Welcome back to Fashion on Fifth, a beloved Free Press series showcasing New School students’ unique and wide-ranging style. After seeing how this creative community translated their personal looks to Zoom, our reporters are taking to the streets of Greenwich Village once again. This semester we are bringing you more in-depth profiles and thoughts from your peers about their style evolution throughout the pandemic and since being back in New York City.
Kazuyo Suzuki
Kazuyo Suzuki, a second-year economics major at Lang, described her personal style as ever-changing.To her interview with the New School Free Press, Suzuki wore a green sweater with flared zebra print pants and black loafers. She finished off the look with a black “alligator” textured purse.
Since moving to New York, Suzuki has uncovered new inspiration and has more freedom to explore her style than ever before. Suzuki said that in the past she has been burdened by feeling a need to fit in. “Sometimes I felt like, ‘oh other people are wearing this, I should wear this too,’” she said. Suzuki’s truestyle varies going “from crazy to monotone,” depending on the day.
Suzuki spent last year attending online classes from Japan, where she’s originally from. During this time, she focused much more on being comfortable than stylish. Suzuki wore a lot of pajamas, sweaters and blankets. Now, Suzuki takes more time to think through her outfits every day. While she does still wear sweaters and sweatpants often, Suzuki has made a concerted effort to elevate her looks to what she describes as more “Pinterest-worthy.”
Suzuki says the pressure she feels getting dressed every day varies depending on what building she has classes in that day. In the 16th St. building, which has more Lang students, she doesn’t care that much. Whereas in the Parsons building or University Center “there are a lot of really high-fashion people,” Suzuki thinks more carefully about what she wears. Suzuki does not have a go-to outfit for class because she incorporates so many aesthetics in her attire. “Yesterday I wore sweatpants, but the other day I wore bell bottoms, so it really just depends on my mood,” she said.
Suzuki’s mood also changes with the seasons. With winter approaching, her style is much darker, with a lot of black and white combinations. In the spring and summer, however, her looks are colorful and light.
In the future, Suzuki would like to cut down on the number of clothes she owns. “I like the people that have a small number of clothes but they still style it amazingly,” she said. Since Suzuki does not have one consistent style, she tends to purchase clothes to keep up with a changing aesthetic. Suzuki would love to limit her options as she builds a more definite personal style.
Isabelle Kartalozi
Isabelle Kartalozi, a second-year Culture + Media student at Lang, described her style as a mix of “classy, preppy, ‘boujeé’ and Y2K-ish” elements. Kartalozi has an affinity for creating nostalgic mood boards that encapsulate the 1990s to mid-2000s aesthetics. These mood boards guide Kartalozi’s expansion of her comfort zone. “I use these pictures to build a vibe, depending on where I’m going or how I’m feeling,” she said.
Kartalozi is originally from Minneapolis, where she says everybody’s style was “muted and conformative.” Kartalozi avoided taking fashion risks at home, dressing minimally and “basic” in high school. “The style there is not anywhere near here or any other city. I wore zero statement pieces. I wasn’t really wearing prints, I wore solid colors instead,” said Kartalozi.
Kartalozi moved to New York in August 2020, for her first year at Lang, where she was limited in terms of social interaction and attended online classes from her dorm. “Zoom fashion wasn’t even fashion. I was [wearing] either a hoodie, slides, or a T-shirt versus now, where I actually [style] outfits,” Kartalozi said.
If Kartalozi were to visit Minneapolis with her revamped fashion style, she said, “I would probably feel like the baddest girl out there. I feel like I would stick out in the best way, which is what I want!”
The transition from remote to in-person learning inspired Kartalozi to incorporate a variety of colorful statement pieces into her everyday outfits. “Trial and error is key… I’m exploring colorful options by mixing colors with my makeup and accessories and creating an overall aesthetic,” she said. Kartalozi emphasizes her outfit’s color scheme with matching liquid eyeliner, and bedazzles her inner eye corners with jewels.
Hoops or dangly heart earrings are Kartolozi’s “must-haves” for her everyday look. These accessories are complemented with a clear quartz crystal necklace that Kartalozi says helps to protect her and bring positive energy into her life. “We need to dive into that good energy, especially with all this stress [from] school,” said Kartalozi.
Kartalozi turns her stress into motivation to experiment with styles she’s never tried before. “I get to choose forms of expression that I get excited about, but it can come with a bit of nerves… Proving myself wrong or surprisingmyself everyday with fashion inspiration is key to my wardrobe,” Kartalozi said.
For her interview with the New School Free Press, Kartalozi wore vintage, dead-stock Revolt overalls layered over a baby-pink Isaiah Rashad, “The House is Burning” concert merch sweatshirt. She customized her Nike white Air Force 1’s with a pop of color, “I painted these in the pandemic actually, they were my little pandemic project,” she said. Her blue tote bag is merch from R&B singer and songwriter, Berhana.
Kartalozi accessorized with second-hand pink resin rings from Beacon’s Closet. Her pastel-colored theme goes all the way down to a hand-made beaded necklace and bracelet. Her necklace represents her Zodiac sign, Taurus, and her bracelet displays the nickname she’s called by her friends: “Isa.”
Abby Lorenzini
Abby Lorenzini is a second-year Strategic Design and Management student at Parsons School of Design. For her interview with The New School Free Press, she wore cream parachute pants and a black turtleneck, both of which she thrifted. Lorenzini layered with a brown fringe jacket which was her grandmother’s and sported what she proudly calls,“Reeboks with the straps.”
Lorenzini described her style as “an eclectic jumble and collection of pieces.” She gravitates towards high-value individual pieces, rather than outfits. She is attracted to a variety of trends from different eras in fashion and is influenced by her grandmother who was a model in the 1960s. Lorenzini said, “my grandma was a fashion icon for [me]! She had so many Norma Kamali suits and pieces, so when I got to the right age I raided her closet!” The pieces that she gathered from her grandmother’s wardrobe comprise the statements that inspire and complete her outfits.
Lorenzini prioritizes comfort and practicality when picking outfits for school. “I don’t like wearing anything constricting for school like a corset or heels,” she said. She likes to be comfortable with sneakers, oversized jackets, and some fun accessories.
In high school Lorenzini would rarely put any effort into creating outfits because she didn’t feel the need to. “I would genuinely roll out of bed and wear snuggies to school,”she said. Lorenzini’s interest in developing her personal style grew as life began to normalize, post-pandemic. “I moved here during the height of COVID, so everything was shut down. I never experimented with my style because I didn’t feel the need to,” she said.
Coming to The New School provided Lorenzini with a new opportunity to experiment with her style and overall “look.” “Everyone here is so cool,” she said, “and they each have a cool look to them– [a]nod to their personality.” She has forgone her snuggy and enjoys creating outfits which speak to her personality and interests. “I experiment and put together outfits I never thought I would like. Sometimes I mix street and formal wear together, which is something I have never done before.” Expressing her personality through clothing has strengthened Lorenzini’s sense of identity by allowing her to explore and share her interests through fashion.