By Chloe Ashcraft
The Guardsman

CHLOE ASHCRAFT / THE GUARDSMAN

Sporting a Dia de los Muertos T-shirt, customized jacket, cuffed jeans and Puma high-tops, animal science major Carlos Arellano rocks a fashionable yet casual look. He adds flair to his outfit with a studded belt and patches from the bands NOFX and Mad Sin, which he has sewn onto his jacket.

Born in Nicaragua, Arellano lived on the East Coast for most of his life and moved to San Francisco two years ago.

Despite his extensive travel, including backpacking through Europe and a three month stint in China, Arellano cites his love for psychobilly and punk music as his greatest fashion influence. He draws inspiration from bands like Tiger Army, The Sharks and Nekromantix.

The City College sophomore works at Cheap Thrills on Haight Street, a retail store where he gets most of his clothes. He buys his jeans at Villians, also on Haight Street. “There’s not a lot of jeans I like, so I’ll pay like $60 or $65 for jeans, which isn’t much,” Arellano said.
It’s the small touches that give Arellano his distinct style. It’s rare to see him without a chain on his jeans or a bandana in the back pocket of his pants.

DYLAN NOVICKY / THE GUARDSMAN

By Marcus Rodriguez
Staff Writer

From the mohawk on his head to the pro-model, synthetic snake-skin Adidas boots on his feet, Chris Timm is a man who knows what he likes.

“I originally got the mohawk on a bet from a friend, and after I got laid off I figured there was no reason not to keep it so I just kept Bic-ing it,” Timm said.

The 38-year-old nursing major from San Diego is sporting vintage grey cargo shorts made by the fashion company Zoo York and a white T-shirt that shows off his love for a little city south of the border.

“I lived in Tijuana for a little bit while I volunteered at an orphanage,” Timm said. “Yeah, the orphanage was in a town located right next to a trash dump. The people there were amazing, especially the kids. I loved seeing their eyes light up when we gave them supplies, books or toys. It always made their day.”

Timm moved to the Bay Area to complete his nursing degree and plans to transfer to San Francisco State University so he can become an ER nurse, a flight nurse or a parachute nurse.

“A parachute nurse is where we get dropped into third-world countries whose economies are depleted and who are in serious need of health services,” he said.

Timm is also sporting his Chrome Ranchero backpack made of waterproof materials.

“You could chill a 12-pack in here with ice and not get wet,” Timm said.

Asked about his other favorite memories in Tijuana, Timm responded, “They were all drunken ones.”

Abel Perez LISKA KOENIG / THE GUARDSMAN

By Liska Koenig
CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Abel Perez calls his personal style “the messy-boy look.”

TRISTAN CRANE / THE GUARDSMAN

Niamh Parsley
“Inspired Surrealist”

By Marcus Rodriquez
STAFF WRITER

Niamh Parsley, a San Francisco local, is a bit of a free spirit who doesn’t like to be pinned down. This 19-year-old Salvador Dali fan loves a kaleidoscope of different activities including: Painting, sketching, working out, dancing, traveling and “anything to inspire and involve the mind, body, and soul.” One of her current loves is the Photojournalism class she’s taking at City College.

The tattoo on her arm is of a koi fish springing from a pomegranate, which is simultaneously regurgitating a tiger.

“It’s a perfect surrealist take on life,” Parsley said. “This means it doesn’t really need to make sense. It’s about complete disorder.”

TRISTAN CRANE / THE GUARDSMAN

As for the flower tattooed on her arm, she said: “My good friend, who is an artist, and I designed that piece together. He does amazing work with colors and he and I just made up the flower together. As far as the meaning behind that tattoo, there’s no real story behind that one. I just had the itch’ for fresh ink. I think of that piece like a piece of jewelry, it’s pretty and it compliments me well.”

When asked about her goals for the future Niamh responded, “I plan to travel the world and document my travels with photos and journals.”

DYLAN NOVICKY / THE GUARDSMAN

By Marcus Rodriguez
STAFF WRITER

Art History student Erik Recendez, 21, would describe his fashion sense in a nutshell as “eccentric.”

Hailing from Southern California, this recent transfer student moved to the Bay Area because he wanted to get some “clean air,” and he was getting bored with “nothing but bright, orange sunsets.” Today, he rocks a mix of polyester pants, an indigo-blue blazer, and an okra-colored dress shirt matching beanie.

“The beanie was a hand-me-down, and I get most of my other clothes from Goodwill or other second hand shops,” Recendez said. “I don’t have a lot of clothes, so if somebody gives me something, I wear it.”

His outfit was also accented by a faux-leather book bag and authentic, hand-made moccasins from a store in the Mission District.

In his spare time, Recendez enjoys art projects, collecting movies with reckless abandon, writing, and making “f—ed up collages” in his journal.

His most recent art project is a canvas he found on the street.

“I plan to paint on with crayons, markers, pencils, or pretty much whatever I can find,” he said.

Recendez is also tackling French Literature and Modern Dance classes this semester.

Kailana Decker JESSICA LUTHI / THE GUARDSMAN

By Cailie Skelton
Arts & Entertainment Editor

Kailana Decker is the definition of color. With bright red sunglasses, bright magenta tights, a purple cardigan and a lavender colored scarf accenting her black dress and cowboy boots, she certainly stands out in a crowd.

This is Decker’s first semester at City College, where she is majoring in Theater Arts. She recently moved to the Bay Area from Chico where she describes the theater scene as “patchy” because many of the people who were good at theater arts left town.

“I get my inspiration from everything,” she says about her style, while she flips through a play she is reading for one of her classes. “I’m also inspired by vintage from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 20’s.” Decker doesn’t spend much on clothes, getting most items from thrift shops and vintage stores.

She also doesn’t spend much time planning her outfits, usually getting up shortly before she has to leave the house and just putting something on.

“I get up 10 minutes before I have to leave and throw something together,” she said and laughed.

Brian Torno, 20

CLARK MILAN / THE GUARDSMAN

“#&@! Haters”

By Clark Milan
STAFF WRITER

Brian Torno prefers to live a laid-back lifestyle, but claims to have sudden bursts of fire.

“I’m a pretty chill person, but at times I have explosions. Just tons of energy that come out of nowhere, to the point where I’m bouncing off the walls,” he said.

With “fire” as an everyday word in his vocabulary, it’s no wonder the 20-year-old is a three-year fire science technology major at City College.

Torno hopes to become a firefighter one day to achieve his dream of serving the community, he said.

All the elements of his cold and hot personality are also a display of Torno’s style. Wearing a loose-fitted maroon chino, a red five-panel hat and a purple t-shirt that embraces the popular middle finger, you will find the soon-to-be fire officer buying his skater-inspired looks at San Mateo skate shop Atlas.

“I tend to spend the most on pants and shoes, because the style and comfort of both matters to me,” he said. “But I won’t pay over $80.”

Aside from enjoying moments with his family and friends, Torno still acknowledges people that have not been so genuine to him. Just refer to his purple top. “My shirt is for all of those who hate ‘f— you,’” he said.

MIHAIL MATIKOV / THE GUARDSMAN

By Jen Houghton
COPY EDITOR

It makes sense that 21-year-old City College student Allen Laspina is rolling a 1970 Cutlass Supreme with a 7.4 liter big block engine — he is used to driving a car with some power under the hood.

“I’ve had an ‘89 Camaro, ‘96 Impala, 2001 Mustang, and a ‘91 Firehawk. All V8’s, except for the Mustang,” he said.

MIHAIL MATIKOV / THE GUARDSMAN

Laspina acquired the car, which has a black metal flake exterior, through Craigslist for only $7,000 from a private seller in San Jose. “That was when gas was $4 a gallon, it was easy to get a good price,” he said.

In the six months since he’s owned the classic car, Laspina has reupholstered the interior, added custom skull locks and added proper muscle car wheels. When Laspina bought the car it had over-sized spoke rims and low profile tires. He replaced them with rally rims and tires with classic-style raised white lettering on the sides.

MIHAIL MATIKOV / THE GUARDSMAN

After five muscle cars, what’s next for Laspina? “I just got my motorcycle license,” he said.

RAMSEY EL-QARE / THE GUARDSMAN

By Maahum Chaudhry
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ashley Allen, 20
“Fro-Licious”

At 20 years old, funky gal Ashley Allen describes herself as lazy, but still fashion-conscious. Now a Community Studies Major at UC Santa Cruz, the former City College student can still be easily spotted around Ocean campus where she comes to study.

The San Francisco native is no slave to fashion. She calls her style “San Francisco city kid. I don’t follow fashion. I just wear whatever looks good on me.”

What looks good on her happens to be a pair of corduroy skinny jeans, a T-shirt with a picture of Mick Jagger, and smudged white Chuck Taylors.

Allen styles her signature hairstyle into an Afro, but sometimes she’ll French braid the hair into a tall Mohawk. However she styles it, her hair always attracts attention. “People sometimes ask me if they can touch my hair,” she said.

She doesn’t shop very often, but when she does it’s at Crossroads, Urban Outfitters, thrift shops, and H&M. Every month she spends only $100 on clothes. “I don’t shop much because I just keep everything I have and wear it differently,” she said.

Even her keys, with various colored beads and a rainbow reptile her mom got her from Mexico, are an extension of her style. “My mom is super proud that I’m gay so everywhere she goes she gets something rainbow for me,” said Allen.

Photos and Story
By Megan Torres
PRODUCTION EDITOR

City College freshman Toby Fray bought his 1995 Pontiac Trans Am with an LT1 5.7 liter V8 engine from a dealer in San Jose.

After a mishap while backing out in a parking lot, Fray had to replace the front left spindle.

Fray used a large pipe cutter to chop off his muffler, giving it an obnoxious growl. Not having a muffler is illegal but the police have not yet seemed to notice.

“It’s one of the most inconvenient cars,” Fray said. “The trunk is tiny, the back seats are even tinier, it gets 10 miles per gallon in the city, and it’s long as hell, but I bought it because I figured I might as well get the bug out of my system while I’m still young and can get away with being a little irresponsible.”

Don’t get your hopes up Trans Am fans, Fray doesn’t plan on selling the car. That is, unless he gets a really great offer that would allow him to buy a better Trans Am.