Fitting in. Standing out.

By: Francesca D’Angelo & Hanadi Alnawab

Collection Overview

Our History of Fashion musings this past semester reflected on the very nature of Fashion as an individual and social activity that reflects the duality of our desire to fit in and stand out. Interestingly, and coincidentally, the objects selected for this collection parallel this very paradox.

The mirror as witness to the hurriedness of displacement finds itself in the great shuffle of political upheavals in a position of privilege where it ‘fits’ into the departing luggage while observing the exclusion of all other abandoned objects. The reverberating ethos of the platform shoe echoes the teenage shrill for independence, as the teen grapples with the new unsteady grounds under her feet.

Both the platform shoes worn to assert independence and the mirror in the luggage taken along for the journey to reflect cultural legacy, point to a tale of departures: the forced eviction from a place one calls home, to the severing from the cocoon of one’s youth.

This collection explores those journeys paved with moments of reflection and rebellion. Where we struggle with our desire for acceptance and distinction.

Does the Mirror Fit?

By: Hanadi Alnawab

“I received this beautiful silver mirror from my parents when I got married in 2008. It was handmade in Iraq in the early 20th century, the design is inspired by the original Turkish silver mirrors dating back to the 19th century Ottoman era. It is typically used in traditional wedding ceremonies in Iraq, where the mirror is placed on a table with the reflective surface facing the bride during the ceremony, believed to ward off negative energy and the evil eye, and bring good fortune for the newlyweds. Crafted from silver and other metals, it requires regular polishing to maintain its lustrous shine. Other than at wedding ceremonies, the mirror is usually displayed on a stand in the family room as a decorative piece, or on the wall as wall art, with the decorative back revealed and the reflective surface facing the wall.”

Read Hanadi’s full story: Does the Mirror Fit?

My Past As Retold By My “Munsters”

By: Francesca D’Angelo

“At 16, when the make-up artist I was modeling for asked me how I wanted to get paid, I answered with, “the Munsters by Fluevog that Madonna and Dee-Lite are wearing, of course!”, like any good teen that doesn’t fully understand the value of money. I received these shoes in 1993, as retribution for a photo shoot I had done for a hairdresser and make-up artist friend of mine. I remember I didn’t want money because at the time, at 16, my mom had absolute authority over my wages (she actually landed me the job with her hairdresser), and the only value money was to have for me, according to her, was as savings! So I told him if I wanted those $400 shoes it was the only way for me to have them. He just HAD to buy them for me. My mom would have never let me purchase them.”

Read Francesca’s full story: My Past As Retold By My “Munsters”