Monday, April 15

>>  Demise of the *SUPERPLASTIC

In my high school, we had a dress code: White polos and khakis. It's hard to imagine brand names coming into the mix with such simple clothing, but in a suburban school that cut across the demographic lines, differentiation through what you wore was always on the menu.

"Is that from Gap?" I'd have to think to myself, What is Gap? In the 10th grade, I had no idea. "No, it's from Target." That was my reply, one that was shot down, spit upon and kicked away. Gap. Old Navy. Somewhere down the line, these two stores stormed through my high school and permeated our culture.

Hilfiger was only afforded by the very top and no one had heard of A&F. There was a bloody stench of middle-class domination that was not only societally inappropriate, it was just outright pretentious.

New York City is different. It tries to justify itself. Unlike suburban Texas, it doesn't plead ignorance as its justification but rather its overwhelming knowledge. Somehow, it's forced me to believe Gap is not cool, that Macy's is for the weak and that malls are dirty. And no one here wears Dockers. It's beyond me, this thing with what we wear. But for some reason, I'm still trying to decipher it.

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Last Thursday, the Chinese Student Society at NYU threw their annual EXPO Benefit Cultural and Fashion Show. I had some great front-row seats and took a good lot of pictures. Check 'em out!

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