INDEX MAGAZINE

SPRING/SUMMER 2023
EMERSON FASHION SOCIETY
EFS
EFS
NEW EYES
INDEX MAGAZINE
SPRING/SUMMER 2023

EFS
 INDEX MAGAZINE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Justina Thompson

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Ananya Dutta

CREATIVE DIRECTORS
Libby Wilkins Nalany Guerrier

PHOTO DIRECTOR EDITORIAL TEAM PHOTO TEAM

Hannah-Mia Hinds Teddy Beamer Hannah-Mia Hinds
Elisa Davidson Nikki Emma
VIDEO DIRECTOR Bailule Hadgembes Jessica Zhang
Ellie Carlin Georgia Howe Kyra Badger
Arushi Jacob Sophie Roberts-Fishman
STYLING DIRECTORS Vivian Nguyen
Orly Gonsalves Lily Farr
Penelope Patsis Sam Edelman
Izzy Bryars
Delaney Roberts Lidya Sezer
EDITORIAL DIRECTORS Moe Wang Khatima Bulmer
Sadia AboHussien Xinzhu Dong
Habeebh Sylla STYLING TEAM Dana Albala
Astrid Ortega
ART DIRECTOR Ariel Wile
Celeste Sanchez Proano
ART TEAM
Ava Scanlon Chiara Marini
Jennie Greco
Khatima Bulmer
MARKETING DIRECTORS Grace Guarascio
Willow Torres
Kasvi Bhatia Brooke Vickerman
Marisa Negron
Kaitlin Curtis Julianna Dipaolo
Olivia Miller
Julia Magdziak
Emilie Dumas
EVENTS DIRECTORS Abigail Stanicek
Nicole Levine Jonathan Lopez
Danielle Webb EVENTS TEAM
Vivian Nguyen
MARKETING TEAM Sam Edelman
Abigail Robinson
Meredith Gross
Sydney Gaines-Wheeler
Maya Wright
PRODUCTION TEAM
Danielle Webb
Nicole Levine
Vivian Nguyen
Sam Edelman
Meredith Gross
Mariia Lykhtar
Julieta Crissien
website EFSOCIETY.ORG Emilie Dumas
vimeo INDEX MAGAZINE Atreyi Roy
instagram INDEX.MAG Genevieve Doucet

ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED

EFS
BUSINESSES TO SUPPORT
IN BOSTON

BODEGA BLESSING BARN RASPBERRY BERET

designer picks speak- non profit homeware vintage clothing

easy @blessingbarn_bea- @cambridgeraspberryberet

@bodega conhill

THRIFTY THREADS

CIRCA VINTAGE LOLA’S community run thrift store

WEAR secondhand fashion @thriftythreads_brookline

handpicked vintage @lolasboston

@circavintagewear ARDZIR
CICADA COFFEE- boston-based designer

BULLSHIT BOU- HOUSE @ardzir

TIQUE coffee, vietnamese

vintage clothing eats COVET

@bullshitboutique @cicadacoffeebar luxury consignment

@covetboston

SARAPHYM’S CAFE SAUVAGE

BLESSING black owned french

handmade arts & crafts cafe

@saraphyms.blessings @cafesauvage

All stores are located in Greater Boston,

Massachusetts. They can be found via internet or
social media. Please show them your support!

E M E R S O N
F A S H I O N
S O C I E T Y
EFS
 Letters From
Our Directors
“Spring is ALL about reawakenings.
As trees shed themselves bare and
flowers bloom once more, introspec-
tion begins within all of us. We inevi-
tably begin to wonder about what the
season will bring. New perspectives?
New relationships? New identity?
INDEX wants to know what YOU see.”

EFS
 This issue, New Eyes, is a unique contribution to
INDEX’s developing history of publications. When I initially
conceptualized the New Eyes theme, much of its artistic
inspiration originated from my personal fascination with
introspection and what materializes from self-reflection,
especially as our morals solidify and we become physical
representations of how we see the world around us. New Eyes
is not just an abstraction; it is a tangible experience of transition
and transformation — an inevitable awakening, if you will — that
cultivates innovative ways of thinking about ourselves, others,
and what we want to manifest in our lives.
That said, the collections of creative work featured in SS23
of INDEX are, indeed, our team’s testimonies and interpretations
when I encouraged them to consider what they see with “new
eyes.” For this semester’s issue in particular, Emerson Fashion
Society’s (EFS) Executive Board wanted to intentionally highlight
the voices and narratives of our members whose identities
are marginalized and isolated, in many forms on this campus,
everyday. For many of them, the New Eyes theme was an outlet
for expressing perceptions of selfhood (Finding Home), taking
up space and creating it for those who are rarely offered it (Crate
Diggers and Record Spinners, F*ck Your Flattery), and, lastly,
ensuring that both talent and voices of color are acknowledged.
Diverse visibility is demonstrated through nearly all the writing,
visual imagery, and design within this issue.
I am overwhelmed by the culmination of hard work,
dedication, and overall care that was poured into this issue of
INDEX by all of our team members. I want to extend the biggest
thank you to EFS’ amazing Vice President, Ananya Dutta, for her
commitment to and co-leadership in maintaining INDEX during
this semester. I also want to thank the entire Immersed into
INDEX team and Ellie Carlin, its creative leader, for pioneering
a new, fresh perspective on the effort that goes into INDEX’s
photoshoots. Lastly, I express my personal gratitude to our
magazine team directors: Sadia, Habeebh, Ava, Nalany, Libby,
and Hannah-Mia, for their patience in the process, trust in my
vision, and their collective collaboration in making INDEX a
magazine that truly has a message. I hope that all of you — our
readers — see yourselves in what we have cultivated.
JUSTINA THOMPSON, EIC

EFS
 “What does New Eyes mean?”
This is the most asked question I re-
ceived at the beginning of the semes-
ter. Whenever I heard this question, I
had a standard answer ready to go. I
would say something along the lines
of:
“Think… spring awakening. Or maybe
just bring a new perspective to some-
thing old. It’s up to you to interpret it!”
Now, at the end of the semester, you
are holding in your hands (or viewing
digitally) a collection of the answers to
that first question. And I have to say,
these answers have made for what
is likely the most innovative issue of
INDEX Magazine yet. What really sets
this issue apart, though, is that each
shoot and writing piece featured in this
issue of INDEX is a strong, meaningful
piece of work. Each member of EFS
was encouraged to use this maga-
zine to explore concepts that pushed
boundaries or had significant personal
meaning, which is evident through the
quality of work included. And, for the
first time ever, you will be able to catch
a glimpse of all the hard work that has
gone into bringing these concepts to
life through our virtual initiative, Im-
mersed into INDEX.
I am so proud of all the work that has
gone into producing this magazine. I
hope this inspires you to create with-
out restriction and bring New Eyes to
your life.
Ananya Dutta
VP/Director of Communications
EFS
As the semester comes to a close, I
wanted to take a moment to express
my gratitude and appreciation for all
the hard work and dedication put in
by my fellow EFS team. As the Art
Director, I am more than satisfied with
all of the design choices for this issue,
especially with our fabulous theme:
New Eyes.
New Eyes left room for an amazing
umbrella of themes for the magazine
this year, as we are all experiencing
blossoming into our future selves, and
I hope this issue is a perfect reflection
of that. Through colorful layouts, to
beautiful editorials, we have such a
beautiful mixture of media this year,
featuring artists from all over the world.
Working with everyone has been an
absolute pleasure. From brainstorming
ideas, to executing them flawlessly,
we have worked together to produce
an outstanding magazine that I hope
you are all proud of. I am grateful to
say that each person has brought their
unique skills and talents to the table.
Although putting the magazine togeth-
er did bring its challenges, I believe
that we as a team made everything
work and we remained consistent with
our values of inclusivity, representation,
and expressing all different art forms.
Thank you for making this semester
such a great success and thank you
Jeanie and Ananya for the trust!
Ava Scanlon
Art Director
Working with the Emerson Fashion
Society this semester has been a great
learning opportunity. Having worked
with EFS in the Fall of 2022, I was
excited to take on a more administra-
tive and creative role as Co-Creative
Director this spring. With this issue,
the EFS and Index team aspired to
rebuild the organization for the better.
I want to thank Jeanie and Ananya
for their mission toward inclusive and
progressive leadership, Libby for being
a great Co-Creative Director, and Ellie
and Willow for their amazing work as
Creative Assistants!
We worked so hard to push barriers
through creative expression with this
Spring 2023 issue of INDEX and invite
you to explore our theme, New Eyes.
New Eyes allows us to see something
done before in a whole new way. As
you read, I hope you fully embrace the
theme’s meaning and are sparked with
creativity and curiosity.
Thank you for all your support!
To God be all the glory,
Nalany Guerrier
Co-Creative Director
As spring and its vibrant days are
growing upon us quickly, we wanted
to take this opportunity to create art
that felt cohesive for the times; New
Eyes.
In its original form to what it has be-
come, I have had the pleasure of
working with all the wonderful team
members to create art bound so
personally to us, and then to finally be
able to share it with all of you who may
be reading. With that being said, thank
you to everyone who put so much
time and effort into this issue, all with
leaving such beautiful bits and pieces
of your personal stories and life experi-
ences behind of who you are, who you
might have been, and perhaps who
you want to be.
I’d like to give an especially large thank
you to our Art Director, Ava Scan-
lon, and our Editor-In-Chief, Jeanie
Thompson; you both are everything to
me.
With the perspective you hold before
indulging yourself in a world of New
Eyes, please remain gentle. There is
something so warm about this issue,
something that I hope provides you
with that same warmth. Bright colors,
soft sounds, and personal depictions
of what New Eyes means to us, for
you.
Libby Wilkins
Co-Creative Director
EFS
 The unapologetic embrace of imagina-
tion in the making and content of this
semester’s issue of INDEX is unde-
niably inspiring. It has been beautiful
to watch each and every creative
director, artist, writer, and designer
commit to their ideas and fall more
and more in love with their concepts,
art, and teams in the process. While
leading the Editorial Team alongside
my wonderfully patient and uplifting
co-director, Habeebh, I’ve discovered
a new appreciation for what it means
to play a part in helping people bring
their stories to life. This year’s writers
and editors fiercely tackled the task of
adding to existing conversations in the
world of fashion and design through
refreshing, honest lenses that leave
us all with hope and excitement for
what’s to come. This issue would not
have been possible without everyone’s
willingness to invest in others’ work
and perspectives. The opportunity to
look through New Eyes is what you
make of it, and though that outlook
might change each day, our openness
to nourishing the spectrums of cre-
ativity within ourselves and each other
makes life, art, community, and fash-
ion boundless. Every time you open
this issue of INDEX, you’ll find some-
thing new to consider and love.
‫ريدقتلا و ركشلا ليزج عم‬
With great thanks and appreciation,
Sadia AboHussien
Co-Editorial Director
EFS
I am so thrilled to be a part of INDEX
and have contributed to the team’s
latest issue. To some, editing might
sound like a mundane task, but it’s
not when you’re getting the chance to
read pieces that each hold such beau-
tifulmeaning. The editorial team’s goal
this semester was to highlight diverse
voices and stories that give a sense of
someone’s culture or an outlook into a
background we fail to hear from of-
ten. While fashion is used to express
personal style, it’s meaningless when
there isn’t an authentic story and
history behind its conception. It’s im-
portant, especially at a primarily white
schoollike Emerson College, that BI-
POC artists are pushed into the light.
We have been graced withan editorial
team that sincerely cares about the
work they’re writing and pushed this
issue to go beyond just the clothes
we’re wearing, and deeper into why
we are wearing them. I am incredibly
grateful to Sadia AboHussien, Editorial
Director, who has brought me under
her wing and guided me through the
editorial process. With her support, we
have led our wonderful editorial team
to craft pieces that carry personal
significance but also the most beautiful
prose. Everyone on INDEX has cre-
ativity like no other, and we hope you
feel that with this issue.
Best,
Habeebh Sylla
Co-Editorial Director
INDEX’s Photo Team was tasked with
capturing the visions of this issue’s
theme, New Eyes. Serving as eyes
ourselves, our talented team of pho-
tographers and I investigated what the
theme meant to us. Whether that was
by carrying out the visions of direc-
tors we’d never worked with before
or developing entirely new concepts
from the ground up.I took on the role
of photo director at the beginning of
my freshman year, and since then
have been thrown directly into a fast-
paced, collaborative, creative envi-
ronment. The directors of each team
are the embodiment of INDEX’s New
Eyes theme. This issue would not
have been possible without the team
directors’ collective determination and
guidance, and the commitment of our
members. Thank you to my team, EIC
Jeanie, and every director who gave
so much of themselves to this maga-
zine.
Hannah-Mia Hinds
Photo Director
Prepare yourself to step into the sun––
this season’s issue is meant to dazzle and
inspire. We’ve all worked hard to offer
innovative interpretations of the past and
fresh representation ––directing the spot-
light on unique stories. The studio lights
were often set to oranges, pinks, and
golden hues with twinkling and wave
effects. This mood setting has definitely
contributed to the energy and excite-
ment of the shoots. The Production Team
worked exceptionally hard this season to
make sure all the technicalities of shoots
ran smoothly; I’m so proud of Atreyi,
Genevieve, Emilie, and Julieta for adjust-
ing to hectic shooting schedules and stay-
ing determined while balancing more than
4 shoots, and their own projects. The past
season was full of discovery and reform,
but I believe I speak for everyone when I
say that this season, we have witnessed
INDEX’s exceptional growth as a commu-
nity. The process was occasionally
stressful yet thrilling, and left me with high
expectations for future issues. Hopefully,
we leave you wanting more. Enjoy bathing
in the sunlight as much as we did. :)
XOXO,
Mariia Lykhtar
Production Team Manager
EFS
 Firstly, thank you to the entire Emerson
Fashion Society team this semester. Every
part of this journey has been filled with
laughter, friendship, and dedication. Work-
ing alongside my co-marketing director,
Kaitlin was the best part of this experi-
ence, and will truly be missed.
From being Co-Marketing Director to
directing my own shoot, I felt more con-
nected to EFS thisyear than ever before.
New Eyes was such an inspiring theme,
and you can see that through every one
of the shoots in this magazine and on our
Instagram. Since I graduate this semester,
I’m heartbroken to be leaving EFS but I
hope the organization continues its legacy
and keeps it edgy! I look forward to keep-
ing track of INDEX’s future issues, as we
all should, and seeing how the magazine
grows.
Lots of Love xx,
Khasvi Bhatia
Co-Marketing Director
EFS
What would happen if fashion never
evolved?
When I think of New Eyes, I think of
change. Fashion is a dynamic cycle
of trends, colors, patterns, and styles
that we see everyday. This issue
shows the unique transformation that
the organization has experienced
these past few months. Depending on
how you look at it, change can mean
so many things. We all have differ-
ing perspectives on the way fashion
evolves, and that’s why this issue is so
special to me. You may have different
ideas of what you think is ‘good’ fash-
ion, but I see that as an opportunity for
me to look through new eyes into an-
other side of the craft. Not only does
this theme represent fashion, but it en-
capsulates the different perspectives
we need to be open to when navigat-
ing our day to day. This issue grasps
the importance of being mindful of our
evolution, and the amazing things we
can create from that mindfulness. Our
team has put a copious amount of
time and effort into its completion and
we’re all so excited for you to see the
hard work and creativity put into these
pages. Collaborating with an amaz-
ing set of cross-functional individuals
on the marketing team has made my
last semester at Emerson and EFS an
unforgettable one. I want to thank my
team for all of the time and dedication
put into the organization. Thank you
for taking the time to read our maga-
zine. Here’s to fresh, bold, bright New
Eyes.
Best,
Kaitlin Curtis
Co-Marketing
Director
I wanted to take a moment to express my
gratitude for every person that has con-
tributed to EFS and Index Magazine.
As the Events Director for EFS, I feel
incredibly fortunate to work with such
talented and kind individuals. I am grateful
for the opportunity to work with each of
you.
Going forward, I am extremely excited
to see what more is to come of EFS and
Index magazine!
Danielle Alexis
Co-Events Director
Sincerely,
Your INDEX SS23
Team
I am the Co-Events Director for Emerson
Fashion Society this semester! Thank you
so much for the dedication and hard work
everyone put into creating this issue of
INDEX. It has been an honor working with
the incredible Executive Board to execute
the organization’s efficiency this semester.
Thank you to my Co-Director, Danielle,
for her devotion and ambition in execut-
ing events. Incorporating the theme New
Eyes into the work of the events team,
has allowed me to take a step back and
appreciate the beauty EFS truly embodies.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the
magazine launch party!
Nicole Levine
Co-Events Director
EFS
 Table of Contents
1 NURTURED BY NATURE
11 ECDYSIS
17 HONEYMOON LAGOON
19 CONSURGO
28 THE WINTER & SPRINGS OF YOUR LIFE
30 FINDING HOME
37 ON THE FAIRY WINGS OF TIME
39 IN HER EYES
51 CRATE DIGGERS & RECORD SPINNERS
65 THE AMERICAN WING
75 THE PRISONER’S CINEMA
81 SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
83 THREADS OF CONNECTION

85 F*CK YOUR FLATTERY

EFS
EFS
 Nurtured
By Nature
direction: Delaney Roberts, Bailule Hadgembes
photo: Khatima Bulmer
models: Delaney Roberts, Justin Nicholson, Lyanna Zammas,
Lorina Sediqi, Donald Ford, Jemma Sanderson
writer: Delaney Roberts, Bailule Hadgembes
editor: Vivian Nguyen
layout: Willow Torres
EFS 1
EFS
EFS 3
EFS
 Recording artists SZA and Ariana Grande hold the
power to beautifully and touchingly say so much through
various outlets of their work. Along with the music itself,
their art, creative direction, and branding are elevated by
aspects of nature intertwined into their work and identity.
SZA and Ariana Grande have written and sung about
many topics with which people can find familiarity. Every
lyric, line, verse, and chorus can resonate with whoever is
listening. Whether it’s conversations of heartbreak, grief,
finding happiness, or new beginnings, they navigate
these moments in complex yet simple creations. In their
aesthetics, music, and performances, SZA and Grande
embody the essence of Mother Earth.

The 2017 release of SZA’s debut album, CTRL,

touched millions of people’s hearts. Her lyrics
radiated what love meant for Black women in their
20s. With songs like “Normal Girl” and “Supermod-
el,” she expressed the complexity of loving oneself
before loving others and finding a balance between
the two. In her fourth most popular song on
CTRL, “Garden (Say It Like Dat),” SZA states,
“Can you remind me of my gravity? Ground me
when I’m tumbling, spiraling, plummeting down
to Earth You Keep me down to Earth” and
“Love me even if it rains Love me even if it pains
you.” In these lines, she uses references to nature
to navigate various emotional experiences. In
the same song, she continues by singing, “You
know I’m sensitive ‘bout having no booty,
having no body, only you buddy/Can you hold
me when nobody’s around us?” which more
directly showcases her insecurities. These
lyrics, along with many others by her, use
symbolism in nature to depict SZA’s inse-
curities in herself, love, and relationships.
In the music video, she starts in a cave
on a rocky beach and makes her way to a
vibrantly green forest, splashing around in
the water as she sings.

Even more recently, with her

newest album S.O.S., released
in 2022, she taps into
anger, jealousy, and
vulnerability with
her songs “Kill
Bill,” “Good
Days,”
and

EFS 5
 “Special.” Speaking to her music videos, SZA is always looking ethereal while encapsulated by nature.
In her music videos for “Good Days” and “Garden (Say it Like Dat),” fans see her singing while frolicking in the
forest, wearing flowy clothes, and effortlessly being in tune with the vibe around her. In nearly all of her album cov-
ers, SZA is surrounded by nature. With her debut album CTRL, an album of self-discovery, we see SZA surround-
ed by greenery and vintage, broken computers, contrasting the inherent vibrancy of nature with the destruction and
fragility of manmade technology. SZA’s newest album art for the long-awaited sophomore album, S.O.S., centers
her on the edge of a diving board, surrounded by nothing but restless, deep blue water. She took inspiration from
Princess Diana of Wales, who was captured in a strikingly similar pose just a week before her untimely death. The
princess’ legacy of being a passionate, free spirit who was isolated, mistreated, and misunderstood by her family and
society is not unfamiliar to Sza. SZA herself confirmed that she liked the feeling of isolation and introspection that
Princess Diana emulated. “Originally, I was supposed to be on top of a shipping barge, but in the references that
I pulled for that, I pulled the Diana reference,” SZA states during a recent interview with Hot 97. “Because I just
loved how isolated she felt, and that was what I wanted to convey the most.” S.O.S focuses on the anger SZA feels
from being screwed over so many times, seeking refuge in her isolation, and wanting nothing to do with anyone.
Hence the significance of the album cover’s call on nature to express the peace and loneliness in isolation. On the
18th track, “Far,” SZA sings, “Done being used/Done playing stupid/Done faking cool,” vocalizing how tired she is of
everyone and everything. Like the many artists who came before SZA and those who will come after her, she is not
the only sensation of her time who makes endless connections and references to nature in their art.

Popstar and actor Ariana Grande often intertwines nature into her music and fashion. With her 2018 album,
Sweetener, Grande portrays heartbreak and loss through her lyrics while capturing natural yet sublime beauty in the
accompanying visuals. In her music video for her hit song, “God is a Woman,” she sits on top of the Earth, stirring
her hands through the atmosphere taking control, and embracing the power of her femininity and this is support-
ed by the choir that sings behind the voice of Grande. The galaxy also forms a skirt around her waist with vibrant
whites, purples, and pinks which reinforce the feministic aspect of the visuals in this video. Thank U, Next brought
the artist to peak success, becoming the third album by a female artist to surpass five billion streams on Spotify amid
the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, she went on to create her sixth studio album, all about reflection and Love: Posi-
tions. She created that album for herself to express her feelings of grief, love, and sexuality.

Further bringing the album to life, the singer accompanied its release with a live Vevo performance, showcas-
ing Grande diving deeper into her natural aesthetic. As she performs on a set designed as a dream-like flower field,
wearing a floral-printed dress with long silky pink gloves, we see Grande enter a whole new era. Some perceive this
artistic choice as a connection to the idea of flowers as symbols of sexuality and femininity. The 2020 album illus-
trates a clear vision of what’s on the pop star’s mind. She reflects on her stories of heartbreak but ensures that she is
moving on. The floral ornaments in her fashion and set design tune into this idea of blossoming, not only mentally
but sexually. “POV,” the concluding song on the album, ties together all of Grande’s self-reflection in her previous
work as she prepares to conquer a development of self-love. She ends the song by singing, “‘Cause nobody ever loved
me like you do/I’d love to see me from your point of view.” Throughout the song, the presence of water is consistent
throughout the melody and is executed through a marimba. It creates a soothing flow and keeps the legato melody
moving and progressing forward, reflecting where Grande was in her Journey at the time.

SZA and Ariana Grande convey the message of how essential nature is to humanity. Displaying it in their work
and connecting themselves and their journeys to its vastness and symbolism exhibits how inextricable it is from their
identities as artists and people. There’s a special connection we can all share with the natural world, as it not only
provides physical necessities for survival but also a language and guide we can look for healing and introspection.

EFS
EFS 7
EFS
EFS 9
EFS
 direction: Georgia Howe
Grace Guarascio
photo: Jessica Odonoghue
models: Josephine Wolfe
Alex Gill
Jolie Mitchell Germain
Zarina Levitsky
makeup: Amanda Kornfeld
asst. makeup: Charlotte Naftal
writing: Georgia Howe
style: Grace Guarascio
layout: Chiara Marini
bts: Carys Hirawady
pa: Atreyi Roy

EFS
EFS 11
ECDYSIS

EFS
 ECDYSIS
/ekdəsəs/
The shedding of skin
The casting off of the outer cuticle
Molting old feathers to give birth to new
Do not discard that snakeskin
Keep it tight
Under your pillow
And dream of transformation
Transfiguration
Springtime
Symbiosis is spicate and silken
Silk raked through mud
Do not choke
On the flowers that bloom
On your tongue with each
Spoken word
You are tunicate
Laid in concentric layers
Peel back each petal
Pluck away the pappus
And be reborn
In every biosphere.

EFS 13
EFS
EFS
EFS 15
T
he narrative of femaleness was written to domesticate
the wild, feral beauty in every cellular unit.
Softness and femininity are often tied to images of
passivity. Renaissance masters painted femininity in smooth,
watery brushstrokes, lounging on chaise-lounges. They
sculpted forms swathed in silk in an attempt to disguise
the hardness of the marble. They created an image, a stan-
dard, of femaleness, founded on falsehoods.
They say to be soft, feminine, and beautiful is
to smear the edges of your existence. They say it
requires that you defang your danger and wash the
dirt out from under your pink nail beds.
Do not listen to them: softness is inherent and
divine.
The divine feminine is much more raw and
intense than they can stomach. Femaleness is to
shed, like the snake, and reemerge anew. It is to
turn those who cannot bear you to stone. Feminini-
ty is creation through transformation.
Softness is skin and rose petals, but not with-
out the hard exoskeleton that is shed every
lifetime. Beauty, femininity, and thorns are
interdependent. They exist in a symbiotic
relationship.

EFS
HONEYMOON
LAGOON
direction: Penelope Patsis
photo: Dana Albala
style: Celeste Sanchez
make-up artist: Liv Harvey
layout: Khatima Bulmer
model: Kylah Nee

EFS
EFS 17
EFS
 CONSURGO
direction: Julianna DiPaolo, Jessica Zhang
photo: Jessica Zhang
style: Julianna DiPaolo
models: Caroline McGinn, Delaney Roberts, Gia Kim,
Sof Martinez, Thuy Anh Nguyen
writer: Vivian Nguyen
editor: Habeebh Sylla
layout: Marisa Negron
bts video: Em Levy
production: Julianna DiPaolo, Jessica Zhang, Khatima
Bulmer

EFS 19
EFS
EFS 21
EFS
In my head, there’s a conversation I have
with my mother that plays over and over
again:

Mom, I have a confession to make. I

want to get more ear piercings. I want a
tattoo just under my collarbone, a small
tiny one that only a select few would ever
be able to glimpse.

My mom is not shy of her distaste for

an abundance of tattoos and piercings,
ready to combust with her nose curling
unpleasantly every time my little sister
mentions how all her high school friends
are getting another ear piercing and how
she wants one too.

“You girls mature too fast,” She says to us,

tutting disapprovingly. My sister furrows
her eyebrows and opens her mouth. Here
we go again; I think to myself when I see
the defensiveness in her eyes.
“It’s just a piercing.” My sister rolls her
eyes before throwing the dagger, “You
weren’t born in America; you wouldn’t
get it.” She is carelessly cruel in the way
only a teenage girl can be, just like many
of us once were. Just like I once was.
When I was younger, I used to think my
mom was just being mean. How could
she be so flippantly anti-piercing and
tattoo when they’re so cool-looking? I
couldn’t rationalize why she’d think this
way except for the fact that she was being
a hater.
EFS 23
Looking back on each time she stopped
me from dyeing my hair or getting a sec-
ond piercing, I understand now that she
was just concerned about how a signif-
icant majority of the world would per-
ceive me.
I’m descended from two scared children
who fled Vietnam during a war. We’re
people of color (POC). My mom is a
woman of color; I am a woman of color.
We’re not afforded the luxury of going
outside looking like we just rolled out of
bed; while our white peers would be re-
garded as stylish and clean, we’d be per-
ceived as unkempt and lazy.
Looking back on each time she stopped
It’s why my mom always makes sure to
wear her nicest clothing when going to
parent-teacher meetings and brings her
finest jewelry on family vacations. It’s
why she gets upset with my dad for going
to gatherings in his sweaty golf polos and
why, for reasons I could never compre-
hend as a kid, she makes our entire family
show up like we’re fresh off the set of a
Ralph Lauren modeling ad just to gro-
cery shop.
My mom once told me, “You always want
to look presentable. If you look present-
able, people will actually look at you.” I
was in kindergarten.
That is my earliest vivid memory of dia-
logue with my mother.
I’ve carried her words with me as I’ve
grown into my own person, spanning a
pretty normal, sometimes emotionally tu-
multuous, twenty years of life. As a wom-
an of color who grew up in white Amer-
ican suburbia, it feels as though I have
been dressing a certain part my whole
life. I refused to wear skirts for three
years because I heard one of the popular
girls say that skirts were for “lame girls,”
and eight-year-old me knew I didn’t want
to be lumped in with them. At eleven, I
forced my parents to buy me expensive
Lululemon and UGG products that I
didn’t wear after the 9th grade, all so I
could fit in with my friends.
I’ve been learning how to play the game
since I was a little girl, so I’d be consid-
ered an “acceptable” Asian who falls with-
in the conventional standards of Western
attractiveness. Someone that pretty white
girls would want to befriend. I like to
think I’ve mastered this skill pretty well;
I can never say that I’ve beat it, though.
That’s not what winning looks like.
Six-year-olds shouldn’t have to know
the implications that come with wear-
ing a t-shirt with an innocuous dump-
ling graphic on it. Eighteen-year-olds
shouldn’t have to believe that blending
into the crowd is safer than standing out.
Nobody should have to sacrifice their ex-
pression and unique style to be accepted.
We shouldn’t have to surrender to the ex-
pectations of white colonial professional-
ism. Yet, we do anyways.
People of color are held to different stan-
dards than our white peers. Whether in
schools, workplaces, restaurants, or even
our own neighborhoods, racist, classist,
and xenophobic stereotypes are immedi-
ately projected onto POC if they’re not
dressed “appropriately” or in the “right
way.”
Who even gets to decide what looks “pro-
fessional?”
Most notably in workplaces, POC are
expected to look, dress, and act just like
their white counterparts, down to their
physical attributes.
EFS
 There are many stories of Asian women trying to
lessen the slant of their eyes and Black women be-
ing sent home for wearing their natural hair. Re-
gardless of how good we are at our jobs or how
much respect our coworkers have for us, society
is always poised to label POC as “unprofessional.”

EFS 25
Then only 18 years old, Emmy-winning actress Zendaya wore
locs on the red carpet of the 87th Academy Awards. It was
a moment of expression and pride for the actress, who is bira-
cial. Reporter Giuliana Rancic “joked” on E!’s Fashion Police
that Zendaya’s locs must smell like “weed” and “patchouli.” Al-
though Rancic went on to say that her comments were not re-
lated to race but rather that Zendaya’s hair reminded her of a
“chic, hippie look,” it feels safe to call bullshit on that. Unfortu-
nately, locs have long been associated with racist and detrimen-
tal stereotypes towards the Black community. Rancic’s igno-
rance reflects the dangers of industries dominated by whiteness.

EFS
 She belittled a woman of color who
was showcasing how proud she was of
her culture, roots, and identity through
her fashion. Zendaya stepped out of
the “appropriate” and “professional” box
that she was put in by society as a bira-
cial woman when she wore locs to the
Oscars, and the critics didn’t like that.
Professionalism has long strived to sti-
fle diverse expressions of fashion world-
wide simply because it’s seen as an act
of rebellion against colonial standards.
Still, people of color fight back. The
resistance is often subtle, a mere mur-
mur, no louder than a faint whisper. In
response to Rancic’s comments, Zen-
daya took to Instagram, stating that
her locs are a symbol of “strength and
beauty.” Whilst she still condemned
the ignorance and racism, she chose to
focus primarily on the love and pride
she holds for her hair, blackness, and
identity. Her actions showed that she
wouldn’t allow oppressive expectations
to back her into a corner.
The standards and expectations
placed on people of color are unfair
and steeped in a history of discrimina-
tion, racism, and hatred. But more and
more, we are seeing people break down
these boxes. We’re entering spaces that
weren’t originally designed for us and
making them ours,
EFS 26
embracing our uniqueness and stand-
ing out instead of fading into the back-
ground like society wants us to.
There will always be a particular sense
of melancholy I carry inside me when I
think of the standards that I’ll be held
up to in comparison to my white peers.
But while there is sadness, there also
lingers a small, steady fire too, eager
to break these rules and carve my own
route. As I’ve grown older, this defiance
has only grown larger, and I have gone
from strength to strength, going from a
timid little girl who wore whatever the
Queen Bee wore to a woman whose
outfits radiate expression and individ-
uality. I’ve begun to view picking what
I am wearing each day as though I’m
creating art. For the first time in my life,
every time I look in a mirror, I am hap-
py with the clothing that I am wearing.
I am comfortable, and I am confident,
and I am proud. That means more to
me than anyone else’s approval.
“WHO EVEN GETS TO
DECIDE WHAT LOOKS
PROFES SIONAL?”
EFS
 A January weight around my shoulders
My thick discouraged winter coat

Dragged my shoes through snow soaked ground

worn tired and thin leaves mud in my socks
Our bootprints in the snow may get us lost
but as they melt in our spring we walk in step

Small deceits of cloud-broken radiance

reassign long sleeved layers to closets
Though ground no longer feels the frost
Winter’s wind is not so eagerly evicted
and reminds you with a shiver

EFS 28
 Soon you will welcome spring’s breeze
recognizing its new love for you
Gentle caress and whispers in your ear
In new vulnerability flowers birds and trees
your skin let them kiss plant and peck

The sun so sincerely shines

when your life begins to feel less cold
From burdening garments thaw to reflect
the new warmth you feel toward the world

A new wardrobe to feel so

My fresh mindset and its matching outfit

writer Teddy Beamer layout Chiara Marini EFS

images Dall-E Mini AI
FINDING HOME
by Atreyi Roy

EFS
EFS 30
 direction: Atreyi Roy
photo: Kyra Badger
style: Atreyi Roy, Arhana Singhania
makeup: Ariel Coleman, Khatima
Bulmer
models: Riva Vig, Khatima Bulmer,
Arhana Singhania
writer: Atreyi Roy
editor: Arushi Jacob
layout: Ava Scanlon
bts: Amina Adeyola

EFS
 Diary Entry no. 534: I find myself thinking about home
quite often these days. Home being
Mumbai. It’s a funny city. It’s funny
Atreyi’s Big, Fat how the length of a journey there is not
measured by distance but by time. It’s

Existential Crisis #1 funny how 100 Rs (approximately 1.22

dollars) can get you an entire meal or
nothing at all, depending on which part
of the city you are in. There is chaos at
all times, but still glimpses of harmony
within its midst. The city is a strange
mashup of the East and West in its ar-
chitecture and its people—mannerisms
of the East, ideologies of the West, and
fashion from all over.
Mumbai being a melting pot of
different subcultures, both from
within the country and outside

EFS
EFS 32
of it, inspires me to dress the way I do. Wearing
jhumkas with leather jackets, kurtis with cargo
pants, and chudiya with sundresses. The fusion of In-
dian and western clothes helps me represent my Indian
roots which have become a larger part of my identity
since coming to America. In India, I was always
surrounded by other brown people. Here, I’m not.
I wonder whether it is the lack of a community or the
physical place that makes me miss “home.” Returning to
Mumbai after leaving for the first time just three months
ago felt familiar. Yet, there was something missing. I longed
for “home” even though I was home.
The home I left behind and returned to was not the
same despite most objects, spaces, and material things re-
maining unchanged. Maybe, it was my old self I longed for.
I came back somewhat an adult, while I’d left as a kid who
wanted more in her life than being stuck in a place where she
wouldn’t be able to pursue her dreams.
I’ve grown and I want to keep growing,
but at times, I crave the curiosity and
naivety I held as an adolescent. I will
always call Mumbai my first home,
the city of dreams. Much like its
name, the city made me dream of
bigger things. Still, it will serve as a
reminder of my longing for the older
self and alienation from a past life.
At times, I want to jump ahead into
the future and some days I miss
myself and home.
- Roy <3

EFS
EFS
EFS 33
EFS
 “Thus, the search
for “home” continues!
Who knows? I might
find it here.”

EFS
EFS
 ON THE
FAIRY
W I N G S
OF TIME
by Elisa Davidson
E veryone has that picture. You
know, that picture. Of you wearing a
fairy costume and pajamas, or maybe
a dastardly attempt at a haircut from
yours truly. This picture captures you
as a kid. The essence of you. These
are the pictures your family members
treasure the most because “You used
to be so sweet when you were young-
er!” It’s always weird to look at those
slightly blurred faces and realize it’s
you. You’ve grown and changed; the
little kid with the giant fairy wings is
a new person. Getting older, you’ve
become someone who swears they
are unique. Fashion has turned into
a new type of expression. But how
does this perception of self and fash-
ion change as we grow?
EFS 37
As a child, there are fewer limitations
on who you can be and what you
can wear. There is a certain freedom
in your imagination. You have the
innate ability to choose playground
activities and your active imagina-
tion over acting (and dressing) like a
grown-up. You’re a kid, and kids are
allowed to dream. Clothes feel a lot
more like dreams when you’re young-
er, something for you to grow into
and explore. No one’s stopping you
from saying you want to be an astro-
naut when you grow up or telling you
that growing fairy wings is unrealis-
tic. At that young age, even a trip to
the grocery store is a reason to pull
out last year’s Halloween costume.
 Identity is fluid when you’re still in the
discovery phase of your life. In “Mother Knows
Best?” Cook, Kaiser, and Rawlins discuss how
“Mixed emotions regarding gender, sexuality,
and age are reflected in tween girls’ clothing
and appearances… They re-dress their bodies
in line with their changing identities and sens-
es of self.” This explains the essence of what is
captured in every childhood photo, a moment
in the journey of figuring out who you are,
trying on new costumes, new yous, and some-
times wearing whatever you’re told to wear.
When you grow older, fashion becomes
a tool to form your identity in a very different
way. Clothes take on a different meaning in a
world that puts great focus on self-presentation
and individuality. Now, we’re trying to stand
out. Something fundamental changes about
this dynamic between yourself and the world
as you age, forcing you to consider fashion
more seriously. You’re no longer playing ev-
er-changing characters— you’re the character.
“I had long wrestled with how to dress in a way
that I could feel like the most authentic version
of myself, experiencing firsthand the uplifting
moments of success, and the discomfort of
feeling like a look wasn’t representing the true
me,” said Cara Doiron in her thesis paper titled
“Constructing Identity Through the Lens of
Fashion,” discussing identity and fashion. For
many people,
“Fashion isn’t about
who you want to be
anymore, it’s about
who you are.”
fashion becomes a way to express the inner self
to the outside world in a way that might have
felt overwhelming or difficult as a child. Your
personality has fully formed, and clothing be-
comes less of a dream and more of a reality. The
world cannot see you for who you are inside, so
you have to show it. Those clothes your mom
picked out for you when you were little because
they “made you look so cute” might not be right
for you anymore. Maybe you feel they don’t
adequately represent the darkness inside of you.
Maybe you just aren’t a fan of cute little shorts.
Fashion isn’t about who you want to be any-
more; it’s about who you are.
Sense of self changes for some people
and not so much for others. It can be difficult
to tell how your fashion sense forms who you
are as an adult or even what stayed and what
went. Some people think that they’ve changed
very little from when they were children or that
certain traits were always shown in them from
when they were younger. Others think that the
way they view themselves and others has shifted
in a fundamental way. Both fashion and being
human are things that many people deal with in
different ways.
It can be difficult to understand the in-
tricacies of that moment when you look at that
old picture. The surprise. The disgust or affec-
tion for the person you used to be. The sense of
distance, but also recognition. Knowing that
if you wore those same clothes now, no matter
what, you’d wear them differently. Accepting
that change. You look back at that photo of
yourself, and maybe the child looking back
now would see you with some sense of wonder.
You’re everything they didn’t know they could
be. Who knows, maybe you look like one of
those older kids who you used to pass by on the
street. You’d follow them with your eyes, taking
in their clothes. And you’d say, “Wow, I want to
be just like them when I grow up.”
EFS
 by Libby Wilkins

direction: Libby Wilkins

photo: Hannah-Mia Hinds
style: Amaya Gonzalez-Mollmann, Liv Miller
makeup: Liv Miller
models: Sophia Drummond, Marissa Vilanova, Camila
Perez Herrera, Maya Wright, Justina Thompson
writer: Libby Wilkins
layout: Ava Scanlon
bts: Justina Thompson
production: Ellie Carlin

EFS 39
 I wanted to give them a space ded-
icated to documenting the stories
that made them who they have be-
come, whether it be a childhood an-
ecdote, or fond memories they can
recall of those who raised them. As
I move through my newfound adult-
Carolyn Wilkins, Mid-1990’s hood, reconnecting with where I
came from and who I was, and how
I have a photo of my grandmother, who that translates into who I am now is
something that I have a specific and
I call Grammy, from around the late 80s
ruthless desire to engage with. This
or early 90s. She’s wearing these massive
is why this project is so personal to
reading glasses, which she thinks are
me. I want to thank my beautiful
ridiculous, but I love them. Everyone
friends - some of whom I am well
takes the time to note to me how much
aware do not enjoy the spotlight -
they think we look alike, which I never
for helping me turn my life’s struggle
agreed with when I was younger. I al-
into something tangible, that hope-
ways thought my face was too round and
fully everyone can find some solace
my hair was too flat, and my smile wasn’t
in. This is for you to keep. Thank
gummy enough to make the cut, but I’m
you.
20 now, and I can say in confidence that
it’s an honor to see it manifest more as I
- Creative Director, Libby Wilkins
age with her. With this project, I wanted
to give those who are closest to me an
opportunity to see that same, almost bit-
tersweet comparison that I see every time
I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror. I
see my Grammy, the woman whose blood
I proudly share, and whose perspective I
have spent years trying to understand for
myself. I know my friends well, but

EFS
 Serpil Ergin, 1983

EFS 41
Marissa Vilanova, 2023

EFS
 Lalty Jackson, Early 1970’s

EFS 43
Maya Wright, 2023
EFS
 Ann Marie Drummond, 1988

EFS 45
Sophia Drummond, 2023

EFS
 Elizabeth Herrera, 2000

EFS 47
Camila Perez Herrera, 2023

EFS
 Justina “Jeanie” Thompson, 2009

EFS 49
Justina “Jeanie” Thompson, 2023

EFS
EFS 51
EFS
In an effort to give well-deserved acclaim to
Black, fem, and non-binary musical artists of
the past and future, we sat down with Emer-
son creatives Lydia Aga, Christina Brown,
and Nahisha Jackson. Our favorite WECB
radio show hosts walked us through their
perspectives on music and how they navigate
artistic expression and spaces at our primar-
ily white institution. On Fridays from 9-10
AM, Lydia hosts Diggin’ Thru Da Diaspo-
ra, where she dispels the one-dimensional
perspective of Black music by presenting the
musical variety and cultural influences of
the entire African Diaspora. On Mondays
from 5-6 PM, you can tune into Sonic
Theory. On her show, Chris
explores niche musical
movements and es-
oteric subcultures.
Behind the intri-
cate and carefully

Lydia

EFS 53
 curated playlists is an opportunity to approach un-
derstanding the history and future of these obscure
genres outside of Western ideologies and contexts.
Nahisha’s slogan on Certified Haters is “I’m Black
and right”, and that they are. In a creative space that
begrudgingly relies upon the authenticity of Black
talent to succeed, Nahisha makes it a point to defend
their voice and ‘give credit where credit is due.’ You
can catch their show every Thursday from 6-7 pm.
Black fem, queer, and nonbinary
artists don’t get enough recog-
nition in real-life, let alone
on our PWIs campus.
Still, they deserve to
be celebrated.
Nahisha

Chris

EFS
EFS 55
 Maya Wright:
What is the creative direction of your show?

Lydia
I just play a mix of things that are in my rotation, but sometimes I’ll purposely play a
song that gets sampled by something and then the song that samples it just to show
that sounds familiar to that song, and it’s putting the pieces together about how
they’re connected. I try to always have something from continental Africa, from the
Caribbean, or from multiracial Black people and try to show every type of identity
within the diaspora through my shows, and then sometimes I want to focus just on
the Caribbean just on Africa just on North East US West coast and just tying in art-
ists that are connected to each other.

Chris
For my show, I like for each playlist to explore music theory outside of music com-
position and outside Western ideology. I’ll play house music, but I’ll go deeper than
that and talk about New York drum and bass and how that influenced UK drum and
bass. Then I have one playlist called “The Sample of the Soul” to talk about how soul
music and hip-hop are interconnected. I also mix that in with talking about the art
of the remix, to talk about how integral remixing is to not only Black culture outside
hip-hop but R&B with Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, and the symbiotic relationship
that musicians have with DJs and their communities and live performance because
I also think in this day and age music tends to exist in a vacuum we consume it like
content, but music is not content. Artists are not content; they make art like there’s
culture, history, theory behind what they’re doing, and we should listen for it.

Nahisha
This season, I was focusing exclusively on Black artists, whereas last season, I did not
focus exclusively on Black artists. Then season two is pretty similar in terms of just
exploring the ways that Black artists have influenced every single kind of music, but
also Black artists, that, not only their music but maybe their style or their politics that
have been really important to crafting their creative image and how that has also been
influential. Like, I had a Kelis episode where I talked about that. I talked about her
style and how people like Doja Cat and even Nicki Minaj are very similar to what she
was doing before them. But my show is really about giving credit where credit is due
and being able to analyze, think critically, and go into history and figure out what has
been going on and what will continue to go on. I know that sometimes people will
talk about new artists or people talk about music like it’s bad to be influenced by other
things, and that’s the point; it’s not bad to be influenced by other people that have
come before you; it’s natural and a part of what makes art as a collective exchange
worth it.

EFS
IN OUR DISCUSSION, we lamented how music is consumed
within predominantly white, male, cishet spaces, especially here at Emerson. All
too frequently are the same five names of male artists regurgitated by white mu-
sic critics. Their stances on black music lack the necessary nuance and frame of
reference to go further than discussing the accomplishments of Kendrick Lamar,
Kanye West, or Tyler the Creator. Even in their infatuation with these artists,
the appreciation tends to come across as voyeurism, prioritizing who these art-
ists are rather than the ability and ingenuity that goes into their work. As self-de-
clared music nerds, our subjects combat these superficial discussions with their
radio shows. By highlighting their favorite artists, they make room for different
names to be added to the monotonous discourse surrounding music history. Ke-
lis, Janet Jackson, and Mariah Carey are just a few of these tastemakers’ favor-
ite artists. What do these remarkable women have in common? Each of their
legacies, as significant as their respective influences on popular culture may be,
tend to go under-appreciated. Particularly as they tend to be overshadowed due
to the prevailing chauvinistic exploitation of women that exists within music..

Similarly to our subjects, Kelis, Jackson, and Carey have always approached
music daringly as they effortlessly toyed with the through lines between genres
such as hip-hop, r&b, rock, house, and funk. Their sound brought a new vari-
ation to the sounds of the artists before them. Mariah fused r&b and hip-hop
in the early 90s to the present day in ways never before seen. Let our subjects
tell it, Janet Jackson’s entire career and artistry are the blueprint for mod-
ern pop artists. Kelis channeled all of her unfiltered Black girl rage and put a
unique sound out there for other Black, alternative people to lean into. These
women, like our interviewees, would not allow all of the nuances within them
to be put into a box for the consumption of white audiences. Their sound
made others realize that being a Black woman and making alternative music,
or having an unorthodox style are not incongruent. In their own way, these
DJs are doing similar work here at Emerson. As well as their artistic influenc-
es, their upbringings are what laid the basis for their love for DJing and music.

EFS 57
 Maya Wright
How were you first introduced to DJing as something that just exists and then as some-
thing that you wanted to pursue?

Chris
I’m from the Bronx so, so it was never an option to not know. My grandma was there at
the Herc (DJ Kool Herc) shows and parties. And my grandfather was a drummer, so mu-
sic was really prevalent in the house. Especially being from New York, like if you’re not lit
in the house parties, you’re banned, you’re going to Jersey. Like, you’re not rocking with us.

Growing up, DJ-ing was something kinda thrown in my face because, again, my family was
the DJs at the parties; it was an honor to do it. I learned guitar, but I hated playing because
it fucked up my fingers. I did piano, but it fucked me up because my hands were too small,
and then I realized I didn’t like composing music in that way, and I was like, I’m fucking
with DJing a lot. I love sampling.

Lydia
My dad plays guitar, it was more so just a hobby of his, and he learned by ear, which is real-
ly cool. My uncle is an artist, so he was always part of the Harlem art community. We used
to go to record stores together, and I would know the owners, and it was just really cool
older guys just kind of seeing the records and seeing what they put out. I just see DJs as
the moderators of vibes. They get to create this beautiful environment and also be able to
put people on to new stuff, which is really important. For me, I just like to be able to show
people different parts of the world, different sounds they’ve never heard of. I’m also a huge
sample nerd. I find the history and evolution of music to be really beautiful. Sampling, I
feel, gives people access to things that they don’t have the money or resources to get. I love
talking about music; I love listening to music, I love showing people music.

Nahisha
I developed it from my sister. My sister’s nine years older than me. Growing up, she was
always playing R&B, early 2000s R&B, pop-punk. She was a huge Paramore fan, super
into Alicia Keys, Brandy, Mya and as I got older, music just became a really big part of my
life. I found it really fun to make playlists. I guess my first DJing type of thing that I was do-
ing was making playlists, and finding similarities between certain songs. I was doing that
since I started making playlists when I was thirteen. I always found myself always recom-
mending music to my friends. And that being something that was really exciting to me was
whenever they would ask “Oh, What should I listen to?” or “Do you have anything new?” I
was always really excited to answer those kinds of questions. I was also just giving people
my unsolicited opinions so I was like why don’t I just do that on air?
EFS
EFS
EFS 59
In their personal lives, our interviewees
were surrounded by environments that
fostered their love for music and support-
ed their perspectives as Black creatives.
Though, at Emerson, everyone felt similar
feelings of hearing their people, but not
seeing enough of them. Fortunately for
us they didn’t let this hinder their ability
and desire to express themselves. A lot
of Black music being played by their
white peers failed to understand the
proper sensitivity and cultural mean-
ing that was needed to air it. The radio
shows at Emerson WECB lacked the
input of Black voices and music
which desperately needed to be
pointed out to the masses.

EFS
 “I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES
PEOPLE WILL TALK ABOUT
NEW ARTISTS OR PEOPLE
TALK ABOUT MUSIC LIKE
IT’S BAD TO BE INFLU-
ENCED BY OTHER THINGS,
AND THAT’S THE POINT;
IT’S NOT BAD TO BE INFLU-
ENCED BY OTHER PEOPLE
THAT HAVE COME BEFORE
YOU; IT’S NATURAL AND A
PART OF WHAT MAKES ART
AS A COLLECTIVE
EXCHANGE WORTH IT.”

EFS 61
 Maya Wright
What made you pursue DJing here at Emerson? Was it something you’ve always
done and wanted to continue, or is this something new for you? Did you know
about it before coming here?

Chris
I knew Emerson had radio shows before I came here, but, full disclaimer, Emerson
was my last choice. Then I got here, and I didn’t see a lot of niggas, period. That
was really scary for me because at the time there were no Black DJs. I felt discour-
aged because I didn’t want to be the only person sharing my culture because I’m also
a firm believer in no white DJs, and it just felt like the antithesis of what I was grow-
ing up and saw. But, I found Lydia’s Instagram and I was really scared that they
were a white person but Jeanie assured me that Lydia was Black and I was like okay,
you’re sick, you’re sick! I’m fucking with this. Lydia really encouraged me, even with-
out trying to, to just apply to the show, and that it’s okay to just be Black in these
white spaces. You can go beyond co-existing, like even pretending they’re not there.

Lydia
I felt like there was nothing new on WECB or no radio show back that wasn’t doing
anything deeper than just being like, “I have the best music taste in the world; let
me show you these same eight alternative albums! Let’s play Boy Genius!” Even the
Black music or Black culture white people on campus listen to look woke is always
the corniest people of the community. For me, I just wanted to show people other
parts of the Black diaspora because, for them, their only interactions with Black
people is appropriating African American culture. Everything you love is coming
from Black people, and I know Nahisha’s show Certified Haters has a similar ethos
which is really cool but I know for me, I wanted to show the world Black identi-
ty through music, and there wasn’t any show that was accomplishing something
similarly. As someone who loves music, I wasn’t HEARING my people and I was
scared.

Nahisha
When I had the idea for Certified Haters, I knew for a fact that I wanted to talk on
it. I wanted it to be a pop culture slash music analysis, where I was drawing a lot of
comparisons between certain artists. That’s why on my show, I will have a theme.
My first episode was Afrofuturism, and I will usually just talk a little bit about what
Afrofuturism was and then how that relates to music. Usually, I will go into history
and music history to be able to learn more about Black music history.
EFS
EFS 63
 Chris, Lydia, and Nahisha’s shows, alongside other
WECB shows with Black hosts, are creating even
more space for diverse Black opinions and identities.
All of their perspectives provide us with styles and in-
sights that have been overlooked, which is even more
reason to tune in. Through this candid conversation,
we aimed to give these three amazing DJs their flow-
ers, open New Eyes to their work, and honor the leg-
acies of artists who, like them, deserve more credit for their
visions and cultural contributions. Listening to Black music the right way
means acknowledging the history and cultural significance behind songs
and artists; while recognizing the contributions of Black queer, fem, and
non-binary creators and how they have pushed culture forward. We too
often disregard their work to further dote on the same list of male artists
which, quite frankly, does a disservice to our
understanding of music as a language and
art form. To continue this exploration and
appreciation of Black queer, fem, and
non-binary brilliance, scan the QR code
and further support these artists.

EFS
 direction: Marisa Negron
direction
photo: Sydney Ciardi
photo
style: Brooke Vickerman
models
models: Anthony Spidell, River
Caraballo, Liz Farias, and Indigo
Pinedo
editorial: Ananya Dutta
editorial
layout: Marisa Negron
style
bts: Anthony Jakobs
layout
production: Emilie Dumas

EFS 65
 THE
AMERICAN
WING

EFS
EFS
EFS 67
Anachronous eyes watch
as you wander through the
“American” wing of a museum.
They belong to men who lead
courts in powdered wigs and
women who walked the streets
in puffy, Elizabethan dresses.
The portraits, hanging with
gold-rimmed edges, stare back
at you and seem to interrogate
you: “What are you doing
here?” The question hangs
heavy in the stillness of the
gallery. As you look up at the
portraits, it’s almost impossible
not to acknowledge that the
vast difference between your
two worlds feels like an ever-
widening chasm. At some point
in history, things began to
shift, and now the gaze of the
“American” wing doesn’t feel
quite so American anymore.

The American Wing returns

this gaze and coolly answers the
question posed earlier— “what
are you doing here.” It challenges
the dissonance between our
modern-day diversity and
traditionally homogenous
American art exhibitions.
This photoshoot opens the
door to artistic representation
that embraces the myriad of
identities, backgrounds, values,
and innovations which have
generously shaped American
culture as we know it. As you
enter our reimagined gallery, we
invite you to join us in reflecting
upon classical American fashion
with new eyes.

EFS
Liz
“I go for things I like and I emulate that in my fashion. I
would go into my dad’s closet and take his sweaters from
when he was a teenager. My mom’s color palette. The
beach style in Rio. I’m first-gen, so I grew up with a heavy
Brazilian influence. For fashion influencers… Wisdom Kaye,
Nailea Devora, and Emma Chamberlain are big ones. To
me, American fashion is that intersection between being
Brazilian and American.”

EFS 69
Anthony
“Pharrell Williams, Shai Gilgeous-
Alexander, and Jeremy Pope. Just
their freedom of expression through
fashion in addition to all of them being
Black men… I’m able to see myself
represented in that way.
I’m all about expression. Being able to
express yourself through your clothing
no matter what the previous standard
was is important to me. Like, I wear
pearls. I’m from Michigan and when I
came home for Thanksgiving break it
was kind of like, “Oh, you’re wearing
pearls?” And I was like, “Wait, no we’re
redefining what that means.” Being
able to give new definition and new
meaning to things that historically
meant something different is what
American fashion means to me.”

EFS
 Indigo
“I have an eclectic mix of styles.
Janelle Monae, underground hip
hop streetwear, and hippie fashion Now, finally, it’s allowing people
as well… like the new age kind of to be really expansive when it
stuff. comes to expressing themselves.
Fashion has to evolve over time
To me, American fashion is how
because if it doesn’t then we’re
people perform their gender
mentally, emotionally and socially
identity, their sexuality… the
kinda stuck.”
parts of their identity they choose
to make apparent. It’s an anti-
oppressive force. For centuries it’s
been a way of confining people.
EFS 71
EFS
River
“I like to dabble in everything;
60s and 70s… right now a little
bit of 80s and 90s. You won’t
see me with the same aesthetic
twice.
Growing up first-generation
in America, I’m obviously
influenced a lot by American
trends, but I don’t want that
to be seen as whitewashing or
overtaking my culture — I’m
Colombian & Puerto Rican.
Just because I dress like the
typical American teenager
doesn’t mean that my culture is
erased. What I’m wearing is to
show that people of color can
wear American fashion too. ”

EFS
EFS 73
EFS
direction: Kasvi Bhatia
photo: Alejandra Cordova Rubio
style: Sophie Roberts-Fishman
models: Aaryika Jaipuria, Andrea Mendez, Cordelia
Kelly, Kasvi Bhatia, Risa Michiwaki
writer: Teddy Beamer
editor: Arushi Jacob
layout: Emilie Dumas

THE
THE PRISONE
PRISONE

EFS 75
 Emerging from the darkness, forms of color, forms of light.
After extended periods with lack of visual stimulus, the eye
and brain work together to create visions, hallucintions in the
mind of the alone. This is The Prisoner’s Cinema, a phenomenon
caused by phosphenes within the eye.

A similar scene can be simulated by gently applying pres-

sure to your closed eyelids. While scientists have found a prac-
tical explanation for the prisoner’s cinema, many throughout
history have cited this as a deeply spiritual event, believing
some divine force presents itself to them in their moments of
seclusion.

ER’S
ER’S CINEMA
CINEMA

EFS
 Holi, in the Hindu tradition, serves as a similar explo-
sion of vibrance amid bleakness. Holi is an ancient holiday,
the festival of color, love, and spring, and is particularly sig-
nificant to the Hindu religion and the culture of India. The
celebration exists as a day to forgive and to love, to cleanse
your life of unnecessary bitterness, and fill your world with
color. Spreading this color is an important part of the holiday.
Each spring, as a metaphorical transfer of love and peace
to others, dyes and paints are tossed and smeared, staining
crowds of peoples’ clothes and skin.

EFS 77
Holi was celebrated during
March this year and in-
spired Kasvi Bhatia, the
creative director of this
photoshoot, to visualize
the concept of the pris-
oner’s cinema through
the context of Holi. Set
in blackness, the pastel
powders which blow and
stain the models represent
the visions seen by those
in isolation. In a twist, the
usual lackluster disposable
white garments worn by
those celebrating Holi are
traded for properly styled
and fashionable outfits.

EFS
EFS 79
“When I invite people who are not
Indian to Holi, they usually say ‘What’s that?’
or they say ‘Oh, I wouldn’t be welcomed,’ and that’s
something that sparks a trigger in me,” says Bha-
tia. Holi, being a celebration of acceptance and love,
is welcome for anybody to celebrate, a concept that
Bhatia wanted to express through this project by us-
ing models of all races and from all places. The Em-
erson College students shown in the photos are Risa
Michiwaki from Tokyo, Japan; Andrea Sofía Méndez
from Toa Alta, Puerto Rico; Cordelia Kelly from Den-
ver, USA; Aaryika Jaipuria from Bangalore, India, and
of course, Kasvi Bhatia of Dubai, UAE & Delhi, India.

Cordelia Kelly was excited to learn about Holi

through the process of the shoot. “I think it [was] such
a wonderful way to celebrate Holi and I’m glad I got to
participate,” she says. Aaryika Jaipuria appreciated
the photoshoot’s authenticity and ability to express
the beauty of Holi, to “create such a beautiful interpre-
tation of color and natural beauty for the magazine.”
As The Prisoner’s Cinema comes to those in dark-
ness, and as Holi serves as a reminder to find the
light and beauty in the world and share it with oth-
ers, let this photoshoot remind you to do the same.

EFS
T
here’s a pile of gold jewelry on the bed, glint-
ing in the afternoon sun. Wrapped in scarves,
nestled in velvet— some dull, some bright—
my grandmother’s careful hands sort her jewelry
into four piles. In the midst of one of her dramatic
anticipations of death, she decides now is the time
to divide up her jewelry among her four grand-
daughters. The only one still in India, I sit across the
bed, running my hands over the smooth curves and
jagged edges of her collection, listening to the soft
clinking sounds. A rainbow of bangles inlaid with
colorful stones, small dangling earrings with pearls,
flat squares of metal on strings of beads, each piece
seems to have a different story. She tells me about
their significance: wedding presents, mementos
from trips across the world, pieces borrowed from
and never returned to her sisters. There’s a particu-
lar ring I love, and when my grandmother sees me
looking, she presses it into my palm. “What’s the use
of it sitting in my closet?” She asks as I try to refuse.
“This way, it’ll see a little life.”
EFS
EFS 81
The first time I wore that ring was two years
later, the day I started packing for college. I’d let it sit
in the jewelry box on my dresser through the coro-
navirus pandemic, forgetting it was there. Though,
once I was reminded of its existence, I never wanted
to take it off. I twisted it around my finger as my
plane crossed the Pacific, each revolution a reminder
of my home, of the meaningful and historical cultur-
al heritage I possessed.
Scars from the British’s 75-year occupation
and colonization of India remain deep and evident.
Reminders of the wound manifest in the way the
country tries to run from itself. Whether it’s the
food on our plates, the languages on our tongues, or
the clothes on our bodies, with each passing year,
India grows more and more Westernized. With each
generation, the blending of the two seems inextri-
cably interwoven, especially within clothing. Long
gone are the days of loose cotton salwar kameez and
dupattas, replaced by the West’s staples; jeans and
obscure band tees, crop tops and cargo pants, shorts,
 Something Old,
direction: Arushi Jacob
photo: Carys Hirawady
models: Ayaana Nayak,
Ayesheh Jasdanwalla,

Something New
Krusha Mehta
writer: Arushi Jacob
editor: Vivian Nguyen
bts: Nicole Townsend
production: Mariia Lykhtar
videographer: Reagan Lynch

skirts, and spaghetti straps that make the heat more but most powerful forms of reinvention. There’s a cer-
bearable. tain kind of freedom in taking something with cen-
Few below the age of 50 wear traditional turies of history and making it your own. The passing
clothing in India now. Indian clothes are reserved down of jewelry is the continuation of life. The jewelry
for religious holidays and ceremonies: floor- is the central character, and each generation brings a
length silk skirts for Diwali and stiff sari new perspective in a different setting with a unique set
blouses for temple visits. With in- of supporting characters. Holding on to generations of
creasing globalization, there’s not jewelry and adornment practices is one of the simplest
a country in the world that is ex- ways to keep your home close to your heart. It’s a
empt from its culture changing re- minder of the people and places you love
in accordance with the West, and the memories you share with them.
adapting to their interests Feeling particularly nostalgic,
and opinions. There’s a lin- I put on my grandmother’s
gering cultural impact of their ring and swap my hoops out
rule, a not quite gone need for heavy, intricate pieces
to imitate their behavior in of metal, feeling my con-
hopes of acceptance and ap- fidence instantly boost.
proval. The world is growing I watch as brown girls
closer to each other than ever, walk the streets, each
but all of globalization comes with their unique
from the return of colonizers armor. Tiny golden
to their home country, taking nose rings, jhumkas
stolen pieces of various cultures brush against bare
with them, permanently linking shoulders, paayals
them to their occupied countries. chime around their
When that link is severed and a coun- ankles as they walk.
try obtains independence, the colonizing Someone out there
country gets to keep all they have gained, while loves us; some-
the colonized find themselves open and vulnera- one wants us to
ble, looking for something to depend on. Decades, remember where
sometimes centuries, of conformity are impossible we come from,
to erase and the effects of colonization remain inter- know our
twined with daily life. India’s growing habit of only culture, and
wearing Western clothing isn’t seen as something preserve
strange or sad; it’s just the way things are. I had our
never known any different or felt the need to express roots.
where I come from; until I moved halfway across the
world and missed my country and family so much I
couldn’t breathe sometimes. More than anything, I
wanted to find a way to keep them close.
Embracing your roots is one of the strangest
EFS
 THREADS OF
CONNECTION by Delaney Roberts
edited by Teddy Beamer
“We need to return to the foundation of love if we want to grow” - Pastor Ivan

My friend Rebecca and I decided to aimlessly wander the streets of Boston on one of
the sunnier Saturdays in February. One turn led to another, and we found ourselves
at Copley Mall. Walking past stores full of merchandise, from clothing to chocolate,
and kiosks offering phone repairs, we came across a captivating man and his wife.
Pastor Ivan and Jeanette. Now, I’m writing this piece.

The couple approached us, complimented our outfits, and initiated a conversation
from which we learned a lot about one another. Pastor Ivan owns a fashion brand
called Jamon, inspired by his mother and his own love for fashion. The encounter
stuck with me so much that I knew I needed a chance to talk to him again.

On a chilly evening, Rebecca and I were waiting in Downtown Boston’s Tatte when
we saw a man in a fluffy, light-washed brown fur hat and coat walk in. Of course, it
was none other than Pastor Ivan himself arriving at the interview he so graciously
agreed to do with us. We exchanged greetings and jumped right into conversation
like no time had passed since meeting two weeks prior.

“Every Wednesday night is date night with my wife and me,” he said, “you know my
wife loves you guys because, on her date night, she let me do this interview…some-
times we get comfortable with our companions, and we just settle. You don’t settle,”
and he continued by explaining, “This is why tonight is date night.”

Ever since Pastor Ivan was a child, he was attuned to his mother’s fashionability. She
would dress up him and his seven siblings cleanly, earning them compliments every-
where they went. Ivan eventually took a liking to fashion, and since the 80s, he hasn’t
stopped experimenting with his style, accessories, and clothing, “I never wanted to
look like anybody else.” He took a risk and started to make custom clothing which
he described as “enhancing people’s appearance” and “bringing people out of their
comfort zone.”

EFS 83
Once
Oncewhile styling
styling aayoung
whilestyling youngman,
young man,
man, Pastor
Pastor
Pastor Ivan Ivan
Ivan noticedespecially
withinsecure
how me Blackso hismuch love,because
client is so
felt important.
in the love,
unique Black
especially
cloth-
ing, andhow
noticed how insecure
askedinsecurefor his trust. his The
his client
client young feltman’
felt inin the
sthe love
outfit ended
Black isupso important
being
love, isa so
success; to the
important.people world loved
Black because,
it.
loveWhenis for
so
he seesclothing,
unique people, heand wants asked
asked them fortohis
for his trust.different.
all look
trust. The When
The aimportant
longhetime, studies lovethe
to wasworld
others’ the only
outfits, thing
he
because, Black
imagines
for a cer- peo-
long
tain
young man’s man’s outfit
features heoutfit ended
would ended up
add to up being
make being aa suc-
them suc-
unique. He ple hadlove
explained,
time, to express
“When
was the themselves.
you only thingIt’sBlack
can take people so connect-
and put
people
people loved
cess; people something
loved it. it. When on
When he them that
he sees enhances
sees people,
people, them,ed it
had changes
with to our their
express whole
creativity, character.”
themselves. fashion, It’s and identity.
so connect-
wants them
he wants them to to allall look
lookdifferent.
different.When Whenhe he ed with our creativity, fashion, and identity.
The clothes that he styles people in are from his aforementioned brand, Jamon. “Jamon is very cre-
others’ outfits,
studies others’ outfits, he he imagines
imagines certain certain For the sake of my own curiosity, I asked Pas-
ative. I can dress Jamon up, I can dress Jamon down.” He further described the versatility of the
features he wouldwould add addto tomakemakethem themunique. unique. tor
ForIvan
brand, “Jamon is just about moving on now. There’s a lot more that life has to offer. You don’t have
the sake whatofdrew my own himcuriosity,
to Rebecca I asked andPas- me
He
He explained,
explained,
to sit there and“When “When
stay in the you
you can take
can
situation take
you’re people
people that
in. It’s about tor day
Ivaninwhat
moving theOne
on.” mall.
drew ofWithout
himthings
the surprise,
to Rebecca
that life andhe con-
has tome
and put put something
something on on them them that that enhanc-enhanc- cluded
that dayour
offer is love. in the conversation
mall. Without beautifully,
surprise, he saying,
con-
es them, it changes changes their their whole whole character.character.” ” “You
cluded twoour were so fashionably,
conversation casually saying,
beautifully, astute.
When we first met, Pastor Ivan was telling us howThere’s “You
he was twono
onwereway
his 34thIsocould walk by casually
fashionably,
anniversary you all
with hisand not
astute.
wife.
The
The clothes that
clothes
Witnessing thatdynamic
the he hestyles
styles peoplehim
people
between ininare are
andfrom from compliment
his wife and There’s
their no way
healthy youIandall.
could Youwalk
long know by youyou look
relationship, allI and good,
asked not
his aforementioned
aforementioned
Pastor Ivan, what does brand,
brand,BlackJamon. Jamon.
love mean “Jamonto you,isand but
“Jamon nobody
compliment
why wants
is it important? you all. to
He say
You anything
said, know
“Black youbecause
look
love they
good,
is very,
very
is verycreative.
very important.
creative. I can dress
II say
can todressJamon
my wife
Jamon up,
all the Iup,
can
time,I dress
can hate
and I say but on
to people
nobody you.” Wetime,
all wants
the were both
to ‘Never
say wearing
stop
anything black,
courting.’”
because
JamonJamon
He
dress down.”
continued, He ”further
down. “Black love
He further described
is creative
described the versa-
in itself.
the Love washed
is creative
they hate denim on jeans.
in you.” IWe
itself because waswere wearing
love bothmy
is never Billie
easy.
wearing
tility of theofbrand,
But when
versatility you endure
the brand, “Jamon love,
“Jamon is justis about
and when you
just about mov-
strive to Eilish
black,Xwashed
continue Nike denim
to love, Sequoia
it makes green
jeans.it all hoodie
the
I was better.”
wearing with sa
It’my
ingclear
movingon Pastor
now.
on now. Ivan
There’s views
There’s a lot aalllotparts
more more ofthat
that life from
lifelifehashasthe
to powerful
Billielens
brown jacket
Eilish of Xanover
artist,
Nike “There
itSequoia
and some is aChuck
green creativity
hoodie 70s toto
with
to our
offer. Black
offer.You expression
Youdon’t don’thave havethat to
to sit wethere
sit bringand out stay
and instay
our fashion
inin goa andwith
brown our looks
it.jacket
Rebecca that
overmanywas
it and will
wearing
somenot Chuck
even
a long tell70s
us,to
white
but it inspires them. They look and say, ‘Who do they think they are.’” Everything he said resonated
the situation you’re you’re in. in. It’s
It’saboutaboutmoving movingon. on.”
” sleeve
go with turtleneck
it. Rebecca paired with a apuffer
was wearing long white vest.
with me so much because love, especially Black love, is so important. Black love is so important to
One of the thingsthings that thatlife lifehas hasto tooffer
offerisislove. love. sleeve turtleneck paired with a puffer vest.
the world because, for a long time, love was the only thing Black people had to express themselves.
It’s so connected with our creativity, Meeting fashion, the and wise and uplifting Pastor Ivan
identity.
When we first met, Pastor PastorIvan Ivanwas wastellingtellingusus reminded
Meeting the me wise that and fashionupliftingcan helpPastorcreate Ivan
howForhehe was
thewassakeon on his34th
of his
my 34thcuriosity,
own anniversary
anniversary I asked with
with his Ivan
his
Pastor bondswhatwith
reminded drewme others.
himthat Simply
fashioncomplimenting
to Rebecca canmehelp
and day a
thatcreate
wife.
in theWitnessing
Witnessing
mall. Without thesurprise,
the dynamichebetween
dynamic between
concluded him
him stranger’s
bonds with
our conversation outfit could
others.
beautifully, make“You
Simply
saying, theirtwo daywere
complimenting or even
so a
and wife and
his wife
fashionably, and their
casually theirastute.healthy
healthy There’ and
and s no long
long way rela-
rela- lead
I could walk to you
stranger’s
by a beautiful
outfit
all andcould bond.
not make If Pastor
compliment theiryou Ivan
day ordidn’t
all. even
You
tionship,
know you I asked
look good, Pastorbut
Pastor Ivan,
Ivan, nobody whatwants
what doesBlack
does Black
to have the
to acourage
leadbecause
say anything beautiful
they hatetobond.
approach If Pastor
on you.” mywere
We friend
Ivan and
didn’t
both
wearing
love meanblack,
to you, washed
and why why denim isis ititjeans.
important?
important? I was wearingHe
He me,
my
have we
Billiethewould’ve
Eilish
courage X Nikenever
to knownmy
Sequoia
approach how
green beauti-
hoodie
friend and
said, “Black
with“Black
a brown love
love isisvery,
jacket very,
oververy very
it and important.
some Chuck
important. IIsay
say70s toful
me,his
go with wesoul is or gotten
it.would’ve
Rebecca was wearing
never the
known chance howto
a long whitehear
beau-
to my wife all the the time,time, and and Isleeve
Isay saytoto peopleall
turtleneck
people all
pairedhistifulinvaluable
with ahis
puffer
soulvest.is orwords gottenoftheencouragement.
chance to hear
‘Never stop
the time, ‘Never stopcourting.
courting.’” ’” HeHecontinued,
continued, his invaluable words of encouragement.
Meeting the
“Black love is creative wise and
creative in uplifting
in itself.
itself. Love Pastor
LoveisiscreativeIvan
creative remindedLater me thatthat fashion
day, oncan myhelp train create
ridebonds
back home,with
others. Simply complimenting a stranger’s outfit could make their day or even lead to a beautiful
in itself because love is is never
never easy. easy. But Butwhen when ILater
noticed that day,someone on myontrain theride train
backwearing
home,
bond. If Pastor Ivan didn’t have the courage to approach my friend and me, we would’ve never known
you endure love, and
love, and when whenyou youstrive strivetotocon- con- an oversized,
I noticed
how beautiful his soul is or gotten the chance to hear his invaluable words of encouragement.
someone whiteonbutton-down,the train wearing bag-
tinue to love, it makes it all the better. better.” It’sclear
” It’s clear gyan army green pants,
oversized, white and Dr. Martin’s.
button-down, bag-I
Pastor
Pastor Ivan
LaterIvanthatviewsviews
day, on allmy
all parts
parts train ofoflifelifefrom
ride fromthe
back thepow-
home, pow- went
I noticed gysomeone
armyout of onmy
green way wearing
the pants,
train toand say,Dr. “Hey,
an I real-I
Martin’s.
oversized,
erful
whitelens of an artist,
button-down, artist,baggy “There
“There army isisaagreen
creativity
creativitypants,toto lywent
and Dr. like out
Martin’ your outfit,”
s. Iofwent myout wayand
of my tosmiled as
say,their
say,to“Hey,
way face
I real-
“Hey, I
our Black
Black expression
expression that
that we
we bring
bring out
out in in our
our lit
ly
really like your outfit,” and smiled as their face lit up, and they returned the compliment.up,
like and
your they
outfit, returned
” and the
smiled compliment.
as their face
fashion and our looks looks that thatmany manywill willnot noteven even lit up, and they returned the compliment.
tell butconnections
us, but
New itit inspires
inspires them. them. They Theylook
can lookand
blossom andsay, say,justNew fromNew connections
aconnections
few words can
can of blossom
blossomlove just andjust
‘Who do they think think they they are. are.’” Everythinghe
’” Everything he from fromaafew few wordswords of oflove love
andand kindness kind-
resonated with
said resonated withme kindness
meso somuchmuchbecause being
becauselove, uttered
love, into
ness being the
beinguttered world.
uttered into intothethe world.world.
EFS
EFS
EFS 85
EFS
 direction: Sadia AboHussien
photo: Brando Castro
style: Amrita Bala, Kimstelle Merisma
makeup: Sadia AboHussien
models: Sadia AboHussien , Brandley Delgado
writer: Sadia AboHussien
editor: Habeebh Sylla
layout: Ava Scanlon
bts: Justina Thompson

EFS
EFS 87
THE MOST FLATTERING
CLOTHES FOR PLUS-SIZE
BODY TYPES:
Oh, wait. It’s actually… all of them!

EFS
 Wear something that hides your arms so the jiggle won’t
disturb anyone when you wave. Make sure your top is long
enough to cover your stomach in case your camel toe peeks
out. Don’t you think that dress is a little tight? Wear some
shapewear underneath; it’ll smooth you out. Your stom-
ach is practically spilling out of those jeans. Can you even
lift your arms in that top? Thighs that big should not be in
a skirt that short. It’s unflattering. Fat people should not
wear—

You know what I love to see? Fat
people blatantly and unapologet-
ically having fun with their style.
Crop tops rolling up freed, round,
hairy stomachs that stick out
farther than their asses. G cups
pouring out of plunge neck tops.
Curves hidden beneath oversized
jackets or button-ups. Short neon
hair framing broad shoulders. Lay-
ered necklaces getting tangled
in triple chins. Rectangle-shaped
bodies in skin-tight dresses, and
skirts freeing cellulite-covered
thighs that thunder lusciously with
every step. We’ve survived enough
“Best Things to Wear Depend-
ing on Your Body Type” articles
to know that it actually doesn’t
matter if you’re shaped like a pear
or an apple; it just matters that
you’re in tune with yourself and
having fun. Nothing will stop peo-
ple from giving their input, anyway.
EFS 89
EFS
Two of my most vivid memories of
being policed for dressing out of
colonial accordance with my size
are by two teachers in high school.
Yeah, grown-ass adults worried
about a child’s body— typical.
I stared blankly at the vice prin-
cipal, the sound of my swallows
echoing off his office walls covered
in the football team’s decade-old
achievements, while he asked me
if I could close up my jacket with
the broken zipper. “I can’t believe
you made it this far into the day
dressed like... that.” I’m sure the
black lace Wet Seal bralette get-
ting lost in the rolls on my back
and torso, peeking through my
sheer, white full-sized t-shirt, both-
ered plenty of people that day.
However, it didn’t bother anyone
more than the science teacher
(rumor has it, she fucked the rac-
ist economics teacher on the stu-
dent government trip to D.C.), who
was disturbed enough to write me
up for “leaving little to the imagi-
nation.” I’ll spare us all an inquiry
about what the hell goes on in her
fucking imagination.
What bothered me most about the
dress code violation was that she
sent that description home in a let-
ter to my parents and made me sit
in a 70-year-old man’s office while
he stared at my chest and slut-
shamed me for 3 minutes straight.
When my thin, modelesque peer
wore a similar outfit a week later,
the same teacher praised her for
looking so good. Two years lat-
er, one of my prom chaperones
stopped by my father’s restaurant
to tell him I would’ve looked beau-
tiful in my red, a-line dress with the
high slit if I’d lost some weight. My
first thought was, damn, we were
getting high as fuck in the venue’s
bathroom stall, and she was too
busy wasting the whole night wor-
rying about my armpit fat popping
out the side of my dress to do her
damn job. In both cases, I found
myself confused about why both
of these straight, cis-gendered
white women couldn’t just bring
their concerns directly to me. May-
be, they knew it was perverted, or
they assumed I’d react emotionally
and didn’t want to deal with that.
What I’ve settled on, though, is
that what they truly felt was envy.
Envy of seeing me embrace my
body with eye-catching and play-
ful clothing, obviously uncon-
cerned with what anyone might’ve
thought, something they’d never
been able to do in the 40+ years
of their lives. They couldn’t con-
front me because they knew I was
a walking contradiction to every
moment they’d spent scrutinizing
and judging themselves, opting
for the safer choice when dress-
ing each day, letting their favorite
pieces collect dust in the back of
their closets while waiting to slim
their already flat stomachs. They
forever live trapped in the confines
of their own peoples’ imperial con-
cepts of gender, beauty, and sexu-
ality, never getting to walk around
offering themselves acceptance
even when no one else wants to.
I looked good and fucking free!
Also, of course, since they had me
as a student, they knew I’d chew
up their white supremacist, misog-
ynistic ass perspectives in a milli-
second if they had the nerve to say
that shit to my face.
EFS
EFS
EFS 91
 Between forcing the width of my paralleled arms inside ev-
ery t-shirt, stretching them out as far as the fabric will allow,
and wearing two pairs of tummy-tucking underwear beneath
my bodycon dresses, I have never experienced euphoria like
I do when I just let my shit hang out for everyone to see. For
some, that feeling comes from being draped in bright, loose
fabrics that leave everything to the imagination.

EFS
 For others, it’s struggling to breathe in all-black, rib-crushing corsets
that live in every incel’s fantasies. Since retiring from the combination
of a baggy black t-shirt and doubled pairs of leggings that formed rips
on the inner thighs after one wear and picking up the green monochro-
matic outfits that let my fat slip out in all the right places; I’ve learned
that dressing for myself, my joy and my pleasure is a better use of my
time than forcing my body into clothes that were never truly made for
me, and never truly felt like me.

EFS
EFS 93
EFS
EFS
EFS 95
 Next time you think to tell
a fat person what they
should and shouldn’t
wear, keep your colonial
ass projections to your-
self. The last thing you’ll
do is like what we put on our
bodies either way. So, while you’re
worried about forcing your body
into an imaginary standard that,
sorry if you haven’t heard, you’ll
literally never fit into— we’re going
to have a good fucking time.
EFS
EFS
EFS 97
EFS
EFS
EFS
 EMERSON FASHION SOCIETY

EFS