Screw the Schedule: On Embracing the Unknown

Screw the Schedule: On Embracing the Unknown

Photography by Paolo Raeli

We are in the midst of summer, fully accustomed to the sticky heat, our hearts lost in long, lazy afternoons. Now, I am a dreamer when it comes to adventures. Maybe it's my love for contemporary novels, but I spent hours this school year thinking about all the potential this break holds. I went into summer with no plan, polar to my usual over-organizing tendencies. I wanted to embrace whatever was thrown my way with open arms, without the confinements of breaking schedule. All of my peers had some sort of concrete plan: volunteering, working, etc. I was the only one who had nothing.

After my two week road trip, I spent a week and a half cooped up in my room doing absolutely nothing: lounging around on my bed, wasting my hours on the internet, and staring at the ceiling in boredom. I even called one of my friends late at night, worried that I would misuse my entire summer. I thought that I had made a grave mistake by not planning my summer like I usually do.

My disappointment changed within just a few days. All of a sudden, I had an internship that I was genuinely passionate about; I was dancing the night away at a BØRNS concert; I was walking along the beach at midnight with one of my close friends; I was catching up with someone and realizing that she was different, in the most worldly and beautiful way; I was proven wrong. 

My summer did not need more planning - it needed more saying yes.

When you see these unforeseen opportunities, you have to grab them, you have to shake them by the shoulders and scream, "Yes, I am taking you, and I am never letting go."A certain level of planning is needed for stability, but sometimes you need to accept the chaos. Looking back on my summer, I have realized just how magical these months have been. From stripping naked on a mountain to making out with a stranger to exploring (trespassing) Sunken City, I am living fully. Instead of wondering whether adventures will come, I'm texting all of my friends begging them to go to a fashion show with me that is three hours away. I'm attending salsa festivals. I'm running 5k's and learning how to surf and shooting a gun for the first time. I'm creating the adventures,

Take your calendar, with your carefully planned routine, and throw it away. To hell with schedules, this time is yours.

Matt & Nat: F/W 16 Accessory Review

Matt & Nat: F/W 16 Accessory Review

All photos courtesy of Matt & Nat's online lookbook

Finding chic, comfortable and fashion-foward accessories can be complicated if you are looking for a high quality, eco-friendly brand that boasts elegance. MAT(T)erial & NATure is a Canadian brand that prides itself with its trendy vegan products. “Live beautifully” is their mantra, as they believe that appreciating the humanity, creativity and positivity found in all of us is essential to moving forward in this world.

These accessories, such as hand bags, wallets, shoes, briefcases (and so many others) carry a sophisticated and impressive style, while still acting versatile and can be worn and used for any outing. The colors range in all shades of neutrals, nudes and tones you would find in nature. While the hand bags and backpacks are built to address the comfort of the wearer, they also come in various sizes to accommodate different needs for space and lifestyles. 

What makes Matt & Nat’s clever products even more irresistible is the process of their creation. Like mentioned earlier, the brand is gratifyingly considerate of the environment. All of Matt & Nat’s accessories are created without animal resources, and are constructed with sustainable materials like rubber, cork and nylons. Even the inside lining of the handbags is manufactured out of one hundred per cent recycled plastic bottles. Although the price can vary in expensive ranges, it is worth investing in Matt & Nat products because not only do they deliver a high quality product that will last you a long time, you are helping the environment and encouraging others to do so also (all while looking up-to-date with fashion). 

Just like it is important to treat the environment kindly, Matt & Nat says building relationships with workers within the company is something they focus diligently on. The factories host exceptional work conditions for all, and they say they intend to strengthen the conditions in the future. Matt & Nat encourages its employees and consumers to upcycle, volunteer for greater matters, and overall, “live beautifully”.

Years ago I bought a wallet from their Dwell collection, and I am still happily using it. More recently, I purchased a sandy colored handbag that can be worn crossbody or simply held by the handle. It adapts to all my work, school and social needs, while fitting my disaster of personal belongings. Personally, I do not think you can go wrong with choosing any of Matt & Nat’s endless products. However, if you are in need of more convincing, check out their sleek website and read a bit more of their story on http://mattandnat.com/. 

Styling the Seventies

Styling the Seventies

Brooke Shields, circa 1978

I'd like to open with this picture of Brooke Shields, taken around the time Pretty Baby was released in 1978, and as Shields was likely starting to film The Blue Lagoon. This is a picture I hold near and dear to me, and I can't quite explain why I find it so comforting or aesthetically pleasing. Perhaps it's Brooke's bushy brows, or maybe her joyful smile-- or, perhaps, it's the braid that resembles a crown only a goddess could wear... Either way, Brooke was on the brink of something big in the 70s. Her career was just beginning, and her iconic Calvin Klein ad was only a year or so away. 

Let's take a look at some of the other most iconic looks from 1970s, which, as you may have noticed, are making a large comeback. Take a look at the Urban Outfitter's catalog, or Topshop Unique's Fall 2016 Ready-To-Wear collection, and you will undoubtedly see the startling pattern. Styling looks from the 70s may seem daunting, but the first step is realizing how icons pulled it off forty years ago.

     

Isabelle Adjani, 1975 and Charlotte Rampling in Paris, 1974

Big glasses and big lips are no new trend. Contrary to what Tumblr might have you believe, many of today's aesthetics are not new or innovative; rather, they are captured from the past. Iconic snapshots of celebrities and models posing with cigarettes caught between their fingertips were the object of the camera forty-two years ago too.

Brigitte Bardot, 1973

Bardot, arguably one of the most famous sex symbols of the 50s and 60s, retired from the entertainment industry in 1973. However, post-retirement B.B. would go on to pose for Playboy Magazine and become the muse for sculptor Miroslav Brozek. Around forty years old at the time, Brigitte Bardot found her freedom in the 1970s.

Carine Roitfeld, mid-1970s

There are many places you may have heard of Carine-- she was the former editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, was the subject of the excellent documentary Mademoiselle C, and is currently the global fashion director of Harper's Bazaar and runs her own magazine, CR Fashion Book. However, many avid fashion readers aren't aware that Roitfeld had a brief modeling career in the 70s. It was also the decade she met her partner whom she would later have two children with, never marry, but is still with to this day.

Calvin Klein Ad, 1979

Believe it or not, there were Calvin Klein ads before Brooke. Of course, the jeans were high-waisted and have the "mom jean" flare. Easy to style, these jeans can be pulled off just as you see in the decades-old ads. Tuck in an oversized shirt, allow your jeans to cinch your waist...

And strike your best Brooke Shields pose.

To the Young and Daring

To the Young and Daring

              Photo by: Willow Greene

It's crazy to think that we have come this far. No matter where you are in your life right now, good or bad, you have come this far.
I don't think some of us give ourselves the credit that we deserve. Well I'm here to tell you, that you damn well deserve it.

We are at this point in life where we are figuring ourselves out. To be honest, I don't think we ever stop figuring ourselves out no matter how old we become. Everyday we somehow manage to learn something new about ourselves that we didn't know before. But that's what makes life so interesting. It keeps us on our toes. 

We don't know what we want. We don't know what we want to do for the rest of our lives. We don't know everything that we are possibly capable of. We don't know how to get to where we want to be.
But somehow, somewhere, there is this tiny spark in us that allows us to move ourselves beyond our darkest fear. That being, our passion. We all have one whether we realize it or not. Some may grow into theirs while others know theirs from the very second they are born. While having a passion may be usual, following it is not. Most are afraid to face their passion. They are afraid to face what could be on the other side of it.

To those who have the courage to follow that passion of theirs, well here is a toast to you. It takes guts. It takes commitment. It takes dedication. It takes doubt. It takes tears. It takes all-nighters. It takes satisfaction. And most importantly, it takes faith.

We believe in ourselves enough to give ourselves a shot of what we may be absolutely fantastic at. The daring, you know who you are, are not afraid to try while most people are. Rejection? We are past that. Failing? No such thing. Waste of time? Can't be if you are having fun. Never let anyone make you think that you are not good enough. While they are limiting themselves, you are testing your limits.

The young is so full of hope and potential. We are creators. Filmmakers. Artists. Influencers. Leaders. Innovators. Writers. Designers. Photographers. Entrepreneurs. Game Changers.
We are more than we can imagine.

And so what if it doesn't work out? At least we can say we had the guts to try.

So to the young and daring,

Keep being a boss ass bitch.

Living With No Apologies

Living With No Apologies

Photo by Jack Maffucci. Featuring Sam Weir.  Mad Sounds Magazine "Issue 16: Youth & Lust"

Even if they aren’t together anymore and can no longer claim the “couple goals” title, I still follow both Alexis Ren and Jay Alvarez on social media.  They’re gorgeous people.  Anyways, something Alexis tweeted a couple days ago caught my attention: “It’s intoxicating when someone is so unapologetically who they are”.  I had heard that concept before, but, for whatever reason, it really stuck out to me at that moment.  I contemplated it and realized that every person I have ever admired lived their life in such a way where they had no shame in who they were.  Such a rare quality.

I’m fully aware that there is “nothing new under the sun”.  I mean, there’s 7 billion people in the world.  Originality is fairly impossible, so it’s inevitable that, to an extent, everyone is going to be a mixture of those whom they are influenced by.  I actually think that’s a good thing.  It’s great to notice the good in others and apply that to your own life.  However, when observing how easily we are influenced by others, I’ve noticed some potential for harm.  Oftentimes, we don’t do what we want, say what we want, or think what we want.  We simply do what is either acceptable, glorified, or beneficial. 

That truth is absolutely terrifying and unfulfilling.  When observing the last 20 years of my life I noticed I’ve hardly done anything simply because I wanted to. Similarly, I’ve noticed my words and actions have not always lined up with who I am inwardly because of fear and a desire to be accepted.  It’s scary to imagine living an entire life that way.

I have to tell myself every day that it’s okay to do things simply because it makes me happy.

I have to tell myself every day that it’s okay to wear something simply because I like it.

I have to tell myself every day that it’s okay to say something simply because I want to. 

I have to tell myself every day it’s okay to feel something simply because I do. 

I have to tell myself every day it’s okay to say no simply because I don’t want to. 

& I’m going to keep telling myself these things. 

It’s my life and it’s not fair to conduct it in any other way than how I want.  I’ve rarely done anything for the sole purpose of it making me happy.  I’ve realized that’s reason enough to do anything, so long as it doesn't harm anyone.  Don’t get me wrong, that’s not an excuse to be lazy and waste my life away.  It’s simply a license to do things solely for myself and to do them well.  I’m going to be unapologetically who I am and see where it takes me.   

Parental Guidance: Teen Movies and the Portrayal of Parents

Parental Guidance: Teen Movies and the Portrayal of Parents

Heathers, the iconic and underrated 1989 black comedy, has a lot going for it: Winona Ryder in her early days, crazy 80s fashion, biting wit, and harsh reality. Perhaps the harshest of said realities that the film serves up is the way the film portrays adults’ perspectives of teenagers.

Most teen films feature parents one way or another; after all, so much of being a teenager is about your relationship, or lack thereof, with your parents—fighting with them, bonding with them, being annoyed with them. The lesson of most teen movies is yeah, parents can be annoying, but they only mean the best. Think about it: Kat from 10 Things I Hate About You eventually convinces her father to let her leave the nest as they face their differences and accept each other for who they are; Andie’s dad from Pretty in Pink gets her her killer prom dress.

But Heathers takes a darker, if not caricatured, approach to the parent/child relationship. For example, two separate scenes in Heathers mimic each other almost exactly in dialogue, as Veronica’s parents discuss the same things each time. The movie seems to imply that they hold no regard in finding new things to talk about with their child, and instead settle for the mundane and repetitive instead of engaging in an interesting conversation with their daughter.

When Veronica complains to her parents that teenage suicide is being glamorized in the media, she tells her mother, “All we want is to be treated like human beings. Not experimented on like guinea pigs, or patronized like bunny rabbits.” Her mother scolds her harshly: "’Treated like human beings?’ Is that what you said, little Ms. Voice-of-a-Generation? How do you think adults act with other adults? Do you think it's all a game of doubles tennis? When teenagers complain that they want to be treated like human beings, it's usually because they are being treated like human beings.” “Well I guess I picked the wrong time to be a human being,” sighs Veronica. Her mother’s complete disregard for Veronica’s disgust at this romanticized version of suicide and her annoyance with Veronica’s request for respect encapsulates how Heathers views the adult world: full of contempt for youth and unable to properly respect and appreciate the ideas and opinions of teenagers. And unlike other team films, there’s no resolution—this is the last conversation we see Veronica and her parents having. No tear filled apologies and forgiveness here.

Heathers furthers this perspective with a cast of adults who lack respect for teenagers: the guidance counselor who uses an outbreak of suicides to make herself look good, the board of teachers whose only concern about student deaths is how many days of school to cancel, J.D.’s father who completely fails to take on the role of a father. Everywhere you look in this movie, parents fail to fulfill their duties as supportive and compassionate parents to their children.

And when you think about it, many films are filled with this view of parents. While Ferris Bueller’s parents may be adoring, his friend Cameron’s father seems to value his precious Ferrari more than he does his son. The school dean thrives off of Ferris’ failure and tries to bring about his downfall. And how about The Breakfast Club? Parents are off screen in this film, but forefront in each of their kids’ minds. Whether their child is torn between divorcing parents, desperately trying to fill their parents outlandish expectations for them, abused, or just flat out ignored, these kids do not have the loving and caring parents that we all hope for and cherish.

Maybe the adult world isn’t as cruel as these movies make it out to be. But sometimes a caricature of a real problem can make it stand out to viewers. Being a teenager is hard, and criticism and cynicism from adults doesn’t make it any easier. These films go very far in their negative portrayal of parents, but they surely point to an issue in our society. Every parent/child relationship is different, but I imagine many teenagers can relate in some way to the parental dynamics portrayed in these movies.

LA, NY

LA, NY

you're so LA and I'm moving to New York next year,
but I've been told I'm so Los Angeles too.
the whole thing about opposites attracting,
is it applicable here?
because I want to make out with you, and hell,
I've never felt like this before.
I'd drive cross country to feel your facial hair on my neck.
I'm so fucking bored without you driving me around aimlessly
under pinkish purplish perfect skies
in a city that neither of us really belong in at all.
your hair is not easy for me to run my hands through and it's frustrating sometimes,
but it smells like chocolate and you small like daydreams because you are one.
we wear all black and our breath is minty
from all the fucking Marlboros that I swore I'd never lay a hand on
but that you made feel so right.
fuck you.
turn me on at thrift stores, turn me on by kissing my neck
our first kiss was after discussing Stephen King

an omen of sorts.
his stories never end well,
and we could say no different.