Amid fashion, photos and flavorful desserts, Sported@Brown, the website offshoot of Fashion@Brown, made its Internet debut last Friday night. As a "documentation of Brown street style," the website features images and profiles of students around campus, said Eve Blazo '12, a co-creator and creative director for Sported@Brown.
The night was about dedication to style and collaboration in fashion, Blazo said. Most attendees wore ensembles that dressed up the stark studio in the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts where the event was held. But each outfit was a unique take on formal attire, displaying true commitment to the individual in fashion, one of the website's main goals.
Visuals immediately grabbed the eye upon entering the party, a lively contrast to the modern architecture of the studio and the dreary rain outside. A projector took up most of one wall, presenting shapes on a visualizer in sync with the music. Intermittently, scenes of avant-garde fashion shows took over the wall, and eventually the website itself became the main focus of the darkened room.
The party was not just music and flashy visuals. In one corner of the room a stark stage light provided illumination for photography. Members of the Sported@Brown team and partygoers alike posed for photos, both serious and silly, under the artistic lighting. The party even featured delicious desserts, made by the Sported@Brown staff.
Sported@Brown is a work in progress, said Arlando Battle '12, its creative director. As the mastermind behind the website, Battle said he wants the site to reflect campus culture. It is about building community, he said, adding that he would love to feature the individual style of Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron.
The website itself was shown near the end of the party, featuring photo spreads of students around campus. As the site grows, it will feature mostly images of students and their styles, Blazo said. Once a week one student will be profiled in depth, with photographs of multiple outfits, documentation of the individual in their own environment and a question and answer portion about their style. The profile will capture "the qualities that make the person unique," Blazo said, adding that those qualities are an important component of everyday style.
Blazo's own style reflects a distinct and developed relationship to fashion. Her ensemble for the party was emblematic of a designer who has mastered the simple but dramatic look. Basic colors — black, white and gold — set off her eye-catching skirt, which was floor-length and accented by asymmetrically cut panels.
At Brown, people put effort into their everyday clothes, said Mia Zachary '13, director of Fashion@Brown. The site should "not be about designers but about great fashion sense," she added. Zachary said bright colors and the fashion of her own parents are the most important aspects of her personal style. "People don't wear enough colors," she said.
Sported@Brown is the website component of the new student group Fashion@Brown, which was recognized by Undergraduate Council of Students in the fall. And though the group is not officially connected to the campus fashion magazine Unhemmed, Blazo said Fashion@Brown will try to work with the publication as much as possible.
"All fashion is developed together," she said, adding that it is an important component of the organization to work toward "creating a culture that celebrates fashion at Brown." As a senior, she said she hopes to get younger people involved in the fashion culture and has faith that endeavors like Sported@Brown will survive in the future.
