One Life to Live

All anyone will remember in 50 years about the year 2020 is the pandemic and if we are not careful that’s all anyone will remember about the year 2021 too. The coronavirus has certainly taught us more than our fair share of lessons, but I hope we do not forget the most important one: life is short. In 50 years when we are old and senile, telling the same stories over and over again about our “glory years,” what are we going to want to say? There were hundreds of thousands of people that died from this pandemic. People who probably spent their lives letting it pass them by or wishing for the next chapter. We’re all guilty of it. How many times when you were younger did you wish you could just turn 18, so you are considered an adult, then 20, so you’re no longer a teenager, then 21, so you can drink - legally? There are a lot of reasons why we should hate this pandemic, but one of the biggest ones is because it has stolen a year of our lives, a year that we can never get back. For months, we weren’t really allowed to go anywhere or see anyone. Events that we had booked months in advance and were really looking forward to were cancelled and when we finally could rejoin society a lot of our favorite places were closed down. More than anything, I hope 2020 has reminded us that life is short, we need to live, not just survive.

At this point, who else is starting to notice that “when the pandemic is over” sounds a lot like “when I win the lottery?” For me, personally, I am lifting the restrictions brought on by the pandemic. I will go out whenever I want, to see whoever I want, wherever I want. Though I’ll still be safe, maintain a socially safe distance from strangers, that’s not going to stop me from physically letting my friends know how much I love and missed them. Masks will be treated like the hottest new accessory that I will never leave the house without, just like sunglasses in the summertime, trench coats in New York, or an outfit featuring a corset during fashion week. Another thing I’m going to stop doing is finding reasons or excuses not to do something and being scared of COVID. Part of being a person in your twenties is making really irresponsible decisions that’ll make for great stories later. 2021 will be my year of yes; every time someone asks me to go out or do something I am going to say yes. Even if I have work in the morning or an exam to study for, because at the end of the day, in 50 years I won’t remember the exam I barely passed because I didn’t study or how tired I was that one time when I showed up for the early shift to my McJob.

...But make it fashion

The fashion industry is as ephemeral as it is unforgiving and I’m through asking for permission. In addition to my “say yes” lifestyle resolution, I am also giving up trends. Besides, Karl Lagerfeld said that “trendy is the last stage before tacky” anyway. Part of truly living is being unapologetic about what makes you happy. Trends come and go, as they say: “one day you’re in, the next day you’re out.” There are a lot of trends and styles that, in my opinion, have gone way too soon. But here’s the thing, why do they have to. In 2021 I want to make originality a trend and personal style and not giving a damn! You only have one life to live, don’t waste it by concerning yourself with what’s going to be in fashion for the next five minutes. Instead, make the fashion yourself.

Sincerely,

Don Davis

Nu View Editor in Chief

The Blues

January 1, 2020, or as that day should’ve been known: the beginning of the end. We put all of our hopes and dreams and ambitions into the New Year. We mark our calendars, make our plans, and strive to submit the changes in our lives, and we succeed… at least for the first few weeks. The New Year is always filled with exciting new prospects and the promise that this year will be different - that this year will be better. Last December, Pantone decreed that the color of the year was going to be a “calming shade of azure,” a “classic blue,” and as usual they were right, just in more ways than one. 2020, in every sense of the word was a blue year. The color blue symbolizes serenity and stability, inspiration and wisdom, it’s also seen as a peaceful color that symbolizes reliability. What most people forget though is that the color blue also has some negative associations with it as well. Blue is a symbol of depression; suspicion and sadness, melancholy, all of which I would use to sum up the year 2020.

It’s companies like Pantone that remind us of how important and influential the fashion industry can be. When Pantone decides the “Color of the Year” there is no arguing. From fashion to furniture, soon you start to see that color everywhere without even realizing it. The latest fashions you see on the runway will heavily feature this color, the furniture stores and home-improvement shop’s top selling merchandise will all feature this color as well. You will start to see this color more apparent on your favorite TV shows and in advertisements. Your favorite clothing stores will dress all their mannequins with it and it’ll be heavily featured on their website. Want to know the easiest way to tell what the Color of the Year is? Go on any clothing store’s website and see what color is available for every single product. That is the impact of the Color of the Year and Pantone is never wrong. Blue was an accurate choice. It’s a strong color that stands for perseverance and optimism, it’s masculine, but also feminine, it is a hopeful color. Although, it is also the color of dread and sadness, loss and tears, and that most certainly sums up 2020. 2020 is proof that history repeats itself. 100 years ago, in the 1920s we were hit hard by a pandemic - sound familiar, thousands loss their lives and what has that taught us? What have we learned?

Well, the fashion industry certainly learned a lot. Just like art imitates life, so does fashion, and nothing has disrupted the fashion industry quite like the COVID-19 pandemic. It has birthed an entire new trend, started a movement, and redefined what modesty means. It also propelled an already existing trend into the stratosphere in terms of popularity. I am specifically talking about the athleisure/athluxury trend. Matching sweat suit sets and designer sweatpants are on everybody’s Christmas wish list. Moreover, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the most important trend of 2020, masks. Everybody knows that the most important articles of clothing serve more than just one purpose. Masks not only help protect ourselves, but the people around us. At first, they were worn strictly out of necessity, and it showed. The masks people wore were temporary, disposable. Now, they’ve become more of a statement piece, a way to showcase our personalities. Masks have become our way of speaking without saying a word. So, what does your outfit say?

Sincerely,

Don Davis

Nu View Editor in Chief