviews at some point versus user reviews, we can change the algorithm to value that higher, so it really is based on research and feedback that we receive. SG: And basically getting into the mind of our consumer and doing the research that they would be doing manually. We’re trying to do that through another process. RF: What can you tell me about the fashion startup world since those two things do not usually go hand in hand? SD: I think we’re seeing a lot of people using technology to enable all sorts of aspects of the fashion discovery process. There are obviously tons of different things, like Pinterest which has obviously revolutionized fashion in one way. There’s a company that was also started by a Barnard alum, Hukkster, which is using technology. You can huck a product, and it tracks it when it goes on sale. For us, using technology is about narrowing down the overwhelming universe of choices and information. I think fashion and beauty on the whole, I don’t want to say is behind the curve, but has been slower to adopt e-commerce because historically it’s been such a visual, physical experience, but I think certain retailers, like Shopbop and stuff like that, are just doing a really great job of making fashion and beauty that you experience entirely online. And I would say, lastly, is that there is a lot of stuff going on with data in fashion and beauty. If you think about a company like Amazon, from day one, they were the first to say, “You like this book. You’re probably going to like X, Y, Z books,” and connecting dots between your preferences as a user and your behavior as a consumer
“ F O R U S , U S I N G T E C H N O LO GY I S A B O U T N A R R O W I N G D O W N T H E OV E R W H E L M I N G U N I V E R S E O F C H O I C E S A N D I N F O R M AT I O N . I T H I N K FA S H I O N A N D B E AU T Y O N T H E W H O L E , I D O N ’ T WA N T TO S AY I S B E H I N D T H E C U R V E , B U T H A S B E E N S LO W E R TO A D O P T E - CO M M E R C E B E CAU S E H I S TO R I CA L LY I T ’ S B E E N S U C H A V I S UA L , P H Y S I CA L E X P E R I E N C E . . .” SARIKA DOSHI, CO-FOUNDER OF RANK & STYLE
with other things you might like and proactively suggesting that. And I think most other retail industries are slow to adopt that within fashion and beauty because it was so hard to say, “If you like this pair of jeans, you might also like this leather jacket,” for example, and yet it’s the most powerful marketing tool for Amazon. If you look at Bloomingdale’s, Saks. com, Shopbop, data is starting to make its way very much to the forefront in how they market products to their existing or new consumers. PB: We’ve been seeing in the last few years just a shift from brands being in control to consumers being in control. They want the information, they want to pick the things that are the best, and they want to have access to that information. There are so many ways to make that process better, so there’s just a lot of room for improvement. RF: Who would you say has the best style and why? SD: Lupita, Lupita, Lupita [Nyong’o]! For me, the colors that she chooses to wear I think are stunning. I think Kerry Washington is so likeable. PB: I’m obsessed with Halle Berry and everything she’s wearing. Flawless, every time. She looks like she doesn’t even try. RF: What has been the most exciting moment in your career so far? PB: I think for me, it’s what Sarika said. We’ve been working on this for two years…we meet with users all the time, people have conferences or different networking events, are
like, “I love your lists! I bought my leggings from it. I love your boots. I just bought a pair of boots. They’re amazing. You were right.” Just that validation makes all of the hard work that we’re doing worth it. We’re doing something that’s actually useful. It just means that hard work pays off, and for me, that’s good. SD: I remember our first big press thing was People StyleWatch and Refinery29, and just to see this thing that we had built be in print and online sites and magazines that I grew up reading was kind of like one of those “this is actually happening, pinch me” moments. PB: Oh! And just going back to the “best style” question, I have to say Michelle Dockery. She wears the best gowns to award ceremonies. RF: As alumna from Barnard and Columbia, what were you involved in on campus? PB: Student government. I’m also a graphic designer now, so I did layout for the yearbook and layout for a South Asian magazine called Sangam, and I did a mentoring program. I also did special interest housing. SD: I was an RA. I was on the track team for a brief stint. I was really involved with the AsianPacific community here; I ran their heritage month and all sorts of stuff there. I did DDC, the Double Discovery Center. It’s tutoring kids from Morningside Heights. I spent a lot of time with DDC. I loved it. And being an RA was really fun. I did it with freshmen in John Jay.
STYLE PROFILE
the daring DJs of WBAR WHETHER THEY’RE SPINNING TUNES IN THE BASEMENT OF REID OR LOUNGING OUT ON LOW STEPS, THE DJS OF WBAR HAVE A PERSONAL STYLE THAT’S ALL THEIR OWN. HOOT SAT DOWN TO FIND OUT WHAT EXACTLY MAKES THESE MUSIC MAVENS TICK.
KIANI NED / TO AND FRO
photo by ESTHER JUNG
by GISSEL ESPINOZA
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DJING? Only this semester. Music is a huge life, but no so much at Barnard. I went to school for vocal singing, learned how to play piano, and produce music. So this semester I said: “I really need that to be part of my life here.” I have a natural tendency to create playlists—for how I’m feeling, for little moments in the day… The premise of To and Fro was to narrate little moments of your life, like sitting in your room on a Thursday night, everyone is going out, and you’re sitting in your room drinking tea. WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO SONG WHEN YOU’RE PICKING YOURSELF UP? WALKING TO CLASS? My favorite band is Phoenix -- they are the reason I got through the hell that is High School. Lisztomania is my go-to. It’s pretty upbeat. I kind of have an entire playlists that I listen to when I’m really upset. I have playlists that go through certain levels of sadness… WHAT’S THE MOST PLAYED SONG ON YOUR PHONE? Mine by Beyonce and Drake. It’s really mellow and angsty. DO YOU THINK THE MUSIC YOU
LISTEN TO SHAPES YOUR OUTFIT CHOICES IN THE MORNING? LIKE, THIS SONG IS SO BUBBLY—I WANT TO WEAR PINK! I don’t wear pink. I love pink, but I stick to all denim or all black. Or white. And gray. I like non-colors. I don’t think music impacts my style – it’s more about how I’m feeling and how I visually want to appear. I think everyone has an image of themselves and I’ve been working on it, one that speaks to who I am as a person and as an artist… Beyond an artist, I am a visual arts student and my entire life is art. So in general, getting dressed and the music are both defined by how I’m feeling. FOR EXAMPLE, DESCRIBE A MORNING. Usually I wake up with a song in mind or I have a good morning playlist. Like mellow songs, inspiring songs, upbeat songs. I put the good morning playlist on and I’m like Am I feeling all black? All denim? What’s the weather? What clothes are clean? WHAT ABOUT TODAY? Well I stick to colors and shapes. Mostly skinny jeans and sweaters with collared shirts that I button all the way to the top. I don’t know when that started. I wrote a poem
about it – denim is like armor. The clothes that I wear are blank. Denim, black, gray… They aren’t colors. To me means blank – I don’t have to think about it. It symbolizes minimalness and one less thing to think about. It’s fun to be enigmatic. With black I can wear a bunch of textures, but no one really knows what’s going on. And with the collared tops it’s about the armor, not exposing yourself. YOUR PLAYLISTS TELL ME SO MUCH ABOUT WHO YOU ARE, BUT YOUR CLOTHES… Order, boundaries. HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR PLAYLISTS AND STYLE WILL CHANGE WITH SPRING? Maybe they’ll be more upbeat. I’m a positive person. I don’t know about upbeat. In general, I go with how I’m feeling at the end of the week. I definitely like to mix it up. In terms of clothing… I wear a lot of layers. It’ll probably remain black. My summer wardrobe is black – black shorts, black sundresses. So less armor, more skin. We’ll see – I definitely want to make it fresh with the playlists. I SEE YOU WALKING AROUND IN RED LIPSTICK AND ALL BLACK A LOT… That’s definitely an armor, go-to out-
photo by BETHANY WONG
AMA TORRES & CARVER KARASZEWSKI MADAM OVARIES by SARAH GURBACH
PLEASE TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELVES A: I’m in photography. I work in the Columbia darkroom. I do color film mostly, not black and white. C: I have a production company. I produce mostly music videos, but we did our first short over break. I mostly am involved in music through music videos.
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR WBAR SHOW. C: It’s exclusively music; we talk for about 30 seconds at the beginning, we send out dedications and shout outs to family, friends, some universities. She plays for an hour, I play for an hour. It’s not like we coordinate. If you listen to those two hours, they could sound like
different shows WHAT SORT OF MUSIC DO YOU PLAY? A: Carver showed me the new Of Montreal album–that stuck with me– and yesterday on the show I played that one “Obsidian Currents” C: Recently I’ve been listening to this band Sylvean Esso, excellent stuff. IS THERE A WAY YOU’D DESCRIBE
YOUR SHOW? A: Our description literally reads “Intergalactic funk” so that basically says it all. Two words.
VANESSA HOLLANDER &
DO YOU GO TO ANY MUSIC FESTIVALS? C: I went to Coachella for seven years in a row, from 2006-2013. A: I’m going to the Governors Ball and I already regret it. I’ve never really been to a music festival. I sort of went through this five-year period of time where I went to shows Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays. That was sort of growing up in high school for me because all my friends were in bands, so I went to tiny little shows in New York, so the thought of going to a music festival is daunting to me.
by AMA KWARTENG
WHERE DO YOU GO WATCH YOUR FRIENDS? A: Knitting factory when it was still in Manhattan. The Cake Shop. I went to a bunch of small shows. It’s pretty easy to find shows if you seek them out. The scene has changed a lot, there’s a lot going on in Brooklyn. Silent Barn, Shea Stadium. There are a lot of shows, it’s weirdly very Facebook oriented. It’s really fun, it’s dingy and gross, but it’s fun, it’s really fun. HOW DO YOU GET MUSIC VIDEOS TOGETHER, HOW MUCH OF IT DO YOU DO YOURSELF? C: All of it. I have a team. My production company is Me and Three, so there’s four of us. Normally, it’s me reaching out to managers, artists, PR, to bands that me and the director I work with admire or like. We like to work with people we musically enjoy because it just makes sense. But then once we get something finalized, you have to work out a budget and find locations, and lock locations, and find insurance, get cameras, lights, sound, a team of people who will work for you for free or very little. There’s no money in music videos anymore. The 90s and the 80s and MTV were one thing, and people were paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for music videos, but that’s just not happening any more. We have such easy access to technology so people can just go make music videos for zero dollars and that changes things,
KATIE GIRITLIAN SO TELL ME ABOUT YOUR RADIO SHOW.
K: We went all out for that. We had our schoolgirl
K: Well it started off as Prom and it became what it was
skirts. We were like Gwen Stefani meets like Britney
by itself. Every week we’d have a prom with a different
Spears. Like Britney Spears “Hit Me Baby One More
playlist, a different decade, a different theme, but we
Time” Britney Spears, not “Toxic.”
never had it fully planned to what it is today…how
K: This is going to sound cheesy, but for me, it’s really
excited we were every week kind of happened magically
great because when you bring everything together (the
on its own and formed itself through the vibes we
music, the written stories, the images), you just have
wanted to create every week. We started off with mod-
all of these experiences that just crystallize little human
ern wild west and we combined the present and the
emotions in really positive ways. We have a really rich
past and we had a little blurb…as each week happened
palate of all of these experiences that we get from all
my little blurb would evolve into short stories kind
these 20th century, 21st century musical moments
of…”Oh you’re walking through the hallways and it’s
V: And it’s just like great because we can…every week
the 1920s”…I ended up creating these short stories of
it’s an excuse to find more music
humans coming of age.
K: An excuse to pretend that we were other people,
V: Yea, so like basically it just started out as us having
another vibe, another
a theme and Katie would get really into writing those
HOW DO YOU GUYS GO ABOUT THAT, FINDING THE
blurbs, which was awesome. It would shape our
RIGHT SONGS FOR EACH PLAYLIST? IS IT HARD?
playlist every week and I would find a bunch of images
K: We find some things from our iTunes,
that would give us a vibe, which we posted on our
V: We’d have to shuffle through our whole iTunes
Facebook page.
basically and then we’ve have to do our research about
K: It was a multimedia experience; what she brought,
music during that time period and stuff. We also try
the sensory experience of images, really complimented
and mix in things actually from the time period or
the writing and also the music & everything just kept
sub-culture we choose and contemporary music
feeding off of each other really well; we just had so
K: We try and bridge it and make sure we don’t get too
many different lenses, before it even started I would
stuck in the past. We try and make it apply to today.
have never thought…but somehow our creative
DOES MUSIC INSPIRE YOUR CLOTHING CHOICES?
development led us to be like “oh and pool prom with
K: Oh yea, I totally think so.
that one black one piece bathing suit” or “it’s the 2000s
V: Yea, me too
like Vitamin C”; the process of us making the show is
K: I like picking a different persona with a different
like a great things
decade to wear. This is kind of my 2000s, 12 year old
V: And this semester we started doing Cowgirl Hall of
boy outfit. And I’ll be 70s with like bell bottoms the
Fame; we wanted to broaden it up a little bit.
next day. Sometimes, I’ll have a collage of decades in
K: For our age group [laughs], prom is like 13-18
my outfit.
V: We were just sitting in our suite thinking about
V: I think I can say for both of us that music’s our big-
what we should call it and we just looked around us to
gest inspiration. Like we both get so emotional during
see if there was anything that would inspire us and our
the radio show. Music definitely influences fashion.
suitemate Sarah saw that we had a little tapestry of this
Especially every week we get to choose a character that
little cowgirl and she was like “Cowgirl Hall of Fame”
we are that week. It always affects my outfits that week,
and we were like okay!
like I’m always building up to the radio show.
K: It’s basically the same thing, but instead of prom
K: What I like so much is that I take on different
every week, it’s anything.
characters, it helps me learn so much more about myself. I know that’s so corny, but I so mean it. All
SO YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT THEME EVERY WEEK FOR
these different characters each week represent an aspect
THIS SHOW AS WELL?
of us. We’re just so big, and every human is just so big
K: Yeah, and for me this time, I make my short stories
and we have so many parts to us
more fine-tuned. There’s a title for them (like After
V: That’s such a millennial, our generation type of
Class in Mexico 1968). That one was a theme for a
thing, where we like so many different types of things,
show and it was all Western…with everyone, I try and
and sub cultures and generations. That’s why it’s so
make it slightly more focused because I know I can get
hard for us just to choose one specific style. So I guess,
carried away with the vibe of it all though this time
this is a good way for us to get it all out. We don’t have
its more focused on one short story but still with the
enough money to buy all the clothes from the 60s, 70s,
images that Vanessa brings & the music that we bring
etc. so we can just do our radio show.
from multiple time periods, we still have that visual, sensory experience DO YOU GUYS EVER DRESS UP? K: We used to a lot, and we’re going to do it more V: We used to dress up, I remember the one that we dressed up for the most was the Millennial Prom.
diversifying the model by SASHA HENRIQUES
“M
odel” is a complicated term. It ostensibly refers to an individual who is fit and aesthetically pleasing, who poses for photographers or walks runways for designers. But for years, the word “model” tacitly implied an individual who was Caucasian, cisgender, and did not have any physical defects or disabilities. Is the fashion industry implicitly racist? It may seem as if runways and magazine editorials are making more of an effort to employ models with different ethnic backgrounds, but are the percentages really shifting? Within the last few years, white models have dominated New York Fashion Week, accounting for approximately 80% of the models, while Asian and black models have only accounted for 10% and 6% of the models respectively. The numbers hardly reflect an effort to diversify the runways. In fact, the extremely low percentages of non-white models reflect a kind of tokenism. Companies understand that they need to include at least some models of color so they do not appear racist. Edward Enninful, the fashion and style director of W Magazine, noted that the industry has become much more Eurocentric in the last 10 years and much more whitewashed as a result. Supermodel Naomi Campbell likewise stated that the industry was much more diversified when she debuted in 1986 than it is today. But the fight for racial diversification has garnered more support and awareness. Campbell and fellow supermodel Iman launched a campaign in November 2013 to raise awareness of racism in the fashion industry. Newly crowned supermodel Joan Smalls, who is black and Puerto Rican, often speaks about the industry’s need to diversify. In 2001, Smalls was named the first ever Latina face of Estée Lauder. She made waves again this year when she landed Elle’s January 2014 cover. Many considered the decision to feature a Latina cover model a bold move. Yet even immensely successful models like Jourdan Dunn and Chanel Iman have faced racism. Both women have spoken openly
about their experiences during casting sessions. They have noted instances when they were denied work simply because of the color of their skin, despite the fact that they were more than qualified. As these well-known models come forward and vocalize their disgust with the industry’s racist tendencies, several large-scale brands are taking diversification seriously. In September, at least 30% of the models that walked for Zac Posen’s and Diane von Furstenberg’s runways were women of color. Dsquared2’s Fall/Winter 2013 ad campaign featured exclusively Asian women and black men. In an unprecedented move, some within the industry have included disabled models in shows. Perhaps the first big push was in 1999 by Alexander McQueen, who featured record-holding Paralympic athlete Aimee Mullins on his runway. He even handcarved a wooden high-heeled prosthetic leg for her to wear. Just this year, Carrie Hammer’s runway show featured the first ever wheelchair-bound model. Diesel recently featured Jillian Mercado, a 23-year-old fashion editor with muscular dystrophy who also uses a wheelchair, in its edgy Spring 2014 campaign. The UK brand Boden received immense media attention last year after featuring a child model with cerebral palsy in its campaign. Boots, another UK brand, received similar praise for featuring a child model with Down Syndrome in its catalogue. Though progress is slow, the industry has increasingly recognized models with disabilities—a sign of diversification. The inclusion of transsexual, transgender and nonbinary gendered models has also attracted significant attention within the industry. Brazilian transsexual model Lea T has garnered fame for being Givenchy’s muse and for starring in a 2010 ad campaign for the brand. The androgynous Andrej Pejić has modeled menswear and womenswear. Elliott Sailors, who is female, received extensive media coverage last year when she chopped off her hair and relaunched her career as a male model, following in the footsteps of Casey Legler, the
female French former Olympic swimmer who signed on with Ford as a male model. Gender bending and trans* identification is becoming increasingly more prevalent in the industry, and is certainly gaining recognition. But the movement still faces many obstacles. A scandal erupted after transgender model Jenna Talackova was kicked out of Donald Trump’s Miss Universe pageant because she was not a “natural-born woman.” She was eventually allowed to compete. Though she did not win the competition, she scored an editorial shoot in Elle Canada. Recently, 46,000 people signed a petition to make Carmen Carrera Victoria’s Secret’s first transgender Angel, though the company still has not replied. Perhaps the biggest step forward so far has been Barneys’ Spring 2014 ad campaign “Brothers, Sister, Sons, and Daughters” that featured 17 trans* models. Social media has helped activists spread the word, and raise awareness for more racially diverse runways and photoshoots, as more models with disabilities and transgender models are coming forward, coming out and stepping up to the plate. Organizations like the Diversity Coalition and Models of Diversity are leading the fight for diversification, while model-activists like Cameron Russell (GS ’12) are adding fuel to the fire. Russell, an internationally-successful model who has worked with brands such as Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta, Victoria’s Secret and Dolce & Gabbana, recently gave a TED Talk entitled “Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model.” The talk has since received over 6 million hits on YouTube. Russell has been working to break down barriers in the industry that she believes are a result of a “legacy of gender and racial oppression.” She contributes her voice to the scores of industry professionals and the younger generation who are working to redefine beauty to include those of different colors, of different shapes and sizes, of redefined genders. The only way to go is up from here.
’shopped by RACHEL CLARA FURST
Two words: Photoshop scandal. For decades, the public and media have engaged in a constant battle over body image. The ’60s, for example, were all about being as slim as Twiggy. But as female-empowering movements gain momentum, and with an overall push for “loving the skin you are in”, the media has taken a different approach. Instead of overtly endorsing the skinny girl, the media has turned to Photoshop to silently bombard the public with images of women who embody this aesthetic. In December, it came to the public’s attention that Flare magazine published drastically Photoshopped images of Jennifer Lawrence. A highly circulated GIF shows the cinching of Lawrence’s waist, the contouring of her cheeks, the elongation of her neck and thinning of her thighs, among other changes. Unsurprisingly, the scandal sparked a lot of controversy. It mainly begged the question that if the media felt the need to Photoshop beautiful, young, thin starlets, what kind of person would not warrant image retouching? Feminist website Jezebel had something to say, albeit brief, on the J-Law debate. It posed the question, “Why it is even necessary?” Yet, the Flare cover was nothing compared to the controversy sparked by Jezebel on Lena Dunham’s photo shoot for the February issue of Vogue. Jezebel created a contest of sorts, offering $10,000 to the individual who could provide the non-Photoshopped images from Dunham’s shoot. The result was disappointing. The majority of photos had little retouching, the most obvious change being the saturation and brightening of colors. Jezebel played the angle that if so little retouching was done, why even bother? Dunham herself defended the photos, and expressed utter shock and disgust that the site would go to such great lengths to disparage Vogue. This incident left many followers of the controversy at a loss. On the one hand, publications
are Photoshopping the likes of Jennifer Lawrence to greatly alter and “improve” her image, and on the other, small, insignificant adjustments are being made to other shoots. This situation creates a slew of questions. What does it mean for the use of Photoshop in editorials and publications? At what point does the use of Photoshop become unethical? To understand these questions, Hoot spoke to photographer Kevin Thomas Garcia, known for his celebrity portraits, headshots, theatre, dance and performance photographs. RACHEL FURST: How much do you typically Photoshop your photos? KEVIN THOMAS GARCIA: It honestly depends on what it is for. When I am doing an actor’s headshots, the photo needs to look as much like the person as possible. The idea is a little goes a long way. We strive to make them look like they would on a “good day.” When I am doing editorial or something a little more conceptual, we can push the limits a little more as far as textures, shading, and sometimes even the environment. RF: What do you believe warrants retouching? KTG: The usual stuff: blemishes, under eyes, softening lines and wrinkles (trying to maintain the integrity of the subject), bra lines, clothing problems, unflattering angles, et cetera. RF: At what point does the use of Photoshop become unethical? Does it ever reach that point? KTG: Again, this is on a case-by-case basis. If I were shooting for a fitness magazine and took a size 12 model down to a size 6, this could be a problem, as it creates a false sense of reality. There is definitely a line that photographers and retouchers should not cross, but it differs from project to project. RF: Do you think major publications have grossly taken advantage of Photoshop?
KTG: I think some have, but when looking at it from a marketing standpoint, it’s really hard. I know, from shooting a lot for the NY gay magazine Next and for Men’s Health, that if I was to run a photo that had not been Photoshopped, it would generally not be “cover ready.” The public needs to look at the issue from both angles. Would they buy Glamour magazine with a model who has not been retouched? RF: What are your feelings on the controversy surrounding Lena Dunham’s Vogue photo shoot and feminist site Jezebel’s reaction to it? KTG: After reading the article, and looking at the before and after photos, I think the controversy is completely ridiculous. It’s like [Jezebel] wanted to cause uproar, when there was no reason to. From what I remember, Lena did not have a problem with the retouching. If you look closely, the team that retouched the photos did what anyone would do. It made a more flattering image; it made the dress fit better, cleaned up portions of her face, and adjusted the images’ color and clarity. It did not twist and mold her body into something that it is not. It merely “cleaned” up the photos. What is most compelling about Garcia’s response is that he inadvertently blames the public. While consumers may want the “everyday, normal, regular, real” woman portrayed, the reality is that magazines would not sell if that were on editorial covers. Garcia makes a startlingly truthful point: “images like these don’t give the right image to young girls, but at the same time, that is not the editor of Vogue’s job.” While Photoshop definitely must be used within reason and within the boundaries of recognition, perhaps the first step in changing the portrayal of women in magazines is to ‘shop our expectations.
L
ast fall, I went to The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Interwoven Globe: The Worldwide Textile Trade, 1500–1800 exhibit. Stopping at a particularly elaborate swath of cloth, a guide and I paused to study the 20 feet of hand-sewn, minute stitches. We marveled at the vibrant patterns. I told her I had never seen anything like it. She informed me that while the piece was beautiful, it was not one of a kind; it had been reproduced many times. Stunned, I asked her about the creative process. Did the craftsmen draw the patterns before stitching them? How could something so involved, so detailed, be reproduced? The guide replied that a single person created the textile in question, formulating and memorizing the pattern’s “code,” and then reproducing that code many times. In the 21st century, we still use codes to create our clothing. Yet the details of the process are different. Codes are now stored in computers, not in the minds of designers. With the recent innovation of 3D printing technology, these codes can be realized and reproduced with the click of a button. Primarily using additive processes, in which a 3D garment is constructed through the accumulation of thin layers, designers are partnering with architects and 3D printing firms to create everything from haute couture to ready-to-wear fashion. A recent example is the 17-piece, Swarovski crystal-encrusted Michael Schmidt gown modeled by architect Francis Bitonti, 3D printed by the Dutch company Shapeways, and made to fit the body of burlesque royalty Dita Von Teese. Iris van Herpen, a Dutch designer and leading innovator in the fields of fashion and technology, also collaborates with architects and has a long-standing partnership with Leuven-based 3D printing service Materialise. In her Fall/ Winter 2014 collection, “Biopiracy,” van Herpen presented her 11th collaboration with Materialise and her third collaboration with Austrian architect Julia Koerner. Materialise
used a process called laser sintering to print the pliable and intricate dress on a flexible material called TPU 92A-1. A representative from Materialise described this method of 3D printing as a “laser hitting a tub of powder, melting and solidifying the powder.” One digs out the creations “like toys out of a sandbox.” Van Herpen’s design is an example of pushing technology’s limits. As the rep from Materialise explained, van Herpen is constantly looking to explore “new materials,” and the evolution of her 11 dresses with Materialise demonstrates increasingly “more complex, more refined and more wearable” fashion and a general trend from “sculptural” to “flexible.” I also spoke with Koerner, who described her partnership with van Herpen as a merging of van Herpen’s fashion perspective and her own computational one. Van Herpen sketches in 2D, and Koerner conceives of the 3D structure. Koerner foresees the emergence of 3D printed readyto-wear items, as scientists develop increasingly flexible material. Indeed, 3D printed design is expanding from the runway to the streets and is being used in other fields, such as prosthetics. Both Continuum, which designed the N12 bikini, and Nike, creator of the Vapor Carbon Elite Cleat and other partially 3D printed footwear, have led the push to make 3D printed clothing more accessible to the public. Other companies are exploring the intersection of fashion, medicine and 3D printing technology. One such company, Bespoke, produces Bespoke Fairings— customized covers for prosthetic legs. Bespoke’s website explains how they use 3D scanning technology to capture images of both a client’s “‘sound side’ leg and prosthetic leg,” ultimately generating covers that give customers “their body symmetry back.” Sleek and futuristic, their designs are Alexander McQueen meets the terminator. The technology is becoming increasingly available to the public. Materialise considers designs submitted by both professionals and consumers. The rep informed me that the only items they will not print are designs
that will not “contribute to a better and healthier world,” or things that are “illegal or immoral.” Closer to home and free is the 3D printing service offered by the Science and Engineering Library. Columbia’s Emerging Technologies Coordinator Jeffrey Lancaster, who believes strongly in the power of “making as a manifestation of learning,” encourages all students, not just engineers and architects, to take advantage of the opportunities the library offers. One such opportunity is located in Lancaster’s office on the fourth floor of the Northwest Corner Building: a MakerBot Replicator 2, which releases melted plastic in 2D patterns, layering these patterns to ultimately build a 3D object. While a student has yet to bring Lancaster a fashion design, he hopes that those interested in developing their 2D visions into 3D designs will visit the Digital Science Center’s website or come speak with him in person. The 3D printing service is especially useful for students interested in prototyping an object before looking to other services to mass produce it. 3D printed fashion is truly revolutionary. What would the textile craftsmen, whose patterns could only be realized with days of laborious stitching, have thought about humanity’s current ability to realize designs on computers, and reproduce them with the click of a button?
the future of fashion by KATY LASELL
7-minute workout: fact or fiction? by EMILY ELLIS
I
first heard of the “Scientific 7-Minute Workout” from a male friend this past summer. He was telling me how his internship schedule left little time for his usual gym routine. He saw an article in The New York Times about a highintensity, full-body workout that lasts a mere seven minutes, and requires nothing but a chair and a wall. As a lover of time management and a hater of exercise, I urged him to forward me the link. I read over it quickly. It is a series of 12 exercises. Each is continued for 30 seconds, with 10-second rest periods in between. Supposedly, this workout is equivalent to an hourlong run or bike ride. The concept seemed too good to be true, so I closed the tab and reached for another chocolate chip cookie. Fast-forward to February 1, a month and a half before spring break. I had spent senior year thus far eating egg and cheese bagels in the morning and Pad Thai at night. I wanted to get my act together for the inevitable bikiniwearing to come, so I decided to challenge myself. For the next six
“FOR THE NEXT SIX WEEKS, I WOULD DO THE 7-MINUTE WORKOUT FOUR TIMES A WEEK. THE RESULTS? WELL, LET’S JUST SAY I’M NOW A BELIEVER. “ E M I LY E L L I S , BEAUTY EDITOR
weeks, I would do the 7-minute Workout four times a week. The results? Well, let’s just say I’m now a believer. The first time I pulled out a chair and tried it out, I was shocked at how hard the exercises are. The wall sit made me feel like my thighs were on fire, push-ups made me shake, and I could not do a single crunch without using the bottom of the chair to hold down my feet. By the end of the seven minutes, I was lightheaded, totally out of breath and sweating from head to toe. Though each exercise only lasted half a minute, I could barely finish many of the exercises. The journey continued. I never exactly looked forward to it, but the workout became easier every time. Soon, I could not only do
a crunch, but a sit-up sans-chair. Planks transformed from my most dreaded exercise to the one where I could relax for the thirty-second interlude. My high kicks reached higher, my push-ups became swifter, and my post-workout nausea evolved into something, dare I say, energizing. Not only did I feel these differences and improvements during the workout itself, but I could also see physical changes in my body. My legs are more toned, and the muscle is defined when flexed. I have the beginnings of those parallel ab lines flaunted on all those female fitness Instagram accounts. My experiment proved to be a success, and I have recommended this workout to every stressed, time-crunched student I know. Incorporating both cardio and strength training, the 7-Minute Workout covers all your fitness needs in a quick and simple butt-busting routine. Make a goal, stick to it, and do the exercises as intensely as you can each time. By the end of the summer, you will look like a Victoria’s Secret model!
photo with permisson from ?????
9 STEPS TO:
sweat-proof summer makeup by LAYLA CARONI
1
WHEN IT’S HOT AND SWEATY NOTING IS WORSE THAN THE PUFFY HAIR AND STICKY NECK COMBO. TO START OFF, TIE YOUR HAIR IN A TIGHT FRENCH BRAID AS A FLIRTY AND ELEGANT WAY TO BEAT THE SUMMER HUMIDITY.
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4
5
FOR THOSE ANNOYING IMPERFECTIONS THAT WON’T BUDGE, ADD A LITTLE BIT OF CONCEALER ON YOUR FINGER AND PAT IT UNDER THE EYE AREA AND ON RED SPOTS.
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S
ummer makeup may sound like an oxymoron. We know how hard it is to look chic in the scorching heat and how easily the “dewy and fresh” look can give away to sweaty creases and runny mascara. Luckily we have found and put together a list of products that will not wilt, even in the concrete-melting New York heat. Whether you’re primping for the ultimate pool-party or getting ready for a romantic date with your summer sweetheart, follow these 9 simple steps for an easy and elegant humidity-proof makeup look. STEP 1 MOISTURIZER + SUNSCREEN Although you may think it best not to add oil to your skin in the hot months, it is all about keeping moisture in and staying hydrated while blocking those dangerous UV-rays. So choose a cream with SPF (at least 25) or pair a light oil-free moisturizer with a delicate face sunscreen. Since your décolleté is not only the area that first displays signs of aging, but also the most overlooked one in terms of sunscreen and hydration, make sure you pay your neck some special attention too. STEP 2 PRIMER Although not necessary every day, on occasions when you really want to make sure that your makeup stays impeccable trust a primer to fulfill your desires. With Smashbox Photo Finish, all you need is a pea-size amount to apply all over your skin. The lightweight oil-free formula is perfect for not making you feel heavy and it will show you miraculous results. STEP 3 BB CREAM Summer is the perfect time to lighten up on your foundation routine and go for a light BB or CC cream instead. Like tinted moisturizers but better, these oilfree formulas will leave your skin looking natural and flawless. Choose
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a color that will complement your tan without providing too much coverage (the white face/tan body look is not attractive). Apply it using a foundation brush or your fingertips for a more natural finish. Again, make sure not to forget the neck! STEP 4 BLUSH Since powder and sweat are never a good pairing, put it aside for the summer months and go for cream formulas. To get that gorgeous sun-kissed flush, opt for a sheer pink or coral-y cream blush. Its versatility and easy-to-blend consistency will look a lot more natural and less cakey. We like the Nars multiple in Orgasm. Just dab it on the apples of your cheeks and blend with your fingertips. STEP 5 POWDER We know we just told you to stay away from powder. However this Make Up Forever HD Powder is a staple in our makeup bags all year round. It’s light colorless character will be less likely to clog your pores and look sticky in the heat, and the talk-free translucent composition will mattify your skin without feeling like a mask. Just make sure you use a light hand and pat some on your T-zone and you’re good to go! STEP 6 SHADOW Thanks to the plethora of cream shadows, waterproof liners and shadow sticks out there you have a wide variety to choose from. Our favorite basic is Urban Decay Sin. It will attenuate those sweat-related problems such as creasing or smudging and it is creamy enough that you can blend or layer it. We love this color because it’s a perfect staple for a natural look but is also amazing as a base for a sultry smoky eye. Plus the creamy texture will make you shine under the August rays.
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STEP 7 MASCARA Waterproof mascara is unquestionable in the summer, but some can fade or get clumpy after a few hours and it can be hard to find a satisfactory one. Lucky for you, we did and we are ready to share! Our favorite is Maybelline The Falsies Flared. The lightweight formula is perfect for layering but it will leave your lashes curled all day without weighing them down. For the best fresh look apply to both your upper and lower lashes wiggling the wand as you approach the lashline. This way you can skip black eyeliner and your lashes will look thick and luscious all day (or night!). STEP 8 LIP TINT Another product to avoid when it’s hot and humid is a thick creamy lipstick. It will leave you feeling sticky and, if you’re drinking water like you should, you’ll have to keep reapplying it all day long. So to avoid eating off your makeup while enjoying some refreshing gelato, stain your lips with Revlon’s Just Bitten Lip Stain, and achieve the perfect “I just had a popsicle” effect. It is so versatile that you can lightly give your pout some color or layer it for a more dramatic look. STEP 9 BLOTTING PAPER Finally, since powder and perspiration do not unite appropriately, refrain from applying more throughout the day for it will cause an undesirable cakey build up and clog your pores. However, since you will need to re-mattify your complexion, summer (any time really) is the perfect season to revert to blotting papers. Just keep a couple packs in your purse and at your desk in order to be ready for emergencies at all times. All you need to do is rip out one sheet and dab it over your skin, it will soak up excess oil and leave your makeup flawless.
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summer festivals modeled by REBECCA MCCARTHY photos by ESTHER JUNG styled by EMILY ELLIS
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