Madison Fashion Through a Parisian Lens: The Importance of Personal Style

Written by Lenah Helmke

Henri Clarke, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from Paris, France, prioritizes individuality within his everyday street style. Clarke contributes to the diverse midwestern city with his exclusive taste and knowledge of fashion. Clarke’s view on Madison’s fashion begs the question: Is practicality more important than authenticity?  

When Clarke first visited Madison, he was alarmed at the lack of attention to detail in everyday fashion. 

“There’s a lot of pressure on not really wanting to look different,” Clarke said.  

Capturing one’s individual style can be challenging, which has removed the distinctive expression from the student body. Madison has normalized athleisure as a simple and easy option for everyday attire. Students' wardrobes consist of similar brands, such as Lululemon, Alo, and Aritzia, resulting in limited individuality.  Athletic wear dominates daytime fashion, while trending brands like Edikted, Princess Polly, and Zara heavily influence Madison’s nightlife. Clarke commented on the identical style choices of student's outfits when going out with friends. 

“There's no really approach to colors or different cuts”, Clarke said. “Also playing with different textures...I was very surprised.” 

Most young women have adopted blue jeans, a cropped tank top, and white sneakers as their going out uniform. This combination, while widely accessible to students, has perpetuated excessive uniformity. Clarke believes style should be used as a form of expression rather than a way to get lost in the crowd.  

“If you are outside of the box, you are either admired or rejected, but like, you’re not gonna go unnoticed,” said Clarke.  

While studying in Madison, Clarke misses the authenticity of fashion in his home city. Clarke said that the culture in Paris thrives on “having your own touch,” which adds personality to everyday activities, like getting coffee with a friend, going to a nightclub, or going on a morning walk with your dog.  

Clarke understands the importance of comfort, — a prominent factor in the culture of university-wide fashion — but incorporates it through baggy jeans and a thrifted graphic tee rather than sweatpants. He is passionate about his clothing telling a story and believes this feat cannot be achieved solely through mainstream fashion brands.  

In fact, Clarke attributes his growth in appreciation of fashion to when he began to thrift. 

“You don't really know what you're gonna find,” Clarke said. “When you see a piece that you like, you don't like it because you saw someone else on a website, like you actually found it in the middle of a disgusting pile of clothes. I feel it's nice, having like a little surprise when you go out.” 

Thrifting creates a space for the unknown and individual inspiration. One may go into a store with an idea of what they want but can always be pulled in a new direction.  

Clarke’s love for thrifting and sustainability inspired his own fashion brand, THR, which focuses on up-cycling used clothing. The extensive free time and isolation brought about by the COVID-19 lockdown gave Clarke the opportunity to bring his ideas to life. Clarke taught himself to sew and now creates his own stories through fashion and reconstructing his friends' clothing.  

In July 2023, he held his first pop-up and runway show in Paris, where his friends modeled and supported his creations. Henri Clarke has plans to further establish his ideas in Madison and hopes to influence students to express themselves through their personal style.  

Edited by: Lauren Veum