Fall 2023 @ Lehman College: September
Attending and following New York Fashion Week (NYFW) while being a student in a non-fashion school was already a challenge in itself. The same unconventional journey occurred once again this year, but in the role of adjunct lecturer and freelance writer. In full transparency, compared to previous seasons this most recent past season of NYfW was the most boring and dull on collective level. There was little to no eclectic originality devouring the streets of SoHo. As a society I wonder why we are so obsessed with trends and inspirations: can’t we all come up and stick with a particular style and voice of artistic expression?
The shows in mainstream media as well as the majority of the collections I’ve gotten the chance to keep track of did not necessarily exude creative goals nor appealing extravagant aesthetics. Despite it all, I found solace in a few sustainable brands along with a group of talents whose work restored my faith in fashion. Maison Iagu, an astonishing and mesmerizing fashion brand that takes care of the holistic and research and purpose of sustainability in the fashion landscape; Paradis Winslet’s timeless elegance in their eyewear designs; Pearlls Co.’s artistry and cultural relevance. In contrast, I couldn’t refrain myself from reflections on the toxic vicious circle of unpaid labour Elena Valez kept perpetuating during this season by showcasing a tasteless performance for her 23/24 collection. The streets of the city looked like they had gone themselves through a “copy and paste” process from the experimental Y2K and Sandy Liang-core outfits to the darker genderless pastel palette of colors on Gen Z and late Millennials. Cute combination, endless compliments: just a bit repetitive. For this reason, I was glad this year to touch grass with my academic experience at Lehman. It felt, surprisingly, refreshing.
All of these thoughts and reflections on the fashion industry were trapped in one palm’s hand ready to be digested and stored in my brain. On the other hand I started getting busy grading students’ work, getting more familiar with the Lehman faculty, and getting comfortable in sitting every Tuesday and Thursday behind the classroom desk.
She may be in a total new headspace now (fresh and sweet mom-core vibes), but I consider Elaine a great example of female empowerment and success in the Western media landscape, especially for us Black women seeking guidance in this field.
It’s not easy introducing students the world of fashion, especially when most of them have expressed interest in majoring in a STEM field. Sometimes I wish there was a strategic academic mentorship as well as camarderie among us adjunct lecturers, who I still haven’t figured out who they are and where their offices could be located. Coming from an editorial bakcground with an international student status, everything is done pretty much in solitutde. I’m not unfamiliar to this huge freedom and trust people give me with little to no structures and directions on the steps to take in the future. I depend on my own actions and self-judgment. I came to the conclusion that just like my students I am also shedding my skin from one environment to another, with people eager to guide me or push me towards unpleasant challenges. I’m building an authoritarian voice, but also a sweeter compassion towards the students and the people around me.
As I’ve been living for the longest time in a fight or flight position, I’m entering a softer era. A period of my life where no matter what happens to me, I have to be objective and deliver: my body, my presence, and my voice inspire more than 50 students, whether I like it or not. I will not change lives, most probably. Maybe they will make fun of me, I’ll never know. No matter what, these students and this job remind me that I have the potential to make a substantial difference by sharing resources and transfarrable skills that my pseudo collegues in the fashion media industry don’t get to do.
This month I felt I could show so much to my students about the fashion industry through raw and realistic lenses because of my unconventional story.
Had I become a staff writer or an editor at an established publication, would I still have been able to live and breathe the niched and rich pop culture that I’m constantly around with my students? Not really, I don’t think so. My paycheck would have been the same, with just a bit more parties and prestige. I don’t think that I belong to that kind of success, though. I’m still trying to figure if and how I’m making a difference in the industry. Most of the times I feel late and inadequate, due to my past inabilities to climb the corporate and traditional ladder in media spaces, but I don’t want to feel like that anymore. I’m positive these emotions shall pass.
Sometimes I wonder if my students know that I feel I could have done a lot more by 26, but by teaching them the values of risks and mentorship through the story of Elaine Welteroth (and soon Edward Enninful and Aurora James), I am certain I secured and earned a great spot in my uniquely successful journey, whatever success means.
