For over a decade, J.K. Rowling’s fantastic world of magic and adventure has amazed people of all ages. Geisel Library has brought that world into reality by hosting Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine — a traveling exhibit put on by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

            Marshall transfer student Sean Couey always has his camera on hand. Since the onset of his street-style website, showmeUCSD, Couey has been ready at any time to capture the fashion that spruces up the reputably dull campus of UCSD. Launched about two weeks ago, his website already documents a growing collection of the diverse styles and trends that are being sported across campus — from the aisles of Geisel to the forest of Eucalyptus trees. So far, 25 students have been featured in snapshots with brief captions detailing their outfits, some wearing unique thrift store finds and accessories with others dressed in vibrant colors and patterns .

            Couey, an economics major from Cupertino, was inspired by the street-style blogs that he frequents daily, like The Sartorialist, and thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we had one for UCSD?”

            But before that, it was his study abroad trip to Milan in 2009 that first triggered his eye for fashion.

“People there just take a lot of time and put a lot of effort into what they’re wearing and how they present themselves, so it really shows,” Couey said. “Walking down the street, you can tell everyone purposefully dresses a certain way, and everything in their look is just so. Even the little details are really planned out.”

From his exposure to Milan’s notorious fashion scene, Couey developed his personal take on fashion as a deliberate form of self-expression, or in his own words, a visual resume.

“It’s a good way to let people know who you are because a lot of times, you don’t have the chance to meet people and have a face-to-face conversation with them; the only thing you have is that you see them visually passing by,” Couey said.

He noted how anyone can simply throw on sweatpants and a sweatshirt (admittedly a culprit of this himself), which is why he appreciates those who put forth the effort to express themselves through a certain aesthetic style, whatever style that may be.      

“There isn’t a particular style that I really gravitate to; it’s just whenever I see something that I find interesting,” Couey said. “I’m always looking for new styles, and I love people who are already confident in the way that they’re dressing. It really shows in the pictures.”

With his previous experience of keeping personal blogs, including one about the mechanics of mopeds, Couey claimed that it wasn’t too difficult to get his website started. But he acknowledges the input of fellow UCSD students, such as his roommate, Sixth College junior and computer science major Dennis Chen, who helped him put together the website.

Couey hopes that showmeUCSD will soon catch on.

“I told my friend the other day that my dream is to be in class, sitting in the back row, and I look down to see someone’s computer open and they’re looking at my website,” Couey said.

Check it out at www.showmeucsd.com


— Stacey Chien

Staff Writer