Piece Out is a new Beauty and Style series where students discuss their favorite wardrobe pieces and the stories behind them. 

Fashion is one of the most versatile and dynamic means of human expression we have; what we choose to put on our body tells the world who we are, and the garments we wear are representative of the qualities we want to reflect to others.

Clothes not only have practical and creative functions but a sentimental one, too. We all have items in our closet that have backstories and that mean something special — perhaps they remind us of a place, a moment or even a person.

First-year Tisch student Joshua Lelonek is well-versed in clothes with backstories. 

For his high school senior prom, he created a striking all-black cape — a piece that not only served looks but extreme sentimental value as well. It remains his favorite garment in his wardrobe.

“I made the piece myself,” Lelonek said,  cape on his shoulders while the neatly trimmed train cascaded to the floor; it has black brocade details and fur lining. Fixed to the luscious cape is a fur-lined, jet-black shawl tied together by satin ribbon. The textures of Lelonek’s piece come together and form a perfectly tailored silhouette. 

“I made it based off a painting I did about a year and a half before my senior prom because I really wanted something unique to wear,” Lelonek explained. “It took a lot of hard work and a lot of late nights of sewing when I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, but it came together.” 

The painting, which would later spark the inspiration for the black cape, was influenced by a 1920s Erté print called “Symphony in Black.”

“I looked at [the Erté] and put myself in it and designed a gown based off Rihanna’s 2015 Met Gala look,” Leloneck says. “I turned mine black and interpreted it a bit differently based off of Erté’s style, and it just came into this.”

Parts of his cape are hand-sewn, like the details of the bows on the sleeves and the satin tying on the separate shoulder piece. Although for the most part, Lelonek used a basic sewing machine. With the help of his grandmother’s friend and YouTube tutorials, Lelonek turned various fabrics and textures into a visually stunning avant-garde look tailored just for him.

 “It holds a lot of personal symbolism to me,” Lelonek admits. “This is something that I hadn’t really done in any in-depth studying before, and I just set my mind to wanting to do it. I think there’s something to be said for having a vision in your mind and taking steps to make it a reality.”

Despite his clear talent at designing clothes, Lelonek wants to keep fashion design as a hobby for now. He says he wouldn’t be mad if it turned into a career, he’d just need a few interns.

Lelonek’s closet is filled with eclectic pieces. He describes his style as androgynous and experimental.

“I would say that this is a little bit more challenging of gender binary than my other wardrobe,” Lelonek said. “Even given the fact that I wear heels and stuff.”

According to Lelonek, this look screams Prince with the essence of old-world glamour. 

Lelonek doesn’t plan on letting his look rest in the closet. He may take it for a spin on Halloween when he plans to do drag; maybe it’ll show itself again if Lelonek attends an event where it would be appropriate to wear something like this.

Whatever the case may be, the truth remains that there lies an indescribable yet important sense of sentiment within our closets. What we wear speaks to who we are, and what we choose to keep on hangers, in drawers, in garment bags speaks to what we hold dear.

“If there is anything representative of me, this is it.” says Lelonek.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Oct. 15 print edition. Email Trishna Rikhy at [email protected].