Q: Do you use fashion as a form of expression?/When did you start using fashion as a form of expression? 

A: Honestly, it was in middle school, because before then I couldn’t wear my own clothes. I went to an elementary school where we had to wear a uniform. I was like  what am I gonna wear now? I was used to wearing the same shirt every day. As a child, I knew I was not wearing no dress, even in uniform. I was wearing khakis and button down shirts and my mom would try and get me to wear skirts and I’d say yeah, no.

-Nadia Caty, Sr. 

Q: In what ways have you seen black culture influence modern trends? How have you reacted to seeing them?

A: Overwhelmingly, I see black culture in fashion get recycled until there is no Black portion in it, it gets sold back to people; gentrified and undermines our work. I find it to be horrible that society can only call upon black people when they need to strip us down of something.

-Ezana Yassin, Sr. 

Q: How do you express black excellence through fashion?

A: I express Black excellence through fashion by incorporating our big trends such as big hoop earrings, baggy clothes, and statement pieces. I feel as though style says a lot about a person and it’s important how people see me and my culture. 

-Tyra Griffin, Jr.

Q: Do you use fashion as a form of expression?/When did you start using fashion as a form of expression? 

A: I do use fashion as a form of expression. I express my personality and how I am through my style. I think my style is what makes me different from everyone else/I think I started using fashion like Junior Year. Before, I didn’t really used to care what I wore, which was fine, but when I started to discover myself more when I was growing every year, I realized that materials were something that I was interested in and that made me happy. When I wear clothes, they speak for themself, people could easily look at me and just know that I am THAT GIRL.

-Samiyah (Belle) Allen, Sr.

Q: How do you express your individuality through fashion?

A: I want to say like, this is my own style, but it’s obviously not, like, it’s compiled of a lot of other people’s styles. I think a lot of Black boys are confined to one type of style so I try to go against the grain and wear brands outside of the trending styles.

-Gabriel Rodriguez, Jr.

Q: In what ways have you seen black culture influence modern trends? How have you reacted to seeing them?

A: Y2k and definitely like the super duper high budget jewelry has always been very black centric. You can tell when it comes from a place of true intention. Ensuring that people do their research, otherwise  they look tacky. 

-Kalani Rossman, Sr.