Designer Rachel Zoe once said that style is a way to say who you are without having to speak. The legendary New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham said that fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life. Creative Ambassador-At-Large for Barneys New York Simon Doonan argues that the only real fashion crime is conformity. IU students shared what their personal style means to them, and what they walk out the door in each day to feel like themselves.
Name: Madie Allender
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Bloomington, IN
Major: Theatre & Drama
This vintage lover scavenged her grandmother’s closet to find her go-to blouse.
“I enjoy finding things that not everybody has, that not everybody wears,” she says of her fashion sense.
“The closet I was looking in had clothes that my grandparents would still wear, but I found this shirt, put it on, and then I just never took it off. I was like, okay, this is mine now! I love it because I think it’s a really great way of showing how cyclical fashion is and that everything comes back around. That’s what I like to convey when I wear it. I love wearing old clothes and mixing them with new stuff.”
Name: David Deutsch
Year: Senior
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Major: Jazz Studies, Guitar
The guitarist has collected 11 tattoos over the last three years, and has plans for a few more.
“It’s a Hebrew word, ‘Hineini,’” he says of his first tattoo, which he had inked the summer before his freshman year at IU.
“It means, ‘I’m here. I’m present.’ To me personally it means, I’m in your presence, and I’m listening to you. You’re never alone when I’m around. I’ll always be there for whoever. It’s on my ribs, so it’s a personal message for myself. I don’t have to show anyone else.”
Name: Alexa Chryssovergis
Year: Junior
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Major: Journalism, Spanish
With fiery red hair and a cat-centric collection of accessories to match her signature cat eyes, this journalist defends the power of style.
“I think that fashion and style can be such a huge confidence booster,” she says. “It’s almost like a shield. My dark lipstick is kind of like my shield. I put it on and I feel comfortable. I feel like I can tackle anything. Fashion can be super empowering. If you want to try something new out, you should. You never know how that’s going to evolve and how that might affect your mental confidence.”
