Page 19 - ADU Voice Volume 5 Issue 1

Fall 2025 | Voice 19

Conversely, Sabila Patel, a second-year architecture student, called black
the “core” of her being: “Black drives the drawers of my wardrobe. Sure,
there’ll be traces of some other colors here and there, like blue or white, but
black remains the anchor…”. Her words reflect more than just a personal
preference—they highlight the color as a visual constant in a creative
life full of flux. For students like Sabila, whose days are spent sketching
concepts and navigating design critiques, black provides a kind of visual
stability. It’s not just a color in her closet, it’s a tool of identity, something
that quietly affirms presence and intention, becomes the canvas on which
both their wardrobes and their ideas are built.

However, she does present a counter to the black attire convention,
conveying, “On jury days, I’ve even tried to coordinate my outfit with the
@ Archinarium rule of `black only’ and allowed me to visually extend my work into my
theme of my project, and honestly it felt powerful. It broke the unspoken

personal presentation.”

In the same vein, Aya Alrawi, a fifth-year student, committed to the all-black
aesthetic to such an extent that she was nicknamed “Batwoman”, a title she
embraced unabashedly. “Black has always spoken to me; it is chic, simple,
and strikingly effective,” she stated. And yet, experimentation seized her:
“For the first time in years, I wore something different for my graduation
project midterm, my first non-black jury look after five years. And you
know what? It felt like a breakthrough. Change doesn’t erase who we are; it
adds to it.”

Black, in the world of design, is more than a color; it is a language. It is
a symbol, a silent manifesto. Having spent time customizing every single
detail for an occasion, black stands as the ultimate backdrop; a little too
neutral to distract, yet just tasteful enough to make a statement. It allows all
the energy to flow toward the models, drawings, and ideas. But it can also
be emotional: the armor for a psyche which is internally treading water,
seeking comfort, while externally “walking-around-looking-cool”, hiding
@ This Is Glamorous the all-nighters pulled for the past five days. The color allows the individual
to say, “I know what I am doing”, even when your render cras

hed, your laser cuts do not fit together, and you are covered in glue stains.
Within design circles, the power of black is a unifying costume; outside of it,
it is a silent brag. It says, “I am part of something. I build. I imagine. I obsess
over chair legs.” And even as future designers like Sabila and Aya break the
stereotype with bold color pairings, the point remains the same; what you
wear as a designer is not about you as a person; it is about you embodying
the practice. Whether you choose to dress head-to-toe monochromatic or
introduce color coherency with your concept board, your attire becomes an
expression of your process. So, the next time you see a crowd of all-black-
clad creatives huddled over coffee and conceptual sketches, know they are
not in mourning. They are probably just preparing to unveil a staircase not
found in Euclid’s geometry. Pay respect to the style. And maybe, consider
@ Vladimir Malyavko
grabbing another black turtleneck, for “design reasons”, of course.