EMMA BARETTO
Stylist and fashion activist Emma Baretto is a creative force to be reckoned with. Using style as means for social change, Baretto is breaking down stereotypes one stitch at a time.
Growing up in the outskirts of Chicago, Baretto recognized her passion for style from an early age. “I loved fashion and navigated it pretty much how I do now - by thrifting and putting together things that I liked. In middle school I could describe my style as a China Anne McClain wannabe”. Somewhat disconnected from the city, the culture of Chicago art and fashion was something slightly removed form Baretto’s early days of creation. “It wasn’t until I moved to Evanston that I realized my interests were an actual medium and could actually be turned into a career... living near the city opens up a whole new world of art that few know exist on the outside”.
Baretto made an ambitious styling debut junior year with her college entrance project, Opal. “The project guidelines gave me a lot of freedom; in fact they enabled me to enhance the ideas I already had for it. They challenged me to apply structure and meaning to obscure ideas. I created a brand from scratch, and added all of the key components to it by myself”. Baretto brought her environmental and cost-conscious mindset to the project, aiming to highlight thrifting as the most “environmentally responsible” way to consume clothing. “It also was an intersection of some of the issues I feel most passionate about: representation in fashion, complete freedom/originality in styling, and environmentally friendly consumption”.
Opal was just the beginning of Baretto’s fashion activism. Since, she has continued to challenge the old ways of the industry, shedding light on the inequities within the fashion world. Baretto draws much of her inspiration from the mold-breaking stylings of Vivienne Westwood, whose work “pushed the boundaries in a mainstream fashion world...”. It seems that new creatives in this industry are no longer tolerating complacency, and pushing bigger companies to right their wrongs. After Gucci’s blackface scandal, a four-fold statement of initiatives was released in an
attempt to increase diversity within the company. Baretto recognizes this positive change, but comments how “it’s also sad that it took this long for diversity to even be a priority in the fashion world. It’s a stretch to even say that this carries out through the whole industry... In my opinion, there’s never going to be adequate diversity unless the leaders of these houses and companies are completely overturned”.
Opal was just the beginning of Baretto’s fashion activism. Since, she has continued to challenge the old ways of the industry, shedding light on the inequities within the fashion world. Baretto draws much of her inspiration from the mold-breaking stylings of Vivienne Westwood, whose work “pushed the boundaries in a mainstream fashion world...”. It seems that new creatives in this industry are no longer tolerating complacency, and pushing bigger companies to right their wrongs. After Gucci’s blackface scandal, a four-fold statement of initiatives was released in an
attempt to increase diversity within the company. Baretto recognizes this positive change, but comments how “it’s also sad that it took this long for diversity to even be a priority in the fashion world. It’s a stretch to even say that this carries out through the whole industry... In my opinion, there’s never going to be adequate diversity unless the leaders of these houses and companies are completely overturned”.
Photos above by Dylan Anderson
