Fashion in AAT’s 9th Grade

by Mariam Sesili Dzidzikashvili

Our school is filled with a variety of diverse students who express themselves through many different ways. Many students opt to do this through their fashion sense and what they wear, as fashion is one of the best ways to do so. In this article, we interviewed a couple of students from the ninth grade and asked them about their attitude towards fashion, how much it means to them and how they express themselves through it.

Name: Desha Chokoshvili

How would you describe your own personal style?

Simple. I don’t really have a “style”, I wear anything that I think fits my body well.

What are some staple pieces in your closet?

For summer, I would consider white cropped tanks, mini skirts, and sandals as some must-have staple pieces. For winter, tight fitting dark tops, low rise jeans, black converse, and Doc Martens.

Who do you look up to as your fashion inspiration?

Zoe Kravitz and Lily-Rose Depp - I think they both express themselves well through fashion, and have the perfect combination of a “timeless and trendy” style (even though I don’t dress anything like them, my Pinterest boards are full of their pics!).

How much does fashion mean to you?

Fashion does not mean much to me, but I like to look good all the time, and since clothing is a big part of appearance. I try to wear things that flatter my body.

Does school have an effect on your own personal style?

School doesn’t affect my style at all. Sometimes, some of my schoolmates might inspire me to wear something, but not too often.

Pictured: Desha Chokoshvili

Name: Irinka Iashvili

How would you describe your own personal style? What are some staple prices in your closet?

I have various types of clothes which I wear depending on my mood. It can be jeans, long skirts, shirts with different colors, etc.

Who do you look up to as your fashion inspiration?

To be honest, I have many people who I look up to, but the main source I get inspired from is the app Pinterest, where you can see various types of outfit ideas.

How much does fashion mean to you?

I really do not think that fashion is important, but it is something I enjoy: trying out new combinations of clothing or getting to know what others like to wear is really fun to me.

Pictured: mini skirts were named as a staple piece by many interviewees

Does school have an effect on your own personal style?

It does not really affect me. My style is the same practically everywhere, both at school and other situations.

How do you express yourself through fashion/your style?

The clothes I wear often express my mood. Sometimes, when in a good one, I tend to wear colorful or bright clothes. If not, I may wear darker ones. It obviously does not happen all the time, but sometimes it happens without me even realizing it myself.

Name: Tasia Kurdghelia

How would you describe your own personal style?

I try to express myself as much as I can through my style. I think clothing is a beautiful art form everyone can experiment with. I’d say my personal fashion sense is a bit messy but I wear what I like and have fun with it!

What are some staple pieces in your closet?

Some of my staple pieces are probably skirts and vests. Both of these clothing items are ones that come in many different styles, patterns, and textures which is probably why I’m so drawn to them.

Who do you look up to as your fashion inspiration?

Probably my biggest fashion inspirations are Bjork and Fiona Apple. They are some of my favorite musicians ever and I love how they present aesthetically.

How much does fashion mean to you?

To me, fashion is a form of self-expression. It’s a way of sharing a part of yourself with others. Fashion can make you feel confident about yourself and help you find people with similar interests as you.

Does school have an effect on your own personal style? If so, how?

I think that a significant part of my life I was afraid of getting made fun of at school because of my style but I have learned to not care about others’ opinions of me. Now, I dress however I want wherever I want.

How do you express yourself through fashion/your style?

I find pieces I think are cool and interesting and just put them together! I often copy some of my favorite fashion icons in the way I dress but I still try to keep my individuality.

Pictured: Tasia Kurdghelia

Name: this person decided to keep their identity anonymous.

How would you describe your own personal style?

I am more on the basic side. I usually wear sweats and a hoodie, I like being comfortable and it is easy to do any activity in them so that is why I chose to dress like that. Also, with this weather, this type of clothing can actually keep you warm while still being comfortable.

What are some staple pieces in your closet?

There are some pieces of clothing that are just "it". I am talking about the ones that go with everything in your wardrobe. I do have some pieces like that, for example my black, stone island sweats. Since most of my clothes are black they go with almost everything in my collection, so I just wear them really often.

Who do you look up to as your fashion inspiration?

Mostly Kanye West and Virgil Abloh. They both go kinda for the same style as me.

Pictured: Kanye West

How much does fashion mean to you?

It is not on that level to mean something important, but I just enjoy trying on new clothes and trying to see what my style is, because people's styles and preferences change overtime, and mine might change in the future.

Does school have an effect on your own personal style? If so, how?

Not really, because since we do not have uniforms I just wear whatever I like and feel best in.

How do you express yourself through fashion/your style?

My style shows that I’m a chill, outgoing person, because mostly, I do not dress fancy or anything like that, I just enjoy being comfortable, while also looking somewhat "fashionable".

From these interviews, we can tell that the people at our school all have completely different, contrasting styles and prioritize fashion in different ways; some see it as an important part of their self-identity and vice versa. But generally, they see it as a fun way of self expression which generally isn’t taken with huge importance.

Edited by Mariam Kalandadze