He walked into kindergarten dressed in something he’d never worn before.

A dark blue and burgundy sweater adorned with an argyle print, navy sweatpant-turned shorts and long white socks that reached just below the knee.

It was a combination he would now describe as “weird” and “nerdy,” but his younger self was oblivious to such critiques, going as far to constantly pull the socks up to truly commit to the look.

Ever since he can remember, freshman Spartak Arutunyan has loved fashion. He received compliments about how well-dressed he was by preschool, wore cashmere by the age of four and tried out different styles by elementary school.

“My mom would pick out the most cute, dapper outfits for me, and one day I just said, ‘Mom, can I pick out my own outfit?” Arutunyan said. “So that was kind of my first experiment getting into it.”

Arutunyan’s interest in experimenting with fashion grew as he got older.

“I was super at the peak of obsession in sixth grade where I thought I was the most fashionable person on Earth,” Arutunyan said. “Meanwhile, I was wearing black skinny jeans with colorblock T-shirts. But progressing on further into middle school, especially since eighth grade, I’ve noticed such a big difference in my style.”

Along with his own creativity, Arutunyan credits his current style to outside inspirations, one being Dua Lipa.

“One of the reasons that I love her so much is because I feel like our styles are so different yet so similar at the same time,” Arutunyan said. “I own so many of the same pieces as her. I take a huge inspiration from her and her style is always colorful, fun and bold. And she’s not afraid to experiment.”

Although Arutunyan enjoys experimenting with different clothes, he feels that society places a lot of pressure on him to create the perfect outfit. To him, that means jewelry, coordinated colors and more often than not denim. He’ll stand in his closet for a few hours at a time, mixing and matching different pieces.

However, as he’s gained a better understanding of fashion, he’s discovered the best way to move past that pressure of not everyone liking his outfit is to simply ignore criticism.

“I’m not going to take criticism from somebody who’s wearing Lululemon leggings every single day, and they’re the same neon green pair, but she’s changing out her hoodies,” Arutunyan said. “There’s obviously nothing wrong with that, but my outfits are much more unique in that sense. It’s something that you wouldn’t just see displayed on a mannequin.”

The fear that others won’t appreciate his style doesn’t stop Arutunyan in pursuing his interest in fashion. He’s supported by his close friends like freshman Zara Bukhari.

“I like how Spartak’s fashion sense is unique and matches his personality,” Bukhari said. “Everyday I’m honestly surprised at what he can put together.”

Freshman Gianna Burroughs said she feels like it’s influenced her own interest in clothes as well.

“What I like about Spartak’s fashion sense is that he wears coats that are really unique and pants that are really cute,” Burroughs said. “I wouldn’t be that much into fashion if it wasn’t for him, so I’m just thankful to have him as one of my best friends.”

But while receiving praise is enjoyable for Aruntunyan, it’s not the biggest reason why fashion is important to him. It’s more of how it makes him feel.

“No other part of my life is something that I’m so attached to,” Aruntunyan said. “I feel like clothes are such a big factor that my mood is dependent on. If my hair looks good and my outfit’s good, I don’t care what I’m doing. Even if I’m at HEB, I’m over the moon, putting everything in my cart. Then it might be the best day ever. But if I don’t feel confident with the way I look and the way that people are perceiving me, it completely affects me.”

Besides that emotional aspect, Arutunyan loves fashion because for him, it’s “an expression of art.”

“Fashion is the most fun thing,” Arutunyan said. “It’s so much more beyond clothing. People get to show their inner selves [in a way] that they might not usually be able to do. A lot of times, people who are not able to express themselves with words are able to wear a pair of purple flare jeans and get the attention they want. Also, I’ve formed so many friendships just from people coming up to me to give me a compliment.”

While expression and building connections are a lot of what fashion means to him, Arutunyan understands that everyone’s experiences with fashion differ.

“Fashion can be so many things,” Arutunyan said. “Everyone can define it their own way.”

This story was originally published on Three Penny Press on December 30, 2023.