ARIES ISSUE 001 ARIES MASTHEAD CONTENTS EDITOR IN CHIEF 7 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Giovanna Osterman ART DIRECTION & DESIGN 8 IN CONVERSATION WITH Giovanna Osterman LAURA FAMA Calvin Ogden PHOTOGRAPHY 12 UNDER THE INFLUENCE Giovanna Osterman SPECIAL THANKS TO 20 I WENT TO THE SUPREME Robert Osterman S/S20 DROP WITH NO ONE Tiffany Webber BUT MY OVARIES Blake Eskin Anjali Khosla Reggie Casagrande 24 THE END—OR EVOLUTION—OF Jack Erwin THE FEMINIST TEE Calvin Ogden Marissa Matozzo 32 WHAT IS A STREETWEAR Nina Avroneva FEMINIST? Tia Nalls Madi Janz Sarah Mai 34 BORROWED FROM THE BOYS Vienna Vernose Daniella Levanti Gabby Olivieri 44 SHE LOOKS LIKE A RIOT Adam Connie Jr. 46 CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE 48 CONVERSIONS 4 5 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR On a sunny November morning I had just finished an interview on the Lower East Side, and with an hour to kill before class, meandered into the streetwear consignment hub Round 2. Within one minute of leaving my iced latte on the front windowsill, one of the BAPE-clad male employees slithered over to me and—in a voice several octaves higher than I had just heard him using with his coworkers—proceeded to lay out every inch of the store as if he were speaking to a child. “So, all of this is consignment...over here is the Supreme, that’s North Face over there, sneakers are all along this wall…” My brain recoiled—was I being mansplained to? About streetwear? I could feel my years of obsession, journal- ism, and credit history melt straight into his grubby 350s. “Just so you know,” he added as I half-smiled and reached for a pair of Air Maxes, “it’s all in men’s sizing.” “Thanks,” I replied, “I’ve been here before.” And I had, count- less times. But, I suddenly realized, I had never been there alone. Whether through my sneakerhead uncle, graphic tee-collecting dad, SSENSE-scouring boyfriend, or mall-crawling group of male friends, I have moved through the streetwear space within a cloak of masculinity. Without that cloak, wearing a blazer and hire-me trousers, I was very clearly the Other. After five minutes of thumbing through the racks—aware of the same employee greeting incoming male customers with nothing but head nods, aware that I was wearing zero streetwear, aware of the surveillance I was moving under—I left. I have been consuming, shopping, and wearing streetwear since I could first hand my own debit card over the counter of Unde- feated on Melrose. But after reflection, I’ve come to terms with the fact that most of my streetwear exploration has been at the heels of a male figure. I’m not ungrateful for the cloak, I just never confronted its presence until I ventured into an overblown thrift store without it. So here we are, in Aries. Aries, the first of the Zodiac. Aries, the symbol of leadership, of innovation, of inspiration, of courage. The symbol of fresh starts. A safe space for education, congre- gation, celebration. A platform to recognize the womxn who are propelling streetwear today, and the womxn who have always been there, peeking from the shadows. A place for the creatives, designers, skaters, trendsetters, resellers, shoppers, and lovers of an industry that has long turned its back on them. A space for us, to grow. Together. 6 7 IN CONVERSATION WITH The Dimepiece co-founder talks streetwear, sustainability, and LAURA FAMA (almost) getting sued by In-N-Out It’s been 13 years since Laura Did your early personal Fama and Ashley Jones launched style involve streetwear? Dimepiece LA from a bedroom. In Growing up, especially in those 13 years a passion project, LA, did you immerse your- fueled by the duo’s confidence self in that? and cultural know-how, catapult- ed to the throne of Los Angeles Yeah, especially sneakers and streetwear—all while waving the vintage clothing, that was such a feminist flag like few had done heavy part of our dynamic. Every before. “Ain’t No Wifey” beanies, generation was our generation, “Control the Guns, Not Women’s we were mixing the ‘70s, the Bodies” tees, and “Pussy Pwr” ‘80s, the ‘90s. It became this fem- crewnecks dominated Instagram inine-masculine streetwear sub- feeds and street style shots alike, culture. I think that’s still happen- gracing the decade’s sartorial ing now. It’s ‘choose what style upper echelon from Missy Elliot you want,’ whether it’s vintage or to Kylie Jenner. As of 2019, the streetwear. I think men or women femme-forward empire is now are kind of choosing both. just a Fairfax memory. Fama, 33, moved from Los Angeles to Ma- Definitely. Especially with vintage, I feel like there’s drid, and launched travel and well- less of a gender binary. ness site Her Why with an array You just go through the of her own empowerment-centric racks, there’s no distinc- designs. Taking a well-deserved tion of ‘This is a women’s break from over a decade in the or a men’s T-shirt.’ streetwear space, Fama is diving head-first into her side passions— Yeah, yeah. Back then it was a guided by the unapologetic Dime- very exciting time because we piece DNA of her past. were just making our own rules, you know? I used to sew my own What’s your first memory clothes—I went to [FIDM], so I with streetwear culture? kind of had that fuel under my ass. My style in particular was always The whole streetwear culture was a mixture of every genre, but I was in Los Angeles when we were really inspired by hip hop culture, very immersed in what was hap- punk culture, and female hip hop pening on Fairfax. We were very artists. Really around music and much immersed in the streetwear art, and being able to speak for on that block. Me and my busi- that generation during that time. ness partner Ashley, we were part of this party crew of friends, just Did you face any doubt getting together around the music when you guys were first and art scene of LA. PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA 8 FAMA 9 starting in the industry? needed to be said, then we just Do you think women I agree with you. I think did it. It was definitely our activism are underrepresented in the future lies within wom- At first it was good because we through clothing. streetwear? en being in leadership had absolutely no business back- positions. Whether that’s ground, we were both still in col- Was the Dimepiece demo- I think women are misrepresented in marketing, or creating lines, or taking the helm lege at the time. We definitely had graphic mostly female? in streetwear, it’s always been kind of existing brands, I think doubts, but we were also just so of a guy’s club. I mean, there’s so with fashion—and every many women that have paved the hungry. All these other brands that It fluctuated based on the trends, industry—women don’t get were out, like XLarge and Stussy, but I think into our eighth year it way. I think a majority of the time equality until women are were dope, The Hundreds was became very unisex. But a major- there is a lack of representation put in charge. trying to do a female line. So we ity of the time it was female cus- because...I don’t know, I think it’s were inspired by just being like tomers, between 16 to 35. kind of ballsy to start a line. Yeah. I mean it’s sad, because ‘Oh my God, if these guys can women are completely dissected, do it, we totally can do it. It’s just What lessons did you have How do you see the fe- not like men are. I feel like wom- printed T-shirts.’ to learn the hard way as a male or non-binary pres- en have to just bite the bullet and ence in streetwear evolv- female creative in street- have to keep going. I don’t know, ing? Did you ever feel intimidat- wear? as far as every industry, I think ev- One of my biggest regrets is not ed by those other brands, erything is going to be affected. having the financial education There’s still so many male design- or were you just focused I don’t think it’s just going to be I needed at such a young age. I ers that are designing for women, on your own path? fashion. didn’t have a mentor or business which is crazy. With everything that’s happening with the environ- We were very hyper-focused. Ob- advisor at the time where we were Especially with sustain- viously we would look at trends, making a lot of money, and I wish I ment, how a lot of the markets are ability. I think sustainability but we were starting out as kids had a better success team. A bet- failing and crashing, I’m not sure should be at the forefront just having fun. We really weren’t ter lawyer, a better accountant, all what’s going to happen. of where every industry thinking this would be a 10-year these things that I feel like wom- is going, and that’s going career. We didn’t even make any en need in general for business. I Yeah, a lot of the ma- to carry into ‘How can we profit until after the fifth year, we didn’t have those resources when jor streetwear brands also be more inclusive of were pretty much broke.