the thread debut edition

the

thethread

DEBUT EDITION

WWW.CORNELLFASHION.COM

THREADThe

Spring 2011

1 The THREAD SPRING 2011

3 EDITOR’S LETTERCONTRIBUTORS

FASHION

5 FASHION WEEK F/W 2011Translating the New York Fall Runways for the Cornell Campus

11 SCHOOL OF FASHIONFashion Photoshoot us-ing Cornell’s Majors as inspirations

13 SCHOOL OF FASHION:HOTEL ADMINISTRATION

19 SCHOOL OF FASHION:ARCHITECTURE

25 SCHOOL OF FASHION:HUMAN BIOLOGY

31 SCHOOL OF FASHION:FIBER SCIENCE &

SCHOOL OF FASHION:ASIAN STUDIES

APPAREL DESIGN

37

43

43 SCHOOL OF FASHION:INFORMATION SCIENCE

BEAUTYBEAUTY PHOTOSHOOTTranslating Fall Runway Designs into Three Beauty Looks

49

PURPLE51

RED53

FEATURECFC FASHION SHOW:

Exclusive backstage cov-erage from models of the annual CFC fashion show

57

JENNY BARNETT61

IN THIS ISSUE65

MODEL DIARY

INDEX

Inspired by Paul & Joe and the French countryside

Inspired by Cynthia Rowley and the 60s

A conversation with Ex-Executive Editor of Marie Claire Magazine

BLUE55 Inspired by Diesel Black Gold and Japanese Geisha 55

61

WWW.CORNELLFASHION.COM3 The THREAD SPRING 2011

s a Fiber Science &

Apparel Design transfer student from Boston, my first year at Cornell has been eventful. The FSAD department has taught me the importance of follow-ing my dreams and passions for a career in fashion. Therefore, I decided to found the first fash-ion publication at Cornell with my friends.

For our debut issue, our team explores how fashion can be in-tegrated into the lives of each Cornellian. Our main photo shoot “School of Fashion” fea-tures students from six differ-ent majors at Cornell. The issue also includes an interview with Jenny Barnett, a professor who has worked for Marie Claire, special report on this semester’s CFC fashion show, review of the 2011/12 Fall & Winter fashion show…and many more.

letter from the editor

I would like to thank all the members, writers, models, and photographers who made this issue possible and I am honored to have the chance to work with these creative and talented indi-viduals. I would also like to give my special thanks to Howard Chang and Calvin Liu for help-ing me start this publication and all their support!

Karl Lagerfeld once said, “the world of fashion is a world with no rules and no laws.” I see fashion as a way to bring fanta-sy into everyday reality because of its endless possibilities. This magazine has been a dream, and I am very proud to share this first issue with you!

A “The world offashion is a world with

no rules and laws”

Bithiah YuanEDITOR IN CHIEF

International Fashion & Sports Magazine K Photography

THREADThe

BITHIAH YUANEditor in Chief

Fashion Editor ARIEL SODOMSKYBeauty Editor WHITNEY MCMULLINFeatures Editor ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ

Spring 2011

CALVIN W LIUCreative Director

Photoshoot Coordinator ROBERTO CARLO SOTOPhotographer EILEEN M. XIE Art Director VINCENT AHN

Style Director ANURADHA LINGALA Layout Editor CARLY L. DEAN

HOWARD CHANGPresident

Logistics Director JOSEPH BENEDICT RINALDIWebMaster SEN FANG

Publication Secretary SAMANTHA DICHTERFinance Director WEI YANG

Human Resources Director CLAIRE XIAOCEN GUIMarketing Director MARISA CIRLIN

thaca is finally graced with beautiful weath-er, something that many of us probably for-got existed after our horrible winter. Colors are unleashed from closets and can be seen all over campus on dresses, sandals, and ac-cessories. Summer is a season marked by

casual dress, albeit with some business casual at-tire thrown in for internships. We sweat walking down the street, have picnics lying in the grass, and in general, wear as little clothing as possible. All true fashion followers know, however, that summer is the calm before the fall fashion storm. Fall fashion weeks happen during February and the beginning of March, but it isn’t until about four months later that we see what trends can work in the real world and which will forever live only in pictures from the runway. These trends are most likely not the top thought on everyone’s minds throughout this duration (things such as

Fashion Week 2011the THREAD

5 the THREAD SPRING 2011 WWW.CORNELLFASHION.COM

Translating the New York Fall Runways for the Cornell Campus

Iprelims and finals tend to get in the way), but we won’t be able to ignore them once they are grac-ing every storefront window and magazine cover. Nothing is more thrilling and, at the same time, overwhelming than back to school shopping. What is going to be fashionable, and more im-portantly, what fashion can translate to a college campus? While some of the looks from New York fall fashion week will most likely never be worn while studying in the library or strolling to class, there are a surprising amount of trends that can work for students come fall.

USING

Ariel Rae Sodomsky

USING

For fall, we saw a lot of red in the collections, everywhere from BCBG Max Azria to Victo-ria Beckham to DKNY. It was seen on gowns, sportswear separates, coats, and accessories, seemingly changing the phrase “seeing red” to mean a good thing. Donna Karan showed it in her lower-priced line on puffer jackets, as well as rugby-stripe pieces with black, white, or pink. A great red coat or sweater would work really well in a student’s ward-robe, and some pieces from DKNY are rea-sonable enough in price that one could buy the real thing instead of a cheaper imitation. Other designers, such as Beckham and Bill Blass, chose to use shades of red on standout gowns and dresses. Following this trend, with either a full-on red dress or a color-blocked one a la BCBG, will be an easy way to stand out from the otherwise black-dressed masses at formals and other events. That is the one thing about red, whether worn as an acces-sory, a piece of clothing, or a whole outfit, you won’t be able to help being noticed.

One of the easiest ways to translate the runway to your wardrobe is through the use of color

Victoria Beckham Fall 2011 DKNY Fall 2011

DKNY Fall 2011

Bill Bass Fall 2011BCBG Max Azria Fall 2011

COLOR

Another trend on the fall runways was the ubiquity of plaid; it was every-where and this is not just your aver-age Catholic school uniform plaid. It came in all colors, sizes, and materials and on all articles of clothing. Design-ers, such as those for Thakoon, Rag & Bone, Derek Lam, Tory Burch, and Theyskens’ Theory, all showed the print but with their own unique twists. There were pants, dresses, coats, and of course, the oversize button down shirt. The best part of this trend is that we all have at least one piece of plaid somewhere in our wardrobes, but if we want more, there are so many great options for fall!

Tory Burch Fall 2011

FASHIONPLAID Dress using the ubiquity of plaid in different styles

Rag & Bone Fall 2011

Tory Burch Fall 2011

DKNY Fall 2011

Thakoon Fall 2011

Often when looking at designer’s runway shows, it doesn’t seem as if they really draw in-spiration from real life. Many sight the glamour or simplicity of decades past or their favorite character from a movie as their inspiration and then end up making things that aren’t exact-ly practical for everyday wear. For fall 2011, two designers even said that Miss Havisham’s dishev-eled glamour inspired

their collections (both Marchesa and Prabal Gu-rung). Dickens characters aside, there were a few elements that a lot of designers took into con-sideration when designing their fall collections, namely the snow, the wind, and the ice.

Fashion Week 2011the THREAD

7 The THREAD SPRING 2011 WWW.CORNELLFASHION.COM

WEARABLE CHIC

There were a plethora of coats for the season, in tons of new and classic shapes, as well as a variety of colors and textures. The weather outside right now might make you feel as if you don’t want to think about buy-ing a coat for when it’s cold out, but these new ones are so exciting that you won’t be able to stop after buying just one. Peacoats, parkas, trenches, structured coats, fur chubbies, pon-chos; you name it, they showed it. For some style inspirations, look to the unique shapes shows at Rodarte, Vera Wang, and Calvin Klein. It’s al-most as if the designers had students in Ithaca in mind when designing so many cold-weather friendly pieces.

Women need to look chic but also stay warm

FASHION

Carolina Herrera Fall 2011

Vera Wang Fall 2011Vera Wang Fall 2011

Rodarte Fall 2011

Alexander Wang Fall 2011

The THREAD

9 The THREAD SPRING 2011

WEEK 2011 hile there were many trends spotted through-out the week, the main thread running through everything was a return

to luxury after so many seasons of stark minimalism. Clothes shown on the runways at fashion weeks are never cheap, but designers have taken the economic downturn into consideration when planning their collections for the past few seasons. Colors have been drabber, materials more basic, and outfits overall more pared down. The prices were still as-tronomical, but the clothes somehow seemed less remarkable. This season marked a return to the luxury and wow factors that make fashion so much fun to follow.

Return to luxury from minimalism

FASHION

LUXURY One designer you can always count on to use the most sumptuous fabrics in elegant silhouettes is Michael Kors, who celebrated his 30th an-niversary in business with his runway show. His clothes are timeless, and his use of silks, furs, and chiffons in great cuts gives everything he makes a sense of luxury. This overall feeling can’t be captured in just one look or item of clothing; it’s a sense that the clothes are well-made and special care was used to craft each piece.

W

Michael Kors Fall 2011Michael Kors Fall 2011

Prada Fall 2011

The THREAD

The focal piece of every look should always be you

arc Jacobs, The Row, Alexan-der Wang, and Proenza Schoul-er all had feelings of luxury at their shows but none showed anything that looked similar to

the clothes at Michael Kors or clothes that looked like one another’s. The main take-away of this is that you don’t have to spend $1,000 on a cashmere sweater as it’s shown on the runway to look great. It’s about what clothes feel special to you and the poise and grace with which you choose to wear them. Because even with so many amazing pieces and beautiful outfits, the focal piece of every look should always be you.

WWW.CORNELLFASHION.COM

M

Gucci Fall 2011

Prada Fall 2011

Marc Jacobs Fall 2011

Alexander Wang Fall 2011

Balmain Fall 2011

Bottega Veneta Fall 2011

12the THREAD SPRING 2011WWW.CORNELLFASHION.COM

SCHOOL

In this photoshoot, we translate six of Cornell’s majors into six different looks. We have asked students from each of these majors to model for us. We have also conducted a short interview with each student in an attempt to discover their fashion taste and preferences.

FASHIONOF

Photographer: Eileen XieMake-up: Bithiah Yuan / WhitneyMcMullin

Hair: Calvin W LiuInterviewed & Written by: Ariel Rae Sodomsky Samantha Dichter

Photographer: Eileen XieMake-up Artist: Bithiah Yuan

Hair Stylist: Calvin W Liu

CARINA STEINHOFFTatianna Design blouse;Zara blazer; Petrunes skinny stretch pants

School of Fashion

14The THREAD SPRING 2011WWW.CORNELLFASHION.COM

Hotel AdministrationCARINA STEINHOFF

Hotel majors are focused on one day making it big in the business world, and this blazer and pants combination is the perfect way to do so. Of course, an amazing heel and feminine blouse never hurt anyone either.

CARINA STEINHOFFH&M black sheer button up; H&M blazer; Petrunes stretch tights; BCBG black heels with rhinestones

Hotel AdministrationSchool of Fashion

CARINA STEINHOFF is a senior Hotelie from White Plains, NY and originally Eschershausen, Germany. After graduation she plans to work for a consulting firm in San Francisco. This summer, she is also helping to build a preschool outside Johan-nesburg with Cornell’s Sustainability Design Club. This is not Carina’s first experience with modeling; as a child, she posed for a local catalogue in Germany! Here are some more fun facts about Carina..

Celebrity CrushBruce Willis (fun fact: I met him when working at the Four Sea-sons Hotel Restaurant in NYC!)When I say I’m from GermanyPeople say they love the beer there!Favorite Place to Eat off CampusDewitt CaféWeird PhobiaSafety pinsMost Complemented FeatureMy hair and my accentAlways Cheers Me UpABBA music

Favorite Places to ShopMassimo Dutti

Favorite Piece of ClothingNavy leather boots I bought in Florence

You’d be surprised to find out I’ve...Never watched Star War scor-rectly!

Dream VacationRome (it’s where she fell in love with her boyfriend!)

Trade lives withEva Ziegler, Global Brand Leader of W Hotels Worldwide


ThakoonGlitter snake-effect and leather ankle boots

CARINA STEINHOFFTatianna Design blouse;Zara blazer; Petrunes skinny stretch pants

KAI FUKUNAGACharlotte Russe corset;FCUK leggings; Hot Topic bracelet; Hot Topic gloves

School of Fashion


ArchitectureKAI FUKUNAGA

Architects spend a lot of time in studio, but that doesn’t mean they’ve lost their style edge. All black clothing makes this architecture major’s outfit as sharp as the tools she uses on her projects.

KAI FUKUNAGACharlotte Russe corset;FCUK leggings; Hot Topic bracelet; Hot Topic gloves; BCBG black heels with rhinestones

ArchitectureSchool of Fashion

Kai Fukunaga is a second-year Architecture student (’14) from Dover, New Hampshire. Her dream job is to be a successful architect and wants to see Paris for the shopping, the architecture, and the food. Here are some more of Kai’s favorite things.

Celebrity CrushJohnny DeppTrade Lives With…Pastry chefFavorite Place to Eat Off CampusKoko’sWeird PhobiaRealistic-looking dollsMost Complemented FeatureEyesFavorite Things About MajorBeing in the studio with cool people

Favorite ArtistsAdele

Favorite Places to ShopH&M

Favorite Piece of ClothingBoots

Guity PleasureCookies & cream ice cream

Favorite MovieAmelie

Favorite TV ShowGlee/Grey’s Anatomy

Favorite ColorPurple


Christian LouboutinSimple Botta Tall Boots

Modeling ExperienceNoneClubsNone—the studio is my life!

KAI FUKUNAGACharlotte Russe corset;FCUK leggings; Hot Topic bracelet; Hot Topic gloves

NANCY OLOWOThe Limited blazer; H&M pink corset

School of Fashion


Human Biology

NANCY OLOWOWhite lab coats don’t have to cover all your personal style in the lab. Try wearing fun, bright makeup and accessories to show your true colors even when hard at work.

Health & Society

NANCY OLOWOThe Limited blazer; H&M pink corset; H&M tights; Qupid heels

Human Biology

School of Fashion

Nancy Olowo is a junior majoring in HBHS from Brooklyn, NY. She is involved in the Nigerian Student Organization as well as Project Lansing and the Body by Africa Dance Troupe. She is most often complimented on her toned arms and eclectic personal style. Here are some more fun facts about Nancy.

Celebrity CrushAngelina Jolie, Johnny Depp

Modeling ExperienceWalked in a few fashion shows Favorite Place to Eat on CampusMartha’sDream VacationEgyptMost Complemented FeatureToned armsDream JobSpecialized doctor, maybe surgeon

AddictionJunk food and TV

Favorite Places to ShopBuffalo Exchange

Favorite ColorAny deep neon color

Personal StyleFunky, androgynous, if it looks good wear it!

Guilty PleasureAmerica’s Next Top Model

Quote on Her Wall“I’m purple in a sea of blue.”

Fun Factloves Six Flags Amusement Parks and being spontaneous


Agyness DeynAlways Cheer Me Up...TV or movies, especially on Showtime and HBO

Health & Society

Trade Lives With…Agyness Deyn

NANCY OLOWOThe Limited blazer; H&M pink corset; H&M tights; Qupid heels

ADRIANA BURTONAmerican Apparel nude

leotard

School of Fashion


Fiber Science &

ADRIANA BURTONA blank slate is always the best way to start to show off your unique beauty. Then add colors as you like or add the whole rainbow like our Fiber Science and Apparel Design student.

Apparel Design

ADRIANA BURTONAmerican Apparel nude leotard

School of Fashion

Adriana Burton is a sophomore in FSAD Mangement from New Jersey. In addition to modeling for The Thread, she has modeled for CFC’s annual fashion show and for friends. She is involved in the Pendleton Scholarship team and serves as an Alumni Repre-sentative for Careers in the Fashion Industry. Read on to learn more about Adriana.

Celebrity CrushLeonardo Dicaprio (circa Romeo + Juliet, Titanic, and Basketball Diaries)Dream Vacation AnguillaAddictionHBO shows, piercingsWeird PhobiaHair BrushesMost Complemented FeatureMy height (she’s 5’11”!)Personal StyleGothic, grunge, vintage

Favorite Places to ShopBeacon’s Closet in Williamsburg

Favorite Piece of ClothingVintage 60s leopard faux fur coat

ClubsPendleton Scholarship, teaches piano, Careers in the Fashion IndustryFavorite Movie

Pulp Fiction

Favorite Thing about Major: It’s small and the people are great

Fun FactStudies Chinese and wants to go abroad to Hong Kong


Rebecca TaylorLeopard-print faux-fur coat

Trade Lives With…Kate Moss when she was dat-ing Johnny Depp

Fiber Science &Apparel Design

ADRIANA BURTONAmerican Apparel nude leotard

YASMIN FOULADIH&M blouse, Petrunes houndstooth skirt, H&M polka dot blazer, H&M striped tights, Calvin Klein black pumps, Pe-trunes cat eye glasses, Petrunes pearl neck-lace, Forever 21 pearl necklace

School of Fashion


Asian StudiesYASMIN FOULADI

A day in the library does not have to be a day without fashion. A fun print, like polka dots or florals on a jacket or skirt, can make studying easier and more enjoyable. And of course, when wearing clothes as cute as these, a transition to nonacademic activities is a breeze.

YASMIN FOULADIH&M floral top; Ameri-

can Apparel olive pencil skirt; Evolution 102 lace tights; Forever

21 bracelet; Express bracelet; Vintage pearl necklace; Banana Re-public gold ring; Calvin

Klein black pumps

Asian StudiesSchool of Fashion

YASMIN FOULADI is a sophomore double-majoring in Asian Studies and English. She is from Manhattan, NYC and modeled as a child in London. Here at Cornell she is the head poetry editor of Rainy Day Magazine and a staff writer for Rice Magazine. Here are some of Yasmin’s favorite things.

Celebrity CrushCast of The Big Bang TheoryDream JobGo to China to teach EnglishFavorite Place to Eat on CampusStatler’s Terrace for their saladClubsRainy Day Magazine, Rice Magazine, English tutorMost Complemented FeatureEyesAlways Cheers Me UpDancing, performingFavorite ColorMagenta

Favorite MusicK-pop (Korean pop music)

Favorite Places to ShopExpress

Favorite Piece of ClothingDresses

Favorite AuthorAmy Tan

Favorite QuoteMake the most of every day and be happ.

Fun FactMet her boyfriend at orienta-tion week freshman year


A.L.C.Tessa ruched stretch-jersey dress

YASMIN FOULADIH&M floral top; American Apparel olive pencil skirt; Evo-lution 102 lace tights; Forever 21 bracelet; Express bracelet; Vin-tage pearl necklace; Banana Republic gold ring

MARIKA LOHMUSBCBG silver shirtdress;H&M blue tights; Italian Designer necklace

School of Fashion


Information ScienceMARIKA LOHMUS

Information science majors don’t just know how to work with technology, but they can pick up a few fashion pointers from it, too. Metallics are a fun way to stand out, whether it be used in microchip size (metal-inspired makeup) or larger (a silver tunic).

Photographer: Eileen XieMake-up Artist: Bithiah Yuan

Hair Stylist: Calvin W Liu

MARIKA LOHMUSBCBG silver shirtdress;H&M blue tights; Italian

Designer necklace

Information ScienceSchool of Fashion

Marika Lohmus is a sophomore double-majoring in Information Science and Government. She is from Estonia, though when she tells people they often think she means Astoria and ask her about NYC! Her dream job is to work for an NGO studying the spread of technology and international relations. Here’s the rest of our interview with Marika.

Celebrity CrushJohnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, Bruce WillisModeling ExperienceChild model in cataloguesFavorite Place to Eat on CampusIvy Room in Willard Straight HallWeird PhobiaFlying plastic bagsMost Complemented FeatureEyesAlways Cheers Me UpMy cat, EllaTrade Lives With…Angelina Jolie, minus all the kidsAddictionDiet Coke

Favorite Places to ShopJ. Crew, Banana Republic

Favorite Piece of ClothingBejeweled rain boots that go half way up my thighs so my legs never get cold or wet

Friends make fun of me forsaying words wrong, it took me forever to say Massachusetts correctly!

Favorite MovieThe Fifth Element

Quote on Her WallLive in the Sunshine, Swim in the Sea, Breathe in the Wild Air

Fun FactAt one point, had 20 piercings


Jimmy Choo‘Hunter’ Rain Boot

MARIKA LOHMUSBCBG silver shirtdress;H&M blue tights; Italian Designer necklace


COLOR

In this photoshoot, we translate different colors into three different looks. Three different bold colors are applied on the models with hair-styles inspired by the looks on the New York

Fashion Week Runway shows in 2011.

BEAUTYOF

Photographer: Eileen XieMake-up: Bithiah Yuan

Hair: Calvin W Liu

WWW.CORNELLFASHION.COM12 the THREAD SPRING 2011

PURPLEJOHANNA GRAZELInspired by Paul & Joe, they style recalls the French countryside through a modern French braid and bright purple make up pallet


REDCARLY DEANInspired by Cynthia Rowley, the up-do hair style creates a 60’s look, which gives an old-school touch to the minimalistic red make up pallet


BLUECARLY DEAN

Inspired by Diesel, the teased punk hair style with braided detailing

gives an avant garde touch to the icy blue make up pallet

FASHION SHOWCFC

BACKSTAGE MODEL DIARY

Photographed by: Vincent AhnWritten by: Adriana Burton

nce a year, Barton Hall is completely transformed for a fashion show. The track floor becomes a space for models to rehearse their walks and pos-

es. In place of the bleachers, designers set up miniature studios to finish up last minute sew-ing, and to style their models’ hair and make-up. After months of hard work, the designers dress their models to bring each creative vision to life. And once the show begins, the back-stage area is full of as much activity as the runway.


OFEATURE

As early as noon, models began to arrive for a full day of dress rehearsals. For some, this in-volved more than simply walking up and down an eighty-foot runway in front of a twenty-five hundred-person crowd—a model for the Pendle-ton Scholarship Team, Tommy Rucker rehearsed pushing an antique bike up and down the runway, while designer, Liz Wheeler had her model Mor-gan Michel-Schottman practice in actual stilts! They turned each challenge into an opportunity to make a bold statement. The show carried on with a more elegant, chic, professional taste than ever before.

CORNELL DESIGN LEAGUE

2011 FASHION SHOW

BACK STAGEExclusive backstage coverage

from models of the annual CFC fashion show

CFCBACKSTAGE MODEL DIARY

FASHION SHOW

12:00 PM RUSH

2:00 PM HAIR & MAKE UP

1:00

57the THREAD SPRING 2011WWW.CORNELLFASHION.COM

3:00 4:00 PM DRESSING

5:00 PM FINAL REHEARSAL

6:00 PM LINE UP7:00 PM SHOW TIME 8:00 PM

A conversation with:

Jenny Barnett

'Photo courtesy of Harper's Bazaar'

61 The THREAD SPRING 2011 WWW.CORNELLFASHION.COMthe THREAD

From Britain to New York City and now to Ithaca, Jenny Barnett, the ex Executive Editor of Marie Claire magazine, graces Cornell’s presence with her plethora of knowledge of the magazine industry. Currently a professor in the Communications department, Barnett shares her experiences with students as she teaches a class in magazine writing and editing. She started out as a student at Oxford not really knowing what direction her life would take her and now she has over 30 years of experience working for one of the most famous fashion magazines in the world. I got a chance to sit down with her and talk about Marie Claire, how she got started, what it’s really like working in the industry, and who her favorite celebrity to work with was.

How did you get started?Well I started my career in the UK as you’ve probably gathered. We’ll start from the beginning: I did a Human Sciences degree at Oxford University. There weren’t very many places where you could study Journalism and it was pretty much a shot in the dark when I decided to start working in Health Journalistism. I had covered health issues in my degree and I had decided that I wanted to write about it. So to cut quite a long story short, I got myself some experience in kind of an internship situation. I paid the bills doing odd jobs like teaching and all that. I started working on a very small magazine, in fact the pilot of a magazine. It was called Grandparent and I got to work on the first and only edition of Grandparent magazine. I was the Editor’s assistant. And I still have a copy. My mom was very excited. So that was the first magazine I ever worked on and I got my by line in the pilot and my name out there. They tried it out and it just wasn’t successful.

Shortly after I got my first long term job as the equivalent of a copy-editor for this magazine called Over 21. It was a lot of fun, a great magazine to work with. I got to do quite a lot of bit of writing and traveling. I worked on it for two years than another company bought it and decided to not run it anymore. Then came MC mag launching in the UK. I knew the French version of the magazine from school we used to read it in my French classes. I became part of the launch team and I started out as the equivalent as the copy-chief and then after 2 years I worked my way up to be the equivalent of assistant executive editor. It was really exciting. When we first started, people would say “you should just stick to fashion and beauty”, it would be such a great magazine if we got rid of the serious stuff; women don’t want to read that serious stuff. But we said no; we think that women can care about lipstick AND world affairs. After 2 years it just took off and it was phenomenally successful and we became known for having this really interesting mix. The circulation ran much higher than any-one ever thought it would. They mad a TV program about us. It was really fun. I was there from the launch in 1988 till ’96. Then my Editor-in-Chief was up for the position at the MC launching in the US and she asked if I would like to go over with them, so I did.

Thread: Jenny:

WHEN WE FIrST STArTED, pEOplE WOUlD SAY “YOU SHOUlD

JUST STICK TO FASHION AND BEAUTY”... BUT WE SAID NO.

T: J:

You had mentioned previously that you used to be a Deputy Editor for MC?Yea, I’ve had sort of different job titles. When I was at MC in the US my position was Deputy Editor in Chief then when I came to HB it changed to Executive Editor in Chief, essentially very similar.

T: J:

And what did you notice were differences between the 2?We used to do this joke, well it was partly a joke and partly not a joke, that we used to put more sex on the cover in Britain and when we came to the US we put more hair. They’re very similar in terms of fashion, beauty and fun. It worked both in the US and the UK definitely. I think the language is slightly different just in terms of the tone. I think Britain has more of an arched tone, more sarcastic. It’s more of the British culture. But there’s really not actually a huge difference between the two. What was interesting was that when we arrived was that the whole celebrity phenomenon was just taking off. Prior to then nobody really put celebrities on the cover of maga-zines. We started to all sort of things with celebrities very early in the game and we started to realize that this celebrity thing was only going to get bigger and bigger and bigger. We used to do really exciting things with celebrities. We used to do issues with sort of challenges and things they had to do. We had Gweynth Paltrow on the cover and we sent her off to live on a desert island by herself for a couple of days. We got pictures of her making a fire and making a shelter and all that. It was really great. We sent Brooke Shields off to the Arctic to build an igloo and live in it. We did all sorts of exciting things.

You’ve been working in the magazine industry for 30 years and it sounds like it wasn’t what you initially wanted to do but you kind of came to thatYea I went into University not really knowing what I wanted to do and while I was there I dis-covered that I wanted to go into media and the communication world. Then it kind of narrowed down to that focus. I got to do my health thing in the US and UK with MC. But I got to do a lot of other things. I never expected to get into fashion and MC is very much a fashion magazine. It’s

T:

J:

A lot of people have assumptions on how publications get put together... so what should a person expect when working in a fashion publication? What are the challengesPeople always underestimate the length of time it takes. With a special magazine its planned very far ahead...and strategically. Your editorial calendar is defined both by the seasons and by when the shows are. You send how every many editors you can send out to the shows and everybody comes back and you plan the next 6 months of issues. In March, you’re looking at the fall season: planning out which photographers you want to shoot, which stories you want to have, where you want to shoot, what kind of clothes, etc.. The challenges of shooting for fall when its hot in the summer; e.g. finding snow in July. Also, finding celebrities is a huge component. Typically there’s a person who’s job it is to book celebrities and like it is with clothes, the industry is very competi-tive. Everyone is after the same big names and the same cover clothes. Our fashion team would go to the shows and mark down dresses they’d want for the cover.

T:

J:

63 The THREAD SPRING 2011WWW.CORNELLFASHION.COM

There are so many fashion magazines out there, how does that really work with negotia-tion? Do magazines get a long with each other? Is there kind of a vicious battle?There’s definitely competition. But there’s also healthy respect at the same time. When it comes to celebrities for example, the people who book them all have relationships with the publicists and with the celebrities. Its just a question of working that relationship. In many cases publi-cists will be like ok so you were on the cover of HB last year let’s go to another Vogue this year. Its about what’s appropriate for their newest movie, its about mixing it up, and also about relationships. All of those things kind of factor into getting people on the cover. If they’ve been on your cover before and it was amazing obviously the publicists would be interested in working with you again. A lot of journalism is about building relationships. Not just with publicists but with all types of people.

T:

J:

Something I always wondered is that there are all types of movies that portray the maga-zine business. The most famous recently being Devil Wears Prada. How true are those movies to reality?I think like anything its portrayed in a more exaggerated way then reality but there are clearly elements of reality in there in terms of how things work, how the process works. There were a lot of events and things that happened in the Devil Wears Prada that were absolutely true. It’s very much how the industry works. It’s very much about being out there going to events and the competition. It gives you a sense of what its like, an exaggerated sense, that cinematic ver-sion.

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What kind of advice would you give people aspiring to get into this industry?It’s very hard work. It’s not a 9-5 type industry. People work long hours and also there are a lot of things that happen outside of the office be it events or shoots. As a journalist you always have to be on the look out for stories and have an open mind and always come up with things. Magazines are really about reflecting on what’s going on in popular culture. It’s about having a very broad mind and being prepared to work hard. Be creative. The other thing I learned was to always ALWAYS put your reader first. It’s not about you or what you may think is great, its about what your reader thinks is great. You have to learn how to put yourself in the position of your reader. Always push yourself. My editor in chief who I worked with for many years never took no for an answer. She was hard to work with but she had this great knack of bringing out the best in people. Many people have said when working for her they achieved more than they ever thought they could. She would always say that good was the enemy of great. It’s not good enough to be good, you should always be great. You’re not going to be a successful as a maga-zine if you’re just good.

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The THREAD

the thread debut edition

Documents

world of fashion

semesters cfc fashion

fall winter fashion

world offashion

debut issue

issue possible

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