As her fellow seniors scramble to secure jobs in an ever-dwindling economy, Fiber Science and Apparel Design major Constanza Ontaneda ’09 is forging her own path. A designer who grew up in places as divergent as Romania and Brazil, she’s already started her own international business, Bernales & Goretti, which imports fair-wage clothing made in Peru to be sold in the United States. The Sun sat down with Ontaneda in Risley Hall to discuss her passion for fashion, how she hopes to change Peru and her plans after school.

The Sun: How did you get started in design?

A popular mantra for fashion designers must be, “Season, season, season.” In fact, the industry never seems to tire of the endless cycle of summer, fall, winter and spring collections. I do believe it is this singular goal — to push the limits of seasonal trends — that fuels design creativity. Fashion and weather go hand-in-hand.

So, what does that mean for those that live in places like Ithaca, a place where weather seems to be on permanent PMS? Now into my sophomore year at Cornell, I’ve learned that Ithaca is definitely not GORGES; rather, it is a TEASE. Your walk to class may be filled with sunshine and the chirpings of birds, but the walk home will be a blind stumble through an April blizzard.

This week I solidified several things about myself that I probably already knew: 1) I really truly am terrible at math and even though I understand the motivation I really would rather NOT have the math distribution requirements; 2) It is virtually impossible for me to not rock-out hardcore in Libe café while listening to John Legend feat. Andre 3000 right now; 3) Sunglasses + ordinary day = EXTRAordinary day. Seeing as the first two are highly irrelevant to this column, you can probably figure out what today’s topic is.

A few years ago, Mary-Kate Olsen was said to personify the “homeless chic” trend. But who really thinks chic when they think of the homeless? Today there is a new trend— “depression chic.”

By definition, depression chic is inspired by the stock market crash of 1929, and the 1920s in general, and is marked by flapper dresses and rural-influenced clothes. But it isn’t as blah as it initially sounds.

For men, depression chic is all about clothing that can hold up for a long time, with an emphasis on earthy colors like beige, brown and forest green. Back during the Depression, clothing like this was practical for men on the move, attempting to survive disasters such as the Dust Bowl.

A few years ago, Mary-Kate Olsen was said to personify the “homeless chic” trend. But who really thinks chic when they think of the homeless? Today there is a new trend— “depression chic.”

By definition, depression chic is inspired by the stock market crash of 1929, and the 1920s in general, and is marked by flapper dresses and rural-influenced clothes. But it isn’t as blah as it initially sounds.

For men, depression chic is all about clothing that can hold up for a long time, with an emphasis on earthy colors like beige, brown and forest green. Back during the Depression, clothing like this was practical for men on the move, attempting to survive disasters such as the Dust Bowl.

There are few accessories more amazing than cocktail rings. At first glance one might argue that they are gaudy or impractical. Those aren’t bad arguments, but I suggest that you disregard them.

If worn properly, the cocktail ring is absolutely not gaudy. You should never wear more than one cocktail ring at once. The cocktail ring should not be overshadowed by a plethora of loud bangles or a dramatic necklace. Keep it simple people.

As for the impractical argument — fashion doesn’t need to be practical.

Cocktail rings well accessorize any little black dress, adding a touch of glamour and flare. It will draw a stranger’s eye right to your hand, and, if said stranger has any fashion sense (or reads this), he will know you are a fashion savvy, glamorous individual.

Having been a child of the late 1980s I narrowly missed the grunge period of the 1990s since I was too busy with my overalls and my wildly printed leggings. I never thought those trends would be revived, but as any fashionista knows, almost all trends are resurrected at some point or another. When I first saw a pair of destroyed jeans, on a runway model in some magazine, I cringed.

In case you couldn’t tell, I am opposed to this trend; what a horrible way to kick off the New Year. I propose everyone at Cornell take a stand against ripped jeans. No one looks good in them; I recently saw a photo of Gisele Bundchen in a pair of overly holed jeans (it was basically a jean thong) and not even the perfect Gisele could pull off this look.

“Now is the winter of our discontent.” Well, it is winter, and though Shakespeare was astute about a lot of things, there are two he clearly failed to consider about this winter, both of which minimize discontent. First, the awesome dressing opportunities winter presents, and second, the momentous occasion taking place today, not to mention my first and probably only inauguration day press appearance ever (Go Obama!) For more information about number one, read on. For more about number two, tune in to CNN.

As I am writing this in Libe café — shoutout to all my fellow Libe-addicts — it is becoming increasingly snowy and cold outside. I am fortunately not out there, but I will be soon. And, because I was silly enough to believe the weather report, I am not wearing those singularly excellent and necessary winter items this column is about: boots. I have boots, and boots that I like, but I was trying to get an extra day of not-boots in before winter set in completely. My goal in this column is to help you find one (or more!) pair of boots that can bring you through the winter without feeling bored or uncomfortable.

The first thing we need to examine, as always, is utility. Why do we wear boots?

(1) They keep you warm.

(2) They keep you dry.

(3)They keep pants dry/clean.

1. Wear sweatpants for an entire calendar year.

2. Embrace tie dye, and people who wear tie dye, unless they have unruly facial hair, are wearing bells, speak in rhyme or a fake british accent, or blow bubbles. That’s how you distinguish the benevolent hippies from the ones who will cause you corporal harm.

3. Banana Republic is a good place to go to find really boring but business-like clothing and a lot of asian people.

4. If you buy things abroad, no matter how cheap they are, their stock goes up when you can say “Oh yeah, I bought that in Uruguay.” Or “This jacket is from the colonial British Congo.”