Back in Time

Every year right about now, we put our heads together with Trevor Dixon and Dominic Episcopo's University of the Arts fashion photography class. We think up some crazy assignment for the kids and send them out into the streets, waiting anxiously to see what they'll come up with. It's a great opportunity for us to work with some up-and-coming photographers, and it's a great opportunity for the students to see just the sort of Keystone Cops operation that passes for a news organization these days. I kid. But seriously, this year we told the class we were looking for fashion anachronisms—people out and about who looked like maybe they got dressed in a different decade. We were a little unsure whether the assignment would fly. Our doubts were unfounded. We present to you here what are, to our minds, the best of a strong crop of photos.

"These are a couple friends of mine in the back yard of my friend's house on Carlyle Street in South Philadelphia," says Dan Eberly. "We were just hanging out. It wasn't really a party." The picture is somewhat contrived, says Eberly (they lit the fire for the purpose). But "the kid actually wears that clothing," he says, referring to the '80s-clad Phil Jackson (left) who's crouching next to a guy people call Sweaters.

We've not been able to get in touch with Libby Sturges to ask her about her photo of "Mrs. Brown." But the image—Mrs. Brown all done up in her 1950s-era Sunday best—was so strong we figured it didn't need much explanation. It's a snapshot of a more dignified time.

"It's interesting to see the epitome of 1940s style in the middle of a huge, modern mecca," says Richard "Lucky" Swartz of this image of Andrea Bouchaud shot at 15th and Chestnut. "All the schoolkids had just gotten out. She'd just gotten off the El. She was just such a great contrast against all the schoolkids and their uniforms."

Honorable Mentions

Heather Noonan

Dana Davis

Leigh Kermizian

Sean Hallion

Andrew Howard

Claire Dennis

Alison Dunlap

Dan Eberly

Richard Lucky Swartz