KYLE PETERS
REPORTER-EDITOR

Student Fashion Store Talks Breaking Gender Stereotypes

Any clothes are for anyone. To the students at the School of Fashion, it’s a missive.

The racks of the Downtown store on the Casa Loma’s fourth floor were filled with variety. Knit sweaters, cotton garments, vintage jackets, all each with their own style. “It’s whatever you want to wear,” says Arianna Stalten, a current student and employee at the store. Alongside fellow student Cameron Cassidy, the two were surrounded by busy students, all wearing a wide variety of styles.

But that variety is an inclusive variety. For Stalten and Cassidy, breaking gender norms is a big part of the selection of apparel. “(That’s what it) comes down to,” agreed Cassidy, “women should just be empowered in what they are wearing.”

Going into the 2020s, different trends — some, like the VSCO girl, intended for a younger age — find Stalten and Cassidy with mixed feelings, but Cassidy would concur. “If it’s making the younger generation happy, it’s alright,” she said. Siu would note a diverse student body acts as a pro and a con. “It’s pretty cool to create a store setting in that environment,” she claims. While Downtown procures a niche in vintage trends, the store wouldn’t call its stock conservative. “Whether (people) want to show skin,” continues Cassidy, “or not show skin, whatever they want to do that makes them feel empowered.”

Downtown, and its sister store Uptown, are collaborative projects by second year Fashion Business students. Jillian Siu, a fellow second year, takes pride in being a part of the store. “It gives the real life tangibles,” Siu says, “before you go ahead and do the real thing.” The projects, intended as capstones to prepare students for their workplace environments, conclude with a show for family and friends.

And for the students at Downtown, breaking the things that women always “had to” wear is their first step.