MIXING , MATCHING AND NEVER FITTING IN

| style

"Though I may never feel like I fit into one group , I find comfort in knowing that there are plenty of worlds that I'm blessed to have experience and that I can bring together"

Growing up as an Asian Immigrant in a predominately hispanic neighborhood , I never really felt like I fit in any where . And to this day as a citizen of many worlds I still don't feel like I fit in anywhere . After years of feeling this way , I've discovered part of the reason for this is that I don't seem to fit into any particular category no matter how much I had wanted to . In high school , I wanted to be an athlete , but I never connected with my team mates . I was also in a lot of advance placement classes but I didn't related to them either . I also wasn't savvy enough to bounce between the two worlds . I was stuck in between and it was hard to make friends this way especially in high school when you don't have an identity that people can understand you by  , I sort of drifted .

Even in dance which I've been doing for 15 years . I came from a choreography team background then I moved into a professional company of predominantly trickers , bboys , and soloists . I'm not the strongest in any type of choreography not am i the strongest in solos . Even friends who've seen me dance for years can't really understand what it is that i'm doing . I'm not a Bboy , I'm not a popper , I'm not any category yet I can do a little of a lot of things and it all sort of blends into my own style . 

Unconsciously , because I've been drifting through different worlds since moving to America at the age of 8 , in trying to fit in as a young person , I picked up different perspectives and tastes for all the different groups that I was a part of , and even though I didn't completely identify with any one specifically , I was able to absorb all the things that I love and exchanged what I brought from different groups . When I brought into Quest , I brought skills in choreography , dance stage direction and team organization of a crew of amazing soloists and from my crew mates I was able to learn a little from their strengths . This became my identity to myself . Other people may or may not understand it but as with all people I am a sum of my experience and knowledge and though I'm not an expert in one area , I have gained so many varied experiences from different worlds that I am able to combined it all into something thats just me . 

I feel that the way that I dress is a physical representation of that . I'm never going to look great in outfits that are put together in a magazine , movie , or commercial . I don't fit into those molds , I mix and match all the things that work for me that comes from different genre's and that makes up how I dress and who I am . In this outfit , I'm wearing pieces from 8 different brands that cater to different demographic . Though I may never feel like I fit into one group , I find comfort in knowing that there are plenty of worlds that I'm blessed to have experience and that I can bring together .  

Jacket - Marshall Artist

Flannel - Alternative

Beanie - Woodlands

Glasses - Toms

Photographer - Courtney Yeh