Doom-scrolling on Pinterest can oftentimes seem pointless, but in all honesty, it can provide supreme meaning to one’s identity. Pinterest has this mystifying ability to provide a pleasing set of pins that do not seem very excessively algorithmic- whether that be the shiny cherry cola nail sets, the weirdest lip combo you ended up completely falling in love with, or the perfect poster to add to your overcrowded orange board. All of these different ideas can overwhelm you at first. However, the more you explore the vast expanse of ideas that it has to offer, the more it creates for you- for your life, your interests, and your passions.
Soon, Pinterest becomes your safe haven. It becomes a comforting blanket knitted with years of self-expression which you will want to wrap yourself in when you want to remind yourself of who you are — whether that is through those complicated outfits you dreamed of assembling, old makeup trends you adored, those 2010 bands you forgot you obsessed over, or simply your likes and dislikes. Pinterest, I would say, captures your essence. This essence can be thoroughly explored through such mediums, and one such collection of concepts that would unquestionably reflect in these many aesthetics is Ashoka’s range of clubs and societies.
Ashoka University Economic Society: Old Money
The old money aesthetic is the perfect fit for AUES — the most elusive society in Ashoka. The old money aesthetic is — in a word — luxurious. Picture those lavish furs draped around a curvy velvet dress — deep red lips, those expensive wavy blowouts in your pins, and polished, shiny boots. Their energy just screams “rich”, but not in that all-white-interior minimalist way. The old money aesthetic has wealth, and they flaunt it. Old money societies were also extremely selective with their choosings of their few elite — not entirely different from the Economics society itself.
I’d say the Ashoka Economics Society functions somewhat similarly in other ways as well. Their lavish events, festivals and competitions are nothing if not bold, and the deep blue of the upward graph on their logo, with its zigzagging red arrow, could almost be a lipstick smudge on deep blue velvet.
CLAD: SirenCore
Need I even explain? CLAD is by far one of the most alluring cliques on campus, always gaining attention and leading fashion trends with its impressive members and astonishing showcases. Recognized for so many runway-ready appearances and stylish gatherings, CLAD seems to perfectly embody the essence of the sirencore style. Similar to sirencore’s mix of enchanting appeal and mystical allure, CLAD possesses a fashion that is both enchanting and captivating.
The siren trend itself can be traced to the fantastical creature, the siren, who, according to Greek and Roman mythology, lured sailors to their deaths with her song. The foundational features of the sirencore trend grow from this myth — the silvery eye palettes, the shockingly captivating purple eyes, and the dangerously attractive looks. CLAD exudes this energy through their fashion — their looks are classy, yet bold and elegant, mysterious and fiercely gorgeous. The amount of times those videos of the siren eyes have popped up on everyone’s ForYou page is too many to count- but the amount of times CLAD reels have, even more so.
Her Campus: Coquette
If there’s an organisation that fits those extremely cutesy themes that coquette core never fails to deliver, it’s Her Campus Ashoka. Coquette core is an encapsulation of pure hyper-femininity. Its bright pinks, furs, and famous bows always seem to boldly declare the divinity of being feminine, of embracing it and displaying it instead of being ashamed, embarrassed, or scared of it. These bold concepts are only magnified when they’re expressed so softly — through light lilacs and purple pastels. The very meaning of the word, however, is bold. It derives from French, in which it translates to “a flirtatious woman”. Although this was previously seen as a design to gain the attention and admiration of men, the coquette aesthetic has increasingly become, instead, a way in which women emphasise that their expression of femininity is not for men, but for themselves — for the “female gaze”. Her Campus, both through its content and its aims, expresses this very intention. Their open acceptance of pop culture, their commitment to maintaining serious conversations around fundamentally significant feminist topics, as well as their consistent eloquence at marketing these features in an ultra-feminine manner are all very similarly bold themes, some of which deliberately convey to the audience that wearing these accessories and enjoying these colours is not shameful, and neither is enjoying them. Her Campus’ vivid approach towards storytelling, the subtly meaningful themes, and the tail-end of the yellow coquette bow that seems to form their very logo make them, I feel, extremely coquette in the best way possible.
Caperture:- VSCO
It’s only natural that one of the most widely known clubs within Ashoka reflects one of the most popular trends of 2019. Caperture’s impressive collection of stellar photography skills proudly on display on their expansive wall conveys those polished, refined photos that were the signature features of the VSCO trend. Nostalgic, vintage photo editing filters on VSCO. VSCO, in my opinion, is one of the most iconic Pinterest aesthetics of the 2010s. With a logo that channels a similarly minimalist charm, Caperture’s photography exudes those vintage, artsy quintessence of VSCO filters. Just like those “in class”, “playing a sport”, and “drinking my latte” VSCO snapshots, Caperture seems to be all about capturing the essence of those real-life university moments — whether that be the Garba Nights, Holi, or Winter Ball. Those little polaroids (expensive as they might be) are as perfect for sticking on our dorm room walls as the VSCO edits.
The Ashokan Societies are always all around us- in our emails, outside the mess, at the fairs. We adore it. I can’t help but think that the people in these clubs and societies are what make them capable of identifying with these aesthetic choices, because Pinterest, after all, is only made by the people who spend a large amount of their time in its glory — and so is Ashoka.