New year, new look

Start the year with the best style tips from students.

The Street Styles series is back with brand-new outfits!

To anyone new here—welcome! If you’re a fashion lover setting trends wherever you go, you’ve found the right place.

For fans of the Street Styles series, this year brings exciting fashion and fresh styles from the best-dressed students on campus.

I took a trip to check out the outfits at the Humber Polytechnic North campus and let me tell you, Lakeshore campus, you’ve got some competition on your hands.

Niko Hildebrant, architectural technology

Edgy fashion style with winter layering — *Pictures by Nathalie Gomez.*

Starting strong with Niko Hildebrant, an architectural technology student who blends her edgy style with baggy outfits to create her own fashion world.

Her trick to surviving winter is using layers to her advantage—what she likes to call “unconventional layering.” This technique adds depth to her outfits, as seen in the picture featuring double pants, a jacket and a scarf.

Hildebrant’s style is influenced by her mom, a punk fashionista from the ’90s. Many of her mom’s clothes end up in Hildebrant’s closet, including statement pieces like combat boots.

“Whenever I buy new clothing, the pieces are meant to complement second-hand and vintage items.”
Niko Hildebrant

To make her outfits even more compelling, she incorporates contrasts by playing with textures, colours, and sizes. One example of this is her mix of wide-leg pants with crop tops.

Etienne Couturier-Jack, film and television production

Baggy menswear style with monochromatic black outfit — *Pictures by Nathalie Gomez.*

First-year student Etienne Couturier is a vision of Rick Owens’ edgy, black-centered style. He wears either monochromatic black outfits or high-contrast combinations like black and white.

Couturier opts for baggy clothes and show-stopping jackets made of suede, denim or leather—pieces that look striking regardless of the weather.

“Be cold and fashionable.”
Etienne Couturier-Jack

The film student says he is excited to see more men’s jewelry this year, such as silver chains, rings and pocket chains, to complement his outfits.

Chaeyoung Cho, broadcasting

K-fashion modern influence with baggy style — *Picture by Nathalie Gomez.*

From South Korea to Canada, Cho fuses Korean trends with Canadian fashion to come up with her own style.

“In Canada, it’s so cold, and yet some people manage to wear something comfy and pull it off,” Cho said.

As Vogue states, K-fashion is one of the leading innovators, blending modern and traditional elements—just like Cho.

The broadcasting student draws inspiration from her creativity and the disparity between baggy and coquette styles. For reference, the piece she’s most excited to wear this summer is a mini backless dress from Honey that she got during New Year’s.

Beyond K-fashion, Cho is also a fan of Y2K fashion, a trend that resurfaced in 2020, reviving nostalgia for the 2000s style.

Marcus Baque, marketing

Old-fashioned menswear style — *Picture by Nathalie Gomez.*

“I describe my style as self-empowering, where I don’t limit myself to social norms“
Marcus Baque

Marketing almost-graduate Marcus Baque’s opinion on fashion is to “like what you like.”

Baque’s outfits are influenced by the old-money aesthetic and ’90s style. Making his wardrobe a combination of loose, minimalist fits and vintage-inspired clothes with a modern twist, along with layering pieces.

The student’s layering game consists of transforming any basic outfit into an outstanding one just by adding an extra layer. His latest addition to this technique has been a couple of Jack & Jones button-up shirts to wear over a white tee.

Baque also brings an old-fashioned touch by incorporating briefcases, making him look like the live-action version of Flynn Rider. He recommends shopping for them at Oak + Fort and Coach.

Finally, like Couturier, Baque believes that adding accessories like chains and bags helps his outfits stand out.

Shay MacQueen, cosmetic management

Modern goth fashion featuring a monochromatic black look — *Pictures by Nathalie Gomez.*

Makeup guru Shay MacQueen is the definition of the casual goth. She blends her black wardrobe with alternative fashion for the ultimate modern goth style.

From her tattoos to her rings, MacQueen’s goth lifestyle goes beyond fashion—her latest purchase was the Nosferatu perfume, inspired by the darkest thriller of 2025.

As a sustainable fashion advocate, MacQueen doesn’t follow micro-trends. Instead, “The trend is to do what you want,” she said.

She shops on second-hand platforms like Depop and Poshmark, where she finds her perfect combo: tights, a skirt and high boots.

Jona Krul, design foundation

Indie fashion for winter — *Picture by Nathalie Gomez.*

Jona Krul’s thoughts on fashion are summed up in one statement: “Go with whatever you feel like wearing.”

To stay stylish during winter, Krul said her secret is to “bundle up and layer.” Items such as leg warmers, cardigans and scarves serve as her personal heater.

Aside from her personal style, Krul said she would like to see a comeback of fashion from the pandemic indie era (2020–2021), particularly indie fashion with vintage and retro accents.

That’s it for Street Styles Pt. 4. What do you think of Humber North campus style?

Did you get any fashion inspo from Hildebrant’s edgy side or MacQueen’s gothic take? Or are you just minutes away from checking out all the product recommendations from Baque?

Even as a fashion student, I’m always impressed by others’ perspectives on fashion, especially after this visit—good job, North campus!

Keep those great outfits coming, because you might be part of Street Styles Series Pt. 5! And North campus, hold on tight, because we’ll be coming back.

Feature image courtesy of Malicki M Beser via Unsplash.

Looking for more fashion inspo? Check out the best winter looks on campus!