The presence of high-end designer labels at NDB has started gaining popularity and is becoming more common every day. Although some may not notice, designer shoes and jewelry are a daily occurrence, even with the NDB dress code.  Some may argue that designer brands are a waste of money, but others enjoy the fashion-forward items and believe that they are an investment. So, how did the need for designer items get so incorporated in NDB culture? 

NDB has an everyday uniform and a special day formal uniform. It also has modified free dress days on Friday. No matter what the day is, it is evident that some students enhance their outfits with designer clothing brands. Instead of classic slip-on Vans, some wear $700 Gucci sneakers. Instead of Herff-Jones class rings, some juniors and seniors wear $3,000 Tiffany or Cartier rings as well as thousands of dollars in necklaces and bracelets.

Girls at NDB most likely spend their money on accessories such as jewelry and shoes because of the intense influence that social media has on the environment we live in. 

Celebrities have a large influence on teen fashion. For example, Kylie Jenner posts pictures of herself decked out in name brand clothes with massive walk-in closets and pictures of her two-year-old daughter walking around with Louis Vuitton bags. Women like her are the role models for girls our age and they normalize wearing expensive designer clothing and accessories. 

Silicon Valley is the epitome of wealth. From multi-million dollar houses to luxury cars, flaunting wealth is especially common. Girls receive thousands of dollars worth of designer clothes and accessories for Christmas and birthdays, giving off the impression that it is normal. 

NDB students experience this both personally and from afar on different social media platforms. And, it is evident that designer items have more recently started gaining popularity recently. 

“I didn’t notice the increase in designer accessories until last year,” senior Kate Rose Keighran said. “It wasn’t very common before then, but now, with brands like Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and Off-White, it’s more visible.”