“Fashion is a way of introducing yourself without actually speaking,” said Muneer Kaikai, a junior community health major, as he shifted in his seat, sporting a minimalist all-white outfit.
Demoda is an inclusive fashion club on campus run by Kaikai, president, and Tiffany Wang, a junior marketing major and marketing chair. Demoda, which translates to “in style” in Spanish, has taken Hofstra’s fashion community by storm.
Originally founded by Amy Zang and Jessica Johnson in November 2016, the club has grown into a fashion forward community. Zang and Johnson were inspired to start Demoda when they noticed a lack of space on campus for students to express their sense of style.
As Zang and Johnson now enjoy their lives outside of Hofstra, Kaikai and Wang have continued to add diversity to the club and find ways to expand its horizons. Demoda engages in an array of activities including trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, visiting various vintage shops, selling their clothes on Depop and providing internship opportunities. Kaikai and Wang have also created an Instagram page for the club, which features a self-created minimalist logo.
“A lot of me is represented by what I wear; it’s a way that I can express myself,” Wang said.
Currently, Demoda is working on transforming into a streetwear and high fashion brand that is dedicated to diversity. They plan to hold a FW/SS19 fashion show in early April.
In order to rebrand Demoda, both Wang and Kaikai feel that it is important to showcase their style through Demoda.
“I was not born here. I moved a lot while growing up, so my style is inspired by my travels – everywhere from Senegal to London – places I’ve lived or been have influenced me,” Kaikai said.
“I grew up in Nebraska and then in Connecticut. I always loved fashion, but I had no one to share it with. I show myself through what I am wearing, and I always dressed for myself and no one else. College is when I started exploring my own style and really, truly started to figure it out,” Wang said.
The FW/SS19 show will showcase what other countries, like Morocco and London, take on fashion is. It will take place at Hofstra USA, and be modeled by Hofstra students. It will feature pieces from Urban Outfitters, Madewell, local businesses from Hempstead and New York City, as well as some student designers on campus.
“The fashion show will help people to show their creativity and leave an impact on campus and in people’s minds. It will trigger people’s imagination about Demoda – it could open doors for other people on campus who are creative to join our community,” Kaikai said.
“Creativity has always been a part of who I am, and the ability to transform a being through garments has always fascinated me. I don’t dress like a stereotypical man,” Kaikai said. “There is no label with fashion. When you put yourself in a box you limit what you can do. Fashion, to me, is an escape from everything that is going on in the world. It is an outward barrier to me.”
Anyone who is drawn to fashion and art should not hesitate to join Demoda and stay tuned for their creative FW/SS19 show coming soon.
