Fashion on Fifth is back, showcasing the creative outfits your classmates are wearing every week, and the thought and inspiration behind them as interpreted by the author.
This week on Fashion on Fifth, I want to know the stories behind the clothes you wear. Whether you found your shirt after an hour-long eBay deep dive, had to physically fight someone over your shoes at the thrift store (that’s a story for another time), or you’re the last sibling in a long line of hand-me-downs. Every piece of clothing has an origin story.
Innana Rose she/they
@queenofraredeeds, second-year Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts self-designed Sacred Studies student
Innana’s story begins in the street gutter where they found their dress: “I was fourteen and knew it had to be mine.” It’s an intricate red mesh dress with floral embroidery spanning from the ruched neckline to the almost floor length hem. Innana points to the multiple “sketchy” rips on the side of the dress; gifts from the gutter. They hide the rips beneath their red coat that was gifted by their mother, who had a dream that Innana wore a red coat before finding this one at a thrift store soon after. Red is considered a protection color in many cultures, and Innana wears it for that reason. After their mom had another dream that they got hit by a car, she insists Innana wears the coat everyday. I pray that come summertime, Innana looks both ways before crossing the street.
Sean Marner they/them
@planetsheen, second-year Parsons School of Design Integrated Design student
Prompted by an assignment in their studio class to create something inspired by home, Sean immediately knew it had to include upholstery textiles, a nostalgic material for them. Made from a scrap of toile fabric, their bonnet can be worn as a headpiece or a top. They’re working on an entire line of garments using reclaimed materials, creating pieces for the purpose of being worn multiple different ways. Paired with an oversized leather jacket, very Miu Miu reminiscent, a plaid knee-length skirt, and beautifully worn-in brown leather Tabi boots, Sean embodies a chic and fashion-over-function attitude on this frigid day. But no judgment here, because despite the cold, I also insisted on wearing knee-length shorts just to show off my ballet-flat and sock combo. Us fashionistas have it rough.
Zhuolun Li he/him
@leo.leelzl, third-year Parsons Strategic Design & Management student
Zhuolun keeps his story short and sweet: his clothes are vintage, old school, and have history, just the way he likes them. He says his wardrobe is predominantly Japanese brands, and I can see the eastern influence in the simple yet strong silhouettes paired with rich materials. Designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo pioneered the anti-fashion movement in the 80s and 90s that placed emphasis on material and silhouette, designed for people who prefer functional fashion to the glitz and glam of brands like Versace and Moschino. Zhuolun’s combination knit, linen, and denim, is made even better by his accessories: a tote bag and an almost-finished cigarette.
Kat Yoakum she/her
@yokoonoapologizer_, second-year Lang Literary Studies student
Kat inherited her Rage Against the Machine sweater from her dad, and loves how the band name is knitted into the sweater, rather than printed on top of it. She feels like “clothes are made different now” which is why she prefers vintage, and finds that all of her favorite clothes she received from her friends and family. Her red peacoat combined with the black and white sweater is already chic, but add the polka dot backpack, knee high boots, and red tights, Fifth Avenue is her catwalk. We can all be inspired by Kat’s second-hand sweater, because in her own words, it’s “hashtag sustainable to Rage Against the Machine.”
Emily Li she/her
@lonily, second-year Parsons and Lang Communication Design and Politics student
Emily’s star-embroidered overalls remind her of home in Hong Kong, but not in a nostalgic, “I-miss-it” kind of way. Combined with her half-shaved head, these quirky overalls earned her a lot of stares from people back home but here in New York people appreciate them more. She bought them for twenty five bucks in Hong Kong, and explained that she probably contributed to fast fashion by buying them, but she hopes to offset that by wearing them all the time. Thank you for your honesty, Emily, you’re truly an inspiration. The overalls, windbreaker, beanie, and Nikes all combine harmoniously to create a street style spectacle.
After this week, my goal is to find my new favorite piece of clothing in the strangest place possible. So if you’re looking for me, try peeking down alleyways and dumpsters. I encourage you to consider the journey your clothes have taken to find you, and maybe even the future journey you’ll go on to find them.