Amber Shi: Sun-Kissed Blush

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Photo:Amber Shi, Copyright 2017
 

 

Photography and Text by Amber Shi, Copyright 2017

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SUN-KISSED BLUSH

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For my first project, I decided to focus on the theme: sun-kissed blush. The “blush” is not restricted to the use of makeup, it can also refer to the outfit as well. The trend in makeup can be seen as the use of rosary blush around the cheekbone while in clothes, it refers to a floral, rosy style.

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Photo: Amber Shi, Copyright 2017

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Sun-kissed blush is done by painting candy-colored blooms exaggeratedly around the cheekbones or under the eyes. The blush has formed a Tokyo trend in Japan, known as “me no shita chiiku”. Rosy cheekbones started to appear in Tokyo streets last few years and peaked in Japanese beauty magazines last year. Highly-placed blush became the signature look for It Girl and when clothing brands recruit models, they ask models to wear high-cheekbone blush to appear to the young generation.

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Amber Shi: Copyright 2017

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Moreover, the sun-kissed blush look goes well with the “no-makeup makeup” look. Instead of having overly contoured facial features or heavily done smoky eyes, the new trend is for skin to glow with hints of sun-kissed blush. Especially during summer when wearing thick layers of foundation or dark eye liners can give you a hard life hanging out by the beach, a natural look with blush can be the best alternative. The key to create a look for summer or fall is to make your skin breath. A light dab of blush creates a sun-kissed look, bringing out radiance in complexion. Meanwhile, if you look at the models appeared in the most recent NYFW, many high-end brands, like Chanel and Kenzo, chose to create a pink-toned to cheekbones, temples and beneath the brows. The natural look with a bit blush draws audience’s attention to the clothing style while highlights the facial structure of models.

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Photo: Amber Shi, Copyright 2017

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The alternative version of sun-kissed blush in clothes is the floral outfit. The fall catwalks include many eye-popping florals. While black, grey and white dominate most part of the fashion trend, floral trend started to go back when people brought back the ‘French Vintage Girl” look. Tanned skin with a breezy floral wrap dress is a must-have outfit for summer in France. Moreover, with a floral outfit, you can always dress up with a pair of beige weaves or you can dress down with a pair of white sneakers.

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Photo: Amber Shi, Copyright 2017

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Self-Portrait by Amber Shi, Copyright 2017

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About The Author:  Amber Shi is a sophomore enrolled in the College of the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2020.

Ria Vaidya: Blinding

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Photography and Tex by Ria Vaidya, Copyright 2017

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BLINDING

When you first see a person, you notice certain things about them. Their race, height and gender are some of the first few obvious ones. But the things that make an individual striking versus bland are things like their style, mannerisms and their overall vibe. People therefore are to an extent in control of what vibe they give off. But the problem is, there are certain things that you can’t really hide. When you are angry, your jaw clenches up. When you try and hold back your tears, your voice gets shaky. When you are happy, your eyes light up. In fact, it is said that your eyes are the most emotive form of communication. The eyes dominate expression and while your words might say one thing, your eyes can only hide so much. Some even go as far as to say that your eyes are like a window to your soul. But what if you don’t want that window to be open all the time? What if you want to be able to keep the walls up as much as possible? People have their ways of keeping the blinds on their lives closed. So if you have the opportunity to create a barrier between your most telling feature and the rest of the world, wouldn’t you choose too? Perhaps it is a crutch. Or perhaps it is simply just a trendy fashion accessory.

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Photo by Ria Vaidya, Copyright 2017

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Portrait of Ria Vaidya by Linda Ruan, Copyright 2017.

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About The Artist: Ria Vaidya is a Senior enrolled in the College of the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2018.

Michael Heath: Skate Board Fashion

 

Photography and Text by Michael Heath, Copyright 2017

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SKATE BOARD FASHION

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In the nearly 20 years since I last had a skateboard under my feet, it seems that much has changed in the realm of what one might wear as they furiously push their way across a flat towards a quarter-ramp to do a trick before falling on their face. In the late 1990’s, the standard issue skater uniform was simple: baggy shirt, baggy pants that never fit around your waist, Converse All-Stars or Airwalks, long-ish hair, and a wallet chain. If it was cold outside, maybe you would follow the grunge trend at the time and wear a plaid long-sleeved shirt. It was clothes to get dirty in, to sweat profusely in, to give a middle-finger to everyone who wore neatly pleated khaki pants, rugby polos, and loafers to high school in.

2017, however, has revealed to me that skate park fashion has evolved and diversified immensely since I was 16 years old. Some of the trends I was familiar with are in a retro phase, including the aforementioned All-Stars and baggy pants, but they were the exception to the rule that more form-fitting clothes were acceptable. A great number of ‘boarders were wearing skinny jeans, purposefully destroyed for show, not as a sign they had fallen on their knees umpteen million times trying to perfect their railing grind. Some were wearing layers with t-shirts under collared shirts; others wore henleys or stretch cotton shirts.

The most surprising update in the last 20 years: Color. Eye-grabbing, unapologetic color.

I am unsure if the only clothes skateboarders owned two decades ago that nobody cared about destroying were black, brown, dark green or blue, denim, and whatever color tube socks came in, or if it was just the overall palette available at the time, but I never recall skate fashion being this attention-worthy. Bright reds. Neon yellow. Pastels. Faded colors. White. Purple. You name it. It was glorious.

Oh, and then there were the haircuts. Gone were the bowl cuts and bald heads I remember. In were fades, braids, twists, dreadlocks, pompadours, military cuts, flat-tops, long beards, short beards.

Skate park fashion, my how you have grown up.

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Portrait of Michael Heath by Rongrong Liu. Copyright 2017

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About The Author: Michael Heath is a Senior IT Support Specialist, ISC Classroom Technology Services, at the University of Pennsylvania.

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TWS: September 2017

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TWS: SEPTEMBER 2017
 

 

Text by Racquel Ward, Copyright 2017

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Photography by Tony Ward, Copyright 2017

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LOS ANGELES UNKNOWN

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Angelinos live amongst the stars, palm trees, vegan diets, terrible dating and gorgeous people. But if you live in the city the right way, it means to explore the rich history of Hollywood, visit it’s beautiful beaches, eat a myriad of authentic ethnic foods and talk to the characters of the city.

Catalina Island is a good place to start. Yes, there are great restaurants and south of France like beaches, but perhaps one of the most underrated sights to see is the 20th century art deco inspired Catalina Casino. Built and owned by the Wrigley Family, this architectural marvel puts you right back in time to the early days of Hollywood. The island itself is known as the “playground of the stars,” but the casino is where they gathered. Casino means, “gathering place” in Italian, and that’s just what Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and many others did at this decadent Hollywood hot spot.

There is nothing “unknown” about the famous pink wall which houses Paul Smith’s flagship clothing store – mostly because it is one of the most popular places to take a selfie in the United States. If you’re into pop culture and all things Instagram, this is a must-see when you’re shopping on Melrose. It’s a great place to people watch since just about every second of every day you can see people taking snaps at the wall. However, perhaps the most unusual fact about it is that visitors rarely go into the actual store. Go figure.

Let’s not skip over the locals in Venice Beach. The neighborhood is a gentrified mess, but that still has not kept the locals from honoring their stake in the cultural fabric of the area. Keeping the character of Venice alive, 30+ year Angelino residents like Ben Bennett, have made their homes in Venice and do not intend to leave. It is not always appreciated but these guys and gals make the neighborhood what it is despite the presence of Facebook and Snapchat. Next time you see a Venice local, and believe me you’ll know one when you see one, stop and say hi. Ask about their lives, their histories and what makes Venice special to them. This exchange will deepen your understanding and appreciation of one of America’s greatest neighborhoods.

Next time you’re in Los Angeles, explore the city through a different lens. You may be surprised at what you find. But shhhh, don’t tell everybody, for like the oceans and the rain forests, these gems too need protection. Visitors and locals are all stewards of the cultural preciousness of the city.  Happy hunting!

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About The Author: Racquel Ward is a writer and educational therapist living in Los Angeles. She holds a BA in Culture and Media studies and a BFA in Contemporary Music from the New School University – Manhattan, New York. Racquel also holds a Master’s of Science in Teaching. She has been published on ThoughtCatalog and most recently finished her first children’s book entitled: The Boy Who Couldn’t Read. Available at Amazon.com

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To access additional articles by Racquel Ward, click herehttps://tonywardstudio.com/blog/racquel-ward-60s-back/