A colorful top, a leather bag, funky jewelry — a fashion girl’s closet is filled to the brim. Harnessing her creativity and inspired taste, she assembles the perfect fall outfit, anchored by her best thrift find yet: a chocolate-brown bag. As she walks across campus, she draws fresh inspiration from the stylish outfits of her peers, already envisioning the next day’s ensemble.
Over the past decade, the DFW fashion scene has blossomed. With new designers like Jaquiline Cole and Von Denise debuting their collections at the decade-old Dallas Fashion Week, designer stores such as Mui Mui and Givenchy popping up all over the metroplex and vintage shops like Fetch and Add Vintage dominating downtown Dallas, DFW is making way for new creatives to develop a unique fashion culture in the area.
This energy is everywhere at UTD, where fashion is becoming a key medium for student expression. Organizations like the university’s Fashion Club fuel this culture by screening fashion shows, connecting creatives and helping students explore career paths within the industry.
Upon first glance, it’s clear that biology freshman Olivia Teibowei has a passion for fashion. Her unique clothing and creative taste make her stand out in a crowd.
“I feel like I really became interested [in fashion] my freshman year of high school just as a way to express myself,” Teibowei said. “I’ve also found people with similar styles to me and those are who I’ve become friends with.”
Teibowei’s self-described style is a mixture of Japanese fashion and whimsy. She said she takes inspiration for her style from social media and people she sees walking around in her daily life. Crystal Noorani, finance senior and fashion club vice president, said she also takes inspiration from social media along with physical magazines.
“I used to buy magazines from Barnes & Noble and I used to keep a scrapbook with all my designs when I was younger,” Noorani said.
Noorani describes her style as cottagecore, citing the brand LoveShackFancy as a key inspiration. Freshman Vera Tsai, too, finds her style roots in high-end designers.
“I have a couple influencers that I follow but if we’re talking designers, I really like Vivienne Westwood and the late Bella Pietro,” Tsai said.
For both Tsai and Noorani, their style journeys accelerated during the pandemic — an inflection point for fashion worldwide. According to a 2024 Voice of America survey, 79% of Americans changed their style due to more flexible work schedules.
“I had a lot of free time,” Tsai said. “Especially with all the social media use, I saw a lot of different people expressing themselves through fashion. I thought that was really cool.”
Not everyone got their “fashion start” during the pandemic, however. Biochemistry freshman Nour Awad said she also uses social media to develop her style, providing an outlet for research and inspiration.
“I felt like throughout all of high school I was very basic,” Awad said. “I would just wear leggings and a T-shirt every day and I felt like I wanted to be a bit more different in college. Even though I’m still very basic, I feel like I dress a bit more differently.”
Walking around campus, a spectrum of styles is on display: streetwear, minimalism, preppy and athleisure, among others. Tsai said she often notices people incorporating elements of her own style, a testament to her diverse closet.
“I don’t think I have one specific style,” Tsai said. “I think I’m a collage of a lot of different things but I will see a lot of people with similar dressing styles as me because I have so many different ones.”
Noorani also made her style her own and dresses depending on her mood and the occasion.
“I feel like I have a lot of different styles in my closet,” Noorani said. “It took me years to realize what I like and don’t like apart from trends.”
Ultimately, the fashion culture at UTD mirrors the diversity of DFW itself. With students developing styles that range from minimalist to coquette to Japanese-inspired, the campus’s unique blend of everyday wear and creative flair offers a glimpse into the future of North Texas fashion.
“It’s fun not to follow trends but to find out what works for you specifically,” Noorani said. “I feel like when you have a cooler outfit or you go thrifting and find something vintage, it brings happiness.”