A&E - April 29, 2010
1
A&E April 29, 2010 ● Mount Holyoke News BY KIM BOYD ’10 6 Once upon a time, a fat little eight-year-old kid with scabby knees and unfashionable clothing went to a play at a college campus. As soon as she walked onto that campus, she took a deep breath, held it in her chest and her eyes went as round as saucers behind her horrible red- framed glasses. “This,” she barely breathed, “is where I wanna go.” The teacher whom she was with at the time laughed at her. “Mount Holyoke isn’t a place for people like you,” she had said her nose firmly moved to- ward the sky. The little girl grew up. She dropped out of high school, she went a little crazy, she did a lot of stupid things, but eventually she grew up, went back to school and finally got the guts to apply to Mount Holyoke. The first time she was rejected with a nice note, but that was a good thing, because it made the woman grow up even more. Once upon a time at Mount Holyoke, a woman started classes and she felt entirely out of place. She was poor white trash after all, and that teacher’s comment stayed with her. Still, she talked back in her classes and in general was a complete and utter idiot. Then once upon a time she went blind and her whole world forever changed. Once upon a time she was forced to become a different kind of student, and in no small way, that forced her to become a different person. Well, sort of a different person. She still was who she was at her very core. Once upon a time at Mount Holyoke, she thought most of the stu- dents were pretentious idiots and full of false ideas. Once upon a time, she hated people and she especially hated you. Once upon a time she started writing this stupid column, and once upon a time she thought this was a good idea. Once upon a time her class graduated, but because of a stupid techinicality, she won't get to walk across the stage. My once upon a time at Mount Holyoke is ending now, as is my once upon this column. It’s been a very long year here, and I’m pretty sure that at least some of you are completely overjoyed that I won't be around here to geek out or snark at the stupidness of current trends next year. It’s been good for me, though, even if I really don't want to admit it. Since I’d come here, I’d had edges worn off, edges honed razorsharp and some soft places have had new edges put on. Once upon a time I thought I would be pleased as punch to be GTFOing out of here, but now that I’m looking at it, I’m a little sad. Once upon a time at Mount Holyoke, there was this chick with an eye-patch, and once upon a time at Mount Holyoke she pointed to you and said “that's what she said.” Don’t for- get it Celtic beats : Zoe Darrow and the Fiddleheads W hen Zoe Darrow ’12 plays the fiddle, she closes her eyes and softly beats her foot on the ground. Her fingers nimbly move over the frets as her bow skips over the strings. She is totally Zen. You can tell her sense of pleasure and absolute bliss that she feels when she’s playing, and it’s contagious. She has been playing the violin since she was four years old, when she discovered the instrument while watching her sister play, and soon took up playing as well. It wasn’t long, however, before Darrow discovered Celtic music and was inspired to begin fiddling. Darrow draws a strong mu- sical influence from Irish and Scottish music, especially Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island. Darrow, a native of nearby Blandford, studied music during her day-to-day curriculum because of she was homeschooled and she studied with local teachers as well. Darrow’s love for music and ability in performing con- tinued as she performed in recitals regularly while grow- ing up. Darrow is very much intrigued by the kinds of connections she has with people who’ve come to see her perform. “A lot of people just hear the music and see me and it’s as if I’m not really there, not in a negative way. It’s the fiddle that’s doing all the talking. In a performance, af- terwards people feel like they know you and they come up to you and be really friendly with you. They really want to connect with you when in fact it’s all the fiddle that does that. And that’s amazing to me that a sound can connect people so intensely and make you feel like you know a per- former even though they haven’t said a word.” Around age 12, Darrow took part in a local amateur band along with her dad, who plays guitar and uncle, who plays piano. The response was great, and the group got re- quests for performances, and soon enough, Zoe and her father started up a band called “Zoe Darrow and the Fid- dleheads.” The band includes Darrow and her dad Phil, along with family friend Tom Coburn on piano. The Fiddleheads have played all over the country, but frequently in the Pioneer Valley. She’s played at the Iron Horse in Northampton on numerous occasions, including their St. Patrick’s Day show. Said Darrow, “The Iron horse is a cool place to play because everyone knows it and when you say ‘I’m performing at the Iron Horse,’ every- one’s like ‘Yeah, I know where that is, we can go.’ And they get all excited, and it ends up being a really high-energy show. It’s not the biggest venue that we’ve played but there’s always that cool Northampton aura about it.” The group has gained large amount of notoriety both within the Celtic music community, as well as the local commu- nity. In 2007, the Valley Advocate named the band “Best Celtic Band.” “I find it amazing when someone enjoys my music,” said Darrow. “Every person that comes to see me, I’m so flattered. I’m blown away that they wanted to make time out of their life to come see me perform. It’s very neat, it’s very validating.” Playing concerts isn’t something that makes her as nervous as it used to, but instead excitement. She and her dad used to play on the streets of Northampton to help her get over her jitters. Still, performing in front of large crowds hasn’t seemed to help with her public speaking skills. “I get terrified if I have to speak in front of people. If I have to speak or do a presentation in front of class, my palms start sweating and I start getting butterflies in my stomach, but I like playing my violin for people.” The Fiddleheads have played three shows this semes- ter, though the group plays most of their shows during the summer, while Darrow has more free time to rehearse and travel. Darrow’s father Phil maintains a large amount of the planning that goes into running a band. “He does like a third of the work during the performances and 100% of the work outside of the performances,” said Darrow. Though now that she’s getting older, she wants to take more responsibility in managing the group and organiz- ing performances. Darrow attributes Mount Holyoke to her success, es- pecially the small class sizes and attention from profes- sors. Darrow is majoring in anthropology and is interested in studying ethnomusicology. She loves world music, especially international string music. “I’m really interested in types of fiddle music from all over the world, especially Mongolian and Indian,” said Darrow. “Right now I’m learning a whole different fiddle instrument. It’s called a Rebab and I’m playing with the Smith Gamelan ensemble. The teacher there has been nice enough to drag me into this completely new type of playing, completely new songs. It’s still technically a fiddle but still kind of ter- rifying, and I’m really enjoying that.” Darrow will be playing around New England this sum- mer. Even with the chaos of college life, fiddling is a cen- tral force in her life that she plans on continuing with for a long time.” I always want to have my fiddle, its not some- thing that I can just stop doing. Its been such a huge part of me through a lot things. I’ve grown to respect it but also rely on it. Seeing my ability grow has been really helpful for me.” It’s easy to see the fashion runways and think, “If I want to be fashionable, I need to have a lot of money.” But I believe that everyday fash- ionable people exist because they use high fash- ion as inspiration, not necessity. Designers always say that they create for the common woman, and they do. Without buying expensive clothing, you can take cues from more expensive designs in your daily wear. Money doesn’t deter- mine style, so here are some timeless design houses that may conjure up a little fashion stim- ulation in your heart: Balenciaga Balenciaga Known for emphasis on tailoring and exquis- itely fine details, Balenciaga is all about timeless lines. In streamlined, sophisticated style Cristo- bal Balenciaga founded “The House of Balenci- aga” in Madrid in 1918. The son of a seamstress, Balenciaga quickly became known as “the coutu- rier of couturiers.” After the Spanish Civil War, the designer moved to Paris where he built the brand known for refined elegance. Frenchman Nicolas Ghesquière has been designing for Ba- lenciaga since 1997, altering design concepts from the house’s archives. Most notable in Ba- lenciaga’s clothes are the quality; every piece is finely finished. Every collection upholds the brand’s luxury heritage while maintaining a fresh perspective. Stella McCartney Stella McCartney The daughter of Paul McCartney, Stella has made a name for herself through her keen sense of color and playful pat- tern. In her most recent shows, Stella McCart- ney had all of her models smile as they walked the catwalk, a more humanistic approach to the mostly sterile high-fashion world. After receiv- ing her degree from Central Saint Mar- tins, McCartney designs with the common woman in mind. Famous for sharp tailoring, irreverence and sexy femininity, Stella McCartney re- fuses to put women in a box. Un- usual for a major designer, her designs are fur and leather free. After working as the chief de- signer at Chloé, McCartney started her signature line in 2001. She often juxtaposes sharp and fem- inine elements, so look out for her lacey dresses and tailored suits. Chloé Chloé Playful designs meant for a sophisticated younger audience. The alternative to stuffy older designs, the young aesthetic of Chloé is an unin- timidating choice for chic shoppers. French label Chloé was started in 1952 as an alternative to the norm's strict adherence to haute couture. Founder Gaby Aghion spotted a void in the mar- ket and the notion of Prêt-à-Porter (ready-to- wear) was born. The list of past designers reads like a who’s who of fashion’s greatest, including Karl Lagerfeld (who took it to iconic status in the 1970s), Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo. British designer Hannah MacGibbon is the new creative director. Look out for her refined take on easy glamour. This spring’s sumptuous palette of sand, off-white and café latte is perfected in her latest collection of sleek silk blouses, slouchy shorts and flowing cotton dresses. Miu Miu Miu Miu Founded in 1992, Miu Miu is the second line designed by Miuccia Prada, a true trendsetting visionary. Nicole Kidman and Chole Sevigny love this classic but chic line. But it is not just for Hol- lywood’s leading ladies, a Miu Miu look will take from day to night in no time. Moschino Moschino Created in 1983, Moschino broke the rules from the get-go. Innovative and inventive de- signs combine with refined textiles and fabrics. “Fashion should be fun and should send a mes- sage,” was the motto of Franco Moschino, who created the House of Moschino in 1984. After his death in 1994, the reins were passed to his long- time assistant and protégé Rossella Jardini who has continued to imbue the creations with a uniquely sexy and whimsical feel. The current collection epitomizes the house's signature melangé style, think feminine bouclé mini skirts and tiered silk dresses, all with added 'flounce'. Source: www.net-a-porter.com Fashion Finds by Fashion Finds by Fran Fran MY TOP FIVE DESIGNERS MY TOP FIVE DESIGNERS BY FRANCESCA BOZZELLI ’10 BY SAMANTHA SILVER ’1O FEATURES EDITOR ONCE UPON A TIME Photo courtesy of Phil and Zoe Darrow
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Transcript of A&E - April 29, 2010
A&E April 29, 2010 � Mount Holyoke News
BBYY KKIIMM BBOOYYDD ’’1100
6
Once upon a time, a fat little eight-year-old kid with scabby kneesand unfashionable clothing went to a play at a college campus. As soonas she walked onto that campus, she took a deep breath, held it in herchest and her eyes went as round as saucers behind her horrible red-framed glasses. “This,” she barely breathed, “is where I wanna go.” Theteacher whom she was with at the time laughed at her. “Mount Holyokeisn’t a place for people like you,” she had said her nose firmly moved to-ward the sky. The little girl grew up. She dropped out of high school, shewent a little crazy, she did a lot of stupid things, but eventually she grewup, went back to school and finally got the guts to apply to MountHolyoke. The first time she was rejected with a nice note, but that was agood thing, because it made the woman grow up even more.Once upon a time at Mount Holyoke, a woman started classes and
she felt entirely out of place. She was poor white trash after all, and thatteacher’s comment stayed with her. Still, she talked back in her classesand in general was a complete and utter idiot. Then once upon a timeshe went blind and her whole world forever changed. Once upon a timeshe was forced to become a different kind of student, and in no smallway, that forced her to become a different person. Well, sort of a differentperson. She still was who she was at her very core.Once upon a time at Mount Holyoke, she thought most of the stu-
dents were pretentious idiots and full of false ideas. Once upon a time,she hated people and she especially hated you. Once upon a time shestarted writing this stupid column, and once upon a time she thoughtthis was a good idea. Once upon a time her class graduated, but becauseof a stupid techinicality, she won't get to walk across the stage.My once upon a time at Mount Holyoke is ending now, as is my once
upon this column. It’s been a very long year here, and I’m pretty surethat at least some of you are completely overjoyed that I won't be aroundhere to geek out or snark at the stupidness of current trends next year.It’s been good for me, though, even if I really don't wantto admit it. Since I’d come here, I’d had edges wornoff, edges honed razorsharp and some soft placeshave had new edges put on.Once upon a time I thought I
would be pleased as punch to beGTFOing out of here, but now thatI’m looking at it, I’m a little sad.Once upon a time at MountHolyoke, there was this chickwith an eye-patch, and onceupon a time at Mount Holyokeshe pointed to you and said“that's what she said.” Don’t for-get it
Celtic beats: Zoe Darrow and the Fiddleheads
When Zoe Darrow ’12 plays the fiddle, shecloses her eyes and softly beats her foot onthe ground. Her fingers nimbly move over
the frets as her bow skips over the strings. She is totallyZen. You can tell her sense of pleasure and absolute blissthat she feels when she’s playing, and it’s contagious. Shehas been playing the violin since she was four years old,when she discovered the instrument while watching hersister play, and soon took up playing as well. It wasn’tlong, however, before Darrow discovered Celtic music andwas inspired to begin fiddling. Darrow draws a strong mu-sical influence from Irish and Scottish music, especiallyCape Breton and Prince Edward Island. Darrow, a nativeof nearby Blandford, studied music during her day-to-daycurriculum because of she was homeschooled and shestudied with local teachers as well.Darrow’s love for music and ability in performing con-
tinued as she performed in recitals regularly while grow-ing up. Darrow is very much intrigued by the kinds ofconnections she has with people who’ve come to see herperform. “A lot of people just hear the music and see meand it’s as if I’m not really there, not in a negative way. It’sthe fiddle that’s doing all the talking. In a performance, af-terwards people feel like they know you and they come upto you and be really friendly with you. They really want toconnect with you when in fact it’s all the fiddle that doesthat. And that’s amazing to me that a sound can connectpeople so intensely and make you feel like you know a per-former even though they haven’t said a word.”Around age 12, Darrow took part in a local amateur
band along with her dad, who plays guitar and uncle, whoplays piano. The response was great, and the group got re-quests for performances, and soon enough, Zoe and herfather started up a band called “Zoe Darrow and the Fid-dleheads.” The band includes Darrow and her dad Phil,along with family friend Tom Coburn on piano.
The Fiddleheads have played all over the country, butfrequently in the Pioneer Valley. She’s played at the IronHorse in Northampton on numerous occasions, includingtheir St. Patrick’s Day show. Said Darrow, “The Iron horseis a cool place to play because everyone knows it andwhen you say ‘I’m performing at the Iron Horse,’ every-one’s like ‘Yeah, I know where that is, we can go.’ And theyget all excited, and it ends up being a really high-energy
show. It’s not the biggest venue that we’ve played butthere’s always that cool Northampton aura about it.” Thegroup has gained large amount of notoriety both withinthe Celtic music community, as well as the local commu-nity. In 2007, the Valley Advocate named the band “BestCeltic Band.”“I find it amazing when someone enjoys my music,”
said Darrow. “Every person that comes to see me, I’m soflattered. I’m blown away that they wanted to make timeout of their life to come see me perform. It’s very neat, it’svery validating.”Playing concerts isn’t something that makes her as
nervous as it used to, but instead excitement. She and herdad used to play on the streets of Northampton to help herget over her jitters. Still, performing in front of largecrowds hasn’t seemed to help with her public speakingskills. “I get terrified if I have to speak in front of people.If I have to speak or do a presentation in front of class, mypalms start sweating and I start getting butterflies in mystomach, but I like playing my violin for people.”The Fiddleheads have played three shows this semes-
ter, though the group plays most of their shows during thesummer, while Darrow has more free time to rehearseand travel. Darrow’s father Phil maintains a large amountof the planning that goes into running a band. “He doeslike a third of the work during the performances and 100%of the work outside of the performances,” said Darrow.Though now that she’s getting older, she wants to takemore responsibility in managing the group and organiz-ing performances.
Darrow attributes Mount Holyoke to her success, es-pecially the small class sizes and attention from profes-sors. Darrow is majoring in anthropology and isinterested in studying ethnomusicology. She loves worldmusic, especially international string music. “I’m reallyinterested in types of fiddle music from all over the world,especially Mongolian and Indian,” said Darrow. “Rightnow I’m learning a whole different fiddle instrument. It’scalled a Rebab and I’m playing with the Smith Gamelanensemble. The teacher there has been nice enough to dragme into this completely new type of playing, completelynew songs. It’s still technically a fiddle but still kind of ter-rifying, and I’m really enjoying that.”Darrow will be playing around New England this sum-
mer. Even with the chaos of college life, fiddling is a cen-tral force in her life that she plans on continuing with fora long time.” I always want to have my fiddle, its not some-thing that I can just stop doing. Its been such a huge partof me through a lot things. I’ve grown to respect it butalso rely on it. Seeing my ability grow has been reallyhelpful for me.”
It’s easy to see the fashion runways andthink, “If I want to be fashionable, I need to havea lot of money.” But I believe that everyday fash-ionable people exist because they use high fash-ion as inspiration, not necessity. Designersalways say that they create for the commonwoman, and they do. Without buying expensiveclothing, you can take cues from more expensivedesigns in your daily wear. Money doesn’t deter-mine style, so here are some timeless designhouses that may conjure up a little fashion stim-ulation in your heart:
BalenciagaBalenciagaKnown for emphasis on tailoring and exquis-
itely fine details, Balenciaga is all about timelesslines. In streamlined, sophisticated style Cristo-bal Balenciaga founded “The House of Balenci-aga” in Madrid in 1918. The son of a seamstress,Balenciaga quickly became known as “the coutu-rier of couturiers.” After the Spanish Civil War,the designer moved to Paris where he built thebrand known for refined elegance. FrenchmanNicolas Ghesquière has been designing for Ba-lenciaga since 1997, altering design conceptsfrom the house’s archives. Most notable in Ba-lenciaga’s clothes are the quality; every piece isfinely finished. Every collection upholds thebrand’s luxury heritage while maintaining a
fresh perspective.
Stella McCartneyStella McCartneyThe daughter of Paul
McCartney, Stella has made a name for herselfthrough her keen sense of color and playful pat-tern. In her most recent shows, Stella McCart-ney had all of her models smile as they walkedthe catwalk, a more humanistic approach to themostly sterile high-fashion world. After receiv-
ing her degree from Central Saint Mar-tins, McCartney designs with thecommon woman in mind. Famous forsharp tailoring, irreverence and sexyfemininity, Stella McCartney re-fuses to put women in a box. Un-usual for a major designer, herdesigns are fur and leather free.After working as the chief de-
signer at Chloé, McCartney started her signature
line in 2001. She often juxtaposes sharp and fem-inine elements, so look out for her lacey dressesand tailored suits.
ChloéChloéPlayful designs meant for a sophisticated
younger audience. The alternative to stuffy olderdesigns, the young aesthetic of Chloé is an unin-timidating choice for chic shoppers. French labelChloé was started in 1952 as an alternative to thenorm's strict adherence to haute couture.Founder Gaby Aghion spotted a void in the mar-ket and the notion of Prêt-à-Porter (ready-to-wear) was born. The list of past designers readslike a who’s who of fashion’s greatest, includingKarl Lagerfeld (who took it to iconic status in the1970s), Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo.British designer Hannah MacGibbon is the newcreative director. Look out for her refined take oneasy glamour. This spring’s sumptuous palette ofsand, off-white and café latte is perfected in herlatest collection of sleek silk blouses, slouchyshorts and flowing cotton dresses.
Miu MiuMiu MiuFounded in 1992, Miu Miu is the second line
designed by Miuccia Prada, a true trendsettingvisionary. Nicole Kidman and Chole Sevigny lovethis classic but chic line. But it is not just for Hol-lywood’s leading ladies, a Miu Miu look will takefrom day to night in no time.
MoschinoMoschinoCreated in 1983, Moschino broke the rules
from the get-go. Innovative and inventive de-signs combine with refined textiles and fabrics.“Fashion should be fun and should send a mes-sage,” was the motto of Franco Moschino, whocreated the House of Moschino in 1984. After hisdeath in 1994, the reins were passed to his long-time assistant and protégé Rossella Jardini whohas continued to imbue the creations with auniquely sexy and whimsical feel. The currentcollection epitomizes the house's signaturemelangé style, think feminine bouclé mini skirtsand tiered silk dresses, all with added 'flounce'.
Source: www.net-a-porter.com
Fashion Finds byFashion Finds by FranFranMY TOP FIVE DESIGNERSMY TOP FIVE DESIGNERS
BBYY FFRRAANNCCEESSCCAA BBOOZZZZEELLLLII ’’1100
BY SAMANTHA SILVER ’1OFEATURES EDITOR
OONNCCEE UUPPOONN AA TTIIMMEE
Photo courtesy of Phil and Zoe Darrow
