Photos courtesy of Joe Hebel, Reagan Zimmerer, Eliahs Sumpter and Bailey Soudelier
New York Fashion Week, a week-long event where fashion designers and brands display their latest collections in runway fashion shows to buyers and the media, began last Friday, Feb 8.
The most well-known fashion weeks are held in the ‘fashion capitals’ of the world: New York, London, Milan and Paris. These collections influence trends for the upcoming fashion seasons. Some designers you’ll expect to see this week include Amelie Wang, Brandon Maxwell, Christian Siriano, Jonathan Cohen and Naeem Khan.
Celebrities and fashion enthusiasts alike come together to take part in this huge event. The Kardashians are sure to be in attendance, as well as Halsey, Lupita Nyong’o, Emma Roberts, Amanda Seyfried and Bella Hadid, just to name a few.
A few fashion-forward Pepperdine students shared their thoughts on Fashion Week and what fashion means to them.
“Fashion is really important to me — it’s my number one source of expression,” freshman Eliahs Sumpter said. “I take fashion inspiration from GQ and Highsnobiety, and if I ever feel myself getting bored with my outfit selection, I also go to Instagram for inspiration.”
Sumpter suggests that if anyone is looking to get into fashion, they should start by watching fashion vloggers on YouTube.
“This is a major source of inspiration for me,” Sumpter said. “Some of my favorites include Sangiev, PAQ, ToThe9s and Drew Scott. I also suggest thrift shopping, which is my absolute favorite pastime. Eighty percent of my wardrobe is thrifted.”
Photo courtesy of Eliahs Sumpter
Eliahs Sumpter’s Five Closet Staples: studded black leather jacket, gray ASOS Chelsea boots, black leather fanny pack, American flag printed light denim jacket and black distressed jeans.
Senior Reagan Zimmerer said she is always so inspired after any Fashion Week.
“I love seeing the runway shows, but sometimes it’s even more interesting to see what the people attending the shows are wearing,” Zimmerer said.
Zimmerer said she believes that fashion is her way of expressing herself every single day.
“To me, it is an art that I am able to walk around in all day long,” Zimmerer said. “My clothing makes me confident, it makes me unique, it makes me, me.”
Zimmerer said she takes a lot of inspiration from influencers such as Courtney Trop (@alwaysjudging), Reese Blutstein (@double3xposure) and Maria Bernad (@maria_bernad).
“I am also very inspired by a lot of my friends and their own styles and quirks,” Zimmerer said. “I am very lucky to have such a diverse and creative friend group who constantly challenges me to be as experimental as possible when it comes to anything artistic, including fashion.”
Zimmerer said her advice for anyone trying to spice up their wardrobe is to take risks.
“Buy the printed sweater instead of the plain one,” Zimmerer said. “Go vintage shopping and find something that no one else has. Most importantly, wear what makes you happy and don’t worry about what others think of it.”
Photo courtesy of Reagan Zimmerer
Reagan Zimmerer’s Five Closet Staples: Acne Studios lime green suit, Alexander Wang silver metallic fanny pack, Grateful Dead vintage tee, Gucci oversized boxy sunglasses and a classic pair of vintage Levis.
Sophomore Joseph Hebel said he gets a lot of his inspiration from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s and believes that fashion is a way to express himself.
“I just love how, especially in the ’70s, the clothing was just a way to express themselves,” Hebel said. “I also take inspiration from my brother because he’s got some good stuff, too.”
Hebel says he is intrigued by the fashion he finds on campus. “I feel like the fashion on campus is very diverse,” Hebel said. “Everybody has their own thing they like to wear and show off.”
Hebel said his advice for anyone trying to spice up their wardrobe is to just go for it.
“Get that stuff you wouldn’t see anybody else in,” Hebel said. “Wearing that wild stuff that makes people think, ‘What the hell are they wearing?’ is the best.”
Photo courtesy of Joseph Hebel
Joseph Hebel’s Closet Staples: checkered vans and crazy/fun pants.
“Fashion can be a conversation starter and a great way to get to know someone, and in the same way, it can be an art form in itself,” junior Bailey Soudelier said. “I’ve always been really inspired by Erté and Basquiat, but some of my biggest fashion icons are Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Ezra Miller and Lupita Nyong’o.”
Soudelier said her advice for anyone wanting to spice of their wardrobe is to take risks.
“Don’t be afraid of mixing color and pattern,” Soudelier said. “If you think your outfit is too bold then it’s probably perfect. Wear things you wouldn’t normally, and invest in one really good pair of black boots.”
Soudelier said she is excited about Caroline Hu’s collection.
“She is showing for the first time this year … she spans the bridge between using delicate design and fabric but in a utilitarian context in a really interesting way,” Soudelier said. Soudelier is also waiting for Christian Siriano to do something groundbreaking and Marchesa “will probably blow us all away with their ingenious use of ruffles.”
Photo courtesy of Bailey Soudelier
Bailey Soudelier’s Five Closet Staples: An old pair of white 501’s, her mom’s black docs from her high school days, a denim jacket that’s been collecting pins for years, a pair of purple platforms and silk scarves.
For more information on all that is going on this week in New York, check out New York Fashion Week’s website.
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