I Am Not Wearing Your Letterman Jacket
In these months of solitude, the bored masses have switched on to Netflix to help them escape the mundane feeling of the lockdown. This constant tuning in is no new feeling to teenagers, whose viewership has created an entirely new genre of melodramatic “teen” shows and movies. While I binged (and rebinged) these shows, I became increasingly interested in the patterns of dress. As a fashion zealot, I tend to fixate on styling within any form of media - I get excited by fresh perspectives in fashion. Especially when it is portrayed through a young character’s style. Sadly,
In these months of solitude, the bored masses have switched on to Netflix to help them escape the mundane feeling of the lockdown. This constant tuning in is no new feeling to teenagers, whose viewership has created an entirely new genre of melodramatic “teen” shows and movies. While I binged (and rebinged) these shows, I became increasingly interested in the patterns of dress. As a fashion zealot, I tend to fixate on styling within any form of media - I get excited by fresh perspectives in fashion. Especially when it is portrayed through a young character’s style. Sadly, as I binge hop from Riverdale to Love Victor, I am underwhelmed by the lack of originality in the costume designer’s styling choices. It leaves me to question if there is a dress code for every mainstream teen-oriented TV show and if this rulebook accurately depicts the taste of the current generation.
Throughout these teen melodramas, one-dimensional characters are condemned to insipid styling. Costume designers should use their fashion expertise to amplify the characters’ voices, creating dimension to these teens through clothing but many designers fall flat. However, the issues with costumes is not entirely the costume department’s fault. Hollywood costume designers have to answer to showrunners and the network to ensure that each garment they choose is on brand for the series and the channel.
The aesthetic issues of a show fall on the shoulder of its creator and writing team; the vigor in which they describe each character paints the picture of who the character is, therefore hinting at these character’s style. This causes a hindrance in the creativity for a designer making it hard for them to push boundaries, delivering stimulating costume concepts that their bosses can approve. Here lies the real root of the problem, aside from the basic network TV character breakdowns, a designer’s creativity is dwindled based on what network heads think their audience wants to see. Yet heads of networks (like seventy year old Mark Pedowitz from The CW) are typically the jobs of older white males who have not been in high school since the sixties. So, what do they really know about what our generation likes to wear?
Consider their most popular show, Riverdale. This hit teen drama centers around five main characters that exemplify every single high school movie character trope ever. The All-American jock (who is ironically played by the New Zealand actor KJ Apa), the girl-next-door (Lili Reinhart), the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks (Cole Sprouse), the rich daddy's girl (Camilla Mendes) and the mean popular head cheerleader (Madelaine Petsch). The Riverdale cast is dressed in tropes: the staple “bad boy” leather jacket is paired with all of Sprouse’s outfits, while rich girl Mendes always adorns her fit with a pearl necklace and Apa constantly sports his football letterman jacket.
Although some of these costume pieces do hold weight for some characters (like Mendes’ pearl necklace was a gift from her father before he went to prison), numerous costume choices simply promote these outdated tropes. Every week we tune in to watch Petsch, the prettiest popular (twenty-six year old) high-school girl, do a slow-motion strut down the halls in her mini-skirt, crop top and heels. She evokes the sense that, “Every girl wants to be her and every guy wants to do her” (F*&% the Prom- another teen flick starring Madelaine Petsch as the mean popular head cheerleader). It is baffling to watch the different shows replicate these tropes (sometimes with the same actor) with the costume design only emphasizing these stereotypes, confirming how superficial screenwriters think teenagers are.
Generation Z is a lot more than the silly high school tropes that are portrayed on TV and we show it by how we dress. We play and experiment with gender norms, always pushing the boundaries of fashion, asking the fashion industry to give us more: more inclusive sizes, more dynamic silhouettes, more comfortable clothing. Most shows don’t represent the dynamic tastes for this generation but, recently one show redefined the style of teen melodramas. HBO’s Euphoria pushes the boundaries of young adult fashion. The show’s characters and costumes embody everything Gen Z is: fun, bold, unique and unapologetic. Euphoria’s make-up artist Doniella Davy was informed and inspired by teen influencers who she researched for the show. Davy wanted to immerse herself in a younger generation’s fashion choices so that she can authentically create looks for young characters, paying off in her first Emmy for Outstanding Contemporary Make-up. This show loves to rebel against the norms of teen show costume design - throughout the series, a transgender character wears non-gender conforming undergarments. “There is a lot of power seeing a young trans girl not really trying to conform to a cis-gender standard” Hunter Schafer (Euphoria actress) stated regarding her character’s costumes. This series recognizes young adults and how we use clothing to express all aspects of ourself.
As Shakespeare’s once said, “Theatre holds a mirror up to society” (Hamlet); although, film is not exactly the same as theatre, it is a mass form of storytelling. People stare at these screens hoping to escape while wanting to find themselves. From the character development to the fashion styling, the lack of genuine adolescent depictions can be disheartening causing one to believe that their story doesn’t matter. As an impressionable teenager, when you watch a show that is supposedly made for you, you should be able to connect to real characters rather than clichés. Hopefully, with Euphoria unveiling what it looks like to be a teenager in today’s society (and receiving accolades for their honest work) there will be a paradigm shift in major studios; causing them to create characters that resemble this generation versus propelling old-fashioned Hollywood ideals.
Photo Credits: Pinterest
Report: Taylor McKenzie
Betty's Skater-Inspired Costume Design
HBO’s newest eight-episode miniseries Betty is an exemplar of immersive storytelling through costume design.
HBO’s newest eight-episode miniseries Betty is an exemplar of immersive storytelling through costume design. The show’s wardrobe has indeed resonated with its audience, its chic casualness creating an authentic modern setting while enticing viewers to emulate the obtainably stylish fashions. Costume designer Camille Garmendia’s familiarity with urban skateboarding culture inspired these coveted looks, and her deep analysis of Betty’s characters helped to further bring them to life.
Betty tells the story of a group of women skateboarders living in New York City, the personalities of whom served as the basis for Garmendia’s costume designs. Adding to the genuineness of the clothing was the characters’ actresses incorporating their own style into the outfits. Nina Moran relates to her character Kirt’s eccentricities, and as such she selected bright, colorful clothing that reflects her happy-go-lucky attitude. Ardelia Lovelace’s true admiration for former president Barack Obama led to her character Janay wearing an Obama Supreme shirt, claiming that it represented personal growth. The boldest example of this blend between characterization and real-life personality is the character Honeybear, a visual artist who wears such outlandish adornments as a necklace made of bike chains and pasties instead of a shirt. Most interestingly, her actress Kabrina Adams confirmed that there was very little difference between her own wardrobe and that of Honeybear.
Betty has most accurately brought New York’s indie fashion to television screens, enthralling viewers regardless of their proximity to skater culture.
Photo credits: https://www.nylon.com/fashion/hbo-betty-costumes-spotlight-new-york-city-skater-style
https://www.popsugar.com/fashion/photo-gallery/47505305/image/47505405/Tank-Tops-Shorts
Report: Nia Hunt
Get An Inside Look At the "Insecure" Season 4 Soundtrack
Season four of the HBO comedy series, Insecure premiered on April 12, and they’re back with a new soundtrack of bangers and slow jams
Season four of the HBO comedy series, Insecure premiered on April 12, and they’re back with a new soundtrack of bangers and slow jams. Issa Rae and Insecure's music supervisor, Kier Lehman have created the perfect blend of well-known hits and undiscovered tracks for a flawless soundtrack. Here are a list of songs featured in the series:
1. “A Boy Is A Gun” by Tyler the Creator
2. "Sandstorm" by Mereba Feat. JID
3. “Cool Enough” by TeaMarr
4. “Self Motivated” by Tamar Bubble
5. “Numb Numb Juice” by ScHoolboy Q
6. “Feelin It” by Blimes and Gab
7. “Wiggle” by Binki
8. “Big Boss” by Tamara Bubble
9. “Waste My Time” by Zaia
10. “Sky Mind” by Radient Children
11. “Lil Mama” by Lo Village
12. “HopScotch” by Michael Sneed
13. “Feng Shui” by Jidenna
14. “Boy Bye” by Brockhampton
15. “Uno” by Ambjaay
16. “Look At Me” by Poe Leos feat. Kay Dinero
17. “Temperature” by TeaMarrr
18. "Petrol Bliss" by Choker
19. "Ready Set" by Kash Doll feat. Big Sean
20. "Hottest In The City" by Ty Dolla $ign
21. "Attention" by Bosco
22. "Shade" by Sonyaé
23. "You Can't Save Me" by SiR
24. "FUN!" by Vince Staples
25. "Apache" by Incredible Bongo Band
26. "Road to You" by Alex Isley
27. "Mood" by SiR feat. Zacari
28. "Whatever Whenever" by Kamaiyah
29. "Technicolor" by Sunni Colon
30. "Only If" by Steve Lacy
Report: Amanda T Lou
Can You Be Friend's with Your Ex's Significant Other
HBO’s series Insecure really shows how secure you have to be in not only yourself but your relationship.
HBO’s series Insecure really shows how secure you have to be in not only yourself but your relationship. When Issa (played by Issa Rae) discovers that her new bff Condola (played by Christina Elmore) is currently dating her ex Lawrence (played by Jay Ellis), things get interesting. While many like Issa can be secure enough in themselves to not be bothered, many become very insecure.
This dynamic took a deep dive into the process of a person going through seeing their ex with a new partner,specifically one close to them. You go through the crazy thoughts and the awkwardness especially when the new partner is your friend. I believe that as long as you're secure in yourself then you can definitely be friends with your ex’s significant other. Building relationships comes with obstacles and challenges. When it comes to dealing with an ex that you were once in a long time relationship with, you have to make sure you are secure in yourself. Knowing that you are one hundred percent over your ex and that you can move forward with a healthy relationship is the most important. So is a friendship with your ex’s partner possible then yes but as long as you are secure in who you are.
Photo Credit: Merie W. Wallace/HBO
Report: Maya Howard
At the rise of Covid-19 many of us first questioned the timeline of fashion week and would we see the regular calendar continue - the question weighed over many of us for months! It was refreshing to see design houses and designers across the globe take advantage of the uncertainty and plow into production mode - thus my interest in Jerri Reid New York - The Black Designer based in Brooklyn New York wow’d instagram with his latest collection paying homage to the Black Is King film which debuted earlier this year in July. I was taken aback at quick of a turn round the young designer produced and released his well crafted designs reflecting some of the films most memorable moments.