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editorials
By Victoria Ho '24
From Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour to the “Barbenheimer” craze, 2023 has certainly been a year filled with important moments in pop culture. Endless memes and discussions have arisen from various events that occurred throughout the year, including the implosion of a submersible meant to explore the Titanic, wacky yet supposedly fashion-forward outfits at the Met Gala, the cycle of celebrity relationships and break-ups, Blue Ivy’s performances in the Renaissance Tour, and the “calling out” of nepo babies.
By Tongtong Ye '27
It’s October of 2022. A bulbous mound of coiled flesh mysteriously winds up on the red carpet. Everybody stops in their tracks. All of a sudden, the creature opens its mouth, greeting us with a cheery “Hi guys!” in a German accent that could only be Heidi Klum. Every year, the “Queen of Halloween” never fails to steal the show.
By Yari Sissoko '27
The cloudy skies and foggy quad set the perfect scene for W.Collective’s first zine shoot. The theme was centered around Halloween, and so we wanted to create an eerie and unsettling atmosphere — which suited the weather perfectly. For many of the models on set, myself included, it was our first experience modeling.
By Emma Lee '24
Halloween has evolved significantly from its roots in Celtic pagan tradition, particularly the festival of Samhain. Halloween’s origins can be traced from ancient superstitions and ghost stories to modern-day expressions of creativity and humor in the United States. However, it wasn't until the melding of Old World and New World traditions during the 19th and 20th centuries that Halloween began to transform into a commentary on popular culture.
By Temitope Ibironke '27
From Celtic traditions to lingerie and animal ears, Halloween costumes have had quite an evolution from their origins to the present-day.
By Sophia Cheng '25
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a college student in possession of a good appetite, must be in want of ramen. Luckily for us, Boston is chock-full of it. Ramen is a straightforward experience, too—it’s a meal where you sit at a table with your friends, order, eat, and leave. Reader, as a college student in possession of an exceptionally good appetite, I’ve had many meals like this, and don’t get me wrong– they’re comfortable, fun, and above all, safe. But allow me to tell you about Yume Wo Katare.
By Sylvia Nica '25
The word ‘surrealism’ evokes Dali-like dreamscapes, with melting clocks, feverish movements, and odd, billowing colors. "Fashion" isn’t usually on this list. Yet despite a lack of mainstream awareness, Surrealism irreversibly stamped fashion.
By Emma Lee '24 and Sylvia Nica '25
Emma Lee '24 and Sylvia Nica '25 interviewed the egirl and coquette team on their photoshoots for their specific chosen aesthetic.
By Isabel Martinez '24
Although Wellesley’s admission pamphlets like to stress how different and special Wellesley students are, there is one common denominator between us and all other college students: we’re thinking about sex. But how does our unique setting as a historically women’s college in a suburban oasis affect our sex lives? Stereotypes range from cultish lesbians to uptight prudes, to girls obsessed with finding their Harvard Husbands, each with varying degrees of truth.
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By Zoe Yu-Shin Chang '25
In the ever-changing world of cinema, we witness the evolution of movie genres and television shows. From romantic comedies to horror movies, these productions embody the intentionality of the people involved, from actors to the costume designers. An essential feature of creating a compelling film is how various elements contribute to our understanding of the movie—movies fundamentally draw the audience in with their engaging storylines, characters, and attention to detail in visual elements, such as symbolism in costumes. Fashion, especially, can play a key role in the movie-watching experience.
By Riya Balachandran '24 & Bernice Sun '24
Designed by Victoria Ho '24
Inspired by an interview with Michelle Li, a fashion & beauty editor for Teen Vogue, two Wellesley students took on the challenge of creating multiple outfits centered around the same clothing item. Follow Bernice Sun and Riya Balachandran through their week of style iterations!
Written and photographed by Stella Ho '22, Michelle Wang '23, Rachel Wu '23, Ana Rubin '24
Directed, designed, and photographs edited by Serena Chan '23
Text edited by Kaia Carioli '22
In the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, Wellesley students have retraced their roots as they returned back home for winter break. Hailing from different cities and towns, Stella Ho, Michelle Wang, Rachel Wu, and Ana Rubin—dressed in different styles depicting their hometown pride—explore the history of how each style arose and made its mark in popular mainstream culture.
By Tiffany Chu '22, Serena Chan '23, Victoria Ho '24, Emma Lee '24
Photographed by Ana Rubin '24
The Wellesley Ballroom Dance Team (WBDT) is a group of committed and passionate ballroom dancers. They train with professional coaches at MIT and dazzle—decked in gorgeous costuming—in collegiate competitions across the East Coast. We interviewed WBDT about the relationship between their costume styles and ballroom dances.
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By Bernice Sun '24
In the 1940s, Wellesley College students were a force for change on the fashion scene, shocking the nation by wearing “shirt-tails and dungarees.” Characterized by baggy shirts and jeans, the trend was frequently labeled “sloppy” and unladylike outside of the college gates. The real firestorm, though, began in 1944 after LIFE magazine published a photo of two Wellesley students wearing these pieces in the Ville (our name for the town of Wellesley). Here's our 2020 take on "shirt-tails and dungarees."
By Victoria Ho '24
Wellesley alumna Jennifer Meng ’13 founded Ready-Made Jewelry in 2018 with a goal of establishing a jewelry brand that could be both high quality and affordable. Her jewelry stands out for its emphasis on sustainability and nontraditional — that is, waterproof and safe-for-skin — materials, which are used to create bold yet minimalistic designs. Jennifer spoke with us about her path to creating Ready-Made Jewelry, what inspires her designs, and the future of her brand.
By Kaia Carioli '22, Serena Chan '23, and Zoe Taylor '23
Zlass is in session. Cameras on or off, remote fashion has taken us on a turn.
Follow Yuji Chan '22, Zoe Taylor '23, Bernice Sun '24, Victoria Ho '24, and Celis Lee'24 on their remote back-to-school fashion takes. . Z
By Tiffany Chu '22
The first issue of Hey, Madeline was distributed on October 5, 2009.
A decade and several rebrandings later, Hey Madeline has become W.Collective. In honor of ten years of fashion and lifestyle at Wellesley College, in late 2019, I spoke with Regina DeSantis, the founder of Hey, Madeline, about how it all began.
By Sophie Christiano '21
George Billis is the owner of the George Billis Gallery which has locations in New York City and Los Angeles. Having established his New York gallery in 1997, George is a veteran of navigating the gallery business and the art world. Sophie speaks with George to gain insight into the multifaceted space that galleries occupy, often playing roles as small scale museums, luxury stores, consultants, and artist representatives.
By Stella Ho '22
It starts with a dress. At least, that would be the immediate assumption about the Alessandro Trincone ensemble that opens “Gender Bending Fashion,” a new exhibit at the MFA. The ruffled outfit on a gray mannequin in a neon orange prism displays the traditional trademarks of a dress; an image next to it shows the rapper Young Thug wearing it on the cover of his album Jeffery.
THEY NEW YORK: A SNEAKER FIT FOR ALL
The eyes of the public have grown accustomed to the flashy patterns, bold colors, and varied textures of modern sneakers. Balenciaga’s Triple S sneakers, for example, created a huge trend in the chunky and bright “Dad Sneaker.” This has completely changed what industry-dominant sneaker brands, such as Nike and Adidas, are selling. As a result, these companies have curated the majority of their sneakers toward this trend, ultimately leaving people who aren’t looking for a complicated shoe struggling to find something that fits their own tastes. THEY NEW YORK, brings the simplicity and minimalism back to the modern sneaker.
By Tiffany Chu '22, Maria Chiang Rebatta '22, and Mandy You '22
Tiffany, Maria, and Mandy review thrifted pieces from their closets and the stories behind each article of clothing. The three reflect on what thrifting internationally means to them and why they enjoy buying vintage clothes.
By Tiffany Chu '22
In the summer of 2017, sisters Starling and Rein Irving, and their two racks of vintage clothing, hit the road in their 1959 Chevrolet bus. Their shop, named Stillwater Vintage after the band from Almost Famous, travelled along the New England coast in 2017 and will be expanding to a coast to coast tour in 2020. We caught up with Starling- currently a social assistant at Man Repeller- for thrifting tips and the ins-and-outs of launching your own vintage store.
By Seiyeon Park '21
Meet Mina S. Oh. A MAS major and Korean minor graduate from Wellesley, she has the most aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed and a passion for art and design. In the summer of 2017, Mina took her passions to the professional field through an internship at Kinfolk Magazine, an independent slow-lifestyle magazine now based in Copenhagen, Denmark. W. Collective had the lovely opportunity to speak with her about the process and her takeaways from her time at Kinfolk.
By Seiyeon Park '21
Based in New York, Petite Studio was founded by Jenny Wang in 2016. Jenny came from a family of entrepreneurs, with both of her parents having worked in the business industry for decades. Jenny states that her experience in business has helped her build Petite Studio as a fuse between her passion for design and economics background.
By Seiyeon Park '21
When it comes to jewelry, it can be easy to fall into the trap of the common trends. Go onto Instagram and search #armcandy or #jewelryoftheday, and you’ll find a slew of perfect stacks of Cartier bracelets coordinated with a watch of the same hue, or Pandora charms strung on silver chains. However, twin sisters Chloe and Kate Lee, founders of the jewelry brand Avec New York, take their clean and modern style beyond the standard look.
By Seiyeon Park '21
Valentine Witmeur is the Belgian designer and founder of the brand Valentine Witmeur Lab. She creates beautifully designed knits, which are produced in Portugal by a small family-owned studio with the highest quality of fabrics. Her products are loved by bloggers and fashion influencers across the world for their versatility and eye-catching color schemes. She is an advocate for fighting against fast fashion and strives to design clothing that will last their wearers a lifetime.
By Christine Pourheydarian '21 and Cristina Anillo '21
Christine and Cristina caught up with fellow Wellesley student Mila to learn about her style and fashion inspiration.
By Anna Cauthorn '19 assisted by Cristina Anillo '21
Anna and Cristina explore Boston boutiques from Follain for the green-juice-drinking, Outdoor-Voices-clad, clean-beauty-loving set to Forty Winks, your go-to for luxurious and flattering lingerie.
By Isabella Tighe, Catherine Chen, and Jennifer Chung
Isabella, Catherine, and Jennifer cover six savory brunch spots located near Copley Square.
By Yu Rong Lim
Meet Audrey Elkus, she's got an eye for design. A sophomore MAS major at Wellesley, Audrey spent the summer pursuing her interests at TAIT Design Co., a small, award-winning product design company in Michigan. We’ve had the chance to talk to Audrey about her experiences as an intern at TAIT and ask her what advice she can give to other students interested in pursuing a similar path.
By Mina Oh
As any Art History major can attest to, the decision to pursue a degree in the arts often meets with a measure of well-intentioned skepticism (read: "What are you going to do with that?"). Meet Grace Oh, a 2015 Wellesley graduate, who’s putting that degree to use in her coveted position as a research fellow at the Louvre!
By Mina Oh
Meet Ariana Vergos de Zavala '18: the beautiful, international sophomore with an eye for fashion -- and who, at the age of 16, interned with Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, the influential Spanish fashion designer. In the interview below, Ariana discusses how she landed the internship, what it was like working for Agatha, and the time she sewed the ensemble worn by Miley Cyrus at the VMAs (!!).