Van Meter Runway: Welcoming Fall Fashion

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You might be drinking a warm cup of apple cider, listening to the whimsical melodies of Big Thief, and getting cozied up in your softest knit. After all, that’s what fall is about and with the cool air, many people feel an urge to reflect this change in their garments. After a year-ish-long break, I’ve decided to bring Van Meter Runway back, a segment of fashionable Goucher people including short interviews.

Max Michtom ‘27

This student knows the importance of layering as an East Coast native.

B: Is there a process to get dressed in the morning for you? Was there a specific process with this outfit?

M: There is a process; It’s really trial and error. I’m not good at mornings so I try to pick my outfit the night before, so I can get all that creative late-night-energy. 

B: Why is it important for you to get dressed and express yourself?

M: I love looking good. I love clothes. It’s all about self-expression. When I look good, I feel good and when I look good, I am my best self. 

B: My last question, can you name a couple of fashion inspirations? It can be a place, an idea, people, really anything.

M: Yes, my first inspiration is growing up in the northeast; I had to learn how to layer from a young age. I’m a big Layering guy. The second one is my mom. I love her style, and she always encouraged me to try out new things and to seek out my own personal style. 

Cadita Attipoe ‘28

This student is also inspired by their mom.

B: Is there a process to get dressed in the morning for you? What’s that like?

C: I do have a process. I center my whole outfit over one thing I want to wear that day. So, I’m looking through all my clothes and I’m like, ooh, I’m really feeling this. This is really connecting with me right now and right here. So, I’m just gonna pick pieces that compliment that one piece of clothing.

B: Can you tell me a little bit about what inspires your fashion? 

C: I would say my mom inspires my fashion. I really started getting into fashion because she always had an extensive closet. Honestly, it was my own personal shopping mall. So, I have been slowly, over the years, creating my collection from going to stores- cheap ones obviously because who has the money and time for that- and my mom!

B: Finally, why is it important for you to express yourself through fashion?

C: To be real with you, I’ve always wanted to stand out. Being unique and different. I also feel that my mind and the way I am is unique and different, I think my clothing expresses that. I like that my clothing gives like, clickbait-like come see me come talk to me. Like, I’m this type of person who would be open to new ideas and all different types of people. That’s why when I dress, I don’t stick to one type of style.

Samia Abdur-Rahim ‘26

This student was in an edition of VMR in our first year! I wanted to return to them to see how they changed.

B: Hi Samia. Since I gave you an interview in my first round of VMR, I want to know how your style has changed since it’s been a couple of years?

S: I think I definitely grew into my style a bit more. I came to the realization that I like to wear what I like to wear! As long as the pieces I’m wearing are fun and I feel a connection with them, I’m gonna like what I put on. I got into thrifting over the summer which I think really helped me establish my personal style. With the summer you have more time to explore colors, what you like, and people don’t have to see you all the time. I grew a little bit more confident in what I could wear.

B: How does who you are inform what you wear?

S: Well, in my first interview I was like, “I value comfort”. I definitely think that still informs what I wear because I love to be comfortable and able to move in what I wear. But I also like to be a little bit stylish; I like to wear denim; I like to be –I don’t want to say edgy– but I like to be edgy in what I wear. I now value comfort with more style and color cohesion. 

Jupiter Berrysmith ’25

This student is bringing their “Brat Summer” into the fall.

B: What gravitates you towards fashion pieces?

J: When I’m looking for pieces, I focus on color and the shape of the garment. I’m really into certain silhouettes and I’ve been trying to get a lot more color into my wardrobe recently. Especially fun patterns like the shirt I’m wearing today.

B: What would your leitmotif be related to your fashion, like a song that plays when you enter a room?

J: I’m gonna say Everything is Romantic by Charli XCX, it’s really my song of the summer. I feel like I really came into my fashion sense over the past 4-5 months. I feel like I’m able to experiment a lot more. That song is just really fun because it’s like life is so beautiful, and fashion can be so beautiful and make life so fun. 

B: Where do you get your inspiration from for dressing?

J: I get my inspiration from lots of places. I like to look on Instagram for a lot of fun fashion stuff. I also look to my friends and peers. Also, I like to get a lot of ideas in the morning when I get dressed. I’m just like, I want to do something fun and fresh and put clothes together in a way that I haven’t before. A little bit unique and innovative and wanting to stand out from the crowd a little bit. I just want to put things together in a funky way. 

B: Do you think being from the west coast influences your style at all?

J: I would go with maybe on this. I think I grew up around a lot of people who were experimenting with fashion and there were certain things that were really popular in high school that I still think about. I think being on the east coast has influenced my fashion more just because it’s where I had my young adulthood and have felt freer to express myself here than I did at high school. There are people doing fun things in California and many other places, but I must say my best friend is from California and she has a super cool fashion sense, and I’m wearing her tights right now that she lent me. 

That’s all for the October edition of Van Meter Runway. I hope that these interviews have inspired you to embrace your own funky and fresh style in an autumnal way. I want to give a big thank you to everyone who participated and if you want to be in an upcoming edition, email belie001@goucher.edu!

By Bea Lieblein ’26

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