Student Spotlights: In Conversation With Ella Rush, 1/20/2023

Ellie Saylor | The Chronicle

Can you tell us about yourself? What about your hobbies, interests, or extracurriculars?

I love art. I love fashion. I love drawing fashion sketches. I love to travel. I love music. I have been playing piano for about 10 years now. I’ve played guitar since quarantine, and I play the drums. I’ve played in Orchestra for about five years as well. I’m just so passionate about the arts, and I believe the most important and unifying thing that’s constant in this world is your individuality.

Can you explain your fashion sense to us?

My fashion sense is very rooted in my love for classic rock and that started in middle school when I started really getting into older artists like Queen and the Beatles. When you get attached to something, you look into the artists, and so I got into the culture of the era of the 60s and 70s. I just really loved that it was just such a cool variety of patterns, textures, and materials. I love the free-spirited vibe that a lot of artists back then emulated.

What does fashion mean to you?

It’s an outward expression of yourself. For me, it’s important because you’re able to show people a little bit of who you are through how you express yourself. Fashion is whatever you want to be, so be bold. You can only be yourself so why not just have fun with it while you can?

Do you ever see elements of the 70s-era clothing in modern fashion trends?

Yes, I do. Flared pants have definitely come back, and that’s something I love because it was always hard for me to find flared pants. I know a lot of people nowadays love the 90s and early 2000s fashion, but if you really take a deep dive into the history of that fashion, a lot of it comes from the 60s Mod eras and the 70s with all the different types of cuts and patterns. I think that’s really cool that all that stuff is coming back.

Can you tell us how you find your clothing?

Recently I’ve become a huge fan of sustainability. Thrifting has been something I’ve started to enjoy a lot in the past few years, and not only am I finding some really cool vintage pieces, but I also feel good about doing a part for the environment.

Can you tell us your final thoughts about fashion and art?

Fashion is whatever you want to make it, [so] be yourself. You only live for so long, so you might as well have fun with it.