College “Off the Wall”
March 26, 2015
For most SHS students, the college process starts the second they walk into the high school. It is only after three and half years of stress and tedious work that they are free from the pressure. Once second semester seniors have received their acceptance letters, they can finally celebrate and begin to relax. What better way is there for seniors to express their college pride than to wear custom made Vans? They are the perfect accessory for their new home for the next four years and will make all of their college friends jealous.
SHS seniors Sarah Mehlman ’15 and Kaori Tachibana ’15 have been designing Vans for accepted students, many of whom are their friends. Each pair of shoes is created with an aesthetic composition that incorporates each college’s logo, mascot, and colors.
For Mehlman, this project is one that she had greatly anticipated. “I kind of knew I wanted to do the whole business since sophomore year. I [had seen] an Instagram account and basically [decided] I [was] going to do [this],” explained Mehlman. For Tachibana, the shoes started out as a token of friendship but later expanded into a business. “When my friends started to get into college, I [began] making these as a ‘congratulations’ gift. I wanted to get them more excited about the college that they’re going to,” she noted.
Although Mehlman is still at the beginning stages of her art career, she is inspired by the artistic ability that runs in her family. Her mother is a graphic designer. “It’s nice be- cause I can always go to her and be like, ‘Do you like this? What should I change?’ and she’s really given me a good opinion about that,” reflected Mehlman. She believes originality and innovation are crucial to designing shoes. “I try to make each shoe different from the next—I don’t want any two shoes to be the same.”
As of now, Mehlman has had quite a lot of success, and not just in Scarsdale. She showcases her results not
just at school, but also through the Instagram account Spirit Soles. Mehlman believes that social media is the best form of publicity because “it has become so huge. Especially Instagram—everyone’s on Instagram.” The account currently has over 400 followers.
Like Mehlman, Tachibana comes from an artistic family. “My grandparents and my mom are artists. They’re probably why I started [art] so young,” explained Tachibana. Kaori’s typical style of art, however, contrasts to the college Vans she has been making. “I usually draw landscapes and portraits. This [project] is very different because I feel like there’s a lot of pattern that goes into it. It’s very abstract,” she expressed. Her experience and knowledge of art are continuously applied. Whenever she receives a new order, Tachibana creates a composition and plans everything out. She also tries her best to focus on putting a good amount of detail into five or six main symbols that represent the college. Pictures of Tachibana’s shoes can be found in her Facebook album, College Kicks. She has received numerous orders both locally and worldwide.
Many students expressed their love for the Vans. “I’m obsessed with [my shoes]. Kaori is really talented,” commented Rachel Berglass ’15, one of Tachibana’s customers. The craftsmanship of Tachibana’s shoes are not only a reflection of her diligent work ethic, but also her artistry. It is evident that she puts a lot of time and effort into each pair in order to make them as close to perfect as possible. “Kaori takes [her college Vans] to the next level and always adds her own unique designs that haven’t been seen before,” expressed Emily Reed ’15.
Mehlman’s shoes have also received positive feedback. It has been said that they even appear professional. “Sarah’s shoes are something I’d expect to find at Urban Outfitters,” remarked an anonymous sophomore, referring to the quality of the product. Moreover, her designs give her shoes a creative and unique flair. “You can’t find shoes this interesting online,” added Adina Estrin ’15. Unsurprisingly, Mehlman’s friends are proud of her success. “I think it’s great that [Sarah] has taken her talent and made success for herself out of it,” remarked Amanda Rosencwaig ’15.
Mehlman and Tachibana hope to continue their businesses in the future. “I definitely want to make it bigger. Over the summer, I don’t really want to work as a rec camp counselor, so if I could make these shoes as my summer job, that would be really fun,” remarked Tachibana. Although their future plans will be determined by the demand for the shoes, their peers believe this will not be a concern. “I think people realize how unique [Kaori’s] Vans are and with the recent publicity on Facebook and also having individuals instagram their pairs once Kaori gives them to them, more and more people are going to begin placing orders,” explained Reed.
These students are not only successful, but also passionate about their businesses. “By making these shoes, I get to express my passion and make others happy. I think that is one of the best things about taking on this project,” reflected Tachibana. In some instances, shoemaking can supersede academic responsibilities. “Sometimes [Sarah] will put aside her homework just so she can work on them,” remarked Estrin. One of Mehlman’s favorite parts of creating college Vans is receiving feedback from her customers. “I love getting emails from people saying ‘Thank you so much—I loved them—they’re really amazing—I can’t wait to wear them,” expressed Mehlman.
Considering the creativity of Scarsdale’s students, it should come as no surprise that Tachibana’s project in fact originated from Mehlman’s shoes. However, Scarsdale and the rest of the world are certainly a big enough marketplace that neither of the girls will infringe on the other. Any competition between the two is purely artistic. “They’re both really good. Customers are going to prefer one of them over the other based on their own style,” said an anonymous freshman. One thing is for sure: each of the girl’s shoes represents her own artistic voice.
by Sneha Dey
