Editors Of NYCHIC Release New Issue, Talk NYU Fashion

At a school with more than 40,000 students and a sprawling, chaotic, mixing pot of a campus we call New York City, it could get easy to get lost in the crowd. But according to Tina Liu and Andrea Ng, the Editors-In-Chief of NYU’s student-run online fashion magazine, NYChic, NYU students don’t really have to worry about that—especially when it comes to fashion. “We’re a very stylish university,” says Tina, as she kicks back in her black Frye combat booties. “Everybody’s doing their own thing.” Andrea, sitting beside her, nods, as she bends down for her lip balm in her oversized grey Miu Miu bag. “There’s a wide range of different styles, and you can see different styles from all the different schools. The CAS kids are usually preppier—they’re the ones with the really nice handbags. Tisch kids are more artsy and grungy. Stern kids are always in their power suits. And Gallatin kids are more boho.” “What about Steinhardt?” I asked. Andrea pauses to think for a bit. “Their [style is] a more toned down version of CAS,” she finally decides. Hopefully not minus the nice handbags. “But,” Tina emphasizes, “Everyone at NYU’s creative no matter what school they’re in.” It was the belief that such a stylish school absolutely demanded an amazing fashion magazine of its own that motivated Tina and Andrea to join NYChic in Spring 2009, then only a fledgling publication affiliated with NYU’s Fashion Business Association. They still have fond memories of their first photoshoot, one inspired by a student film they had volunteered to work on together, an SVA production called “Theseus and the Minotaur.” They had been designated to costume design and style the movie, when they realized the scene would be perfect for a photoshoot. Though things didn’t go completely smoothly on the shoot — “We had no lighting. It was a disaster,” says Andrea, while Tina adds, “Do you remember that statue we broke?”—the results, however, were stunning, and began Andrea and Tina’s ascent through the ranks of the magazine’s editorial board. It was a photo shoot where, as Tina puts it, “A great working relationship was born.” Now the magazine is about to release it’s new fall issue, and the third issue under the reigns of Andrea and Tina coming out on December 2nd. They promise me it’s the best issue yet. “We’ve really tried to integrate the NYU community into this issue,” says Tina. The result is a major five page feature of NYU student musicians, including an indie band, a gothic rock band, a ballerina who dances to heavy metal, a soft rock band, and a DJ, who is also incidentally a TA in German studies. “At what other school do you have a TA who dresses in Rag and Bone, is a DJ, and is BFF with Vena Cava?” Tina asked me. Good point. Other content will include a feature on student internships, an interview with editor extraordinaire and NYU alum Derek Blasburg, and an array of differently styled photo shoots. Everybody who worked on the magazine is an NYU student from any of the schools, including all photographers, stylists, and journalists. As for the editors themselves, Tina goes to CAS, studying Philosophy and Psychology, while Andrea is a Media and Communications student at Steinhardt. And now that the hard work putting together the issue is over, Tina and Andrea have their sights set on—what else? — Partying! An NYChic launch party, Facebook event here, to celebrate the launch of the magazine’s Fall issue, will be held at Kimmel’s Rosenthal Pavilion on December 2nd, and the editors invite everybody in the NYU community and beyond to come. All the bands featured in the new issue’s band feature will be playing, while the mysterious TA/DJ will also be DJing a set. Also on hand will be party photographers and a style scout from Collegefashionista.com, raffle tickets to win fashion prizes, and copies of the magazine for sale.