Clown Core 101: How To Make Fashion Fun Again with Gabe ‘GG’ Gabennesch

Fashion these days isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Sometimes it can feel like a bit of a circus, and not in the good way – with the conman corporate ringmaster, egos as big as a strongman, and women constantly treading a tightrope, performing for the eyes of onlookers. But if you peek between curtains, and find your way through the Hall of Mirrors, you’ll discover it’s critical to curate your own niche and find a welcoming community under the big top that is fashion. 

In our conversation with Gabe ‘GG’ Gabennesch, they describe how to make styling silly again, and expressing yourself without fear of being perceived as a freakshow. Based in Ohio, GG is a fashion stylist, freelance photographer, jewelry maker, and owner of Secondhand Circus, a second hand clothing store. If you’ve ever met GG, in all of their nostalgic, maximalist glory, you’d immediately come to see that part of their identity, personal style and branding happens to fall under the umbrella that is “clowncore” for the last 3-4 years.  

Although the style aesthetic can be misinterpreted and defined in many ways, GG cuts to the joyous core of it all – “You can break rules and do the unexpected and even become a new character every time you get dressed.” 

Fashion is not as serious as it’s being made out to be. Beneath the polka dots and puffed sleeves, we’re all still complex, multi-faceted, flawed human beings. Even if you have a dress code in one societal routine (i.e. work, religion, school) that doesn’t mean you can express yourself authentically, however that may look in all other facets of life. The beauty to be found in fashion is the same in the intricacies of humanity; it is intersecting and ever-evolving. You can paint your face like a literal clown one day, and wear all black the next. You can make crazy mix-matched earrings, and feel just as confident wearing a gray pant suit to work the next day. You can even wear it all at the same time. 

After all, being the fashion freak show isn’t so bad – in fact, you’re probably the coolest person in the room for boldly showing up as yourself. GG is just one example of that. 

Alexa Hill: What inspired you to get involved in the fashion industry?

Gabe 'GG' Gabennesch: I’ve always had a love for dressing up, and grew up being obsessed with my moms vintage collection, but it wasn’t until I started getting feedback from others during and after college that I started to think about pursuing it professionally. I obviously loved what I wore, but hearing others say they loved my style and wanted me to style photoshoots and other projects they did was an eye opening moment that I could actually pursue fashion. It also made me want to push more boundaries and just get even weirder with my personal expression.

AH: How long have you been a stylist / jewelry maker? 

GG: I’ve always made jewelry for myself, ever since I was a kid, because I grew up with a very artistic mom who really pushed us to do lots of crafts and I always kind of wanted things we couldn’t afford so I decided I would just make them myself. I started selling jewelry a few years ago, after getting lots of compliments on the jewelry I wore and people asking where they could get it. I started a secondhand clothing and handmade jewelry shop last year which has pushed my creativity even further with jewelry. I’ve also been a stylist for the last few years, mostly working on small projects and doing unpaid work. When I started my shop I decided to start selling style bundles and within the last year have gotten more serious about styling professionally. I’m now going to be working with Caroline Kingsbury and hope to have more celebrity clients in the future!

AH: What is your creative process behind your jewelry-making? Behind styling for projects?

GG: I love a good theme. I usually start with a theme or vision and build off that with both my jewelry and styling. From there I kind of piece things together based on color and silhouette, always making sure to have some element of fun or quirky. I love to look at my progress and then ask “okay now how can I add more?” because it’s all about “maximalizing” for me. I want there to always be an element of uniqueness and maybe even something unexpected. I love a good shock value. 

AH: If you had to describe your approach to fashion in three words, what would they be? 

GG: If I had to narrow it down to three words, I’d say, healing inner child.

AH: How would you describe clown-core style? 

GG: I would describe clowncore as colorful and fun. There tends to be a lot of bright colors and fun, big silhouettes. It’s very playful and can encompass a large variety of ideas within the style. You can do a darker, more goth approach, a subtle approach, or a very loud, maximalist, rainbow, balls to the walls outfit, and anything in between. Stripes and polka dots are used a lot, as well as big collars and things like puffy sleeves or bottoms. It also gives a lot of room for very fun makeup to complete the looks. 

AH: Are there any misrepresentations or misconceptions about this style/niche?

GG: I think a lot of people perceive clowncore to be weird and off putting. Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely weird, but in a very good way. I don’t think people realize how much it lets you be unserious and free. There really are no rules.

AH: How can someone make their styling / personal style more fun? 

GG: I think everything becomes fun when you’re doing it to feed your inner child. You have to stop taking yourself seriously and stop worrying about how others might perceive you and just do what really makes you happy deep down. I know that my younger self would look at me and think I was the coolest person ever and that’s what really makes it fun for me. 

AH: How can someone slowly experiment with clown-core styling or accessories? 

GG: I would slowly start playing with color and shape if you want to experiment with clowncore. Oversized pants and sleeves, cuts that you might typically consider unflattering because it’s bigger. I would also consider adding either more accessories or accessories that are more funky and large!

AH: What is a go-to accessory for you? Why? 

GG: My go-to accessory is always a big pair of earrings. I LOVE earrings and have quite a fun collection. I have anything from giant Fanta cans, toy cars and mini crocs to a Barbie head and torso (my favorite of my earring creations). They can really elevate a look and just make it so much more playful. 

AH: What do you love most about fashion? What keeps fashion FUN for you?

GG: What I love most about fashion is that you can play around with so much and really customize an outfit for you. I never want to walk in a room and look like someone else there, I want to be my own, unique individual, and fashion lets me do that. You can break rules and do the unexpected and even become a new character every time you get dressed. I love to change it up, I get bored easily and also have an appreciation for so many different styles, and fashion allows me to create a new look all the time.

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Written by Alexia Hill

Directed and Photographed by Mark Bluemle @barks.mindd

MUA: Marlie Capuano @marlie_kaye

MUA: Emma Oviedo @emmaovi_

Styled by KateLynn Herrera @katelynn.herrera

Movement Director: Jai LePrince @jai.leprince

PA: Marlie Capuano

Talent: Tess Kaufmann @tesskaufmann

Talent: Emily McManus @emily.mcmanus_

Talent: KateLynn Herrera

Talent: Jai LePrince

The Creative Director Effect: Zac Posen Is Just What Gap Needed

The game of creative/artistic directors continues.

In February 2024, Zac Posen joined the portfolio of brands under Gap, including Banana Republic, Athleta, and Old Navy, as its Creative Director. As of this month, Posen has proven himself and his appointment as worthwhile, debuting the “GapStudio.” And yes, the Anne Hathaway shirtdress is a part of the collection. 

GapStudio is an elevated premium retail line designed by Posen, including 53 pieces inspired by Americana, red carpets, and “nowstalgia” as the designer described to WWD. Highlights include tailored sailor pants, sculptural denim shifts, and updated versions of the iconic logo sweatshirts. The campaign accompanying this collection drop, photographed by Mario Sorrenti and styled by Alastair McKimm, is modeled by the iconoclastics of our time – none other than Alex Consani, Imaan Hamman, and Anok Yai.

Posen took to Instagram to explain the intention behind the campaign, “There’s something almost mythic in the way they move, the way they hold the frame. This wasn’t just about fashion. This was about what it means to be seen. To belong to a moment. To make one.”

The intention is clear: to bring back the “design integrity” that the brand had lost in recent years. As he puts it, GapStudio represents a fusion of the past, present, and future – where trends are no longer dictated by a singular formula. The future also holds a time in fashion where even the corporates are evolving toward public figure celebrity-status. 

The GapStudio is a reverse example of Alexander McQueen’s collaboration with H&M, and a parallel example to recent discourse between the ‘hot potato’ being played between high-fashion houses and their artistic directors (cough cough, Michele, Demna, De Sarno, Blazy to name just a few). This is what I like to call the “Creative Director Effect.” 

On one hand, as fashion lovers and consumers, it’s exhausting to keep up with this game, and more than that, it makes keeping a brand's "heritage" alive feel like an impossible task. We're shifting away from a brand's legacy and refocusing toward signature design languages by the creative directors themselves. Given the digital world we're in and how we all idolize celebrities incessantly, constantly building parasocial relationships with viral influencers, it feels on par. Why not personify brands through their creative director too?

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It just means radical transformation, opening room for creativity within various brands. For a minimalist brand like Gap that had fallen out of touch, Zac Posen is just what they needed to not only liven up the brand, but bring high-fashion luxury design to the basic garments. 

Vintage Gap Advertisements

What was once the personified “American Dream” in the 80s and 90s, Gap was a defining fashion brand and retail store for its khaki pants, pocket white tee, and denim jeans. This supermodel primetime featured Gap white denim jeans and woven shirts on the Vogue 1992 cover for their 100th anniversary. Legendary figures like Ernest Hemingway and Gene Kelly were featured in Gap’s ‘Who Wore Khakis’ campaign in 1993. 

But, as the cultural zeitgeist moved towards maximalism, expanded niches, evolving technologies, less in-person retail, and brands galore, Gap lost its way and leadership in the industry. It wasn’t just that the brand wasn’t cool anymore; it was disconnected from the mainstream lens. 

Clearly, Posen’s work is going according to plan. As Business of Fashion reports, Gap Inc.’s sales grew in every quarter during the 2024 fiscal year. He’s even been the head of other key collaborations, such as the Harlem Fashion Row collaborative design line. 

Known for his ball gowns and red-carpet moments, Posen is utilizing Gap as his canvas, blending glamour with accessibility through GapStudio’s price ranges from $50 to 200. His expertise in celebrity dressing, having created iconic looks for stars like Anne Hathaway and Claire Danes, has uniquely positioned him to curate his own position in the company, but also elevate its mass-market offerings.

GapStudio marks a turning point for the brand, which had struggled to find its footing in a fast-changing market with a renewed sense of purpose and a clear direction. The pieces are elegant, simple, and straightforward. In a crowded and competitive retail landscape, Zac Posen is the creative force Gap needed to return to the cultural forefront.

Through Gap Studio, Posen is proving that creativity is not just a luxury—it’s a necessity for reinvention. The GapStudio designs feel intentional, high-end, while still being made with quality fabrics that feel practical for a variety of occasions. With his vision and expertise, he’s not only revitalizing Gap but shaping the future of American sportswear and high fashion.

School Girl Aesthetic: Powerful or Problematic?

Often depicted in media as a symbol of innocence, rebellion, or transformation, the schoolgirl aesthetic has been a defining feature of both fashion and media in the West for decades. The look, from collared shirts and overwhelming amounts of plaid patterns, has evolved over the decades and has produced different cultural impacts, whether it be shaping pop culture or influencing real-world fashion trends. While it has been criticized for its problematic undertones, it has also been reclaimed as a source of empowerment primarily for women. From film to music videos, the aesthetic has been reinterpreted in various ways over the years, reflecting shifting social values around fashion, identity, and power.

What is the Schoolgirl Aesthetic?

The schoolgirl aesthetic is rooted in traditional school uniforms in the West, particularly those found in private schools in the United States and the United Kingdom. Typically consisting of plaid skirts, button-up shirts, blazers, and loafers, this style is often associated with an air of innocence, privilege, and discipline as perceived about private schools and other types of exclusive academic institutions. However, while inspired by real-world uniforms, media portrayals and pop culture tend to exaggerate elements for stylistic appeal: shorter skirts, fitted tops, and more playful accessories. This transformation characterizes the traditional uniform into something more provocative or rebellious. Depending on how it is presented, the schoolgirl aesthetic can either reinforce societal expectations about its wearers—adolescent girls—or challenge them, depending on how it is styled and contextualized in different narratives.

Evolution in Media

The dramatic shift in the portrayal of the schoolgirl aesthetic in media can be seen in iconic films that used the aesthetic to define characters undergoing personal growth or social reinvention. Initially associated with youthful innocence, the aesthetic gradually became more fashion-forward and, at times, provocative. Ally Sheedy’s character Allison Reynolds in The Breakfast Club (1985) experiences a makeover that turns her from an outcast characterized by her dark clothing and neutrally gendered accessories into someone more conventionally attractive—partly through the adoption of a more feminine color palette and polished version of the schoolgirl aesthetic. Similarly, Clueless (1995) and Legally Blonde (2001) played with schoolgirl-inspired fashion to emphasize preppier styles as aspirational for adolescent women. Other films like The Princess Diaries (2001), Mean Girls (2004), and Easy A (2010) used the aesthetic to showcase transformation narratives, where characters either embrace or reject the schoolgirl look as they develop their identities. More recently, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) reintroduced the aesthetic in a way that aligns with modern preppy fashion trends—cardigans, bolder sweater prints, and the inclusion of pants—making it more approachable and contemporary.

Beyond film, the schoolgirl aesthetic has been a staple in music videos, particularly in the work of female pop stars. Britney Spears’ ...Baby One More Time (1999) famously cemented the look in pop culture, using a playful yet controversial take on the uniform to portray youthful confidence. Years later, Iggy Azalea’s Fancy (2014) paid homage to Clueless, further solidifying the enduring appeal of the schoolgirl aesthetic.

Problematic?

Despite its popularity, the schoolgirl aesthetic has been criticized for being infantilizing and reinforcing outdated gender dynamics. By emphasizing youth and innocence, especially given that its wearers both in media and in real life tend to be adolescent girls, it can contribute to the fetishization of young women, particularly when stylized in a way that sexualizes the uniform. The dynamic raises concerns about how the media portrays adolescent femininity and the messages it sends about power and desirability. Additionally, the aesthetic is often associated with class privilege. The polished, private-school-inspired look is frequently linked to wealth and exclusivity, and making it an aspirational style may not reflect the reality of most students. The glamorization of the schoolgirl aesthetic in media often overlooks the rigid structures and social hierarchies that exist in real-life academic institutions.

The Case for Reclamation

While the schoolgirl aesthetic has its problematic elements rooted in its subservient portrayal of young women, it has also been reclaimed in ways that challenge traditional narratives. The incorporation of pop-punk elements in fashion, such as plaid skirts paired with combat boots and band tees, has added a rebellious edge to the look, subverting its associations with innocence. This reinterpretation allows women to take control of the aesthetic, using it as a tool for self-expression rather than adhering to societal expectations. The aesthetic can provide dimension to female characters in media, giving them space to be more than just their youthful appearance. When used thoughtfully, it can highlight the complexity of young women’s experiences—balancing societal pressures with personal agency and growth. Rather than being a passive symbol of conformity, the schoolgirl aesthetic can be wielded as a statement of individuality and defiance despite patriarchal standards and restrictions for female expression.

Conclusion

As fashion trends continue to evolve, the schoolgirl aesthetic will likely undergo further transformations as gendered expression in fashion and media continues to see broader horizons and possibilities. With shifting cultural conversations around gender, power, and representation, the way this aesthetic is portrayed in media will be crucial in determining whether it remains problematic or becomes an empowering symbol. Trends like gender-neutral school uniforms and alternative takes on preppy fashion suggest that the aesthetic may continue to be redefined in unexpected ways. Whether it’s seen as a symbol of innocence, rebellion, or empowerment, the schoolgirl aesthetic remains a powerful tool for storytelling and self-expression.

Written by Arushi Sen

Directed by K Pereira @kaleb.pereira922

Photography by Roberto Meadows @_.rubbertoe & Garrett Hoy @ghoy2000

Styled by KateLynn Herrera @katelynn.herrera

PA: Tayja Whyte @tayjaa.x, Chloe Kaleah Stewart @chloe.kaleah

Talent: Sammie Butters @sammiebutterss, Natasha Teiman @natasha_teiman, Gabrielle Clemons @gabrielleebiancaa, Cade Ostermeyer @cademeyer_, Cecil Atkins @its._cecil, Malia Corinne Louie @malia.corinneeee