A Chat With an Emerging Voice in the Industry

Alexis Norris, Jada Milazzo

Oct 2, 2022

Who are you and what are some of your passions? : I’m Alexis Norris. I’m a fashion merchandising major, but I’m also very interested in creative direction and curating, from clothes to photoshoots to events, etc. I love to travel; I'm hoping to do a j-term & my last semester, which is next fall bc im graduating early, abroad, and this summer in LA. Additionally, I love yoga, astrology (capricorn sun, sagittarius moon, aquarius rising & aquarius stellium!) and pink!

What got you into fashion and what are your goals in regards to the fashion industry?: I've always been interested in fashion, ever since I can remember! When I was in elementary school, I would get home after school and draw my own fashion designs and make them into little magazines! More recently, that manifested into my initial desire to be a fashion journalist. Before I was a fashion merchandising major, I was a journalism major with hopes of writing for the school magazine. Now, I'm more interested in exploring all avenues of the fashion industry, hence me switching my major to focus on fashion business as a whole and developing an interest for curating.

How do you approach your personal style, in regards to fighting stereotypes in society?: I treat my personal style as a way to exhibit how I feel on the inside, and consequently my style validates my feelings. This is why I think my style has a lot of range – because I rely on it to reflect me, and be a channel of how I feel or who I know myself to be in a specific moment. I think that's why it's hard for me to establish a specific aesthetic, because it always ends up feeling constricting and inauthentic. I would describe my style as eclectic; I love to piece different colors, textures, and silhouettes together based off of what part of me I'm channeling – is it a professional productive energy? Is it a spiritual energy? Is it a glamorous energy? This array of energies that I receive always drives my look at the moment. This is also why it takes me forever to pick out what to wear, and why I’m extremely picky when it comes to styling myself – if I choose the wrong color, or wrong shape, or wrong fit, it can completely dull my mood, because it creates a blockage between what I feel and my ability channel that. But on the other hand, when I put together an outfit and feel completely myself in it in every aspect, it's the most liberating and crystallizing feeling. Everything feels clear, and elevated, and my energies feel fully channeled! That brings feelings of success, joy, motivation, excitement, fulfillment, and even community sometimes. For example, when I got my medusa piercing opposed to my septum piercing, it felt like I penetrated different communities. Piercing combinations, and other ways of presenting oneself through fashion or decoration, does have archetypes and characteristics associated with them. and I channel the full range of who I am by presenting that on the outside, and switching my look up. I think this challenges the stereotype of good style needing to be refined, clean, and within the walls of an aesthetic. I can still have an established personal style, even if it is in constant fluctuation. Ultimately, that's what makes fashion interesting to me – if it's authentic. That's also why I really value sustainable brands – not only because of the impact it has, but I also have a deep admiration for their transparency.

Finally, why do you love fashion?: I love fashion because it is an opportunity for me to create, and to feel the most liberated and understood. It builds independence and community at the same time, which is something I thoroughly enjoy.