Fashion Journalism · FM 4301 · Spring 2026
Academic work,
in full.
Two projects from SMU's Fashion Journalism course — a runway collection review and a feature story — completed under Dr. Andrea Arterbery in the Journalism Division.
A Revolution That Wasn't.
Coperni's spring/summer 2023 collection and its spray-on dress finale — a critical analysis of spectacle, sustainability rhetoric, and where innovation ends and decoration begins.
The review examines the full 37-look collection against the viral finale, drawing a line between surface-level material experimentation and genuine construction innovation. It contextualizes the moment against McQueen's SS99 "No. 13" finale and interrogates the brand's sustainability framing.
Is Gen Z Ending Outfit Repeating?
A feature story on the rise of rental fashion among college students — how social pressure, subscription models, and shifting attitudes toward ownership are reshaping how Gen Z gets dressed.
The piece moves from individual student behavior to structural market analysis, interviewing students across SMU and Ole Miss alongside sustainability researcher Dr. Pratyusha Kiran. It compares U.S. subscription platforms with Australia's localized rental culture to frame rental as a growing niche rather than a wholesale replacement for ownership.