Spoken Attire

Introduction

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what originality means in the creative space. I think there is sometimes an overemphasis on being original. We strive for new discoveries, seek exclusive items, and critique ideas based on having seen them before. While originality should be celebrated, I find that the obsession with it starts to deny that the art we create is a product of the art and cultures we have conversed with. Over time, by experiencing and reinterpreting existing ideas, we build our “originality.”

At the same time, as the way we engage with our world becomes increasingly monotonous, I understand why originality is so strongly desired. Calculated TikTok algorithms promote the same trending videos, AI chatbots feed regurgitated information for our instant gratification, and Pinterest shows popular screenshots of artworks void of any reference to the original artist. If the art we engage with is all the same and/or lacks nuance and depth, how can we become authentically original creators?

This is why I look towards the many artists and makers out there who exhibit an undeniable authenticity, many of whom I have met through Shift! They are original in the sense that you can see their creativity has accumulated from deep exploration into what they love, countless trials and errors of their craft, and excited engagement with the world around them.

For my Shift project this year, I wanted to celebrate this kind of originality by creating a zine showcasing the fashion styles of fellow Shift creators. Our styles are accumulated over time through cleaning out our closets, carefully curating in stores, and sometimes even sewing clothes ourselves. Naturally, fashion becomes a direct visual expression of our creative engagement. This is why I thought a lookbook would be a perfect medium to represent the originality of different creators.

Spoken Attire

The title of the zine is Spoken Attire and features six creators/friends. I did short interviews before photoshoots with each of them to learn more about their art processes and how that is reflected in their fashion sense.

front cover

spread 1

Lindsey

Lindsey is probably the most whimsical person you will ever meet. In her art and daily style, she incorporates fun details that exhibit a child-like imagination. To highlight this quality, we both quickly agreed to do the photoshoot in her bedroom, a haven with her lifelong curations on display. I went with a simpler spread and some zoomed-in shots to manage the busy backgrounds with the detailed outfit.

spread 2

Salem

While Salem engages with a wide range of art outlets, all of their art centers on capturing a particular feeling and gaining a new perspective. Their vampire-goth aesthetic positions them to lean into their poetic, writerly style, and their love of dance gets them in tune with their emotions. For Salem’s spread, I aimed to make their page feel alive with movement.

spread 3

Katarina

Katarina is a professional ice dancer, competing nationally and internationally. Despite the many hours her training demands, she finds time to write and draw her own webtoon. These two creative endeavors may seem starkly different, but they are both closely tied to her love for storytelling. In Katarina’s spread, the two sides of her are expressed through two distinct outfits. Through zoomed-in shots in smaller grids, these two outfits blend to become indistinguishable and unified.

spread 4

Sunnina

A theme that recurs in Sunni’s art is finding humor in the mundane. Likewise, her fashion practice is to use staple basics in fun ways. The setting we picked for the photoshoot is The Wave Field, a sculptural landscape of wave-shaped mounds designed by Maya Lin. While the waves aren’t directly pictured in the photographs, the camera angles and poses influenced by the field created a playful quality, close to Sunni’s artistic practices, throughout the spread.

spread 5

Jennifer

As a visual artist, Jennifer leans toward a minimalistic aesthetic to depict simple, raw emotions. A regular practice in her art making is listening to a single song on repeat while working on a project, honing in on her present subconscious feelings. Her fashion sense is also minimalistic, but stays inventive and edgy. In line with Jennifer’s creative process, I focused on only two images to create a compelling spread.

spread 6

Erin

Erin is an architect, artist, and political cartoonist. Her style combines earthy tones with vintage staples, reflecting the midcentury modern aesthetic that she often gravitates towards in her work. I aimed to continue the character of the Kellogg Institute (one of Erin’s favorite buildings on campus) in the spread through a patterned grid with repeated images.

spread 7

back cover

Final Thoughts

The idea of this zine sat in my notes for a long time before I actually started pushing it into reality. My initial hesitation came from my shyness in taking on a director role that would require me to lead a live model, a photography process I wasn’t used to. With two weeks left before Shift Showcase, I finally convinced myself that I would regret it if I never tried and scheduled my first interview and photoshoot.

While the project probably would have turned out better under a less rushed timeline, I am still proud of the result and of stepping out of my comfort zone. I hope that breaking free of what is most comfortable becomes a core practice in my own creative process.