{"id":50783,"date":"2017-02-02T14:45:13","date_gmt":"2017-02-02T20:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=50783"},"modified":"2017-02-02T21:40:30","modified_gmt":"2017-02-03T03:40:30","slug":"chicago-style-icons-a-violet-fusion-of-punk-and-queerness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/chicago-style-icons-a-violet-fusion-of-punk-and-queerness\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago style icons: A Violet fusion of punk and queerness"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lauren Baker<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zack Violet is known for creating both atmospheres and outfits that go against the grain. Violet, who likes to be referred to as “they”, \u00a0is redefining queer fashion here in Chicago. Anita Dolce Vita defines queer fashion<\/a> as \u201cundefinable because it is specific to the individual\u201d and is \u201csystematically rooted in gender non-conformity\u201d. From their\u00a0trademark long cheetah trench coat to the brightly painted galaxy leggings, the outfits Violet creates speaks to the\u00a0idea of clothing becoming genderfluid and queer.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Violet says \u201ctaking careful attention and love and care to set yourself up for feeling the way that you know, want. Or at least opening up to the feelings that you want.\u201d Violet goes on to say that \u201chow you look is really important and being true to what\u2019s inside of you is super important to me.<\/p>\n

\"Musician
Zack Violet is wearing galaxy leggings with brown leather jacket with purple accessories near their\u00a0apartment in West Ridge
Jan. 27. (Lauren Baker\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Violet describes their\u00a0style as \u201ckinky, queer, gender fluid and freakish\u201d, and admits they have\u00a0been dressing up since childhood. Born in Michigan but currently living in Chicago, Violet respects the need for gender fluidity. Take for example their\u00a0name. Violet chose the name \u201cZack Violet\u201d \u00a0as a combination of a traditional masculine and feminine names, allowing others to chose the way they feel most comfortable identifying them. College theatre classmate Jasmine Lake adds \u201c[Zach] owns it. That\u2019s what people are attracted to whether they know it or not. Someone who is unafraid and unapologetic about who they are; queer or not\u201d.<\/p>\n

When they were\u00a0in high school, Violet began to realize the true power of being themselves. \u00a0Their\u00a0eclectic style sticks out even in the neighborhood they\u00a0live in. Violet, who says being a rock star is \u00a0their\u00a0full time job but works a job serving brunch on the weekends, \u00a0lives in the part of Westridge where the majority of residents are Hispanic, Middle Eastern and Indian. As the fashionista and I walked to a local park to photograph one of their\u00a0outfits, a neighbor walked past us. Violet wore a bright yellow mumu, striped tights, blue shoes with rainbow colored gloves, white lipstick, an auburn wig and sci-fi themed glasses.<\/p>\n

\"A
Zack Violet stares with their\u00a0bright white lips, green make up and sci-fi sun glasses in West Ridge Jan. 27(Lauren Baker\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Violet\u2019s heels clicked on the pavement with pure attitude. Without hesitation, the neighbor quickly walked passed us, trying not to make eye contact. I asked Violet about their\u00a0interaction in the neighborhood they\u00a0live in. Their\u00a0response was simple: \u201cthey don\u2019t speak much\u201d; they\u00a0create their\u00a0personal style independently from what other people think. But this interaction falls short of how Violet perceives the idea of being queer here in Chicago. Violet says \u201cthere is an amazingly open, wonderfully supportive and incredibly diverse queer population here in Chicago.\u201d<\/p>\n

The contrast of this interaction to supportive queer population only enhances the connections Violet creates with themselves. To them, clothing is not designated to a specific gender; it\u2019s all just clothing.<\/p>\n

A few days earlier, I asked \u00a0their\u00a0roommate Megan Morris about Violet\u2019s Style. She described their\u00a0style as \u201cmalleable, queer and just this like punkish demiurgic, just like this creative unidimensional dope ass style! Just like this style that screams I don\u2019t give a [expletive]!\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Violet's
Zack Violet shows off their\u00a0everyday style in a park in WestRidge Jan. 27. (Lauren Baker\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Along with studying theatre in college, music has been a huge part of their\u00a0identity. \u00a0Violet expressed heavily on how much their\u00a0style is the \u201cphysical representation\u201d of their\u00a0music.<\/p>\n

Violet is currently the frontman of a hard rock band from hell called where they\u00a0perform as a self-described “demon dominatrix” and wear clothing that is \u201cdark kinky and sexual\u201d.<\/p>\n

As for queer fashion here in Chicago, Violet expressed positivity for the future. They\u00a0said, \u201cI see queer and African American fashion evolving fastest and most gloriously. I strongly feel that as we awaken deeper and deeper to our own simultaneous infinite unity and uniqueness: fashion is bound to reflect the evolution of our consciousness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zack Violet lies\u00a0in their trademark cheetah jacket with matching cheetah leggings and boots, accompanied with a black corset in West Ridge Jan. 27. (Lauren Baker\/MEDILL)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Lauren Baker Zack Violet is known for creating both atmospheres and outfits that go against the grain. Violet, who likes to be referred to as “they”, \u00a0is redefining queer fashion here in Chicago. Anita Dolce Vita defines queer fashion as \u201cundefinable because it is specific to the individual\u201d and is \u201csystematically rooted in gender […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":355,"featured_media":50951,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3516],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-winter-2017"],"yoast_head":"\nChicago style icons: A Violet fusion of punk and queerness - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/chicago-style-icons-a-violet-fusion-of-punk-and-queerness\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chicago style icons: A Violet fusion of punk and queerness - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Lauren Baker Zack Violet is known for creating both atmospheres and outfits that go against the grain. Violet, who likes to be referred to as “they”, \u00a0is redefining queer fashion here in Chicago. 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