New Jeans

Photo by Natalie Nguyenduc

Its creativity splashed across the pages of Vogue, showcased in exquisite gowns at the Met Gala and displayed on runways for shows in Milan, Paris and New York — this is fashion at its peak, known for exclusivity and opulence, available on loan to celebrities and for sale to private collectors.

Until now.

Fashion and unique clothing can be found anywhere, even on college students, notorious for their cheap ramen meals and accrued debt from tuition and textbook purchases. The popularity of fashion pages and influencers on TikTok push consumerism to new heights, thanks to greater reach of advertisements and easier access to product reviews, according to communications professor Metta Darmatama Rezi Erdiansyah at Tarumanagara University in Jakarta, in 2021. Brands like Chanel, Dior and Yves St. Laurent have products that run for hundreds of dollars, but can be seen on teenagers all over social media. Impromptu street interviews ask city goers what they are wearing today and how much the whole ‘fit’ costs, some coming out to be more than $1,000.

For many students, big spending (both time and money) on clothing is more than just buying visually pleasing outfits.

Filipino American junior and digital media major Mark Pido still considers high fashion clothing purchases a “splurge” but finds the experience meaningful.

“I think wearing high fashion to me is a way to show appreciation of the craftsmanship of the designer,” Pido said. “I think it’s interesting to see unique pieces that stand out from the rest and it’s something I consider when I think of high fashion.” Pido’s appreciation for the skill and attention to detail of designers like Peter Do speaks to a greater meaning of fashion. Do, one of his favorite designers, is a Vietnamese immigrant that mainly designs clothing meant to “adapt to the complexities of women’s lives,” according to his brand’s site, though his current collection features unisex basics.

High fashion itself is also complex. Some students consider high fashion to be large luxury houses like Chanel. Others deem it as just expensive clothing or limited clothing apparel.

Taiwanese American sophomore and information technology major Elizabeth Ho said that these definitions of high fashion can change, along with their reputation.

“High fashion is ever changing. One moment, a brand could be high fashion, such as Gucci, and the next, it may be named as “cheap designer,”’ Ho said. “ There is nothing wrong with fluctuation in titles, as nothing stays the same forever. But, it is important to keep in mind that high fashion will always subconsciously cater to the public.”

This is a common theme of luxury fashion houses, whether they are large or small. Commercials on primetime television and free streaming of fashion week shows on YouTube are two examples of fashion being marketed as an exclusive hobby, but technically available to the average consumer.

Photo by Natalie Nguyenduc

Coming under fire for this “catering” is designer Marc Jacobs, who is being accused of culturally appropriating Japanese harajuku fashion culture, but also of fetishizing the “kawaii” aesthetic; on TikTok, videos concerning “heaven Marc Jacobs cultural appropriation” have a combined total of more than one million views.

As stand-alone designers, Asian Americans have become big brand names in the world of fashion, like Chinese American wedding dress designer Vera Wang and Nepalese American women’s designer Prabal Gurung.

Still, Pido feels like Asian Americans are still not adequately represented in the fashion space.

“I think the new and different perspectives these designers have is something they would like to cater to the American market, but it has been heavily underrepresented or at least has not gained momentum,” Pido said.

Ho acknowledges that her perspective on fashion is not the same as someone born in Taiwan, though she still has strong feelings on Asian fashion in the West. She disapproves of the “sexualization” of traditional qipaos, saris and other styles of cultural Asian clothing found on sites like British clothing retailer Asos, though is used to this treatment.

“Cultural dress such as qipaos were not meant to be sexualized, which makes it worse to me that Asian women have been demeaned and sexualized our entire lives,” Ho said. “It is a statement to wear a sexualized cultural dress, as it shows disrespect to all those who grew up wearing it.”

Fashion can be utilized in a cultural setting to express tradition and values, but it can also be a lifestyle for students like freshman graphic design major Elizabeth Fernandez, a fashion and editorial photographer. “I feel that people don’t recognize that clothing has the ability to tell a story,” Fernandez said.

She is hoping for her work to eventually be in Vogue, getting her start from watching Arab American fashion photographer Jessica Kobeissi on YouTube, who has more than 1 million subscribers.

For now, Fernandez has spent her time shooting at concerts and events around Central Florida, as well as working with local models and fashion organizations, such as the Fashion Society at UCF.

“Just having that space to meet like-minded fashion forward individuals is awesome,” Fernandez said. “Everyone always brings their own unique style and it’s a great way to learn and work off of each other.”

The club’s Instagram describes itself as “UCF’s leading fashion organization focused on making a difference in the industry,” has 2,000 followers, and features photoshoots centered around concepts like “camp,” which is described as glitzy, theatrical, and over-the-top styling according to Vogue in 2019. Specific clothing aesthetics have gotten a boost on social media, with for-you pages and explore pages dedicated to various “cores” or dedicated styling choices. "Camp" is one kind of aesthetic, but there are others, such as “cottagecore” or “balletcore.”

Ho names her current style “elizacore.” She said she goes for a lot of black garments and dress pants, but does not confine herself to a specific genre of dress.

“It may seem like a cop out answer, but I really do just dress to impress myself,” Ho said.

Despite videos that recommend entire accessorized outfits for everyday of the week and for every occasion, individuality is a quality in fashion that many value. However, love for originality can only go so far without causing conflict in the professional fashion world. Psychology senior Niah Aleger is the styling director for both Strike Magazine and Eclecta Magazine, two Central Florida student-run fashion, art and lifestyle magazines. She started styling after she got her own sewing machine and started altering and making her own clothing. Years of school uniforms had made it difficult for her to find her own style, she said, but after finding that she enjoyed “upcycling” clothes, she wanted to find others who enjoyed the same.

While working for the magazines, issues do arise when multiple staff members have different visions, forcing a compromise of individual opinion and expression. “It can kind of be difficult sometimes. Just like having everyone's voices heard. Right, especially because I have my own team too,” Aleger said. “It's not just me styling, I have people on the team and I need their opinion.”

Along with opposing views, Alegar said she tends to be a people-pleaser, making her job much more difficult when she wants the approval of not only her team, but models, directors and her editors-in-chief. When these problems come up, she reminds herself to “put [her] ego aside,” and remember that she can style other pieces outside of these work spaces. In recent years, she has mainly looked for fabric and clothing in thrift shops, estate sales and antique stores. She enjoys thrifting because she takes pride and thrill in the challenge of making “ugly” clothes into something wearable, but also getting to own and wear a garment that has a history.

“It's had a whole lifetime before me and now it's mine. And now I can give it another story,” Aleger said.