Page 2 - ADU Voice Volume 5 Issue 1

2 Voice | Fall 2025

Editor’s Note

hen I was younger, I felt the clothes that I wore dragged down
Wupon my skin, as if walking through life wearing a weighted
blanket. It felt as if I was being stung repeatedly and it made me
anxious to wear anything other than cotton and linen. As one can
imagine, this same feeling only doubled when I was made to wear
my cultural clothing on special occasions. Then a partner came to my
discomfort: shame. Some hide their shame internally, but so prominent
an accessory was mine that, when I wore my traditional attire, I was
often told that it looked like the clothes were wearing me. Rather than
the clothes, I believed myself to be the ill-fitting one. I only now
realize that all came from my lacking sense of self.

Now, as I’ve grown older, I have fashioned myself. Not in the sense
of “I have become fashionable” but in the sense that I have cemented
my person and mind: I have an identity that makes me known. I’ve
gained an understanding of my genesis: myself, my family, my
culture, my religion, and my environment. I may not always agree
42 with these facets of my life—I may not even like them at times—but
they are inseparable parts of my socialization and, vicariously, my
fashion. They show in what I wear, whether I intend to or not. And just
like my clothes, my fashion is also my lived-in face, my pen-stained
hands, and the cadence of my voice. What you know is what makes
you known and, at times, understood.

In that sense, the idea for this edition weighed on my mind for a time;
fashion can never just be the clothes that you wear. It always represents
you, even if you believe it does not. Whether that be your culture or
18 ethnicity, or what you stand for and believe in, fashion allows you to
show what you’ve made yourself into. It is a byproduct of what you
were made by and what you were Made In. And you show it through
curation; you are perceived by it, with or without that notion being
your intention.

Just as one curates themselves consistently, ADU Voice team members
have dedicated their time to curating this edition for you. “Made In”
features a wide collection of original pieces, made with love and care
by our writers, dealing with an in-depth exploration of fashion identity,
history, media, and critique. To accompany our words, the graphic
designers worked tirelessly to color the visuals of this edition with
life. With two distinct chapters, “Made In” balances sleek looks with
charming imagery, resulting in one of our most dynamic issues to date.
Our specific vision for this edition involved a full embrace of multi-
media elements such as videos and photographs, for a more vivid and
reader-inclusive experience. Furthermore, all editorial photography
was produced by our own, in-house ADU student photographers. We
are proud that this edition was made in authenticity, and in recognition
of the powerhouse talent of our ADU student community.

Fatma Durrani
Editor-in-Chief