While some students might find it absurd to wear belts from Gucci, bags from Louis Vuitton and clothes from brands like Balenciaga and Saint Laurent Paris to a 9 a.m. lecture, others make these high fashion brands a part of their daily fit.
Daniel Weekes, a sophomore studying economics, said he believes students who wear clothes from designer brands are simply expressing themselves.
"It's about self expression. When people ask me about clothes, my response is always that clothes are the first impression you make on someone," Weekes said. "It's your brand. It's your culture. It's who you are as a person."
He said the constant shifting of fashion trends is what keeps the culture fresh and interesting.
"The cool part of fashion is that things are always evolving," Weekes said. "As for brands, I think Saint Laurent and Gucci are the most interesting as they're always changing things."
Cong Li, a sophomore studying business, said he enjoys wearing brands that aren't common around campus.
"Balenciaga is a brand that not many people wear," Li said, sporting a pair of Balenciaga Triple S sneakers.
"The designs are really cool. I love all kinds of shoe brands, except for Gucci shoes," he said. "I think they're kind of weird for men to wear."
In 2015, Balenciaga appointed Vetements creator Demna Gvasalia as the brand's lead creative director. Gvasalia is responsible for the designs of trend-shifting shoes such as the Triple S and the Speed Trainer, which can also be spotted on the ASU campus.
Li said he primarily wears clothing brands with designs he enjoys, despite what everyone else might be wearing.
"For me, I don't want to follow the trends," he said. "I just see if the brand is special to me and that can fit into my kind of style."
Adam Underhill, a sophomore studying economics and finance, said he bought his pair of Gucci slide sandals simply for the look.
"I don't really have any idols in fashion," Underhill said. "I just kinda bought them. I was an insurance agent and had some extra bucks stashed away and just spoiled myself."
Underhill commented on how students purchasing designer brands doesn't seem economically feasible.
"I want to say their parents buy (the clothes) for them. These slides are my guiltiest pleasure," Underhill said. "They're 280 dollar flip flops. I can't imagine these kids spending $5,000 a semester on backpacks."
Reach the reporter at jwrowley@asu.edu or follow @rordanjowley on Twitter.
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