RMIT CCSRI Profile: Nicola Henry

Article for RMIT Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation (CCSRI), one in a series of pieces featuring the work and career journeys of CCSRI members. Published April 2023.

Nicola Henry is a Professor and an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow in the Social and Global Studies Centre in the School of Global and Urban Studies at RMIT. She has been a member at the Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation (CCSRI) since 2021.

Henry grew up in New Zealand but has lived in Australia over the past two decades. A socio-legal scholar, she has over 20 years of research experience in the sexual violence field. Well-published, her work investigates the extent, nature and impacts of sexual violence and harassment, including legal and prevention responses in Australian and international contexts.

The CCSRI team was lucky enough to sit down with Henry to chat through her work, current projects and their impact on the world. Henry tells us she’s long been interested in the prevalence of sexual harm and its impacts along with its relation to the law and the surrounding questions of justice. Ten years ago, Henry worked on an Australian Research Council (ARC) discovery project with RMIT criminologist Professor Anastasia Powell. The project started with quite a broad scope, looking at technology-facilitated sexual violence. As a part of the research, they conducted a national survey along with one-on-one interviews and found that experiences involving image-based abuse – colloquially known as “revenge porn” – was a reoccurring theme among the participants they spoke to. As a result, Henry and her team have spent the past ten years diving deeper into the world of image-based abuse.

The team conducted a survey among individuals from Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. The results revealed that one in three respondents had experienced image-based abuse in various forms. Specifically, one in five participants reported having their intimate images shared without consent, while almost one in ten said they had received threats regarding the sharing of their intimate images. Additionally, one in three respondents had someone take intimate images of them without consent.

Despite the alarming prevalence of image-based abuse, the survey highlighted a significant lack of knowledge regarding the available recourse for such offenses. In fact, a majority of individuals were unaware that these actions could be considered criminal charges.

“Even though the experiences and impacts of the 75 victim-survivors we interviewed were so diverse, there was a common theme – the participants often didn’t know that there was anything that could be done to help them. The few that had tried reporting to the police had terrible experiences in doing so –they were either blamed or had their experiences minimised.”

This sparked something in Henry, there had to be a better way to help victim-survivors. Having been interested in the implementation of digital tools to aid individuals who’ve experienced image-based abuse and having an awareness of the evolving technologies, Henry submitted a project application to the ARC in 2019.

“I was aware of chatbots, though my experience was really from a consumer perspective. I really wanted to explore how different digital tools might help victim-survivors of image-based abuse and a chatbot felt like it could be the right format.”

This idea to centralise information and resources for victim-survivors of image-based abuse came to life in Umibot, a chatbot co-created by Henry and RMIT Research Fellow, Dr Alice Witt, Umibot is driven by expert research and rooted in understanding. The process for developing Umibot was a long one, “both challenging and rewarding,” Henry says.

In general, there are three types of chatbots. The first is a rule-based chatbot where users navigate the conversation by selecting pre-filled questions and responses. The second is a hybrid chatbot, like Umibot, which uses AI-language processing as well as the rule-based button interface. The third is a context based chatbot which is wholly reliant on AI, like ChatGPT. The main difference between the AI in a hybrid chatbot and the AI in a context chatbot is that a hybrid bot is more controlled. Hybrid bots use their own intelligence to respond, while context chatbots learn from their interactions with users, simultaneously making them more intelligent and potentially more risky.

As a hybrid chatbot, Umibot users can either select pre-filled questions or ask queries of their own. To bring Umibot to life, Henry and Witt worked with Tundra, a Melbourne-based digital agency. One of the most impressive aspects of this project was the dedicated collaboration amongst the teams specialising in research-driven content, technical development and UX design. In short, Umibot is the result of a partnership between both content and technical expertise.

Henry talks about the project with a gentle humour, as if to not boast about the years of time and effort that went into creating Umibot. Built on Amazon Lex, Henry and Witt compiled a 500-page database of knowledge and resources to train the bot with. “Umibot has been a great challenge and a great joy. We’ve learned so much and we’re now in the process of writing a journal article of best practice guidelines for developing a chatbot. There’s a lot to consider with regards to privacy, safety and the ethics as well as the theoretical frameworks behind the content of a bot.”

Thinking back on the years of researching image-based abuse, Henry has noticed quite a shift in public perceptions and government and platform action. “At the time, the term ‘revenge porn’ was being used, and there wasn’t another term. This was problematic because it only captured a very narrow set of behaviours. There are all sorts of motivations for sharing non-consensual images, and it’s not always related to a relationship or a breakup. We’ve now seen a real shift in thinking about image-based abuse beyond that context, it’s helped to change the frame of view. Although it’s still common for people to blame and shame victims, including even well-meaning people, I’m seeing that far less now”.

While there is still work to be done, Henry recognises the importance of the increased public awareness and media coverage. This attention and Henry’s research have helped advocate for real change. There are now specific criminal offences for cases of image-based abuse in all states and territories (with the exception of Tasmania). Henry’s wealth of expertise is coupled with a wonderful approachability. She’s a real advocate for what she believes in, and her work is driving positive change.

There’s a brief moment in our interview that demonstrates my impression of Henry in the short time that we spoke. One of Henry’s cats walks past her shoulders as she’s rattling off statistics, a fluffy tail flashes across her face but her sentence isn’t broken. Henry has an attentive focus to her work and an appreciation for its gravity, but there’s also a lightness to her – a gentle humour and a softspoken compassion.

Corozo Buttons

Copy for an Arnsdorf newsletter, one of a series featuring sustainable aspects of our production and design processes. Published September 2019.

At Arnsdorf, we’re always striving to make the best garments, from the best materials, in the best way possible for both the planet and people involved. It’s not always easy to strike that perfect balance, to source beautiful fabrics with minimal eco-footprints, to match design vision to market reality. We’re constantly doing our best and keeping our eyes on the horizon for sustainable innovation.

This week, we’re shining the spotlight on corozo buttons.

Originating in the Tagua Palms of South America, corozo is the seed or nut of the Tagua Palm tree. The Tagua fruits, which contain the seeds, are only viable for harvest when they have fully ripened and naturally fallen to the forest floor. This diminishes the risk of over harvesting and deforestation within the corozo trade. Initially in a gooey-liquid form, the corozo dries out over a month or two in the sun, becoming the ivory-like substance we use on our garments. A natural part of our ecosystem, corozo is an incredible renewable resource, biodegrading over time unlike plastics.

Tagua Palms are one of few plant species which are dioecii, or sexually differentiated, like humans are. The female palms produce the fruit, and in turn, the corozo. Corozo is made up of very tightly wound organic fibers, giving it a great durability and scratch resistance. It’s natural grain is visible to the eye, which we beleive is an element of corozo’s great beauty.

A porous material, corozo can be dyed quite easily. This allows for beautiful and vibrant colours; for instance, the soft purple of our Lydia Jacket. Pictured on our Cocoa Celeste Suit Jacket at right, you’ll discover corozo buttons across our entire collection from suiting and shirting to dresses.

Woodchips to Wardrobe

Copy for an Arnsdorf newsletter, one of a series featuring sustainable aspects of our production and design processes.. Published August 2019.

Alongside the green gingham, crisp ivory, ruffles, and ruching, our SS20 collection features a few wonderful fabrics, one of which is Tencel. It doesn’t get the same fanfare as linen or the adoration of silk, but it’s a pretty incredible fibre which has won a place in our hearts and wardrobes. 

Tencel™ is a textile brand within Lenzing Group and refers to various types of lyocell or modal materials produced by the company. Based in Lenzing, Austria, the Lenzing Group has roots that trace back to 1892. Originally a site of pulp and paper manufacture, after WWII, the facilities were focused on viscose and fibre production. Over the past 80 years, Lenzing Group has been a source of innovation within the textile industry.

The Tencel we know and use today came to life throughout the 1990s. There are two materials produced under the Tencel brand at Lenzing, lyocell and modal. We use Tencel Lyocell because it skips the multi-stage chemical dissolving process that it’s semi-synthetic cousin undergoes. 

Tencel Lyocell is an eco-friendly cellulose fibre made from eucalyptus wood pulp. Raw materials are sourced from sustainable forestry then dissolved in a non-toxic organic solvent. Lenzing manufactures these fibres on a closed loop system without chemical derivatisation, with virtually no waste, they recover and recycle the solvent back into the production process. The processed fibres are then formed into threads, yarn is spun and fabrics are woven.

We don’t only love Tencel for its minimal environmental footprint, but also for its physical properties. It’s stronger and more durable than both cotton and linen. Not only made to last, Tencel has a naturally soft and smooth feel, making it easy and comfortable to wear. 

We believe you should feel good in what you wear and know where it came from, which is why we produce in-house at our Melbourne studio and use fabrics like Tencel Lyocell. 

Explore a few of our SS20 Tencel pieces: the Ina Dress, the Blythe Dress, and the Molly Collection (coming soon). 

The Feminist Legacy of Modern Women’s Clubs

Originally published 3/20/2018 by Ms. Magazine.

As a feminist in the digital age, my exposure to the movement is different than that of my mother’s. A large part of my life is click and scroll. My news feed refreshes every second. There’s a lot happening—and it’s easy to get caught up in the thick of it. Sometimes I need to unplug and seek something else.

That’s how I found The Wing.

The Wing is a co-working space and social community for women in New York City. Established in 2016, the website declares that “women need and deserve a multi-purpose space designed to make their lives easier,” and that “magic is created when women gather together.” While the space is truly designed for modern day — complete with millennial pink furniture and Instagram-friendly wallpaper—it’s rooted in the history of the feminist spaces of yore.

The women’s club movement of the late 19th century and early 20th century unfolded alongside the suffrage movement. Women’s clubs were revolutionary destinations where women could work, gather and learn alongside one another—and, in some cases, plot their next moves in the fight for equality.

Sorosis, formed in 1868 by women journalists who were denied entrance to a New York Press Club event, was recognized as the first women’s club—launched with the intention of having a place for women to “dwell together in unity.” Later the same year, the New England Women’s Club was founded in Boston.

In 1869, alongside the women’s club emergence, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony established the National Woman’s Suffrage Association (NWSA). While these entities were separate in practice, their values and function were tightly akin. Many women’s clubs which were directly involved in civil rights and other various types of reform; there was also a direct correlation between the growth of women’s clubs and the increase in suffrage organizations. And in 1888, the convention of the International Council of Women by NWSA in Washington, D.C. brought women’s clubs, feminist associations and social and political activists together for the cause of equality among the sexes and the overall advancement of women. In the name of universal sisterhood, the Council aimed to “impress the important lesson that the position of women anywhere affects their position everywhere.”

Louise Thomas, president of Sorosis, traveled to the convention alongside the club’s original incorporators and 32 of its members. She addressed the club as a composition of “literary and representative women, who meet for the interchange of thought; to be a help to each other, and to have a good time.”

Julia Ward Howe, president of the Association for the Advancement of Women (later, the General Federation of Women’s Clubs), a superintending body meant to bring women’s clubs toward cohesion, declared at the same convening that “from our coming together much good ought to result.” In her speech, Howe acknowledged the complications and inevitable downfalls in the life of an organization, but praised the work of the women’s clubs in their ability to function successfully and independently and for the great influence they have exerted upon their communities.

While it’s true that many women’s clubs were of a positive influence, and in some ways crucial to the advancement of women’s rights, a legacy of segregation led black reformers to organize their own groups through the 1880s. In 1896, the largest federation of local black women’s clubs, the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) was formed—concerned with the advancement of all people of color.

Independent of the aforementioned clubs and associations, the NACW fought for change beyond suffrage and women’s rights, including ending the segregation of transportation systems and the anti-lynching movement. The association, directed by Mary Church Terrell, also focused on job training, wage equity and childcare. In 1900, nearly every black community had a women’s club. By 1914, there were over a thousand participating clubs in the NACW; these women’s clubs counted among their members some of history’s bravest feminists, including Ida B. Wells and Harriet Tubman.

Today, diversity is an asset. The Wing seeks variety as a primary quality of its members and aims to maintain career diversity as well as ethnic and racial diversity among them. Community and activism are also key principles: The Wing membership agreement has a service requirement to encourage social activism, and they provide many political opportunities to those who join. Last year, The Wing sent 100 women by bus to the Women’s March on Washington; each month, rotating events feature information sessions with organizations like the New York Civil Liberties Union or Planned Parenthood.

Most women’s clubs were founded on the notions of higher education and community-building. The New Century Club House of Philadelphia aimed to improve the lives of women through various committees—including education, entertainment, municipal affairs and the working women’s guild. With over 700 members in their working guild alone, the club offered nightly classes to accommodate the lives of working women. These classes proved extremely popular, especially those of literature, language and philosophy, and spurred the growth of the club.

This exponential growth peaked investor interest—and proved the potential for women’s clubs to be a financial success. The New Century Club House formed the New Century Trust in 1893 to promote funding and ensure the vitality of the club. They proved so successful that they were able to purchase their own building on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, renovating the space to suit the needs of their members, with various community spaces, parlors, committee rooms, a library and a 600-person capacity drawing room.

Developments and luxuries like these parallel today’s women’s clubs. Women today gather in Brooklyn warehouse or Soho lofts with large windows and lush velvet sofas—and their clubs have had great financial success. The Wing has a total investment of $42 million, including their most recent $32 million investment from this past fall, and they plan to expand from their two locations in Manhattan to establish new spaces in Brooklyn and Washington, D.C. Seattle-based women’s club Riveter successfully raised a $600,000 seed-round investment for their flagship facility, which opened last spring; less than a year later, they’ve already opened a second location in the Emerald City.

This is not to say that women’s clubs of today are simply defined by their fiscal prosperity—as their founding values are reminiscent of the original women’s clubs. In this age of tech and Internet isolation, women’s clubs offer a real-world destination for women to congregate, work, learn and build connections offline. An 1899 report of the International Women’s Council Congress declared that women’s clubs’ “interchange of ideas must cultivate breadth of view, as one’s world is enlarged by seeing it from a neighbor’s hilltop.” A century later, these spaces are still being established on the pillars of equality and community.

The revitalization of the women’s club is not merely a cyclical trend or an emergence of happenstance—it’s a reflection upon our society. Living in a world which often seems ruled by turmoil and chaos, spaces where women can pursue positive change and revel in their collective, diverse power is reassuring and comforting.

And above all, it makes me feel grateful to be a woman.

Fashion Feature: Eric J. Ma

Originally published 11/17/17 by Valley Magazine.

The buzz of the city is enlivening at the crack of dawn. You have a Starbucks Venti Strawberry Acai Refresher in hand, Cole Haan combat boots on your feet, and you’re en route to a day full of Fashion Week festivities. Whether it’s a model casting or a behind-the-scenes prep, you have a fabulously busy day ahead. You’re 20 years old. Your name is Eric J. Ma.

Ma, a senior Journalism major, has been working in fashion since his sophomore year when he held four simultaneous internships in New York City. Ma worked as an intern at The Dishh, Elite Daily, Dvora Bee LLC, and PLITZS Fashion Marketing.

“You have to have a hunger,” he tells Valley. It’s no secret that making it in the fashion industry is no easy task, which is why Ma advises you to “work harder than anyone else.”

Earning the title of fashion coordinator at only 20 years old is an impressive feat. Ma surprises himself sometimes, but doesn’t hesitate to accredit his success to his hard work. “They took a chance on me,” he speaks of his breakthrough gig with PLITZS Fashion Marketing, but he never took this fortune for granted.

Though his previous experience in the fashion industry was limited, Ma tells us Wayne Shields, CEO of PLITZS, “saw my passion for fashion and hired me based off my strong work ethic.” So, when Ma got the position there was no hesitation, “I worked hard and gave it my absolute all.”

This determination and success led him to his next adventure at the Fashion Marketing firm, a promotion to Director of Fashion Styling and Wardrobe by the age of 21. “I was the youngest director on my immediate team, all of my other colleagues were either in their mid 20’s or early 30’s.”

Perhaps intimidating for the average individual, but not Ma. Ma ascribes this to his proactive personality and ambitious work ethic.

His new role at PLITZS included lots of fun and fabulous responsibilities, including increased authority at New York Fashion Week. Having now worked in three consecutive NYFW seasons, Ma is rapidly becoming a pro.

We’ll try not to make you too envious, but bare with us as we list some of Ma’s fashion week responsibilities. He attends designer model castings and fittings, assigns creative hair, makeup and clothing for various designers ranging from French to Chinese, and manages creative photo shoots for promotional campaigns the month leading up to NYFW.

Though we only had the pleasure of sitting down with Ma for a quick coffee chat, Valley can affirm his ferocious work ethic and fervor for fashion. Not only does Ma boast an impressive resume, but also a contagious energy. Graduating in December, Ma will be missed as he takes on life in the Big Apple full time.

We grabbed a few words of last advice from Ma as he rushed off to his class, “Read. Be sure to know what’s going on and know who is who.” Simple and true, Valley couldn’t agree more, “Having that fashion IQ is what’s most important.”

No Place Like Lebo for the Holidays

Originally published on 11/7/2017 by Mt Lebanon Magazine.

The countdown begins just as it always does, numbers scribbled in the corners of my calendar from late October to the 25th of December, but for the first time my anticipation is met with a wave of melancholy. This will be my 22nd Christmas on earth, but the first spent away from home. To put in the terms of today, it’s like I’m breaking a 21-year streak of Christmases in Mt. Lebanon (that’s 16 years longer than the life of the Snapchat itself). My circumstances aren’t sorrowful; my family and I have our health and our house is as homey as ever. I’m simply swapping out the seasons and going to experience the seasonal festivities Down Under.

While I recognize the fortune of my adventure and am excited beyond words to see a part of the world that is not my own, there’s something about the timing of Christmas that’s haunting my conscience. Perhaps I’m more traditionalist than I thought or maybe I’m more nervous about flying halfway around the world than I’d like to let on. Whatever the rhyme or reason, with reflection on my many years of Christmases in Mt. Lebanon, I’ve pinpointed some of the things I’ll miss most.

My sister and I grew up on Clokey Avenue learning to play the piano. We took lessons at the Pittsburgh Music Academy, and had an annual Christmas concert at PPG Place. Nearly 10 years of Christmas carols, gingerbread houses, and ice skating turned into an obligatory ritual. My family has also embraced the tradition of cutting down our own tree, so every year we venture to Hozack Farms for a tractor ride, frolic among the sea of trees (preferably with a fresh snowfall), a complimentary hot chocolate (complete with seasonally shaped marshmallows) and a not-quite-harmonized Christmas sing-along on the drive home.

It’s hard to deny the magic of Downtown when it’s decked out in seasonal cheer, or the appeal of a field of spruces and firs so close to the holidays, but there’s an equal amount of festive fun I’ll miss even closer to home. Whether it was the great snowstorm of 2010 which turned the hill outside my house into a sledable Mt. Everest or a hot chocolate to accompany the tree-lighting at Lebo Light Night, I have no shortage of fond, holiday memories. One of my most long-standing Lebo Christmas traditions is Beverly Bright Night. Having been a student of Lincoln Elementary School, I remember my initial astonishment seeing one of the busiest streets in town shut down for an evening of Santa, candy canes, and Christmas festivities—keep in mind that through the eyes of 6- year-old, Beverly Road is a bustling downtown metropolis where the cool, mature 10-year-olds roam free for pizza lunch. And of course, I was always enamored by the larger than life tree decorated with the ornaments my peers and I had made in art class. Today I am much older and a little wiser, but the magic of Bright Night still doesn’t escape me. I find it just as rewarding to partake in the festivities alongside my young neighbors, the next generation of Lincoln-goers.

It’s this very cyclical nature that makes Mt. Lebanon the community that it is. It’s neither monotonous nor mundane, for somehow I can experience these things year after year with the same sense of holiday enchantment. First, it was through my eyes, then my younger sister’s, and now it’s alongside my kid neighbors. The blissful cadence that comes from my neighbor gifting me a holiday tchotchke from the same Frosty Shop that I shopped more than 10 years ago, or the joy that comes from giving home baked Christmas cookies to former teachers, demonstrates a sense of community that I’ve only ever seen matched in a cinematically romanticized interpretation of a suburb. I don’t think I’m nervous about missing the magic of a white Christmas—although a bikini-clad Christmas in the dead heat of summer sounds scary foreign to me—but rather the magic of this community I’m lucky enough to call home.

In light of the Christmas spirit and my venture to a place that’s as far away from home as I’ve ever been, I pledge to not take all I have for granted. It’s a thing we all say and strive for—especially during the holiday season—but it’s all too easy to lose sight of what we have in the everyday. I’m fortunate to have grown up in a place where my best friend lives up the street; a place where my favorite babysitter who used to live next door still comes back to visit; a place where everyone on the block comes over for a summer potluck and a movie; a place where family stretches beyond biology. My absence this year can only be described as bittersweet, because I know when I do eventually come home, I’ll have a whole neighborhood eager to hear all of my stories. Plus, there’s always next year.

Youth Series: Janelle Bullock

Originally published in January 2017 by Misson Magazine.

Janelle Bullock sits across from me with an air of maturity far past her years. A freshman at Penn State University, Bullock’s interests include art, music, and film. She idolizes Issa Rae of HBO’s Insecure and plans every one of her outfits around a pair of socks. 

There’s more than meets the eye for this spunky 19-year-old, who spends her spare time singing in the Essence of Joy choir and educating herself, and her peers, on the topics and importance of race relations. Bullock’s initial entrance into the academic realm of racial issues dates back to her sophomore year of High School, 2013. “I took the class twice before graduating,” Bullock laughs, “the content in the class is what really opened my eyes to the world around me.” 

Born and raised in State College, Pennsylvania — a small town trapped by mountains and nestled between farmlands — Bullock recalls feeling like a “black sheep” throughout her childhood. “There weren’t a lot of people who looked like me,” she says. Bullock never considered this difference a hindrance, until sixth grade when her best friend told her she could no longer spend time with her, because the friend’s father didn’t want her “talking like a n****r.” Not her only time subjected to white supremacy, but one of the first and one of the most memorable. Today, Bullock accredits her difference — her experience of standing out in a sea of white, central Pennsylvania — to the development of her strong individuality. 

As a college student, Bullock now assists in a sociology course focused on race and ethnic relations. A majority of her time is spent facilitating conversations between fellow students to talk about important, relevant issues. In a student body of over 40 thousand, there’s a wealth of personal opinions, but it’s Bullock’s job to create a safe, neutral space where everyone feels free to share their perspective. “I think a class like this is really important for everyone to have, at least once,” says Bullock, “especially now.” 

In reference to America’s current climate, Bullock has seen and felt race relations become more strained than usual. Nineteen years old and thinking about her future, Bullock is excited yet nervous (aren’t we all?) about what’s to come. 

“I believe a revolution is coming, if it isn’t already here. The presidency serves as a perfect catalyst for a revolution. People are really upset and they’re ready to do something about it, I am too.” And with that, we should all look out for the girl with the spunky socks and matching eyeshadow; she’s growing up strong and standing up tall. 

Bullock aspires to stand side by side with the empowered women of the world, “I want to be able to look back on history and say that I was on the right side.”

Insta Your Way to Fashion Week?

Originally published in the Autumn 2016 print issue of Valley Magazine.

With an astonishing 500 million active users on Instagram, it’s no surprise the photo-sharing app has — quite literally — changed the filters in which we experience fashion. Ava Graham sat down with a few of the blogosphere’s most fabulous to talk about the ever-changing fashion industry and what it takes to manage a successful style feed.

Snap. Filter. Post. Social media has influenced so many aspects of our lives. It’s changed the way we read the news, the way we apply for jobs (Snapplication, anyone?) and of course, the way we dress.

“Instagram is always at my fingertips,” says Nia Alleyne, senior at The New School in New York and the face behind Let’s Wear Black.

She laughs as she describes her aesthetic, “Rock ‘n’ Roll with a mix of Bella Hadid.” Alleyne started her blog in September 2014 and in the past two years, has seen the rising importance of platforms like Instagram.

“I’m very conscious of what I’m posting, when I’m posting, who I’m wearing, if the picture goes with the ‘theme’ of my Instagram. It’s tedious work, but it’s definitely worth it.” With a 73.5K following, Alleyne assures us that if it wasn’t for her blog she wouldn’t be so “connected.”

“Social media is everything,” says Simi OA. Like Alleyne, OA, a Penn State alum, has been blogging her “chic and sophisticated” style since 2014 on House of Àrà.

“There are fashion bloggers that don’t even have a blog,” says OA. She tells us how the art of Instagram photography and curating a feed are exponentially important for fashion blogging today. There are a lot of people that don’t even visit blogs; alternatively, they scroll through social media feeds. “It doesn’t matter how good your blog or content is, unless you have an Instagram that reflects it.”

So, why talk about blogging? Bloggers are some of today’s strongest influencers — whether they’re front row at fashion week, featured across editorial spreads, or taking over Instagram. Just take Chiara Ferragni as example, who has created an empire since her blogs beginning in 2009.

Our enamouration with blogging is more than the glitz and glamour, we love it because we can do it too, but Alleyne warns that starting a blog isn’t so easy. “There’s this notion that blogging is as simple as taking a picture but there’s so much that goes into it,” says Alleyne.

“The whole premise of blogging is based on an illusion of ease — everything is flawless,” says OA stressing that this illusion is just that, an illusion. “it tricks a lot of people, even me, that blogging is supposed to be easy.”

It’s all too easy to get swept up in this fallacy of effortlessness, the Let’s Wear Black star confirms. The hardest part, according to Alleyne, is not comparing herself to other bloggers. “it can be very easy to feel like your blog isn’t good enough,” says Alleyne.

“It’s so important to have good photography, fashion blogging is 50 percent the outfit and 50 percent photography,” OA urges, “and savvy social media.” Two ingredients necessary to survive in the blogging world, says the mastermind behind House of Àrà.

For a successful blog, Alleyne advises you on three fronts, “be true to yourself, be consistent, and have fun.”

Fashion has never been an easy industry to break into, but social platforms and blogging are leveling the playing field more than ever before. Both Alleyne and OA agree, it’s most important to stand out in a way that’s your own.

OA credits her blog’s initial success to her unique style, “everyone was about minimalism, so I came on the scene with my short hair and love of color.”

Alleyne’s Let’s Wear Black had a similar beginning, “[there was] this opportunity to bring something different and inspire others in and outside of the closet.” A mere two years on the blogging scene, these girls have proven to be unstoppable. Shaking up the industry one Instagram and blog post at a time, it’s no question as to why the pursuit of fashion has never been more exciting.

Fashion Feature: Asia Grant

Originally published 11/20/15 by Valley Magazine.

European models, fashion week, designer museums and authentic Italian pizza are a few of the perks for this study abroad student. Currently studying menswear in Milan and interning as a male model booking assistant, Asia Grant is nothing if not all things chic.

Sporting a red lip, chignon, and black mock neck, Grant wastes no time. “In high school I was always interested in aesthetics and color theory,” Grant says, “fashion and beauty have always been a prominent part of my lifestyle.”

Grant initially wanted to go to school for graphic design, but instead opted for business. In the midst of her freshman year in college, Grant turned her high school hobby of developing a natural skincare line inspired by various foods and drinks that improve well-being into an official company. Taking such a big step opened Grant’s eyes and reassured her of her chosen line of study.

“I realized that there is an open area where the creative world and the business world can intersect and be fruitful,” she says.

Capitalizing on this overlap in the business and fashion worlds, Grant is now a junior Marketing major with big plans. Complimenting her marketing studies with her very own personal style consultations, Grant seems to be unstoppable.

“I feel like fashion is not something that is just lived, but also learned and practiced,” says Grant of her most recent endeavor. “Fashion is not only a reflection of self, but also a reflection of culture and values.”

Grant has had opportunities to further her perceptions of the industry while abroad in Milan. Working hands-on with some of the world’s most attractive men — yes, we are very jealous — and scoring her way into Givenchy’s newsworthy fashion week afterparty, Grant has been exposed to both the glitz, glamour and what happens behind the scenes. Grant has even found a knack for blogging, chronicling all her most noteworthy lessons on her page, Hiatus Granted.

Like us, you may be wondering how Grant will survive coming back to Penn State after such a whirlwind semester. Grant tells us she loves Penn State because it combines the size of a city with the feeling of a friendly hometown. She also assures us she misses “her people” and is excited to come back for her final year.

Before wrapping up our video chat, there was one last question we were dying to ask: “Where’d you get that lipstick??”

“It’s from MAC,” Grant laughs. She then continues to admit, “It’s the color from the ‘Sorry’ music video. Seriously the best matte red I’ve ever used.”

A quick kiss to the camera, and she was gone. Half a world away, Grant’s making her mark.

Green is the New Black

Originally published in the Spring 2015 print issue of Valley Magazine.

“Sustainability” has become the ever-trendy buzzword making waves in the global market. But what exactly does it mean for fashion? Ava Graham sat down for a chat with Mariel Zook, Product Development Associate at Peruvian Connection and advocate for sustainable design, to find out.

Did you know it took 1,800 gallons of water to manufacture those jeans you love wearing? Not to mention another 400 gallons to make your favorite white cotton tee. A former fashion design student at Parson’s and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Mariel Zook has been bouncing around the industry since 2007. Working in evening wear, childrenswear, denim, sportswear, and fast fashion, Look knows the industry inside and out — and unfortunately, it isn’t all sequins and lace.

“I definitely saw the ugly underbelly of the [fashion] industry, and felt all the worse that I was a part of it,” says Zook.

One of the most disturbing developments in the industry is that of “fast fashion” — the 21st century trend of increased inventory turnover, outsourced labor, and engineered synthetic fabrics. It also acts as the mask for some of the industry’s most shocking statistics. This phenomenon of overproduction and excessive consumption has led to a problem we hate to imagine is possible: too many clothes.

A study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that the average American throws away 68 pounds of textiles a year, only 15 percent of which is recycled. The remaining 85 percent is sent to landfills where common synthetic, petroleum-based fibers, such as polyester, can take decades to decompose.

Zook, conflicted by her altruism, breathed a sigh of relief when Sass Brown, an Assistant dean at FIT and author of Refashioned — a book about up cycled materials and innovative design — introduced her to the world of sustainable and ethical fashion.

Zook, however, is no recent convert to environmental consciousness, tracing her awakening moment back to elementary school. It was the 1989 Exxon-Valdez oil spill, an environmental catastrophe that spilled nearly 38 million gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean, that triggered something in Zook.

“Ever since [the oil spill], the effect our actions have on the environment, as well as the people who depend on the natural environment for their livelihood — of course, we all do, to some extent — has weighed heavily on my mind, “ says Zook.

Although jobs within sustainable design aren’t exactly a dime-a-dozen, as the phenomenon gains traction, companies are becoming more willing to reflect the demand with an increase in corporate jobs.

When asked about some of the coolest advancements within sustainable fashion over the past few years, Zook doesn’t hesitate: “Waterless air-dyeing.”

AirDye Solutions is reinventing textile manufacturing with their water-free printing process, saving 95 percent of the water used in traditional dyeing. Nike and Adidas are two of AirDye’s newest corporate supporters, as they both plan to adopt the process over the next few years.

Adidas has recently partnered with Parley, an international initiative, to create a sustainable sneaker made from recycled garbage found in the ocean. Adidas is attaching a brand new meaning to “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” with this eye-catching, eco-friendly shoe.

Swiss company, Freitag, is also joining the movement, pioneering the development of biodegradable fabrics in a range of sustainably produced and 100 percent compostable materials. When composted, these fabrics will completely biodegrade in three months, a huge contrast to the aforementioned fibers that take decades.

German studio, Blond & Bieber, is also reimagining the dyeing process with their project Algaemy. Avoiding harsh chemicals and cultivating a natural resource, Blond & Bieber have created sustainable fabric dyes with micro algae.

When all is said and done, don’t worry about sacrificing style, says Zook. Eco-fashion is no longer synonymous with the burlap sack.

“We’ve moved way beyond the hippie granola world of shapeless caftans and Birkenstocks. Sustainable fashion can now hold it’s own against high-end design labels,” she says. “it even has an edge, because it appeals to our wish to be on the ride side of a narrative of good and evil.”