Collage Town

This isn’t just another student body.

California Institute of the Arts has the lock on style when it comes to college campuses. Devoid of traditional collegiate types like cheerleaders, football jocks and frat rats, CalArts students are as hip as they wanna be when it comes to dressing.

Virtually anything goes on this bucolic Valencia campus, where undergraduates and grad students immerse themselves in subjects such as art, dance, music, animation, graphic design and film. But artistic expression isn’t limited to the classroom. Even the ubiquitous T-shirt-and-jeans ensembles are given a unique twist, whether with paint-spattered high-tops or a metal detector-activating collection of chunky silver jewelry. Not one, but two shirts are tied at the waist for a different kind of layered look.

Thrift store chic--baby doll dresses, vintage lace blouses--are paired with modern accessories like nose rings, tongue studs and chunky platform boots.

But why stop at clothes? Hair gets just as much attention. Fuchsia locks are definite stand-outs, but some opt for a partially shaven head, or long hair gathered in a random bundling of scarves and clips that becomes a work of modern art.

If this was Style 101, they’d all get an A.