Rouge Executive Board Profiles: Madeleine Howell
“I love being able to collaborate with so many creative people.”
Rouge’s Womenswear Fashion Editor, Madeleine Howell, is an Atlanta native majoring in Fashion Merchandising with a Consumer Economics minor and a Sustainability Certificate.
Madeleine, who joined in Fall of 2018, hadn’t found any other fashion club that she really connected with before joining Rouge.
“I love fashion, styling, and editorial so I thought it would be a good fit,” said Madeleine, who is in charge of doing styling for photoshoots that we put in print in the magazine.
“We always joke that it is the best group project that we've ever been a part of, and it’s so true.”
Madeleine thinks that most people don't get the creative freedom to think about concepts in a more complex way than just memorizing information for exams in their classes. For her, Rouge has become a creative outlet and something that has expanded her view of fashion and what it can mean.
She hopes that being a part of Rouge does just this for our general body members as well;
“ I hope that they find creative relief in the process of making the magazine and I hope that they can better understand that fashion has the ability to change who we are and how we think about the world around us.”
Madeleine said that the biggest thing that she has learned from her time at Rouge is how to work on a team.
“We have such specific cross-functional roles within the executive board, and everyone is so good at their job. It is awesome to be able to know that you can lean on your teammates, and know that they're going to do a great job getting things done,” said Madeleine
Q&A with Madeleine Howell, Womenswear Fashion Editor
What is your wardrobe staple:
There's so many! But if I had to choose it would be simple t-shirts. They pull everything together.
Go-to outfit:
When in doubt, all black is always the answer. I also definitely believe in the rule of the fourth piece. In general, all outfits consist of three things: top, bottom, shoes. However, what makes an outfit interesting is the fourth piece: jacket, scarf, jewelry, accessories. So if I REALLY can't think of something to wear, I'll put on the most basic three pieces I have then add a fourth piece and it makes the outfit automatically better.
Item in your wardrobe you’ll never give up:
Dr. Martens!!! A true wardrobe classic that makes all outfits instantly cooler.
Dream item you wish you owned:
The perfect pair of jeans. Do they exist? The world may never know.
Do you have a favorite brand to wear or place to shop:
This is always such a hard question! I feel like my actual style relates to so many subcultures and categories day by day. The thing that actually defines it is that I love to be comfortable, but that doesn't necessarily mean casual to me. I definitely believe that you can dress 99.999% of things up, and that's a pillar of how I dress.
Do you have a favorite brand to wear or place to shop:
I'm really passionate about ethical/sustainable fashion (shameless plug to my other club Fair Fashion), so I never buy fast fashion or anything that isn't made ethically/sustainably. Since I'm a college student and on a budget, thrift stores are definitely my go-to. My favorites in Athens are Goodwill, America's Thrift, and Atomic. I also shop online second hand with Depop and ThredUp. My guilty pleasure if I have more money to spend is The RealReal, which resells designer second hand items. They're still a bit pricy but way more affordable.
A favorite designer?
Vivienne Westwood is my queen!!!! I also love Iris van Herpen, she was the designer that really made me want to get into fashion.
Beauty staple?
Brow gel!
