Every now and then we have the pleasure of stumbling across a classic beauty. They are few and far between but that makes them all the more special when they finally do appear. Drawing inspiration from Vanity Fair, Vogue and British designers like Burberry, they find a way to channel the people responsible for the foundations of all American fashion. The challenge: taking these classic influences and making them your own. Maddy Kaye '10 does just that. With her innovative fashion sense and love for designing, she combines her creativity with the classic references we all pay homage to everyday, whether or not we realize it.
We find it even more intriguing that this girl doesn't come from a fashion capital!
"Buffalo [NY] isn't a super stylish place," she said softly of her hometown. "But I've always been into art and drawing."
In her earlier years she would sit at the lunch table sketching dress designs during their silent period. Although Buffalo did not prove a great inspiration, she recently spent an off-term in New York City interning for Vanity Fair. This experience was a pivotal moment in creating her current style.
Although the job was unequivocally inspirational, it was in no way a carbon copy of Andy's experience with Miranda Priestly at Runway, Maddy said. Much to our disappointment, Maddy told us that she didn't receive any swag the industry term for the free designer clothes, shoes and accessories given to employees of fashion publications.
"That's pretty much a myth," she explained. "You don't get any of that unless you're an editor."
But she didn't walk away completely empty handed.
"I've gotten much better about spotting details," she said. "For instance I can spot fakes."
A blessing and a curse.
One of the highlights of her internship, however, was getting to be on the set of a photo shoot with the cast of Gossip Girl. She gave us all the juicy details of their personalities.
"Jessica Szhor walked up to me and introduced herself," she said as we struggled to keep our jaws off the floor.
This internship taught her a lot, but Maddy said she realized that, although she loves fashion, she doesn't want to make a career out of it. At Dartmouth she is a biology major gearing up for medical school. She believes the best doctors are those who use art in their craft. In an effort to combine her talents she wants to specialize in pediatric plastic surgery slightly cosmetic but mostly reconstructive.
"I see similarities between sculpture, design, sewing and surgery," she laughed. "Or at least that's what I'm hoping."
She traveled with her love of medicine down to Peru this past summer where she volunteered at a medical clinic. In this urban clinic for low income families in Cuzco, she rotated around the clinic helping out where needed. She got to give shots, take blood pressure but most of all she was able to interactive heavily with the local people. She lived with a Peruvian host family made up of a husband, wife and two sons ages 10 and 12.
"I was definitely influenced by Peruvian fashion," she said. "Everything's so colorful there."
She brought back lots of silver jewelry, alpaca sweaters and bright colors.
Recently Maddy used her creative talents and artistic eye to explore photography. She was particularly inspired when she went home to Buffalo and did a photo shoot with her sister's friend a classically trained dancer. Influenced by dance herself, Maddy likes anything with ruffles, tulle or sequins. She also likes to work with a color palette of mostly pinks, nudes and blacks.
Surprisingly enough, Maddy also draws inspiration from the average Dartmouth student. It doesn't frustrate her that the majority of people don't enjoy dressing up as much as she does.
"It's a personal thing," she smiled. "Getting dressed in the morning is something I really like to do, not everyone likes to do that."
Too true, Maddy Kaye, we couldn't have said it better ourselves. As for the rest of you, we'll be on the lookout. You never know, you could be next. If you see fashionable people on campus that you think deserve to be applauded, blitz DMStyle. We'd love your help keeping Dartmouth fashionable!
