Fashion columnists Kenny Thapoung and Lex Sachdev greet the new school year with the first of many columns.
Say hello to the newest addition to The Temple News’ Arts & Entertainment section: Hoot Couture, the fashion column.
By no means are we fashion experts, but you don’t need to be a pro to know what looks good. We understand that some of you are, let’s say, fashionably challenged. But don’t worry – we’ll be here to solve your style crises and answer your questions.
And who are we, exactly? We are Lex and Kenny, two “nobodies” in the fashion industry who want to make it big. Cliché? Yes. Impossible? We don’t think so. Maybe nobodies is a bit strong. We wouldn’t give you advice if we didn’t have experience.
Kenny interned for StyleSalt.com, where he blogged about celebrity style and popular clothing and accessories. After StyleSalt, he found his way to OMGee! Magazine, an online fashion magazine, where he researched the happenings of the fashion world, from critiquing the blasphemous dresses seen at the CFDAs – that’s the Council of Fashion Designers of America fashion awards for you fashion rookies – to announcing the Kardashians’ new houseware line.
Lex got her start making costumes for local theater productions and designing some of her own clothing items. After arriving at Temple, she started a blog about high fashion and how Philadelphians put their own spin on it. Then, she wrote a slew of fashion show reviews and style advice articles for The Temple News, Philly Weekly and other local newspapers.
Our experience has taught us a thing or two about style, and so has our style icon, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, who introduced the wrap dress in the early 1970s. She said style is “an effortless confidence in being yourself – it is a way of putting yourself together according to your mood and what you want to project. Personal style appears to come naturally for some, but for others, it can take a while to find it.”
In other words, style is being confident in yourself. It is a means of projecting who or what you want to be that day. It is creating and recreating yourself as often as you like.
That’s why we’re here: not to tell you exactly what to wear, but to explain how to make the latest trends your own.
And style doesn’t require endless funds. We don’t want you to splurge your scholarship money on a single pair of Armani jeans because we say the brand is on the rise.
Philadelphia has a number of independent boutiques and stores that offer similar garments, in addition to one-of-a-kind designs. Sometimes the price tags can push your budget, but we’re here to help guide you to the hottest deals on a smoking new ensemble.
In addition to giving you the lowdown on inexpensive style, we’ll also write about campus trends, your most fashionable classmates, the scoop on Philly Fashion Week and what not to wear – all loaded with attitude and humor.
When you pass The Temple News kiosks, pick up the issue for our column. We will keep you entertained. There’s never a dull moment in fashion, especially with us at the desk.
You may not agree with some things we write, but that’s OK. Comments are always welcome. Feel free to contact us with your opinions, good or bad.
To the newly inducted freshmen and transfer Owls, we welcome you to Temple, and to returning students, welcome back. We hope to make this school year a fashionable one.
Alexis Sachdev and Kenny Thapoung can be reached at artsandentertainment@temple-news.com.
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