The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
b-side
Thursday, January 10, 2019 — 3B

1. Voting as an aesthetic

While a plethora of trends emerged on the runway 
in 2018, some of the most notable statements took 
the shape of a less wearable form. A year of political 
turmoil and tension, the push to vote became a major 
theme of this past year. With primary elections in Aug. 
and midterms in Nov., combined with an emphasis on 
change, voting became a sort of decorative accessory 
that was once so mundane and uninteresting.
Voting has and always will be fundamental and 
one of the most important parts of civil discourse, but 
2018 spun voting in such a way that it became shiny 
and new, a hip, cool aesthetic that extended beyond 
runways or clothes. The act of voting itself inspired a 
whole new wave of trends: ‘I’m Voting’ stickers were 
sold online and in stores, becoming a main focal point 
of laptops everywhere. Celebrities even used their 
fame to endorse this act through special merchandise 
and limited edition tees. With these items driving the 
aesthetic of voting, one thing in 2018 became very 
clear: to take the time to vote is to be on trend, showing 
it becoming all the more fundamental to being a 
legitimate trendsetter. A certain alliance formed with 
this aesthetic, between voting graphic tee wearers 
and sticker holders alike. Whether or not everyone 
who reps a ‘I’m Voting’ sticker or shirt actually voted 
is a debate within itself, but the aesthetic that evolved 
from the 2018 election scene is only the beginning for 
the development of an entire brand emphasizing that 

both the act of voting and showing political awareness 
are, in fact, high fashion.

— Margaret Sheridan, Style Beat Editor

2. Exploded versions of classic 
prints

Bold yet complementary shade ranges, classic prints 
reimagined and expanded upon, and plush textures 
played very nicely together this year. Whether it be 
fashion, expressing opinions or fighting for the things 
you care about, 2018 was not for the faint of heart: If 
you have something to say, say it! Words aren’t meant 
for mincing and they might best be backed up by a 
hardy cotton velvet, mohair or a blown-up woven 
houndstooth jacket, considering they all talk their 
walk and they were seen in nearly every fall runway 
show this year. Spring’s spliced double-jackets, 
leather inserts and drawstring necklines folded over 
into wildly proportioned faux furs and modernized 
classics taken to proportional and textural extremes. 
From the likes of household names like Balenciaga 
and Loewe to cult favorites like Engineered Garments, 
Neighborhood and A Kind of Guise, it felt as though 
classic silhouettes and prints had died and ascended 
to a retrofuturist heaven featuring droves upon droves 
of fuzz. A few outerwear highlights from the year 
were Demna Gvasalia’s interpretation of the double 
jacket at Balenciaga this spring, N.Hoolywood’s half 
leather, half super 120’s wool trench from their JFK 
inspired runway, Kapital Kountry’s oversized denim 
blazer with hand stitched smiley face patches along 
the arm and Craig Green’s brilliant employment of 
color blocking. This year marked both the expansion 
and deconstruction of classic styles across the board, 
creating a luxurious launching pad for designers 
moving forward into the new year.

— Sam Kremke, Daily Arts Writer

3. Vibrant makeup

The unveiling of Meghan Markle’s wedding day 
tab may have revealed just how much can go into 
looking like you aren’t wearing anything at all, but 
2018 saw an explosion of beauty trends that served us 
the extravagant and the unexpected. YouTube MUAs 
and Instagram personalities are as prevalent as they 
have ever been and each artist’s path to carve out a 
creative niche for themselves has had the cumulative 
effect of ushering in increasingly vibrant, layered, 
multi-dimensional concepts that are encouraging the 
everyday beauty consumer to step out of their comfort 
zone and let cosmetics be a vehicle to realize personal 
fantasies. Unnaturally colored blush and eyebrow 
looks, forehead blush, luminous-vinyl textures (think 
face gloss and lacquered eye pigments), 3-D sticker 
appliqués and beyond have trickled into the routines 
of anyone possessing the gall to give these trends a 
try. It isn’t so much that any specific trend originated 
in 2018 or that anyone reinvented the wheel, but 
that makeup is on its way to becoming a creative 
space more concerned with creating new realities 
rather than heightening this one. Accounts like eve.
frsr, branalunan and sydn4sty have amassed sizable 
followings by doing just this, and the cosmetics market 
has responded with aplomb — independent companies 
(like blush tribe and claropsyche) seemingly crop up 
every day with palettes, pigments and accessories to 
meet ever expanding needs, while larger companies 

like Anastasia Beverly Hills and Tom Ford are 
launching new products and widening their shade 
ranges to accommodate demands that reach further 
and bolder than their current offerings. It’s the Wild 
West right now, and there has never been a better time 
to pick up a kabuki brush and some pressed powder 
and see what happens.

— Sam Kremke, Daily Arts Writer

4. Champion’s evolution as a 
brand

It is safe to say that the brand, Champion, came 
up in 2018. As athleisure filled runways and the early 
2000s began making a comeback, Champion rose in 
popularity.
To provide a full analysis of Champion’s evolution 
as a brand, we must start from the very beginning. 
Champion’s simple, relaxed, clothing catered to the 
blank and oversized attire of the early 2000s and 
‘90s. Known for its creation of the reverse weave, the 
hooded sweatshirt, and the sports bra in the mid-
1990s, Champion was the epitome of activewear. The 
brand had become so prevalent that it was named 
the official outfitter of the NBA in 1980. It was not 
until 2000 that Champion was considered more than 
activewear, it became a keystone for the normcore 
aspect of early 2000s fashion.
Champion’s versatility can be seen in its comeback. 
It made its return by collaborating with well-known 
streetwear companies in 2017 such as Supreme and 
the French label, Vetements. Through each of these 
collaborations came distinct clothing, however, the 
Champion brand was undeviating. By 2018, Champion 
stood on its own as a fashion superpower. It no longer 
needed collabs to be attractive to customers; the classic 
blue, white and red logo was powerful enough for stars 
such a Kylie Jenner to sport.

Best style moments: 2018 
was as trendy as you think

1. 
SMTD’s 
“Angels 
in 
America: 
Millennium 
Approaches”

The Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning first 
installment of Tony Kushner’s epic tale about AIDS 
and homosexuality in the Reagan era, “Angels in 
America: Millennium Approaches,” was performed 
on the Arthur Miller stage earlier this year. Daniel 
Cantor, director and University professor, pieced 
together a talented ensemble of actors. Particularly 
unique to this version of “Angels in America: 
Millennium Approaches” was the angel suspended 
before the audience’s eyes in a vast array of colorful 
silks. It was easily one of the best theatrical 
performances I’ve ever seen. The commitment and 
passion coming from all involved was remarkable to 
witness.

— Alix Curnow, Daily Arts Writer

2. MUSKET presents “In 
the Heights”

2018 has been a particularly dispiriting year 
for diversity. As a woman of color, it’s hard to face 
a world thriving with anti-immigrant sentiment. 
My heart reaches out not only to people of color, 
but to anyone who has been branded as different. 
Individuals with physical or mental disabilities, 
sexual assault victims and dreamers — those who 
face the consequences of their labels without having 
control over their experiences. Musicals like “In 
the Heights,” written by Quiara Alegría Hudes 
and composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, remind us 
that there’s still hope for those who feel silenced. 
MUSKET’s rendition of this inspiring story of 
Latinx life in Washington Heights, Manhattan was 
vibrant and attentive to the culture it embodied. 
The show was not only a celebration of diversity, 
but of life. Musicals like “In the Heights,” like all 
stories from different walks of life, deserve a seat at 
the table.

— Trina Pal, Senior Arts Editor

3. Literature vs. Traffic 
Installation

When the University Institute for the Humanities 
brought the “Literature vs. Traffic” installation 
to the streets of Ann Arbor on Oct. 23, it was an 
intervention for thousands of Ann Arbor students 
and residents. Ten thousand books lay splayed out 
on East Liberty St. illuminated by the sun by day and 
by thousands of gentle LED lights by night. These 
lights gave the books a preciousness that reminded 
everyone who came across the installation how 
near and dear books are, or at least once were, 
to our hearts. Crowds eagerly sifted through the 
books when the gates opened at 8 p.m. that night, 
some people even acting as if there was a piece of 
knowledge lying somewhere on that street that 
would complete them if they could just find it. 
Maybe putting ten thousand versions of any object 
on the street for free would have inspired the same 
reaction, but it seems here that the students and 
residents of Ann Arbor were driven by a thirst for 
new information rather than consumer instincts. 
Before coming to Ann Arbor, the installation was 
also set up in Madrid, Toronto, Melbourne and New 
York. Its arrival and success here speak volumes 
about Ann Arbor’s far-reaching influence on the 
humanities.

— Ben Vassar, Daily Arts Writer

4. A Dramatic Reading of 
Arthur Miller’s “Death of a 
Salesman” with Alec Baldwin 
and U-M Theatre & Drama 
Department

For a brilliant reading of Arthur Miller’s iconic 
play “Death of a Salesman,” exceptional theatre 
students and professors from the School of Music, 
Theatre & Dance were joined by award-winning 
actor Alec Baldwin on Saturday, Sept. 29 at the 
Power Center. Semi-staged and fully produced in 
both its intention and execution, the near four hour 
marathon of a performance remained engaging 
until the last lines. The play was as profoundly tragic 
and poignant as it was cathartic. The seamless 
coherence between Baldwin and SMTD’s actors 
created an electric synergy that did Arthur Miller 
(an SMTD grad himself), SMTD and Baldwin more 
than justice.

— Allie Taylor, Daily Arts Writer

5. 
UMS 
presents 
“An 
Evening 
with Audra McDonald: Songs 
from the American Musical 
Theater”

This past Nov., I was lucky enough to see 
the fantastic Audra McDonald perform at Hill 
Auditorium. Audra McDonald is a six-time Tony 
award winning singer and actress — a well-known 
and powerful presence on Broadway stages. 
McDonald was able to connect with the audience 
by telling stories through narration and song in a 
way unmatched by any other performer. I watched 
McDonald make the most overdone Soprano 
repertoire sound new to my ears by projecting her 
own story and perspective onto the song. I was 
awestruck; her singing voice seemed to be simply 
an extension to her speaking voice. That night, 
McDonald dazzled the hearts and minds of Ann 
Arbor.

— Isabelle Hasslund, Community Culture Editor

6. Pasek and Paul Book Tour 
to Ann Arbor

When thinking about my favorite event of 2018, I 
am sent down a wistful lane of remembrance full of 
inspiring University productions, thrilling touring 
events and student pieces that moved me both to 
laughter and to tears. However, I have to think 
about the roots of all of this creative collaboration, 
exploration and celebration. Who paved the way? 
The answer lies in our many fantastically talented 
alumni, three of whom I had the pleasure of seeing 
live in Ann Arbor early in the fall semester of 
2018. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (writers of “Dear 
Evan Hansen”) and Darren Criss (“Glee”) all came 
together on the “Dear Evan Hansen” book tour on 
a cool Oct. Ann Arbor evening in Hill Auditorium. 
The trio sang, read from the novel and told stories 
of Michigan and beyond, reminiscing on their past 
while thinking of their creative futures. The event 
reminded me why I am so lucky to be here: a student 
pursuing creative arts with so many inspiring and 
creative people around me. Pasek, Paul and Criss 
— all incredibly successful arts in theatre and film 
— have paved the way for University alumni artists 
after them by providing an artistic community of 
alumni working in the real world. At the event, the 
trio invited their previous professors on stage to 
sing songs from “Dear Evan Hansen” with them and 
answer questions from audience members, inviting 
us to all be a part of the conversation surrounding 
their new novel and future projects. The event 
was thrilling and breathtaking, yet casual and laid 
back. The audience settled into the auditorium 
comfortably, inviting the trio of artists to take a 
stroll down memory lane.

— Eli Rallo, Daily Arts Writer

7. SMTD’s “Porgy and Bess”

Year after year, some of the biggest names in folk 
travel to Michigan for the Ann Arbor Folk Festival. 
This year, for the festival’s fortieth anniversary, 
the acts were bigger than ever. From some of 
the biggest names in the genre like John Prine, 
to smaller, up-and-coming acts like Mountain 
Heart, there really was an act for everyone at the 
festival. For two nights, Ann Arbor’s historic Hill 
Auditorium transformed into a haven for music that 
celebrates the tradition of storytelling in America. 
Whether you are a walking folk encyclopedia or 
know absolutely nothing about the genre, the Ann 
Arbor Folk Festival is an Ann Arbor tradition that 
everyone should experience.

— Ryan Cox, Daily Arts Writer

8. Ann Arbor’s 40th Annual 
Folk Festival

Year after year, some of the biggest names in folk 
travel to Michigan for the Ann Arbor Folk Festival. 
This year, for the festival’s fortieth anniversary, 
the acts were bigger than ever. From some of 
the biggest names in the genre like John Prine, 
to smaller, up-and-coming acts like Mountain 
Heart, there really was an act for everyone at the 
festival. For two nights, Ann Arbor’s historic Hill 
Auditorium transformed into a haven for music that 
celebrates the tradition of storytelling in America. 
Whether you are a walking folk encyclopedia or 
know absolutely nothing about the genre, the Ann 
Arbor Folk Festival is an Ann Arbor tradition that 
everyone should experience.

— Ryan Cox, Daily Arts Writer

9. 
UMS 
presents 
“Cold 
Blood”

I have seen some bizarre things within Ann 
Arbor’s art world, but the University Musical 
Society’s “Cold Blood” was by far the most absurd. 
Filmed live in the Power Center, the performance 
focused on hands. On stage, the audience could 
see the actors and cameras, but the real action was 
on the screen above which projected a close up of 
the actors’s hands. The show went through the 
death of seven different hands occurring in places 
like a drive-in theater or a frozen lake, deaths that 
could be both hilarious and mournfully tragic. The 
hands moved like people and embodied human 
characteristics in the most creative, minute ways. 
I felt as if I was in a hypnotic, dreamlike state as 
the narrative transitioned from story to story. The 
techniques used for lighting, shifting scenery and 
props were surprisingly brilliant. Many times I 
wondered, how did they do that with just a hand? 
“Cold Blood” stuck with me because death was 
portrayed in a way that was so hard hitting; I can 
still feel the sense of pleasant uncertainty and 
inevitably that I left with.

— Fallon Gates, Daily Arts Writer

10. Orpheus Singers: “The 
Poet Speaks of Love”

The Orpheus Singers are a vocal ensemble at the 
School of Music, Theatre & Dance conducted by 
Dr. Eugene Rogers’s graduate studio, a remarkable 
group comprised of Master of Music and Doctor of 
Musical Arts choral conductors. With their haunting 
voices, The Orpheus Singers left a lasting mark on 
their audience during their second performance of 
the semester on Nov. 29. Both undergraduate and 
graduate students revived age-old songs and poems 
in beautiful sound. The group provided a prime 
example of how supporting one’s fellow students at 
the University can evoke a sense of pride and awe.

— Zachary Waarala, Daily Arts Writer

Our favorite events from a 
year that was all too good

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