Wear Are We: Campus Street Style
"The best fashion show is definitely on the street. Always has been and always will be." -Bill Cunningham
Welcome back to Wear Are We. As you may or may not know, I have been wrapping up my final semester of college, meaning I’ve been quite busy. However this project is something I’ve been wanting to share for a while. So, let’s get into it.
One of my favorite things to do when walking is paying attention to what people wear on the street. I believe that street style is the quickest way to get a glimpse into someone’s personal ethos, their beliefs and their identity. Since my first day at UNT, I’ve been fascinated by the diversity of styles, aesthetics and personalities I encounter everyday. I find myself walking past people of all backgrounds, who put so much effort in the way they dress themselves but I don't have time to have a conversation with all of them. Then I had an idea: someone should be documenting all these amazing outfits and people I come across. After some time passed, I finally came back to that idea and decided it was time to follow through with it. I did some research on street photography cameras and decided to get myself a Fujifilm X100F, I was able to find one for a decent price on MPB.com. I spent some days learning the different settings and presets and the next week I brought it to campus.
At first it was a little nerve racking; I love speaking with people, specially strangers, however approaching random people has always been something I’m not particularly good at and therefore try to avoid. But with the camera I felt like I finally had an excuse to to go up to whoever I wanted to and compliment their aesthetic. It took some time to build up the courage to find someone but after my first interaction and seeing how friendly they were, I was on a roll. I quickly found myself extremely focused, scanning my surroundings and spotting people with great personal style that I wanted to talk to. And by the time I realized it, I had talked to dozens of people and taken their picture. It is still a challenge to walk up to people, specially when they’re at a distance. Most people walk with their headphones in, so making the first contact is usually the hardest part. However once I explain what I’m doing, everyone I approach are extremely kind and open to the idea. Some people pose naturally while others feel more shy but nonetheless, they let me take their picture, for which I’m extremely grateful. With all that out the way; here is my first series of “Campus street style”.
*I have provided @s for all those who wanted to be ID’d, everyone else is anonymous.
Once again, thank you to all these amazing people who let me capture their personality and looks. This is an ongoing project, so more images are sure to come in the future. For the mean time, thank you for reading!
-D