Fashion Spotlight: Galaxies and stars, cosmic chic

Emma Veninger ’16 leaves quite an artistc impression. Heads turn at the intricate sapphire hues splattered across her accessories and the letters in bold that read ‘NASA’ on her t-shirt. Veninger’s self-expression allows her to embody a walking work of art. But she doesn’t stop there. In fact, Veninger has already turned some of her state-of-the-art ideas into entrepreneurial successes.

Eliza Ali: What influences the clothes you wear?

Emma Veninger: My moods. I don’t look in fashion magazines or anything for inspiration. I usually like to look edgy—like rips and acid washes. But then I have this completely separate style, which is ‘cute’. So I alternate between them. If I’m thinking a lot or in a dark mood I usually wear my edgier outfits—like my acid washes. But if I’m happy, I wear cute outfits—bright colors. Sometimes I’ll see something and I’ll think, ‘wow that’s really cool’ so I’ll do a variation [of] it.

EA: Explain the creativity behind your galaxy-themed outfit.

EV: I had these old pair of Toms—they were really worn out so I wanted to give them a new look. I was thinking about splattering them with bleach, but then I saw my friend’s galaxy-patterned backpack. I thought [that] was really cool, so I bought a bunch of acrylics in different colors and painted a galaxy on my shoes.

EA: Did you paint your bag too?

EV: Yeah, I did! Everyone got the same bag at orientation. I liked the bag but I don’t like being the same as everyone [else]. I like being different and I wanted to make my bag look more unique, so I painted it to match with my shoes.

EA: Tell me more about your galaxy art. What is it about the galaxy that inspires you?

EV:  I actually paint galaxies a lot. I like them because of all the colors I use. I think they’re beautiful, especially the violets. I also really enjoy painting the gradient from one color to the next. Painting in general just lets me zone out and de-stress. Sometimes I even do it for other people. There are a limited number of my own things I can paint, though, so I’m trying to offer my painting services for a fee to anyone who would like shoes, bags or shirts painted in galaxy art.

EA: What are some examples of the things you’ve painted for people?

EV: I’ve done t-shirts for my friends with the words “cosmic” and “impact” written in block letters with the galaxy pattern. It looks really cool, especially when it’s on black fabric. I’m currently working on one that says “radioactive.” I’d say I have an astrological/chemical theme going on—which is funny, because I’m majoring in science. If you ever want anything galactified—just look for the flyers I’ve posted around campus.