fit magazine spring 2025
executive board
madeleine oehlers, co-president
caton lee, co-president
ireland bone, lead designer
celia torino, lead editor
delfina buonocore, lead photographer
kaitlyn ingersoll, social media
table of contents
# an interview with gael chirinos guardado
# eclectic fashion: accessories
# horn fashion show: a review
# is it the song they are playing or the top she is wearing?
# you have a flight jacket, and just don’t know it!
# orchid tierney’s wardrobe: an interview
# how much is too much?
# billionhappy: thinking globally and acting locally
an interview with by isabella kreidler
Gael Chirinos Guardado
Isabella Kreidler: Who’s your style inspiration?
Gael Chirinos Guardado: What I wear just comes to me the day of. Have you seen American Horror Story?
Isabella: I haven’t but I’ve heard about it.
Gael: There was this character in season 3, which is called Coven. Her style, I wouldn’t say it’s similar to mine, but I take certain parts of… what she wears and how she wears it, how she acts.
I feel like my style is not just what I wear but also how I display myself, portray myself to society. Which is different from how I actually am, in like, the privacy of my home.
People think I’m very confident when I’m walking around, cause I make myself look confident, cause of what I’m wearing.
But I wouldn’t say I have a specific person who I look up to in a style way, I’ve heard people say that my style is very similar to that of, like dress to impress, from roblox, a game which I don’t understand… I see it, but my style is mainly
because I was not able to wear miniskirts around my house all the time, I had very strict parents. So once I came to Kenyon I really just wanted to wear mini skirts. And I really thought I looked good with them, and I do and I just like them for my own reasons.
And I just feel like god gave me these legs, and I’m here to show them.
But like I said I don’t have a specific person who inspired me, or like a film, nothing like that. It just comes from things that I’ve never worn before, and I want to try and experiment with. Cause for me clothing is like experimenting with who I really am, and who I want to be.
But right now, this cold weather is not stopping me from wearing something like this. But I don’t think I’m inspired by anything in particular, I just took random clothes and put it together and thought “Ok, this looks good enough.”
Isabella: How would you describe your style?
Gael: Ok, I don’t know if I can curse…
Isabella: You can curse, you can say whatever.
Gael: Slutty. But also I don’t think the word slut… that people would describe me like that, cause they think it’s negative, it has a negative connotation. But for me, I don’t know, I think my style is very slutty, sexualizing myself, but I don’t see it as a bad thing. If somebody would describe my style as slutty, I would be like, thank you. Cause I feel like my style is very much breaking that barrier of what is considered appropriate and what is considered like, what is a good word…
Isabella: Yeah, kind of looking past social conventions or social norms maybe, kind of reclaiming…
Gael: Yeah, I think it’s like reclaiming. But I would describe my style as slutty. It’s just me, it’s different everyday.
This specific style of fur boots, I feel like people really associate with me. I got these fur boots over the summer, and I just really like them. I was looking over in the section of the app of this clothing brand, it’s called Dolls Kill.
Isabella: Where do you get most of your clothes from?
Gael: Doll Kill. I get a lot of my boots from there because they really have beautiful shoes. I like to make the boots the centerpiece of my outfit, and if I can’t do that then I’ll make something else the centerpiece, but I love my boots. I do a lot of thrifting as well. I also steal clothes from my family members without them knowing.
Isabella: Ok, love.
Gael: Cause I just see stuff that they have and I’m like “Oh wow, that looks so cute.” But it’s like, my mom. I’ve been stealing some of her clothes. I have this shirt from her that I stole, I took, and I really do like it. She knows that I stole it because she saw me with it, but I get a lot of my clothes from family members. I get a lot of my clothes from my family members but I also fix them, and change them, I cut them up…
Isabella: You make them your own.
Gael: I make them my own.
Isabella: Do you think your mom
has had an influence on your style, the way you look at clothing?
Gael: No. No, I am very much opposing her wishes in my style. She thinks my style is very revealing, and hers is more modest, so we clash in style mentality... but I do take some inspiration from how she used to dress back in the day.
So sometimes I tell her “you were wearing something like this so you can’t even be saying anything to me!” But, yeah, I wouldn’t say she shapes it. I wouldn’t say I’m rebellious against her either. I think she thinks that I’m rebelling against her with my style, but no, it’s literally how I feel. That’s how I can describe it. How I feel that day is how I will dress.
Isabella: Do you feel like your style has evolved since coming to Kenyon?
Gael: Yes, it has a lot. Well, I think it evolved as I started to become more independent. Since I got out of my house, my style has changed, like a drastic 180. The first year I was here, I didn’t do that much experimenting, there were certain clothes I liked, but I tried to keep it not too… I don’t want to say crazy but like not too, I wouldn’t say extravagant either, but not too different. What more people would think Kenyon students would wear.
Which, it’s kind of crazy be-
cause Kenyon students wear different clothes, and I think everyone has a different style here which is so crazy.
I think it is me just becoming more independent that changed. I think maybe Kenyon gave me more liberty to be more independent, with being secluded, and you’re not really out in the real world. I do get a lot of hate sometimes, when I’m back home.
Kenyon gave me a good place to experiment with clothes where I wouldn’t feel bad about it, and I would find myself. I feel like that’s what it gave me. It me a place to actually experiment, but the experimentation itself came from independence.
Isabellar: Wow. Yeah, so it’s almost like Kenyon has been a really positive thing…
Gael: Yeah it has. Even though I did try to leave one time. But I do love it now, more. Yeah, Kenyon has been, I don’t know how to describe it. It has been so amazing to me.
[talking about Honduras, how style changes around family]
In my mind I have three differ-
Gael’s Runway Playlist
fashion.................
britney manson
love potions........
bj lips, princess paparazzi
one of the girls x good for you....... dreamsoda
ent personalities and styles. I have my country’s style, and then I have my family style, and then I have my independent style.
Isabella: Kenyon style.
Gael: Laughs, my Kenyon style. But back in my country [Honduras] I would not be able to wear something like this.
[Talking about climate, how style changes with climate]
Isabella: We all experience the Ohio winter here… how do you navigate different climates and the change in seasons with your style?
Gael: I think people will say to you that the weather doesn’t bother me that much, but I would say otherwise. I think winters in Ohio are pretty hard to deal with, and my style is pretty much the same, but I do wear a big coat on top of it, just to keep warm. My style kind of stays the same, it doesn’t change through the weather. I try to keep it more covered up, just because of the fact that I don’t want to get sick.
Back home, during the summer,
people thought I was crazy because I was wearing boots, like winter boots, and I was like, “It’s just my style!”
Isabella: Right!
Gael: I was like, the hot weather is not going to stop me from wearing my boots.
Isabella: You gotta commit.
Gael: It’s commitment, for me it’s just commitment. If I find a good outfit, no matter what the weather, it’s gonna make my day. But if I don’t find a good outfit…
Isabella: Is there anything else you want to add about your process of getting ready? You said it was kind of spontaneous?
Gael: It is very spontaneous. Sometimes I do think about the outfits beforehand, but I change certain stuff during the process of getting dressed. If I had a walk-in closet here it would just be a hot mess, cause all my clothes are just like almost everywhere, just everyday I just don’t know what to wear. In the sense of like, I really don’t know what to put on but I do want to look good. So if I find a skirt I really like I will try to work with that skirt, around it.
So for me it always starts with “Do I want to wear a skirt, or do I want to wear pants?” That’s how the process starts. Mostly it’s just skirts. And then, when I find a skirt I dress around that. But sometimes I do change the skirt midway cause I don’t like it, and I like something else. Like I have to find one item that I really want to wear and wear it a ton. But sometimes I do love creating outfits differently. Isabella: How do you think about
your accessories and your makeup in relation to your style? How does that factor in?
Gael: I don’t have a lot of accessories. It’s rare to see me with a necklace. I don’t like things around my neck, I don’t like things around my wrist, I think they’re uncomfortable. I don’t have my ears pierced, so I don’t have earrings.
I feel like my makeup style, it’s trying to give this “runway” face. Sometimes it will not make sense, but other times it will make sense. I always like to put on eyeliner, I feel like it makes my eyes look more… seductive, you could say. I really try to go for a seductive face. But sometimes, it’s like “Do I want to be more on the softer side with the colors, and use pastels? Or do I want to use a bright red and just go with looking fierce that day?” It also just comes to how I’m feeling that day. If I feel, let’s say, a little bit gloomy I would use blue. So it factors in with my emotions.
What I’m wearing right now… 20 minutes before class started I was like “Ok I have to put on makeup, I have to do something,” so then I just did it. I did the stars and I was like “Ok, this looks ok!” Whatever feels right at that moment, I would do it. Sometimes I don’t like wearing makeup, and I think a face without makeup or any accessories is just so much simpler and better at the same time. But accessories, for me not too
many. I do like wearing belts.
Isabella: Yeah, especially if the skirt is your statement piece, then the belt…
Gael: Yeah. I feel like the shoes sometimes are my accessories, cause they’re the first thing people notice. I try to accessorize my shoes sometimes and put like pendants and stuff one them to make them look better… but I haven’t been focusing on my shoes lately, cause platforms really hurt, and walking around here is just so hard.
Isabella: On middle path, unfazed…
Gael: It’s just, it’s crazy. I’m trying to get back into them, but I don’t know. My feet just hurt from last semester, I was wearing them like every day. My feet just hurt.
I wish they were more comfortable. I don’t actually find them that uncomfortable, if I wear them for an ok amount of time, but since I walk around here everywhere, it just hurts my feet.
Isabella: Is beauty pain?
Gael: [Laughs] For me, yes. But for me I’m just moving away from that right now, I don’t want to be in pain to have a good style.
But I don’t know. Even though
I’m not hurting my feet, I’m hurting– it’s cold outside, I’m a little frisky, but I’m doing it because I really like the outfit. So I think yeah, it is.
Isabella: You have to sacrifice a little bit.
Gael: You have to sacrifice a little but sometimes. Especially if you’re really gonna wear something, you have to sacrifice something else for it. I feel like you sacrifice in style all the time. You chose to wear one thing instead of the other. It might not be painful, but…I don’t know, I think there is an element of sacrifice to being fashionable.
But I think everybody is fashionable. Everybody has a sense of style.
I think confidence is key as well. That’s why I always like walking everywhere with my music on, cause I feel like if I’m listening to music, I’m feeling confident and the outfit is actually giving what it’s supposed to give.
Isabella: Right, cause you’re wearing it, it’s not wearing you.
Gael: It’s part of me.
Isabella: What’s the best outfit to walk to a good song to?
Gael: Ok, I have a couple. I like listening to music that
will be good for walking, music that has a certain beat, so when I walk I follow it, and I look good with it.
Gael’s Runway Playlist: - “Fashion” - Love potion - Remix of good for you and one of the girls Walking with the Weeknd is so good, that’s when I feel seductive. Remixes are good too.
Isabella: Is there anything else you want to add?
Gael: People shouldn’t worry what others think about their style. Cause, I certainly don’t! Don’t let the weather, don’t let people, society, don’t let nobody tell you what to wear. Wear what you want to wear. If it’s cold outside and you want to wear a miniskirt? Wear it! Just wear it!
eclectic fashion: accessories
“I absolutely love wearing trash,” says Robin Pratt (‘26), “Why the hell not?”
Pratt champions eclectic dress, a fashion scene gaining traction on Kenyon’s campus and beyond. Their wardrobe is a ragbag collection of gifted, found, and altered items; though their outfits might lack objective cohesion, the throughline is clear— character.
Perhaps the most crucial component of eclectic fashion is accessories. Accessories are to fashion as seasoning is to food; both can either elevate or confuse a finished product. In the case of eclectic fashion, accessories squarely accomplish the former. Pratt is partial to leveling up an outfit with DIY can tab buttons and bottle cap pins, whereas others might prefer more conventional accessories like scarves, brooches, and belts.
It should be noted that eclectic fashion and accessories exist on a spectrum. For the purposes of this feature, eclectic fashion blends multiple and varied style influences, and accessories are loosely defined as auxiliary fashion pieces that can be easily removed or changed. For example, wearing plaid and polka dots is eclectic, whereas a LuLu Lemon set is not; piercings are accessories, whereas tattoos are not. However, our modern definition tends to be more expansive. It can encapsulate more permanent fixtures like hair (is it styled? dyed? a wig?) and body modifications. According to Oxford, accessories are “a thing which can be added to something else in order to make it more useful, versatile, or attractive.” Eclectic fashion knows no bounds under these laissez-faire restrictions!
In any case, this style tends to hinge on creative styling of accessories. Every article seems to have a history. Take Pratt’s battle vest; they’ve embroidered and worked it into an extension of themselves. Others clink with bangles acquired from vintage boutiques, parents, and kitschy online shops. Still more sport mis-matched socks, layer necklaces like golden tangled webs, have rings made of spoons, watches that double as calculators, homemade acorn caps, glasses with dragonfly frames, absurdly small bags, absurdly long gloves; the list goes on. But the accessories aren’t what sets eclectic fashion apart. It’s their meaning and what they reveal about the wearer.
“I lowkey can’t live without [it],” Pratt says about their vest, a sentiment shared by many adherents of eclectic, loud, maximalist style. Like a steady pulse, the community beats with what it holds precious, and the appreciation people have for their clothing shines through their outfits. Eclectic fashion is a style that demands attention because it is loved, inherited, traceable— and there is something beautiful in that.
horn fashion show: a review
christa cheney
Christa Cheney’s Review of the Horn Fashion Show
The spring 2025 fashion show hosted at the Horn Gallery on March 28th certainly exceeded my expectations! The packed house of students strongly reflected the excitement for the intricate fashion presented in the show.
This was my first time attending a fashion show at Kenyon and I was truly blown away! All of the designers and models felt like they were due to walk a professional runway in Milan or Paris—with the added Kenyon quirky flair of course. The overall quality of the designs was noteworthy. Any one of those student designers could have a lucrative career in fashion. The models left the same positive impression, strutting and posing with a professional aura which every cheering audience member could clearly see.
As an audience member, you could feel the passion buzzing in the air from the models. They clearly had an enjoyable experience which made the audience perspective that much
more lively. The audience supported everyone out there, cheering loudly for every model strutting down the runway.
There were many different elements of this show with all designers varying takes on fashion as a whole. One designer, Grace Negroni ‘28, unveiled two designs with the focus primarily on sustainable fashion and using unique materials that would otherwise be forgotten. My personal favorite was the design from Celia Schwartz ‘26. The contrasting colors of model Maddie Chapman ‘26’s pink hair with the white flowing materials was beautiful to the eyes. Celia also focused on the use of second-hand materials which has become a popular fad these days in order to reduce the waste created by the fashion industry. Kenyon College has proven that it is a beacon of creativity and this show was certainly no exception. The audience and myself were certainly blown away by the professionalism, creativity, and passion from both designers and models alike.
is it the song they are playing or the top she is wearing?
julia wartman
“Fashion is an instant language,” Miuccia Prada, founder of Prada, once famously said. At Kenyon, a school where performances are a frequent and foundational occurrence, this “instant language” is spoken on the stages at Horn gallery performances, open mics, dance shows, Tiny Rug concerts, and the list goes on. The stage is a space that grants attention, and clothing is a device that can facilitate where and how this attention is channeled. Unique from most other performance settings, at Kenyon, performers on stage are our friends, classmates, campus-celebrities, ex-lovers, and maybe even enemies. Kenyon students, in reflecting on their experiences viewing music performances, noted that preconceptions of their peers have lessened the impact of the performance style choices: “We know who [student performers] are, and we expect something from them because we know who they are. Their clothes are already a part of the characters we know.” Logan Vidal ‘25 shared.
The clothing choices that performers are making, while largely serving the purpose of establishing and amplifying their character, also speak to the personal and intimate connection they have with their music and stage presence.
For Tony Gonzalez ‘25, performance wear connects him to his roots and the meaning behind his songs: “I always wear True Religion pants,” he said, “it makes me feel at home away from home. With that I get to show myself, like this is Chicago. I’m representing the Drill scene, and I’m representing the new wave.” Gonzalez has been wearing True Religion jeans since he was 13, and sees the stage as an opportunity to show off his everyday style in an elevated way. For his performance at
Echoes of Love, which took place on Valentine’s Day, he wore an all black outfit with pops of red on his True Religion jeans, Jordan Fives, and even his socks. Gonzalez said, “That fit was for ‘Cupa XO’,” a song about love that was written for Valentine’s Day. The red highlights were a direct reference to this song, and its messages on love and kindness which he promotes in his music. His motto on performance is: “Kill ‘em with kindness but leave in style.”
Lacking Light, an experimental band that stars Ella Newgarden ‘25, John Kibler ‘25 (both singers and instrumentalists), took a similar approach as Gonzalez for their outfits at Battle of the Bands. Newgarden opted for pieces that represented significant moments in her history and heritage. She wore a vintage gold beaded vest from her grandmother, and a fleece winter hat from her late grandfather, who was a musician. “Wearing his hat as I performed allowed me to pay homage to my family history, and the
love of music and performance that has been passed down through each generation,” she said. At one point in the performance, Newgarden adorned another piece with personal significance: a top hat worn at one of Lacking Light’s first performances. “It has lived through much since then and it felt only fitting for it to be worn for Lacking Light’s potentially last performance at the Horn.”
Kibler and Newgarden additionally decided to explore “shared motifs” for the performance, landing on ‘basketball-wear and boobs’ — each relating to aspects of the pair’s identities. Kibler sported a single silicone fake breast and basketball shoes, and Newgarden, a boob owner (as she put it), wore basketball shorts. The duo decided within their brief five-minute time slot, they would include an onstage outfit change that, “translated to the transition we wanted to convey in the performance,” a shift from ambient banjo and violin sounds, to a more heavy and intense mood as
the duo put these instruments down to scream into the microphone. Halfway through their performance of “Dream 2”, a sheet was held up on stage; behind it Newgarden changed into her gold vest, and Kibler switched out their American flag T-shirt for an unbuttoned flannel that revealed the prosthetic breast. After being unveiled from behind the sheet, Kibler had a wardrobe malfunction and made the impulse decision to throw the prosthetic into the crowd. In these moments, clothing became not only an eccentric supporting element to their performance, but its focal point. Molly Hunt ‘27, recalled this moment having a distinct “wow effect” that made Lacking Light stand out from the other bands who played that night. “Our band is about more than just music, Lacking Light is about the art of performance.” said Newgarden. Luca Segalla ‘25, spoke to the effect of Lacking Light’s clothing choices saying, “I don’t remember anything they played but I remember the image stood out.” This image, impossible without Lacking Light’s commitment to crafting the absurd outfits they are largely characterized by.
For the band, Holy Fuck, Holy Fucking Fuck That Body of Yours
is Absurd (also referred to as Holy Fuck), Kenyon’s first Maroon 5 cover band, clothing has been used to emphasize the satirical tone of their band, and their mission to invoke feelings of nostalgia for that era music. The six bandmates are drummer Jordan Schisler ‘25, bassist Hedi Madhu ‘27, guitarist Zoe Malouf ‘25, guitarist Simone Martel ‘27, lead singer Caeley Shea ‘27, and pianist Daisy Lerner ‘27. When asked about their style choices, Schisler said, “We are not that serious, we weren’t dressing to impress anyone. We were there to play along with the bit and have fun with it.” In each of their performances, they work to incorporate some element of cohesion that relates to Maroon 5 in a playful manner. For the band’s debut at Kluge they each drew the number five on their stomachs. Madhu recalled, “the first time we performed we all drew fives in paint on our stomachs and that was a like ‘oh wait, we really are a band’ moment.” At Battle of the Bands, they replicated the cover photo of
Maroon 5’s single, “This Love” by wearing button ups and blazers. For their performance at Flats, they gave a new spin on the nostalgic emphasis of their band with outfits that would have been popular (to a middle school boy) at the height of Maroon 5’s career. Minecraft shirts, a dabbing horse t-shirt, a few goofy hats, and one pair of fake nerd glasses were seen among the band. Maya Silver ‘26 commented on the band’s style: “Holy fuck always goes for a little derpy, y2k boy band look.” This vibe, a result of their tangential breaks in practice to plot out their outfits and group-chat coordination, also brought them closer as a band. “It’s something we can get excited about and bond over,” Schisler reflected. Morganized Crime, the all-sophomore band who gathered the most student votes at Battle of the Bands, are evidence that outfits, while influencing an image that lasts in viewers’ minds, have little effect on popularity. Ellie Westfall ‘27 described their outfit choices as “something I would see them wear on a Friday night and not necessarily specific to their performance.” Conor Kennealy ‘27, lead singer of the band, often wears jerseys from his favorite players both on stage and off. This choice, while not as flashy, is a personal commitment to bringing good luck and comfort. Similarly, Zach Eisenman ‘27 described the red top Maddy Revzon ‘27 wore at Battle of the Bands as a “Maddy classic,” one of her go-to tops. Olivia Stripling ‘26,
bassist of the band Victor, supported this argument from the opposite perspective, joking, “Victor was wearing really, really hot outfits and we still lost.”
Despite the planning, symbolic efforts, and detail that went into these performers’ outfits, Rhiannon Campbell ‘27 was unimpressed. “I remembered thinking, ‘Oh, no one really dressed up for this.” Segalla, reflecting on the performance wear he’s seen at Kenyon over the years, called on Kenyon performers to switch it up: “If there was a band that was really their own theme, and was very separate from what they usually wear and their persona, that would be so cool and something I feel like we don’t see that often or ever at Kenyon.” Clothing clearly matters on Kenyon stages, and Cassandra Oswald ‘27 built on this argument saying music performances are “an audio and visual experience, you can’t separate those things.” Vidal added, “that’s why people perform live in the first place: to show themselves and their personalities, not only through their music but also through the way that they dress.”
Clothing clearly is a defining factor of these musicians’ performances. It is a device to calm nerves with symbolic comforts like Gonzales’
loyalty to True Religion, a method used to get into a stage alter-ego like Holy Fuck’s embodiment of Adam Levine and Kennealy’s consistent jersey-wear. For many performers, clothing is a superstition, like for Schisler who likes to wear “these two types of shoes,” and have her “jeans cuff up in a certain way and sleeves roll up in a certain way.” Fashion can also be a device that takes performers outside of their comfort zone. Kibler characterized their outfit as, “freaky things that scare [Lacking Light] and scare other people too,” adding that, “the whole point of experimentalism is to make people uncomfortable.”
Many viewers voiced a common conclusion — a testament to the small school dynamics we operate under at Kenyon: the impression
clothing makes on viewers of music shows often comes down to the relationship performers have with these viewers. Paul Snyder ‘27 put it best, claiming to recall his friend’s on-stage outfit because he is “just a memorable guy.”
What makes a memorable guy? What makes a memorable performance? At the next Horn show, I want to see white t-shirts and jeans. I want to see Lulu Lemon flares. I want to see Pinterest circa 2017 boho-chic. Actually, I just want to see, period. Don’t stand in the front if you are 7 feet high; I am 5’2”.
FLIGHT JACKET,
You have a and just don’t know it!
Soren Roeser
You Have a Flight Jacket, and Just Don’t Know It!
Does one of your jackets have a knit waistband or cuffs? Or a pen pocket on the sleeve? Is it made of sheepskin? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, your jacket is probably a close relative to a fascinating, timeless piece of aviation equipment—if not, a close imitation of one. One hundred years ago, you probably wouldn’t go out in public without what we would consider today as formalwear. But when the first humans took flight, we quickly realized that sitting in a tiny, open metal cage with consequential levers, switches, and buttons protruding everywhere would require specialized clothing.
Eventually, these special clothes became so beloved that they began to be spotted elsewhere, in places much less specialized than the flightline. From the early days of aviation to the present, aircrews would have no reason to wear their flight suit or helmet around town. Whether for pride or practicality, though, the flight
jacket could be worn anywhere. Fast forward to nowadays, most people own a flight jacket—or a very similar garment—and usually don’t even know what it is. Meanwhile, some select others are willing to pay upwards of a thousand dollars on top of occasionally waiting half a year having paid in advance, to obtain an identical, top-quality reproduction of their favorite flight jacket from history. If you were to look into getting one in this modern era, it turns out that flight jackets come in a delightfully diverse range of styles and colors—from ones that will get you mistaken for a motorcyclist (arguably, not the worst thing in the world), to unassuming green basics that could actually save your life from a flash fire, and everything in between! Do you want brown leather? Olive cotton? What about bright orange nylon? Whatever your style is (or your favorite airplane), you can find a jacket that suits you!
This stylish leather (see Image 1)? It’s pretty much just a US Navy G-1 (see Image 2)! In general, leather was standard for flight jackets until after WWII when cotton started being used,
followed by nylon. The Navy G-1 was, and still is, coveted thanks to being made of goatskin, an exceptionally flexible yet durable leather. Although fictitious Naval aviator “Maverick” wears one in both Top Gun films, a different flight jacket became far more ubiquitous in the everyday fashion world.
Surely you’ve seen people wearing these around (see Image 3)! They are MA-1 flight jackets, introduced around the ‘50s. If you look closely, the person on the right is wearing one with a bright orange lining—this is so the jacket can be reversed and stranded aircrew can be easily spotted and rescued; there are even rare variants made to be worn with the orange on the outside! These were almost exclusively worn by test pilots and astronauts, because they would make the wearer an easy target in any combat situation. On the other hand, amazingly, some combat fighter pilots around the world did and still do wear bright orange flight suits in action.
In the picture below (Image 4), the person on the right is wearing an MA-1, while the person
on the left is wearing a non-insulated L-2B (the real military-issued MA-1 was never made with epaulettes). The original MA-1 was made in a light greyish, almost silver sage green. Reproductions and similar jackets available on the market today are usually a darker, more olive green, and are of extremely poor quality compared to the originals. The original, military-issued MA-1 jackets were made with very heavy, warm wool/ cotton blend insulation and 100% wool knit collars, cuffs, and waistbands—practical garments, not for fashion. Yet thanks to their practicality and versatile look, the MA-1s and their relatives evolved into normal civilian streetwear.
This past winter I was at the Luna Luna art exhibition at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, and a special person caught my eye; she was wearing a real vintage N2B flight parka (see Image 5)! Notice how it’s cropped short at the waist and has a fluffy trim on the hood? Yeah, it looked really good with the rest of her outfit. Also note the rectangular strip of nylon canvas to the left of the wind flap— that is a tab for clipping an
oxygen mask for flight at high altitudes. It is a detail that usually only ever appears on a specific early era of real vintage flight clothing, and highend reproductions. Even if the tab appears on a cheap imitation flight jacket, you can easily tell the difference between a flimsy strip just for looks and the authentic, multi-layered nylon canvas tab on originals and quality copies. The simple presence of that oxygen mask tab says something about the rest of the jacket: it was produced around the ‘50s-’60s, is made with heavy wool/cotton insulation and wool knits, and the trim on the hood is made of coyote fur. This was a rare, real piece of flight gear, probably not even a reproduction of one. I had never been able to obtain this specific model myself, anywhere, so I had to go ask about it! I approached the stranger and said, “Excuse me, sorry to bother you - but can I ask where you got that jacket?” I pointed out the tab on the individual’s jacket, followed by showing her the identical one on my own L-2B light flying jacket, so I didn’t seem crazy. Not only did she not recognize this detail on her own jacket, she did not even know that it was a flight
jacket! Meanwhile, I was full of adrenaline, seriously considering giving the person at least $500, cash and on the spot, in exchange for the treasure. Unfortunately, I did not have such money on hand—really upsetting. And to my surprise, in response to my initial question of where she’d gotten the jacket, the person simply said, “I thrifted it.”[1]
If you read all this and are still left wondering, “so what?” Just remember, flight jackets are such a cool, important piece of history, and if you want one, it’s probably already in your closet!
rchid Tierney’s Wardrobe
An Interview by Bridget Lomax
Bridget Lomax: To what extent would you consider your style eclectic? Why or why not?
Orchid Tierney: This is where I went to the Oxford English Dictionary. Eclectic comes from the Greek, and I can’t pronounce the Greek, but it means selections, assemblages. And I don’t think my style is eclectic because I do have a theory about clothing. I’m very particular with colors. You’ll notice around campus that I like red. I like black. I like white. Because I think those kinds of colors complement me. I’m very small, so I have to be very particular about what I wear that can make me seem a little bit elongated, a little bit taller, a little bit leaner. But I also feel that those colors go very well with the Victorian, Edwardian, and slightly Gothic and emo style that I have. However. I also like pink. So my theory would be, I really like lean, sheer, colors, and I like the darker colors as well because I think they complement my complexion and my figure. Makeup artist Robert Walsh says that makeup has a theory; clothing definitely has an ideology, and when you start to deviate from that ideology, start to deviate from that theory, you end perhaps in the eclectic frame, but I’m definitely not eclectic.
Bridget: So, less eclectic and more specific.
Orchid: Very specific, very particular. I really like transitions. And the
transitions between, you know, the top half and the bottom half have to go together, including the shoes. If I don’t wear specific shoes with the outfit or the top, I feel really out of sorts. It has to be— even down to the pigtails and the accessories— everything has to be connected. It has to be in conversation. And the way that I see it is that because my background is in poetry, I want to look like a poem. So every aspect of what I’m wearing is a component of poetry, it’s a stanza, and there’s a certain level of figurative speech that I would impose myself as well. Especially if I’m going out, I will wear large rings and jewelry and earrings as well. Again, those items, those accessories, are meant to complement the outfit. They’re not Victorian, but they’re meant to sort of inspire Victorian style or Edwardian style. It’s kind of like a bit of a mix of those two areas.
Bridget: They have a history.
Orchid: They have a history. Yeah, I like historical stuff. I like antiques. I like old stuff basically.
Bridget: How has your fashion evolved?
Orchid: When I was a kid, people
used to make fun of me because I had no fashion at all, right? I mean, as you do as a kid, you’re sort of like playing, you know…
Bridget: Dress up?
Orchid: Yeah, dress up and stuff like that. But it started to evolve when I began to work in television. I used to work as an art director for a television show back in New Zealand. And I didn’t work in costuming. I eventually became an art director, so I was in charge of the sets and so forth, so I liked how things looked on screen. And so I started also trying to sign post what I looked like. So people on set knew that I was the art director, right? Of course, I would never wear dresses on set because it’s just so dangerous. But when I was offset working on set, the people wanted to know where the art director was, and they could see me. So I did dress quite flashy. I would say that I have moved more from Goth and emo to more to the sort of Victorianesque style. I’ve actually gained more color because I used to just dress in black.
Bridget Lomax: What precipitated this change?
Orchid: I think I just wanted more color. I used to wear a lot of headscarves as well, but people get really upset if you constantly wear headscarves. Like, they wanted to see my hair. And I think I’ve sort of moved from headscarves more to hats, because I do like to cover my head. But in terms of what has encouraged that change, I think it was just getting older, really, just like seeing more in terms of what was available. Probably also the fact that the styles started becoming more available, especially once I got to the States, there were more clothing options, and I found a lot more cool thrift shops that had the kinds of styles that I liked than what was available in New Zealand. So I think to answer your question, I think it is just the availability of clothing, clothing that I could wear, clothing that would actually fit me. And just a general sort of like, I don’t know, changes in perception. I mean, nothing’s forever, right? Gothic and emo is very sort of like particular for the 90s; you know, I was an emo kid. I listened to grunge.
Bridget: I had a bit of a goth phase myself.
Orchid: I think everyone does. It’s
kind of like a rite of passage. I mean, I still have a lot of that sort of clothing. But here’s the other thing; there are some clothes that I just won’t wear to the classroom, right? Because there’s a certain expectation that…
Bridget: Of decorum.
Orchid: Yeah, decorum right? So, you know, it’s just a matter of what’s appropriate and what’s not.
Bridget: I wonder with an emphasis on historical objects, with things pre-owned, you get to sort of imagine who had it before you.
Orchid: Well, it’s like that trace of those inheritances. In New Zealand we had a store called TradeMe, it was like an online store like eBay– I often do buy stuff on eBay as well. TradeMe is basically the New Zealand version of eBay; it’s really hard to buy overseas. But TradeMe has all these old clothes, and so I used to buy antiques and clothing from that site. Or Etsy has really great stores.
Bridget: It’s so fun! I have a wish list.
Orchid: Oh, yeah, so do I. I think I’ve got some on Etsy. Let’s see what’s on— I call it my syllabus, which is my wish list for clothes that I want.
Bridget: Very professor.
Orchid: Let me see… forty-two items saved for later.
Bridget: Woah. And when you’re looking for pieces, is it just that they stand out to you?
Orchid: Yeah, I guess so. It’s like, they stand out, I like the colors.
Bridget: Can you find gaps in your wardrobe?
Orchid: Yeah, I do have gaps. I don’t feel like I have a lot of clothes right now. I don’t buy a lot because I like to be very particular about what I buy, and I want it to last. I’ve had some issues where I’ve bought, you know, shoes and I was like, “Oh, these shoes look great!” and they last for, like, two weeks. And so, you know, sometimes people just sort of mass produce these kinds of clothes, so I’d rather buy something, save up some money, buy something that’s going to last.
Bridget: To have it to keep.
Orchid: Yeah, to have it to keep. And then, you know, if it lasts for a while, then great, right? If it lasts for more than five years, fantastic.
Bridget: So do you mend your clothes?
Orchid: I do mend, because I don’t want to throw stuff out. So I darn my socks, I darn everything. The one item that I constantly buy is probably stockings because nylon just doesn’t last very long. But I mend those, and I just use them and use them and use them until they are no longer usable in which case I just use them as rags. So I try to save— just so that I’m not throwing out because fast fashion is such an issue. And, I don’t know, if I’m going to spend money, I want to use it as much as I possibly can.
Bridget: Yeah, get the most distance.
Orchid: Get the most distance. Yeah.
Bridget: What’s your favorite accessory?
Orchid: There is one item I always wear that is totally not part of my outfits, but I always, always wear it. Two years before I left New Zealand, I worked on a genealogy show for M?ori Television Service called Tatai Hono, which basically means tied
together. And at the end of it, some of my coworkers gave me this. So we call this pounamu, and it’s basically a greenstone. It’s a type of jade. So jade is a very important resource for M?ori peoples, and I believe it can only be harvested by one particular tribe, and it can only be given. So you often see these for sale, but you shouldn’t purchase it for yourself. It can only be gifted to someone else, and they gifted this to me to say thank you. I feel very strongly that there is a lot of power in this item, this accessory, and honestly I feel like it keeps me safe. I’ve never taken it off. I always wear it. I’ve worn other jade that has been given to me by family, but there’s just something about this one that just feels— it’s simple—, and I feel like it was given with absolute sincerity by my coworkers. So, you know, I wear it, and I’m very thankful for it. This is like the one item that doesn’t go with [my wardrobe], but I feel like because it embodies the spirit of community and the spirit of giving, it very much does go with my core aesthetic.
Bridget: Is there an intersectionality to your fashion? How does it reflect your work/interests?
Orchid: I think about visual arts and
poetry a lot. I like textures and color and poetry. And I think of fashion very much like I think of poetry. I look at the various components of poetry. It’s figurative language, it’s form. It’s theory. It’s broader context, and I do apply that to fashion because I think fashion’s all about that, right? You know, fashion is historically formed. It’s always contextual. You can’t separate the creator from the object sometimes. And it’s much like poetry. I wouldn’t subscribe to a close reading of fashion, you know, like a “new criticism” reading of fashion versus of poetry. But I do think in order to understand the poem and a piece of wearable art that you need to understand the context and the people who occupy the clothing or the poems.
Bridget: And I think good fashion really invites that discussion.
Orchid: Yeah, it does. It does. I love wearable art, like Billy Porter’s beautiful outfits. When I saw [his 2019
Met look], I just thought, “What a majestic human being.” I mean, when I saw this, I just thought this is what I would love to wear. I mean, just look how majestic and beautiful. The way he’s drawing on this kind of feminine power in such a wonderfully masculine way. So I just stared at this image for ages, just being absolutely enthralled.
Bridget: Do you subscribe to certain style toolkits?
Orchid: I would describe it as more Victorian, but it’s not like classical Victorian. Like, I do actually have corsets, but I don’t want to be rigid and fit myself into a particular box. I said that I’m not eclectic, but they are sort of supporting a particular
aesthetic, right? That is dictated by texture and color.
Bridget: And silhouette?
Orchid: Texture and color, just those two. I guess when I say texture and color, I’m also sort of thinking about the movements of the fabrics as well. So I do like a lot of flowy stuff, right? Something like this [in reference to cuffs] where it’s very drapey and lacy. So I like that movement. If I had to say, I like things that are liquid.
Bridget: They billow.
Orchid: Billow, yeah. Liquid, atmospheric. Atmospheric. So, there you go. That’s my tool.
Bridget: That’s good. An atmospheric toolkit.
Orchid: Yeah, my atmospheric toolkit.
Bridget: How does comfortability feature into your style?
Orchid: I like to be comfortable working at the desk which is why I haven’t been wearing my rings. I haven’t worn them actually in a while. There were a couple occasions where I did. I think you’ve got to be comfortable, like, good fashion should be comfortable. I don’t believe in being miserable, right? But it’s also why I hate wearing pants.
Bridget: Really?
Orchid: Really, unless the pants are very flowing, I absolutely hate wearing pants cause I just don’t feel comfortable in them. I hate the feeling of being constricted, right? It is important to have comfy shoes.
Ally Brady and Walker Friend
How Much is Too Much?
Eclectic fashion is a style that draws different components from varying periods, styles, and cultures, and because of this, eclectic fashion relies on a diverse wardrobe. Thrift stores provide a diversity of styles that cannot be found anywhere else, and at an affordable price. Most secondhand companies, like Goodwill, sell what they receive from donations, meaning that anyone of any age, size, style, or orientation can donate clothing. This leads to a massive explosion of styles available in second hand stores. The eclectic style encourages you to embrace clothing from many styles and periods, so it’s not a leap to say that sustainable fashion practices and eclectic style go hand in hand.
Due to the rapid growth of fast fashion companies, the lifespan of clothing is shorter than ever. Fast fashion companies encourage consumerism through the mass production of clothing following microtrends; these trends usually only last about a year, sometimes less. H&M and Zara, two of the biggest companies in the industry, are unceasing in their production turnover. The marketing of “changing seasons” offers the classic model for the continued
mass production of clothing collections. Other companies assemble two to four series a year: warm and cold weather or one for each season. In comparison, “Zara offers 24 new clothing collections each year; H&M offers 12 to 16 and refreshes them weekly” (Remy, et al.). Eightyfive percent of this clothing ends up in mountains of wasted material that will take centuries to disappear.
To produce clothes as quickly and cheaply as possible, fast fashion companies must sacrifice the quality of their clothing: “Around two-thirds of all textiles today are made of plastic or have some plastic component” (Environmental Innovations Initiative). As the quality of clothing continues to decrease, the impact on the environment will increase. Fast fashion clothing, made of polyester and other plastics, can take more than 200 years to decompose (UQ Sustainability). When clothing can be purchased and discarded so easily, we forget its permanence, so, unfortunately for everyone, that ugly shirt you bought off Shien 2020 will be on the planet far longer than you.
Clothing waste is not the only problem with fast fashion.
To produce the amount of clothing that they do, fast fashion stores need to use a massive amount of resources. The production of textiles uses 93 billion cubic meters of water annually (Environment Energy Leader). In addition, shedding microplastics in cheap fast fashion clothing contaminates marine life, and, to make things even worse, shipping products all over the world results in high greenhouse gas emissions. In the end, fast fashion contributes up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (Center for Biological Diversity)
The clock is ticking as global warming continues to worsen, and now, more than ever, we need long-term solutions. The small transition from purchasing fast fashion clothing to purchasing clothing from second-hand stores can make a difference. Rather than purchasing micro-trendy clothing, purchase classic pieces and styles that can live in your wardrobe for a long time. Classic pieces provide a base layer that can be adapted to fit any style. Thrifting is not the only option for purchasing second-hand. Many online second-hand stores have been created, as well as a new wave of consignment stores and vintage stores. Over-consumerism funds fast fashion companies. If everyone purchased more sustainably, we could limit the amount of clothing going to landfills and create better long-term clothing recycling practices.
Billionhappy: Acting Locally and Thinking Globally zhuocheng jiang
In this era, as China’s cultural landscape fractures under the influence of globalization—what art critic Li Xianting aptly describes as a “culturally fragmented” reality—, a generation grapples with the absence of indigenous pop culture that mirrors their experiences. Yet, within this new landscape, there is Billionhappy, a provocateur straddling hyperpop music, Yabi fashion, and the reclamation of Jing Shen Xiao Huo culture. His story is one of eclecticism, rebellion, and an urgent quest to suture China’s disjointed cultural identity.
Eclectic Roots: HipHop and High Street
Aesthetics
Billionhappy’s aesthetics are a result of a collision of influences. In a recent podcast, he traced his middle-school days as a b-boy, reminiscing about the early-2010s Chinese streetwear— CLOT, PLAY, Visim, and Evisu— now nostalgic relics of a bygone era. Musically, T.I., Eminem and ASAP Rocky ignited his fascination with hip-hop, while artists like Drain Gang, Bladee,
and Ecco2K later helped shape his sound:a fusion of hyperpop, cloud rap, and experimental EDM.
To me, the music of these hyperpop artists feels complementary to their video output, rather than the other way around. The same applies to Billionhappy, who studied at the Shanghai Theatre Academy and directed most of his own videos, making visuals an indispensible part of the experience. Honestly, it just doesn’t hit the same if you don’t watch the video.
In the early part of his career, his music closely followed global trends. Heavily influenced by hyperpop and cloud rap, his early music was characterized by autotuned vocals and playful beats. You’d likely find his early tracks in playlists with titles like “Y2K/Bubblegum Pop/ Glitch Pop/Hyperpop/??..??? ??????? ?(?? ? ??)? ?? ?• ? •??? ????? ????? °??’?’??° (˚ ??????????? ).” Critics dismissed this genre-bending approach as plagiarism—mere “foreign templates with Chinese lyrics.” To be honest, I didn’t enjoy his early music that much, except when I specifically wanted to hear this genre with Chinese lyrics. However, Billionhappy has since dug deeper into his
roots to develop a style that convey local message while still speaking a global language.
From Huainan’s Streets to the King of Underground: Reclaiming the Jingshen Xiaohuo
Billionhappy was born and raised in Huainan, an Anhui province city with nothing worth mentioning but beef soup, and it’s “????” (Jingshen Xiaohuo)—a term for disaffected, dropout teens embodying a gritty, anti-establishment swagger. These “spiritual youths”, (as the term loosely translates) forged their visual aesthetic: skintight jeans, Chav or Visual-Kei hairstyle, and their ?? (ghost fire)1. Mainstream society dismissed them as delinquent clowns; fashion circles ignored their razor-edged style.
Billionhappy, once a straight-A rebel oscillating between b-boy circles and his Jingshen Xiaohuo friend group, initially distanced himself from their aesthetic, instead opting for hip-hop outfits. However, he now recognizes the subculture’s artistic potential, and strives to mine his roots. His newest single, ??2, is a manifesto whose music video glamorizes Jingshen Xiaohuo tropes through unfiltered visualization of Guangzhou’s ur-
ban villages, Jingshen Xiaohuo’s skinny silhouettes, Harajuku-esque makeup, and their signature Ghost Fire—a reimagining which is neither parody nor pastiche. He also laces the Jingshen Xiaohuo lingo and spirit with musical production that defies the genre’s stereotypical repetitiveness, transforming what was once dismissed as “cringe” into something cool. There is a lyric exemplifying this, “?????????????????????????????” which translates as, “look at my dazzling ghost fire—I know I was wrong, but no wrongness can bring me to my knees” (I believe this cringeness can break through language barrier). He captures the untamable spirit of Jingshen Xiaohuo; they are turned down by mainstream society but they rebel through bold fashion style and Ghost fire. Unlike outsider artists mining “street” motifs for shock value, he operates as an authentic insider-archivist and bring Jingshen Xiaohuo aesthetics.
Think Glob-
ally, Act Locally: The
Sublation of Subculture
By embracing his culture, Billionhappy offers a blueprint for localized expression in a globalized world. This is rare. In China’s subcultural scene, where people are obsessed with chasing Western trends, many artists took the easiest shortcut by
copying, especially in Chinese rap and rock & roll scenes. For example, Chinese rappers often rap about their glock and use gunshots as ad-libs—even though China has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world. Having spoken in others’ languages for too long, many artists lost their ability to express their own unique stories through variation in fashion and arts. Billionhappy, on the contrary, continue to absorb inspirations from global pop culture but the goal is to tell his own story and express his asethetics.
All fashion, at its core, is about personal expression; if you don’t believe in the cultures you stylistically emulate, you’re nothing but a glorified clothing hanger. Billionhappy’s audacity lies in his insistence that China’s cultural future is not about erasing its fragmented stories and replacing them with “socially accepted cool” foreign imports. Fashion is about expanding the appreciation of personal style and subculture. Billionhappy refuses to
take the shortcut, establishing himself both as an artist and as a cultural alchemist, thinking globally, acting locally.
I hope Billionhappy’s story is inspiring for my kenyon fellows who are searching for their own voice in this noisy world.^^
1
“Gu?hu?” (Ghost Fire), a type of step-through motorcycle. Unlike regular mopeds, it is popular among “jingshen xiaohuo”, who often modify the exhaust to be extremely loud, bypass the manufacturer’s speed limit, and, most importantly, install colorful RGB light strips for an eye-catching appearance. “Guihuo” is the personal statement for “jingshen xiaohuo”.
masthead
writers:
bridget lomax
ally brady
walker friend
isabella kreidler
zhuocheng jiang
julia wartman
christa cheney
soren roeser
editors:
celia torino
madeleine oehlers
lottie matthew
soren roeser
madeline cassell
zoe berman
photographers: delfina buonocore
verity bethelsen
simone martel
caton lee
lizzy spira
models, interviewees: gael chirinos guardado
orchid tierney
robin pratt
soren roeser
healey kohn
ally brady
walker friend
models and designers of the horn fashion show, spring 2025
