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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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