Matthieu Blazy has left Bottega Veneta to become the artistic director of Chanel, overseeing haute couture, ready-to-wear, and accessories for the house.

This announcement ends months of industry rumor and speculation as Blazy steps into what the New York Times calls “the hottest job in fashion.” Bazy will serve as the fourth artistic director in Chanel’s history, following a star-studded linage paved by Coco Chanel herself, and perfected by Karl Lagerfeld.

The position’s cachet presents new challenges for Blazy, but reactions to the decision have been overwhelmingly optimistic. Industry professionals are confident in Blazy’s ability to traverse the fine line between pushing boundaries and respecting the timelessness of the iconography of the House of Chanel. Vogue Runway’s Fashion News Editor, José Criales-Unzueta remarked, “Blazy is also a designer’s designer… Chanel is betting on someone who will seemingly ground his aspirations in the Maison.”

Mattieu Blazy’s career is marked by experimentation and his ability to balance creative innovation with commercial success. His leadership at Bottega Veneta has been transformative, making it the sole Kering brand to post revenue growth in the third quarter of 2024 despite a global slowdown in the luxury market.

“I’m thrilled and humbled,” Blazy said in his first statement as Chanel’s artistic director. “Chanel represents a universe that is unparalleled. It’s a dream—and a challenge—to interpret its codes for today.”

“Interpretation” leaves the public in suspense about more trompe l’oeil techniques and the showmanship that changed Bottega Veneta. The question circulating is whether Blazy will redefine Chanel’s image for a new generation. What we do know is that Blazy’s debut will be the most anticipated show of Paris Fashion Week in October.

Until then, we’ll be counting down the days—and keeping our tweed jackets ready

The metallic whine of Jimi Hendrix's ground-breaking guitar riffs, made digestible by the rhythmic reliability of the rest of the UK trio, makes Are You Experienced a psychedelic supernova grounded in the exploratory collaboration of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. 

Released in 1967, the amalgamation of genres allows Hendrix to pluck the best of rock, jazz, and pop, commingling a psychedelic flair that makes “Purple Haze” a standout from the top of the LP. 

The guitar reverberates emotion from the maniacal, almost crazed movement up the fretboard in “Love or Confusion,” while Mitch Mitchell’s drumming counteracts the chaos, grounding the work. 

Hendrix’s vocals match his dexterity on the guitar, paying homage to his jazz background with a swinging ease as he reaches each end of his vocal range in “Fire” and “The Wind Cries Mary.” 

Hendrix rearranges the musical landscape, creating a formidable example of what a rock album can be. 

Remember how you dressed as a child? Enveloped in the youthful exuberance of clothes chosen based only on a Marie Kondo-esque criterion, sparking joy.

An adolescence hallmarked by the oppressive tartan of Catholic school uniforms created pristine windows of opportunities, rare and sparkling: free dress days. For some of you, those three little words can quicken your heart rate faster than those other three words. (The former is more fun anyway) Twice a year, the singular hallway of my East Texas Catholic school became a runway nonpareil to New York's finest.

My propensity for short-lived New Year's transfigurations gives way to my closet's annual inventory. With each passing season, I discover my closet is graying, somehow aging faster than I am. (Blazers are materializing on hangers) The accidental antiquity of my closet is not a unique issue but a generational one.

Somewhere around thirteen, we abandoned the analog. Soon after, the microtrend was born, metabolizing youthful experimentation to fuel the endless feedback loop of social media. (Green swirly dress and sheer angel shirt, I'm talking to you)

In middle school, the most formidable challenge was fitting in, and at thirteen, my body couldn't tell the difference between wearing the wrong color Converse, and being hunted for sport. The microtrend preyed on this prepubescent spinelessness, guaranteeing social conformance in exchange for abandoning critical development.

Long before my microtrend melee, I remember shopping for school shoes with my mom. Footwear, in elementary school, was the only unregulated part of the uniform. My saint of a mother carted me all over town in search of a neon pair of tennis shoes, I would not be satisfied unless the shoes were functionally a light source. A decade later, I remember practically floating into my classroom to debut my clearance rack sneakers, a euphoric jubilance I keep seeking.

Here's the good news: we aren't thirteen anymore!

Societal pressure remains ironhanded, regardless of age, and I'm not recommending excavating a sequined shirt with a mustache on it but challenging you to look critically at your closet. (Do it for fourteen-year-old you)

Do I like what I see? Does my algorithm?

The people with the best style, the strangers you admire from afar, are those who feel at home in their clothes. I've fallen victim to a plethora of microtrends; I own the yellow "Brazil" shirt, spent my entire freshman year in the Urban Outfitters corset, and even the clean girl aesthetic got me for a while. (Laughable if you've ever seen the state of my room) Aligned categorically with my peers, I was indistinguishable in a crowd but never looked quite right in my mirror.

As I continue to compile my wardrobe this year, I aim to think less about its curation. I want to honor my youthfulness as it was and is now. At twenty, there is no need for sensible shoes.

We can only hope to greet each day with the artistic determination of a Catholic schoolgirl preparing for Free Dress Day, ready to show her style to her friends, crushes, and nemeses. My neon shoes were not a derivative of trend predictors or social assimilation; I loved them because they felt like me.

So, what feels like you?

In the early morning, the water is as smooth as glass. The sun reflects off Lake Travis in mesmerizing fractals, the calm before the storm. 

The serenity is pierced by loud laughter and shouting as kids rush out of their cabins. Eager campers sprint down to the shoreline; they don neon blue life jackets, ready to spend time on the lake.

Sleepaway camp is a rite of passage for many in the U.S., with approximately 20 million kids attending summer camp each summer. 

For the children who have the opportunity to go, the bonds formed while making friendship bracelets and braiding hair become a lifelong social and professional network. 

But these networks come with a price tag. The average Texas sleepaway camp tuition is about $2,500; consequently, low-income children miss out on this formative experience and its long-term benefits. 

Alleviating this disparity has become the mission of Austin Sunshine Camps. 

ASC provides 10-day summer camps for children in foster care or on free or reduced-price meals at school, giving them a chance to experience camp completely free of charge. 

"The organization is so impactful because this is such a unique opportunity for kids from historically underserved communities," said University of Texas student and ASC volunteer Tanya Goyal. 

The program has two sites, both central to Austin.  

"We have a location in Zilker Park, which is for our younger kids ages 8-11, and then our older kids are out on Lake Travis, and they are 12-15 years old," Goyal said. 

Each campsite's design reflects the program's goals for the age group and includes different activity amenities. 

Before camp, campers choose a "track" based on their interests. Each afternoon, they work on that specialization and develop that passion, in addition to learning new skills.  

"The kids get to do high and low ropes courses, try new sports, do arts and crafts and obviously meet new people and make new connections," Goyal said. 

Both campsites are staffed mainly by college-age volunteers from universities around Austin. Volunteers work alongside paid counselors, social workers and camp directors. 

During the summer, volunteers become a jack-of-all-trades. They become older siblings, nurses, mentors, moms and teachers, but that is the best part for ASC counselors, said ASC community coordinator Ernest Ellis. 

"Some of these kids haven't had a diverse selection of role models. So they might have had some really good people in their lives, and some may not have had as many. Some of them are foster kids, so they haven't always had a consistent person to look up to," Ellis said. 

"So sometimes with the kids, you can see them really open up to you and learn from you. I think that's really cool to see," said Ellis. 

Volunteers and counselors are responsible for what ASC endearingly calls "the magic of camp."  They work to foster a feeling of community and belonging, one of the central tenets of ACS's mission. 

This goal is accomplished in little moments, in the details—late nights in the cabin while staying up telling stories. 

"I had campers that, for some reason, were obsessed with pickles. I have no idea why. But, when I had time off, I drove out to H-E-B and bought a jar of pickles for my cabin, and they were so excited. It's the little moments that end up meaning the most to them," Goyal said. 

Moments like these keep kids counting down the days until they get to go back to camp. 

"It is really nice to see kids come back year after year. My kids were the oldest group, so a lot of them had been to camp many times before," said Ellis. 

Volunteers also foster a strong sense of community among other staff members, helping to create positive experiences for counselors. 

"I had a really special bond with my co-counselor from this summer, and I think that reflected onto the kids," said Goyal. 

A shared passion for providing children with this unique opportunity connects college students as more than just co-workers. 

"I was looking for volunteer opportunities on campus, and I went to my first meeting and just really enjoyed the people, and that's how I ended up getting involved," said Ellis.

For many volunteers, summers at ASC have translated into a newfound community on their college campus.

"I have met some of my best friends through ASC; the organization has just been really good to me," said Goyal. 

As students enter their spring semester and begin to make plans for the summer, ASC is opening its doors to new volunteers. 

Social calendars fill up in the spring semester for current members, hoping to find the best staff possible for their campers. 

Applications for summer staff usually open in January, and ASC begins building its team around its vision statement: "We envision a world where all children have a place to grow, connect, and explore." 

ASC volunteers serve as mentors, guiding kids through new experiences and creating a safe haven where they can simply be kids.  

Student's passion for service and mentorship opens new doors for growth and development for children that may never have been opened. 

“You can kind of see this transformation,” said Ellis. “By the end, they’ve grown, made friends and found something completely new that they’re interested in.” 

February 2021's Winter Storm Uri resulted in 246 deaths in Texas, 28 of which occurred in Travis County. A report from the Texas Department of State Health Services indicated that the cause of about 65% of total deaths in Texas during the storm were related to extreme cold exposure.

Various nonprofits and programs in Austin have been assisting homeless people in preparing for the cold weather, hoping to leave no one behind.

The City of Austin, with the help of agencies such as Austin Public Health and Homeland Security and Emergency Management, created a program that will activate cold-weather shelters in libraries and recreation centers.

In February 2023, the Little Walnut Creek and Terrazas branches of the Austin Public Library operated as cold weather shelters, offering resources and warmth to Austin's unhoused population.

The libraries “open up the meeting rooms and have tables of snacks, water and some type of entertainment,” said Joseph Perez, an administrative senior at the Little Walnut Creek branch of the Austin Public Library.

The Trinity Center, a small downtown organization focused on community outreach, has also begun preparing for colder temperatures.

“The unhoused services in Austin are not the greatest; it's better here than other cities, but there are still major gaps,” said William Day, operations coordinator at The Trinity Center.

Day oversees daily programs, such as curbside breakfast and the drop-in center. As temperatures plummet, the center stocks winter items like coats, ponchos, beanies and hand warmers.

“Ultimately, the biggest need is for cold weather shelters. There is a threshold the city needs to open these shelters, so even if it does not go under 32 degrees when you are outside for an extended period, it still affects you. We will open up a little earlier on those days, giving them a place to get warm and dry,” said Day.

Another program devoted to protecting homeless people that has begun winter preparations is the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center.

They assist people experiencing homelessness by offering services to aid in the mental and physical well-being of the unhoused. These services include substance abuse care, housing help, legal advice, and health care.

As the cold weather arrives in Austin, the center has started various initiatives to ensure warmth for the unhoused, including providing clothing, hot meals and blankets.

The shift in daily operations recognizes a need to protect vulnerable communities from extreme weather. The combination of nonprofit services and cold weather shelters helps alleviate some of the burden winter brings to Austin's unhoused population.

Britta Strain grew up in the rodeo world; she would watch countless men's events, growing restless, waiting for the one chance she got to see women ride.

At that time, women only could compete in barrel racing, while men could take part in eight different rodeo events. Strain felt restricted, as though her skills were not worth putting on display.

"My whole life, I thought barrels were going to be the only option for me; women's events were just so limited," said Strain, who is now a collegiate breakaway roper for Texas A&M University.

Women are a historically underrepresented demographic in professional rodeos. In 1969, the Professional Cowboy Rodeo Association opened up one event to women, barrel racing. Women had been deemed too fragile to compete in any other event, despite a long history of women's work in agriculture. As of 2023, women can compete professionally in two events, barrel racing and breakaway roping.

Women's events often come with smaller jackpots and less recognition.

When Strain competed at a pro rodeo, she won more money in breakaway and barrels than anyone else competing in two events. This accomplishment should have entitled her to an all-around award, which comes with extra prize money.

"They told me there was no women's all-around award; it did not matter that I had made the most money. That was the first time I had ever seen direct inequality in rodeo," Strain said

For years, breakaway roping was a standard event for women at youth and amateur rodeos, but the opportunities ended there. Women had no option to pursue collegiate or professional careers in roping.

"We had all grown up roping; we just never thought we could go pro," said Jordan Dildine, a professional breakaway roper in the Women's Rodeo Championship.

Within the last year, major professional rodeos have added breakaway roping as a secondary event for women, following the Women’s Rodeo Association’s formal addition in January of last year.

The breakneck event starts with a rider's nod, triggering a calf's release. After giving the calf a head start, the rider ropes the calf's neck, and as the calf continues to run, this breaks the string attached to the rider's saddle.

"The event is easily the fastest in rodeo, across the board too, not just for women's events," Dildine said.

Despite the lingering inequality in rodeo, breakaway roping has helped to even the stakes. Dildine has won titles all across the United States and is part of a wave of female riders to compete professionally in the event.

"Right now, you can hit a jackpot every weekend. It used to be that women could not even find one a month. Now, when people come to rodeos with breakaway, it is to see roping," Dildine said.

The prize money mirrors the massive crowd breakaway roping has begun to draw. The American Rodeo in Arlington awarded $111,000 to the first breakaway roping event champion, and the payout has only grown since.

Most female competitors have been roping their entire lives, learning the same skills passed down generationally.

"I grew up on a ranch, and my dad grew up around horses. I was roping my whole life. It just felt natural to start competing because I already knew how," Dildine said.

The newfound ability to showcase these skills professionally is a testament to the ferocity of rodeo cowgirls who paved the way.

"So many women came before me, pushing for events like this and equality, competing in $50 jackpots simply to get the event out there,” said Strain. “My generation is reaping the benefits of so many women."