
Not to brag, but I was voted “Best Dressed” in middle school. I’d show up to class in chunky heels, thigh-high socks, and plaid dresses—definitely not the norm in suburban Florida. While my classmates were mostly sporting sneakers and T-shirts, I was always experimenting with bold looks that felt like an extension of my personality. Fashion has always been more than just clothing to me; it’s an art form. I’ve always been passionate about fashion history, styling, and storytelling through attire.
When I arrived at Hopkins, the first student organization that caught my eye was Marque Magazine, Maryland’s first and only student-run fashion magazine. The magazine takes an artistic look at fashion instead of focusing exclusively on trends. For instance, a lot of shoots include traditional dresswear from outside the United States and vintage pieces.
The moment I learned that Marque offered opportunities for photography, styling, makeup, and editorial, I was immediately intrigued. I joined the styling team and, over time, started modeling for the magazine as well. It felt like the perfect fit—a way for me to not only indulge my passion but also collaborate with a group of like-minded individuals who shared an artistic appreciation for fashion.
One of the most exciting aspects of working with Marque is pitch night, where we brainstorm potential themes for each month’s issue. The themes selected are usually concepts up to interpretation, and how they’re brought to life and envisioned leads to quite unique outcomes. The first themes I styled for were “retro-futurism” and “horror.” I was particularly excited to tackle the “horror” theme because I wanted to allude to the essence of the genre while not venturing into Halloween-costume territory. It was also exciting to have the idea I pitched end up as one of the final themes.

As a stylist, my role involves a lot of running around, picking out outfits for models. It was important to make sure the pieces align with the editorial theme while also ensuring the models felt comfortable and confident in the look. It’s about more than just clothing—it’s about bringing the vision to life. There is a lot of coordination between the different departments so that thematically we’re all on the same page when selecting outfits.
Working with Marque has been a fun way to meet people that care about the same types of things as me. I really love that at Hopkins there is a student group for a more niche interest of mine that I never had the chance to express elsewhere.