I have been attracted to color. My favorites have been pink, yellow, green, blue, purple … the hues of the rainbow.
I remember I used to color-block my outfits, pairing salmon pink with cobalt blue. Sometimes it would be blood-orange pants. I wore the loudest combinations of my wardrobe just for the sake of being loud.
Once I moved to New York City, it was strange to stop the pop. Even in the sea of blacks and grays, I didn’t feel different. At the same time, my mind has never been so stimulated just observing the refreshing creativity on the streets. I am inspired every day.
This FRINGE issue is unlike any other, because it’s not what the industry is telling you to wear or what I’m telling you to wear this spring. It’s what people are already wearing. The inspiration is you.
Initially my goal was to find the most unique, stylish and fashionable people on campus. But what does that even mean anyway? As the hunt continued, I began to realize that I needed to find people who reveal themselves in the way they dress. People who are what they wear.
In all honesty, the models featured in this issue aren’t the craziest human beings you have seen. You’ve seen a rendition of these guys on West Fourth Street. You’ve seen the neat and introspective Katharine, the clean and preppy Wes, the wild and warm Brea, the dynamic duo of Sea and Zoe, the confident heartthrob Danny, and a Jeff who could care less about what everyone says.
But they were chosen because they wear what they wear, not because they’re trending or because they’re desperate to be different. They were chosen because they just wear something when they wake up in the morning, and somehow, they channel their natural being.
They highlight the inventiveness of our student body and serve as a muse to people beyond our campus. They’ve changed my outlook — they’ve shown me how something as simple as tucking in my shirt can speak, how a neon-pink lip shade can brighten someone’s day. They inspire me to dress for my own reasons.
– Michelle Lim
Beauty & Style Editor