Passion: Fashion? | Carpe Diem Passion: Fashion?

‘Passion: Fashion?’ Category

Perfectly Imperfect

April 15, 2015 by Nicole Luchansky

This is the last passion blog that I will write for the Rhetoric and Civic life course, and I find it only fitting if I take the time to go back to where it all began. 9 months ago, I walked into Dr. J’s classroom. It was my 4^th official class of my college career. One of the first assignments we were asked to complete, was a civic engagement speech, a speech that would motivate the future development of my anti-fashion fashion blog. For my civic engagement speech, I discussed Photoshop, and the unrealistic expectations that it places on female beauty. To support my argument, I used a video entitled, Dove Evolution, which was created as a part of the Dove Real Beauty Workshop for Girls campaign. The video portrays how Photoshop works to visually enhance appearance to the point where the person being edited is no longer recognizable. (You can view the video below) The embedded rhetoric in this video is very purposeful in exposing marketers’ use of trickery to convince us that we are failing if we do not have flawless skin and breathtaking bodies. With growing numbers of eating disorders in the United States, Dove has done a fantastic job of advocating on the behalf of women, and one of their most spectacular catch phrases is “redefining beauty as perfectly imperfect.” Ultimately, this semester, I decided to work alongside Dove’s efforts to show that inner beauty, the only true beauty, comes from actions, not physical appearance.

For my anti-fashion fashion blog, each week, I chose a celebrity who used their fashion icon status to help others. Angelina Jolie, an elegant, tomboyish vampire (aka the Woman in Black), has performed more than enough charity work to make anyone speechless. Gabourey Sidibe is a celebrity inspiration who has taken the harassment she has received as a result of her weight and turned it into a reason to only grow more powerful and more confident with herself. She wears whatever she wants, when she wants. Demi Lovato uses nail polish on her pinky nail, as a part of a Dove campaign, to encourage anti-bullying efforts. Katy Perry used her fashionable singing voice to bring awareness to the domestic violence statistics plaguing this nation. Emma Watson shed her Harry Potter cloak, and has now become a major contributor to the gender equality initiative. Zendaya Coleman took the criticism she received over her dread locks and created a platform to speak out against racism, prejudices and assumptions. Nicole Kidman wore a pink bracelet, to a premiere of one of her movies, to support her mother’s breast cancer struggle. Pink posed naked to advocate for animals rights. Finally, Kellie Pickler shaved her head to support a friend going through chemotherapy. Each of these women is exceptionally beautiful. They are celebrities with amazing clothes and amazing make-up artists. However, whether I am analyzing Pink’s rocker fashion or Kellie Pickler’s country chic fashion, the only reason I see beauty is because of what lies beneath the clothes. These women have gone above and beyond their professions. They are not just another set of pretty faces to be photographed. They are women working to make a difference in this world. They go beyond skin deep beauty because they know there is so much more to this life.

Now is the time to come full circle. Dove’s most recent campaign was to have a door with two labelled sides, “Beautiful” and “Average.” They then filmed the doors, and determined the percentage of women who entered the “Average” door and the percentage of women who entered the “Beautiful” door. According to Dove, 96% of women entered the “Average” door, and Dove has now coined the hashtag “#ChooseBeautiful.” We are all beautiful in our own way and it is time for everyone to recognize that. So, who is my celebrity for the final week of this blog? I have decided to choose the girls in my blogging group as my “celebrity inspiration.” Each of you is absolutely amazing, and it is time to pass on the message that all girls are capable of choosing the “Beautiful” door. Helena, you are an amazing artist, and you are going to be an amazing teacher someday, inspiring the youth of America. Taylor, you are probably one of the most knowledgeable people in regards to horror movies and soundtracks, and you have created some of the best artwork I have ever seen. I have no doubt that your work will be showcased someday. Lisa, you are going to be a rockin’ food scientist, and I cannot wait to see the epic food progress you make. (cricket flour?) And finally, Lillian, you are an amazing musician and musical enthusiast. Also, it is so wonderful how connected you are to your culture. You are all beautiful, inside and out, and I ask you all to continue the fight to redefine beauty as perfectly imperfect.

Category Passion: Fashion? | Tags: | 5 Comments
Kellie Pickler Shaves Her Head

April 8, 2015 by Nicole Luchansky

A common tradition in the days leading up to Thon, is for Penn State male students to shave their heads. This action is to show full support for the children suffering from pediatric cancer and to show the children that they are not alone in their fight. As a member of the Springfield organization on Penn State’s campus, I got to help several of my guy friends shave their heads prior to Thon weekend. This simple action was so touching, and I was even more taken aback, when I saw a girl taking the brave measure to shave her head. Girls take so much pride in their hair (even though we know it is entirely superficial) and it was so courageous for this girl to do something so selfless to support a great cause.

As I ventured into Hollywood for this week’s blog, I was surprised to find that one celebrity also shaved her head to support a friend in need. Kellie Pickler, a country singer and reality television star, shaved her head to support her best friend, Summer Miller, who is battling breast cancer. Days before Miller began her chemotherapy treatment, Pickler decided to shave off her thick blonde hair, as a way to show full support and love for her friend, as well as a way to gather awareness for the importance of early detection with breast cancer. Pickler, a beauty competition contestant, a 6^th place finisher on the 5^th season of American Idol, and winner of Dancing with the Stars in 2013, selflessly sacrificed part of her physical beauty, to emphasize the precious meaning to be found in inner beauty and to support a much grander cause.

After shaving her head, Pickler posted on Twitter saying, “It’s been a great life-changing day.” She also posted an exclusive video showing her head being shaved. Her friend is only 35 years old and as Pickler says, “”Cancer does not discriminate… if this compels even one person to change their mentality toward waiting until the age of 40 for their mammogram, then it will be worth it.” Pickler’s action was not a publicity stunt, but a public awareness project fighting for the one willing to listen. Fighting for that one woman, procrastinating on being testing. Fighting for that one woman to take action and to find the cancer before it is too late.

Pickler’s fashion is very unique. In this first dress, the front corset adds a southern sorority chick flair to an otherwise glamourous A-line.

This pink and black dress, combines a tad a punk rock, a pinch of magicians assistant, and with the lacy black hat, a smidgen of a wealthy southern woman attending a horse race.

This golden and ivory, vintage cowgirl dress speaks for itself.

In the end, even though Pickler’s fashion is fun and highly characteristic of her country personality, I find her fashion to be most beautiful, when it is coupled with her shaved head. Whether she is singing on stage in a blue dress in subtle pleats, or posing for a picture on the red carpet, in a majestic gown, she is radiant and beautiful. A true role model. She is humble and prepared to fight for her friend and for women across the globe.

Early detection and screening is so vital when it comes to breast cancer, and because of this wonderful technology, over 200,000 lives have been saved since 1991. Awareness is so important, and Kellie Pickler is doing a great job of helping the cause. Once the symptoms of breast cancer become apparent, there is a high chance that the cancer has spread throughout the body and could be very difficult to treat. Breast cancer is the most common cancer to affect women, and the second most common cancer overall. According to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, in 2014, over 200,000 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed. However, this diagnosis is not a death sentence if it is caught soon enough.

Thank you, Kellie Pickler, for using your stage to not only enchant with your music and your dance moves, but as a way to take your fashion to the next level and fight for women everywhere!

Category Passion: Fashion? | Tags: | 5 Comments
Pink fights for PETA

March 25, 2015 by Nicole Luchansky

Alecia Beth Moore, more famously known as Pink, is a pop rock artist, who is an incredibly edgy, strikingly rebellious, absolutely brilliant singer, song-writer and musician. According to MTV star, James Montgomery, Pink is “a fabulously fearless pop artist” who can “out-sing almost anyone out there. She can out-crazy Gaga or Lily. She’s the total pop-star package, everything you’d want in a singer/entertainer/icon. And still, she remains oddly off the radar.” It is so true that Pink is often off the radar, but her accomplishments are shocking. She has won two Grammies, and she has sold 40 million albums and 65 million singles world-wide. On top of having one of the greatest voices in the business, and on top of inspiring many well-known musicians like Kelly Clarkson and Demi Lovato, Pink has also become a fashion inspiration. She has been quoted by InStyle Magazine as saying, “I’m eclectic. I’m a tomboy, but I’m kind of a hippie and kind of a gangster […] I don’t know if that’s a good thing, but it is my thing.” Pink does what she wants, when she wants, and does not let anyone else define her. She is a fashion inspiration. Whether it be her daring hairstyles, ranging anywhere from a bleached pixie cut, to spiky hair with green tips, or her even more daring wardrobe, she is an icon. In fact, in 2012, Pink was introduced by CoverGirl as the new spokesmodel, and she was involved in an advertising campaign known as “beauty with an edge.” Pink’s creativity in music and in fashion has granted her many success stories. However, since this is an anti-fashion fashion blog, let’s examine some of her greatest looks!

In this first dress, Pink pulls off a dramatic, ice queen look. For most people, the pattern of the dress, eerily similar to that of Arctic waters, would be too much to handle. In Pink’s case, the dress looks absolutely stunning. She looks fierce and powerful, and her icy blonde hair finishes the outfit.

This next dress is a surprising choice for Pink. The sparkling, rosy red dress compliments the drama of her performance. The style of the dress is classic and refined, with a lovely belt to cinch the waste. Pink remains true to her style, however, by adding a plunging v-neck to create an edgy and rebellious appeal.

And finally, the last outfit of Pink’s that I will comment on, is one that emphasizes her most iconic look. The girl-next-door look presented by the jean mini-skirt is offset by the various black belts that she adorns on her waste. The graphic tee adds a more carefree look, that turns completely rebellious with the scandalous cut-off. Her jewelry, and her crimped blonde and pink hair add to the rocker chic look.

Her greatest fashion moment, however, did not take place until February of this year. Right before New York Fashion Week, where the only emphasis is on clothes, Pink made an incredible statement by posing in front of the camera nude. She is the perfect candidate for my anti-fashion fashion blog. Why, you may ask? Pink is a well-known supporter of animal rights, and in the days right before fashion week, Pink made her biggest statement yet on the behalf of the animals she supports. As a part of PETA’s “Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign, Pink photographed herself nude. The billboard stood in Times Squares at 90 feet tall, and is both beautifully and powerfully ironic.

“I would like to say I’ve always been fur-free, unfortunately I went through a selfish phase and wore fur on a couple of occasions. But I wised up and now boycott fur completely. I wish everyone was forced to learn the horrors that these animals go through for fashion trends.”

Pink has done an amazing job of tastefully using nude fashion as anti-fashion, to end the use of animal fur in clothing. I hope everyone takes a moment to think about the cruelty that animals face for something so superficial, and hopefully the fur industry can become a thing of the past.

Category Passion: Fashion? | Tags: | 2 Comments
Kidman Kicks Cancer in High Fashion

March 18, 2015 by Nicole Luchansky

Nicole Kidman, a stunning actress nicknamed “Hollywood’s Best Australian Import” has arguably one of the most regal and classic fashion senses in the Hollywood culture. At 5.11, with dazzling blonde locks and striking blue eyes, Kidman could make any article of clothing look magnificent. However, I find her style to be incredibly sophisticated and highly respectable. As many actresses seek to use “trashy” fashion as sex appeal to enhance their notoriety, Kidman has remained remarkably poised.

In this first dress, Kidman combines modesty with just a hint of intrigue. The slit in the dress extenuates her unbelievably long legs, and the strappy heels add a fun flair. However, the sweeping texture of the dress, and the tasteful raspberry hue, make her appear to be an Australian goddess. The diamonds add a sparkle that completes the flawless look.

This second dress is daring, even for Kidman, but still remains a timeless look, just with a little bit of a twist. The long black dress is a classic look. The golden accents create an aristocratic vibe that is humbly mellowed out by the see-through netting covering Kidman’s diaphragm. This look is subtle, yet sophisticated, catching the eye with vibrant accents and daring cut-outs.

In this last look, Kidman embodies the characteristics of a queen, a warrior princess, a powerful business woman, and a rebel. Her hair, although sleek, is positioned at just the right angle to look perfectly disheveled and to give off a sense of adventure. The beading encompassing her neck is bold and powerful, yet encrusted to look like the jewels of royalty. Her cinched waist-line, wrapped in a thick, sleek belt, makes her a force to be reckoned with. She appears both strong and professional, and the business look is completed with the flared white pants. Finally, the flowing cap-like shawl she adorns adds a twist to common fashion of English royalty. Perhaps it is an Australian tradition?

Moving on, as I have said every week, even though all of these lady celebrities have incredible fashion, their true beauty and inspiration is found in what they have done outside of their celebrity fashion realm. With THON having just occurred and with Relay for Life at its peak on campus, I thought it was the perfect week to highlight Kidman due to her commendable charity work seeking to end cancer.

“I find trying to solve problems and save lives is far more important than my film career.”

~Nicole Kidman

“I’ve been put in a position where I’ve been given a lot. I think it’s my duty to give something back.”

~Nicole Kidman

Kidman is humble and true to her word. Her mother is a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed in 1984, and after watching her mother battle the terrible disease, Kidman decided to take a stand. To jump start her charity work, she proudly wore a pink bracelet on her wrist to the British premiere of her movie, “The Interpreter” as a tribute to her mother. A night that should have been about her success, she made all about her mother and breast cancer survivors. When she married Keith Urban, instead of her guests buying them gifts, each guest was asked to donate to the Sydney Children’s Hospital. Kidman was also involved in the “Little Tee Campaign” that designs shirts and vests to raise money for breast cancer awareness. Finally, Kidman has even used her fashion to benefit the cause. She sold a pair of her jeans for $11,000 and donated the profit to Jeans for Genes.

In the end, she received the highest of honor in Australia when she was made a Companion of the Order of Australia for her “service to the performing arts as an acclaimed motion picture performer, to health care through contributions to improve medical treatment for women and children and advocacy for cancer research, to youth as a principal supporter of young performing artists, and to humanitarian causes in Australia and internationally.”

Kidman’s fashion remains on point, but so does her charity work. Also, I think it is cool that most of her charity work is something that any college student could easily be involved in. We often like to make the excuse that “we have too much school work” but wearing wristbands for awareness and supporting campaigns like the “Little Tee Campaign” do not take a lot of time and can be highly rewarding for everyone involved.

Category Passion: Fashion? | Tags: | 5 Comments
Zendaya Coleman: An Inspiration for the Youth

March 5, 2015 by Nicole Luchansky

Zendaya Coleman is an 18 year old, American actress, singer and dancer. She has been made famous as a result of her role on the Disney Channel original show Shake It Up, as well as her performance on Dancing with the Stars. Recently, however, her name has been racing across the top of various magazines, newspaper and tabloids after a dramatic scandal involving her dreadlocks at the Oscar’s.

E! News anchor, Giuliana Rancic, made a serious error in judgment when she decided to make offensive comments regarding Coleman’s dreadlocks, on an episode of Fashion Police. Even though she has since apologized, the words and ideas she spread are far from being erased from the minds of her viewers.

In regards to Coleman’s dreadlock look, Rancic reported:

“really heavy – it overwhelms her, and it’s just too boho.” The anchor then makes peace-sign symbols and goes on to say that “Zendaya is more high-fashion. The hair to me on her is making her a little more boho. Like I feel like she smells like patchouli oil. Or weed.”

Rancic, although reportedly claiming to have only been referring to Coleman as daring and “boho-chic,” has been found at fault by many who found her words racist and caustic. Coleman’s insightful response has gained her a lot of admiration and respect. She could have replied with a sarcastic Twitter feed that would have won her many likes and retweets, but instead, she took the time to develop an admirable response. Coleman argues that Rancic’s comments were ignorant and offensive to the African American culture. Coleman stands by her race and her cultural values, and argues that dreadlocks have been found in the world of academia, noting scholars such as Vincent Brown and Heather Andrea. Dreadlocks are more than fashion to Coleman and the many people who took great offense to Rancic’s comments. Dreadlocks can be a part of a cultural identity, and to compare the fashion statement of dreadlocks to hippies and drugs, was a very unwise decision on the part of Rancic.

In this case, fashion commentary has been proven to, at times, proliferate racial slurs and unwarranted stereotypes, hence my discussion of this event on my anti-fashion, fashion blog.

Rancic could have discussed Coleman’s look much differently. For example, Coleman was wearing an elegant, white dress. The satin material was fitted and sensual, but remained sophisticated due to the waviness and flow of the fabric. The slouchy sleeves added a princess-like flare that is hard to contend with. Coleman’s long earrings offset the grown-up appearance of the dress, bringing the outfit full circle, and emphasizing that Coleman remains her hip and cool 18 year old self. Finally, the dreadlocks, although surprising because Coleman often wears her hair slicked back, added a nice effect because the length of the dreadlocks, and the deep-chocolate coloring of the hair, nicely offset the fairness of the dress.

Once again, fashion has reared its ugly head. However, Coleman’s maturity has helped to diffuse the tension. And as always, although Coleman is well known for her brave dance moves and her impeccable style, it should be noted that her charity to mankind extends much further. Several weeks ago, Coleman was honored at the Unite4: Humanity Awards for her philanthropic measures. After reading her sentiment in reference to Rancic’s comments, and after seeing that she won this award, I looked further and was astounded by the charity work Coleman has performed.

She has been involved with “Ice Cream for Breakfast,” a “Swag It Out” music video that donated profit to Pastry! (a charity that buys toys for impoverished children), “Toys for Tots,” “Friends for Change,” book bag drives in which she donated the book bags for her 16^th and 17^th birthday instead of receiving gifts, and the “Convoy of Hope: where she began a campaign to raise one million dollars to fight the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

After receiving her Young Luminary Award at Unite4 Coleman said, “There’s so much inspiration here in this room.” There’s no age limit to being able to help people and just being able to inspire others and I just want to be living proof of that.”

Coleman is an inspiration to the youth of America. After the dreadlock scandal, she proved that even at 18 years of age, everyone has a voice. Coleman is a hero to many. At 18 years old, she fought for her beliefs and values in a dignified and rational manner, and won the support of many, while also advocating for change that would benefit humanity. Coleman is also an inspiration because of the impressive charity work she has performed. Everything she has done is something that each of us can do. I know after reading through her philanthropic efforts, I was inspired to join in her efforts, and initiate my own.

P.S. For your viewing pleasure, here are some of Coleman’s greatest fashion moments!

Category Passion: Fashion? | Tags: | 2 Comments