As one out of over 400 clubs and organizations, The Collective magazine stands out through its use of conceptual styling and photography as a creative student-run editorial that showcases fashion through the lens of App State’s students. 

Jaidyn Toomey, a junior apparel design and merchandising major and the magazine’s creative director, combines her passions for fashion styling and social justice to foster change in the community through creative storytelling.

 In her role as creative director, Toomey oversees a team of stylists who curate fashion photo shoots. She guides them through the process of content making, involving everything from brainstorming and concept pitching to choosing models and photographers and coordinating photo shoots. 

“I’m a mentor for the other stylists. I provide feedback and act as quality control, but I really don’t have to do much of that because there are so many talented stylists here,” Toomey said.

Toomey’s passion for fashion took off when she arrived at App State. Through her major, she stumbled upon The Collective during her freshman year and began as an assistant stylist. Over the past three years, she worked her way up, becoming a head stylist before being nominated as creative director in the spring of 2024. 

“I feel called to shape the messages that are being circulated in the fashion industry currently,” Toomey said. 

Her identity as a multiracial woman of Black, white and Native heritage has led to this sense of purpose. Growing up near Valle Crucis, Toomey understood the importance of representation early on. 

“I remember when I was a kid, I would feel so happy when I would see people with my body type or hair texture represented in fashion. It’s so important to put those messages out.”

She emphasized the importance of creating content that reflects the App State community.

“Historically in fashion, there’s just been certain privileged bodies that dominate the images you see in the media,” Toomey said. “It’s so important for people to be able to look into the pages of a fashion magazine and see themselves represented as someone who is art, who is fashionable, who is beautiful.”

For Toomey, a fashion magazine should showcase not only different ethnicities but also diverse body types and abilities. One of her most memorable experiences was working with junior social work major Bounlod Phanhvanh, a close friend of hers who is part of App State’s disabled community.

 “It was so powerful to get her point of view as someone who often doesn’t see themselves represented in fashion,” Toomey said. “She got the final photos back and said, ‘I felt sexy, I felt me, I felt portrayed in a way that was real to me.’”

The magazine also recently featured its first plus-sized model. Toomey said being a part of moments like these are why she loves what she does. 

“That should’ve come years ago,” Toomey said. “But it was a really big deal for all of us.” 

This milestone was celebrated by plus-sized members of The Collective, who expressed gratitude for the representation it brought, highlighting the importance of inclusion in creating a welcoming environment.

At a school like App State that is over 80% white with no office of diversity, equity and inclusion, The Collective aims to be an organization that creates safe and comfortable spaces for people of color. 

“I know if I was the only POC in a big group of people I would be scared, honestly, but if I were to see an organization with more POC, especially in a leadership position, like Jaidyn, I would be more inclined to join and be less shy,” said Carissa Mosos, a senior psychology major who works alongside Toomey as the magazine coordinator.

As a leader, Toomey understands the responsibility and challenges that come with working with underrepresented communities, ensuring their stories are authentically shared rather than spoken for. 

“When working with someone from a marginalized community, it is very important to understand how they are depicted in this media,” Toomey said. “It’s important that we’re not using these people, but collaborating with them and letting them speak through their clothes.” 

For the photoshoot “¡illogical!” in issue nine of the magazine, Mosos was inspired by the models Sophie Caswell and sophomore studio art major Amaya Hollington’s own personal style. 

“Both of their styles are very punk and alternative,” she said, leading to her creative vision for the shoot.

Ensuring that models feel confident and comfortable in their clothing is always taken into account by Mosos and Toomey.

Toomey’s advice for other aspiring creatives is to uphold the structures and beliefs within themselves and create the fashion world they want to see.

“As stylists, we have this super special position because we have the power to actually influence who is seen in the fashion industry, the stories being told and whose voices we are projecting in our media,” she said.

For Toomey, creating a tangible magazine means creating a lasting artifact that preserves the fashion and cultural narratives of the time.

“I see magazines as an archive of history,” Toomey said. “It’s really important to accurately reflect the current fashion climate at App State, as well as how it intertwines with the social and environmental climate as well.” 

Through her leadership, Toomey has shaped a platform that values storytelling through its styling, empowerment and an authentic reflection of its community.