helios
fw 2024
“Imagining the Extended Self”
”
Out Now!
Editor’s Letter
It has never been easier than now to switch personal styles—though the question remains: does personal style even exist? Pop culture and infuencer-creative-director-stylists sell ‘personal style’ like companies sell love and romance on Valentine’s Day. Fashion is merely a byproduct of everything that came before; we’re just simple imitations of one another. And now, the cultural zeitgeist is a mod podge collage of these imitations and subcultures. Language like ‘aesthetic’ and ‘core’ are cheap pre-made starter kits that could, in theory, rebrand entire personas and subcultures. Oh, did I say theory? If you walked down Bushwick Avenue, you’d see a myriad of uneven bangs, band T-shirts, athletic shorts, cotton tanks, and pink cowboy boots— sometimes all on the same person. Spoiler alert: very few are cowgirls and cowboys, and even fewer actually listen to insert obscure band name here. In simple terms, we’ve reached a point where, before stepping out the door, we ask ourselves: what persona will I wear today?
Our external appearances are signals to other people of what we like and who we are. Ballet shoes and tutus were indicators of ballerinas, and now you have to mentally hit yourself in the shin for why you asked this girl at a party if she ever did ballet. As Cher Horowitz clicks a button to generate an outft, we quickly hijack subcultures and reduce them to anodyne references. “Yes, I’ll take a Bonita headscarf and a pack of cigs. It’ll go with my cottagecore skirt,” someone probably said. Tese reduced, packaged ‘styles’ become microtrends that die in the blink of an eye. We’ve reached levels of consumerism that have broken down generations of subcultures and traditions. And even now, our consumerism has reached new horizons. Imagining our extended selves in this modern age comes with unusual consumer practices. I mean, people are paying to have their Instagram reviewed.
— A zine by Lara
helios
ss 2024
“Estrangement”
Out Now!
